Happy breathing to help with worries and learning to recognise and talk about emotions are just two of the benefits primary school children have been experiencing through a free mental wellbeing app.

The app, backed by the NHS, and grounded in neuroscience and scientific research, is called My Happy Mind (MHM) and aimed at schools and nurseries, helping them “create a culture of positive mental wellbeing”.

At Priory Park Infants School in St Neots, the school uses the MHM programme to help pupils with understanding their emotional and mental health and learning ways to improve it.

There are many features of the programme, including teaching children how to set meaningful goals, learn and stick to positive new habits, and helping them to be resilient in times of challenge.  

Parents with children at the school also have access to a free MHM app, to use and implement the techniques at home with their children.  

The programme, founded by Laura Earnshaw, is designed to help children with their mental wellbeing. Results from schools using it show there is a 67 per cent decrease in children requiring SENCo support, a 60 per cent reduction in external exclusions, and a drop of 43 per cent drop in CAMHS referrals. 

Money from the school’s Parent and Teacher Association (PTA) helps pay for all children and parents to have access to the app for free. The school also recently won a local community grant from Tesco and the money from this has helped the app continue to be free. 

Following the introduction of the programme, the school has been accredited with a bronze award from My Happy Mind. This is recognition of the way it has successfully introduced the programme and the positive impact it has had on children and the school community.

Sophie Bolger, school wellbeing lead at the school, said: “Our children are now encouraging one another to use their happy breathing in times of stress or worry, they are actively noticing their own character strengths, and those in other people as well as using more complex language to describe their own emotions. 

“We have also had positive feedback from parents who have noticed their children becoming more aware of things like appreciation, respect, and all round kindness towards other people.”

Joanne Morris, chair of the PTA, said: “We’re so happy we’ve been able to help fund the My Happy Mind programme, which has been a huge benefit to the children, parents, and teachers.

“With the help of volunteers at the school we arrange lots of fundraising events throughout the year, and this money goes towards experiences to help and enrich the children’s time at our primary school.”