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<p>The Government has made no specific assessment of the Roots of Empathy programme.
It is important that schools have the freedom to decide which programmes are most
appropriate and best meet the needs of their pupils, drawing on an evidence base of
effective practice.</p><p>Good mental health and wellbeing, including the social and
emotional development of children and young people, are a priority for the Government.
The Department is committed through its education reforms to ensuring that all children,
regardless of background, are prepared to succeed in adult life. Schools and colleges
have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their
pupils, through ensuring a supportive school ethos which fosters a strong sense of
community, and enables engagement and success by all.</p><p>The Department is making
relationships education compulsory for all primary pupils, relationships and sex education
(RSE) compulsory for all secondary pupils and health education compulsory for all
pupils in primary and secondary state-funded schools. The subjects are designed to
foster positive, respectful relationships. In health education, there is a strong
focus on mental wellbeing. The Department is putting in place a programme of support
for schools as they introduce the new subjects, and this will include helping schools
to identify evidence-based programmes and high quality teaching resources.</p>
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