• Student voice groups are connected, trained and supported in their roles. 

• Systems are developed and in place where student voice groups can feedback and get feedback from other pupils, staff, parents, carers and SLT and are represented or attend Wellbeing Action Group (WAG).

• Different ways of involving children formally and informally such as themed forums, co-production sessions, solutions and ideas boards or boxes around the school each term to collect thoughts on a specific area of wellbeing development. 

• Children and young people are consulted and engaged with drafting policies relating to relational approaches, behaviour or anti-bullying or evaluation of learning activities. 

• Children and young people are engaged with and have a lead role in health and wellbeing campaigns such as children's mental health week.

• Pupils are also consulted and engaged with decisions that affect their learning and wellbeing in addition to their Person Centred Annual Reviews as part of the EHCP (Education Health & Care Plan) process.

• The setting promotes VCSFE organisations that enable extra curricular activities. 

• SLT and WAG are aware of OHID and DfE (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and Department for Education) guidance on the 8 key principles of a whole school or college approach to Promoting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing

• SLT and WAG are aware of NICE guidance in relation to whole school approaches - Recommendations | Social, emotional and mental wellbeing in primary and secondary education | Guidance | NICE

• The Somerset Participation Toolkit is a useful resource to support engaging children and young people in participation.

• A toolkit to support and enhance pupil voice in schools and their community - FINDING_YOUR_VOICE.pdf (barnardos.org.uk)

• If you’re interested in learning more about Children and Young People’s Participation the Open University offer this free online course - Children and young people’s participation | OpenLearn - Open University

• National Development Team for Inclusion (NDTI) Ruth's Top Tips for brilliant meetings with young people. A resource about how to make meetings accessible for everyone. Ruth's Top Tips - brilliant meetings with young people - NDTi

• Young minds have developed this toolkit for supporting the participation of children and young people experiencing extra vulnerabilities. vulnerable-groups-toolkit.pdf (youngminds.org.uk)

• Use of surveys to identify areas of priority for young people, such as the Public Health Somerset Schools Health and Wellbeing Survey (SSHAWS). Click here for latest reports: SSHAWS 

• Use of the Somerset children and young people's plan 2024 - 2030 to support key priorities of what matters to young people in Somerset. 

Schools Wellbeing Guide 

An inspirational and practical guide to wellbeing in schools facilitated through a LIFEbeat project.

This guide has been produced in consultation with a diverse community of young people aged between 14-19 from across Somerset.

These young people have participated in a number of discussions and workshops to identify the challenges and recommendations for secondary schools on how to embed the three pillars of wellbeing from Public Health’s Somerset Wellbeing Framework for Schools:
* Community and Belonging
* Positive Relationships
* Healthy Lifestyles

In the second section, they have been consulted on their top tips regarding LIFEbeat activities and practices which could be embedded within school settings to enhance the wellbeing of all school stakeholders.

LIFEbeat Wellbeing School Guide 2024 2.pdf

What Makes the Children and Young People of Somerset Happy?

A project to support young people’s wellbeing by discovering what makes them happy has resulted in a new e-zine.

30 organisations and 620 young people in Somerset have taken part in the “What Makes You Happy?” community project.

The year-long project (2023 - 2024), funded by Somerset Council Public Health in collaboration with Spark Somerset, aimed to discover what makes children and young people happy, and how this can support their mental health and general wellbeing.

You can view and download the ezine here - What Makes You Happy? Somerset Children & Young People 2023

• This toolkit has been designed to help ensure student voice is at the heart of the Somerset Wellbeing Framework Principle of Pupil Participation - Pupil Participation Toolkit (cypsomersethealth.org)

This was small scale project ran throughout 2022 and looked at pupil participation in school & college settings in respect of the Somerset Wellbeing Framework.

The student voice group provided key insights into some of the main challenges and priorities facing students regarding mental health and pupil participation. You can hear from some of the young people involved within this project through the video below.

•    What mechanisms are there to engage with student voice?

•    Do all learners have the opportunity to have their voice heard?

•    Are learners actively involved in the development of wellbeing polices and procedures?

•    How is the knowledge and experience of learners utilised and reflected upon?

•    Are learners involved in staff training and development?

•    How are learners encouraged to develop their strengths and talents for the benefit of the wider school community?

The following UNCRC (United Nations Rights of the Child) articles support this principle:

•          Article 2 - All children have these rights no matter what.

•      Article 12 - Your right to say what you think should happen and be listened to.

•      Article 29 - Your right to become the best that you can be.

Ofsted Inspectors will have regard to the views of pupils so schools have a vested interest in hearing the voice of pupils when developing a whole school approach to wellbeing. The pupil surveys used in inspections contain questions about safeguarding, behaviour and discipline, bullying, how respondents feel about the school and how well supported and respected they feel they are in the school.

When assessing the level of behaviour and safety in schools, inspections will look at a small sample of case studies in order to evaluate the experience of particular individuals and groups, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, looked after children and those with mental health needs.

Schools that take part in the Somerset Children and young people survey or regularly capture the view of their pupils will have valuable information on which to build the provision that pupils want and need to support their health and wellbeing.