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Promote emotional health and wellbeing across the curriculum

Measuring Impact and Success

To evidence success against this benchmark, you will need to show how your curriculum – and any changes you have made to it – impacts positively on pupils’ emotional wellbeing and mental health. This could be as a result, for example, of wellbeing-related activities themselves or teaching about wellbeing or the wider issues that impact it. 

Some examples might include: 

  • Look at increases in pupils’ knowledge and skills around emotional wellbeing and mental health (for example, from monitoring of PSHEE and other provision or surveys of pupils’ use, knowledge and understanding of self-help strategies, etc.). 
  • Examine feedback from student surveys about the benefits of wellbeing activities included in the curriculum (for example, mindfulness or case studies showing their positive impact on individuals or groups of children). 
  • Collect staff accounts of the impact of curriculum-based wellbeing inputs. 
  • Gather feedback from students about the PSHEE curriculum – including any changes or additions you have made in response to their comments – and how appropriate it is to their needs and concerns. 
  • Analyse student surveys showing increased confidence or improved understanding about the use and impact of social media. 
  • Analyse the impact of work around equalities, diversity or social action on the wellbeing and mental health of students involved. This might come from case studies of individual students, staff observations or assessments of the impact of student involvement in advocacy or allyship (for example, gay/straight alliances, work around challenging sexual harassment or unconscious bias, etc). Where appropriate, you could engage students in activities such as reviewing the curriculum or developing and delivering equalities work and evaluate the impact of such activities on their self-esteem, sense of belonging at school, etc. 
  • Listen to accounts from students who are members of minorities, or who may face discrimination for other reasons, about how the school has helped to make them feel safe and welcome at school or otherwise supported their wellbeing. 
  • Analyse the impact of creative arts or other projects on student wellbeing. Access the toolkit for schools and colleges for more information about monitoring children and young people’s mental wellbeing. Case studies, observations, etc would also be relevant here. For example, what do you notice about the impact of creative arts work on individuals’ or groups of pupils’ behaviour or engagement with your school?   

Remember in each case to describe the impact of your actions (that is, what difference they made) and not just what you did. 

Overview

Embedding wellbeing and mental health in the curriculum is vital if pupils are to learn the skills necessary to support themselves and others. The messages children receive as they learn, and the opportunities for discussion of issues and concerns can reinforce or undermine attempts to promote wellbeing and healthy behaviours.  

Schools should look closely not just at the content of the curriculum but its structure. For example, how are opportunities for reflection, mindfulness or physical activity planned across the whole day to ensure maximum benefit? Are emotional wellbeing and mental health issues taught both in discrete lessons and embedded across both the taught and ‘hidden’ curriculum? 

Intentions

Intentions are actions you intend to take in order to improve your provision in this benchmark. Choose three intentions to focus on.

Research demonstrates that well-conducted mindfulness interventions can improve mental, emotional, social and physical health and wellbeing. Mindfulness has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety and improve sleep and self-esteem. It can aid relaxation, the ability to manage behaviour and emotions, self-awareness and empathy.  

Mindfulness can also support the development of cognitive function and help young people to be more focused. 

Introducing mindfulness sessions as part of the school day is likely to benefit pupils of all ages. Make sure sessions are regular, at least daily or ideally more frequently. Once students have learned the skills, encourage them to practise them both in and out of school and whenever they feel anxious or stressed.  

Encourage children and young people to practise doing everyday activities in a mindful way. The key is to be ‘in the moment’ and focus completely on what you are doing. For example, notice how a piece of fruit feels, looks and smells. Notice how it feels if you peel or slice it: is it hard or soft? How does it feel as well as taste in your mouth? 

Here is one simple exercise that focuses on breathing (source 10 mindfulness activities for teens): 

  • Find a quiet spot where you won’t be disturbed. 
  • Lie on the floor. 
  • Place your hands to your sides or put one of them on your tummy to feel your breathing. 
  • Close your eyes. 
  • Take a deep breath through your nose. Count ‘one’ as you inhale. 
  • Feel how the air fills your lungs moving through your body. 
  • Breathe out through your mouth counting to two.  
  • Notice how your heartbeats neutralise as you breathe. 
  • Continue breathing, counting each time. 
  • Focus only on your body and tune out everything else. 

If you try this exercise with young children, you could place a stuffed animal on their tummy to help them focus on their breathing. 

Top tips 

  • Train staff in mindfulness approaches and techniques. 
  • Try different, simple exercises like glitter jars or pinwheel breathing – children can also be involved in making the resources needed for these (see below).  
  • Other simple activities for focusing on the moment include looking at your hand and counting the lines on it or slowly drawing around it with you finger. 
  • Teenagers may enjoy guided meditation, mindfulness puzzles, yoga or can try keeping a regular journal. 
  • Try basic mind-quietening and breathing strategies in whole-school assemblies. 
  • Invite expert speakers to come in to talk about mindfulness. 
  • Take children on a nature walk and encourage them to focus on each of their five senses in turn.  
  • Practise mindfulness alongside children and young people to encourage them and boost your own mental health. 

