Curricular Wellbeing
At KES, our bespoke Wellbeing Curriculum integrates key elements of Personal, Social, Health, and Economic (PSHE) education with critical thinking, life skills, and a strong focus on personal development and wellbeing. This holistic programme goes beyond academic content, supporting pupils in developing interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and social competence.
Rooted in real-life relevance and cross-curricular connections, the curriculum empowers pupils to become independent thinkers, confident communicators, and reflective individuals. It equips them with the tools to navigate relationships, make informed decisions, and engage respectfully with others — even in challenging situations.
Our primary aim is to support the personal development and wellbeing of every pupil. Through a carefully designed progression of learning, we help them build the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours needed to manage their health, wellbeing, and responsibilities effectively. In doing so, we prepare pupils not only for academic success but for a fulfilling, balanced, and responsible life in today’s world.
Curricular Wellbeing Topics
Throughout their time at King Edward VI School, from Year 7 to Upper Sixth, pupils engage with a wide range of age-appropriate wellbeing topics designed to support their personal, social, and academic development. These include practical skills such as organisation, study skills, revision techniques, and budgeting, alongside important health and lifestyle topics like mental health, stress management, healthy eating, sleep, personal hygiene, dental hygiene, drugs, alcohol, and contraception.
Pupils also explore relationships and personal boundaries, communication, consent, healthy friendships, family, and emotional intelligence. Our curriculum promotes understanding and inclusivity, covering diversity, neurodiversity, disability awareness, gender identities, racism, and stereotypes.
Pupils are guided through modern challenges, from cyber safety and AI to consumer rights and the environment, while also learning about British culture and careers. These topics are integrated thoughtfully throughout their school journey, providing pupils with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to navigate life confidently and responsibly.
Co-Curricular Wellbeing
At KES, co-curricular activities are an important part of school life, giving pupils opportunities to explore their interests, try new things, and develop skills beyond the classroom. Whether through sport, music, creative clubs, or societies, these activities help pupils build confidence, form friendships, and enjoy a sense of achievement, while also supporting their overall wellbeing.
Our wide range of clubs and societies reflects the many ways pupils can engage, explore interests, and support their wellbeing. Physical activity and music are particularly valuable for mental health, and pupils can also take part in mindful or creative opportunities, including:
- Art Character Design (Year 7 and Lower School)
- Library Leaders (all years)
- Cactus Club (all years)
- Card Games (all years)
- Chess (all years)
- Cookery (Year 10)
- Diversity Societies – supporting the School’s Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion goals (all years)
- Debating Club (all years)
- Doodle Club (all years)
- E-Safety Cyber Ambassadors (by selection)
- Hobbies Club (all years)
- Scamp Club (all years)
- Sewing Club (Year 8)
…and many more. These activities give pupils opportunities to explore passions, build friendships, and grow in confidence and wellbeing.
A full list of all our clubs and societies can be found here
Parental Engagement Sessions
Our parental engagement sessions bring in external experts alongside KES staff to provide families with practical guidance and insights into supporting their child’s wellbeing and development. These sessions give parents the tools and knowledge to engage confidently with topics ranging from mental health to digital life, strengthening the partnership between home and school.
Diversity at KES
We celebrate diversity through a range of pupil-led societies and events, including Fem Soc, Psych Soc, Pride, KES Around the World, and Black History Month. These initiatives encourage understanding, inclusion, and meaningful conversations about identity, culture, and equality across the whole school community.
Curricular Wellbeing Topics
There are curricular wellbeing classes for Year 7 to Year 11 at King Edward's. In addition, both Lower and Upper Sixth Form benefit from Foundation Studies sessions where a variety of relevant and engaging sessions, frequently involving external speakers, are delivered.
Year 7
Term 1: organisation, communication, friendships, boundaries, anti-bullying
Term 2: respect, communication, mental health, cyber safety, neurodiversity
Term 3: drugs, alcohol and tobacco, keeping healthy, climate change, careers
Year 8
Term 1: environment, emotional intelligence, friendships, Imperialism, anti-bullying, stereotypes, social norms, gender identities
Term 2: courts and legal system, bereavement, suicide, sexting, myths and facts about sex, relationships, consent, neurodiversity, careers
Term 3: gratitude, emotional resilience, eating disorders, gambling, peer pressure, illegal drugs, consumer rights, budgeting, purpose of life
Year 8 are taught Wellbeing by pastoral staff who have been trained to deliver difficult topics, in two periods per fortnight.
Year 9
Term 1: sleep, eating, environment, bereavement, family models, disability awareness, imperialism, anti-bullying, radicalisation, racism
Term 2: careers, abuse, sexual harassment, sex, consent, pornography, body image, mental health, online footprint, careers
Term 3: institutional sexism, same sex relationships, exam stress, citizenship, encountering drugs alcohol and tobacco, self-awareness, resilience, materialism
Year 10
Term 1: environment, drugs and the law, self harm, censorship, imperialism, gaslighting, emotional literacy
Term 2: mental health in adults, online relationships, healthy intimate relationships, contraception and STI’s, abortion
Term 3: gender identity, sexism, careers, citizenship
Year 11
Term 1: circular economy, sexual norms and expectations, pornography, rape culture, imperialism, respectful relationships, tax and finances
Term 2: eating disorders, exam stress, festivals parties and going out, careers
Co-curricular Wellbeing
The co-curricular provision at the School is central to all five of the ‘PERMA’ goals. Non-academic activities contribute towards increasing Positive Emotions, teach students to engage in a task and seek to become better at it purely for the sake of trying to something well, help foster positive Relationships both between students and also between students and staff, can help derive Meaning and satisfaction in life and create a sense of positive accomplishment.
Clubs and Opportunities
Given the swathe of research showing the wellbeing benefits of exercise and playing music there are a wealth of both sporting and musical clubs to choose from. Outside of this, other clubs which promote good mental health and can provide mindful opportunities include;
- Art Character Design (Year 7 and Lower School)
- Library leaders (all years)
- Cactus Club (all years)
- Card Games (all years)
- Chess (all years)
- Cookery (Year 10)
- Diversity Societies – aimed at supporting all of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion goals of the School' (all years)
- Debating Club (all years)
- Doodle Club (all years)
- E-Safety Cyber Ambassadors (by selection)
- Hobbies Club (all years)
- Scamp Club (all years)
- Sewing Club (Year 8)
