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Healthy Minds

Included in guidance by DfE and HM Treasury!

The most evidence-based curriculum of it's kind!

Developmental learning across 69 lessons for years 7 – 11

Healthy Minds has been extensively and independently evaluated. The central learning thread is a set of psychological skills that build mental resilience, emotional wellbeing. Building skills that mean young people are equipped with essential tools for living, takes time.  

  • Be pioneers with a preventative approach to inspire positive mental health
  • A key feature of your school improvement plan
  • A language framework that will impact the culture of your school
  • Learning that students and teachers enjoy
  • A skills based curriculum that you can trust
  • Meet statutory requirements (although not the main reason for embedding it)

The problem

Being a teenager has never been more challenging. Mental health symptoms in teenagers are rising. We must focus on prevention, not crisis management. The need is urgent, for all teenagers, and education is key. 

Adolescence, a crucial developmental turning point, is the best time to learn psychological fitness. We know that 50% of lifelong mental health problems start by the age of 14. 

“If we wish to predict which children will lead satisfying adult lives, the best indicator is their emotional health at age 16.”

Lord Layard, Emeritus Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, and Co-editor of the World Happiness Report and Global Policy Report

The problem

There has never been a more important time to support young people to build mental resilience and emotional wellbeing so they thrive in education and beyond. Without these fundamental core skills, the following statistics are liekly tolikely rise:

children in a classroom are likely to have a mental health/wellbeing problem (Children’s Society)
1 in 1
children are unhappy with their school (The Good Childhood Report 2021)
1 in 1
of mental health problems start by the age of 14 (National Comorbidity Survey Replication)
23 %
The UK ranking for children’s life satisfaction (Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, Jan 22)
5 out of 72

How we solve the problem

We train teachers to teach our Healthy Minds curriculum, one lesson a week for five years for 11 – 16-year-olds.

Healthy Minds is the most evidenced based life skills programme of its kind. Evidenced by the Education Endowment Foundation, by tracking 10,000 teenagers over 5 years

Healthy Minds is designed based on adolescent and neurological development. It is designed as a spiral approach that will create healthy brain growth with earning that builds and strengthens over time.

Students tell us Healthy Minds lessons help them to:

Identify damaging unhelpful and negative thoughts

Set rules in relationships and understand what’s not ok

Stick up for themselves, take responsibility for their feelings and actions

Recognise the signs and be able to support friends who are ‘going under’

Have a set of techniques that help in the moment

Healthy Minds Evidence

Health

Healthy Minds has a positive impact on general health, physical health, externalising behaviours and life satisfaction - which leave a long arm into adult outcomes.

Academics

Healthy Minds improves health-related outcomes without adversely affecting academic achievement, despite diverting time away from traditional academic subjects.

Behaviour

Evidence of lower levels of absence and fewer fixed-term exclusions, in particular amongst students receiving free school meals.

Learning Outcomes

Year 7

Lesson 1  Resilience & Harnessing Positive Emotions

  • Understand that life is a journey with challenges (big and small) and it is our resilience that helps us overcome these
  • Understand the role of positive emotion
  • Discover that all emotions can be helpful and unhelpful, and we can learn to regulate them
  • Understand that we ALL have resilience

 

Lesson 2  Connecting the Brain, Emotions & Thoughts

  • Understand the brain and the role of emotions
  • Consider the importance of being calm to help with resilient responses
  • Discover the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours

 

Lesson 3 Introducing Gremlin Beliefs

  • Understand that resilience skills can help us understand why we react the way we do
  • Identify common Gremlin Beliefs of resilience
  • Recognise that the Gremlin Beliefs are not in control

 

Lesson 4 Optimism & Evidence

  • Understand there is a difference between optimistic and pessimistic thinking
  • Know the importance of respect for different perspectives
  • Discover how to use evidence to create more flexible and accurate thinking

 

Lesson 5  WoBbLe

  • Understand the importance of gratitude
  • Know how to use the WoBbLe skill – to tame the Catastrophising Gremlin Belief
  • Discover how to calm down when emotions are strong

 

Lesson 6  Resilience Planning

  • Understand all the resilience skills covered in the lessons
  • Create an individual resilience plan
  • Consider how resilience skills can help one express themselves and understand others

Year 7

Lesson 1: Introduction to Intentional Stillness

  • Understand what intentional stillness means.
  • Consider three different types of intentional stillness.
  • Practise and discuss three different types of intentional stillness. 

