Pupil wellbeing: what is it, and can we actually measure it?

It has not been a great three and a half years to be a school pupil. The pandemic, repeated openings and closures of schools, illness and absences, exams disappearing then reappearing – it has clearly been a difficult time for many children and young people.

In response, there have been numerous calls to prioritise pupil wellbeing as much as academic progress in the aftermath of the pandemic, given the disruption over the last few years. 

But do we all agree on what pupil wellbeing means? Can you actually measure wellbeing in a meaningful and consistent way? And even if we do find that many pupils are indeed struggling with their wellbeing, whose job is it to address that deficit? 

Our guests today are Kirsten Colquhoun, a teacher, pastoral lead and writer on pupil wellbeing, and Ros McLellan, an Associate Professor and researcher at the University of Cambridge. 

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