Commissioned by the Essex Education Task Force, this report investigates pupil wellbeing using the results of the first round of a short wellbeing survey that took place in May 2022. The survey, based on the Good Childhood Index, developed by the Children’s Society, asks pupils a series of questions about how they feel about various aspects of their life, such as their school, home, and friends.
Just under 7,950 pupils responded to the survey from 38 schools across the 12 districts of Essex. Pupils surveyed werefrom years 6, 7, and 11 (referred to as ‘headline year groups’), as well as pupils from years 4 and 9, whose results will be tracked in subsequent reports.
The findings of our report resulted in recommendations that Essex schools should focus on building a positive culture around mental health via a ‘whole school’ approach and target the specific issue of lower wellbeing among gender-diverse pupils through anti-bias, anti-bullying, and bystander intervention training, as well as peer support and restorative justice programs.
