What Does ‘Good’ Wellbeing Look Like? Using National Baselines to Understand Your Results

Every school is striving to do the right thing when it comes to wellbeing — but how do you really know if what you’re doing is working?

You might be running surveys, hosting wellbeing events, or training staff to support mental health. But when the results come in, there’s one big question every school leader asks:

“Is this good?”

Without context, data can feel like guesswork. A score might seem positive — but compared to what? What if other schools are facing similar challenges? Or what if their results show areas you’ve not yet spotted?

That’s where baseline data and national comparisons become truly powerful.

The Challenge: Measuring Wellbeing Without Context

When it comes to wellbeing, there’s no universal “pass mark.” A score of 7 out of 10 for resilience or belonging might feel encouraging — but without a frame of reference, it’s impossible to know if that’s typical, concerning, or exceptional.

Every school’s community is different. Demographics, geography, and local culture all play a role in shaping wellbeing. Yet despite those differences, the questions remain consistent:

• How does our staff wellbeing compare to similar schools?
• Are our pupils thriving or just coping?
• Where are we doing well — and where do we need to act?

Too often, schools collect data but have no benchmark to interpret it against. It’s like marking your own test without an answer sheet.

Introducing Baseline Data: Your Foundation for Meaningful Insight

Baseline data gives schools a starting point — a way to understand where you are now before deciding where to go next.

At BounceTogether, this idea is at the heart of every survey, dashboard, and report. The platform doesn’t just give you numbers; it gives you context.

By comparing your results to one of the largest wellbeing datasets in UK schools, you can see how your pupils and staff are feeling in relation to national averages, schools of similar size, or those facing comparable challenges.

In practice, that means you can quickly identify:

• Which areas of wellbeing are stronger or weaker than average.
• Whether an issue is specific to your school or part of a wider national trend.
• How your school’s interventions are shifting the picture over time.

It transforms your data from a static snapshot into a living story about progress, challenge, and change.

From Data to Meaning: Why National Baselines Matter

Let’s take an example.

Two schools run a pupil wellbeing survey.
Both score 65% in the “School Connectedness” subscale.

At first glance, they look the same.
But when compared to BounceTogether’s national dataset:

• For a primary school, where the national average is around 58%, that score indicates real strength.
• For a secondary school, where the average might sit closer to 70%, it suggests an area for attention.

Suddenly, identical results tell two very different stories.

Baseline context helps you see beyond the numbers — to understand whether your results reflect progress, stability, or challenge.

It’s not just about comparing data; it’s about discovering meaning.

The Value of a National Baseline

The ability to see your data in context is what makes wellbeing measurement meaningful.

BounceTogether’s national dataset, built from millions of responses across primary and secondary schools, gives you that clarity.

It’s not designed to rank or compare schools competitively —it’s there to inform understanding and support improvement.

By viewing your results against the wider national picture,you can see whether your scores are typical, stronger, or weaker than averagefor your school phase.

That knowledge brings confidence. It means you can talk about wellbeing with evidence, not instinct — and use data to drive focused, purposeful action.

Turning Insight into Action

The real strength of national baselines lies in how they empower schools to make better decisions.
With a clear starting point, you can:

• Prioritise support. Focus energy on areas that fall below the national trend.
• Celebrate success. Recognise strengths that are performing above average.
• Track improvement. Measure how interventions are shifting wellbeing over time.

For example, a school might see that their “Pupil Voice and Belonging” score is below the national primary average.

That insight could lead to targeted initiatives — perhaps creating new pupil leadership roles, building mentoring schemes, or developing classroom belonging strategies.

Six months later, a follow-up survey shows a 10% rise, now matching national levels.
That’s impact you can evidence — and it starts with understanding your baseline.

The Three I’s: Insight, Identification, and Impact

BounceTogether’s approach to wellbeing is built on the Three I’s — a simple framework that helps schools move from measurement to meaning.

Insight: Clear, contextual data shows how pupils and staff are feeling right now. It gives leaders a whole-school view of wellbeing, helping them plan strategically.

Identification: Real-time alerts and question-level analysis help schools spot individuals or groups that may need additional support before problems escalate.

Impact: By repeating surveys over time, schools can measure the effect of interventions — comparing new results to both their own baseline and the national picture.

Together, these three dimensions create a cycle of improvement: gather evidence, take action, measure change.

From Data to Dialogue

Wellbeing data isn’t just for reports — it’s a catalyst for conversation.

When schools use BounceTogether’s Reports 2.0, they gain visual clarity through heatmaps, sub-scales, and question-level breakdowns that bring stories to life.

This makes it easier to share findings across leadership teams, staff, and governors.
For example, you can show that:

• Pupils’ sense of safety has improved since last year.
• Staff workload remains a key driver of stress.
• Parents report stronger trust and communication with the school.

This turns wellbeing data into a shared language that informs culture, strategy, and action.

What Does ‘Good’ Really Look Like?

So, what does “good” wellbeing look like?

It isn’t a score or a number. It’s a deep understanding of what your data means — and the confidence to act on it.

“Good” is when a school can say:

• We understand how our people are feeling.
• We know where to focus our attention.
• We can evidence the difference we’re making.

It’s not about perfection. It’s about progress — knowing your starting point, using national benchmarks for context, and making informed decisions that build a stronger, healthier school culture.

That’s what BounceTogether’s baseline data helps you achieve.

Evidence That Drives Confidence

Having access to robust, comparative data also gives you confidence when presenting to governors, Ofsted, or your trust board.

You can say:

“Our pupil wellbeing scores are above the national average for primary schools.”

“Since our last survey, staff wellbeing has improved by 12%.”

“Our targeted interventions are closing the gap between our results and national baselines.”

That level of clarity demonstrates a school’s commitment to evidence-based improvement.
It shows not just what you’re doing, but how well it’s working.

See Your School’s Wellbeing in Context — Free

Understanding wellbeing data isn’t just about collecting information — it’s about knowing what it means.

With our free two-month trial, your school can experience the full power of evidence-based wellbeing measurement.

You’ll be able to:

• Establish a wellbeing baseline for pupils, staff, and parents.
• Compare your results against national primary and secondary benchmarks.
• Access clear, visual reports that turn data into meaningful action.

As part of your free trial, you can run some of our most popular wellbeing surveys — including the Ofsted Voice Collection for pupils, staff, and parents.

💡 BounceTogether is the only platform that allows schools to run the Ofsted Voice Surveys within national context — giving your results comparison, clarity, and real impact.

👉 Run your first survey free today and see what your wellbeing data is really telling you. Start your free trial → Click Here