Inclusive education and pupil wellbeing are central to a quality education system. Schools are not only places for academic learning, but also developmental ecosystems in which belonging, equity, psychological safety and opportunity interact to shape long-term pupil outcomes.

The European Commission’s self-assessment tool on inclusion and wellbeing is designed to help school leaders and teachers identify and evaluate how inclusion and wellbeing are experienced across their school structures, practices and relationships. It includes a series of targeted questions and generates a personalised report, indicating areas for improvement, relevant resources and recommendations to improve your school's inclusion policies and practices.

In this article we're exploring the six domains covered by the self-assessment tool. Our analysis is based on 1036 completed questionnaires and highlights strengths, gaps and strategic priorities that could help guide your school development.

1 – Building inclusive school environments through wellbeing monitoring

School organisation is key to creating inclusive and healthy environments through early prevention, intervention systems and collaboration with school and community stakeholders. The first area of the tool, ‘School organisation and pedagogical practice’, covers topics like grade repetition, early tracking, expulsions or suspensions.

Responses to the questionnaire show that:

• Schools have strong academic monitoring systems and regularly collect and analyse learning data.
• Multidisciplinary early-intervention support is widely present, highlighting a collaborative approach where expertise is shared and pupils’ needs are addressed proactively rather than reactively.
• Pupil and teacher wellbeing is monitored less systematically than academic performance, indicating room for improvement.

83% of schools track pupils’ academic performance and learning needs. 79% have a team to support pupils early. 65% track wellbeing of pupils and teachers.

More resources on building inclusive school systems

• WeUnique – Resources for teachers to create an inclusive classroom environment 
• ProuD to Teach All – Building inclusive school systems
• EIPSI – Evidence-informed practices for school inclusion

2 – Staff training on inclusion and wellbeing for a positive school climate

An inclusive and supportive school climate is essential for pupil wellbeing. The section on ‘Inclusion and wellbeing promotion’ looks at the school’s goals and actions to foster a positive atmosphere and pupil involvement. Here, the focus is on social and emotional education, extracurricular activities and learner-centred teaching. 

Responses in this area indicate that:

• Schools are strongly aligned around a positive school climate as a core value and goal. Most responses also show measures to create a sense of belonging and safety.
• Learner-centred pedagogies and extracurricular participation are widely available, including for marginalised learners.
• Pupil voice practices exist in most schools, but they are followed up slightly less consistently.  
• Social and emotional education and interventions are part of school life but staff training in this area is uneven. 

86% of schools say a positive school climate is a goal. 76% use use differentiated and pupil-centred teaching. 61% train staff in social and emotional learning.

More resources on inclusion and wellbeing promotion

• Materials for anti-racism and mental health in schools 
• Hand in Hand – Empowering teachers across Europe 
• School of Support in Croatia: promoting resilience, inclusion and mental health
• iWell – Enhancing digital and social wellbeing in schools
• Teaching to Be: supporting teachers’ professional wellbeing 

3 – Supporting teacher wellbeing and professional growth

Effective teacher and leadership development supports inclusive education. The section on ‘Teacher and school leadership for inclusive education’ explores teachers’ access to professional development, wellbeing support and peer collaboration. It also looks at how schools address expectations, biases and cultural competence. 

In this area, the questionnaire shows that:

• Most schools have a strong commitment to teacher development through long-term planning and free access to professional learning. 
• Professional growth is aligned with teachers’ needs and supported by collaborative practices such as mentoring and professional learning communities. 
• Schools generally promote inclusion by maintaining high expectations for all pupils regardless of background. 
• Teacher wellbeing is recognised as a priority, but support measures are uneven. 

75% of schools offer free training on inclusion. 65% make teacher wellbeing a clear goal and support it. 45% provide counselling for teachers.

More resources on supporting teachers’ wellbeing

• Kinsale Community School: All together in learning 
• Supporting Inclusive School Leadership (SISL) 
• HEAD – Empowering school principals for inclusive school culture 

4 – Tackling discrimination and bullying

Promoting pupils’ health and wellbeing requires collaboration across sectors. The section on ‘A multidisciplinary focus on health and welfare issues in education’ focuses on cooperation between education, health and social services, the availability of psychological counselling, and strategies to prevent bullying, cyberbullying and discrimination. 

