VIEWS & OPINION


Mindfulness proves not to be ‘another fad’


Comment by BEN EVANS, Headmaster at Edge Grove School


Limitless Careers: why I’m campaigning for careers advice to be delivered by independent providers


Comment by ANGELA MIDDLETON, Chairman and Founder, MiddletonMurray


We’ve now reached a stage where the principles of mindfulness are an essential part of every school’s curriculum (or at least they should be). Children have a lot to take on board each day and their school lives continue to get busier and busier. The pressure and preparation for exams alone, can be intense, not to mention the pressure placed on children by their parents (via additional tutoring and endless activities) as well as the busy pace of normal school life means there is little time to respond and think. Mindfulness is proving not to be simply another fad and is helping children in a number of positive ways such as with increasing attainment, improving behavior and concentration and also building greater self-esteem. Mindfulness continues to be of benefit to all pupils too, even


the most highly achieving. In fact, it is the ambitious children who are often doing the most and putting the greatest amount of pressure on themselves. Mindfulness allows them to think more clearly, to order their priorities and to see beyond the next deadline. We have all experienced that feeling of forgetting what we


were going to say or do when we walk into a room and the truth is, children are no different. This comes from having so many competing distractions and also the sheer volume of information children have to think about every day. As a result, mindfulness is of great use to those who struggle to concentrate, (which can manifest from a behavioural perspective), as it will give them the tools to focus and channel their attention towards their learning. Mindfulness also plays a part in boosting creativity but in all


honesty it’s not a miracle cure! The school's curriculum needs to have inbuilt creativity and the teaching methods used need to be innovative, exciting, stimulating with lots of practical and hands on activities. Mindfulness will allow children to become more empathetic, work collaboratively, be resilient and think more clearly. All of these traits help with creative learning and will ensure higher performance and increased levels of attainment. Within our creative curriculum, the principles of mindfulness are


employed every day. Children are encouraged to think, clear their minds, be open to new ideas and spend time listening and thinking rather than talking. Our school Remembrance Garden continues to be a popular and special area for children to ensure they have somewhere they can go for quiet reflection and repose during their busy days. Meditation techniques are also used in our pre-prep assemblies to help children relax, empty their minds, listen carefully and think. Even though mindfulness is an important part of the curriculum,


it’s important that as teachers, we don't treat it like another fad. There are lots of benefits for both adults and children. Who doesn't want their child to be able to cope with modern day stress, understand how to empty their minds and focus on what is important? Likewise, what school doesn’t want their pupils to perform better and negate any poor behaviour or learning habits?


24 www.education-today.co.uk


This month, I launched a campaign to transform careers advice in the UK at an event at the House of Commons - #LimitlessCareers. The crux of the matter is that I don’t think providing world-class careers


advice and support should be the mainstay of teachers, it should be supported by independent providers. MiddletonMurray is the apprenticeships and training consultancy I set up in


2002 and I am proud to say the company has now placed over 10,000 young people. I don’t want to stop there though; I want to provide the best careers advice to anyone and everyone who wishes to develop their career but has no idea where to begin. Before we launched Limitless, we polled our most recent cohort of learners


to gauge the state of current careers advice in the curriculum. Nearly 30% hadn’t ever received careers advice, and of those that had received advice in education, only 10% believed the advice was “very useful”. It is abundantly clear that careers advice in its current form isn’t working. I


am wholeheartedly on the side of the teachers and the education sector, and I find it staggering that a teacher is required to deliver the curriculum as well as careers advice, amongst all the other demands. So, what are the practical next steps? Enter the Limitless Manifesto, a radical overhaul of the careers advice


system which I am working alongside our government to implement. You can read the manifesto at www.middletonmurray.com/limitlesscareers-manifesto/ What I do not want is for the next generation of workers to feel


disillusioned, unproductive and unsupported. Too many people I meet feel like they do not know where to start with their dream career, and this ranges from people who have just left education, to those who have already kickstarted a career, but want to change direction. Limitless ensures all age groups are covered, from entry-level support via


apprenticeship and traineeship placements, to mid-life careers clinics, to supporting a holistic approach to mind, body and business for everyone looking for well-rounded support. The Limitless event went very well – and I was so pleased by the way it was


received on the day, with talks from Andrew Rosindell MP and Rt. Hon Robert Halfon MP, Chair of the Education Select Committee – as well as the public reaction afterwards. There is a clear demand for careers advice and guidance: many people


have reached out to ask if they can join the Limitless programme and participate in the Limitless Careers Clinics in our nationwide offices. The reaction has also sparked debate. Online, particularly on LinkedIn, we


saw feedback from careers advisors who perceived the launch as a comment on the quality of their work. Limitless does not set out to undermine the hard work being put in by existing providers or teachers, it was set up to provide a platform and a network to ensure the UK’s careers support is world-class. The government has taken real strides to implement a careers strategy, but


Limitless addresses the fact that it doesn’t go far enough. I hope others will join me in calling for the government to reconsider how careers advice can be delivered to ensure we are supporting the education sector and providing young people with the advice and skills needed to thrive in the future.


July/August 2018


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