Why wellbeing must be central to how we measure success
At the Fair Education Alliance, we believe no child's success should be limited by their socioeconomic background, and that success must mean more than just academic results.
As we shape our new 2025–30 strategy, we’re exploring what it means to measure wellbeing - and how schools and systems can better understand and respond to what young people need to thrive.
In this week’s Bulletin, we’re highlighting work from across the Alliance, including the latest from Our Wellbeing, Our Voice and two of our 2024 Innovation Award winners whose work places wellbeing at the heart of education.
The Body Happy Org - Molly Forbes, Founder
“Body respect isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’ – it’s central to how safe, included and valued children feel in school. ”
“At The Body Happy Organisation, we talk about body respect as a we issue, not a me issue. It’s something we build together – through the systems we shape, the language we use and the cultures we create.
In our pilot across two high-Pupil Premium secondaries and one primary, we saw the impact a whole-school approach can have. Students felt more confident, staff felt better equipped, and one teacher told us the shift had made her job easier.”
The Firefly Project - Jenna Maudlin, Founder
“Loss is a part of life - yet we often struggle to talk about it.”
For grieving young people, that silence is isolating and can have a huge impact on how they see themselves and the world.
At the Firefly Project, we help schools become grief-aware communities where no child navigates loss alone, and no teacher feels unprepared. Our workshops support schools to build the language and confidence to talk about grief – ahead of statutory grief education being introduced in 2026.”
Campaign spotlight: Our Wellbeing, Our Voice
The Fair Education Alliance is proud to be one of the four leaders of the Our Wellbeing, Our Voice campaign – calling for a national wellbeing measurement programme that gives children and young people a real say in shaping the support they receive.
While the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill’s progress through Parliament is paused until September, support continues to grow - 75% of parents are in favour, and political champions like Lords O’Donnell and Blunkett are calling for action.
A national programme, estimated to cost under £20 million a year, would enable early intervention, track progress, and provide evidence of what works. It would also help schools and services target support for children in alternative provision, special schools, home education or those missing from school.
➡️ Watch this update from BeeWell, one of the other organisations leading the campaign, for the latest on the movement and what’s next.
Looking ahead: Our 2025 Report Card
In September, we’ll publish our annual FEA Report Card, outlining our key policy priorities – including the call to embed a consistent national programme of wellbeing measurement. We’ll continue pushing for the systems, data and cross-sector support needed to make mission-driven government a reality, and ensure wellbeing is central to how we define success.
Because when we measure what really matters, we can build an education system where every child can thrive.
