There has been a huge growth in wellbeing programs in schools in Australia, with nine in 10 independents schools now offering a wellness service to students and public schools following suit.

Key points: Only 62 per cent of girls in secondary school said they had a strong sense of wellbeing

Only 62 per cent of girls in secondary school said they had a strong sense of wellbeing More than than 55 per cent were assessed as anxious.

More than than 55 per cent were assessed as anxious. In NSW, public schools now required to have a planned approach to wellbeing and mental health

The annual NAB Independent Schools Survey reveals the huge level of investment schools are making in supporting the mental health and overall wellbeing of their students, with programs ranging from mindfulness and meditation practices to the building of special buildings equipped with swimming pools, yoga studios and spaces of quiet reflection.

Only 62 per cent of girls in secondary schools had a strong sense of wellbeing, according to the survey, and more than 55 per cent were assessed as anxious.

Boys had higher levels of wellbeing and lower levels of anxiety, and primary school students fared much better than older students.

Boys showed higher levels of wellbeing and lower levels of anxiety, according to the survey. ( ABC News: Natasha Robinson )

The head of Behavioural and Industry Economics at NAB, Dean Pearson, said schools had instituted a wide array of programs to respond to escalating anxiety among young people.

"Wellbeing looks particularly strong for the under 50s, but the 18-24 year-old demographic is not looking very good, particularly with young women, and particularly in terms of anxiety," Mr Pearson said.

"I am not surprised that the schools are reacting to it. I think they have seen these issues building over time and particularly in young girls."

Programs integrate mind, body and spirit

Kingswood College students are encouraged to take time to focus on their physical and mental health. ( ABC News: Natasha Robinson )

An overwhelming majority of independent schools now have wellbeing programs in place, with schools creating new specialist positions such as Directors of Wellbeing, and employing wellbeing coaches to counsel children.

Melbourne Girls Grammar school is about to open a special new community hub which integrates academic study, fitness coaching and wellbeing programs.

The school has overhauled its timetabling to incorporate independent time where girls can choose to undertake extra study or tutoring with their teachers, take exercise or meet with a wellbeing coach.

The Artemis project at the centre of MGGS' wellness program cost $23 million to develop. ( Supplied: Melbourne Girls Grammar )

"We were inspired to build a community hub that integrated learning with physical environments and social areas, so that we symbolically represented to our girls that life is to be lived in an integrated way," principal Catherine Misson said.

"We talk about a wellbeing ecosystem at Melbourne Girls Grammar, and learning fits within that. We've brought a specialist workforce in wellbeing to Melbourne Girls Grammar. The wellbeing coaches are a dedicated, student-focussed workforce.

"And they come with the skills to coach our girls on self-management and self-care.

"It's about equipping girls with the strategies that will take them through not only school, but into life, so that they will form habits for life that are about maintaining a confident sense of identity, positive connections to others and a real optimism about their future."

Kingswood College's model for learning focusses on "mind, body, heart and spirit". ( ABC News: Natasha Robinson )

At Kingswood College in Melbourne's east, students often start the week by listening to the ringing of a Tibetan singing bowl.

They debrief about the events of their weekends and reflect quietly on the week ahead.

"We base what we do on our commitment to holistic learning — the mind, body, heart and spirit," principal Elisabeth Lenders said.

"I think our young people like those everywhere worry about what the future means, because the level of change in our society is exponential.

"We have young people who want to talk to us about what happens at home, what happens in their local neighbourhood, but similarly when there are massive changes or global events we similarly provide opportunities for them to debrief."

Public schools follow suit

Almost all public schools have wellbeing programs in place as well.

All NSW public schools are required to have a planned approach to wellbeing, according to the NSW Education Department, and $167.2 million was earmarked over four years for wellbeing packages for schools.

The money includes $80.7 million to employ 236 additional school counselling positions, the first big increase in school counselling positions since 1996. Youth workers are also provided to 381 schools with greater need.

The president of the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals, Judy Crowe, said schools don't need a lot of money to implement effective wellbeing strategies.

"State schools don't necessarily have all the bells and whistles that you might see in other schools, but they certainly have very well-developed wellbeing programs that operate right across the school," Ms Crowe said.

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