BrightSPARC
Wellbeing Approach

The SPARC Wellbeing Approach supports schools to create purposeful wellbeing spaces where children can connect, reflect and make positive choices.

At its core, SPARC recognises that wellbeing develops through both explicit skill development and opportunities to practice those skills in real contexts. Pupils are supported to build key skills linked to three drivers of wellbeing - connection, reflection, and autonomy - while also having the time and space for these to grow naturally through experience.

SPARC is built around a simple model of pupil leadership and facilitation, supported by staff. It is driven by BrightSPARC Makers who receive training to effectively facilitate the BrightSPARC Hub where the BrightSPARC Squad engage in skill development through spaces that encourage play, curiosity and creativity which improves wellbeing under the guidance of a BrightSPARC trained Mentor.

Many pupils can explain what supports wellbeing, but far fewer are regularly given the time, space, and opportunity to practice the skills that support their growth.

This approach ensures environments are created where wellbeing is experienced, developed, and strengthened over time. This helps children build positive relationships, develop emotional awareness and grow in confidence. It supports them to recognise their own thoughts and feelings, understand others, solve problems and make positive choices.

What makes BrightSPARC unique is the way it combines structure with flexibility. It gives children opportunities to take part in ways that feel natural, creative and accessible, while helping schools and settings capture the wider benefits for wellbeing, belonging, behaviour, confidence and engagement.

Students take part in activities, notice what is happening in themselves and others, and begin to understand and apply what they have learned over time.

Over time, the values and approaches developed within these spaces can be embedded more widely across school life, shaping culture, relationships, and everyday interactions.

The Play Commission report makes clear that children need more protected time, space, and permission to play - because play is essential for wellbeing, development, and resilience.

Play is at the heart of the BrightSPARC Wellbeing Approach, allowing open-ended exploration, imagination, and self-direction, with freedom to be creative and follow curiosity.

"Play is not a luxury. It is essential to learning, wellbeing, development and belonging"
- The Play Commission Report

BrightSPARC Maker Wellbeing Training

BrightSPARC Maker Wellbeing Training helps schools build a positive culture of wellbeing, connection, and peer support. At a time when many pupils benefit from stronger opportunities to talk, reflect, and support one another, the SPARC framework gives schools a practical way to develop these skills across the whole school community.

SPARC follows a simple, connected model. Our training equips students and staff to confidently understand and use this in practice:

Drivers - the core processes that improve wellbeing: connection, reflection, and autonomy. These are what pupils need to experience and develop.

Enablers - the conditions that allow the drivers to grow: play, curiosity, and creativity. These are the types of spaces Bright SPARC Makers create.

Indicators - the key skills pupils develop and practice. These show what wellbeing growth looks like in action.

The outcomes we aim to see are improved wellbeing across all areas of life.

Pupils are supported to move through a clear process themselves and to confidently facilitate this for others:

This ensures wellbeing is not just discussed, but experienced, understood, and sustained over time.

What Makes SPARC Effective

SPARC is:

structured but flexible - easy to adapt to different settings
pupil-led - building leadership and ownership
experience - based - focusing on what pupils do, not just what they know
play-based - promoting exploration, creativity and active learning

All training includes:

practical resources and session materials
guidance to support implementation
ongoing development and support to embed the approach over time

BrightSPARC Training Structure

The training for this approach can be delivered in two ways:

BrightSPARC Mentor Training - Delivered to an adult in school to oversee the BrightSPARC approach and train BrightSPARC Makers.

BrightSPARC Maker Training - delivered to students either by a Brightcore facilitator on site or by a BrightSPARC Mentor.

This training helps create a sustainable, pupil-led approach to wellbeing.

This can be delivered by a school Bright SPARC Mentor (trained by Brightcore) or directly by a Brightcore facilitator on site.

This training equips pupils to become Bright SPARC Makers - pupil leaders who create and facilitate wellbeing spaces for their peers within the BrightSPARC Hub.