Lesson 2 Using Intentional Stillness to Deal with Anxiety

  • Explore the link between intentional stillness and feeling anxious.
  • Identify what fills my stress bucket.
  • Practise intentional stillness that can help me deal with anxiety. 

Lesson 3 Using Intentional Stillness to aid sleep

  • Explore the link between intentional stillness and sleep.
  • Discuss the importance of sleep.
  • Practise intentional stillness that can help me prepare for a good night's sleep. 

Lesson 4 Connection to Others 

  • Understand the link between human connection and mental health. 
  • Explore the social brain.
  • Practise expressing gratitude. 

Year 7

Lesson 1 Introduction to media literacy and social media

  • Define media literacy

  • Explain media literacy concepts

  • Identify text and subtext in media examples

  • Recognise the characteristics of social media versus traditional media

 

Lesson 2 Fantasy and reality 

  • Define and recognise some characteristics of reality television

  • Identify the difference between reality and fantasy in various types of media

  • See the untold stories when watching reality television

  • Define and understand what it means to set a boundary in relation to on-line

 

Lesson 3 Advantages & disadvantages of social media & setting boundaries

  • Identify the advantages and disadvantages of social media

  • Share experiences and stories of boundary setting or boundary crossing online

  • Understand the impact of social media activity on future goals and aspirations

 

Lesson 4  Benefits of social media 

  • Explore the positives of using social media and how it impacts how we receive,alter, and share information

  • Create personal guidelines for using social media in a positive way.

  • Discuss how media can be used to build community, find support, and decrease isolation in their lives

 

Lesson 5 Creating identity maps

  • Describe my online identity and how I want to be thought of by others online

  • Create a map connecting my current identity to future goals

  • Describe my map to other people

 

Lesson 6 Presenting social media identity maps

  • Communicate how social media forms part of my identity now and in the future

  • Identify that other students have different ideas and identities and use social media indifferent ways

  • Explain how my online identity may influence my future

Year 8

Lesson 1 Revisit the Skills of Resilience

  • Refresh the resilience skills
  • Increase awareness of when to use the skills and in what circumstances
  • Students who have not completed previous lessons gain a basic idea of the resilience skills

 

Lesson 2  Optimistic Thinking

  • Learn to apply the resilience skills to real situations
  • Understand how to recognise pessimistic thoughts and be more flexible and accurate in our thinking
  • Increase knowledge of students who did not complete the previous resilience lessons

 

Lesson 3 WoBbLe

  • Recap the WoBbLe skill – to tame Catastrophising Gremlin Beliefs
  • Know when to use the WoBbLe skill
  • Consider resilience and what to do in an emergency

 

Lesson 4 Assertive Communication

  • Discover different communication styles
  • Understand the beliefs that can get in the way of assertive communication
  • Recognise that assertive communication allows us to take care of ourselves and is essential for healthy relationships

 

Lesson 5 Moving On

  • Understand that we all have habits of thinking that can be hard to change
  • Know that our brains are wired to notice what we want to see
  • Recognise that we can use our resilience skills to deal with everyday situations as they occur

 

Lesson 6 Empathy & Resilience Planning

  • Understand what empathy means
  • Know how to stand in the shoes of others and show empathy
  • Consolidate how to use the Resilience Skills in real time

Year 8 

Lesson 1 Being part of a group & my adult self

  • Develop awareness that everyone in this class has some skills.
  • Develop rapport as a class group.
  • Be able to use verbal and non verbal communication to work in a group to solve problems.
  • Select pictures that represent the adults you want to be In the future.
  • Consider the reasons for choosing the images.

