Primary school children’s health and well-being dashboard
Authors: Analysis team
Published on: 18th June 2026
Next update: To be announced
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Introduction
Public Health Wales has released an interactive dashboard presenting survey results on the health and well-being of primary school-aged children in Wales.
This is a collaborative piece of work between The School Health Research Network (SHRN) and Public Health Wales. This data provides insights into the health and well-being of primary school children across Wales, helping users to understand the current situation and make informed decisions that positively impact young people. The dashboard contains 41 indicators from the 2024 survey with views available for gender, age, year group, family affluence and different geographic levels.
The dashboard comes with a full data download that includes the number of students who responded to the question and the total number of students who were asked. It also includes a download for exclusion and response rates. The dashboard is under development and will receive additional indicators and breakdowns in the future.
The dashboard enables the ongoing assessment of young people’s health in Wales, both nationally and regionally, and opportunities to understand trends in adolescent health and well-being. For further information on the survey please see the SHRN website.
Main points
- In 2024, girls consistently reported higher levels of emotional difficulties than boys across all primary school year groups in Wales, with the largest gap in Year 4 (38.0% vs 24.8%). Primary school boys are more likely than girls to have behavioural difficulties in every primary school year group in Wales in 2024, with around 18–20% of boys affected compared with 14–15% of girls.
- Children from higher-affluence families are more likely to exercise at least five times a week, with a clear socioeconomic gradient for both boys and girls. Boys consistently report higher levels of regular exercise than girls across all affluence groups, with the gender gap most pronounced in higher-affluence groups.
- In 2024, most primary school children report that they feel their teachers care about them as a person, with consistently high levels across all year groups. This remains stable from Year 3 (92.0% for girls and 87.7% for boys) through to Year 6 (90.0% for girls and 86.4% for boys), showing little variation with age.
- In 2024, smartphone ownership among primary school children increases markedly with age, rising from around 39% in Year 3 (39.4% of boys and 39.3% of girls) to over three-quarters in Year 6 (75.0% of boys and 77.2% of girls). There is a steady progression through the year groups, with ownership at around 47–48% in Year 4 and 58–60% in Year 5, indicating rapid uptake during the later primary years.
- In 2024, the use of social media sites or apps among primary school children increases with age, rising from around 20.4% of boys and 18.6% of girls in Year 3 to 49.7% of boys and 53.3% of girls in Year 6. There is a steady increase across each year group, with levels around 26% in Year 4 and 35% in Year 5, indicating growing engagement as children get older. In the earlier years, boys report slightly higher levels of social media use than girls, but this pattern reverses by Year 6, where girls report higher use.
- In 2024, most primary school children in Wales report having problems sleeping, with around 2 in 3 children affected. This indicates that sleep difficulties are widespread among primary school pupils, highlighting sleep as a significant issue for child health and wellbeing at this age.
Data tables
Access the data related to this dashboard
Linking data to action
The Primary School Children’s Health and Well-being Dashboard presents data to help identify key issues and areas of focus for pupil health and well-being. While the dashboard highlights what the issues are, the below can help with what to do next. By linking the dashboard to these resources, users can move from understanding the data to finding trusted evidence that informs real-world improvement:
Supporting the Health and Well-being Area of Learning and Experience in Schools
Evidence Maps – These maps provide structured access to up-to-date, high-quality evidence on a wide range of health and well-being topics. Developed by the Evidence Service team within Public Health Wales, they bring together reliable guidelines and systematic reviews to support users in identifying effective, evidence-based actions.
Working with the Welsh Network of Health and Well-being Promoting School Schemes
Schools looking to take a whole-school approach to improving health and well-being can also connect with the Welsh Network of Health and Well-being Promoting School Schemes (WNHWSS). The Network supports schools across Wales to embed health and well-being within their policies, curriculum, and culture. They offer guidance, practical support, and opportunities to share good practice. To find out more or to get in touch with your local coordinator, visit their website or get in touch here [email protected].
Disclaimer
The School Health Research Network (SHRN) is a partnership between Cardiff University, the Welsh Government, and Public Health Wales, funded by the Welsh Government. The views expressed here are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of The School Health Research Network (SHRN) or Cardiff University.