Increasingly in Australia and overseas, attention has been given to the possibility of working through schools to improve the mental health of children. KidsMatter Primary, the Australian mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention initiative, is one such possibility but places growing expectations on teachers about their capacity to promote wellbeing and to recognise and support children with mental health difficulties. Discussion highlights issues related to professional learning, particularly for teachers since they are positioned as key facilitators of classroom participation in the national mental health agenda that will ultimately drive the sustainability of initiatives like KidsMatter.