GOVERNMENT must “rocket-boost” efforts to tackle the mental health “epidemic ravaging schools,” the former children’s commissioner has said.

Anne Longfield said waiting lists for children’s mental health services are “chronic” amid a “postcode lottery” of support.

She warned that half of pupils in England — four million children — will still not have access to mental health support teams (MHSTs) in their school under current plans.

Ms Longfield, executive chair of the Centre for Young Lives think tank, which has co-published recommendations in a report with the Child of the North, said: “The rise in the number of children experiencing mental health problems is an ongoing crisis not only for those children and families experiencing it now, but for our country’s future.

“As an anchor in children’s lives, schools have a crucial role to play in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing.”

A government spokesperson said: “We understand the importance of providing and protecting vital mental health support to our young people.”