 

Lesson 2 Positive & negative role models

  • Consider the links between the four domains of adulthood.
  • Identify positive and negative role models.
  • Discuss how positive and negative role models influence both success and failure.
  • Understand that having goals for the future is helpful.

 

Lesson 3 Bucket list and timelines

  • Create a wish list.
  • Increase your understanding that ‘difficulties’ are normal and part of everyday life.
  • Create a personal timeline including at least one fork in the road, one obstacle and/or one roadblock.
  • Consider the implications of the decisions you make along the way to your future.
  • Begin to make connections between the choices you make now and the four domains of adulthood.

 

Lesson 4  Timelines continued

  • Review and complete your timeline.
  • Discuss and share your timeline with others.
  • Understand that discussing your timeline with others helps to understand it better.
  • Consider the benefits of breaking down future goals into small steps.

 

Lesson 5  Actions

  • Consider how I can develop clear specific actions.
  • Practise setting specific actions that will help me make progress to the future I want for myself.
  • Understand that what I do right now is linked directly to my future.

 

Lesson 6 Possible Selves Poster Boards

  • Identify images of what I want to be like and not be like, next year.
  • Consider the strategies and specific action I can use to make what I want to be like more achievable.
  • Consider the strategies and specific actions that will help me overcome the difficulties I may face.
  • Develop a poster board to illustrate the thinking I have done about my future.

 

Lesson 7 Pathways to the future

  • Identify images of what I want to be like and not be like, as an adult.
  • Consider the strategies I can use to make what I want to be like become more achievable.
  • Identify that some of the strategies I am using to reach a next year possible self may also be helpful in reaching an adult possible self.
  • Develop a poster board to illustrate the thinking about my future.

 

Lesson 8 Solving everyday problems

  • Practise different problem solving approaches to solve everyday problems.
  • Recognise that others have similar concerns to me.
  • Understand te importance of seeking help and support from others.
  • Consider the importance of starting to solve problems straight away and not delaying.

 

Lesson 9 Solving everyday problems & looking forward

  • Practise problem solving on my own school related problem.
  • Recognise that others have similar problems and concerns to me.
  • Understand the importance of seeking help and support from others.
  • Explore the value of seeking the view of others who may have a different perspective to my own.
  • Consider the importance of starting to solve problems straight away and not delaying.
  • Discuss and consider what I have learnt in From School to Life and how to use it in future.

In 2023 Bounce Forward and Harry Kane Foundation formed a partnership with a shared mission to inspire and transform a generation's thinking about mental health.

The Physical Resilience lessons are inspired and co-authored with Harry Kane, and endorsed by experts in the field. The lessons feature insight and video appearances from Harry's personal experience and perspective as an elite athlete.

Lesson 1: Exercise and mental health

  • Understand the link between exercise and mental health.

  • Consider how different people think about different types of physical activities.

  • Practise challenging unhelpful perceptions about the link between exercise and mental health. 

  • Identify ways to maintain good physical health.

Lesson 2: Nutrition and mental health

  • Understand the link between nutrition and mental health.

  • Consider barriers that can get in the way of maintaining healthy nutrition.

  • Identify key facts and myths for a mentally healthy diet.

Lesson 3: Sleep and the adolescent brain

  • Understand the link between sleep and good mental health.

  • Examine different types of sleep.

  • Understand what is happening in the brain when we are asleep.

Lesson 4: Facts and common beliefs about sleep

  • Consider key facts about the teenage brain.

  • Understand the impact of a lack of sleep.

  • Challenge common beliefs that can get in the way.

Lesson 5: Sleep routines

  • Identify helpful sleep routines.

  • Exploring how to take control of my sleep.

  • Create a sleep diary.

