THOUSANDS of pupils sitting exams this week in the North West have been helped to manage stress and anxiety by NHS mental health support teams in the classroom.

Almost 600 hundred colleges and sixth form centres across the country have NHS funded clinicians offering one-to-one support, workshops, and training for teachers on how to support pupils struggling with their mental health.

In the North West, more than 17,600 children and young people have received help for a range of issues from anxiety or sleep difficulties which can be exacerbated by exams, with GCSE exams starting this week, and A Level exams from next week.

Parents and carers can also receive NHS support to empower them to support their children and young people out of school.

As well as preparing students for the exam period, trained and experienced staff are on hand to offer resilience training and coping strategies that can be used for the rest of their lives.

Dr Michael Gregory, Regional Medical Director for NHS England in the North West, said: “Many young people across the North West will be sitting their GCSE and A Level exams, and we recognise that young people are facing more pressures than ever before, something that can peak at this time of the year. The NHS is here to help with the implementation of mental health support teams within education settings across the region, working with colleges and schools to offer specialist advice on how to look after themselves and keep well.

“We know that adolescence is a key developmental milestone in life with approximately half of mental health disorders being present by the age of 14, so it is absolutely vital that our NHS teams are able to offer pupils and students easy access to support with the skills they learn helping them as they enter the workplace or head off to university.”

The North West is home to some 68 mental health support teams across various education settings, with another 13 teams in training this year.

Since 2022, the Tameside mental health support team from Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust has been working at Tameside College in Greater Manchester, helping hundreds of students build resilience and improve their mental wellbeing.

Working with the college’s mental health lead, members of the team visit the college once a week to meet with students who have been referred by the college. The team also attends college wellbeing events, such as the Freshers Fair and events around Children’s Mental Health Week and Mental Health Awareness Week.

Katie Turner is operational manager of the Tameside mental health support team, provided by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust.

She said: “Moving from high school to college and transitioning into adulthood can be challenging. The work we’re doing to support young people at Tameside College helps them with their immediate mental health needs and to cope better later in life.

“We work closely with education colleagues who tell us they feel more confident talking about mental health and spotting early signs of difficulties, which means students are getting the help they need sooner.”

A student who used the service at Tameside College and was referred to the team in October 2024 after bullying led to them experiencing low mood, social withdrawal, difficulty focusing and suicidal thoughts said: “College was supposed to be a fresh start, but the bullying followed me from high school. This left me feeling negative and low, which had a big impact on my life.

“A practitioner from the mental health support team set me goals like cooking with my dad, swimming with my mum, and calling my grandma. We talked about what was important to me and they helped me learn healthy habits, problem solving, and how to build my confidence.

“Things have changed since I first met my practitioner. I feel better and no longer isolate myself. I share worries with my family, spend time downstairs with them and go for walks with my boyfriend. They’ve taught me how to look after my mental health now and in the future.”

In Cheshire and Mersey, Mersey Care NHS FT’s Mental Health Support Team in schools have released new interactive workbooks designed to help young people, parents and education staff learn new ways to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

The workbooks provide comprehensive guidance on maintaining good health, building positive self-esteem, and understanding anxiety and low mood. They explain how these issues can impact young people and highlight common symptoms to watch for that may signal they are struggling.

Harriet Clarke, Operational Manager for Children and Young People’s Mental Health at Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are committed to supporting the mental health of young people in Halton, Knowsley, St Helens and Warrington. These interactive workbooks are a valuable resource that empowers young people, their carers and education staff to take proactive steps in managing their mental health and emotional wellbeing.”

One young person in school who wanted to remain anonymous said: “This is a great idea, it’s easy to understand and I can use it at home. It helped me realise that how I feel is normal and I can share it with my mum. It’s good that I can get help without having to be referred into a service and wait to see someone.”

Feedback from school staff has also been positive with one staff at a school saying:  “We feel safe knowing that this has come from a trusted place. We can share these with young people to work on independently, and then it’s really useful that they can come back to us and their parents to show us what they have been working on”.