Ask questions that lead to action
The best survey questions connect to a decision the school can make. Ask whether pupils know a trusted adult, understand how to report a concern, feel safe asking for help and know how to support a peer without escalating risk.
Avoid collecting information simply because it is interesting. Decide in advance who will review the responses, what themes will be shared and what will trigger a private follow-up.
Useful question areas
- Which adults or spaces feel easiest to approach?
- How confident are pupils that a report will be taken seriously?
- Do pupils know what happens after they tell an adult?
- What makes it harder to speak up for themselves or someone else?
- Where do friendship, exclusion or group-chat concerns most often appear?
Use age-appropriate formats. Younger pupils may need simple choices and visual prompts, while older pupils can respond to short scenarios about bystanders, online pressure and reporting.
Close the feedback loop
Pupils should hear what the school learned and what it will do next. The response does not need to publish sensitive details; it can say that reporting routes will be made clearer, staff will receive a reminder or a particular space will receive more support.
Closing the loop helps pupils see that voice is part of school improvement rather than a one-off campaign exercise.
Keep the survey safe and proportionate
Do not ask pupils to name people or describe personal incidents in a general survey. Include a separate private route for anyone who needs help, and make sure staff know how to respond if a survey answer raises a safeguarding concern.
Pair the survey with the Anti-Bullying Week planning checklist so the findings feed into practical preparation.