 

Year 8

Lesson 1 Introduction to media literacy and social media

  • Recap media literacy and the difference between text and subtext
  • Accurately identify at least three techniques of persuasion in a media
  • Differentiate between persuasion and manipulation

Lesson 2  Media and gender constructions

  • Discuss stereotypes applied to females and males in society.
  • Identify the gender constructs in various media examples.
  • Examine how ideas about gender identity affect lives.
  • Understand the subtext and untold stories behind media messages regarding sex and sexuality.

Lesson 3 Media and body image

  • Identify target marketing tactics to various groups.
  • Learn to understand the intersection of gender, age, and body size.
  • Understand body shaming messages and how to counter these negative messages by being body positive.

Lesson 4 Media, health, and food marketing

  • Compare the marketing of a product with its actual nutritional value.
  • Learn to examine which foods are targeted to specific groups of people.
  • Consider a healthy balanced lifestyle.
  • Identify healthier options for them and their families.

Lesson 5 Media, health, and the marketing addiction

  • Contrast the ideas about a product with real facts about how the product can impact one’s health.
  • Understand the connection between marketing of certain products and gambling addiction.

Lesson 6  Media and decision making

  • Reflect on their decision making process.
  • Analyse the ways in which we are targeted by media and evaluate how media impact thoughts, beliefs and decisions.
  • Explore ways to take control of the messages that shape decision making.

Lesson 7 Creating media 

  • Define what a counter advert is.
  • Deconstruct and discuss sample counter adverts.
  • Create a counter advert.

Lesson 8 Presenting media

  • Share the ideas behind their own counter advert messages and the messages created by the other students.
  • Practice giving a presentation using visual media.

Year 9

Lesson 1 Defining mental health

  • I know where and how to get support both in and beyond school
  • I can define mental health
  • I can draw parallels between mental and physical health
  • I understand that mental health is a spectrum and can illustrate this with examples

 

Lesson 2 The science of mental illness

  • I can define mental health and mental illness
  • I understand that mental health is a spectrum and can illustrate this with examples
  • I can explain the brain’s role in keeping us mentally healthy

 

Lesson 3 Understanding mental illness

  • I can define depression and anxiety and outline their prevalence
  • I can describe the symptoms of depression and anxiety and explain how these might impact on someone’s day-to-day life
  • I can explain the most common treatments for common mental health issues

 

Lesson 4 Mental Illness: triggers, protective factors & promoting well-being

  • I can explain a range of protective factors that reduce the risk of developing mental illness
  • I understand that physical health underlies mental health and can describe small changes to promote wellbeing
  • I can explain some of the common triggers for mental illness
  • I can differentiate between facts and myths about mental health and know where to seek further information if I am unsure
  • I can describe the ‘five ways to wellbeing’ and outline simple changes I could try to make to promote my own wellbeing

 

Lesson 5  Mental illness: spotting and supporting

  • I can model how to have a conversation with a friend about their mental health
  • I know when, where, how and why to get support for myself or a friend and I am aware of the types of support that are available.
  • I can recognise the early warning signs of mental illness

 

Lesson 6 Healthy coping strategies

  • I understand that everyone has to manage difficult situations, thoughts and feelings sometimes
  • I can describe healthy and unhealthy coping responses
  • I can describe a range of difficult situations, thoughts and feelings and suggest specific healthy coping strategies that might help someone manage each of these
  • I can explain a range of simple coping strategies and how these might help someone manage difficult situations, thoughts and feelings
  • I know how and where to access further support if I need to

 

Lesson 7 Reducing mental health stigma

  • I can define stigma and describe the impact it may have on someone with mental illness or emotional wellbeing issues
  • I can demonstrate some simple steps to overcoming mental health stigma in our school community to enable those who need it to seek support

Year 9 

Lesson 1 Resilient Relationships

  • Identify healthy and unhealthy relationships
  • Consider and discuss the beliefs that can help and hinder
  • Test your relationship smarts
  • Explore the foundations of a healthy relationship

 

