Across Wales, schools are exploring new and practical ways to bring SHRN evidence into PSE and wider health and well being learning. Using real data gives teachers a straightforward way to make lessons more grounded in what their learners are actually experiencing. This blog shares examples of how schools are connecting SHRN themes e.g. mental health, sleep, or healthy choices, with existing lesson content in meaningful and practical ways.
Ysgol Aberconwy: Using SHRN Sleep Data in Daily Learning
In Ysgol Aberconwy, teachers used their SHRN sleep data for classroom discussion and practical activities such as assemblies on circadian rhythms, discussions about screen use and sleep cycles, and a voluntary “no‑tech hour before bedtime” challenge to help learners reflect on their own habits. Some classes also trialled simple sleep‑tracking over a week, helping learners notice links between their routines, mood, concentration, and energy. These hands‑on activities were supported by whole‑school campaigns where learners designed posters and led parent and carer workshops to share practical sleep tips at home, helping the school build a consistent message about the importance of healthy sleep.
Whitmore High School: Turning Data Into Meaningful Learner Reflection
Whitmore High School offers another strong example of how SHRN data can shape meaningful learning experiences for young people. After reviewing their SHRN findings, the school identified key priorities around learner fulfilment, school connectedness, and life satisfaction. Teachers then used these insights to guide targeted, curriculum‑linked activities that helped learners reflect on their own well‑being and relationships within the school community. This included structured classroom discussions, pastoral sessions, and themed activities designed to strengthen learners’ sense of belonging and emotional resilience. By embedding SHRN insights into everyday learning, Whitmore gave pupils clear opportunities to understand the data, explore what it means for them, and contribute to positive change within their school environment.
Supporting a Whole‑School Approach
Bringing SHRN data evidence into lessons doesn’t sit in isolation. It connects naturally with wider whole‑school health priorities, especially through the WNHWPS who use the same SHRN findings to:
- Identify school‑level improvement priorities
- Shape well‑being action plans
- Strengthen consistency between policy, practice, and learner experiences
When classrooms and school strategies draw on the same evidence, learners experience a clearer, more coherent approach and can see how their views influence decisions across the school.
Growing Confidence in Using Evidence in Education
These emerging resources represent a shift towards helping schools use well‑being data more actively, not just as something to be reported. When SHRN findings are connected with structured lesson pathways, teachers are supported to:
- Deepen learner reflection
- Strengthen learner voice
- Offer more relevant, responsive curriculum experiences
- Use evidence to inform and adapt teaching
- Empower learners to make sense of their own experiences
This is about showing what’s possible when SHRN data becomes part of learning, not just part of policy.
Making the Most of Your School’s Data
Schools using this approach are encouraged to start by reviewing both their national and school‑level SHRN findings. From there, they can identify topics most relevant to their learners and choose the lessons or curriculum areas where these themes naturally arise.
There are also opportunities beyond PSE. Some schools are beginning to link SHRN data to the Mathematics and Numeracy Area of Learning and Experience, using real school data for authentic data‑handling activities that build both numeracy skills and learner engagement.
A Joined‑Up, Evidence‑Driven Pathway for Health and Well‑Being
By integrating SHRN evidence into lesson content, schools can offer learners more than information, they can provide space to reflect, ask questions, and engage actively with issues that affect them.
This approach strengthens individual lessons, but it also contributes to more reflective, inclusive, and health‑promoting schools overall. And as SHRN evolves, with developments such as the new Secondary School Data Dashboard launching in December 2026, schools will have even more opportunities to use evidence meaningfully.