There is no shortage of student wellbeing programs, initiatives and policies across Australia. What does seem to be scarce, however, is evidence that they are resonating with the students they are designed to help.
A 2026 study by Edith Cowan University found nearly half of students surveyed rated their school's wellbeing program as “ineffective”, with kids often sceptical of teacher-delivered content.
Looking at the data, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Anxiety among young Australians has nearly tripled in 15 years. A University of Sydney study published in July found 29% of 16 to 24-year-olds had an anxiety disorder, up from 12% in 2007. Depression and other mood disorders have also soared, climbing from 5% to 13% over the same period.
As teachers prepare to begin Term 4 and see out the year, a big focus by educators will be on what needs to change in 2027 to ensure their wellbeing efforts will have genuine cut-through.
Kristen Douglas is National Manager & Head of Headspace Schools & Communities. She said the most effective wellbeing strategy in education begins with “looking after the people entrusted to look after everyone else.”
“Australian school leaders have become increasingly sophisticated in how they approach learning, wellbeing, and engagement,” Douglas told The Educator. “The most effective schools no longer treat wellbeing as a standalone program.”
Instead, said Douglas, it is embedded within leadership, relationships, workload, behaviour, curriculum, partnerships and the everyday experience of belonging, connection, and purpose.
“Schools familiar with the Commonwealth-funded Be You initiative will recognise the importance of a whole-school approach,” she said. “No wellbeing team, counsellor or external service can carry sole responsibility for the mental health and safety of an entire school community.”
Douglas noted that while specialist supports remain important, they must sit within a broader system of prevention, early identification, consistent classroom practice, clear referral pathways, family engagement and strong partnerships with community and health services.
“Staff need a shared understanding of what to notice, what to ask, what to do and when to escalate concerns,” she said. “This has become increasingly important as more young people arrive at school carrying pressures associated with housing insecurity, financial stress, family disruption, social isolation, and community adversity.”
Douglas said trauma-informed leadership applies these same principles to how leaders make decisions, shape culture and respond under pressure.
“Contemporary leaders must balance compassion with accountability, connection with boundaries, and vision with practicality,” she said. “Predictability, agency, cultural safety, relational trust and clear expectations benefit everyone in a school community, not only those who have experienced trauma.”
Douglas said schools should also revisit restorative practice as part of a broader response to bullying, violence, and harmful behaviour.
“Restorative practice is not the absence of consequences,” she said. “At its best, it balances relationships with responsibility by asking what happened, who was affected, what harm was caused and what is needed to repair it.”
Douglas said when implemented well, restorative practice strengthens accountability, empathy, and respectful behaviour.
“Importantly, staff wellbeing and student wellbeing are inseparable. Psychologically safe workplaces enable people to ask for help, admit uncertainty, raise concerns, and learn from mistakes,” she said. “This is not about lowering standards. It is about creating an environment where respectful challenge, accountability and learning can occur.”
‘Principals need to put on their own oxygen mask first’
Head of Be You, Kate Memish, said Principals looking to provide meaningful support for students’ mental health must start with taking leadership on mental health and wellbeing.
“This includes setting a clear direction, prioritising wellbeing alongside learning, and creating the conditions for staff to sustain good mental health and wellbeing practices,” Memish told The Educator. “At the same time, we need to recognise the significant strain and pressure many principals are under.”
Memish said leading a school has become increasingly complex and supporting the wellbeing of students and staff while managing growing expectations can take a personal toll.
“Like the safety advice on an aeroplane, Principals need to put on their own oxygen mask first,” she said. “Looking after their own mental health and wellbeing is not a luxury or an act of self-interest. It is essential if they are to provide the leadership, support and stability their school communities need.”
Memish said meaningful change is most successful when it is embedded across the whole school.
“Mental health and wellbeing should be reflected in school culture, policies, teaching practice, and the relationships that surround students every day,” she said. “Young people are more likely to thrive when they feel connected, safe, and supported by the adults around them.”
A strong focus on building educators' confidence and capability is also essential, said Memish.
“Principals can support staff by ensuring they have access to professional learning, resources and specialist support to build their confidence and knowledge to recognise concerns, respond appropriately and have supportive conversations with children and young people,” she said. “Clear pathways to additional support are just as important.”
Memish said this requires strong partnerships with families, community organisations and health services to help ensure students can access the right support when needed.
“When wellbeing is embedded into the everyday life of a school and supported by strong leadership, schools are better positioned to help young people learn, grow and thrive.”
‘Every interaction counts’
Douglas said culture remains one of the most powerful influences on school success.
“It is reflected in what leaders reward, what they tolerate, how they behave under pressure and how the least powerful members of the community are treated,” she said. “Effective leaders understand that culture is built through hundreds of small interactions every week.”
Douglas said eye contact, using someone's name, listening with genuine attention, noticing emotional shifts and following through on commitments can have a disproportionate impact on trust.
“Every interaction is either a deposit into, or a withdrawal from, the trust account.”
Douglas said supporting wellbeing also requires us to move beyond simply asking people to become more resilient within complex overwhelmed systems.
“Sustainable workload design, clear boundaries, predictable routines, role clarity, and effective escalation pathways are essential protections against burnout, compassion fatigue, and secondary traumatic stress,” she said.
“This is why reflective practice and professional supervision should become standard components of contemporary school leadership.”
Douglas said reflective supervision provides leaders with a structured space to process complexity, examine decisions, learn from experience and think strategically about what comes next.
“Importantly, Education Minister Jason Clare has announced Commonwealth support for a national pilot of reflective supervision for principals, coordinated by headspace in partnership with principal associations and other peak bodies,” she said.
“This represents a significant, evidence-informed investment in principal wellbeing and leadership sustainability. Building on work already occurring in several jurisdictions, it has the potential to strengthen reflective practice, leadership capability and workforce wellbeing across Australia.”