For many parents, reviewing a school’s wellbeing framework including the pastoral care framework is an important consideration when selecting the right school for their child. Whilst the education and learning environment as well as academic components offered by a school may guide school selection, parents often report that an important consideration in school selection is a school that looks at the holistic development and overall wellbeing of young people.

As a school, Knox has been at the forefront of Positive Education for the past 12 years. Positive Education refers to the application of Positive Psychology principles within education to enhance student, staff and school community wellbeing (PESA, 2020). A key part of this journey has been the development of Knox Total Fitness, an integrated Positive Education model which aims to support and improve the social-emotional, physical, spiritual and academic fitness of every child. The Knox Positive Education Program aligns closely with the school mission and values of faith, wisdom, integrity, compassion, and courage (Zolezzi, 2017).

In 2022, the Science of Wellbeing Team commenced a rigorous review of the Total Fitness model to ensure the model remained accurate and reflective of current research regarding factors related to child and adolescent wellbeing within a school context. To achieve this, we first conducted a review of published meta-analyses in the field examining the predictors of child and adolescent wellbeing, we then conducted a meta-analysis and systematic review examining the efficacy of interventions that were found to improve child and adolescent wellbeing in the school context (this review is currently in preparation for publication).

Conceptually, subjective wellbeing is ones evaluation of life, characterised by emotional wellbeing (emotional awareness, facilitation and regulation of emotions to effectively manage challenges and experience a higher ratio of positive to negative emotions), and life satisfaction. Psychological wellbeing represents self-realisation and overall functioning characterised by autonomy, mastery, personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations with others, and self-acceptance (Ryff & Keyes, 1995). Components of both positive functioning and social wellbeing are captured by the core needs of autonomy, competency and relatedness (active participation) central to self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000; as cited in McLellan and Steward, 2014).

Alternatively, wellbeing has been dichotomised into intrapersonal factors marked by one's internalised sense of self and functionality (e.g. autonomy, emotional regulation, self-efficacy, spirituality, and engagement), and interpersonal factors that includes the appraisal of social circumstances and connection to others (e.g., communication efficacy and empathy; Fraillon, 2004). Thus, while there are hundreds of skills and competencies thought to predict student wellbeing, many overlap.

Reflecting on the outcomes of the above research we considered what, if any, changes needed to be made to our model. Reassuringly, all dimensions related to the initial Total Fitness model and were able to be maintained (e.g., the initial four pillars of academic, social-emotional, spiritual, and academic fitness). This signifies the sound research base of, and pays respect to, the initial Total Fitness model. Importantly, using a socio-ecological framework (Allen et al., 2018), a fifth overarching pillar named ‘school climate’ was identified and added that speaks to the importance of a positive and safe learning environment, excellent teaching practices, and in essence taps into the positive culture of the school. Additionally, through this review process we were able to gain more insight into the core evidence-based constructs that sit under the five-pillars, providing direction for intervention delivery within the school context.

Socio-emotional fitness

Socio-emotional fitness: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2015) defines social-emotional skills as the individual capacities responsible for goal-driven behaviour, cooperation, and emotional regulation. Over 160 socio-emotional skills and competencies have been proposed in the literature (Guo et al., 2022), of which we have grouped into five core domains; emotional intelligence (ability to perceive, understand and manage one’s own emotions and those of others that more broadly includes adaptability, self-motivation and empathy), self-concept (how one sees themselves (e.g., personality, attributes, and abilities), how we perceive others to see us, and expectations of our ideal self); positive affect;optimism (the general expectation that good things will occur that is related to positive cognitive appraisals); and positive relationships (the ability to relate to other people marked by empathy, trust, and belonging).

Physical fitness

Physical fitness is about “caring for, respecting, and advocating for your body” (Boston University, 2022). It involves healthy habits and behaviours that help achieve optimal health and our full potential. Through sufficient quality sleep, nutrition and exercise, extending to sexual health and safe decisions about substance use and other risk-taking activities. This domain thus focuses on habits and goals,sleep, nutrition, and exercise.

