With many young people their behaviour tells us much of what we need to know about their lives.  Indeed it is their behaviour that makes us aware of any problems that they might be suffering.

But there is no doubt that observation alone won’t always alert us to the fact that some students may be lacking in their understanding of certain key issues of their personal lives and their social situations.

Do they really understand the dangers of sexting? Do they actually know the damage that can be caused by tobacco and alcohol? Is anyone engaging in self-abuse who has slipped beneath the radar? Are there neighbourhood issues that the school is not fully aware of?

A knowledge of these and related issues can make the work of the school much more effective, as you and your colleagues can learn more about the students’ lives and about the dynamics existing in each class.

We can, for example, begin to see if those attending the school are getting suitable breakfasts. We can see if all the students feel safe on their way to and from school. We can discover if there is an otherwise hidden sub-culture of extremism, racism, or intolerance evolving.

Of course, if your colleagues try to ask such questions in class, it can be hard to get answers from the very people whose answers might be the ones they most need to hear.  Which is why many schools are turning to an alternative way to get this information.

This alternative approach involves using questionnaires covering the well-being and health of pupils and students.  Such a questionnaire can identify the reasons for behaviours and provide a rich source of information that can be used to explore underlying influences.

In short, the professionally structured questionnaire allows us to learn far more about the behaviour and emotions of those we teach, than is possible in any other way.

Youcansay has worked with hundreds of schools across the UK in providing and analysing questionnaires which help Heads of PSHE and senior management in schools learn far more about those they teach than can otherwise be achieved.

To see more information on our Well-being and Health Questionnaire which could be run in your school please click here

If you would like to talk about the questionnaires, their benefits and how they work please do call us on 0118 978 1078. You can also contact us by email service@youcansay.co.uk