Wellbeing Hub
Primary Wellbeing Resources and Links
Curriculum Guidance
We have developed curriculum themes for PDMU that support progressive teaching in the areas of
- Self‐Awareness,
- Feelings and Emotions,
- Learning to Learn,
- Health, Growth and Change,
- Safety; Relationships; Rules, Rights and Responsibilities,
- Managing Conflict; Similarities and Differences and
- Learning to Live as Members of the Community.
These themes address all the statutory requirements of PDMU and the core skills of social and emotional learning. Further information is available on this hub, in our guidance booklet Personal Development and Mutual Understanding for Key Stage 1 and 2 and Progression Grids for PDMU.
We have also developed guidance showing how to take a whole‐school approach to emotional health and wellbeing and develop social and emotional learning competencies that complement the Northern Ireland curriculum.
This guidance discusses suitable teaching, learning and assessment strategies for PDMU at Key Stages 1 and 2. It also includes details about the knowledge, understanding and skills that pupils should be developing for each curriculum theme across the key stages.
These grids provide further details about progression in the curriculum themes across the key stages. They also include sample learning activities, information about the Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities pupils are developing, and suggested resources.
Developing a Whole‐School Approach to Social and Emotional Learning supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of children in Northern Ireland primary schools.
Describes what is meant by social and emotional learning and how to take a whole school approach. The guidance also includes a proposed progression for social and emotional learning competencies across the primary curriculum.
Featuring classroom strategies and progress maps, these guidance documents show how developing pupils’ Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities can help them interact effectively with others and regulate and enhance their own learning.
Created to provide resources that will help inform children and young people about their rights, as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), this hub also includes webinars about wellbeing and digital safety.
This guidance outlines Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) issues and provides a context for how and why primary schools should address them. It also helps schools to create a meaningful RSE policy and helps principals and teachers to manage potentially challenging situations.
CCEA Drugs Education guidance outlines current issues affecting children and young people and provides a useful context for how and why schools should address these.
Resources and Links
This comprehensive programme has seven colour‐coded, themed units for each school year from Year 1 to Year 7 – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. It suggests learning activities and methodologies for teachers. Each coloured unit identifies a PDMU statutory requirement and curriculum theme that is developed through suggested learning activities.
This resource helps 7-11 year old pupils become kind and supportive communicators when interacting with peers who have speech, language, and communication Needs (SLCN).
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Storybooks: Wise Up and Think: Book 5 – Keep Going, Brenda encourages primary pupils to think about how they can manage and succeed at difficult tasks and challenges.
Thinking Skills and Personal Capabilities Storybooks: Listen and Think: Year 2 – Let’s Have Fun Together can help primary pupils to learn about friendships and the benefits of working with others.
Thematic Unit: Me Inc. is aimed at Year 5 and encourages children to develop a greater sense of self‐awareness by thinking critically about the events and circumstances that have shaped their lives and by reflecting on what’s important to them.
Thematic Units can help primary pupils to develop social awareness skills:
- Celebrations and Good Times (PDF) (Years 3 and 4)
- My Place & Yours (PDF) (Years 3 and 4)
- Being and Belonging (PDF) (Year 5)
- Actions Speak Louder Than Words (PDF) (Years 6 and 7).
CCEA Relationships and Sexuality Education hub has guidance and resources on specific RSE topics.
Period Dignity refers to the accessibility and availability of essential care to support a period, in conjunction with breaking the stigma and taboo around periods.
Ready-to-use primary and post-primary resources to support schools seeking to raise pupil awareness of gambling and gaming.
Growing for the Future is a month‐by‐month resource for primary schools promoting healthy eating, food production and outdoor activity.
Understanding Homelessness aims to empower the next generation of young people to act to prevent homelessness in the future. Education plays a vital role in raising awareness and equipping pupils with the knowledge, skills and resilience to avoid homelessness.
This programme from the Education Authority youth work service within schools supports 6–19 year-olds to develop positive emotional health, increase their readiness for learning and build their resilience while providing support for teachers and parents.
RISE NI (Regional Integrated Support for Education in N.Ireland) interventions provided by the five Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts support children in pre-school and mainstream primary school settings in speech, language and communication needs; sensory, motor or perceptual difficulties and for underlying emotional health and wellbeing needs.
RISE NI (Regional Integrated Support for Education in N.Ireland) interventions provided by the five Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts support children in pre-school and mainstream primary school settings in speech, language and communication needs; sensory, motor or perceptual difficulties and for underlying emotional health and wellbeing needs.
RISE NI (Regional Integrated Support for Education in N.Ireland) interventions provided by the five Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts support children in pre-school and mainstream primary school settings in speech, language and communication needs; sensory, motor or perceptual difficulties and for underlying emotional health and wellbeing needs.
Includes Critical Incident and Emotional Health and Wellbeing training for educational professionals and professionals.