Further resources 

Music, art drama and other creative arts can all be used as part of therapeutic approaches. However, they also have an important role in supporting general wellbeing. There is growing evidence of the role of the arts in improving both mental and physical health. They provide an outlet for children and young people to express and make sense of their emotions – especially those which they may have difficulty describing in words. 

Schools can consult with pupils about interests and activities they would like to pursue. Offer taster sessions (perhaps as part of whole school ‘drop-down days’) and ensure that work around equality and diversity challenges stereotypes about the involvement of certain groups of pupils (for example, boys) in the arts.  

Plan visits and to galleries, theatres and other cultural events. As far as possible, ensure that funding is in place so that these are available to all pupils. 

Use drama games (there are many free online resources around this), creative writing and visual arts to explore feelings, relationships and identity. Try rewriting familiar stories from other characters’ points of view to encourage empathy. Make links between arts and literacy work and PSHEE. 

Discuss with pupils how participating in arts activities makes them feel – for example, does it help them to identify and express feelings and emotions – or can story writing or forum theatre help with problem-solving? How could they apply these activities or techniques more widely? Just as some people go for a run to let off steam or meditate to feel calmer, can they use singing or dancing, colouring or writing to support their own mental health?   

Top tips 

  • Invite artists and musicians to lead work in your school with children and young people. 
  • Encourage pupils to share their favourite music, films, books and other forms of art – particularly that which celebrates their identity or helps them to express themselves. 
  • Develop collaborative song writing, playwriting or similar projects to build cooperation and empathy. 
  • Encourage young people to explore a range of options – both as creators and audience members – including traditional craft, sculpture, digital art, text, film and literature. 
  • Reflect on how cultural opportunities and visits can be linked to wellbeing. Select events that celebrate a range of identities or address issues of concern to young people. 

Further resources 

Teaching about mental health and emotional wellbeing as part of a planned PSHEE curriculum is vital for all ages.   

As well as developing skills, knowledge and understanding, talking openly about mental health is an effective means of breaking down prejudice and stigma and giving pupils the confidence to seek support for themselves and others.  

While specific lessons may focus on particular issues related to mental health, work on emotional wellbeing should also be threaded through the entire programme.   

Audit your PSHEE curriculum to ensure that it covers a broad range of issues related to mental health and emotional wellbeing and make links as appropriate with other aspects of the curriculum to ensure that learning is reinforced and reaffirmed. 

As well as including work on particular mental health-related issues, consider where you will build in the implicit learning that supports key messages, understanding and the development of knowledge and skills. 

Map the curriculum across all year groups to ensure that it builds on earlier learning to form part of a developmental, spiral curriculum. 

For younger children, work is likely to focus on stories, games and creative activities designed to enable and encourage them to express their emotions and raise awareness of the feelings of others.   

Top tips 

  • Where possible, work with colleagues in primary or secondary schools to ensure learning is consistent across phases and at transitions. For example, what do pupils need to learn in KS2 to be ready to fully access the PSHEE curriculum in year 7? Academies and federations in particular should ensure that they take advantage of their links to ensure consistency. 

Further resources 

  • The PSHE Association provides useful guidance and lessons on teaching about mental health and emotional wellbeing. 

There are many positive aspects to social media – being connected to others eases stress, anxiety and depression, boosts self-worth and prevents loneliness. In particular, it can provide vital social connection for people who are isolated, have limited independence, experience social anxiety or are members of marginalised groups. For many, it is an outlet for creativity and self-expression. 

However, interaction on social media doesn’t have all the psychological benefits of face-to-face contact and research shows that, when overused, it can lead to increased feelings of isolation and loneliness. Other negative outcomes that can affect wellbeing and mental health include: 

  • anxiety about appearance and body image 
  • depression  
  • cyberbullying, grooming or online abuse   
  • self-absorption 
  • low self-esteem  
  • poor or disrupted sleep 
  • reduced attention span.  

Schools need to raise awareness about both the positive and negative aspects of social media and support children and young people to develop healthy habits around its use. For example: 

  • Give pupils opportunities to reflect on their social media use and how it makes them feel – including its effects on self-esteem and their feelings about their bodies and relationships with others. Check out the lesson ideas below or facilitate discussions in tutor time, assemblies, PSHEE lessons, etc. 
  • Train staff around online safety (see resources) and provide information for parents. 
  • Teach digital safety skills. 
  • Discuss what constitutes cyberbullying to help pupils appreciate its impact. 

Top tips 

  • Encourage pupils to track how much time that they spend online and for example, to switch off their phones at least an hour before going to bed. 
  • Discuss the benefits of taking a regular ‘technology detox’, perhaps for one day every week or a few hours every day. Get them to reflect on how this makes them feel. For example, did they feel less anxious or find it easier to concentrate on a particular activity or hobby? If they were spending time with friends or family, how did it affect those interactions?   

Further resources 

Research demonstrates that a feeling of belonging in school has benefits in terms of wellbeing and mental health. A report from the Institute of Education and National Education Union defines belonging as: ‘that sense of being somewhere you can be confident that you will fit in and be safe in your identity’. Their research showed that children from disadvantaged communities are less likely to feel that they belong at school.   

