Health and Wellbeing Curriculum

There are eight curriculum areas in Curriculum for Excellence, one of which is the Health and Wellbeing curriculum.  Each curriculum area is broken down into experience and outcomes.  These are clear and concise statements about children’s learning and progression from pre-school to S3. 

View the document – Curriculum for Excellence: health and wellbeing principles and practice


The Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes are separated into 6 key areas, or organisers: 

  1. Mental, Emotional, Social & Physical Wellbeing;
  2. Planning for Choices & Change;
  3. Physical Education, Physical Activity & Sport (PEPAS);
  4. Food & Health;
  5. Substance Misuse; and
  6. Relationships, Sexual Health & Parenthood (RSHP).

There are two key Curriculum for Excellence resources which support teachers to plan learning, teaching and assessment for children and young people aged 3-15:

  1. Health & Wellbeing: Experiences & Outcomes; and
  2. Health & Wellbeing: Benchmarks.

Learning in Health and Wellbeing ensures that children and young people develop the knowledge and understanding, skills, capabilities and attributes which they need for mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing now and in the future.

In Dumfries and Galloway we aspires that all our children and young people are able to:

  • make informed decisions in order to improve their mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing;
  • experience challenge and enjoyment;
  • experience positive aspects of healthy living and activity for themselves;
  • apply their mental, emotional, social and physical skills to pursue a healthy lifestyle;
  • make a successful move to the next stage of education or work; and
  • establish a pattern of health and wellbeing which will be sustained into adult life, and which will help to promote the health and wellbeing of the next generation of Scottish children.

The Health and Wellbeing curriculum also supports some young people to perform at high levels in sport or prepare for careers within the health and leisure industries.

(adapted from CfE: Health & Wellbeing: Principles & Practice)

While the health and wellbeing of every child and young person is rightly the responsibility of all school staff, learning in health and wellbeing is largely taught through Personal and Social Education (PSE) in secondary schools or Health & Wellbeing (HWB) in primary and ELC .


What do we mean by Health and Wellbeing?

Health and Wellbeing Curriculum

  • 3 – 15 curriculum framework
  • Health and Wellbeing within Early Learning and Primary establishment
  • Discrete curricular areas in Secondary establishments (Home Economics, Physical Education, and Personal and Social Education)

Responsibility of All (RoA)

Children and young people should feel happy, safe, respected and included in the school environment and all staff should be proactive in promoting positive behaviour in the classroom, playground and the wider school community.

Everyone with each learning community, whatever their contact with children and young people may be, shares the responsibility for creating a positive ethos and climate of respect and trust – one in which everyone can make a positive contribution to the wellbeing of each individual within the school and wider community.

As well as learning in PSE/HWB, the health and wellbeing of every child and young person is supported via a wider network including pastoral support (Guidance), Educational Psychology, Support for Learning etc., to ensure that all young people get the right help at the right time in line with the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach.

Ensuring an appropriate universal offering should minimise the need for targeted and specialist support.  Schools are encouraged to ensure that early intervention should be used in relation to any referrals for  targeted or specialist provision to prevent escalation or longer-term impacts on a young persons ability to attendant and engage with education.