Agenda item

Emma Taylor introduced the report, delivered a presentation and answered the members’ questions:

What is the extent of multi-agency involvement, specifically the role of counselling and psychoeducation for pupils, and do young people receive proactive support to understand and regulate emotions before issues escalate?

School-based counselling is available in all secondary schools and play therapy is available in primary on a needs-led basis, but the service sits within Social Care, not Education. Multi-agency support (including educational psychology and the education support team) is provided as needed for excluded pupils. – ACTION: to provide a response from Social Care

How is best practice (such as resilience and emotional regulation initiatives) shared and implemented across schools?

Best practice in areas such as resilience and emotional regulation is shared primarily through the local authority’s Wellbeing in Schools Forum, where schools and the local authority collectively identify actions and exchange examples of effective approaches. In addition, cluster-based wellbeing lead groups enable primary and secondary schools within each cluster to share methods, initiatives and practical experience. When a child requires additional support – such as following an exclusion – multiagency practice is applied on an individual basis, involving options like schoolbased counselling, the Education Support Team, and Educational Psychology. These agencies work together to identify any specific interventions the child may need to process difficulties and develop healthier coping strategies, with the aim of preventing future behavioural issues.

Why did not all 30 primary schools participate in the survey, and why were Pupil Referral Units not included?

It was clarified that 28 primary schools participated (correcting the figure of 27 in the report); of the two that did not participate, one was ineligible due to only having foundation phase learners, and one had insufficient consent from families. Pupil Referral Units are currently part of a pilot to test survey suitability.

Are teaching staff sufficiently trained to deliver mental health and resilience education? Is there a potential risk of pathologizing normal stresses?

Secondary schools increasingly have specialist departments and staff receiving extra professional learning to teach these topics, with well-written resources available and ongoing monitoring of new initiatives to ensure positive impact. Monitoring and evaluation are integral when schools introduce new processes, and non-specialist delivery (e.g., during tutor time) is being addressed through more specialist approaches.

Is the reporting focussed on process or outcomes?

This wellbeing dataset is only one source of information and is mainly used to give a broad picture of school ethos, trends and provision. Schools hold other, more detailed data that tracks individual pupils, so this report should be seen as part of a wider set of tools rather than the sole measure of outcomes.

What structure or support exists for excluded pupils and PRU learners?

PRU learners are included within the same expectations as all schools under the new curriculum’s Health and Wellbeing Area of Learning. Staff in the PRU also teach this curriculum and gather pupil voice data in line with mainstream schools. The system is therefore not absent, but forms part of ongoing professional development and datagathering across schools and the PRS.

What does it mean that these learners will now be included, and is the structure clear?

Their inclusion relates to using the same anonymised, comparable data sources across all settings – including the PRS – so the local authority can identify themes at school, cluster and county level. This dataset provides a highlevel picture rather than individual tracking, offering consistency in how information is monitored.

Are issues like sleep difficulties being explored, including factors such as physical activity?

Wellbeing themes (including those raised in the survey such as sleep) are identified through data and then explored by schools and the local authority. Earlier surveys showed pupils didn’t know how to access wellbeing support, prompting schools to strengthen signposting and community links, showing that identified wellbeing issues do lead to targeted action.

What is the overall aim of this work, and are we prioritising problemsolving over process?

The aim is to build a reliable, longterm picture of trends to inform school and LA action. Officers emphasise caution about drawing conclusions from only one or two years of data, as anomalies can occur, but over time the dataset helps identify issues – such as truancy or school pressure – for further investigation. The emphasis is on using layered evidence to identify and address real needs rather than relying on process alone.

Could the data set be used across the curriculum, including student analysis and ownership of health improvement initiatives?

Schools use the data in curriculum activities and track trends over time, with secondary schools able to monitor improvements using their historical data.

Does the survey account for students giving socially desirable rather than truthful answers?

The concern about response honesty is acknowledged, as some learners might give answers they think are expected, especially on subjective well-being topics, so this is a fair comment.

Chair’s Summary:

Thank you to the officers for the data and their time and responses today.