Mindfulness in schools: what local programs are available

Kangaroo Point Public School rolled out a daily 10-minute guided meditation for all 420 students last term. Principal Sarah Chen says the program, called 'Pause & Breathe,' runs right after morning roll call in every classroom from kindergarten to Year 6.

Why schools are turning to mindfulness

The push comes amid rising concern about youth mental health. A 2025 survey by the Australian Psychological Society found that 38% of adolescents reported moderate to high psychological distress, up from 31% in 2020. In Kangaroo Point, the local youth centre, Riverbend Hub on Main Street, reported a 25% increase in teens seeking help for anxiety in the past year alone.

'Teachers were telling us kids couldn't settle after recess, and some Year 5s were having panic attacks before tests,' Chen said. The school partnered with Kangaroo Point Wellbeing Collective, a nonprofit based at 14 Wharf Street, to train 12 teachers in mindfulness facilitation last February.

Over at St. Mary's Catholic College on River Terrace, the approach is different. They use an app-based program called 'Smiling Mind,' developed by Australian psychologists, which students access on school-issued tablets for five-minute breathing exercises before each maths and English block. Year 9 teacher Michael Tran says he has seen a 'noticeable drop in fidgeting and off-task chatter' since the program started in March.

Evidence behind the practice

The evidence base is growing. A 2023 meta-analysis published in the journal Mindfulness reviewed 41 studies involving more than 6,000 school-aged children and found that mindfulness interventions led to moderate improvements in attention, a small reduction in anxiety, and a small improvement in social skills. The analysis noted that effects were stronger when teachers delivered the program themselves rather than outside facilitators.

In Kangaroo Point, the Wellbeing Collective runs a free after-school club at the Kangaroo Point Community Centre on Wellington Road every Wednesday. The club teaches breathing techniques and body scans to children aged 8 to 12. Attendance has doubled from 12 kids in January to 24 in June, according to coordinator Emma White.

Meanwhile, the Kangaroo Point Aquatic Centre on Thornton Street added a weekly 30-minute 'mindful movement' class for high schoolers combining gentle stretching with meditation. The class started in May and now fills its 25 spots each Tuesday afternoon, says centre manager Linda Black.