KATE CLARK FCCT, DEPUTY HEAD: PASTORAL, FOREST PREPARATORY SCHOOL, UK
Over the past decade, concerns from both teachers and parents about the mental health of young people have grown significantly. Recent data from NHS England (2023) suggests that around one in five children and young people in England now experience a probable mental health disorder, a noticeable rise since 2017. In schools, this reality is visible in daily interactions with pupils who feel overwhelmed by pressure, uncertain about how to express their feelings or reluctant to take risks in their learning.
In this context, educators are increasingly exploring ways in which to support both learning and wellbeing simultaneously. One approach is through the development of a joyful curriculum. By this, I do not mean a curriculum centred purely on entertainment or excitement. Rather, a joyful curriculum is one that enables pupils to experience meaningful engagement, creativity and a sense of belonging in their learning. Creative pedagogies can support this by allowing pupils to explore ideas, make choices and express themselves in ways that build confidence and emotional understanding.
Creativity, joy and care are closely related but distinct ideas. Creativity refers to the process of generating and exploring ideas, often involving imagination, experimentation and problem-solving. Joy in learning refers to the sense of engagement and absorption that pupils experience when learning feels meaningful and purposeful. Care relates to the supportive relationships and environments that allow pupils to feel safe, valued and heard. When these elements work together, creativity becomes one way in which schools can foster both joyful learning and caring environments.
National policy increasingly recognises the importance of mental health within education. The Department for EducationThe ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England (DfEDepartment for Education - a ministerial department responsible for children’s services and education in England, 2021) emphasises that promoting pupils’ wellbeing is a whole-school responsibility that should be embedded in school culture, relationships and teaching practices. Similarly, the Education Endowment Foundation highlights the role of social and emotional learning in supporting pupils’ self-regulation, emotional literacy and academic success (EEF, 2025).
Creative engagement has also been associated with positive wellbeing outcomes. Research commissioned by Arts Council England (2014) suggests that participation in arts and creative activities can contribute to improved mood, reduced anxiety and stronger feelings of belonging among young people. While such organisations may understandably advocate for creative subjects, a growing body of interdisciplinary research supports the broader educational value of creative learning.
Taken together, this evidence suggests that creativity should not be viewed simply as an optional enrichment activity. Instead, it can form part of an approach to learning that supports both cognitive development and emotional wellbeing.
Despite widespread agreement about the benefits of creativity, many teachers find it hard to prioritise creative approaches within the realities of school life. Curriculum demands, accountability pressures and workload constraints often mean that lessons become tightly structured and outcome-focused. In such contexts, creativity may be perceived as an additional element that requires extra time.
Creative pedagogy does not necessarily require additional lessons or major curriculum redesign. Instead, it can involve just small shifts in teaching practice that allow pupils greater opportunities for exploration and expression within existing learning objectives. In English lessons, pupils might experiment with multiple narrative perspectives when exploring a text. In science, they might design and model an imagined habitat to demonstrate ecological understanding. In history or geography, role-play and simulation can enable pupils to explore different viewpoints and social contexts.
Importantly, creativity should not be understood as something that only suits confident or expressive pupils. For some children, particularly those who feel anxious about performance or mistakes, creative tasks can offer alternative ways of participating and communicating. Activities such as drawing, modelling or reflective writing may be a safer means of expression than speaking in front of peers. In this sense, creativity can help to ensure that pupils feel heard, and not simply assessed.
When pupils become deeply absorbed in a learning activity, they may experience what the psychologist Mihály Csikszentmihalyi (1990) called ‘flow’: a state of focused attention and intrinsic enjoyment. Flow often occurs when individuals are engaged in challenging but achievable tasks that require concentration and creativity. Although the concept of flow is not limited to creative activities, creative tasks frequently provide the conditions in which it emerges. Pupils who are writing a poem, constructing a model or developing a drama scene often demonstrate intense focus and sustained effort. Teachers frequently observe that pupils who experience such moments of engagement appear calmer and more motivated afterwards.
These experiences can support the development of important skills linked to wellbeing and learning, including persistence, self-regulation and resilience. Creative activities typically involve experimentation and revision, encouraging pupils to adapt ideas and recover from mistakes. In this way, they offer opportunities for low-stakes risk-taking that can strengthen pupils’ confidence in their learning.
A joyful curriculum does not mean prioritising arts subjects at the expense of academic rigour. Instead, it involves recognising that creative thinking can enrich learning across disciplines. In English and PSHE, creative writing, journalling or storytelling can help pupils to articulate emotions and reflect on their experiences. In humanities subjects, imaginative tasks such as designing historical artefacts or creating fictional diary entries can deepen understanding of historical contexts. Drama and role-play can also offer powerful opportunities for exploring empathy and perspective-taking. Chappell et al. (2008) describe such approaches as possibility thinking, in which pupils explore ‘what if?’ questions that encourage curiosity and creative problem-solving.
Outdoor learning provides another context in which creativity and wellbeing can intersect. Research suggests that learning in natural environments can reduce stress and improve pupils’ engagement and attention (Natural England, 2016). For younger pupils in particular, outdoor exploration often supports sensory regulation and curiosity about the world.
For creative approaches to flourish, teachers often need both practical support and cultural permission. Leadership plays a critical role in shaping the conditions in which creative pedagogy can develop. School leaders can encourage creativity by:
- providing professional development focused on creative teaching approaches
- allowing flexibility within curriculum planning
- valuing experimentation and reflection in teaching practice
- creating opportunities for collaboration across subjects
- recognising that wellbeing and engagement are important educational outcomes.
Importantly, leaders must also acknowledge the realities of teacher workload. Creativity cannot simply be added as another expectation within already demanding schedules. Instead, schools may need to consider how existing structures can be adapted so that creative pedagogies support, rather than increase, teachers’ workload.
Creative learning can strengthen several protective factors linked to pupil wellbeing, including belonging, confidence and supportive relationships. Activities such as collaborative art, drama productions or music ensembles allow pupils to contribute meaningfully to shared projects.
Research from the Youth Sport Trust (2023) shows that such group activities can play a significant role in building social connection and resilience. In this sense, creativity contributes to what might be described as a caring curriculum. When pupils feel able to express ideas, explore different perspectives and recover from mistakes, they are more likely to feel valued within their learning environment.
A joyful curriculum, therefore, does not imply constant excitement or novelty. Instead, it reflects a deeper form of engagement: pupils experiencing learning as purposeful, expressive and meaningful. In contemporary education systems, where assessment data and performance measures often dominate discussion, joy may appear to be a secondary concern. Yet joy is closely linked to the kinds of engagement and motivation that sustain learning over time.
Creative pedagogies offer a pathway through which schools can support academic learning and pupil wellbeing. By embedding opportunities for imagination, exploration and expression across the curriculum, teachers can help pupils to develop resilience, curiosity and a sense of belonging in their learning. A joyful curriculum is not an optional enrichment, but an approach that recognises creativity as a valuable component of teaching and learning, supporting pupils to thrive both intellectually and emotionally.
