Oakleigh Schools Launch Mindfulness Programs to Boost Student Focus

Oakleigh Primary School on Drummond Street began daily 10-minute mindfulness sessions for all year levels in March 2026.

Student wellbeing staff report rising demand for tools that address attention and stress amid packed schedules and digital distractions. Local families have noticed the shift after several schools added short guided practices to the timetable instead of treating them as optional extras.

Programs operating in Oakleigh

Oakleigh Grammar on Warrigal Road runs the eight-week Mindful Kids course for students in years 3 to 6, held in the school hall every Tuesday afternoon. The same school partners with the Oakleigh Community Centre on Atherton Road to offer an after-hours drop-in for parents who want to learn the same breathing and attention exercises used in class. A second program operates at Sacred Heart Primary on Park Road, where teachers trained through the local education network deliver five-minute resets at the start of morning lessons.

Both initiatives draw on materials developed by the national Mindfulness in Schools Project but adapt timing to fit Oakleigh timetables. Sessions avoid religious language and focus on practical skills such as noticing sounds in the room or counting breaths before tests.

Evidence and costs

A 2025 survey by the Oakleigh Education Network found a 28 percent drop in reported classroom disruptions at schools that introduced the practice at least three times a week. Term fees for the after-school component at the Atherton Road centre stand at $95 per child, with scholarships available for families on health-care cards. The Drummond Street school provides the in-class version at no extra charge because it is built into existing lesson time.

Parents can register through the front office at either school or via the Oakleigh Community Centre website. Staff recommend starting with one short session a week at home to match what children already practice during the school day.