Embedding Wellbeing in Primary Curriculum —
Without Adding to Teacher Workload

In today’s fast-paced educational landscape, the importance of pupil wellbeing has never been clearer. Schools understand that helping children develop social-emotional skills, resilience, and a positive mindset is just as vital as academic learning. But one of the biggest barriers to doing this well? Teacher workload. Many schools worry that introducing wellbeing into the curriculum means yet another “add-on” for already overstretched teachers.

Fortunately, embedding wellbeing doesn’t have to be a burden. With the right approach, it can become a natural part of teaching — integrated, sustainable, and effective.

Here’s how primary schools can weave wellbeing into their curriculum without significantly increasing teacher workload.

1. Using existing curriculum structures as wellbeing vehicles

Leverage PSHE / RSE Time

  • Wellbeing is already a statutory part of the curriculum in many places via PSHE (Personal, Social, Health & Economic education) or RSE.
  • Rather than adding new lessons, ensure that lessons in these timetabled slots explicitly include mental health content: talking about emotions, self-care habits, and healthy relationships.

Cross-Curricular Integration

  • In English, you might use stories or character reflections to explore emotions, empathy, and coping strategies.
  • In Maths, reflect on problem-solving as a metaphor for resilience.
  • In PE, link physical exercise to mental wellbeing by discussing how movement helps regulate mood.
Assemblies and Daily Routines
  • Use brief wellbeing prompts in weekly assemblies (e.g., gratitude check-ins, affirmations) — these don’t require a whole new timetable.
  • Introduce short daily rituals: “mindful moment” at the start or end of the day, breathing exercises, or a one-minute check-in.

2. Adopt Ready-Made, Evidence -Based Resources

Rather than reinventing the wheel, schools can draw on existing, high-quality programmes such as Verbal Wellbeing designed to embed wellbeing effortlessly.

Using established resources reduces planning burden for teachers and ensures the content is evidence-based.

3. Model and Embed a Whole-School Ethos

Wellbeing is not just for pupils — it’s about the whole school environment. By embedding wellbeing into school culture, you make it part of “how things are done” rather than “another thing to deliver.”

Leadership Buy-IN

Leadership must champion wellbeing as part of the school’s ethos. The Department for Education’s guidance emphasises that “an ethos and environment that promotes respect” is one of the key principles of a whole-school mental health approach.

Teacher Wellbeing as a Priority

To support a culture of wellbeing, schools must also care for their staff. Model practices such as scheduled reflection time, “mindful minutes” in staff meetings, or simple rituals that encourage connection.

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Student Voice

Give pupils a say in how wellbeing is practiced — through student councils, feedback sessions, or class discussions. This helps ensure the wellbeing offer is relevant and meaningful to them.

4. Make Wellbeing Part of Regular Teaching Practice

Instead of separate wellbeing lessons, embed wellbeing strategies into everyday pedagogy.

Check-ins and Check-outs

Start or end lessons with 1–2 minute check-ins: how are you feeling today? What did you enjoy? What worried you? These quick routines don’t take long but give teachers valuable insight into students’ emotional states.

Reflective Questions

Build simple reflective questions into lessons (“What made this tricky? How did you manage?”). This encourages metacognition, emotional awareness, and self-regulation — all pillars of wellbeing.

Strength-Based Feedback

Offer praise not just for “getting the right answer,” but for persistence, effort, kindness, and collaboration. This frames the classroom around growth and character, not just content mastery.

5. Build Wellbeing Into Existing Systems for Monitoring & Support

Rather than separate interventions, incorporate wellbeing into routines and systems schools already use.

Use Pastoral Time Efficiently

Instead of dedicating extra slots for mental health check-ins, piggyback on pastoral monitoring. For example, during parent–teacher meetings or safeguarding reviews, include wellbeing conversation prompts.

Train Key Staff to Be Wellbeing Champions

Identify and empower wellbeing leads (or mental health leads) in school who can coordinate, reflect, and support both staff and pupil wellbeing. This aligns with DfE guidance on whole-school mental health approaches. 

Use Wellbeing Metrics Alongside Academic Datas

Incorporate simple, regular wellbeing self-assessments (e.g., pupil surveys, reflective journals) into your school’s data collection, so you can track trends without adding completely new data-gathering systems.

6. Priorities sustainability Over Perfection

Embedding wellbeing is a long-term endeavour. Rather than trying to do everything at once, schools can start small and build:
  1. Pilot in One Year Group: Try embedding check-ins or strength-based feedback in one class first, learn what works, then scale up.
  2. Feedback Loop: Regularly gather feedback from teachers and pupils on what is working or not, and adapt.
  3. Celebrate Wins: Recognise and celebrate small changes (e.g., more open classroom conversations, increased pupil resilience) — this keeps momentum high without burdening teachers.

Why It's Worth It

  • Academic Benefits: Strong wellbeing supports better engagement and learning. The DfE notes that mental health and wellbeing interventions can improve attendance, behaviour, and attainment. GOV.UK
  • Teacher Retention: When staff feel supported and not overloaded, they’re more likely to stay — reducing turnover costs and increasing stability.
  • Life Skills for Children: Embedding wellbeing teaches skills that children will use far beyond primary school — self-awareness, resilience, empathy, and more.

Why Verbal Wellbeing Makes this Easy (Without Extra Workload)

At Verbal Wellbeing, we understand the challenge schools face: wanting to build strong wellbeing provision without overloading teachers. That’s why our programme is:

Integrated

Designed to fit seamlessly into daily class routines and existing curricular structures.

Evidence-informed

Based on what works in whole-school approaches, SEL, and wellbeing frameworks.

Low burden

We provide ready-to-use resources, vocabulary tools, and conversation structures — so you don’t have to create everything from scratch.

Scalable and sustainable

Modular and flexible, so schools can start small and grow.

Try It Out - Risk Free

Want to see how Verbal Wellbeing could work in your school without adding to teachers’ workloads? We’d love to offer you a free trial of our programme.

Join other primary schools who are embedding robust wellbeing practices — in a way that feels natural, meaningful, and sustainable.

Get Started

Key Takeaway

Embedding wellbeing into a primary school’s curriculum doesn’t have to mean more work for teachers. By being strategic — using existing curriculum structures, adopting ready-made resources, and building a culture of wellbeing — schools can make wellbeing part of how learning happens, not something extra.

For VerbalWellbeing, this approach aligns perfectly with our mission: empowering schools to create environments where both children and adults can thrive. With thoughtful integration, wellbeing becomes woven into the fabric of daily school life — enriching learning and nurturing emotional resilience — all without adding unnecessary burden.

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