ENRICHMENT HELPING THE COMMUNITY MINDFULNESS


PRIMARY SCHOOL ENRICHMENT


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he primary school enrichment activity was launched in September 2018. At present, we have twelve students volunteering at Charlton Manor Primary School.


The staff at Charlton Manor could not praise our students enough for the way they work with the primary school children. Particular praise has gone to Lara G and Kayla J for their work in PE lessons. They have helped keep Key Stage 1 students engaged and assisted with team-building exercises.


This term we have been able to support a variety of students within Key Stage 1 and 2. One of our students said, “Going to primary school and volunteering our time has been great. It makes a difference from attending lessons. You get to have different interactions with children, help them with their social skills and it allows you to connect with people who are younger. I want to become a teacher, so this experience is helping me gain the skills I need for the future.”


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his term during enrichment some of our Key Stage three students have been practising mindfulness.


Our students are paying more attention to the present moment – to their own thoughts and feelings and to the world around them. They have been improving their mental wellbeing through exploring different mindful practices such as noticing, reflecting, focussing and showing gratitude.


This term we had a particularly engaging session where we explored mindfulness through our senses.


The students took part in challenging activities that encouraged them to isolate their senses to consider the thoughts and feelings that they experienced. The highlights included drawing images inspired by music, mystery boxes, perceptions of images and mindful eating.


Our weekly sessions are based in the Library, to truly make the most of our comfortable surroundings. Once comfortable on our beanbags, our group practised meditation using the imagery of a treehouse. All the students were open-minded and fully engaged with this mindful practice. Following our period of meditation, some students commented that they would like to try out meditation in their own time to help them to unwind.


The scholars reflect weekly in their mindful journal showing the journey they are taking to get their minds calm and collected. These strategies are so important with the pressures they may face in their daily lives.


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