Includes training programmes and other support such as:
- Whole School Together – a six-month programme including individual sessions with staff focusing on school ethos and practice in positive behaviour management
- High 5 Newsletter (primary behaviour support newsletter)
- High 5 Friday (whole school programme connected to newsletter)
- Training for Social Behaviour and Emotional Wellbeing (SBEW) planning (updated chapter in DE SEN resource)
- Addressing Bullying in School
- Parenting programme
- Safeguarding Board Northern Ireland training – Trauma Informed Practice (Level 1)
- Outreach to individual young people to support wellbeing
Includes modules on ‘Pupil Wellbeing’, ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ and modules focusing on staff wellbeing.
The Attach project (TAP) for primary-aged looked after children focuses on using a specific attachment-focused intervention that was developed to improve the academic attainment and psychosocial outcomes for children in care in Northern Ireland.
Supports parents and carers to fulfil their statutory responsibility in ensuring that children attend school regularly. There is a focus on supporting pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing during this process.
Provides support for asylum seekers and refugees, including those suffering from trauma. It also promotes the Schools of Sanctuary award.
Wellbeing support and advice for schools who report safeguarding issues that have also affected the mental health of children and young people.
All Health and Social Care Trusts promote Take 5 for schools, and although the Take 5 Schools programme is currently only rolled out in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, all schools may find the resources useful.
This app was developed by Our Generation (Peace IV funded project) and aims to help children and young people improve their emotional resilience. It includes animations and games about mental health and wellbeing, empathy, coping and problem-solving, perspective taking and meeting and working with others. This animation is an example of work of pupils in the project describing how they learned to manage feelings and emotions.
The Public Health Agency offer free online courses to parents/carers living in Northern Ireland to help understand changes in a child’s development and how to support emotional health and wellbeing. You may wish to promote these to your school community as part of the Whole-Child, Whole-School, Whole-Community approach to wellbeing for all.
Mentally Healthy Schools brings together quality‐assured mental health resources, information and advice for schools and further education settings in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The NI Bereavement Network support website includes resources to support children and young people who are experiencing bereavement.
Áiseanna agus Naisc do Bhunscoileanna
Clár cuimsitheach ina bhfuil seacht n-aonad a dhíríonn ar théamaí éagsúla do gach bliain den bhunscoil. Tá dathanna éagsúla ar na haonaid do Bhliain 1 go Bliain 7 – dearg, oráiste, buí, glas, gorm, indeagó agus vialait. Moltar gníomhaíochtaí agus modheolaíochtaí do mhúinteoirí ann. Tá riachtanas reachtúil FPC agus téama curaclaim i ngach aonad a fhorbraítear trí ghníomhaíochtaí molta foghlama.
Scileanna Smaointeoireachta agus Ábaltachtaí Pearsanta: Leabhair Scéalta – Bí Ciallmhar agus Smaoinigh (Wise Up and Think Storybooks). Spreagann Leabhar 5, Coinnigh Ort, a Bhreanda, daltaí bunscoile le bheith ag smaoineamh ar an dóigh a dtig leo dul i ngleic le tascanna deacra agus le dúshláin.
Scileanna Smaointeoireachta agus Ábaltachtaí Pearsanta: Leabhair Scéalta – Éist agus Smaoinigh (Listen and Think Storybooks). Cuidíonn leabhar Bhliain 2, Ag Déanamh Spraoi le Chéile, le páistí bunscoile foghlaim faoi chairdeas agus faoi na buntáistí a bhaineann le bheith ag obair le daoine eile.
Cuidíonn Aonaid Théamacha le daltaí scileanna feasachta sóisialta a fhorbairt:
- Cúiseanna Ceiliúrtha! (PDF) (Blianta 3 agus 4)
- Mo Theachsa, Do Theachsa (PDF) (Blianta 3 agus 4)
- Muintearas (PDF) (Bliain 5)
- Is Túisce Beart ná Briathra (PDF) (Blianta 6 agus 7)
Áiseanna bunscoile agus iar-bhunscoile le tacú le scoileanna ar mian leo cur le feasacht na ndaltaí ar chearrbhachas agus ar chluichíocht. Tá áiseanna na ndaltaí ar fáil i nGaeilge.
Áis bhunscoile a thugann deis do pháistí folláine a fhiosrú agus a phlé agus a bheith páirteach i ngníomhaíochtaí folláine coirp agus intinne. Tá béim ar leith ar theanga na folláine a fhorbairt san áis seo.
Áis aireachais do bhunscoileanna ina bhfuil treoir don mhúinteoir agus gníomhaíochtaí cuí aireachais a thugann deis don mhúinteoir teanga an aireachais a fhorbairt i gcomhthéacs.
- Aire Duit! An Bhonnchéim (PDF)
- Aire Duit! Eochairchéim 1 (PDF)
- Aire Duit! Eochairchéim 2 (PDF)