Lesson 2 Healthy Boundaries 

  • Understand the importance of boundaries for relationships
  • Explore unhealthy, toxic relationships
  • Practice assertive communication for ending a relationship
  • Recognising when something is unsafe and speaking up

 

Lesson 3 Relationship characteristics and parental responsibility 

  • Understand there are different types of relationships
  • Consider the role and responsibilities of successful parenting
  • Explore the financial and lifestyle costs of having a baby
  • Discuss what needs to be in place before deciding to have baby

 

Lesson 4 Big Sticky Beliefs and Relationships 

  • Explore Big Sticky Beliefs
  • Understand the difference between Gremlin Beliefs and Big Sticky Beliefs (BSBs)
  • Recognise how BSBs can impact behaviour
  • Recognise how BSBs cause us to react to situations in ways that do not make sense

 

Lesson 5  Identifying Big Sticky Beliefs 

  • Understand how BSBs work
  • Learn how to identify BSBs using ‘what’ questions
  • Consider the effect that BSBs can have on relationships

 

Lesson 6 BSBs and human connections

  • Understand that BSBs can have a significant impact feelings and behaviour
  • Explore how BSBs can cause people to react in different ways and have an impact on relationships
  • Practise finding alternative BSBs
  • Understand how to modify or challenge unhelpful BSBs

 

Lesson 7 BSBs and Planning for the Future

  • Understand the long-term implications of Big Sticky Beliefs (BSBs) for our future.
  • Know how to manage our BSBs and therefore control our consequences
  • Discuss and agree how we will continue to use resilience skills in our lives

Year 10

Lesson 1 Ambiguity, Complexity & Independent Thought

  • Identify personal progress during healthy minds lessons
  • Understand the concept of ambiguity in decision-making
  • Know how to approach dilemmas and difficult decisions

 

Lesson 2 Assessing risk & opportunity

  • Able to explain the importance of flexible and accurate thinking for dilemmas
  • How to identify the risk and opportunity in the decisions
  • Understand the power of peer influence on the decision-making process

 

Lesson 3 Weighing up pros and cons

  • Be able to use the skills to objectively ‘weigh up’ a situation
  • Understand that our beliefs play a part in our decision-making
  • Be able to communicate a complex decision more effectively and negotiate if appropriate

 

Lesson 4 Decision Making in Romantic Relationships

  • Practise using the skills to make decisions about romantic relationships
  • Understand the implications of deciding to have sex
  • Knowing where help is available for relationships that are unsafe

 

Lesson 5 Reviewing how we make decisions

  • Know what to do when faced with difficult decisions and choices
  • Be able to explain how to apply resilient thinking skills to decision-making
  • Reinforce the impact our decisions have

Year 11

Lesson 1 Barriers to Success

  • Apply the skills of resilience to studying and exam experiences
  • Identify my personal learning experience
  • Identify and set objectives that improve the learning experience.

 

Lesson 2 Learning Priorities and Strategies

  • Explore my personal strengths and weaknesses in my approach to learning
  • Teach my peers about an area I am comfortable with
  • Learn from my peers about an area that I am less comfortable with

 

Lesson 3 Learning Mindsets

  • Explore the beliefs I have about learning.
  • Understand that a growth mindset about learning and intelligence will help me
  • Identify evidence for a growth mindset about learning

 

Lesson 4 Dealing with Anxiety

  • Identify when anxiety is getting in the way of my learning or my ability to do my best in tests and exams
  • Reinforce my knowledge of the WoBbLe skill
  • Reinforce my skills for harnessing emotions

 

Lesson 5 Action Planning

  • Practise using the skills in the moment
  • Reflection on my own wellbeing, my learning process and how I can be my best in this school year
  • Consider and explore anything I need clarity on

 

Lesson 6 Emotions, Energy and Performance

  • Explore a model used in sports psychology
  • Understand that our emotions impact our energy and performance
  • Identify key actions to take control in a way that is helpful

 

Lesson 7 Strengths

  • Explore and identify personal strengths
  • Understand that we all have unique talents and strengths
  • Consider how and when personal strengths are helpful and when they can hinder

Bounce Forward partners with organisations who provide teaching resources that compliment and add value to Healthy Minds.

