Category: Information

The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey 2025

The School Health Research Network is led by Cardiff University in partnership with the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales. Every two years, learners attending secondary schools in the Network are invited to take part in The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey. The information collected in the survey is used to compile a bespoke report for each school, which supports their work to improve their learners’ health and well-being. Importantly, no individual learner can ever be identified within this report as only aggregate data is shared.

Pencoed Comprehensive is taking part in The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Survey this term. The survey is being managed by Ipsos on behalf of Cardiff University and is completed on-line under the supervision of a member of school staff. It contains questions on health behaviours, including diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, drugs, school life and relationships. Learners in Year 9 and above only will be asked a small number of questions relating to sexual behaviour. Each learner chooses whether or not they want to complete the survey and they can omit any question they do not want to answer.

At the end of the survey, learners are invited to give their name, date of birth and postcode for the purpose of data linkage research. This enables researchers to connect survey responses across different rounds of the two-yearly survey, in order to investigate how and why health and well-being change through adolescence. It also allows answers to be anonymously linked to other data that is routinely collected about them by trusted organizations like the NHS and Welsh Government such as GP appointments and GCSE results. Read more
about data linkage in this leaflet.

It is made clear to learners that this is voluntary, and they do not have to provide this information if they do not want to. The school will show learners a video recording about this, which you can view here, along with further information about data linkage. If you cannot access the video or website, please email shrn@cardiff.ac.uk.

All data will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act (2018) and the General Data Protection Regulations, and you can read our data privacy notice here: www.shrn.org.uk/gdpr. The survey is strictly confidential unless a learner response raises concerns about their welfare, in which case we will notify the school’s safeguarding officer if we have the learner’s name. Cardiff University use the survey data to compile The SHRN Student Health and Well-being Reports and for research into adolescent health. These Student Health and Well-being Reports contain only aggregated data, e.g. the percentage of Year 7 boys who eat breakfast daily.

If you have any queries, please do notify your school as soon as possible.

Happy Half-Term!

As we reach the end of the first half term, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s education. It has been a busy and productive start to the academic year, and I am incredibly proud of how our students have settled into their routines, embraced new challenges, and contributed positively to our school community. 

After half term, we will be checking uniform, appearance and mobile devices. The focus of these increased checks will initially be on health and safety concerns regarding jewellery, hoodies or (Non-school logo) branded jumpers, and mobile devices. Following this, we will be checking on all aspects of school uniform. 

Please ensure your child comes to school in full uniform in line with our appearance expectations, and has their mobile device switched off and, in their bag, as detailed in our school policies.  

  • Jewellery – some items of jewellery are prohibited. These includes rings, bracelets, and necklaces.  The exceptions to this rule are a wristwatch and one pair of small, round stud earrings. No hooped earrings, tunnels, bars or spiked gauges. No visible facial jewellery, such as nose, lip, tongue or eyebrow piercings, is permitted. Any student with a nose piercing is permitted to wear a small clear stud. 
  • No pull over/zipped hoodies or tracksuit tops. 
  • Mobile phones need to be kept switched off in pupils’ bags as we have a “see it, hear it, take it” policy.  

Welsh Government guidance explains that Headteachers can discipline pupils for breaches of the school’s uniform. Where pupils do not comply with our school uniform, we will utilise our ‘Pencoed Pre-Loved’ uniform stock to support them where necessary. Failure to meet our standards will result in parents being contacted. Pupils who continue to refuse to meet our standards will be educated in alternative locations in school. The Welsh Government School Uniform and Appearance guidance states: 

4.12 Headteachers may ask pupils to go home to change their clothes 

We ask that parents/carers ensure their child’s uniform complies with our expectations in order that we avoid having to take potential disciplinary measures or sending your child home to change. As outlined in our Parent Conduct Policy, we expect parents/carers to work with us for the benefit of our pupils and are thankful for your support of our school.  

Thank you for your continued support. We wish you and your family a pleasant half term.