Mindfulness

We recognise that some of our students have issues outside of school that they find hard to deal with – this is particularly noticeable after weekends or holidays.  Each student takes part in mindfulness workshops in our period six sessions. Students deliver assemblies to each other on mental heatlh and wellbeing and tutors use a mindful calendar in tutor time to prepare students for the start of the day. 

Mindfulness helps children remain grounded and savour the present moment. It’s also been shown to help them connect with their natural empathy and better understand their feelings so they can manage them more effectively. This enhances children’s sense of self-worth and gives them more space to express their innate creativity and compassion.

At King James I Academy we practice mindfulness using Mindful breathing, Mindful seeing and Mindful listening techniques through our period 6 enrichments and session in our personal Development centre.

Practiced mindfulness can help students in the following ways:

• Mindful young people experience less stress, anxiety and sadness
• Mindful young people are better able to cope with change and other stressors.
• Mindful young people have better sleep habits
• Mindful young people feel more connected to the people around them
• Mindful young people are more compassionate
• Mindful young people have more confidence in themselves and their decisions
• Mindful young people tend to perform better academically
• Mindful young people understand, feel and express gratitude more freely
• Mindful young people are better able to focus and concentrate
• Mindful young people are more resilient
• Mindful young people are all around happier and more content

Wellbeing Zones 

At King James Academy there are designated ‘Wellbeing Zones’ which comprises our Nurture provision, the Library. Our Personal Development Centre is also staffed by our Learning Support Assistants and we have completed our new sensory garden.

There are times where individual children may be struggling to deal with their feelings and need support in regulating their emotions.  During these times, students may access the Wellbeing Zones. Staff work with the children to reset their emotions and behaviours, and successfully reengage them in learning.

Emotional Literacy Support

Emotional Literacy is the term used to describe the ability to understand and express feelings.

Emotional Literacy involves having self-awareness and recognition of your own feelings and knowing how to manage them, such as the ability to stay calm when angered or to reassure oneself when in doubt.

We complete a PASS survey and take into account the views of parents / carers, teachers and the pupil themselves. This supports our young people and allows us to deliver intervention for low level mental Health and Wellbeing support around the zones of regulation.

The five key areas of emotional literacy are:

• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social skills.

Zones of Regulation

The Zones of Regulation curriculum, are workshops and activities designed by Leah Kuypers, licensed occupational therapist, to help our young people gain skills in the area of self-regulation. 

Self-regulation can go by many names, such as self-control, self- management, and impulse control. It is defined as the best state of alertness of both the body and emotions for the specific situation. For example, when a student plays on the playground or in a competitive game, it is beneficial to have a higher state of alertness. However, that same state would not be appropriate in the library….

The workshops and learning activities that we deliver are designed to help the students recognize when they are in the different zones as well as learn how to use strategies to change or stay in the zone they are in. In addition to addressing self-regulation, students gain an increased vocabulary of emotional terms, skills in reading other people’s facial expressions, perspective about how others see and react to their behaviour, insight into events that trigger their behaviour, calming and alerting strategies, and problem-solving skills. These sessions take place in our Personal Development Centre.

A critical aspect of this curriculum is that everyone knows and understand The Zones language. This creates a comfortable and supportive environment for the student to practice their self-regulation skills. It also helps students learn the skills more quickly and be more likely to apply them in many situations. Students are supported during this process by doing the following:

• Use the language and talk about the concepts of The Zones as they apply to them in a variety of environments. Make comments aloud so the students understand it as natural that we all experience the different zones and use strategies to control (or regulate) ourselves. For example, “This is really frustrating me and making me go into the Yellow Zone. I need to use a tool to calm down. I will take some deep breaths.”
• Help the students gain awareness of their zones and feelings by pointing out your observations.
• Validate what zone students are in and help them brainstorm expected ways to self-regulate so their behaviour is expected for the context.
• Share with the student how his or her behaviour is affecting the zone you are in and how you feel.
• Help the student become comfortable using the language to communicate his or her feelings and needs by encouraging the student to share his or her zone with you.
• Show interest in learning about the student’s triggers and Zones tools. Ask the student if he or she wants reminders to use these tools and how you should present these reminders.

• Make sure to positively reinforce students for recognizing their zone and managing their behaviours while in it, rather than only pointing out when students are demonstrating unexpected behaviours while in a zone.

It is important to note that everyone experiences all of the zones—the Red and Yellow Zones are not the “bad” or “naughty” zones. All of the zones are expected at one time or another. The Zones of Regulation is intended to be neutral and not communicate judgment.

Learning Outside of the Classroom

Learning outside the classroom is about raising young people’s achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance.

Students at King James I Academy have the opportunity to partake in a wide variety of Educational Trips and Visits that supplement their learning inside the classroom, along with weekly sessions of the Forest Schools programme.

Our Forest School area within King James Academy has grown and developed over the last year into a place where students can express themselves outside of the classroom environment.  A place for students to develop and where individuals can grow in confidence, self-esteem and build social skills. 

It is an area where alternative learning and everyday life skills can be experienced through a variety of activities.  From a small piece of wasteland, our forest group students transformed the space into a garden allotment area using a backdrop of woodlands to give our students a natural outdoor experience. The area has helped to develop independence and self-confidence, reduce anxiety, build resilience and communication skills. 

Forest School can be beneficial in helping wellbeing and create a sense of calm away from the classroom-based curriculum. 

Our forest school is timetabled as part of our curriculum offer giving the students an enjoyable learning experience. Activities include, fire lighting, cooking on an open flame, tool use and construction, but most importantly social games to build on confidence and support a positive mind-set and well-being  

Meaningful learning occurs through acquiring skills through real life hands-on activities

This is not only about what we learn, but most importantly, how and where we learn and are able to retain learning through real world experiences. It is about improving young people’s understanding, skills, values, personal and social development and can act as a vehicle to develop young people’s capacity and motivation to learn and be inspired onto their next steps.

Real-world learning brings the benefits of formal and informal education together and reinforces what good educationalists have always known: that the most meaningful learning occurs through acquiring knowledge and skills through real-life, practical or hands-on activities.

There is a wealth of evidence which clearly demonstrates the benefits for young people’s learning and personal development outside the classroom. In summary, learning outside the classroom:

• Tackles social mobility, giving young people new and exciting experiences that inspire them to reach their true potential. These real-world experiences raise aspirations, equipping young people with the skills they need to become active and responsible citizens and shape a fit and motivated workforce.
• Addresses educational inequality, re-motivating young people who do not thrive in the traditional classroom environment, such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with Special Educational Needs. Young people who experience learning outside the classroom as a regular part of their school life benefit from increased self esteem, and become more engaged in their education both inside and outside the classroom walls.
• Supports improved standards back INSIDE the classroom, raising attainment, reducing truancy and improving discipline. Learning outside the classroom is known to contribute significantly to raising standards & improving pupils’ personal, social & emotional development.