As SHRN welcomes Dr. Kelly Morgan as its new Director. Kelly, in this blog, reflects on past successes and outlines plans to expand school partnerships, engage primary schools, and launch a school-level dashboard.
Written by Dr Kelly Morgan
I’m honoured to step into the role of Director of The School Health Research Network (SHRN), following my time as Deputy Director. First, I want to acknowledge the exceptional leadership of my predecessor, Professor Simon Murphy. His dedication and foresight have been instrumental in establishing SHRN as a world-leading network. To all our partners—from school leaders and educators to policy and practice colleagues—I want to reassure you that SHRN’s foundation remains unwavering. Our commitment to collaboration, delivering high-quality data, and co-producing impactful work with schools will continue to be central to our mission. Providing meaningful, timely, and accessible feedback that drives evidence-informed actions to improve learner health and well-being remains our priority.
Our Vision Moving Forward
My vision for SHRN is grounded in both continuity and bold ambition. I aim to deepen our partnerships with schools while strengthening our impact through practical tools, expanded engagement with primary schools, and closer collaboration with key organisations such as Welsh Government and Public Health Wales.
A Leader with Expertise and Vision
As a Senior Research Fellow at the School of Social Sciences and former Deputy Director of SHRN, I bring a wealth of experience in public health research- co-producing and evaluating interventions that support children and young people’s health and well-being. My skills and experience in data linkage help SHRN investigate the wider systems and social factors that affect learners’ outcomes. Recently, I’ve taken the lead in expanding SHRN into primary schools , ensuring we include the perspectives of younger children to guide early prevention efforts. I’m also passionate about promoting physical activity and sport as integral aspects of a healthy lifestyle—an area that continues to inspire my work and my commitment to enhancing learner health and well-being across Wales.
A Proud Past and an Ambitious Future
Reflecting on SHRN’s journey so far, I am reminded of the incredible collaborations that have driven our success. For example, our partnership with schools has led to tangible improvements in learners’ health and well-being. A particularly memorable moment was
listening to school practitioners describe how learner voice groups have used their school’s SHRN report to drive actions like promoting healthier sleep, including delivering education sessions for parents and carers which showcased the power of collective action and evidence-informed practices.
As we embark on this new chapter, our focus will remain steadfast: combining innovation and collaboration to create meaningful change. SHRN will soon launch an innovative school-level dashboard for secondary schools, offering customised insights to empower them in understanding and improving their learners’ health and well-being outcomes.
I’m incredibly proud to work alongside such a talented and dedicated team within SHRN. Their expertise, creativity, and unwavering commitment are at the heart of the network’s success. Their wealth of knowledge and experience ensures that SHRN remains at the forefront of school health innovation. Moving forward, I’m equally committed to continuing to build strong partnerships and collaborations across the wider network — with school leaders, policymakers, and practitioners. It is through these trusted partnerships that we can continue to grow, innovate, and make meaningful changes of children and young people’s health and well-being.
Thank you for your continued support — I look forward to working with you in this next chapter.
Warm regards,
Dr. Kelly Morgan, Director, SHRN
As we embark on this exciting new chapter, I warmly invite all partners to actively collaborate with SHRN. Whether by sharing your insights, participating in our events and webinars, or leveraging the resources we provide, your involvement is vital to our shared success. Together, we can drive innovative solutions and lasting improvements for schools and learners across Wales
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