Young people's wellbeing in schools : student voice and agency

Many pupils are at risk of either chronic or acute adversity and we do not necessarily know who these children and young people are. There are things that schools can do - and need to be doing at a universal level - to promote the protective factors that support resilience and wellbeing for all. In doing so they enhance educational opportunities as well as promote more pro-social behaviour. Sadly there has been an increase in educational policies and practices that risk undermining children's social and emotional wellbeing especially for more vulnerable students. Despite the socio-political climate, or perhaps because of it, we all have a responsibility to encourage and support schools to promote wellbeing wherever and whenever we can - not just as individual practitioners but as services and as a profession. Educational psychologists have a wealth of knowledge and skills that impact positively on the lives of many young people. Add to this courage and creativity and we can extend our commitment to the wellbeing of all. The true measure of a nation's standing is how well it attends to its children" their health and safety, their material security, their education and socialization, and their sense of being loved, valued, and included in the families and societies into which they are born (Unicef, 2007).