About

Why SHINE?

SHINE aims to help transform health and wellbeing outcomes for young people in Scotland through high-quality, school-based health improvement research and data-driven innovation.

SHINE provides an infrastructure to support improvements in health and wellbeing amongst school-aged children by building a collaboration between schools, researchers and policy-makers.

Pupil health and academic attainment are intertwined. Healthier pupils have higher attainment and, in the longer term, those who achieve better educational outcomes have better health and wellbeing.

Wellbeing is a core value of the SHANARRI indicators (GIRFEC) and is key to helping each child achieve their full potential. While numerous interventions have been developed to promote pupil health and wellbeing, results are mixed and more research is needed on how best to increase their effectiveness.

High quality health improvement research in Scotland would benefit children, schools and policy makers.

Today, in Scotland, we have 767 schools in the SHINE network. We are proud to include local authority primary and secondary schools, independent schools and special schools from the Shetland Isles to the Scottish Borders in all 32 Local Authority areas.

If you would like your school to become a member of SHINE, complete the online registration form here . It’s free to join!

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SHINE Team

The SHINE team is based at the Social and Public Health Sciences Unit and Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit offices at the Universities of Glasgow and St Andrews. Details on who we are and what we do can be found below.

SHINE team in front of bookshelves
University of Glasgow
Judith Mabelis

Ms Judith Mabelis

Research Fellow

Dawn Haughton

Mrs Dawn Haughton

Network Manager

Mary Wilson

Research Assistant

Dorothy Currie

Ms Dorothy Currie

University of St Andrews

Danny Smith

Professor Daniel Smith

University of Edinburgh

Marion Henderson

Professor Marion Henderson

University of Strathclyde

Partners

The SHINE Network is led by University of Glasgow and University of St Andrews. The schools in the Schools Health and Wellbeing Improvement Research Network are joined by the following partners:

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School Health Research Network logo
NHS Health Scotland logo
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Governance​

Our advisory board meets twice a year in order to provide independent external review, advice and support on the operational and strategic development of SHINE.

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SHINE Advisory Board March 2023

NameRole/Organisation
Lorna AitkenSenior Education Officer Inclusion Equalities and Wellbeing, Education Scotland
Gillian BarclayDepute Principal Psychologist Children’s Service, Edinburgh City
Christine BrownQuality Improvement Officer, Scottish Borders Council
Kelly CraigMeldrum Academy, Aberdeenshire
Alison DreverWest Partnership, Leadership and Improvement
Lynda FentonConsultant in Public Health Medicine, Public Health Scotland
Isobel McGheeScottish Guidance Association
Tracey JohnstonSenior Education Officer Health and Wellbeing (Curriculum), Education Scotland
Fiona McKerralSt Mary’s Primary School Bathgate, West Lothian
Simon MurphyDirector DECIPHER, Lead for the Schools Health Research Network, Cardiff University

Eileen Scott

Public Health Scotland
Eleanor SheppardChief Education Officer, Aberdeen City Council
Gary SuttonStatistician, Education Analytical Services, Learning Analysis Unit, Scottish Government
Neil WhiteSenior Statistician, Health and Social Care Analysis, Scottish Government