cambridge-shield-logo

What is wellbeing?

Wellbeing is a mixture of how we feel and how we function. In schools, it’s important to understand how wellbeing impacts a student’s experience, their potential and performance.

Wellbeing is a subjective, psychological state that changes over time. Context also plays a crucial role so two children in the same class, who achieve the same marks, who even had the same breakfast, can experience very different levels of wellbeing.

How do you find out about wellbeing in your school?

Explore the Cambridge Wellbeing Check

Where does wellbeing come from?

From roots in ancient Greece, there are two main bodies of wellbeing research: how people feel about their lives and how people function in their lives.

 

Life satisfaction

Life satisfaction is how much you experience contentment and overall life satisfaction.

Processing emotions

Processing emotions is about how you deal with negative emotions. How often you experience anxiety, stress, and sadness. This aspect also looks at whether you have a tendency to dwell on difficulties or feeling sad.

Interpersonal wellbeing

Interpersonal wellbeing is how connected you feel with the people around you. How you relate to others, how you feel that others care about you and that they are valued.

Competence wellbeing

Competence wellbeing looks at how well you feel equipped to face life. It asks whether you have self-confidence, a sense of fulfilment or purpose.

Why is wellbeing important in schools?

Students spend a significant portion of their lives in school. The culture, ethos and environment in which they grow up has a major impact on students’ wellbeing.

Research shows that higher levels of wellbeing strongly align with higher levels of attainment. For schools that means understanding a student’s readiness to learn, what their self-motivation and engagement is like in the classroom.

Improving levels of wellbeing can lead into improving student engagement in their learning and in school life, increasing their opportunities and reaching their full potential.

Schools are crucial in shaping a student’s wellbeing – not just for academic success but how young people are set up for adulthood.

Wellbeing, attainment, and the whole-school approach

Supporting students, understanding, predicting, and facilitating education success, means taking a holistic approach to education. Nurturing all aspects of a student's growth acknowledges the broader social, societal, and economic responsibilities of education.

Understanding the wellbeing of a student can really help teachers understand how well they are doing in school and why.

But wellbeing can change from month to month, week to week, or even day to day. This means it is worth monitoring. Many schools strive to create a culture of care, where everyone looks out for one another. Understanding and tracking wellbeing can be a key contributor to a positive school ethos.

Whole-school approaches to wellbeing, including social and emotional learning, that are universally implemented for all students strongly correlate with higher attainment.

secondary-school-children-small

Why monitor or assess wellbeing?

If you can measure something, you’re in a much better position to manage it – this is true for wellbeing. With a clear understanding of how your students feel, and where they need support, you can promote positive student wellbeing in your school.

How can I find out about wellbeing in my school?

The simple answer is to ask. You know your school and students the best. Using a tool like the Cambridge Wellbeing Check can help you ask the more difficult questions sensitively and collate the insights so you have clear actions to take. Use the reports to understand how your individual students are feeling, as well as getting a class overview, so you can create a positive classroom environment. 

We all know there are certain pressure points during the school year, like when students start a new class with a new teacher or when an important exam is coming up. But when do students start feeling the impact of these events? You can track wellbeing over time with the Cambridge Wellbeing Check and at multiple points during the school year, so you can get a clearer and objective insight into how students are really feeling during these stress points. This means you can better prepare your students to manage their wellbeing and create a learning space where they can thrive. 

wellbeing-icon-1-new

Get a complete picture of your students with greater insight into their academic success.

wellbeing-icon-2-new

Identify areas where students are feeling good and doing well and when and where they need additional support.

wellbeing-icon-3-new

Understand how students are feeling during stressful periods – such as examination time.

wellbeing-icon-4-new

Evaluate how students are feeling throughout the academic year.

wellbeing-icon-5-new

Compare your students at an individual, class, and year-group level.

What's the difference between wellbeing and mental health?

Mental health and wellbeing are independent concepts but very closely related.

Mental health refers to the specific signs and symptoms that cause significant and persistent emotional distress. These symptoms could indicate problems like depression or psychoses.

Whereas wellbeing is a much broader concept that ties together mental health with a sense of self, physical health, how we feel and how we function.

A student with good wellbeing is more likely to have good mental health. On the other hand, if a student experiences low wellbeing over a long period of time their mental health may be more likely to decline. However, because wellbeing can fluctuate often, it is possible to have periods of low wellbeing with good mental health and vice versa.

The Cambridge Wellbeing Check is not a diagnostic tool for mental health. Understanding fluctuations in wellbeing can help schools put systems in place that promote positive student wellbeing and create environments where they can flourish. If you are concerned for a student’s mental health, you should consult a medical professional.

Explore more wellbeing research and information

Discover our range of resources!

From blogs, to publications, to recorded webinars, you can find all the information to help you understand wellbeing in your school right here.