By Jazmin Mignaquy
Every student moves through school with their own rhythm…of learning, social connection, emotional ups and downs. But often, the systems around them respond too slowly or too late.
Wellbeing platforms are helping schools across Aotearoa change that. By aligning the rhythm of response with the rhythm of student reflection, they give pastoral and wellbeing teams a clearer, more current view of how students are doing, not just once a term, but week to week.
With regular check-ins and real-time insights, schools can tune into what students are experiencing as they experience it and take meaningful action while there’s still time to make a difference.
Here are five actionable insights that platforms like Linewize Pulse can offer to help wellbeing teams support ākonga more responsively, more personally, and more effectively.
1. Year levels showing signs of low wellbeing
A good wellbeing platform lets you view trends at the year-group level, helping you quickly identify where support is most needed.
Let’s say your data highlights a consistent drop in Year 10 responses. You can drill deeper to see which specific areas are affecting them, whether it's engagement in learning, sense of identity, peer relationships or feeling safe. This gives your team direction and helps you respond with targeted, age-appropriate support.
On the flip side, you can also explore what’s going well in high-scoring cohorts and use those learnings to lift outcomes elsewhere.
2. What’s going on for priority or vulnerable student groups
Wellbeing platforms can help you track specific groups that need closer care, whether it’s students with additional learning needs, those under external support plans, or whānau who’ve recently experienced hardship.
In platforms like Pulse, you can create custom groups and track how they’re feeling across key wellbeing areas, such as feeling valued and safe, material basics, learning, and identity and culture. And because wellbeing changes over time, you’re not working off a snapshot; you’re working with a moving picture that helps you adapt and support dynamically.
3. Pinpointing times of year when students struggle most
Some dips in wellbeing are expected, such as around exam periods, term breaks, dramatic weather events or big transitions. But sometimes, unexpected patterns emerge.
Wellbeing data helps you identify those times, whether it’s a particular week, season, or term, that tend to trigger a drop in mood or sense of connection. Once you know when these dips happen, your team can prepare support ahead of time, whether it's increasing visibility, sharing resources, or simply reminding students where help is available.
You may even choose to time surveys or programmes around these pressure points.
4. Extra context around known concerns
Wellbeing platforms don’t replace your eyes and ears, but they can offer more context around things you’re already noticing.
If your digital monitoring tool or classroom observations flag a concern, like increased online bullying, you can group those students and keep an eye on their wellbeing across other domains. You might discover new patterns that give you clarity on what’s driving the issue (like peer pressure or low sense of belonging), and how your support strategies are working over time.
This strengthens your case if you decide to share updates with whānau, teachers or external agencies.
5. Understanding how your school compares, without judgment
Some wellbeing platforms offer anonymous benchmarking, allowing your school to see how student wellbeing levels compare to other schools across the region.
This isn’t about competing. It’s about context.
Seeing where your school sits can help set realistic goals, track progress, and understand what “normal” might look like during a challenging time. And if multiple schools in your area are noticing the same dip, perhaps in a particular year level or domain, it could be the prompt for a shared conversation or a coordinated response across schools or association groups.
When viewed with the right lens, this kind of insight opens the door for collective support, not just within your school, but across your wider community.
These five insights are just the start. The real power of a wellbeing platform lies in how it helps you listen better, respond earlier, and give every ākonga the support they need to thrive.
And when your team, your data and your decisions are working together, that’s when real change happens.
Discover the impact a digital wellbeing platform could have in your setting
Learn more about digital wellbeing platforms, or arrange a free demo of Linewize Pulse, by contacting our digital safety experts at enquiries@linewize.co.nz. We’re ready to help.
