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Using health and well-being data to support improvements in mental health in schools
Welcome to the SHINE September 2025 Newsletter
- SHINE TEAM Staff Change
- University of Glasgow Centre for Teaching Excellence
- Sleep Action - manifesto for including sleep in the curriculum
- HBSC 2026 Survey Round
- Why Big Data Matters lesson plans
- Events - CLPL
opportunities:
- Webinar: FASD - Supports & Strategies for teachers 30th Sept
- Webinar: Attachment in young children in P1 to P4 9th Oct 16.00
- In person Primary Sleep Well event for schools in Fife, Angus, Dundee City and Perth & Kinross Local Authorities 18th Nov
- In person Secondary Story-telling competition and event: Greater Glasgow & Clyde
- Resources for schools:
- The Progressive Masculinity program for schools
- Wider research opportunities for schools
- Growing Up Online survey for young people aged 12 to 26 in the Greater Glasgow & Clyde area - please support young people in your schools to take part
SHINE NEWS
SHINE TEAM: STAFF CHANGE
Bethan Malley worked with us for the past year on the ABSAIL project (Addressing Barriers to School Attendance to Improve Lon-term Outcomes). She conducted the literature review, mapping exercise and over half of the 84 case study interviews across six Local Authorities, making a significant contribution to the project. Bethan has now left the team and gone on to study for a Doctorate in Applied Educational Psychology at the University of Dundee. We wish her all the very best in her future career.
We are delighted to welcome Zara Treharne to the team, to work as the Research Assistant on the ABSAIL project. Zara has settled quickly into the role, conducting the last of the 84 case study interviews with school staff, parents/carers and young people affected by emotionally-based school non attendance. Zara brings a blend of academic and professional experience to the team, with an MA in Counselling Psychology, an MLitt in Global Social Political Thought, and over six years of cross-sector experience working with young people and their families who experience challenges to their mental health and wellbeing. She has made an enthusiastic and energetic start to the role.
Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) – Teachers First and Foremost
We are delighted to announce the official launch of Scotland’s Centre for Teaching Excellence (CfTE) at the University of Glasgow, an exciting new chapter for teachers’ professional learning across the country.
The Centre was formally opened by Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth, who welcomed staff and students to celebrate this important milestone in Scotland’s education reform journey. Speaking at the launch, she highlighted CfTE’s vital role in improving learning and teaching nationwide, ensuring that every child and young person has the opportunity to achieve their very best.
With its main base in Glasgow and two further hubs in Skye (Gaelic Medium Education) and Dumfries (Rural Education and Learning for Sustainability), CfTE is designed to bring educators together. Teachers from across Scotland are invited to connect through these physical hubs as well as CfTE’s expanding digital presence, which supports collaboration, research, and professional growth.
Partnership and collaboration are at the heart of the work of CfTE, and to help realise its mission, we have welcomed nearly 40 teacher associates, seconded for the next six months. Bringing a wealth of classroom experience, they will play a key role in engaging with teachers and shaping CfTE’s work.
Find out more and get involved: Centre for Teaching Excellence Gaelic version: Ionad Sàr-mhathais ann an Teagasg · Follow us on social media for updates, opportunities, and stories: @UofGCfTE
Read the Sleep Action Manifesto campaigning to make Sleep part of the Scottish Curriculum
Sleep Action (trusted sleep support for children, families, professionals and employers since 1998) has launched its new manifesto, Making Sleep Part of Scotland’s Curriculum. The manifesto calls for sleep education to be embedded across all stages of schooling, supported by teacher training, resources, and whole-school approaches.
We believe this is a vital step to ensure children and young people in Scotland understand the importance of sleep for health, learning, and wellbeing. By making sleep a core part of the curriculum, we can help address inequalities and improve outcomes for future generations.
Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study: 2026 Survey Round
The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) Study will conduct the next round of data collection starting in January 2026. The purpose of HBSC is to monitor long-term trends and provide international comparisons, thus delivering a unique source of national data to inform policy development in Scotland. The 10th consecutive Scottish HBSC survey will be conducted between January and May 2026, together with 50 other countries in Europe and North America.
Every 4 years, a nationally representative sample of Scottish Primary and Secondary schools are invited to survey one P7 class and one S2 & one S4. The resulting National report is shared with the funder (Public Health Scotland), policymakers, participating schools, other key stakeholders and on the HBSC Scotland website . We are delighted to use it to benchmark the SHINE mental health survey data reports for schools to support understanding of a school's MHWB context in relation to the national context.
Each participating school will receive a school report providing aggregate level data, subject to meeting the minimum requirement for number of pupils, to benefit the local health and wellbeing improvement agenda. To support the work of schools, HBSC also produces a range of research briefings/classroom resources from the survey findings, on topics such as Trends in Young People's Substance Use in Scotland , Anxiety among young people in Scotland and Young people’s experiences of bullying and cyberbullying in Scotland
The HBSC Project Manager, Judith Brown, contacted Local Authorities in September for permissions to invite schools to contribute to this valuable study,. Schools will be approached from October to take part in the survey. HBSC aims to continue the excellent work of providing the evidence to facilitate targeted priority-setting and improvement planning for Scottish young people's health and wellbeing.
