Category: News

Public Health Wales (PHW) and The School Health Research Network (SHRN) are pleased to announce that the latest update to the Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being SHRN Data Dashboard will go live on 22 October.

This update incorporates findings from The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey in Secondary Schools 2025, bringing the dashboard up to date with the latest available data. Users will be able to explore new results across all dashboard indicators, providing fresh insights into the health and well-being of secondary school learners across Wales.

What’s New?

The dashboard has been updated to include 2025 SHRN survey data across all available indicators, allowing users to:

• Explore the latest health and well-being trends among secondary school learners  in Wales
• Compare 2025 results with previous survey years
• Identify changes over time across a wide range of health, behaviour, and well-being measures
• Access updated data for national, regional, and local analyses

With the addition of the 2025 survey year, users can now examine longer-term trends and gain a more complete picture of how outcomes have changed over time.

Accessing the Dashboard

The dashboard remains available through the usual website links on the PHW and SHRN websites.

Looking Ahead

Public Health Wales continues its work on further developments to SHRN data reporting and dissemination. They look forward to sharing more as we continue to enhance the resources available to schools, local authorities, health boards, and other partners working to improve the health and well-being of children and young people across Wales.

These updates reflect Public Health Wales ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, accessible data to support evidence-informed decision making and public health improvement.

Mark your calendars – the updated dashboard goes live on 22 October.

A new SHRN spotlight briefing examines problematic social media use among secondary school learners in Wales, using data from The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey 2025.

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Based on responses from more than 130,000 learners aged 11 to 16 across Wales, the briefing looks at how common problematic social media use is and the factors associated with it. Problematic social media use goes beyond frequent use. It refers to a habit that can feel difficult to manage, where social media use begins to interfere with day-to-day life, such as school, work, relationships, or well-being.

The findings show that around one in ten learners met the criteria for problematic social media use in 2025. Rates were higher among girls, learners identifying as neither a boy nor a girl, and those from lower affluent families.

The briefing also highlights links between problematic social media use and a range of health and well-being outcomes. Learners reporting poorer mental health, experiences of bullying, higher levels of school pressure and difficulties sleeping were more likely to report problematic use. In contrast, stronger feelings of school belonging, higher levels of social support, and regular physical activity were associated with lower levels of problematic social media use.

Among the experiences reported most often by young people were using social media to escape negative feelings and finding it challenging to reduce the amount of time spent on social media.

Dr. Kelly Morgan, Principal Research Fellow and Director of SHRN, said:

“Social media plays an important role in many young people’s lives. While most learners do not experience significant challenges our findings suggest that around one in ten may be struggling with aspects of their social media use. Understanding these patterns can help inform how we support young people’s health and well-being.”

The spotlight briefing was led by Dr Shujun Liu from DECIPHer, Cardiff University School of Social and Spatial Sciences, , using data from The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey 2025. The survey forms part of SHRN’s ongoing programme of national health and wellbeing monitoring, providing evidence on the experiences of children and young people across Wales.

The findings provide new insight into problematic social media use among secondary school learners in Wales and the factors associated with it.

The data also contribute to Public Health Wales SHRN data dashboard, which supports ongoing monitoring of young people’s health and wellbeing in Wales.

New analysis from Public Health Wales has used data from The  School Health Research Network (SHRN) to identify factors associated with poorer mental health and well-being among young people in Wales.

Drawing on responses from more than 100,000 learners who took part in The  SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey, the report highlights several factors linked to poorer mental health outcomes, including poor sleep, bullying, negative body image, friendship difficulties and academic pressure.

The findings also reinforce the importance of supportive school environments and a whole-system approach to promoting mental health and well-being. Importantly, the report identifies a number of areas where early support and intervention could make a positive difference for young people.

The report demonstrates how SHRN data can be used beyond school-level reporting to provide valuable evidence for understanding wider trends in young people’s health and well-being across Wales

Read the full Public Health Wales news story and report

We’re excited to share that the new SHRN Primary School Dashboard will be released on 18 June 2026. The updated tool will offer more accessible insights into learner well-being, drawing on nationally representative SHRN data with the ability to view findings at national and regional levels.

This work reflects the strong and ongoing partnership between SHRN and Public Health Wales. By bringing together SHRN’s nationally representative data with Public Health Wales’ population health expertise, we are jointly strengthening the evidence base to support better-informed planning and decision-making across Wales.

