Asking a seven-year-old and a sixteen-year-old to reflect on their day isn’t the same task, so Wellbeing Journals aren’t either. Each journal is built around a student’s key stage – simple mood check-ins lower down the school, more considered reflection as students get older.
A student picks how they’re feeling, adds a little context if they want to, and the entry becomes part of their own record over time – not a one-off form, but a pattern they and their pastoral team can both see. Staff get the same picture in aggregate: today’s mood across a class, the trend across a term, and a nudge when something looks worth a conversation.
Journalling only takes a minute or two, which is deliberate – it needs to fit inside a form-time slot, not replace one. A student can also ask for a check-in or a calming activity directly from their journal whenever they need one, so support isn’t only available at the moment a member of staff happens to notice.
The journal belongs to the student first. What staff see is the pattern, not every private word.
Wellbeing Journals are included from our Classroom plan upwards.
For the longer version – the daily check-in, and what happens to an entry that needs attention – see Wellbeing Journals.