Last week, Telford MP Lucy Allan, met Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Dr Sarah Taylor, to find out more about CalmBrain, an initiative Dr Taylor has created to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of all children in the whole school environment.
Lucy Allan and Dr Taylor discussed children’s mental health and the impact this has on behaviour and the ability to learn in the classroom. The CalmBrain methodology devised by Dr Taylor has already been rolled out in 50% of primary schools in Telford & Wrekin and uses scientifically proven movements, reflexes, and programmes designed to assist with healthy brain functioning and emotional wellbeing. It is simple for teachers to use with the whole school and, practised regularly, creates a calm, focused mindset conducive to effective learning, with a positive impact on behaviour.
Lucy Allan MP said:
“The Covid pandemic and the significant period of time that children have been out of the classroom has increased anxiety and stress levels in children. I am hugely impressed by CalmBrain and by Dr Taylor’s passion for helping young people to learn and overcome obstacles to learning, such as stress and anxiety.
As children return to the classroom for the first time since March, teachers have an enormously difficult task ahead of them. We need to focus on the emotional wellbeing of children, their ability to self-regulate, and the impact on learning and behaviour - particularly if a child has experienced adverse life events or trauma. There is real potential for CalmBrain to help many children, as it already has in Telford. I look forward to discussing this initiative in Parliament with Ministers and colleagues now that Parliament has resumed to find ways to make this fantastic local innovation more available more widely.”
You can find out more about CalmBrain here: www.calmbrainapproach.com
