Strengthening Wellbeing Practices in Schools: A Formative Approach

I often find myself helping schools develop plans or evaluate the impact of initiatives they are running. One of the first and most important questions I ask is: “What are you trying to achieve with this plan or project? What does success look like?”

When it comes to academic areas such as reading or numeracy, this tends to be a straightforward conversation. Student needs are well documented, there is a clear theory of action detailing how these needs will be addressed, and structured reflection points are in place to evaluate progress and determine next steps. In short, there is a formative process for continuous improvement—a structured approach to monitoring, adapting, and refining practices based on meaningful data.

However, when it comes to wellbeing, the approach often lacks the same level of structure and proactivity. While schools have great intentions with their wellbeing strategies, they often find themselves being reactive rather than formative in their approach. Wellbeing initiatives may include some goals around attendance, reducing negative behaviours, and offering student surveys or wellbeing curriculums, but too often, the evaluation of these initiatives lacks the rigour and clarity that academic programs typically receive.

This gap is where schools need to focus—strengthening the clarity, structure, and formative approach to wellbeing.

Building a Stronger, More Effective Approach to Wellbeing

The key to improving wellbeing programs lies in answering three essential questions:

1. Will the measures you have in place align with the activities you are implementing?
   Without alignment, it’s difficult to measure whether what you are doing is effective. If you’re implementing a wellbeing curriculum, for example, are you using student surveys, behaviour tracking, or attendance reports to assess the success of the program? Ensuring that your activities and measures are aligned ensures the data you gather reflects the intended outcomes.

2. Does the data you collect provide sufficient insight for you to make a confident decision about what to do next?
   Data is crucial in shaping the direction of wellbeing programs. However, it’s not enough to simply collect data—schools must ask themselves if that data provides actionable insight. Are the survey results revealing trends in student engagement? Do behaviour reports show clear patterns that need to be addressed? Schools should regularly evaluate their data collection methods to ensure they are effectively guiding their decision-making process.

3. Is there anything you truly value in wellbeing that is not currently being measured?
   Wellbeing is a multi-faceted concept, and it is easy to overlook important aspects that may not be immediately measurable. Many schools measure attendance and behaviours, but they often miss other factors such as social connectedness, emotional literacy, or resilience. Schools must broaden their data collection to reflect the full spectrum of wellbeing, ensuring all valuable components are accounted for.

The Need for Qualitative and Quantitative Data

In every school I’ve worked with, I’ve found that the most accurate picture of a school’s wellbeing can’t be drawn solely from quantitative data or anecdotal stories. A balance of both is essential. While numbers can show trends and outcomes, they don’t capture the full picture. Qualitative insights—whether through student interviews, open-ended surveys, or teacher observations—provide context that numbers alone cannot.

For example, quantitative data might show that attendance rates have improved, but qualitative feedback from students might reveal underlying issues that still need attention, such as feeling disconnected from their peers. By combining both types of data, schools can gain a more comprehensive understanding of how well their wellbeing initiatives are working and where improvements are needed.

This balance of qualitative and quantitative data is supported by research such as that from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), which highlights the importance of combining social and emotional learning (SEL) assessments with more traditional academic indicators for better overall student outcomes. A 2011 meta-analysis from CASEL found that social-emotional learning programs, when coupled with rigorous data evaluation, can increase students' academic performance by an average of 11 percentile points.

Avoiding Unrealistic Wellbeing Targets

A common pitfall in wellbeing planning is the setting of unrealistic targets. Wellbeing is an inherently complex and subjective concept, and it’s critical that schools set realistic, achievable goals. For instance, while aiming for 100% student happiness is a noble aspiration, it is an unrealistic goal. Wellbeing, like academic success, is influenced by many external factors—family issues, friendships, and personal struggles—that schools cannot control.

Rather than aiming for perfection, schools should focus on continuous improvement. This could involve setting goals to improve emotional literacy, increase student connectedness, or decrease the frequency of negative behaviours over time. These are measurable goals that allow schools to track progress while acknowledging that the journey to improved wellbeing is an ongoing one.

A report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2023) found that students experiencing mental health challenges are often dealing with a combination of academic pressures and external stressors. It emphasized the importance of setting more realistic and adaptable wellbeing targets that account for these multifaceted influences.

Foundations of a Successful Wellbeing Program

A strong wellbeing program is built on three essential pillars:

1. Identifying needs early and often – Wellbeing challenges can be subtle and may manifest in various ways. Regular check-ins, surveys, and discussions with students help identify issues before they escalate. Early identification allows for timely and targeted interventions.

2. Effective systems for communication and intervention – Information must flow easily between staff members, ensuring that concerns are flagged and addressed. Teachers need access to real-time data that helps them identify which students need support and what type of intervention is required.

3. Ongoing monitoring of impact – Successful programs require regular evaluation. By continuously monitoring how strategies are impacting student wellbeing, schools can refine their approaches, repeat successful strategies, and discontinue ineffective ones.

Evidence from a study by Durlak et al. (2011) found that when wellbeing programs are designed with clear monitoring and evaluation systems, they are more likely to succeed in improving students’ emotional and social skills. The study noted that continuous evaluation is essential to refine the effectiveness of such programs and make necessary adjustments.

Equipping Educators, Not Eliminating Challenges

The purpose of a wellbeing program isn’t to eliminate every wellbeing challenge or to solve every student’s struggles. Rather, it’s about equipping educators with the right tools to support students effectively when they do face challenges. Teachers need timely and relevant data to make informed decisions about their students’ wellbeing and to intervene when necessary.

As a company that has co-designed and delivered wellbeing programs for over 17 years, one of the most common questions I ask school leaders is: What data are you using to determine the need for a wellbeing program, and how will you measure the impact of this program?

It’s crucial that schools not only track the success of their wellbeing programs but also measure the return on investment. Given the significant resources—both financial and human—that schools invest in wellbeing programs, it’s essential to ensure these efforts are yielding measurable benefits.

The Formative Approach to Continuous Improvement

To truly strengthen wellbeing practices in schools, we must embrace a formative approach that values continuous improvement. Just as academic programs benefit from regular reflection and refinement, so too should wellbeing programs. By prioritising formative practices—monitoring progress, adapting based on data, and continuously improving—we can create sustainable and effective wellbeing initiatives that support students over the long term.

Life Skills GO makes this process seamless for every school, without disrupting valuable teaching and learning time. Through its automated, real-time tracking of student wellbeing, attendance, and behaviour, Life Skills GO provides educators with continuous, actionable data that enables timely interventions. Schools can monitor their wellbeing initiatives without having to sacrifice instructional time or manually collect data. This allows staff to focus on what matters most—supporting students—while ensuring that wellbeing strategies are constantly evaluated, refined, and adapted based on real-time insights. Life Skills GO empowers schools to strengthen their wellbeing programs through a data-driven approach that supports both the emotional and academic growth of every student.

In fact, the integration of Life Skills GO in schools like Nichols Point Primary School and Guildford West Public School has led to a measurable impact, as evidenced by improved engagement, stronger relationships between students and staff, and a more proactive approach to addressing students' emotional needs. Schools using Life Skills GO have found that the tool's real-time insights allow them to fine-tune wellbeing initiatives and provide timely interventions that genuinely support students' emotional and academic development.

Want to find out how Life Skills GO can help your school understand and achieve your wellbeing goals? Request a demo with our team.

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