What is myHappymind?

Ground in scientific research, myHappymind is a school-wide initiative designed to foster positive mental wellbeing. The program empowers children by teaching them how their brains function, while establishing a school culture that nurtures resilience, self-esteem, and confidence.

Additionally, myHappymind equips students with practical tools to self-regulate and navigate difficult emotions during stressful moments, enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential.

The Core Modules

The curriculum is built around five interconnected modules taught consistently across all year groups, from Foundation Stage 2 through to Year 6 . This shared language ensures an inclusive, school-wide approach where every child learns to understand and manage their own mental health.

Below is an outline of the module content, followed by some of our students sharing what they have learned about how the brain works:

• Meet Your Brain: Understanding how your brain works and how to ensure we look after it so that we can manage our emotions and be at our best. Growth mindset is a key part of this too.

• Celebrate: Understanding your unique character strengths and learning to celebrate them. This is a fantastic module for building self-esteem.

• Appreciate: Understanding why gratitude matters and how you can develop gratitude as a habit. Gratitude is key to well-being and resilience and we're all about making it a habit!

• Relate: Understanding why positive relationships matter and how to build them. We're focussed on the building blocks of good relationships and friendships.

• Engage: Understanding how to set meaningful goals that matter and how to keep resilient in times of challenge. This module is all about building self-esteem and resilience too.

Want to Learn more?

Visit https://myhappymind.org, or you can read the myHappymind founder’s book - ‘My Happy Mind’ by Laura Earnshaw.

 

Our Approach to myHappymind at Townfield

At Townfield, we embed the myHappymind programme through a progressive, whole-school approach that nurtures mental wellbeing from a child’s very first steps with us. myHappymind assembly

• Early Years & Nursery: Our youngest learners are introduced to the foundations of emotional literacy. They practise "Happy Breathing" to support early self-regulation, which we directly link to the Zones of Regulation. The children also build familiarity with the myHappymind characters through engaging class songs.

• Key Stage 1 & Key Stage 2: As pupils progress, they delve into the five core units of the curriculum, beginning with Meet the Brain. Weekly lessons place a strong emphasis on whole-class discussion and deep reflection.

• Celebrating Reflection: Children proudly document their thoughts and growth in a dedicated class myHappymind Reflection Book. This collaborative journal allows them to explore real-life scenarios and apply their learning to the world around them.

A Culture of Mindfulness and Retrieval

To ensure this learning truly sticks, myHappymind is not just a standalone lesson; it is woven into the fabric of our daily school culture. We consciously connect these concepts to our school-wide focus on retrieval practice and long-term memory. Throughout the day, children are encouraged to:

• Utilise Happy Breathing to navigate their emotions via the Zones of Regulation.

• Recognise when they need to 'calm the amygdala' to remain focused, regulated, and ready to learn.

• Understand the science of neuroplasticity, recognising that building strong neural pathways through repeated practice is the key to deep, long-term learning.