Teachers Are Being Treated As Therapists – And Children Are Losing Out

I know how badly children need mental health support, but expecting teachers to fill the gap is pushing schools past breaking point. After 25 years in education, including 10 years as a headteacher, I’ve seen the job of a teacher move way beyond its original purpose. Planning and delivering lessons, marking work and getting pupils ready for exams are just part of the job. Increasingly, teachers are also expected to spot mental health issues, support families in crisis, and keep children learning while they wait for specialist care. This ‘scope creep’ isn’t driven by schools; it’s a reflection of a wider failure to provide timely mental health services for young people.Families often, understandably, come to school first because they trust teachers and can reach them quickly. But when staff are asked to fill every single gap, children risk missing out on the professional treatment and support they need, and teachers are left working well beyond their training. During my years as a state secondary headteacher, I worked to set clear and workable boundaries. We built strong tutor systems so that every pupil had an adult who knew them well. We created quiet rooms and offered daily check-ins. At the same time, we established solid referral routes to health professionals and made sure parents understood when clinical care was essential. Those steps meant we could respond swiftly without claiming expertise we did not have. The same approach guides Queen’s Online School, which I now lead. Many of our pupils have been out of mainstream education because of illness or anxiety.We keep classes small, expect cameras on, and maintain daily contact with families. These routines help boost students’ confidence and encourage them to re-engage with learning – but we are clear that we are teachers, not therapists. Parents remain key partnersGood sleep, regular routines and honest conversations begin at home. Schools can reinforce these habits and alert families quickly when problems arise, but parents need clear advice on when and how to seek proper, professional help. When schools and families share responsibility in this way, children get effective support. National policy has a part to play, too. The education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has announced that a new schools’ White Paper will set out clear expectations on how parents and schools work together. She has said it will cover communication, data sharing and support for home learning. That focus on partnership is welcome, but it must also make clear what schools cannot do. Stronger engagement will only help if health services are ready to step in when clinical care is needed. Funding is another missing piece. Mental health support teams are a step forward, yet provision is uneven and waiting times remain too long. Every area needs a well-funded, rapid pathway from school referral to specialist care. Money for pastoral work must be ring-fenced, so it does not come at the expense of core teaching. Curriculum breadth also helps to protect mental health. Subjects like art, music and sport give pupils the space to express themselves and build resilience. Cutting those opportunities in the state sector undermines wellbeing and adds yet more pressure on teachers to create makeshift alternatives. With today being World Mental Health Day (10 October), lots of schools will spend time discussing wellbeing. That is valuable, but posters and assemblies will not fix a broken system. Teachers will always notice when something is wrong and provide immediate support – what they can’t do is replace an under-resourced NHS or carry every burden alone. Children need schools that care, and systems that respond. Clear roles, shared responsibility and proper resources are the only way to protect both learning and wellbeing long after this month’s awareness events and the forthcoming white paper have passed.Lisa Boorman has more than 25 years’ experience in education, including 10 years as headteacher of a successful mainstream secondary school in Devon. She currently leads Queen’s Online School.Related...'It's Triggering': UK Teachers Weigh In On Adolescence’s School EpisodeI Hated School – Then Teachers Made An Observation That Changed My Life'I Don't Need To Listen To You': Female Teachers Are Witnessing A Rise In Classroom Misogyny

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