Guest blog: Why should schools be measuring wellbeing? 

The following blog was provided by our partners at BounceTogether for Mental Health Awareness Week.

Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is now a fundamental aspect of our education system. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of monitoring and measuring wellbeing in schools. With the publication of several guidelines, including The DfE and Public Health England’s “whole school or college approach to mental health and wellbeing,” the Department for Education’s “Staff Wellbeing Charter,” and the inclusion of emotional health objectives in the new Ofsted framework, schools are being encouraged to take a strategic approach to mental health and wellbeing.  

However, it is not enough to simply acknowledge the importance of wellbeing; schools must also take practical steps to measure and improve it. In this blog, we will explore why measuring wellbeing is essential, what the benefits of doing so are, and how BounceTogether can help your school to measure wellbeing effectively and use data to purposefully drive the right decisions and create better outcomes. 

The Need to Measure Wellbeing 

At BounceTogether, our team have recently collated findings from over 46,000 responses to The Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Survey, where 38% of pupils score below the expected level of wellbeing. This means that more than 1 in 3 children in every class are not reaching their full potential when it comes to their mental health and wellbeing. This is a concerning statistic and highlights the need for schools to take a proactive approach to supporting their students’ mental health and wellbeing. 

Why is it important to measure wellbeing? 

Measuring wellbeing in schools can provide a range of benefits. Firstly, it allows schools to identify patterns and trends across different school groups, or demographics, and create benchmarks to compare findings over time and against similar provisions. This information can then be used to inform school development plans and support the implementation of targeted interventions. 

Secondly, the survey process itself sends a positive message to the entire school community. Talking about wellbeing can improve it, and running a survey can help pupils and staff think about emotions, open conversations, build trust and empathy, and make them feel valued and empowered. It demonstrates that the school values wellbeing greatly and is committed to creating a positive learning environment. 

Finally, measuring wellbeing can help schools to evaluate the success of interventions and provide evidence to justify additional funding or assess the return on investment. It can also demonstrate to organisations such as Ofsted that the school is seeking continual improvement and making decisions in the best interests of pupils and staff. 

How can BounceTogether Help Your School? 

At BounceTogether, we’re passionate about making measuring wellbeing accessible and affordable for every school. Our innovative wellbeing and mental health measurement platform allows schools to evaluate, monitor, and improve the wellbeing of their pupils, staff, and parents. We offer schools access to the largest repository of research-based wellbeing surveys, that are hosted on a platform specifically designed to meet their unique needs. Our surveys are tailored to different key stages and wellbeing categories, ensuring that schools can gather accurate and reliable data to supports decision-making  

Our instant reporting and analysis across key school groups and demographics save time and allow schools to easily track progress over time, identify trends, implement targeted interventions, and showcase their impact to key stakeholders. We understand that schools have unique needs, and our platform is tailored to address those needs, enabling schools to gather actionable insights into the wellbeing of their school community. 

If your school is looking to get started measuring wellbeing or run The Stirling Children’s Wellbeing Scale before the end of the year, our team is here to help. We’re currently offering schools the opportunity to run this survey, with our team setting everything up, scoring the questions, and providing results in a professionally formatted report for just £99. And for schools that sign up before the end of May, we’re offering a FREE one-to-one consultation with our team to discuss their results (usually £150). 

By taking advantage of this offer, your school can not only gain valuable insights into the wellbeing of your school community but also secure an opportunity to have your data included in The BounceTogether annual wellbeing report. So, don’t miss out on this opportunity to make a positive impact on the wellbeing of your school community– Click Here 

BounceTogether partner bio 

BounceTogether is an innovative wellbeing and mental health measurement platform designed to support schools in evaluating, monitoring, and improving the wellbeing of their community. With the largest repository of research-based wellbeing surveys, their platform provides schools with accurate and reliable data to support decision-making around wellbeing, as well as instant reporting and analysis across key school groups and demographics, allowing schools to track progress, identify trends, implement targeted interventions, and showcase their impact to key stakeholders. With a mission to make measuring wellbeing accessible and affordable, BounceTogether is a trusted partner for hundreds of schools across the UK.