The latest devolved guidance for schools in England is that this should be taught in an way that’s suitable for pupils ages
A local dad who lost his daughter in 2020 says teachers need to be properly supported to help rollout upcoming changes to the school curriculum
New guidance advises schools in England to teach suicide prevention in an age-appropriate way, with experts help
“We’ve written to all the relevant people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland saying what about you”
Tim Owen from Shouldham lost his daughter Emily five years ago
He tells us how their successful Three Dads Walking campaign to get this on the curriculum all came about:
“It was during the first walk we did, that we met so many suicide beavered parents and it drove us on really.
“We raised something like £800 thousand on that walk, but it was more the fact that so many people said, I didn’t know that suicide is the biggest killer of under 30s in the UK
“When we saw the draft curriculum in January, we had two objections. One the Government said that schools ‘could’ teach suicide prevention. That made it something that was optional and to year 8s and above.
“We pushed back on this and said the guidance must say it ‘should’ be taught and to high-school age.
“We have got good connections with all of the devolved assemblies. Now that England has taken the first step, we’ve written to all the relevant people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland saying what about you”.
What does the new guidance say?
The Statutory guidance on Relationships Education, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) and Health Education says:
-Secondary schools should consider how to safely address suicide prevention and deliver teaching on it.
-Teachers should discuss isolation, loneliness and bullying, and how to cope when things go wrong in life
-It’s important to ensure pupils understand how to seek help from a trusted adult, including when they are concerned about another person.
When will this be introduced?
This guidance will officially come in from 1st September 2026.
