Nurseries can play a role in improving children's well-being

The OECD report, which compared students’ experiences around the world, highlights a number of challenges faced by school children in the UK, including high rates of bullying, unhappiness and anxiety, which is particularly prevalent among disadvantaged pupils and girls.

While the findings are based upon a survey of 540,000 15-year-olds in 34 countries, Natalie Perera, executive director and head of research at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), which launched the report an event in London today, told Nursery World that practitioners in early years settings and schools can play a role in improving children's well-being.

‘Today’s PISA report on student well-being finds that pupils in the UK are more likely to be bullied, have higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of life satisfaction, compared with the average across OECD nations,' she said. 'Policy makers and practitioners, including those that work in the early years, will need to consider the role that schools and early years settings can play in improving children’s well-being, including through early intervention and social and emotional support for children.’