Impact of Our Wellbeing Sessions
St Edward’s Primary School in North Lanarkshire Council
Introduction
Between January and March, Mind Marvels delivered a series of wellbeing sessions to pupils in St Edward’s Primary School, focusing on emotional awareness, self-regulation and resilience. Through interactive and age-appropriate activities, pupils were supported to explore their feelings and develop calming tools they can use both in and out of the classroom.
Mind Marvels sessions are designed to empower children with lifelong skills to manage their emotions, build self-esteem and navigate challenges with confidence. During our time in St Edward’s, we were delighted to see how enthusiastically pupils engaged with the sessions and how positively the whole school community responded.
Our Approach
Mind Marvels sessions align with the Health and Wellbeing experiences and outcomes within Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence. Each session introduces practical strategies to help children identify, understand and regulate their emotions in a safe and supportive environment.
We focused on developing:
- Emotional literacy: building vocabulary and confidence to talk about feelings.
- Self-awareness: recognising how emotions show up in the body.
- Resilience and self-esteem: promoting positive self-talk and a growth mindset.
- Mindful techniques: including calming breathing, gentle movement and peer to peer Mindful Massage.
- Gratitude and kindness: encouraging optimism and connection with others.
Children are encouraged to take ownership of their emotional well-being, gaining simple, effective tools they can use during the school day and at home.
Session Overview
Over the course of the sessions, we explored a variety of topics, each linked to a clear learning intention:
| Session Name | Learning Intention |
| Introduction | I am learning strategies to help me feel calm. |
| Emotions | I am learning to recognise my own and others’ emotions. |
| Feelings in the Body | I can understand that I can feel emotions in my body in different ways. |
| Resilience | I can understand what it means to have resilience. |
| Self-Esteem | I am learning how I can improve my self-esteem. |
| Gratitude | I can understand what gratitude is and how to practise it. |
These sessions provided a well-rounded foundation for emotional wellbeing, giving pupils a chance to reflect, share and practise the helpful tools they were shown, in a fun and nurturing way.
What We Observed
From the very first session, pupils at St Edward’s engaged with curiosity and openness. They quickly picked up calming techniques and were keen to share them with others, and even with their teachers!
One pupil shared:
“When I was feeling stressed my friend started to do Mindful Massage on my back and told me to breathe. Then my friend said tap your head and say ‘I am kind’, so I did that and felt much better.”
Another child reflected:
“This is the best Mindful Massage with my friend ever. This one, where everyone was quiet and my brain felt so calm. It was the best.”
We also saw that the techniques began to make a difference in the classroom. Teachers noticed a clear shift in energy, often remarking on how calm and focused pupils were after a session.
Pupil Feedback
“We don’t want this to stop. Can you come every day and be our Mind Teacher? When you are here it is just so good for us and then we learn better!”
“Thank you for coming, you have really helped me! I hope you come back. I will really miss you!”
Teacher Feedback
“We loved the sessions and want to try to incorporate more mindful breathing into our day-to-day class.”
“They loved it last week and have kept talking about it, asking when you would be coming back.”
“It is amazing how relaxed they are from doing this. When you leave, we continue to have such a lovely calm time before break.”
Parent Feedback
“I just wanted to say thank you so much for the block of sessions you did. My daughter really enjoyed it, and your sessions really helped her!”
Pupil Survey Results
On the final day of our sessions, we surveyed pupils about their experience. Here’s what we found:
- Most pupils reported feeling calm after a session.
- The majority said they would like to take part in Mind Marvels again.
- Most pupils said they could or might use the calming tools they’d learned at home or school.
- Favourite activities included Mindful Massage, brain-based learning and relaxation.
These results reflect the positive impact that short, regular wellbeing sessions can have, particularly when they’re engaging and interactive, like Mind Marvels sessions.
Conclusion
Our time at St Edward’s Primary School showed how powerful it can be to equip children with the tools to understand and manage their emotions. Pupils not only enjoyed the sessions but carried what they learned into their daily lives, supporting their own wellbeing and looking out for others too.
Mind Marvels would be delighted to return and continue supporting the school community with emotional wellbeing programmes.
Get in Touch
For schools, nurseries and organisations looking to prioritise mental health in a practical, child-centred way, we’d love to help.
Email us at wellbeing@mindmarvels.com
