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.

In 2014 a Schools Health Research Network was set up in Wales to enable effective collaboration between schools, policy makers and academic researchers, focusing on school-based health improvement research. By 2018 all Welsh secondary schools had joined the Network. The individual school health and wellbeing data reports co-produced by schools with the Network are proving invaluable to the Welsh schools for monitoring wellbeing in the schools, targeting interventions and directing improvement planning. 

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 on the front page of the website. It’s free to join!