14: Health and Well-Being in the Middle Grades: Current Practices in Schools

Over the last decade, attention to health and well-being in the middle grades of schooling has received increased and increasing attention from policy makers, school leaders, curriculum leaders, and teachers. Collectively, this book presents detailed examples from a diverse range of school settings showcasing what schools are putting into practice to support the health and well-being of students and teachers in the middle grades of schooling. Among the topics explored are the explicit teaching of social and emotional capabilities such as self-management and healthy relationships; student’s sense of belonging at school; and health literacy. These chapters also highlight the curriculum employed and pedagogies used to support the personal and academic growth of young adolescents. Recommendations from the chapters include (a) fostering strong school-community partnerships, (b) implementing culturally responsive and (c) co-designed programmes, (d) prioritising relational approaches, and (e) ensuring sustained, evidence-informed practices that continually adapt to student and staff needs. This collection demonstrates that all schools have the capacity and skills, often exclusively within their own school context, to explore and implement a range of different programmes to better support health and well-being.