Pupils at a Barking school are set to have classes in mindfulness as part of a national research project into the emotional health of young people.
Youngsters at Riverside Secondary School are involved in the Myriad project, which aims to see how the existing emotional learning taught in schools compares with mindfulness techniques - a type of self-awareness based on meditation.
The school hopes the lessons will improve pupils’ ability to concentrate in class as well as help them cope with the everyday stresses that come with being a teenager.
Headteacher Andy Roberts explained: “In today’s society many more young people are struggling mentally, for example with anxiety, depression or hyperactivity, than ever before.
“At Riverside we engage students in a range of preventative strategies to offer young people the tools to manage their own mental health before crisis.”
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