In this blog, Maria Boffey, SHRN External Affairs and Knowledge Exchange Manager, reflects on our recent webinar with Professor Graham Moore, which explored why school climate plays such an important role in young people’s mental health. The session highlighted how strongly Graham’s insights echo what many schools across Wales already tell us, that climate is something lived and felt every day, not just measured on a page. This blog brings together the key webinar messages and shows how they connect with SHRN’s ongoing work to help schools understand and use their own data.
Last month we hosted a webinar with Professor Graham Moore, Director of DECIPHer at Cardiff University, who explored something that feels increasingly central to everyday school life- the climate of a school, and what it means for young people’s mental health. It was one of those sessions that landed well because it connects research with what schools are experiencing every day. Much of what he shared will feel instantly familiar to staff.
Graham talked about school climate as the ‘feel’ of a school, the relationships, routines and sense of safety that underpin everything else. He emphasised that climate isn’t something you ‘bolt on.’ It’s the everyday culture that shapes how young people experience school. It’s the sort of thing staff recognise instantly, even if they’ve never called it ‘school climate’ before. That resonated. Climate isn’t just in the data; you notice it the moment you step into a school.
What really stayed with me was this aligns with what schools across Wales already do through SHRN. Schools are constantly navigating competing pressures, but the heartbeat of our network has always been the idea that good data, trusted relationships, and support from those who understand the local context make a real difference. It was heartening hearing Graham reflect on that, and to see how his wider research perspective connects with everyday practice in Wales. It reminded me how often schools tell us that it’s the small, everyday things that matter most.
We also touched on the important role played by the WNHWPS Coordinators. They’re the people on the ground supporting schools to dig into their SHRN reports, make sense of what they’re seeing, and use those insights to plan meaningful changes. Their work helps bring the data to life and shows how it can genuinely inform real decisions in schools.
The webinar was a good reminder that school climate isn’t just something you read about in research, it’s something you see and feel in schools every day. We it see every day in classrooms, corridors, canteens and conversations. We see it in the everyday moments, the way learners are welcomed, supported, listened to.
If you’re interested in practical examples, our case studies from Cogan Primary School and Whitmore High School show how schools have used their SHRN data to strengthen relationships, improve transitions and build a more connected sense of belonging. These aren’t theoretical examples; they’re stories of schools making climate‑focused changes that genuinely support learners’ well-being.
And for secondary schools who took part in the 2025 survey, your SHRN reports will be landing this spring. Many of you will be looking closely at your own climate indicators e.g. relationships with staff, peer connections, belonging, involvement in school life. These measures can tell a powerful story over time, especially when you view them alongside your wider health and well-being priorities.
Graham’s webinar was a helpful reminder that improving well-being doesn’t always mean introducing something new. Often, it’s about strengthening what’s already part of the school’s culture: fairness, relationships, voice, and feeling safe.
We are proud to work alongside schools as they build on these foundations using their own SHRN data and insights.
If you missed the webinar, you can watch it here.
If you’re interested in the wider conversation around this research, the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry recently published a commentary building on Graham’s review. It echoes many of the themes from the webinar, especially the importance of relationships, belonging and the day‑to‑day social life of a school, — and offers a helpful sociological lens on why climate matters: Where next for school climate? A commentary on Moore (2026)
