"I've spent £500,000 on mental health support and it's not enough"

A head teacher from a school in Barnsley, South Yorkshire has said the mental health of her pupils is the "worst it has been" due to the pandemic.

Claire Huddart, from the Horizon Community College, spends more than £500,000 from her school budget on mental health support for her students.

Ms Huddart is calling for ring-fenced funding from the government to ensure the correct support can be offered to all pupils.

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: "We are accelerating and expanding the roll-out of mental health support teams in schools and colleges, giving nearly three million children in England access to health experts through school or college by April 2024."

6 March 2022