Mitcham Primary Schools Launch Daily Mindfulness Sessions This Term

Mitcham primary schools began rolling out structured mindfulness sessions in September 2025, with four local sites now running 10-minute daily practices during morning registration.

The push follows parent surveys at borough level that flagged rising anxiety reports among children aged seven to eleven after the 2024 school year. Local groups have responded by adapting techniques from established UK models rather than waiting for national rollout.

Programmes running in Mitcham now

St Peter’s Catholic Primary on Commonside East runs guided breathing exercises every weekday at 8:55 am using a script developed with the local NHS mental health team. Children at Lonesome Primary on Grove Road take part in a 12-week block that includes five-minute body scans twice a week, supported by teaching assistants trained last spring. After-school clubs at the Mitcham Youth Centre on London Road add a third option, offering drop-in sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays for pupils from any school in the CR4 postcode.

Both school programmes use the same eight-week structure that finishes with a short parent workshop held in the school hall. The youth centre version is free for families on universal credit and £3 per session otherwise.

Numbers and next steps

A 2025 internal report from the Mitcham Education Partnership recorded a 15 per cent fall in playground behaviour incidents at the two primaries during the first term the sessions ran. Enrolment for the next block at Lonesome Primary closes on 22 July, while the youth centre accepts walk-ins on the day. Families wanting details can collect a leaflet from the reception desk at either school or the centre on London Road.