Wellbeing check-in: 5-point scale template
A 5-point wellbeing scale gives an anxious pupil a number to use when words won’t come. Each level, from calm to overwhelmed, has the pupil’s own description and one agreed thing you both do at that level. Build it together on a calm day, so a hard morning runs a plan you already share.
A4 PDF · part of the free Calm Classroom pack · print as many as you need
How to use it
The agreed action at each level is the part most people forget and the part that makes it work. Without it, the scale only tells you how bad things are.
Keep it private and low-key. A pupil can point to a number at the door or slide a card across the desk without anyone else noticing.
Background: What do I do when a child won’t go into school in the morning?
What’s on it · Primary (Reception to Year 6)
Agree the five levels and the one thing you both do at each one together, in the calm — so the bad Monday runs a shared plan, not a fresh fight; sit with the child, draw the faces, let them name them.
Built with: ……………… Date: ………
| Level | Traffic light | Our face (colour it in together) | What it feels like (child's words) | Our agreed strategy at this level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Calm | 🟢 Green | ◯ | ||
| 2 — A bit wobbly | 🟡 Yellow | ◯ | ||
| 3 — Worried | 🟠 Amber | ◯ | ||
| 4 — Scared, near tipping | 🟠 Orange | ◯ | ||
| 5 — Overwhelmed | 🔴 Red | ◯ |
The agreed action is the part most people forget and the part that makes it work. A Incredible 5-Point Scale exists commercially — you don't need it; this home-grown version is yours to copy freely.
What’s on it · Secondary (Years 7 to 11)
Agree the five levels and the one thing you both do at each one together, in the calm — so a hard morning runs a shared plan, not a fresh negotiation; a number is something a student can give when words won't come.
Built with: ……………… Date: ………
| Level | Traffic light | What it feels like (student's words) | Our agreed strategy at this level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Calm | 🟢 Green | ||
| 2 — A bit wobbly | 🟡 Yellow | ||
| 3 — Worried | 🟠 Amber | ||
| 4 — Scared, near tipping | 🟠 Orange | ||
| 5 — Overwhelmed | 🔴 Red |
The agreed action is the part most people forget and the part that makes it work. A Incredible 5-Point Scale exists commercially — you don't need it; this version is yours to copy freely.