Happiness or “wellbeing” lessons at Wellington College in Berkshire don’t lead to a GCSE or A-level, but they do require a high level of concentration. We’ve been asked to close our eyes, put our feet flat on the floor, hands on knees, and count slowly to 10 in our heads. When a thought creeps in to our minds, we have to “acknowledge it, but not judge it”, before moving on to the next number. According to our teacher, Ian Morris, practicing “mindfulness”, which is a fundamental element of the MindUP programme, helps pupils to connect with their emotions. “By paying attention to the present moment in a non-judgmental way, we can take stock of our thoughts and beliefs and assess whether they are helpful,” he says.
Any parent paying the school’s £9,595-per-term fees might ask why their child is wasting time counting to 10 when they could be in a GCSE maths lesson. But Dr Anthony Seldon, Wellington’s master, remains convinced that “wellbeing” lessons are responsible for improving his pupils’ grades. Since 2006, when the lessons became part of the curriculum for 13 to 15 year-olds, A-level grades at Wellington have improved from 69 per cent A/B grades (2005) to 93 per cent A*/A/B grades (2011).
The lessons are designed to furnish students with skills to cope with life’s challenges: emotional resilience, self-efficacy and positive thinking. Morris believes that the more emotionally literate pupils become, the more they can overcome barriers to learning, as well as social pressures. “It takes practice to get to 10,” he says. “But you get to a point where you can name your thoughts – frustrated, anxious, jealous – and decide whether or not to challenge them.”
Initially students can resent mindfulness for being boring or tiring, but over time they come to rely on it, says Morris, who meditates with pupils before exams and sports tournaments.
The lessons also address the threats posed by advertising and social networking. According to Morris, young people’s minds are saturated by junk information; they need to distinguish between passive and constructive usage of technology. “Modern culture suggests that we don’t have to wait for the things we want,” he says. “Our lessons encourage students to focus on long-term fulfilment.”
But surrounded by so many temptations, is it realistic to believe a teenager will exercise such self-control? Morris admits that his students will only put into practice “certain elements” of the course while they’re at school. “As they grow older, they will be able to hang their learning on actual experiences,” he says.
Discover how to do a five-minute meditation at telegraph.co.uk/education