Kent children and young people’s survey - coming soon

Kent County Council is launching a new children and young people’s survey to capture pupils’ real lived experiences across wellbeing, safety, learning, aspirations and daily life. This will help build a countywide picture of what children and young people need to feel happy, healthy and supported in school and beyond.

Why your school’s participation matters

The survey will provide valuable, anonymised insights to help schools:

• Understand pupils’ wellbeing, friendships, feelings of safety and daily school experiences
• Strengthen and inform PSHE and wider curriculum planning using real pupil voice
• Identify where support is working well and where small changes could make big differences
• Complement your existing school feedback approaches with large-scale, countywide data
• Demonstrate transparent “you said, we did” action to pupils, families and partners
• All responses are anonymous, with no identifiable data collected and all normal safeguarding measures in place.

Tailored for primary and secondary pupils

The survey has been developed to work effectively across all age groups and needs, including younger pupils and those with SEND.

To ensure age appropriate participation:

• Primary aged pupils receive simpler, shorter and more accessible questions
• Secondary aged pupils are asked more detailed questions on areas such as future aspirations, social media, online safety and career thinking, reflecting the older cohort’s developmental stage
• Language, tone and examples are adapted for developmental appropriateness
• Questions are designed to be inclusive and clear for children with SEND or additional needs.

This means every pupil - regardless of age or ability - can meaningfully share their views.

What the survey covers

Themes include:

• Wellbeing, enjoyment of life and friendships
• Feeling safe at school, at home, online and in the community
• Physical and mental health
• Learning, progress and motivation
• Aspirations, work and future pathways
• Use of social media, digital resilience and online experiences
• Worries, pressures and issues pupils see in the world around them.

Taking part

The survey is quick to run in class time, delivered online and supported by clear guidance for staff. Schools will receive the countywide report once responses are analysed.

By taking part, your school helps ensure that children and young people’s voices shape the support and services they receive across Kent.