Supporting schools Primary Schools Primary Wellbeing Being physically active is instrumental in improving our wellbeing through the release of endorphins and connecting with others. Combined with mindfulness and meditation, learn about ways you can promote total wellbeing in your school. Why is it important? Wellbeing is defined as 'the state of feeling healthy and happy'. With a significant rise in mental health issues in children and young people, there has never been a greater need for schools to promote wellbeing whether through healthy eating, physical activity, mindfulness or meditation. The benefits of this approach include: Enhancing pupils' mental health Improving self esteem Increasing resilience in children Improving trust levels Wellbeing Free Resources With mental health high on the agenda and childhood obesity on the rise, schools play an important role in supporting pupils' wellbeing. Free resources you might like to try or signpost your pupils to, include: Visit IMoves for a bank of free mental wellbeing resources. These include growth mindset activities, dealing with anxiety, relationship building ideas and active blasts. Visit the Better Health, Healthier Families website offers fantastic recipe ideas and sugar swaps. You can also find shake ups (10 minute games) which are great for quick bursts of activity to improve mood. Signpost your children to the Reading Well website. This helps to support young people to understand and manage health and wellbeing using helpful reading. Try Cosmic Kids yoga videos to focus and help calm young children. Choose the appropriate length of video and level of energy. Try Go Noodle to practise mindfulness at school or at home. Visit Maudesport for free yoga resources. Originally developed as a lesson plan for primary school teachers, you can now download the resource which includes free, printable pose cards. Visit Healthy Shropshire for healthy eating and welling ideas. Find ideas to help children, older people and families be active with NHS Get Active Your Way Visit Primary League Primary Stars for wellbeing resources. Topics include self esteem, resilience and health and wellbeing. Invest in Wellbeing Furthermore, there are additional resources which can be purchased using PE premium funding to help promote wellbeing in school: Subscribe to Fitter Future to access a series of short activities. These include guided visualisation, Yoga and Pilates to use in classrooms and at home. Sign up to IMoves fpr guided mediatation, yoga and pilates resources. Try CalmBrain to improve emotional stability, behaviour and manage mental health. Sign up for the Wellbeing Award for Schools with Optimus Education. Case studies If you are looking for evidence of how beneficial it can be to promote wellbeing in school, take a look at the case studies below: Learn about the effects of daily mindfulness activities in school in this video case study from Short Wood School. They integrated Calm Brain into their timetable. Read about wellbeing initiatives undertaken at Market Drayton Infant and Nursery School. Read about the Optimus Education Wellbeing Award. Learn from their case studies what effect the changes have had on pupils and school ethos. Learn about the benefit being active had on girls as part of the This Girl Can campaign. Learn about the Creating Active Schools Framework. Created with Leeds Beckett University, the framework promotes physical and mental wellbeing in primary school children For more information Please contact: Claire Mansfield