Overview

• Former Ofsted chief Baroness Amanda Spielman said schools have turned into therapeutic institutions and warned of a “negative spiral” that can weaken pupils’ resilience.
• She criticised routine wellbeing checks and classroom mood charts for very young children, arguing they prompt children to dwell on negative feelings.
• The NASUWT union rejected her claims, saying teachers are filling gaps left by years of cuts and that therapeutic practices align with Ofsted’s proposed inspections focused on inclusion.
• New Department for Education guidance tells teachers not to encourage self‑diagnosis and to present worry and low mood as sometimes normal parts of life.
• A government review found several widely used school programmes were linked to increased emotional difficulties, as ministers expand in‑school support toward 2026 and end‑of‑decade access targets, with the Covid‑19 Inquiry due to take evidence on children next.