Why dashboards?

• Dashboards present complex data in a clear, visual way that’s easy to understand
• Provide consistent, comparable data across national and regional levels
• Offers a user-friendly platform to explore findings
• Helps highlights priorities – showing where things are going well and where support is needed
• Saves time – brings key insights together in one place, reducing the need to search across different reports or formats

Mark your calendars- the dashboard goes live on 18 June! We encourage schools and partners to explore the dashboard and use the insights to inform their work.

The Welsh Government has today published a new report, Health, wellbeing and school life of young carers in Wales: Findings from the School Health Research Network (SHRN).
The report forms Phase One of a wider three phase‑ programme to improve data and understanding of young carers in Wales.

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The analysis is based on responses from over 65,000 young people who took part in the 2021 and 2023 SHRN Secondary School Student Health and Wellbeing Surveys, including a question on whether they identified as a young carer.

This report was produced by Ed Janes on behalf of the Welsh Government. Ed is also a Cardiff University researcher who works in the areas of young carers and adoption. The SHRN team provided access to the survey data, however we were not involved in the analysis or writing the report.

Key insights highlighted by the report include:

• Around 18% of students identified as young carers—more than 1 in 6.
• The size of the role varied though. About 9% of all learners had high regularity roles, with 4% having moderate roles, and 4% low-regularity roles.
• Young carers most frequently reported slightly poorer health and wellbeing than their peers, with the largest differences seen in mental health measures.
• The regularity of caring responsibilities mattered: students with more frequent caring roles tended to report greater health- and wellbeing challenges.
• Young carers with regular responsibilities showed higher prosocial skills, such as maturity and friendliness.

‘ Our aim is to provide robust, high-quality data that supports organisations to better understand and respond to the needs of young people. We welcome Welsh Government’s use of SHRN survey data in this important area and are pleased that the evidence can contribute to a clearer understanding of young carers’ needs in Wales.’‑

For further information about the Welsh Government’s work in this area, contact: CYP.RightsInEducation@gov.wales

We are thrilled to announce the launch of The SHRN School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ) 2024 Report. This resource provides valuable insights into how schools across Wales are implementing health and well-being policies and practices.

The SEQ also informs policy development at national and local levels, promoting a Whole-School Approach to emotional and mental health. It also serves as an assessment  tool for the Welsh Network of Health and Well-being Promoting Schools (WNHWPS), guiding schools in implementing and evaluating their health and well-being initiatives. By identifying areas for improvement and fostering collaboration, the SEQ helps schools reflect on their practices and share innovative strategies

SHRN Director, Dr. Kelly Morgan said:

“The SEQ is more than a data collection tool, it’s a catalyst for change. By understanding how primary school environments influence learner health and wellbeing, we empower schools and our SHRN partners to make informed decisions that drive improvement. This report is about turning evidence into action, fostering collaboration, and ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive in a supportive, healthy school environment.”

The SEQ is completed by a member of the school leadership team every two years, alongside The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey. Together, these tools create a unique dataset linking school policies and practices, such as leadership, ethos, curriculum, and community engagement, with learner health and wellbeing outcomes.

SEQ data helps:

• Monitor and benchmark school environments against national standards.
• Identify gaps and priorities for targeted support and resource allocation.
• Inform strategic planning to strengthen whole-school approaches to health and well-being.
• Provide evidence for policy development and reporting to stakeholders.

At a national level, SEQ data supports Welsh Government priorities, including the Whole-School Approach to Emotional and Mental Well-being, Community Focused Schools, Children’s Rights, and Period Proud Wales. It also contributes to curriculum reform and quality assurance for the Welsh Network of Health and Well-being Promoting Schools.

You can access the report here:

The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Professor Isabel Oliver, has published her annual report “Reflecting on Our Health” in December 2025, recognising SHRN as the primary source of data on children and young people’s health and well-being behaviours.

SHRN surveys cover all secondary schools and nearly half of primary schools in Wales, with learner response rates around 75%. It continues to serve as Wales’s primary source of high-quality, school-based data on health and well-being behaviours among children and  young people. Through participation from 100% of secondary schools and nearly 50% of primary schools, SHRN enables ongoing monitoring of factors such as mental health and well-being, dietary habits and physical activity.

