Using a data-informed approach to Pastoral Care
Recent conversations in the national press have been asking, “Could schools track pupil mental health and happiness?” But at St Columba’s, the more pressing question is: why aren’t you already?
Tracking mental wellbeing isn’t about invading privacy or ticking boxes. It’s about listening, responding, and showing pupils that their wellbeing matters. Our goal is to ensure that wellbeing is a priority alongside academic success.
The causes of the rise in mental health concerns in schools over the past decade are complex and widely debated, but one thing is clear: the real challenge lies not in understanding why this is happening, but in figuring out what we – as schools – can do about it.
That’s exactly the question we put to our Safeguarding Committee back in 2020.
We had already begun to monitor and audit our safeguarding data more rigorously, not just to keep up with statutory obligations, but because we wanted to truly understand what our pupils were facing.
Data is collected using the SHANARRI model established as part of the implementation of Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC). Up to three times a year, pupils are asked to score themselves on each of the eight SHANARRI wellbeing indicators – Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible and Included.
In 2020, the data quickly revealed a significant rise in mental wellbeing concerns, particularly among our Senior III pupils (age 14). This didn’t come as a surprise, as these were the young people who had lived through lockdowns during formative years and missed out on crucial social interactions.
Once we had the data, we could identify trends. And once the patterns became visible, we could start asking: what interventions would make a difference?
Using SHANARRI questionnaires, we monitor trends in attitudes and behaviours while also identifying individual pupils who may need support – specifically those scoring 3 or below on any wellbeing indicator. This allows our Pastoral Care team to intervene early and effectively.
Traditional support structures, such as CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services), have been overwhelmed by referrals, while issues like Emotional Based School Avoidance (EBSA) have surged. It is for this reason we partnered with The Anchor (formerly Man On, Inverclyde), a Greenock-based mental health charity, to provide regular on-site counselling. Pupils can see the counsellor weekly through appointments or drop-ins. The team at The Anchor also help provide Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) and one of our Heads of House has undertaken this life-saving training.
A key strength of a data-driven pastoral care programme is the ability to evaluate the effectiveness of each initiative and adapt our approach where necessary. For example, when the data started to show that issues surrounded gender and misogyny were becoming a concern, we commissioned The Anchor to create a programme focused on promoting healthy masculinity for the SIII boys. After analysing the data, we realised that SIII was too late. For this reason, the course is now delivered at the beginning of SII when the pupils are mature enough to deal with the subject matter but have not yet formed ingrained attitudes regarding gender.
We have also been able to use this data-driven approach to implement, among other things, the Girls on Board programme to help girls navigate friendship issues, the Blues Programme to promote good mental health and Bounce Back to help Junior 6 with the anxiety surrounding change as they prepare to move up to Senior School.
Looking ahead, we are addressing exam-related stress and anxiety. Our Head of Support for Learning, along with one of our Heads of House are qualified to deliver the Strategies for Tackling Exam Pressure and Stress (STEPS) programme developed by the British Psychological Society. Starting in 2025-26, this CBT-based programme will help pupils recognise and shift unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, giving them practical tools to help manage exam stress.
Here at St Columba’s, supporting mental health and wellbeing isn’t an optional extra. It’s fundamental to helping our pupils learn, grow, and thrive.
