Lyndhurst Junior School pupils take up yoga to reduce stress and anxiety

Lyndhurst Junior School is running the sessions with Year 6 pupils with one of the key aims to reduce levels of stress and anxiety in the run up to this year’s Standard Assessment Tests (SATs).

Poppy Taylor, 10, said: ‘Year 6 is an important year and I get really stressed about SATs as there is so much we have to learn. I have enjoyed the yoga and it has taught me breathing techniques which help me to calm down.’

Fellow pupil, Archie Davies, 11, added: 'While I’m not stressed about my SATs, I love drama and used to get really nervous before any auditions. I use the techniques I have been taught to calm me down before going on stage. I have loved doing the sessions.’

Head of school, Ali Beechurst, decided to introduce yoga to the timetable due to the wide-ranging benefits for pupils.

Ms Beechurst said: ‘As well as SATs there is so much pressure on children today such as social media. Yoga teaches children techniques to remain calm and focused as well as the physical benefits such as strengthening their core and improving posture for writing.’

Five weeks into the programme, staff at the school are already starting to see the results.

Year 6 teacher, Kerri Pycroft, said: ‘The children will often arrive very excitable after lunch and the sessions really help to calm them down. There is a real calmness around the school after doing the yoga.’

And with after-school yoga classes for staff it’s not just the children who are reaping the rewards.

Kerri added: ‘Whenever I do the sessions I come out feeling more relaxed and less stressed.’

To deliver the sessions the school enlisted the help of local children’s therapy company, Bibble and Bubble, run by Megan De Kok.

Megan said: ‘Children in society today are definitely more stressed and anxious. They spend less time playing outside and sleeping. Learning yoga helps children to know their bodies and to manage their behaviour. The response from the children over the last five weeks has been amazing.’

The school now plans to roll out the yoga classes for other year groups at the school.