Pupils at Pantysgallog Primary have been busy designing a new app called ‘MIHealth’ which aims to promote wellbeing and health in their day to day lives.
The well-being app includes tips, challenges, and tools to improve well-being. The pupils have designed the app to ensure a wide range of activities specifically for students by students. There are mindfulness activities for calm and relaxation, but the app also includes impressive technology such as augmented reality to bring pupils fitness routines and artwork into both their classroom and home.
The initial vision for the app came from the pupils discussing how being a Silver Rights Respecting School identifies the importance of investing in to their overall wellbeing. They then went on to work with Value Added Education and developed an app that suited not only pupils in the school but also the community.
Headteacher Darren Thomas said “We are immensely proud of the work achieved by pupils at Pantysgallog, in collaboration with experts from Value Added Education, in devising their very own Health and Wellbeing App, MiHealth. Over the last two years we have adopted a strategic approach to becoming a school where Health and Wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do, supporting our pupils and staff. The work of our pupils, involved in this project, provides us with the capacity to support the Wellbeing of individuals, who have access to devices, across the world. The project has made our pupils more aware of how they can look after their own wellbeing, whilst also improving their levels of digital competency. It has been a huge success”.
The school held a virtual event yesterday to showcase their new app and Councillors were invited to attend. Council leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Lisa Mytton was in attendance alongside deputy leader, Cllr Geraint Thomas and Dowlais and Pant Ward Cllr Julian Amos.
Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Cllr Lisa Mytton, said: “I have been so impressed with the pupils and staff at Pantysgallog for creating the MIHealth app. The app is perfectly designed, so that pupils, parents and residents can use it, with content which improves their wellbeing and health in an engaging and accessible way. As cabinet member for education, I would love to see more of this in the future across our schools. The pandemic has been an incredibly difficult time for many pupils and content like this is just one way of supporting them and others , both in school and at home.”
MTCBC’S RARS education strategy has a vision to ensure mental and physical health support is available for every child or young person across the Borough. This app is one example that allows students the opportunity to benefit from wellbeing and health through the use of engaging and informative digital content whilst also developing digital skills at the same time.
Deputy Leader, Cllr Geraint Thomas said: “Seeing the incredible creative effort and intelligence that has gone into this app really impressed me. Innovative ideas like this are what we need moving forward in supporting children, families, and school staff across the County Borough. This app is an important step in helping students with health and wellbeing, which I believe is so important as we exit the pandemic which has been a difficult time for us all”.
