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<p>Helping pupils recover from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the Department’s
main priorities.</p><p>The Department is committed to ensuring all schools are calm,
safe and supportive learning environments that promote and support mental health and
wellbeing. The Department is offering schools and colleges funding to train a senior
mental health lead who can put in place an effective whole school or college approach
to mental health and wellbeing. Over 13,800 schools and colleges have now received
a training grant, including more than 7 in 10 state funded secondary schools.</p><p>As
of September 2020, the health education curriculum has a strong focus on mental wellbeing.
Pupils are taught the links between physical and mental health, how to recognise and
talk openly regarding their emotions, and how and where to seek support if they are
concerned for their own or someone else’s mental wellbeing.</p><p>When a pupil is
struggling with their mental health, it is vital to intervene early. That is why the
Department is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England
to continue the rollout of Mental Health Support Teams across schools and colleges.
These teams currently cover 35% of pupils in schools and further education and will
increase to an estimated 44% of pupils by April 2024.</p><p>Raising attainment for
all pupils is at the heart of this Government’s agenda. The Department is committed
to helping every pupil to fulfil their potential by ensuring they receive the right
support, in the right place, at the right time.</p><p>The Government is committed
to providing a world class education system for all children and has invested significantly
in education to achieve that. Overall, the core schools budget is rising by over £3.9
billion this year alone, compared to the 2022/23 financial year. This is on top of
a £4 billion cash increase last year, a 16% increase in just two years. School funding
in 2024/25 will be more than £59.6 billion, the highest ever level in real terms per
pupil.</p><p>This funding will enable headteachers to continue to spend in the areas
that we know positively affect educational attainment, including high quality teaching
and targeted support to the pupils who need it most.</p><p>Also, the Department’s
multi year recovery funding which made available almost £5 billion continues to be
delivered, and much of the extra recovery funding the Department has made available,
for instance in staff development, will have benefits for years to come.</p><p>The
Department is continuing to deliver the proposals set out in the Schools White Paper,
which aim to improve outcomes for all pupils, with specific focus on raising attainment
for disadvantaged pupils.</p><p>Schools continue to receive the Pupil Premium to enable
them to provide extra support and so improve disadvantaged pupils’ academic and personal
achievements. Pupil Premium rates will increase by 5% for 2023/24, taking total Pupil
Premium funding to £2.9 billion.</p><p>The Department is funding 55 Education Investment
Areas (EIA), of which 24 are Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIA). In each of
the 24 PEIAs, the Department will also make more intensive investment on top of the
significant support available in EIAs, including a share of up to £42 million through
the Local Needs Fund to address specific local barriers through bespoke interventions
to improve attainment at Key Stages 2 and 4. PEIAs are also benefiting from having
enhanced or priority access to a number of other programmes offered by the Department,
including Maths Hubs and Connect the Classroom.</p>
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