In a world where many wellbeing issues manifest online, keeping track of student welfare is increasingly difficult. Nevertheless, monitoring student wellbeing is an integral part of safeguarding. Keeping Children Safe in Education confirms that “schools and colleges have an important role to play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils.” DSLs need a clear vision of student wellbeing in order to identify vulnerable students and quickly intervene to provide the help they require.
Unfortunately, there is no standard approach to measuring student wellbeing. Educational settings may implement a range of techniques, with varying levels of participation and success. This article explores 3 strategies schools, colleges and MATs can adopt.
The challenges of measuring student wellbeing
Some signs of poor wellbeing are clearly visible to experienced DSLs - bruising or injuries, a change in demeanour, an inability to participate or concentrate in class. However, many indicators of vulnerability are more hidden and often go uncommunicated, making them extremely difficult for busy school staff to detect.
Digital risks in particular can cause a kind of “iceberg effect”, where incidents fuelling poor wellbeing - like harmful online conversations - sit below the surface and so remain invisible to safeguarders.
The challenge of measuring student wellbeing is compounded by the fact that young people commonly feel too shy or embarrassed to open up about issues that are affecting them, or may not possess the skills to do so effectively. In addition, the nature of certain risks impacting wellbeing in schools can further inhibit students from asking for help. For example, victims of bullying may fear the repercussions of reporting their situation to a trusted adult.
In this context, schools require a comprehensive approach to effectively measure student wellbeing.
Strategies for measuring student wellbeing
Drop-in sessions
Schools, colleges and MATs can schedule drop-in sessions, where students can engage in one-to-one or group discussions with an assigned counsellor, DSL or head of year. Specific periods of the week or month can be allotted to these sessions, which offer a safe space for students to share concerns and talk about their feelings.
Details of drop-in sessions should be well-publicised to encourage participation. Staff may want to display the information on posters around school, or promote upcoming sessions during assemblies and other mass gatherings.
A drawback of drop-in sessions is that students don’t always feel comfortable talking directly to an adult about issues causing them distress, so uptake may be low. It’s also important to keep in mind that even well-attended drop-in sessions are fairly limited in their potential scope. Larger schools will struggle to gain a complete picture of student wellbeing from such initiatives alone.
Mental health surveys
Settings can gain a wider view of student wellbeing by conducting annual surveys on mental health and wellbeing. Whether completed online or via physical questionnaires, surveys give organisations an opportunity to gather large amounts of data on their students. Unlike drop-in sessions, they can provide a snapshot of wellbeing levels across different groups and the school as a whole.
The downside of this approach is that it’s really just that - a snapshot of student wellbeing. Our moods, needs and circumstances change on a monthly, weekly and even daily basis. Students may feel like they can cope at the time of taking the survey, but then struggle with an ongoing issue as time progresses.
Safeguarding issues often require rapid intervention, and this is not easily facilitated by surveys, as staff may need to comb through numerous answers to identify those who require support. On the whole, surveys can produce actionable wellbeing data, but they may not provide an up-to-date or reliable measure of student wellbeing.
Wellbeing platforms
Wellbeing platforms are digital solutions designed to measure, track and support student wellbeing on a consistent basis. They utilise technology to deliver the benefits of drop-in sessions and surveys in a way that is simple and convenient for both DSLs and the students they support.
Weekly check-ins via devices prompt students to take the time to consider and share how they’re feeling. Every check-in includes the option for students to reach out to a specific designated adult (from a list established by the school) for further support.
Encouraging vulnerable students to speak up
Initiating wellbeing discussions on devices makes these important conversations more accessible and therefore engaging to students. It’s common for young people to feel more comfortable communicating via a phone or tablet rather than talking directly to an adult. The discreet and personal nature of devices can also encourage shy or scared students to speak up, as they are shielded from the scrutiny of their classmates.
Providing rich data insights
The data collected from student or staff check-ins can be collated in a central dashboard, from which school leaders can identify trends and track improvements over time. For example, Smoothwall Pulse enables staff to gain instant visibility of wellbeing patterns across classes, year groups and at a whole school level. It also offers the option to create custom groups to monitor for wellbeing changes.
As well as facilitating early interventions, this rich data can be used to inform school curriculum and provide evidence of effective safeguarding to inspection bodies.
Nurturing a positive wellbeing culture
Every check-in on Pulse gives students the opportunity to share gratitude, whether that be for something that happened in their week, or a particular person. The latter option means that the student or staff member receiving gratitude will be notified. Simple practices like this can have a significant positive effect on community morale and school culture.
Effectively measure student wellbeing in your setting
To learn more about increasing visibility of student wellbeing in your school, college or MAT, or to arrange a demo of Smoothwall Pulse, contact enquiries@smoothwall.com. We’re happy to help.
Essential reads hand-picked for you...