Please watch out for your school invitation to take part arriving soon!
"Why Big Data Matters" lesson plans - schools can deliver the lessons & provide feedback to receive £100 for HWB resources.
SHINE and Generation Scotland have developed a suite of lesson plans to support young people's understanding of big data and what it is used for, the benefits of and methods used for linking data and how researchers keep everyone's data safe. The aim is to ensure that young people have a good understanding of health research methods and how they can help to amplify pupil voice at scale.
We have listened to initial feedback from teachers: We have streamlined our teachers' pack and added a debate kit to the 3rd lesson activity. We are in the process of recording additional videos too. Would you or your pupils like to provide a feedback video clip? Contact Dawn.Haughton@glasgow.ac.uk
We are able to offer £100 to schools who would like to pilot this resource and provide feedback. This will be based on a "first come, first served" basis. Lesson content and resources would be made available to participating schools. To find out more, request access to the lesson plans and resources here.
Events for schools and CLPL
Webinar for Primary Schools: The importance of attachment in early childhood development
Researchers from the School Attachment Monitor Team within the Centre for Developmental Adversity and Resilience Team at the University of Glasgow are offering teachers the opportunity to learn more about the importance of attachment in early childhood development via an online webinar on Thursday 9th October from 4pm to 5pm.
This webinar session will present an introduction to attachment in young children and why it is important to schools. We will provide a foundation on the different forms of attachment with the goal of strengthening your understanding in children's mental health. Finally, we discuss how schools can support children with attachment, introducing the 'School Attachment Monitor' a research study developing digital tools to measure and support attachment assessment in schools. For this, we open up collaborative discussion and critique. Registration is now open.
Webinar: FASD Supports & Strategies for teachers 30th Sept 16.00 - 17.00
Adoption UK are offering a free information session for teachers on Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders supports and strategies for teachers on 30th September from 4pm to 5pm online. Teachers can register for the event by clicking on the green button above.
In addition, Adoption UK has created 3 lessons for PSE broadly suitable for P6-S3. These were shared with 4 local authorities last year, then updated based on feedback and are now available to all local authorities. They can be accessed here: Lesson 1 | Adoption UK Charity.
Sleep Health for Junior Researchers Conference
Opportunity for primary schools in Fife, Angus, Perth & Kinross and Dundee City
We are delighted to invite P6–P7 pupils, teachers, and caregivers to the Dundee Science Centre on 18 November 2025 for an interactive one-day conference. Pupils will step into the role of junior researchers, discovering why sleep matters for health, wellbeing, and learning. The day features a series of hands-on workshops with researchers from across the UK, exploring the science of sleep and practical ways to improve routines. These fun, engaging sessions bring evidence to life and inspire healthier habits. Travel bursaries, lunch, and refreshments are provided.
Together, we’ll inspire Scotland’s next generation to value sleep as a foundation for health and success. For more information or to register interest, contact mailto:eg243@st-andrews.ac.uk
Storytelling Competition and Event for Schools in Greater Glasgow & Clyde Area
Please print out and put up the poster on noticeboards in the English, or Social Sciences, or Art/Media, or Home Economics departments to advertise this creative opportunity to the young people in your school. You could also use it as a class activity and encourage the young people to send in their entries. The winning entries will be invited to a celebration event.
Wider research opportunities for schools and young people
Growing Up Online Survey for young people aged 12 to 26
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) and Barnardo’s are distributing survey for young people aged 12–26. The aim is to better understand experiences of growing up online and to explore what kinds of mental health and wellbeing supports could make a real difference. They are keen to also hear from young people who are not online or who may be digitally excluded, ensuring all voices are included.
The survey will provide insights into how digital environments affect mental health, and what further resources or services would be most helpful. These findings will guide future initiatives so that NHSGGC can respond directly to the needs of young people.
For schools, results can be broken down by individual school, offering evidence to inform planning. This means you can tailor your curriculum, wellbeing strategies, and care to address issues pupils identify as important.
The survey closes 31st October 2025. A session plan is available, and a member of Barnardo’s team may be able to support by delivering sessions to classes in school. There are also focus groups running in November. If you are interested in taking part, please contact katrina.mcgovern@barnardos.org.uk
The Progressive Masculinity program for schools
This organisation offers workshops to schools, which aim:
- To challenge regressive power and dominance-based models of masculinity.
- To explore how qualities like empathy, cooperation, compassion, and respect can be features of a 'strong' man
- To raise the pupils' self-esteem, emotional intelligence and oracy involved encouraging aspirational goals
- To tap into pupils' leadership potential and empower them to be the drivers for positive change within the school
All the best,
The SHINE Team
Dawn Haughton
Schools Health and Wellbeing Improvement Research Network (SHINE) Manager
E-mail: Dawn.Haughton@glasgow.ac.uk
Web: www.gla.ac.uk/shine
Twitter: @ScotlandSHINE
