Students suffering from mental health issues are three times more likely not to achieve five passing grades at GCSE including English and maths than their peers, a new study has found.
The study, conducted by the National Centre for Social Research, said that pupils could be facing a double hit in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, with it negatively impacting both their educational attainment and mental health.
The research found an independent association between mental difficulties among teenagers and their attainment at age 16, as well as the fact that mental health problems adversely affected boys’ educational attainment more than girls’.
With factors such as poverty, domestic relationships and parental engagement controlled for, students that suffered from mental health issues remained twice as likely not to achieve five passing grades (9 to 4) in their GCSES including English and maths.
“As the school year comes to an end, young people are facing a double hit to their educational prospects," said study lead Dr Neil Smith.
"First, disruption to schooling caused by the pandemic has directly impacted on learning. Second, the pandemic has adversely affected many young people’s mental health, and it’s likely those whose mental health was affected the most by the pandemic will face greater difficulties in making up for learning time that’s been lost.”
Cliff Park Ormiston Academy, a mixed secondary school in Norfolk, has noted the connection between mental health and attainment for some time now, and as a result place a great emphasis on pastoral care.
In her recent contribution to The Parliamentary Review, principal Tamsin Poulter explained: "At Cliff Park the success of the academy’s pastoral team is directly linked to the improvements in our academic outcomes. Like most schools and academies, our pastoral care deliberately includes proactive elements such as teaching resilience, teamwork, problem solving, wellbeing and how to stay safe. Likewise, the academy community system aims to increase community spirit and to develop leadership opportunities."
The school's approach towards mental health was praised in its most recent Ofsted report, with the inspector noting the impact of the pastoral care on how students operate on social media.
"The school promotes pupils’ welfare very well," it read.
"Pupils report feeling safe and recognise
what staff do to keep them safe. They are taught about staying safe. For example,
they are shown the risks attached to using social media, and know what to do if they
have any concerns. Incidents of bullying are rare and pupils work well with staff to
resolve it when it does occur."
