Creating Emotional Stability in an Insecure World

We were delighted to deliver 14-weeks of mindfulness and wellness to three primary schools in the Flintshire area. The aim of the project was to strengthen young people’s entire wellbeing by connecting them to family, school, their community, and also to their peers and themselves. We saw the benefits of achieving this at the earliest age possible. For many of these young pupils the sessions were an opportunity to explore many of their unanswered questions. They asked BIG – LIFE questions which were easily explored by the class. Some of the questions they asked were: what reality is, where are emotions stored, what is creation, what if you don’t think, what happens if you get bullied, what are dreams, can we care about people without worrying about them. The lived experience of YaM mindfulness teachers was of paramount importance. The team were very mindful of the pupils and cleverly drew out underlying misconceptions they may have, as well as their concerns.

Project funded by

Having previously successfully completed a 14-week mindfulness course in Connahs Quay, Alun School, and Hawarden High in Flintshire from September 2022-March 2023 in a project titled Empowering Students Post Pandemic we identified that the problems experienced by students at high school were also present in primary schools – it was revealed through our consultation that 59% primary school pupils experienced worry, anxiety, stress and sadness.

This pilot ‘Creating Stability in an Insecure World’ was aimed at working with primary school pupils from Ysgol Bryn Gwalia, Ysgol Parc Y Llan and Trelawnyd VA to prepare them not only for secondary school pressures, but also to help these young learners to understand and overcome negative feelings identified, to keep healthy and take care of themselves, and to offer each other support.

Our enthusiasm for holistic wellbeing meant we were able to support the school, the pupils, and teachers by contributing something new and vital to the classroom atmosphere, and fit in with the school timetable. We formed a good relationship with Headteachers and teachers, who were able to identify how well their pupils had benefitted as a result of YaM’s unique approach. We were flexible and were easily able to fit in with the school schedule and operations, work independently and utilise their safeguarding systems when needed.

It became apparent throughout the pilot that primary school pupils are very interested in talking about matters that ewre relevant to their daily life. Most pupils were already aware of basic mindfulness techniques and shared them with their classmates, however they did not use them regularly. The main difference these sessions made was it facilitated a regular practice of mindfulness over the 14-weeks; shared with others when they used them; practiced them with their teachers the rest of the week; and discussed in greater depth the importance of wellbeing.

Below is feedback from the three schools we delivered to in this project:

Ysgol Parc Y Llan: Carol Evans (Teacher)

The Young and Mindful team were prompt each week, very friendly and approachable. Sessions were well thought out, organised and the children enjoyed the fun activities provided. Our children enjoyed chatting to the staff, they thought they were calm and patient and provided good advice when required. From discussions with the children, they feel as though they have strategies to deal with stressful situations – E.g. using finger breathing, which would be useful in new environments. They talked about the ability to turn their negative perception of a subject into a positive, enabling them to approach subjects with more enthusiasm and determination.

Ysgol Trelawnyd VA: Chris Williams (Teacher)

Through the sessions, the pupils have increased their vocabulary to discuss or describe feelings. Some pupils may now use these terms and phrases when talking about challenges within the classroom, or during their written tasks. The children have enjoyed the sessions and look forward to Friday afternoons each week. Attendance remains good for the entire class. Given the discussions that have been had, pupils appear to have better self-esteem. They have an improved sense of their own value, of their learning, as well as the inner workings of the brain.

The team have adapted well to working with a younger age group at our school, having already delivered 11 sessions to our Year 3 and 4 class. Through the relaxed style of delivery, pupils know that their comments will be listened to and that their ideas and contributions are appreciated.

The team are very mindful of the pupils and cleverly draw out underlying misconceptions they may have, as well as their concerns. For example, during a recent discussion about worries, the Young and Mindful team drew the pupils into a class discussion and quickly realised that many pupils felt that they believed worrying about someone was a way to show them that they cared about them. The team quickly addressed this and discussed instances where worrying is unhelpful to us, as well as unnecessary.

Ysgol Bryn Gwalia: Becki Stamper (Teaching Assistant)

It has been a pleasure to work so closely with both Shilpa and Jez over the last few months. From the offset they put themselves out there to become part of our school family and integrate themselves into the team. They took time to talk to both staff and pupils, take interest and get to know them. Shilpa and Jez made themselves both approachable and available and were keen to familiarise themselves with our school’s core values and ethos.

The content of the course was appropriate throughout, and they were able to tailor different elements to ensure inclusivity of varying needs and abilities. I loved the variety of thinking and the use of teaching techniques to get across the idea of “mindfulness”. The children were engaged throughout each session and were encouraged to express their thoughts, feelings and emotions should they feel they wanted to.

Using different skill sets such as music and art really enabled the children to immerse themselves into the idea of what mindfulness might mean for them as individuals. Upon individual reflection, I found the sessions beneficial, they highlighted the importance of my own emotional capacity and allowed me to look at different ways to enhance my own mindfulness moving forward. The children have gained so much over the time that Shilpa and Jez have been working with us and I do hope that we can work together in the future. I wish them every success moving forward.

At the end of the course the pupils were asked to fill out a feedback evaluation sheet. Here’s what the results showed:

75% AGREED that the course increased their knowledge about themselves.
58% AGREED that the course taught them new skills to relax and sleep.
70% AGREED that the course helped to increase their confidence and decision-making skills.
75% AGREED that the purpose of each session was clear to them.
85% AGREED that the lessons and topics were relevant to them.
83% AGREED that the content was easy, enjoyable, and well-organised.
78% AGREED that the pace of each lesson and mindfulness practice was right for them.
96% STRONGLY AGREED that the mindfulness teacher was friendly, professional, and easy to understand.
95% AGREED that the mindfulness teacher answered their questions well.

YaM has learned three valuable points from this project:

working with one entire year group benefits all students attending
the need to create a 14-week Emotional Transition from Year 6 to Year 7
encouraging and supporting students to become YaM Wellbeing Advocates and form a Youth Advisory Panel.