Other statistics – for example, showing that BIPOC and Disabled children are more likely to be excluded, that homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying remain common in schools, and about the levels of harassment faced by some girls and young women – tell us that minorities, in particular, are more vulnerable than others in terms of their emotional wellbeing and mental health. Refugees and other groups are also frequently stigmatised in ways that can further impact on the wellbeing of children and young people who may already be traumatised.  

All schools should challenge all forms of discriminatory language and bullying. However, if minority identities are not also included and affirmed across the curriculum, then simply addressing bullying is unlikely to have much effect on underlying attitudes. Indeed, if minority identities are only foregrounded in the context of discrimination, then young people from these groups are likely to feel even more excluded. 

Including positive representations of minority identities across the curriculum sends a message that schools recognise and welcome everyone equally. Here are some ways you can achieve this: 

  • Get involved in local, national and international opportunities to celebrate minority identities – for example, Black, Disability, LGBT and Women’s History Months. 
  • Ensure that minority identities are included across the curriculum throughout the year. This should include lessons and resources that focus on specific identities – but they should also be present across all areas of school life. For example, seek out children’s books that include BIPOC, Disabled or LGBT characters (for example, same-sex parents). Ensure that examples in other subject areas include a broad range of identities and challenge stereotypes about career choices, etc. 
  • Ensure that staff have received training and are confident to teach PSHEE and RSHE in ways that are inclusive of all identities including LGBT and Disabled young people. 
  • Consult pupils with minority identities – or whose families include minority members – to find out what would help them to feel more included and actively recruit all students as allies and advocates for minority rights. 

Top tips 

  • Ensure that representations are broad and intersectional in order to challenge stereotypes about minorities. 
  • Challenge gender stereotypes across the school and discuss their impact on relationships and life choices. 

Further resources 

  • Look at the NEU resources about children’s books that include diverse representations of girls and boys, LGBT and Disabled people. 
  • Brush up on inclusive reading via Lit In Colour – research and information to support schools in making literacy teaching more inclusive and, in particular, including more BIPOC writers in the curriculum.  
  • Learn more about AGENDA’s inclusive resources for teaching about positive relationships. 
  • Download the Trans Inclusion Schools Toolkit.  
  • Check out the Letterbox Library – books for children and young people celebrating diversity.  

As well as consulting pupils about what would support their own wellbeing, it is important that schools are aware of pupils’ wider concerns. Many may have worries about climate change, poverty, gang culture or the treatment of refugees or other groups in society.   

Engaging children and young people in discussions about things that matter to them demonstrates that your school shares their concerns and helps to engage young people, generate empathy and provide reassurance.   

Promoting respectful discussion in turn supports the development of positive relationships. Skills common to both include: 

  • communicating respectfully 
  • listening to the views of others 
  • accepting and valuing differences 
  • expressing emotions appropriately. 

Taking the discussion further in the form of social action – working together to address problems in society – has been shown to support young people’s emotional wellbeing, reduce anxiety and promote self-esteem. The skills such activities help to develop – including resilience, teamwork and negotiation – are also key to their own mental health. 

Supporting young people to act as allies or advocates for others also helps them to give something back and engage with the local or wider community. Other benefits for pupils include: 

  • learning about the reality of other people’s identities and life experiences including those with whom they might not otherwise interact 
  • empowering themselves by taking an active role in creating a more inclusive world 
  • acting as a role model for others. 

To implement this intention, you should: 

  • Listen to your pupils’ concerns about their families, communities and the wider world and ensure these are addressed in PSHEE and elsewhere across the curriculum. 
  • Encourage engagement with open, balanced discussion about the reasons behind issues such as disruptive protests related to climate change or the defacing of statues by civil rights activists. Establish ground rules (for example, around respecting others’ views and identities and listening and responding) to ensure discussions feel safe.   
  • Provide opportunities to engage in social action, include volunteering. 

Top tips 

  • Encourage students of all ages to support a range of causes that are important to them. This could include everything from showing allyship by wearing badges or lanyards, fundraising and letter writing to participating directly in events such as meetings, marches or campaigns. 
  • Staff can model allyship and advocacy and encourage pupils to take active roles in challenging discrimination and raising awareness about inequalities or environmental issues.   

Further resources 

Reflection
  • Do all students have access to regular activities (for example, mindfulness) that help to support wellbeing as part of the curriculum – that is, not solely as additional or extracurricular options? 
  • How do you ensure that the PSHEE curriculum addresses the particular concerns of children and young people and is fully inclusive of all pupils? 
  • How does the wider curriculum promote and support student wellbeing? Are any subjects or discussions likely to make some students feel vulnerable? 
  • Do areas of the curriculum that promote creativity specifically address wellbeing and mental health? 
  • Could your school be more aware of how young people use social media? Are you confident that all pupils have the skills to keep themselves safe online? 
  • How does your school support the development of key wellbeing skills such as empathy and resilience through discussion, debate and involvement in social action? How does it ensure that these activities are accessible and safe for all students? 
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