TWO Cumbrian teachers have spoken out about the crisis in mental health in primary schools across the county - with one claiming it may take the death of a child before changes are made.

Headteachers at Stoneraise and Pennine Way primary schools have spoken out about the lack of funding and resources in primary school mental health provision.

“We have children who are self-harming, children who have eating disorders, children showing signs of depression, children showing that they are unhappy,” explained Sue Blair, headteacher at Pennine Way Primary School.

“We need help and support. The government needs to acknowledge that we are teachers, not mental health practitioners. We can’t solve all of the world’s problems in the school.”

Clem Coady, headteacher at Stoneraise School, said: “Unless children are self-harming or attempting suicide the support for schools isn’t there.

“We are told about mental health first aiders, but we could already identify the problems, we just don’t have the resources to deal with them.”

Unless urgent action is taken, Mr Coady believes we could see the death of a child.

“I think it is more than foreseeable. My big worry is it will take that for change to happen.”

“People are willing to let this go unsolved, thinking it is not happening in my backyard, thinking it doesn’t happen in big cities - but it happens everywhere.”

The call for help comes off the back of a Freedom of Information request by the BBC, which found a near 50 per cent increase in referrals to child health services from pupils aged 11 and under, in the past three years.

A spokesman for the government said they are determined to improve mental health support for children and “are transforming services through the NHS Long Term Plan - backed by an extra £2.3bn a year - so that 345,000 more children and young people have access to specialist mental health care by 2023/24”.

He added the government is training a new mental health workforce for schools and colleges, and teaching pupils about good mental and physical health.