Heathfield Community College scores highly for pupil happiness

Ofsted recognises the importance of ‘wellbeing’ as a factor for the choice of secondary schools

Ofsted the education watchdog has recognised parents’ shifting focus towards a school’s ethos when choosing where their child should go for secondary. It plans to add a “wellbeing” category to its new inspection reports, which it is currently consulting on, to acknowledge parents’ growing focus on happiness. For this reason Heathfield Community College are especially pleased to be ranked joint second with Chailey School in East Sussex for pupil happiness. Top place went to St Richards Catholic College, Bexhill with only one percentage point ahead.

More than half of parents of secondary school pupils worry about the toll that exams are taking on them, with one in four saying their children are suffering from depression, according to Parentkind, a charity representing parents’ voices. One in ten say their teenage children have self-harmed at least once, based on a survey of 2,200 parents of secondary age children.

With this in mind, many parents are looking beyond the exam results. A recent survey by Parentkind found 96 per cent of parents said the happiness of children at a school should be included in Ofsted inspection report cards.

Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: “While exam results will always matter, parents across the country have made it clear that academic success should not come at the expense of their child’s wellbeing and happiness. “A child who enjoys learning and has a positive relationship with their education is far more likely to thrive in life than one who is left struggling, clutching a handful of certificates but feeling broken.”

• Source: TES Article March 2025