OxWell 2025: summary report

Report

The OxWell Student Survey 2025 is a large-scale, repeated, non-identifiable school-based survey designed to examine the wellbeing, mental health, and educational experiences of children and adolescents aged 9–18 years in England. In 2025, over 35,000 students from 95 primary, secondary, and further education institutions participated. The survey was co-developed with young people and administered online during the school day. No directly identifiable data were collected to promote accurate reporting. The survey included measures of school belonging, bullying, safety, loneliness, neurodiversity, physical health indicators (e.g. sleep and activity), symptoms of anxiety and depression (RCADS-25), self-harm, and patterns of access to informal, semi-formal, formal, and digital mental health support. Optional modules explored additional domains including body-focused repetitive behaviours, substance use, chronic pain, and adverse experiences. This report for stakeholder partners gives some preliminary findings from the survey from a range of the questions asked. Findings highlight the central role of belonging. Informal support networks (parents and friends) remain the most frequently accessed sources of help, while school-based staff are commonly approached across year groups. Approximately one in five students self-identified as neurodivergent, and overlapping vulnerabilities—including loneliness, school absence, and self-harm—were frequently observed. Results are returned to participating schools and local authorities through a secure data platform (OxHub) to support evidence-informed planning. OxWell aims to integrate population-level research with local implementation to inform mental health policy and practice.

Authors: Fazel, M; Patel, S

• Publication status: Published
• Publisher: University of Oxford
• Place of publication: Oxford
• Publication date: 2026-02-16
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-e9enrn9bo
• Language: English
• Keywords: OxWell; school; mental health; adolescent