Over the past year we have successfully delivered Socialising Mindfulness (also known as ACTs of Creativity) sessions to schools in the Bolsover district. Initially we were supposed to deliver the sessions in a mixture of primary and secondary schools. However, due to a lot of secondary schools being overwhelmed with the integration of students transitioning from home learning back to face to face learning it was concluded by ourselves and partners that it would be more beneficial to focus on delivering face to face sessions to primary schools and one SEN school instead.
The schools we delivered to were:
Arkwright primary school
Brockley primary school
Duckmanton primary school
Bolsover primary school
Stubbin Wood SEN School.
The sessions in each school were a huge success and had an instant positive impact on the children. With every session children were reporting increases in emotional well-being which was measured by children rating how they were feeling on a scale of 1 to 5.
The scales were as follows:
1 - Feeling very bad
2 – Feeling bed
3 – Feeling Ok
4 – Feel good
5 – Feeling amazing
These measures were taken at the beginning of the class and again at the end of the class. Generally, most children had a significant increase in their mood by the end of the session when compared with their mood at the beginning of each session. Even after just 2 weeks children were taking initiative and teaching their siblings and parents the dance meditation techniques and were implementing them in their home lives when they faced emotionally challenging times.
The digital content that was created worked particularly well to incite initial interest in school staff to help cultivate relationships and develop an appetite for the sessions. The digital content has also been used to deliver challenges based on the 5 ways to well-being to pupils in schools.
Teachers also reported improvements in children's well-being and said they would definitely recommend the ACTs of Creativity sessions to other schools. In addition to this all involved schools have expressed an interest for the sessions to continue in September.
In total we have delivered a minimum of 50 sessions and have engaged with a minimum of 115 children. We have trained up 4 members of staff and provided continual support for them to be able to deliver their sessions to the highest standard. We have received written quotes from many of the children and teachers that took part in the activity. Here are a couple of examples of the quotes we have received;
“Its been very nice and has helped me with my stress and with the breathing and has been amazing!!!”
From a pupil at Brockely Primary School
“....When my mum gets stressed out I tell her to do the calming move. I LOVE doing the moves”
From a pupil at Brockley Primary School
“I felt happy. It got rid of all of my anger”
From a pupil at Stubbin Wood
“In the sessions dancing and staff its the only time I feel like my one true self’’
From a pupil at Arkwright