Barriers to using yoga and mindfulness in the Key Stage 1 classroom: perspectives of educators working in faith and non-faith state schools across North East England

Benefits of yoga and mindfulness for school-age children are well documented, but the extent to which educators deliver such activities within schools is unknown. An online survey of teachers’ use of yoga/mindfulness in the Key Stage 1 (KS1) classroom was sent to all mainstream state infant, first, and primary schools in the North East Mayoral Combined Authority. Responses from 143 participants show that KS1 teachers in Faith (Catholic and Church of England) schools are equally likely to use classroom-based yoga/mindfulness as teachers in non-Faith schools (Fisher’s Exact Test, two-tailed p = 0.452). Also, teachers in Faith and non-Faith schools perceive similar barriers to delivering these activities. However, teachers aware of research into the benefits of yoga/mindfulness for school-age children identify fewer barriers (mean= 1.55, SD= 1.21) than those unaware of such research (mean= 2.02, SD= 1.05); t(111) = -0.219, p = 0.031 (two-tailed). This is the first study demonstrating that KS1 teachers in Faith and non-Faith state schools in North East England perceive similar barriers to delivering classroom-based yoga/mindfulness, and that these activities are taking place across the region with equal frequency within state Faith and non-Faith KS1 classrooms.