Talk to us about how to include their resources. Some are available for FREE and others at a discounted rate.

  • .breathe - Mindfulness In Schools Project (discounted Bounce Forward code)
  • Unplugged (drug education)- EU-DAP (FREE)
  • School Health Alcohol Harm Reduction Programme (alcohol) - The Alcohol Education Trust (FREE)
  • Papalona audios (FREE)

Testimonials

“Over the past 5-years, Healthy Minds has really helped my year group to understand each others’ feelings a lot better. It has helped us to look at situations in-depth rather than just what they seem on the surface.”

“I have been resilient by coping because last year my mum died. Healthy Minds has helped me because it has shown me how to act and overcome obstacles.”

Healthy Minds Students

Healthy Minds Case Studies

The Suthers School

Share this case study with senior leaders at your school.

Learn More

Healthy Minds Research Project​

The research project with 34 schools over 5 years that led to the design of Healthy Minds. Funded by the Education Endowment Foundation.

Learn More

Healthy Minds In Oldham​

Healthy Minds was a key element of the work in schools in Oldham Opportunity Area work.

Learn More

Enquire Now

Frequently Asked questions

Yes! It’s the only evidence based suite of its kind!

The Education Endowment Foundation research found a positive impact on attendance, fixed term exclusions and across wellbeing outcomes.

The Department for Education and HM Treasury include Healthy Minds in guidance when considering the economic arguments for building wellbeing. You can trust that this is an investment worth making.

Bounce Forward Healthy Minds was also showcased at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Children’s Wellbeing in December 2021.

Harry Kane Foundation marked its one-year anniversary on the 10th October 2023 by announcing a partnership with Bounce Forward. 

To kick things off, 17 schools across all nine regions across England are benefiting from the Harry Kane Foundation’s support by being set up with Healthy Minds.

Harry and Kate Kane also inspired the development of new teaching resources that now feature within Healthy Minds. 

Find out more about the partnership here. 

Download an overview of the Healthy Minds Learning Outcomes here. 

The high quality foundation training is delivered to you in pre-recorded videos via your members area. 

 

Healthy Minds is more than a curriculum. It is delivering a shift in the way we think and talk about mental resilience and emotional wellbeing. 

The lessons are not 'plug and play', they are interactive, engaging lessons that are led best by teachers who have an in-depth understanding of the skills, concepts and theory that underpin the learning. 

We recommend the following: 

  • Healthy Minds is included in the school improvement plan
  • Dedicated timetabled teaching is allocated
  • Whole staff understand Healthy Minds and how it fits into school improvement

Talk to us about how we can support you with whole staff CPD and implementation. 

Yes, we recommend you start with the foundational skills. 

You can also use elements of the learning materials as discreet modules. 

Talk to us about how other schools do this. 

We encourage you to measure the impact of teaching Healthy Minds as part of school improvement and planning. We have some simple tools for you to use - ask us about them. 

We also partner with BounceTogether to give our members discounted access to an amazing digital platform to help capture vital data, and measure wellbeing of staff, students and parents.

Contact us to find out more 

Healthy Minds can be purchased as a complete 5 year curriculum. Delivering 69 lessons, all ready to use in the classroom, via an on-line platform with pre-recorded CPD and ongoing support from us, as needed.

It’s just £2,475 for unlimited access across the school, and allows multiple logins.

Schools wanting to start with just one year group, can access individual year groups. Costs vary around £545. Please talk to us about your specific requirement, so we can give you accurate pricing. 

Yes. Find out more about Teach Mental Resilience and the other ways we support younger children. 

Find out more about this resource included within Healthy Minds. 

Yes. Find out about Resilient Futures and the other ways we support 16+. 

Want to ask something else?

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