Pupils and staff at Manor Park School have today (Thursday 31 March) become the first school in Scotland to achieve an accreditation from a UK wide training organisation which promotes health and wellbeing through yoga.
The school has been working for two years with Mini Me Yoga Aberdeen, part of a UK network dedicated bringing fun into the lives of children by empowering grown-ups to share yoga workshops with them.
Staff at Manor Park have been supporting and developing the use of yoga as a tool for mental health. The programme is funded through Pupil Equity Funding and has been organised by Emma Kidd, an Early Years practitioner at Glashieburn School. It has particularly beneficial this year as pupils and staff have returned from restrictions and lockdowns.
The partnership has grown in the two years with 50 pupils accessing yoga directly and staff being trained in Mini Me Yoga to use in class. A P6 and P7 Girls Mental Health Group has been working to provide mutual support and develop strategies to support their wellbeing.
From this they have created charging stations around the school to help children to remain calm and use strategies to control their emotions. These have been well received by the pupils.
Head Teacher, Gill Graham, said: “The partnership, support and yoga skills we have all developed have supported the emotional and mental wellbeing of staff and pupils. We are delighted to have Mini Me Yoga accreditation and look forward to working with Emma to continue to address the wellbeing needs of Team MP.”