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

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68dbec17140000c2765c6793.jpg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="" data-caption="" data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="10'000 Hours via Getty Images" /></div><div class="content-list-component text"><p>I know how badly children need mental health support, but expecting teachers to fill the gap is pushing schools past breaking point. </p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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. </p><p>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