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Written Evidence from Bernardo’s

Barnardo’s can respond to the first aspect of the inquiry.

There is a crisis in children and young people’s mental health, exacerbated by the Covid-19
pandemic and cost of living crisis. Deteriorating mental health and wellbeing are impacting on
children and young people’s wider physical health and development, attendance, and behaviour.1
Limited early intervention and specialist provision, as well as increasing demand is leading to longer
waits for mental health support, deterioration in children and young people’s condition2 and
increased pressure on both mainstream and specialist schools.3

Schools and colleges are coming under additional pressure to support children and young people
with a range of holistic needs. Many are managing mental health related behaviour, encouraging
attendance, and putting in additional catch-up support.4 Schools and colleges are also playing an
increased role in promoting health and wellbeing, identifying children and young people at risk, or
experiencing poor mental health and as a setting for interventions.5

Against this backdrop, the current Ofsted inspection framework does not currently reflect schools’
challenges in responding to mental health and wellbeing needs. Inspection guidance does not
consider holistic approaches to supporting health and wellbeing or make links between behaviour
and attitude and personal development.

The Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition recently published a report examining the
links between mental health and behaviour in schools. The report found Ofsted is lacking a holistic
approach to assessing achievement in schools and cites the Welsh school inspectorate as a potential
model for improvement. Estyn is using objective data as a measure of wellbeing (such as attendance
rates in a school compared to those in similar schools) and increased opportunities for inspectors to
listen to pupils prior to and during the inspection process.6

The report also highlighted how Ofsted frameworks do not reference whole school approaches to
mental health and wellbeing, something that the Government has advocated for within the Green
Paper “Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health.”7

This evidence is supported by qualitative discussion with schools. As part of a report by the All-Party
Parliamentary Group on Knife Crime, headteachers reported feeling as though a holistic approach to
attendance, mental health and wellbeing weren’t considered in Ofsted as part of their inspections.

1 Reiner, Le and Abdinasir, 2023; Behaviour and Mental Health in Schools. https://cypmhc.org.uk/wp-
content/uploads/2023/06/Behaviour-and-Mental-Health-in-Schools-Full-Report.pdf
2 The Children’s Commissioner, 2023; Children’s Mental Health Services 2021-22

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Childrens-Mental-Health-Services-
2021-2022-1.pdf
3 Ofsted (2022) Education recovery in schools: summer 2022. London: Ofsted. Available from:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/education-recoveryin-schools-summer-2022/education-
recovery-inschools-summer-2022
4 Supra Note 1, Reiner et al
5 Barnardo’s, 2023; Its Hard to Talk- Expanding Mental Health Support Teams in Education.
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-with-us/expanding-mental-health-support-teams-
education
6 Reiner, Le and Abdinasir, 2023; Behaviour and Mental Health in Schools. https://cypmhc.org.uk/wp-

content/uploads/2023/06/Behaviour-and-Mental-Health-in-Schools-Full-Report.pdf
7 DHSC and DfE, 2017; Transforming Children and Young Peoples Mental Health.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/transforming-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-
provision-a-green-paper
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“We were Ofsteded and despite phenomenal improvement on attendance and exclusions it got less
than one line in the report, and the only thing they were interested in was the Maths, Science and
English.”8

A lack of recognition of these efforts, and a focus on academic performance, could lead to schools
choosing fixed term and permanent exclusion as an easy solution to manage difficult students,
particularly where they are concerned there will not be academic progress, impacting on the
attainment data schools publish.

Furthermore, it means that a large part of school’s work to offer holistic support for children and
young people is not considered as part of Ofsted inspections. This provides a disincentive for schools
to respond to increasing need and creates an Ofsted report that doesn’t fully inform parents and
carers.

Recommendations

1- That Ofsted works draw better links between behaviour and attitude and personal
development within its inspection framework, taking account of the links between mental
health and behaviour.
2- Ofsted should take a more holistic approach to assessing schools on their efforts to promote
overall wellbeing, improve poor attendance and implement a whole school approach to
mental health. This should be acknowledged within its reporting.
3- As members of the Children and Young Peoples Mental Health Coalition, Barnardo’s
supports the recommendations outlined in the report “Behaviour and Mental Health in
Schools” including that Ofsted consult with stakeholders to understand and define harmful
behavioural practise and identify best practise to inform the behaviour and attitudes
judgement area of inspections.

October 2023

8 APPG Knife Crime (Barnardos and Red Thread), 2019; Back to School, Breaking the Link Between School
Exclusions and Knife Crime.