How Do UK Secondary Schools Support Young People’s Wellbeing? Using Public Involvement to Develop a School Provision Survey

Mental health and wellbeing difficulties in children and young people are common, with evidence suggesting that the needs of this group are largely unmet. Schools are crucial in the prevention and early intervention of mental health disorders, yet evidence on school provision to support pupil wellbeing is hard to capture accurately. This includes the wider aspects of school provision that, whilst often not categorised as mental health and wellbeing provision, often has the potential to improve pupils’ mental health and wellbeing. An exploration into the best way to capture school provision is needed, and the inclusion of stakeholders in this process is crucial. #BeeWell is a programme delivered within UK secondary schools to better understand what affects children and young people’s wellbeing. This research aimed to design and implement a school provision survey in collaboration with stakeholder, school staff, and young person groups using patient and public involvement (PPI) methods, to capture how schools within the #BeeWell programme support children and young people’s wellbeing. Targeted and embedded consultation methods were conducted with these groups from January to October 2024, who provided input on survey conceptualisation, design, and implementation. The final survey was rolled out to schools in October 2024. The PPI impact on the research, researcher, and individuals involved was also measured. This work resulted in PPI having a large impact on the creation of a #BeeWell school provision survey and demonstrates how PPI can be meaningfully captured within a practical timeframe to collect data on secondary school provision.