2019 2020 My Health My School Headline data and key findings report

5,307 responses from 56 schools and settings

After 8 consistent years, the number of pupils reporting that, on an average day, they eat ‘5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables’ has remained at just under 24%. Year 11 recorded its highest level at 16%.

After a 2013-14 peak of 80% in the frequency of ‘brushing teeth twice a day or more’, and for the fifth year in a row, there has been a slight decline to 74%. For the third year running Year 11 data reflected a reduction on the previous 2 years, down 3% to 78%.

Physical activity of ‘7 or more times of 30 minutes or more’ increased significantly in 2013-14 to 68% after remaining consistent at around 40% since 2009-10. This years’ data at 68% overall, and Primary schools at 76%, reflects a slight decrease on the previous year. Year 11 recorded its highest level at 51%.

Overall numbers of pupils reporting they have ‘never smoked, have tried or used to smoke’ has consistently increased over the last 13 years, stabilising at 99% since 2015-16.

After 8 years of gradual improvement, peaking last year at 86% Year 11 saw a 6% increase to 92%.

The rate of pupils ‘smoking 10 or more cigarettes a day’ has reduced since 2007-8 from 3%, remaining consistent over the last 5 years and this year reflecting the lowest ever rate at 0.3%.

Year 11 data has dropped to its lowest ever rate at 0.7%, a 3% drop on the previous year.

After a significant increase in ‘abstinence from drinking alcohol’ from 40% in 2007-8 to 64% in 2015-16, the data has remained stable over the last 5 years at a rate of 62%.

Year 11 results have reflected a 7% drop to 25%.

After a record high for Primary schools in 2018-19 (77%), this year saw a 4% drop (73%) in pupils reporting that they have never had a drink of alcohol.

All year groups reflected stability in pupils reporting ‘drinking alcohol everyday’. Year 11 students recorded the best ever results since the survey began with a 4% decrease on last year to 0.4%.

Feeling happy ‘everyday, most days’ saw a 1% decrease this year on last year (74% to 73%) the lowest rate since the question was introduced in 2009­-10. Both Secondary and Year 11 remained stable at 69% and 63% respectively, reflecting a steady decline from 82% in 2009-10 for both. At primary level the figure has remained consistent since 2009-10 at around 84%, though this year saw a 3% reduction from last year to 76%, the lowest rate ever recorded.

All year groups reported the worst levels for pupils feeling ‘stressed or anxious every day or most days’ overall increasing from 19% in 2009-10 to 26% this year, a consistent increase over 10 years. Primary pupils have reported increases for 7 consecutive years from 13% to 20%, and secondary pupils reflected an increase over the last 6 years from 23% to 33%. Year 11 remains stable at 42% this year.

For overall bullying incidents pupils reporting ‘not at all’ to being bullied in the last 12 months peaked at 70% in 2016-17 following 5 years of gradual improvement. The last three years however have remained stable overall at 67%. Both primary and secondary schools saw an increase to 65% and 71% respectively, with year 11 reflecting a slight 1% drop to 71%.

Secondary:

Secondary year groups saw a decrease in those reporting that they chose to ‘drink to get drunk’ from 13% to 5% in 2015-16, stabilising over the preceding three years at 6%. This year reflected a 1% decrease to 5%.

Year 11 recorded its biggest ever decrease from 19% in 2018-19 to 9% this year.

Illegal drug use has dropped significantly since 2007-8 in secondary pupils overall, reducing consistently from a peak of 17% to a low of 5% in 2015-16. An increase in 2016-17 has remained consistent the last three years at 7%. Year 11 pupils’ reporting ‘ever using an illegal drug, glue, gas or solvent as a drug’, has fluctuated over the years, peaking at 28% in 2007-8 and a low of 15% in 2015-16. Over the last 3 years we have seen this gradually increase to 22%. This year saw a 4% decrease to 18%.

Overall secondary pupils reporting ‘ever having had sexual intercourse’ remains consistent this year at 12% after recording a significant decrease over time from 38% in 2007-8. Year 11 data reflects a 3% increase on last year (24% to 27%) bucking the downward trend over time from 47% in 2007-8.

Of students reporting ‘ever having had sexual intercourse’, the proportion reporting ‘either using a condom or a condom and another form of contraception’ has decreased marginally to 48% from the consistency of the last two years (49%) for secondary and reflects the lowest ever rate at 46% (down 4% on last year) for Year 11. The secondary rate has steadily decreased since 2008-9 at 73% to 46% in 2015-16, though it did increase in 2016-17 to 57%.

The number of pupils reporting ‘never using any form of protection’ the last time they had sexual intercourse  has dropped slightly to 35% from its highest level last year (42%), after consistently increasing since 2007-8 when the rate was 19%. Year 11 has seen a decrease on last year (36%) to 31% this year following an increase from 20% in 2007-8.