Evaluating the Breathe Magic for Mental Health programme (a pupil referral education provision) to inform learning and implementation for future delivery
This evaluation was commissioned by Breathe Arts Health Research with the aim that the findings would help to inform the development of the programme, with a focus on learning from implementation for future delivery.
In England in 2023/24, there was a 24% increase in suspensions for primary school pupils, from 84,300 in the previous year to 104,800. There was also a 22% increase in the number of children permanently excluded from mainstream primary schools (1,500), compared to the previous year (1,200). The most common reason for permanent exclusions was persistent disruptive behaviour.
A Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) is an alternative education provision for children and young people who cannot attend mainstream school and who may not otherwise receive a suitable education. The aim of PRUs is to support the child to overcome their individual barriers to attainment and achievement, and meet their pastoral needs, with the objective to either reintegrate them into mainstream school, or their post-16 education provision, to enable them to thrive in the education system.
The Breathe Magic Intensive Therapy Programme is a therapy programme run by Breathe Arts Health Research. This bimanual intensive and goal-directed intervention was developed in 2008 in partnership with occupational therapists and magicians. Tailored to each child’s abilities and needs, it incorporates specially selected magic tricks (by the Magic Circle) that provoke specific two-handed actions, performance and problem-solving skills.
Improvements have been reported in children’s self-esteem, confidence, emotion regulation, independence and self-motivation. Evidence suggests that magic-based interventions may have several other benefits including the development of lateral thinking and problem solving, cognitive and motor skills, teamwork and interpersonal communication and resilience .
The overarching aims of the evaluation were to explore the following key questions:
- Is Breathe Magic for Mental Health associated with an improvement in mental health and wellbeing among participants?
- Do professionals perceive the programme to support wider outcomes (including mental health and wellbeing)?
- What factors facilitate or hinder the implementation of the intervention in the way intended?
Find out more in the full evaluation report here:
Breathe Magic for Mental Health report
Or access the summary report here:
Breathe Magic for Mental Health summary report