Responding to new research from the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which found that more than seven in 10 teachers said they did not receive good support for pupils from key support services including local authorities and physical and mental health services, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders' union NAHT, said:

“These findings reflect what we hear from school leaders about how they and their staff have increasingly found that pupils need support with everything from challenges at home to mental ill-health and the impact of poverty before they are ready to learn.

“Schools, many of which are facing budgetary pressures, do their best to support children.

"However, where the support required lies outside education, it can be difficult for them to access help from community services including social care and mental health which have been under-funded over the last decade. Funding to support pupils with special educational needs (SEND) has also failed to keep pace with increased demand.

“More investment is needed for all these services, alongside reform of the SEND system, and tangible action to tackle child poverty. There should be no expectation on any school to provide health or social care services funded from the school budget.

“Government plans to ensure access to mental health professional in every school and create a network of open access hubs may help, but are expected to take years to roll-out, and in the meantime it’s vital that existing support services are better resourced to meet children’s needs.”