Responses show that:

• Most schools have support systems in place, with designated staff or teams coordinating support for at-risk pupils and clear cooperation with external services. 
• Psychological counselling is generally available to pupils, but continuity of support is not always ensured. 
• Whole-school equity initiatives like anti-bullying policies are common, but targeted anti-discrimination initiatives for marginalised groups – such as migrant or LGBTQIA+ pupils – are carried out less consistently. 

74% of schools have a bullying prevention programme. 70% support pupils’ wellbeing and mental health. 65% have a team or responsible for at-risk pupils. 60% run anti-discrimination programmes.

More resources on tackling discrimination and bullying

• All Inc! Building LGBT+ friendly schools across Europe 
• Education stops hate: Stopping hate in the classroom before it arrives 
• EARS – Educational agreement as a response to school dropout 
• PACT: combatting early school leaving with holistic approaches 

5 – Supporting participation and culturally sensitive practices

Supporting vulnerable learners is essential for inclusive education. The section on ‘Vulnerable individuals and groups’ examines measures for migrant and minority pupils, efforts to address poverty-related barriers, and support for pupils with special educational needs, including communication with families. 

Responses regarding vulnerable pupils indicate that:

• Schools strongly support structural inclusion, with most minority and migrant pupils integrated into age-appropriate classes. 
• Support for pupils with special educational needs is well coordinated through transition planning and sustained dialogue with parents. 
• Material support, including free textbooks and access to digital devices for disadvantaged pupils, is embedded in most schools.
• Opportunities for participation in school decision-making and culturally responsive support, such as sociocultural mediators, are less consistently available. 

83% of schools regularly talk with parents to support pupils with special educational needs. 82% place minority and migrant pupils in classes with same-age peers. 40% have sociocultural mediators.

More resources on supporting vulnerable pupils

• We Are Here – a child participation toolbox
• Facing Trauma – trauma-sensitive support for children and youth
• Going beyond gender stereotypes in culture and language
• Different Drum: Fostering pupil involvement through mentorship
• EDINA – Education of International Newly Arrived migrant pupils

6 – Parents building skills to support their children’s learning       

Active parental involvement supports inclusion and pupil wellbeing. The section on ‘Parental involvement and family support’ explores initiatives to engage parents, their role in school decision-making and the learning opportunities available to them. 

The responses indicate that:

• Most schools actively involve parents in governance and decision-making, fostering a culture of openness and shared responsibility. 
• Schools also engage proactively with families facing challenges, such as behavioural issues, poor attendance or addiction in the family, and offer outreach and support where needed. 
• Structured learning opportunities for parents, such as literacy programmes or pedagogical guidance, are less consistently available. 

79% of schools encourage parents to take part in school decisions. 71% support families of pupils with high needs. 43% offer programmes for parent literacy or teaching skills.

More resources on parents’ involvement

• Empowering families: the Pedagogy of Parents Methodology
• Home School Community Liaison scheme for educational inequality 
• Közbigyó Project: fostering collaboration in education

Conclusions

Responses to the self-assessment questionnaire indicate a strong presence of school policies and practices to support apositive school climate, sense of belonging and safety, and pupil-centred pedagogies. Schools are further supported by well-established academic monitoring systems and multidisciplinary early intervention structures.  

The findings also show a structural equity gap. While general wellbeing and inclusion measures are present in most schools, more targeted support for inclusion – such as anti-discrimination initiatives, multilingual pedagogy, sociocultural mediation and certain poverty-related support – are less consistently available. Meaningful inclusion for marginalised learners depends not only on a positive climate, but also on reliable structures that address specific barriers.

Professional development and inclusive teaching are widely supported, but teacher wellbeing systems – such as regular meetings to discuss wellbeing or access to counselling – are less developed.

The findings also highlight opportunities to increase participation in schools. Pupils and parents are often invited to contribute their views and participate in decision-making, but further follow-up actions could help establish shared responsibility for promoting inclusion and wellbeing.

Looking ahead, the school’s strong emphasis on belonging and safety should be kept as a core strength.  The use of data and early intervention could serve as a model for improving wellbeing monitoring. Key priorities include turning pupils’ and parents’ feedback into action, strengthening targeted inclusion support, and embedding teacher wellbeing into school policies.

Ultimately, better alignment between inclusion and wellbeing is needed to ensure that universal efforts are complemented by targeted support for those facing the greatest barriers.