Children's Mental Health Week: Exams the biggest worry for school children says Place2Be

Schoolwork, climate change, and how you look are some of the main worries faced by young people in primary and secondary schools.

That's according to a mental health charity called Place2Be.

In a survey of more than 1,000 children in England, Scotland and Wales, they found that more than half (55%) of children said something would stop them from seeking help for their mental health.

That's why this year's Children's Mental Health Week is all about speaking up about how you feel.

Newsround spoke to 10-year-old Isha

Newsround visited one primary school in London to talk about these issues, where 10-year-old Isha told us that "sometimes it's hard to talk about mental health because you might be embarrassed of what the reaction of the other person will be."

Joining us was presenter Katie Thistleton. She's also a trained counsellor, the host of Life Hacks on BBC Radio 1, and an ambassador for Place2Be.

Katie says that while speaking to someone can really help, if it feels too difficult at first, there are things you can do.

She said: "Writing a diary is really, really good - it's almost the same thing as telling somebody in a way. You've not got their response, but you can write down how you're feeling, and sometimes that just helps you to figure out what you're going through."

Place2Be found that in the last three months, exams and schoolwork have been the biggest worries for children in both primary and secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales.

Two-thirds of secondary school children (66%) surveyed said they were worried about exams and school work.

Isha explained that she's worried "because if I forget the lessons that I'm learning, then I might get a bad grade in my SATS (exams) and that will affect my whole life in secondary school".

School pressures can be a source of worry

Meanwhile, 10-year-old Rabiul says that "you get nervous if you write an answer because you don't know if it's correct".

Twelve-year-old Patryk is a secondary school pupil and told Place2Be that "sometimes we say we're stressed with homework and it seems like all our teachers care about is the deadline, not how we're feeling," adding that it's important to "make the time to talk about our feelings too, if we need to".

Isha says she thinks adults should listen to children about their mental health because the "child feels more confident and heard and knows they have someone they can speak to that they can trust".

Extra support

Place2be wants mental health support in every school and accessible to every child.

"Many children still do not have access to dedicated mental health support in schools," says Catherine Roche, from Place2Be, who added that more money needs to be spent to help.

Newsround contacted the government's offices in England, Scotland and Wales for a response.

A spokesperson from the Scottish government said: "We have ensured counsellors are available in schools for pupils aged 10 and over, which means that children are able to have their mental health needs met earlier."

Newsround has asked what percentage of schools in Scotland have mental health counsellors available, but we are yet to receive a response.

The spokesperson continued: "School staff in Scotland have been supported to understand the range of mental health and wellbeing concerns that young people may experience.

"We are also providing local authorities with £15 million a year to deliver over 300 mental health support services for children, young people, and their families."

Meanwhile, the Department for Education, which is responsible for schools in England, says it's investing "record amounts" of money to boost mental health support for children, "including extending school and college mental health support teams to at least 50% of pupils in England by the end of March 2025."

A Department for Education spokesperson added that: "Qualifications are an important part of a young person's education and support them to progress to further study and in later life.

"The government is clear that while education providers should encourage pupils to work hard, this should not be at the expense of their wellbeing."

In Wales, children in year 2 up to year 9 take National Tests, sometimes called Personalised Assessments. The Welsh government says that the assessments "should not be a cause of stress. The questions learners are asked adapt based on how well they are doing," and schools should consider how the assessments are presented so that they're not "a cause of worry".

A statement from the Welsh government added that schools are required to "put in place support to meet the wellbeing needs of children and young people."

Place2Be says it would like to see more money for mental health support sooner, saying long-term investment is "crucial" for children and can "change lives".