You may have heard of mindfulness or read some of the recent media coverage about it. A great deal of this media interest has arisen as a result of the growing body of rigorous research evidence regarding the potential benefits of mindfulness for young people. These include randomised control trials and neuroscientific studies.
As Professor Katherine Weare (Emeritus Professor, Southampton and Exeter Universities) observed in her award-winning research summary: Evidence for the Impact of Mindfulness on Children and Young People, schools who engage in mindfulness are likely to see ‘beneficial results on the emotional wellbeing, mental health, ability to learn and even the physical health of their students. Such interventions are relatively cheap to introduce, have an impact fairly quickly, can fit into a wide range of contexts and above all are enjoyable and civilising, for pupils and staff.’
We’re pleased to offer the classroom-based mindfulness curriculum, “Paws b” & “.b” (pronounced ‘dot be’).
“Paws b” is a 12 session (40 minutes per session) curriculum for children aged 7 -11 whilst “.b” is a 10 session curriculum for young people aged 11-18. Both courses are offered formally as a series of lessons which often sit well within a PSHE curriculum or elsewhere, and informally through integrating the learning and practice of mindfulness in all National Curriculum subjects and in the children’s everyday lives.
During the course the pupils will be learning about many things, including:
· Specific areas of the brain and how these affect our ability to focus, make good choices, recognise when we need to steady ourselves when our body or mind is busy or out of balance.
· Ways that mindfulness can support them in many day-to-day activities, including concentration and memory, behavioural self- management, and in relationships with family and friends.
· Ways to respond rather than react – and therefore make better choices and take best care of themselves and others.
· Each student receives a certificate upon completing the the mindfulness course.
The feedback from children who have taken part in Paws b is very positive. They report enjoying the lessons and find the learning supports them in a broad range of situations from being able to concentrate and focus more easily in school to help them feel calmer in exams and competitions. Many have described sharing the learning with other family members and finding it helps them with their relationships with family and friends.
You can see a summary of feedback about Paws b from over 1500 students here: https://mindfulnessinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Website-Feedback-for-Paws-b-NP-1.pdf
https://mindfulnessinschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Website-Feedback-for-.b-NP-1.pdf
Should you be interested in reading further about the body of research evidence around mindfulness for both young people and school staff, you may find more information here: https://mindfulnessinschools.org/mindfulness-in-education/why-do-it/
For more information, prices and to book a course or one off workshop for your school, please get in touch via the form below.
