Uptake and efficacy of mindfulness activities within educational establishments in Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire

Government initiatives such as Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL), the Targeted Mental Health in Schools (TaMHS) programme and the National Healthy Schools programme have been introduced in schools in response to poor levels of well-being in children (see for example, Harden et al, 2001; UNICEF, 2007). The first phase of this study aims to identify mindfulness activities that are taking place in the Foundation Stage to Key Stage 5 environment and to gather detailed data about these mindfulness activities and their related responses from participants. A 22-item qualitative online questionnaire was created and a link to the questionnaire was sent electronically to named recipients in schools in the region. Overall, participants reported positive reactions to existing mindfulness activities and indicated an understanding of how mindfulness activities could be beneficial in schools, even if they had not had any direct personal experience of them. There was ambiguity surrounding whether all activities described by participants met the definition of a mindfulness activity. An exploration of the definition of a mindfulness activity is required. Follow up focus groups and interviews in phase two of the study will aim to further explore these issues.