Children's wellbeing in schools

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58248/PN739

In December 2024 the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill was laid before Parliament, which contained several proposals related to wellbeing in schools including on provision of breakfast clubs.

Both physical and mental health affect wellbeing. Wellbeing and mental health can be defined separately and differently from each other. However, these concepts have multiple definitions in the literature and many of them overlap significantly. This POSTnote evaluates the role and aim of school education in wellbeing promotion, drawing on evidence from England, the UK and international contexts. It does not cover the aims of health services in preventing, managing, and supporting those with, mental health difficulties.

This POSTnote examines the wellbeing of children aged 5 to 16 in mainstream schools. Education is a devolved policy. This briefing focuses primarily on education policy in England. Statistics, strategies, policy and funding refer to England, unless otherwise specified, although much of the evidence referred to has broad applicability across the UK.

There are multiple definitions of children’s wellbeing and means of measuring it. This POSTnote looks at a broad range of literature on children’s wellbeing, which have different definitions of, and ways of measuring, this concept.

• Research data for England suggests that positive wellbeing helps children to engage in learning.
• Research shows that aspects of school culture, including relationships and sense of belonging, are important for wellbeing.
• Short-term outcomes of low wellbeing can include effects on relationships and behaviour, absence from school, and lower academic achievement. Long-term outcomes can include effects on mental health and adult employment.
• More evidence is needed around approaches to improving wellbeing of children in schools, the factors underpinning the most effective approaches, and how best to measure their impact.
• Practices that may improve wellbeing include psychological, social, culture and environment-based practices, and physical health promotion. However, evidence around these practices is mixed and it is challenging for practitioners to determine which practices to implement, and how.