Dr. Kelly Morgan, SHRN Director said:

‘The recognition of SHRN in the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report powerfully validates our mission: to be the leading source for data on children and young people’s health and well-being behaviours across Wales. By providing comprehensive, trustworthy insights, SHRN enables evidence-based policymaking on health and well-being inequalities, equips schools and local authorities to implement targeted interventions, and supports national prevention strategies, aiming for lasting improvements in learners’ health and well-being.

SHRN data is helping to shape a healthier future for children and young people in Wales, empowering schools, guiding policymakers, and ensuring prevention takes centre stage in public health.’

SHRN was proud to take part in the recent Senedd Marketplace, where we showcased our latest research and resources on learner health and well-being. The event was generously sponsored by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle MS, whose support helped create a warm and engaging atmosphere throughout the day.

The event sparked new conversations with school leaders, researchers, and policymakers about how SHRN data can drive real change in schools and support the Whole- School Approach To Emotional And Mental Well-Being.  

Maria Boffey, SHRN External Affairs and Knowledge Exchange Manager said:

‘ Policymakers have the power to shape the environment in which schools operate, and that directly affects learner well-being. What made the Senedd Marketplace so valuable was the chance to have real conversations—sharing what’s happening on the ground in schools and showing how data can support better decisions’.

We’re excited to build on the connections made at the Senedd Marketplace and continue working with partners to improve learner health well-being across Wales’.

Public Health Wales and The School Health Research Network (SHRN) are pleased to announce that the next update to the Secondary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard went live on 27 November.

There is a range of new topics added to the existing dashboard and have also included two brand new ways to breakdown the data as requested by users including by ethnicity and an ability to view data at year group level for each local authority.

What’s New?

We’re introducing 11 new topics from the 2023 survey, including:

• Friendship and family support
• School exclusions and truancy

To help users explore long-term trends, we’ve also added historic data from the 2017–2021 survey years (where available).

1. ‎The addition of new indicators for the following topics:

All years of survey data (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023)

Substance Use and Gambling:

• Ever Use Cannabis

Friendship and Bullying:

• Emotional Support from Family
• Family Tries to Help
• Talk About Problems with Family
• Family Help Make Decisions

General Health:

• Healthy Behaviours

Only 2023 survey data

School life:

• School truancy
• School exclusion

Friendship and Bullying:

• Online contact
• Friends Help Me
• Share Feelings with Friends
• Talk About Problems with Friends

2. Historic data added – the following indicators, with 2023 data already on the dashboard, now include data for all collection years (2017, 2019, 2021, 2023):

Sex and Relationships:

• Age first had sex

School life:

• Planning Projects
• Chances to Organise Activities

General Health:

• Feeling Low
• Feeling Irritable
• Feeling Nervous
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Frequency of Ailments

3. View data by the following new breakdowns:

• Ethnicity

Year Group by Local Authority

4. ‎Share your charts easily:

Use the new ‘Copy Link’ button to share your view of the dashboard chart.

Key Enhancements

• Ethnicity breakdowns now available across all four years of data
• Year Group by Local Authority breakdown—one of our most requested features!

These updates reflect our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality, accessible data to support schools, local authorities, and partners working to improve young people’s health and well-being.

Mark your calendars – the updated dashboard goes live on 27 November!

We’re excited to announce that every secondary school in Wales has now registered for SHRN’s 2025 data collection. This is a huge milestone—and a real testament to the dedication and teamwork across the network.

‘Reaching 100% registration shows just how much schools value SHRN’s role in supporting learner health, well-being, and school improvement. It’s a proud moment for everyone involved.

A big thank you to all those who helped make this happen. Your continued support is helping to shape a healthier, future in Wales.

Together, we’re building a stronger, healthier future for young people in Wales Let’s keep driving positive change together’

Registration officially closed on 18 July, and we’re now asking schools to complete both parts of the survey:

• The SHRN Student Health and Wellbeing Survey.
• The SHRN School Environment Questionnaire (SEQ).

Survey data collection will remain open until 19 December 2025, giving schools time to gather meaningful insights that will help shape future planning and policy.

For Any Questions Or Further Information, Please Email Our External Affairs And Knowledge Exchange Manager,  Maria Boffey.