Through practical, interactive training, pupils:

learn the SPARC approach and their role in enabling wellbeing
develop key skills linked to connection, reflection, and autonomy to support improved wellbeing
practise how to create safe, inclusive, and engaging spaces
develop skills to improve their own wellbeing
have the opportunity to develop leadership skills
build confidence in supporting others through listening, prompts, and choice

They are introduced to a simple session structure:

Check-in (build connection)
Skills focus (develop key skills)
SPARC space (play, curiosity, creativity in action)
Check-out (help others catch and hold learning)

Following training, BrightSPARC Makers are able to:

Facilitate a BrightSPARC Hub during social times or targeted sessions
Support members of the BrightSPARC Squad who may find unstructured times challenging
Share key principles across the school and promote wellbeing
Contribute to a positive, inclusive school environment

Each pupil receives a training booklet and practical resources to support them in applying and revisiting their learning.

This is delivered by Brightcore Consultancy online.

This training supports staff to implement, lead, and sustain the SPARC approach within their school.

Staff are introduced to the SPARC model and supported to:

Understand how wellbeing develops through connection, reflection, and autonomy
Create and oversee an effective Bright SPARC Hub
Develop a plan to apply key principles across the whole school
Train and support Bright SPARC Makers within their setting
Adapt the approach to meet the needs of their setting
Receive ongoing support in developing a positive wellbeing culture
Identify a clear starting point for understanding and measuring wellbeing

BrightSPARC is ready to work in your setting

The SPARC approach is designed to be flexible and adaptable, supporting schools to embed wellbeing in a way that is both practical and sustainable.

If you would like to discuss more bespoke training options, or to find out more about how BrightSPARC training could work in your setting, please get in touch.

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BrightSPARC Wellbeing Approach

The Play Commission report makes clear that children need more protected time, space, and permission to play - because play is essential for wellbeing, development, and resilience.

​

Play is at the heart of the BrightSPARC Wellbeing Approach, allowing open-ended exploration, imagination, and self-direction, with freedom to be creative and follow curiosity. ​​​​

​

"Play is not a luxury. It is essential to learning, wellbeing, development and belonging" - The Play Commission Report

BrightSPARC Maker Wellbeing Training

What Makes SPARC Effective

BrightSPARC Training Structure

This can be delivered by a school Bright SPARC Mentor (trained by Brightcore) or directly by a Brightcore facilitator on site.

​

This training equips pupils to become Bright SPARC Makers - pupil leaders who create and facilitate wellbeing spaces for their peers within the BrightSPARC Hub.

​

Through practical, interactive training, pupils:

learn the SPARC approach and their role in enabling wellbeing

develop key skills linked to connection, reflection, and autonomy to support improved wellbeing

practise how to create safe, inclusive, and engaging spaces

develop skills to improve their own wellbeing

have the opportunity to develop leadership skills

build confidence in supporting others through listening, prompts, and choice

​​

They are introduced to a simple session structure:

Check-in (build connection)

Skills focus (develop key skills)

SPARC space (play, curiosity, creativity in action)

Check-out (help others catch and hold learning)

​​

Following training, BrightSPARC Makers are able to:

Facilitate a BrightSPARC Hub during social times or targeted sessions

Support members of the BrightSPARC Squad who may find unstructured times challenging

Share key principles across the school and promote wellbeing

Contribute to a positive, inclusive school environment

​​

Each pupil receives a training booklet and practical resources to support them in applying and revisiting their learning.

This is delivered by Brightcore Consultancy online.

​

This training supports staff to implement, lead, and sustain the SPARC approach within their school.

​

Staff are introduced to the SPARC model and supported to:

Understand how wellbeing develops through connection, reflection, and autonomy

Create and oversee an effective Bright SPARC Hub

Develop a plan to apply key principles across the whole school

Train and support Bright SPARC Makers within their setting

Adapt the approach to meet the needs of their setting

Receive ongoing support in developing a positive wellbeing culture

Identify a clear starting point for understanding and measuring wellbeing

​

​

BrightSPARC is ready to work in your setting

BrightSPARC
Wellbeing Approach

Play is at the heart of the BrightSPARC Wellbeing Approach, allowing open-ended exploration, imagination, and self-direction, with freedom to be creative and follow curiosity.

"Play is not a luxury. It is essential to learning, wellbeing, development and belonging"
- The Play Commission Report