Wellbeing is no longer an optional add-on — it is central to student success, school culture, and staff sustainability. The Cambridge University Press & Assessment piece Creating a Wellbeing Framework for Your School emphasises that a whole-school approach is essential if wellbeing is to move from rhetoric to reality.
In this discussion, educational leaders explore how frameworks, curriculum alignment, and assessment strategies can meaningfully support wellbeing in schools. For K–12 educators and school leaders, the message is clear: when wellbeing is built in rather than bolted on, students feel supported, teachers experience less burnout, and learning environments become more positive and effective. Below are the key takeaways from the Cambridge conversation — along with practical ideas for how schools can put them into action.
Key Takeaways from the Cambridge Framework:
- Whole-School Approach Is Essential: Wellbeing must be woven through every part of school life — policies, leadership, teaching, and pastoral systems — not confined to isolated programmes or wellbeing lessons.
Ways to apply this in practice: Establish a shared definition of wellbeing within your school community, ensure leaders actively model wellbeing practices, and embed these principles into decision-making at every level, from policy design to classroom practice.
- Curriculum & Wellbeing Alignment:Integrating wellbeing into the curriculum helps make it visible and normalised. When lessons explicitly connect content to students’ social and emotional lives, wellbeing becomes part of what is taught, not what is added later.
Ways to apply this in practice: Encourage teachers to highlight wellbeing themes across subjects — for example, discussing perseverance in literature or mindfulness in science when exploring the senses. Involve student voice and promote cross-curricular collaboration so that wellbeing themes are reinforced throughout different disciplines.
- Wellbeing-Informed Assessment: Assessment practices should consider stress, growth mindset, and feedback orientation. Schools are encouraged to reflect on how assessment design, timing, and feedback style influence student wellbeing.
Ways to apply this in practice: Use formative assessment more frequently, allow opportunities for reflection, and communicate feedback in ways that foster confidence and growth. Provide flexibility in assessment timing where possible, and give students greater agency in demonstrating their learning to help reduce stress and build ownership.
- Resource & Capacity Building: Implementing wellbeing frameworks demands resources — professional development, time for planning, mental health supports, and data systems to monitor and strengthen wellbeing outcomes.
Ways to apply this in practice: Schedule regular staff wellbeing training, appoint a wellbeing lead or committee to coordinate initiatives, and use wellbeing data to guide continuous improvement rather than solely for reporting. Engage wider community partnerships to sustain momentum and support.
Wellbeing in schools should be a proactive, systemic commitment — not a reactive response. The Cambridge discussion challenges educators to reimagine policies, curricula, and assessment practices so that caring for students’ emotional and mental health is as integral as academic learning.
By adopting a whole-school approach, aligning curriculum with social-emotional goals, designing assessments that promote confidence, and investing in staff capacity, schools can create environments where both students and educators thrive.
For a deeper understanding of the framework and examples shared by Cambridge educators, listen to the podcast: Creating a Wellbeing Framework for Your School.
Health and Wellness Services that may be of interest:
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Allied Health School Services Program – Parents workshop (90 mins)
In 2023, ISS and OST Therapy launched the Allied Health School Services Program. The AHSS team offers personalized workshops for parents, focusing on speech/language skills, cognitive play, behaviour management, and building resilience. These workshops provide practical strategies to help parents support their child’s development and create a positive home environment.
Caritas – Counselling Services
Caritas Human Empowerment & Achievement Training (HEAT) offers counseling for marital issues, extra-marital affairs, divorce, and marriage enrichment. Services include family mediation, sex therapy, support for family conflicts, and therapy for emotional, behavioural, and learning issues in children, as well as mood, stress, anxiety, and trauma.
Cocoparadise - Plant-based Whole Food Snacks
Cocoparadise is a company devoted to making natural, clean, superfood snacks that are good for you and the planet. We’re on a mission to inspire, encourage and make healthy living fun and easy. We think you shouldn’t compromise on taste when it comes to eating healthier. And we prove it with our delicious line of plant-based snacks. Whether you’re on a health kick or simply seeking tasty vegan, vegetarian, keto, gluten-free and paleo snacks… Cocoparadise is your destination.
Health & Wellbeing – Deck of cards
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Health & Wellbeing Videos
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iLiving: Initial 90-minute Consultation with Supported Healing for Children
iLiving is a holistic wellness centre that offers integrated services for personal transformation. They provide a comprehensive approach to address both physical and mental health, focusing on modalities like bioresonance, life coaching, family constellations, and more to help clients achieve optimal well-being. This consultation includes health scan of a child who is suffering from chronic physical or mental health challenge and coaching to their caretaker/parent(s).
KFBG Transformative and Mindfulness Forest Immersion Walk
Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden (KFBG) delivers inspiring, awareness-shifting and transformative programmes with potential life-changing experiences. We offer an opportunity and a peaceful space in the natural environment of KFBG for participants to experience, to rethink, to identify and to be able to deeply connect and appreciate Gaia, our mother Earth, and the interconnection and interrelationship that we share with her. By being close to, and having a respect for nature, through our transformative workshops, people can experience a sense of deep happiness and spiritual contentment in which could facilitate a more holistic way of living.
Llegend – Diploma in Professional Aromatherapy
Llegend’s aromatherapy course covers essential oils, anatomy, and therapeutic applications, combining theory and practice. Accredited by the IFA, it offers exemptions for the UK TQUK Level 4 Certificate. As Hong Kong’s leading college for aromatherapy, it boasts 7 international accreditations.
Therapy Services – 1 on 1 Offline Therapy Service
In 2023, ISS and OST Therapy launched the Allied Health School Services Program. Our certified speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists offer personalized therapy for speech, language, motor skills, emotional regulation, and self-care. We use evidence-based practices to support students’ academic and social growth, boosting confidence and promoting inclusive learning environments.
Wellbeing Books Series
Dr. Willard’s books blend mindfulness with practical approaches for families. Alphabreaths teaches kids mindfulness through ABC-themed breathing exercises, while Growing Up Mindful offers parents and educators tools to help children build resilience, self-awareness, and empathy through mindfulness.
