Buxton Community School has been chosen to take part in an exciting project which aims to introduce children, young people and school staff to mindfulness. The project which hopes to reach 5,400 pupils in Derbyshire and Derby City over the next 18 months has been commissioned by the NHS and is being managed by Derbyshire Educational Psychology Service.   This is a universal intervention designed to support the emotional wellbeing of all pupils.

Mindfulness involves paying attention to what is happening right now rather than worry about the past or future. Children often report feeling calmer, more relaxed and able to focus in lesson. 

The project will train teaching staff to deliver mindfulness primarily to Year 7  students. The students will be taught by Mrs Lucas-Hughes one of our support staff with a special interest in Mindfulness. Mrs Lucas-Hughes has been using Mindfulness meditation herself for several years and has a qualification to teach Mindfulness from The Mindfulness Association - of which she is a member.

The school will be using the Mindful Attention Programme (MAP) as a basis to introduce children to the practice of mindfulness. The programme has a good evidence base and parents can find out more about MAP and about the benefits of mindfulness from the website www.psychologyforchildren.com.   The programme consists of nine short sessions which are fun and designed to support children in developing skills which enable them to pay attention more effectively, cope with day to day stresses and strains, and get on better with each other.