Understanding the Issues in Your School

What you perceive to be the issues your pupils are facing may be very different from what they see. To understand the issues, it is important to regularly gather information about your school community– you may not like everything you hear, but you can’t bring about positive change if you don’t know what you’re up against. Here are some examples of how schools can capture the health and wellbeing information they need to help develop a whole school approach to wellbeing.

Somerset Children and Young People Survey (SCYPS)

The online survey, which was first run in 2014 by the School Health Education Unit (SHEU), has enabled schools to gain invaluable insight into children and young people’s experiences of life, both inside and outside of school.  It has also made it possible for Public Health and SCC Children’s Services to find out what young people think about a broad range of health-related issues.

The survey is structured around five key areas that present a full picture of children and young people's perceptions, understanding and behaviour in relation to health, wellbeing and the focus for a whole school approach to mental health:

1.         The extent to which pupils feel safe

2.         The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles

3.         Relationships and emotional wellbeing

4.         Citizenship and aspirations

5.         The effectiveness of care, guidance and support

From 2020 the survey will be designed and coordinated by the SCC Public Health Team. The new survey will continue to provide a unique insight in the lives of young people regarding their own health and wellbeing and experiences of school life. The new improved questionnaire will focus on emotional health and obesity as its main themes.

Examples of how the survey has been a useful resource to schools are:

• Teachers have used the data to improve the quality and delivery of their PSHE lessons;
• Evidence to support a 'whole school approach' to support the implementation of the Somerset wellbeing Framework
• Evidence for Ofsted outcomes as well as improved governor understanding of the key issues for pupils.
• Used to secure additional funding for pupil support services, having a direct impact on improved attendance and outcomes such as LIFEbeat residential camps, Mental Health in Schools Programme, SEND audit etc.

Staff Health and Wellbeing Survey

One of the drivers for developing The Somerset Wellbeing Framework has been the recognition of the stress and strain on staff arising from external demands on schools and the increasingly complex problems and challenges students present. Evidence tells us that if we want to improve the wellbeing outcomes for young people we also need to develop mechanisms to support teachers and staff in schools. 

Wellbeing Audit

Public Health have developed an online Wellbeing Audit to help you review your current approach to Emotional and Mental Health, allowing you to identify strengths and areas for development. Schools in Somerset that are engaged in the Somerset Wellbeing Framework will be able to access their own confidential copy of the tool & accompanying action plans.

The audit is based upon the eight principles of the whole school approach, as laid out in the document

’Promoting children’s and young people’s emotional health and wellbeing - a whole school and college approach’ published by Public Health England and the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition March 2015.

Find out more about the Eight Principles of a Whole School Approach on our website Here

Schools can consider the descriptors and record how they are currently meeting them. The self-assessed

‘RAG’ (red, amber or green) rating helps to identify which areas need more attention in developing a whole

school approach. Schools can then use the action plan template at the side of the audit to plan ‘next steps’.

Find out more about the Wellbeing Audit and to get started now click

Here