The questionnaires included in our modular survey booklets can be used in different ways.
Our step-by-step guide supports schools to use them to create a survey to take a ‘temperature check’ of wellbeing across a cohort or across the whole school.
The questionnaires can also be used to:
- evaluate the impact of support and intervention.
- identify and understand the needs of individual pupils.
Evaluating the impact of support and intervention
A questionnaire can be a useful tool for measuring the change in wellbeing of pupils who are receiving targeted support, for example as part of a wellbeing intervention. Using the same questionnaire at the start and end of support allows schools to see changes in how pupils respond after receiving additional support. Comparing individual responses can provide evidence of the change experienced by a single pupil. Combining scores can provide evidence of impact on a group.
Understanding the impact of interventions can ensure that individuals are benefiting from the support being provided.
Summary guide to evaluating an intervention:
- Describe the intervention identify the intended outcomes (the things you expect to change as a result of the support). A logic model is a useful tool for doing this.
- Choose a questionnaire that measures the intended outcome. For example, if the intervention aims to develop self-esteem, select a questionnaire that measures this.
- Ask pupils to complete the questionnaire at the start of the intervention to understand how they were feeling before receiving support
- Ask pupils to complete the questionnaire again. This often happens at the end of the intervention.
- Compare the results to understand how things have changed.
This approach is explored in more detail in these resources:
Evaluating programmes to support pupil mental health and wellbeing
Identifying and understanding the needs of individuals
Understanding the needs of an individual
If you’re concerned about an individual pupil, using a questionnaire can help to identify the nature and level of their need and to plan for effective additional support. Questionnaires are widely used by mental health services to understand the mental wellbeing of a young person to develop a supportive response to their particular needs.
The choice of questionnaire will depend on the concerns you or others have – choose a questionnaire that is relevant to the difficulties the pupil may be experiencing.
Make sure you provide a safe and supportive environment. It can be an emotional experience and pupils may require support before, during or after completing the questionnaire.
Discussing the findings with the young person is important. It gives you an opportunity to understand more about their experiences by opening up conversations about their needs. It’s worth spending time identifying the best person to discuss the findings with the young person.
Key questions to ask when looking at the results:
- What do the findings suggest about level of need?
- How does this add to what is already known about the young person?
- How can the school support?
- Do other agencies need to be involved to provide support?
- Is signposting or a referral to another service required?
- How will progress be monitored?
This approach is explored in more detail in these resources:
Page 22 also explains how one school used a questionnaire as part their pastoral support system
Additional guidance
Guidance for inclusion and accessibility, safeguarding, information governance and differences in culture.
Available hereFollow our step-by-step guide to use the wellbeing questionnaires, or combination of questionnaires to understand your pupils needs.