Spiritual fitness

Spiritual fitness is characterised by meaning and purpose in daily tasks and includes one’s morals and ethics. This domain comprises of meaningfulness and purpose (achieved through servitude, belonging, and integrity), acceptance and awareness (drawing on self-compassion, and non-judgement), and gratitude.

Academic fitness

Academic fitness encompasses cognitive and motivational factors that promote curiosity, autonomy, and an openness and passion to learn, that contribute to reaching one’s academic potential. Sub-domains include: a flexible mindset (characterised by adaptability and the willingness to learn from failures), autonomy (resourcefulness and initiative to self-direct one’s learning), environmental mastery (choosing and modifying one’s situation to fit their learning needs), and perseverance (marked by self-discipline and self-control).

School Climate

School Climate refers to the “quality and character of school life… based on patterns of students’, parents’ and school personnel’s experience of school life” (NSCC, 2021). Factors pertinent to fostering an optimal school climate have been grouped as; teaching and learning practices (targeting staff wellbeing, and classroom climate, and instructional practices), emotional and physical safety (marked by respectful behaviour and consistent behavioural management practices), community (collaboration between students, school, and families), and the environment (physical layout and allocation of resources conducive to students’ safety and learning).

Application of theory.

Can wellbeing constructs be taught?

Yes. Our research concluded that individual wellbeing interventions are effective in improving student wellbeing outcomes and constructs such as optimism, gratitude, and kindness can be taught. Specifically, interventions targeting mindfulness (being present), emotional intelligence (ability to recognise, facilitate, and regulate emotions), and character strengths (identifying and utilising personal strengths) led to significant improvements in student wellbeing. While interventions that targeted social responsibility, empathy, and interpersonal trust through psychoeducation and social action activities (for example charitable work and volunteering), reported improvements in teamwork, social responsibility, positive affect and life satisfaction.

What does this mean for me and my child?

Traits such as self-esteem, mood, and pre-existing mental health conditions are found to moderate wellbeing outcomes of interventions, and thus concerns pertaining to the wellbeing of your child are important factors to be considered prior to their involvement. Furthermore, programs and interventions that embrace parent involvement, are likely to see a positive impact on the school environment and subsequently student wellbeing. Therefore, the more engaged and involved you are with the school, increases the likelihood of better outcomes for your child.

Collaboration between the school and parents is important, as parental modelling and support in the home will help generalise the behaviours and competencies learnt in school, and vice versa.

Try this!

  • Balance age-appropriate autonomy with firm boundaries.
  • Set realistic expectations – wellbeing is variable across time and context, and its multi-dimensional nature mean that domains fluctuate and not always in tandem. Paying attention to the different domains that underpin your child’s wellbeing, allows for the identification of challenges, and compensatory processes. For example, if academic motivation is stifled, we can look to boost their sense of self, peer connections, and sense of belonging to help motivate and broaden their mindset.
  • Boost sense of self: see strength-based parenting.
  • Model adaptability, perspective taking, and healthy persistence. Holding daily reflections about what well for each family member, challenges they faced and how they overcame/ plan to overcome them.
  • Teach empathy and create opportunities to practice kindness and gratitude.
  • Support autonomy and self-regulation: Be an engineer of your child's environment, instead of manager. You can do this by helping your child develop schedules, distraction monitoring routines, opportunities for small and big rewards, self-reminders, and prompts.
  • Engage in problem-solving with your child. Let the creative juices flow before evaluating possible solutions.
  • Where possible attend and become involved with school community events. Speak to your child's SAO or cohort leadership team to find out more.
  • Openly communicate - school staff and teachers want to help your child maximise their potential, and do this best when your child’s needs (beyond those observed), are contextually known to them.

Further Resources:

Every child is different. If you feel your child is struggling or you are looking for strategies to assist their growth, please reach out to one of our school counsellors who can provide some resources, strategies, and where necessary clinical support for you and your child.