Health and Wellbeing

MASSAGE IN SCHOOL PROGRAMME (MISP)

Massage in Schools is a programme that develops positive touch based on respect involving a formal massage routine as part of teaching and learning.

St Gregory's has introduced Peer massage throughout the school. All children have been taught a simple massage routine that they perform on a friend.

Peer massage is used to:

• Help children become calmer and have improved concentration.
• Develops confidence and increased self esteem
• Teach children to respect others and leads to social inclusion
• Improve Emotional health
• Help children recognise ‘good’ and ‘bad’ touch
• Improve motor skills
• Encourages visual and kinaesthetic learning.
• Children are encouraged to make choices
• Cooperation improves as children work in pairs and in groups
• There is a calmer classroom environment The teacher benefits from all these aspects
• Massage is fun!

Mindfulness in School Programme (MISP)

Mindfulness in school is taught through  Paws b.

paws .b is an engaging  course for 7 – 11 year olds which introduces mindfulness skills and practices. The course fits into the PSHE curriculum and is taught as 12 sessions, fitting into the school timetable.

paws .b was designed for primary school settings by teachers and mindfulness experts. Mrs Green is  a Paws b Teacher for the Mindfulness in Schools Project.

paws .b​ ​is designed for all children in a school classroom. It can be taught to the whole class or in smaller groups.

• It promotes wellbeing, self-awareness and self-care.
• It offers adaptive coping strategies to build resilience and help when life is challenging.
• It encourages children to treat themselves and others kindly and with respect.
• It can help foster a growth mindset and positive attitude to learning.
• It extends thinking-skills learning promoted in the national curriculum such as neuroscience and metacognition.
• It offers knowledge and skills which can help children through school and beyond.

Students can use what they learn:

• To feel happier, calmer and more fulfilled
• To get on better with others
• To help them concentrate and learn more effectively
• To help cope with stress and anxiety
• To support performance such as music, drama or sport

paws .b is based on six themes with two lessons in each theme;

1. Brain Training: Let’s Explore Our Amazing Brain!
2. Puppy Training: Learning to Be in the Present Moment
3. Finding a Steady Place: Grounding Ourselves When We Wobble
4. Dealing with Difficulty: Managing Your Amygdalae
5. The Storytelling Mind: Recognising the Power of Thoughts
6. Growing Happiness: Choosing to Nurture Ourselves and Others

The children learn about parts of the brain shown to be influenced by mindfulness practice. They are offered skills to help them take care of themselves: how to steady themselves and how to respond rather than react in challenging situations. They learn about thinking processes and how thoughts emotions and body state affect each other. They investigate ‘fight-or-flight’ and perception. They practice training their attention and explore how mindfulness can support them in all areas of their lives