There are many definitions to the concept of wellbeing in the professional literature. The one we like the most, from Oxford International Curriculum, defines wellbeing in terms of 4 domains, as taking care of the body, mind, relationships and finding a meaning or purpose in the world.

Measuring wellbeing in schools helps educators understand how students are feeling and identify areas for improvement. This information can be used to develop targeted interventions and promote higher levels of wellbeing. Research has found that higher levels of wellbeing are positively correlated with higher academic achievements and other educational outcomes.

Wellbeing is a subjective and multidimensional concept that encompasses physical, mental, emotional and social aspects. As such, measuring it accurately is a complex challenge. However, there are some ways to gain insights into students' wellbeing, such as through observations, interviews, focus groups and surveys or questionnaires. Each of these methods has its strengths and limitations and choosing the right approach or combining methods can help educators obtain the best results.

Surveys can provide a quick and efficient way to gather information on student wellbeing, help identify areas for improvement and make informed intervention decisions. They also provide a standardised approach that can be compared across different schools or time periods.

While surveys serve as an important sensor to student wellbeing state, they do have some limitations that should be taken into account. Surveys may not capture the full complexity of student wellbeing and may be limited by factors such as participant honesty, individual perceptions or other biases. Also, surveys reflect the state of student wellbeing at a particular point in time, while wellbeing is dynamic and can change over time.

Finally, the potential burden on teachers and staff may make it difficult for schools to implement surveys as an effective wellbeing measurement practice. Schools may face challenges in providing the resources (time and funding) to developing appropriate survey questions, running the surveys and analysing the data effectively.

Student wellbeing survey may include questions about social and emotional wellbeing, such as whether the student feels happy coming to school, whether they have friends to play with during breaks, whether they have someone to turn to when they need support and whether they feel safe at school. In addition, questions about physical wellbeing, such as sleeping habits, diet, exercise and screen time may also be included in the survey. The types of questions asked may vary depending on the age of the students.

To gain a more holistic view of a student's wellbeing, it may be beneficial to ask parents and teachers similar questions. Their perspectives can provide valuable insights into the student's overall wellbeing and identify any potential areas of concern. By gathering information from multiple sources, educators can gain a better understanding of the student's needs and tailor their support accordingly.

There are various possible interventions to consider at student, class, year group or school levels. Research has shown that interventions aimed at improving mental wellbeing, such as programs focused on enhancing belonging and engagement and social-emotional skills, as well as physical activity, tend to be more effective. Additionally, interventions that are delivered by trained class teachers, are tailored to social groups, and last longer than three months have been found to be more impactful (Dix et al., 2020).

It is important to note that every school community is unique and interventions should be tailored to the specific needs of the students and the school environment. Additionally, it is important to regularly evaluate and adjust interventions based on the needs of students and the effectiveness of the interventions.

Schoolmait developed a comprehensive approach to measuring wellbeing that:

• provides a holistic and less biased assessment  of student’s wellbeing, using inputs from students, parents and teachers. 

• provides a detailed analysis for every individual student.

• prioritises student privacy and data security by using student aliases instead of student names.

• reduces burden on school staff by saving time spent on developing questionnaires, gathering data and preparing analysis reports.

Schoolmait measures the following wellbeing elements:

• Emotion Management: skills to understand, regulate and express emotions effectively and the ability to shift between emotions.

• Resilience: the ability to effectively adapt to challenging life experiences through mental, emotional and behavioural flexibility.

• Student-Teacher Relations: having positive and supportive relationships with teachers.

• Peer Relations: building healthy and supportive relationships with peers, as well as social and communication skills.

• Meaning & Purpose: finding purpose in the world around and striving to be better citizens.

• Sense of Achievement: the ability to recognise and celebrate progress and accomplishments.

• Feeling Safe at School: having a safe and supportive school environment.

• Physical Wellbeing: maintaining a healthy diet, exercise, sleep and screen habits. 

Our questionnaires are based on multiple-choice questions using the Likert scale. We provide additional choices in case a participant is uncertain or wishes to skip a question. We then give each question a wellbeing score between -2 and +2.  Our model calculates average wellbeing scores for each student by averaging the question scores for each element and point of view. We can then also calculate average wellbeing scores as well as other statistical metrics for groups of students, such as class, year group, school and even a group of schools.

No, wellbeing measurement is not a clinical assessment. It should be viewed as a tool for early detection and treatment of mild symptoms. Some of those symptoms, if remain undetected, could continue to develop gradually and eventually become noticeable mental illnesses, resulting in a longer-term and more expensive treatment.

Schools can use the results of surveys to identify areas where students are struggling and develop targeted interventions. They can also use the results to track progress over time and assess the effectiveness of interventions.