Harrow’s mental health test

HARROW is screening students for mental health problems using an online test.

The £36,000-a-year school in London is putting children through two online assessments a year, based on the kind of psychometric testing often used to assess job applicants in business.

Having trialled the ‘Affective Social Tracking’ system earlier this year, Harrow is one of 13 schools – both primary and secondary – to use the technology to assess pupils’ mental wellbeing. Nine more are expected to launch pilot schemes in September. Teachers hope the tests will flag up whether pupils are at risk of mental health issues, selfharm or drug abuse so they can be referred to pastoral care services or given tailored ‘action plans’.

The system measures how children steer their way through day-to-day social, emotional and environmental challenges. Typically it finds that around 10 per cent of pupils need extra support.