GIRFEC Story: A Glimpse into ‘Our SHANNARI School’
Our SHANARRI School aims to create a holistic approach to wellbeing in Highland's schools,
‘Our SHANARRI School’ initiative aims to create a holistic approach to wellbeing in Highland’s schools, rooted in the eight principles of the Scottish Government’s whole school approach to wellbeing.
In 2021, Jo Chamberlain, Improvement Project Coordinator in Highland, along with the support and guidance of the Principal Educational Psychologist and the Primary Mental Health Team Lead. They wanted to create a resource where children’s and young people’s voices were front and centre. “We wanted to find out from children and young people what it would look like, sound like, and feel like if their school was SHANARRI,” SHANARRI, which stands for Safe, Healthy, Achieving, Nurtured, Active, Respected, Responsible, and Included, are the wellbeing indicators set out in Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC).
As part of the initial development of the programme, the team reached out to several schools and gained the support of head teachers and guidance teachers. They were keen to understand the perspectives of the students and encouraged them to shape the project’s design. The team listened to what the children and young people needed. Initially, students indicated a lack of information about the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and SHANARRI, which enabled the team to then prepare relevant information tailored to help students understand and engage meaningfully.
Empowering students to be involved in design of the approach was a key aspect of the work. “We let children and young people dictate the design with the remit being, we want to find out how safe, how healthy relating to all the wellbeing indicators they felt within their school”. The students proposed and created a survey, which was later shared across various schools to gather data on how they viewed their school against the SHANARRI indicators.
A thematic analysis of the data was carried out by the Educational Psychology team, leading to the creation of statements that informed ‘Our SHANARRI School’ within the survey. The project continued to evolve, with ongoing input from students to refine the statements and survey until everyone was happy with the results.
“Our key aims were to give children and young people a voice, to support schools, to encourage participation, and to have that continuous feedback loop.” The initiative was designed to help schools celebrate successes and identify areas for improvement, driven by the views from their own students.
A key aspect of ‘Our SHANARRI School’ is its design for sustainability. Schools can run the survey annually or focus on specific indicators, enabling them to track progress and demonstrate to students the impact of their feedback. “It’s a snapshot of how SHANARRI children and young people feel that their school is.” This approach not only reinforces the importance of student voice but also aligns with the values and principles of GIRFEC.
The project’s rights-based approach ensures that children’s voices are at the centre of decisions affecting them, promoting their full participation. “By focusing on the wider wellbeing within the school setting, it is within the school’s capacity and capabilities to address.”
One of the most powerful outcomes of this initiative is the tangible impact that students can see. “Children and young people can see directly what changes are being made following the results of the survey.” This transparency and feedback loop are crucial, and the links to the Lundy Model of Participation, which emphasises the importance of feedback and action from student involvement.
Looking to the future, Jo and the team are expanding the project. Translating the survey into Gaelic and exploring versions tailored for early years and accessible formats. Schools that have previously participated are being invited to join discussions about the future, and there’s a keen interest in providing more information about interventions and support structures following the survey.
In summary, ‘Our SHANARRI School’ is a brilliant example of how a rights-based, person-centred approach can transform school environments. By placing children’s voices at the heart of decision-making, this initiative not only fosters wellbeing but also empowers students, making their school experience more inclusive and responsive to their needs.
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