Understanding Wellbeing

Overview

This first lesson of the unit explores what wellbeing means and breaks it into connected parts: physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Students build self-awareness by identifying how choices, feelings and relationships can affect wellbeing, supporting healthy decisions.

Learning intentions

• Students will understand wellbeing as more than “feeling happy”, including physical, emotional and social wellbeing.
• Students will identify signs that their wellbeing may be improving or needing support.
• Students will use self-awareness to link feelings, thoughts and behaviours to wellbeing.
• Students will practise respectful oracy skills to discuss wellbeing in a class setting safely.

Success criteria

• I can describe wellbeing using the three parts: physical, emotional and social.
• I can give at least one example of how a choice can support or damage wellbeing.
• I can recognise a personal “early sign” that my wellbeing is changing.
• I can use sentence stems to share an idea respectfully and listen actively.

Curriculum links

• Health and wellbeing: Students understand how to improve and maintain wellbeing, including recognising what affects mental and emotional health.
• Relationships and sex education: Students develop respectful communication and understanding of relationships that support wellbeing.
• Mental wellbeing: Students learn to critically evaluate which activities will contribute to their overall wellbeing by identifying suitable supports and actions.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Emotional check-in & routine. Teacher leads a brief settling routine: “How are you arriving today?” using a 1–5 scale (no reasons required). Students circle a number on a personal card and take a quiet breath/grounding prompt.
2. 5–12 min · Retrieval starter (past learning). Teacher displays 3 quick questions from earlier PSHE/brief class baseline (e.g., “What is health?”, “Name a feeling”, “What helps us cope?”). Students answer in pairs, then teacher cold-calls 3 responses and affirms participation.
3. 12–20 min · Direct teach: What is wellbeing? Teacher explains wellbeing as connected: physical (body care), emotional (feelings), social (relationships and belonging), using simple visuals and examples. Students complete a partially filled “Wellbeing Wheel” worksheet with headings and one example per section.
4. 20–28 min · Vocabulary focus (Tier 2/3). Teacher explicitly teaches key terms with a Frayer Model: wellbeing, emotional health, social wellbeing, coping, self-awareness. Students help define each term with teacher support, then copy one “my example” into each box.
5. 28–38 min · Modelled practice: self-awareness. Teacher introduces a “Feelings–Choices–Wellbeing” pathway (no personal disclosure required). Students sort 8 scenario cards into: supports wellbeing / may harm wellbeing / not sure, and explain the emotional/physical/social link using a sentence stem:

• “This affects my emotional wellbeing because…”
• “This affects my social wellbeing because…”
• “This affects my physical wellbeing because…”

6. 38–50 min · Discussion with safe scenarios (small groups). Teacher gives two case studies (fictional, age-appropriate):

• Scenario A: A student chooses not to eat breakfast / ends up irritable and avoids people.
• Scenario B: A student texts a friend when stressed / feels supported and can plan next steps. Students work in groups to: (1) identify which wellbeing parts are affected, (2) suggest one supportive choice, (3) name one coping strategy. Students record answers on a shared mini-poster.

7. 50–57 min · Critical evaluation: “Which activity helps?” Teacher explains that not all activities help everyone; wellbeing supports vary. Students complete a short ranking: list 5 activities (e.g., exercise, scrolling online, talking to a trusted adult, journalling, skipping sleep) and choose “usually helps”, “sometimes helps”, “usually harms”, then justify with one sentence.
8. 57–60 min · Exit ticket & safeguarding signposting. Students complete a low-stakes exit ticket:

• “One part of wellbeing I can explain is…”
• “My early sign that wellbeing is changing could be…” Teacher collects tickets and reminds students: “If you feel unsafe or overwhelmed, you can speak to [trusted adults/our safeguarding route].”

Resources

• Wellbeing Wheel worksheet (physical/emotional/social sections)
• Scenario cards (age-appropriate, fictional)
• Frayer Model templates for key vocabulary
• Feelings–Choices–Wellbeing pathway visual
• Sentence stem strips for oracy
• Case study mini-poster sheets
• Activity ranking cards
• Exit ticket slips and pens
• Emotional check-in number cards or paper strips

Assessment

• Formative checks: observe pair discussions during retrieval and scenario sorting for understanding of wellbeing components.
• Check vocabulary: students’ ability to use terms accurately in written stems and group posters.
• Exit ticket review: identify gaps (e.g., confusing physical vs emotional) for Lesson 2 planning and targeted support.

Differentiation

• Support for reading/writing: sentence starters, simplified scenario wording, key vocabulary banks on each sheet; allow answers verbally recorded by TA if needed.
• SEMH regulation: predictable routine with a consistent check-in; provide a “quiet option” during whole-class discussion (write first, then share with partner).
• Oracy scaffolds: colour-coded stem cards and turn-taking roles (e.g., Reader, Timekeeper, Reporter) in groups.
• Extension: students justify “sometimes helps” choices with nuance (e.g., “online may help if it connects to support, but harms if it increases anxiety”).

Continuity within the unit

This lesson establishes the vocabulary and model students will reuse for later lessons in “Navigating Choices for Wellbeing”, moving from identifying wellbeing parts to practising decision-making and supportive coping strategies.