London schools to get £810k boost for mental health
Schools will be encouraged to adopt a ‘whole-school’ approach, which could include wellbeing weeks, parent sessions, peer-support groups and staff training
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The mayor of London has announced £810k in new funding to expand mental health support in 16 schools across the capital.
The scheme, launched this month in Camden, Greenwich, Haringey and Newham, will reach up to 15,000 pupils. Further schools in Bexley and Lambeth will join in October, followed by Southwark, Westminster, and Kensington and Chelsea in November.
Delivered in partnership with children’s mental health charity Anna Freud, the programme will provide training and resources for teachers, parents and students. Schools will be encouraged to adopt a “whole-school” approach, which could include wellbeing weeks, parent sessions, peer-support groups and staff training.
The investment comes as NHS data shows a sharp rise in demand for child mental health services. There were 81,575 open referrals to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in London in July 2025, up from 31,725 in July 2019. Across England, referrals rose to 554,966 from 267,423 over the same period.
Polling last year suggested nearly one in four young Londoners regularly feel emotionally unwell, while almost half of 16 to 24-year-olds said schools had not prepared them to cope with mental health struggles. NHS Digital figures also show children with mental health problems are almost seven times more likely to miss 15 or more school days in a single term.
Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, said: “We are facing a national crisis with too many children and young people facing huge struggles with their mental health. That’s why I’m stepping forward to help provide targeted schools across London with tools, training and support to make a real difference for their students.”
According to Jaime Smith, director of schools at Anna Freud, the partnership aimed to strengthen “the right whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing” and reduce risks of mental ill health by embedding support into everyday school life.
Local councils have also welcomed the funding, with Camden, Greenwich and Haringey councillors highlighting the role schools play in addressing stigma and providing early intervention.
