Best Practice

The growing problem of loneliness: How schools can respond

Pastoral issues Pupil wellbeing Mental health Coronavirus
The mental health crisis has been exacerbated by the pandemic, with schools reporting increasing feelings of loneliness in particular. Charlie Venter explains how his school is supporting pupils' wellbeing, including tackling loneliness


The wellbeing of pupils has been an ever-increasing priority during the pandemic for us at the Kingston Academy.

As part of our work to understand the challenges and how our pupils are faring against the national picture, we took part in the Edurio Pupil Learning Experience and Wellbeing Review last summer.

This survey recorded the responses of 45,000 children from 165 schools and provided a useful appraisal of how children and young people feel.

The national results paint a stark picture (Jackson & Muijs, 2021). Around half of the pupils reported feeling stressed and a quarter reported feeling lonely, while only around half reported feeling well overall.

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