How La Trobe measured 28% wellbeing growth

When La Trobe University agreed to run an independent evaluation of our curriculum, the first thing they did was design the study without us in the room. That mattered. The 28% wellbeing growth they reported is theirs to defend, not ours to brag about.

The design

Two cohorts of primary schools, one running our curriculum, one running their existing wellbeing program (which mostly meant scheduled PowerPoints, scripted lessons, and paper-based reflection). Both groups answered the same wellbeing instrument before, during, and after a 12-week term.

The instrument was a validated student self-report scale measuring belonging, emotional regulation, optimism and connectedness. Standard tooling, peer-reviewed, used in dozens of school studies before ours.

What changed in the intervention schools

• Five-minute daily play sessions integrated into existing classes, no new timetable hours
• Weekly gratitude rituals (Three Good Things, the Lock-Up)
• Staff PD: a 60-minute play-based session before the term started
• Nothing else changed. Same teachers, same kids, same room.

The numbers

Students: 28% lift in self-reported wellbeing, primary cohort. Staff: 30% lift in self-reported happiness after the 60-minute PD. Energy: 40% lift in self-reported energy in the half-day immediately following play sessions. Effects sustained at 12-week follow-up.

What we didn't measure

Long-term sleep changes. Family wellbeing. Exam outcomes. Behaviour-incident counts. Truancy rates. Each of these is on the next-phase list. We refused to claim what the study didn't measure, that's the line between research and marketing.

Branded PDF — How La Trobe measured 28% wellbeing growth

A printable 2-page summary with the key takeaways. Perfect for staffroom walls, fridge doors, or the back of a planner.