The SHANARRI wellbeing indicators are central to how schools across Scotland support children and young people. Within the GIRFEC approach, schools have a clear role in promoting wellbeing alongside learning.
For teachers and headteachers, SHANARRI is not an additional task. It is part of everyday practice, shaping how pupils are supported, how concerns are identified and how progress is understood.
The Role of Schools Under GIRFEC
Schools play a key role in delivering the GIRFEC approach. This includes promoting wellbeing, identifying needs early and working with other services to provide coordinated support.
In practice, this means:
- Observing and recording wellbeing alongside learning
- Identifying when a pupil may need additional support
- Contributing to assessments and the Child’s Plan
- Working with families and external professionals
SHANARRI provides the structure that allows this to happen consistently.
Using SHANARRI in the Classroom
Teachers use SHANARRI to link observations to wellbeing outcomes. This can include:
- Engagement in learning linked to Achieving
- Behaviour and relationships linked to Safe or Respected
- Participation in activities linked to Active and Included
By using a shared language, staff can build a clearer picture of each pupil’s experience and ensure that support is targeted appropriately.
The Role of Headteachers
Headteachers are responsible for creating a whole-school approach to wellbeing. This involves ensuring that SHANARRI is embedded across teaching, support and leadership practices.
Key responsibilities include:
- Promoting a consistent understanding of wellbeing
- Supporting staff to apply SHANARRI in practice
- Ensuring systems are in place to record and review information
- Using data to inform decision-making and improvement
A strong approach at leadership level helps ensure that SHANARRI is applied consistently across the school.
Common Challenges in Practice
While SHANARRI is widely understood, schools often face challenges in how it is applied day to day.
These may include:
- Recording information across multiple systems
- Inconsistent use of the wellbeing indicators
- Limited time for staff to complete reporting
- Difficulty building a clear overview of wellbeing across the school
These challenges can make it harder to use SHANARRI effectively, particularly when preparing for inspections or reviews.
Supporting Schools with Digital Tools
To address these challenges, many schools are exploring digital solutions that align with SHANARRI and GIRFEC.
Geco Connect supports schools by organising observations within the SHANARRI framework, allowing staff to record information once and share it across teams. This helps reduce duplication, improve consistency and provide leadership with a clearer view of wellbeing across the school.
Strengthening Wellbeing in Schools
When SHANARRI is applied effectively, it supports a more holistic understanding of each pupil. It ensures that wellbeing is considered alongside attainment and that support is coordinated across services.
For schools, this leads to:
- Earlier identification of need
- More consistent support for pupils
- Improved communication between staff
- Stronger evidence for inspections and reporting
See SHANARRI in Practice
If you would like to see how schools are applying SHANARRI in a more structured and efficient way, Geco Connect can help.
Book a demo to see how it works in practice.