Pupils from years 3 – 8 are invited to complete a survey each academic year. It provides a welcome opportunity to capture the pupil voice and gather direct feedback from our pupils, with a particular focus on their wellbeing and their sense of belonging at I.B.I.S.

81 pupils provided answers, and as always we are grateful to them for taking part and for their honesty.

Question: Yes: Sometimes: No:
Does the school do a good job welcoming new students? 93% 6% 1%
Do you feel safe and secure at school? 96% 2% 2%
Do you expect of yourself to do well at school? 94% 6% 0%
Do the pupils here have a good learning relationship with each other and with their teachers? 89% 10% 1%
Do you feel that the school has high expectations of you? Do you feel encouraged to try harder and do your best? 92% 2% 6%
Do pupils at I.B.I.S have the chance to make decisions about the school? 82% 12% 6%
When someone is being unkind to you, do you have someone at school that you can talk to? 98% 0% 2%
Since Covid-19, do you feel worried about coming to school? 18% 0% 82%
Do you know who your class Wellbeing Champions are? 74% 0% 26%
Would you like any help from someone at school to talk about your feelings? 10% 0% 90%

In addition to the above multiple choice questions, pupils were also asked two questions where they could expand on their answer. The answers below are representative of the feedback received.

What do you like about being at I.B.I.S?

  • I like playtime. I like that the school is positive, even in hard times like this.
  • That there is not much pressure on us as children.
  • I like that the school will accept me as myself.
  • It is really nice that there are children from different cultures.
  • I like that my friends and teachers are kind to me.
  • I love the relationships between the students.
  • You have lots of things to do and play.
  • I like that it is easy to find friends here.

We felt it was really important to capture the pupil voice in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore included questions relating to this. It is evident from the words below, how the pandemic has been impacting them.

How has COVID-19 made you feel?

  • Mentally it was horrible not seeing my friends. I cried a lot.
  • It has made me feel lonely and isolated.
  • Scared, because I don´t want anyone to pass away.
  • I hate feeling out of control of everything. Sometimes I wish the world would just stop.
  • It has made me very sad, angry and annoyed.
  • Made me feel like it´s a barrier to learning.
  • Worried, because it´s dangerous.
  • Makes me feel like I´m being pushed to my limit.

These answers strongly capture the voice of the pupils and how the pandemic has impacted on their wellbeing. A powerful read, however it’s important that we repay their honesty by being equally transparent. We take their COVID-19 concerns seriously, and will look to support our pupils wherever possible. For instance, our Wellbeing Lead has already begun exploring Resilience programmes and approaches and how these could be embedded into the curriculum.

If you’d like more info about any of the above, our Wellbeing Lead Mrs Sarah Hall welcomes questions and feedback.