We hear a lot about wellbeing in schools these days - and rightly so - but too often I fear that it is only viewed through the lens of staff and older students, and overlooks our youngest learners.

However, imagine the very youngest children, the Year 1 pupils (five- and six-year-olds), discovering the essence of happiness and self-care just like they do with literacy and numeracy. This would give them a solid foundation to take forward into the next phases of their childhood and early adolescent development.

After all, the teenage and preteenage years can be tumultuous and require a huge amount of braveness to resist peer pressure and withstand the many forces that persuade and draw young people’s attention.

Indeed, with my background in secondary pastoral leadership, I can see how many of the issues and problems could be avoided if that young person had a sense of self-worth, confidence and esteem.

These things can be taught and, like all skills, the younger you start, the bigger the impact. This is why when we opened our new school in Bahrain, the founders and I agreed we would make wellbeing a taught part of the curriculum.

Protecting pupils’ wellbeing and mental health

To do this, we chose a curriculum that included wellbeing as a taught subject based on research from academic institutions and with a core focus on happiness and balance: the Oxford International Curriculum.

This means that, from the start of their school journey, our students are learning about wellbeing in a direct, meaningful way that has been divided into four strands: taking care of the body; taking care of the mind; taking care of relationships; and taking care of the self and the world.

What does this mean in practice though? Well, for example, children in Year 1 are taught how to be mindful and to think optimistically, by taking care of relationships and appreciating the world around them.

They do this through being encouraged to talk about and discuss their emotions. They share common feelings, and activities are age appropriate, such as focusing on breathing to ensure a smooth and calm transition from one lesson to another and supporting one another.

In one lesson, for example, Year 1 compiled a list of activities that made them feel good. They listed star jumps and races with their friends, so more often than not during their playtimes, you’ll find Year 1 excitedly star jumping or racing each other. There is nothing more joyful than hearing the giggles of delight.

We’re seeing the benefits already. When children are in the playground, you’ll often hear positive reinforcement from the children if they are in conflict: “Good friends look after each other” or “Good friends take turns” or “It’s OK to be sad - just breathe 10 times slowly”.

The children self-regulate and, in turn, teach each other the skills of empathy and kindness. Every child feels the value and worth of friendships. That’s something that transcends anything an exam can quantify, and allows us to deliver an educational impact that will last a lifetime.

Julia Knight is principal of Eton House International School in Bahrain and has been teaching abroad since 2012

This article originally appeared in the 3 December 2021 issue under the headline “Should we teach Year 1 children wellbeing?”