Pupils at Pantysgallog primary school go digital with a new health and wellbeing app

Pupils at Pantysgallog primary school have been busy designing a new app called ‘miHealth’ which aims to support and promote health and wellbeing in their day-to-day lives.

The initial vision for the app originally came from pupils discussing how being a Silver Rights Respecting School identified the importance of investing in their overall wellbeing. They then went on to work with Value-Added Education, an emerging education technology organisation and developed an app that includes tips, challenges, and tools to improve well-being. The app was designed to include a wide range of activities specifically for students by students. There are also mindfulness activities for relaxation and impressive technology such as augmented reality to bring pupils' fitness routines and artwork into their classroom and home. 

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 well-being are 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 well-being 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 well-being, while 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 a 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.”

The Council's RARS education strategy has a vision to ensure health and wellbeing support is available for every young person and child across the Borough, and this app is one example of supporting wellbeing and developing digital skills at the same time. In addition to the 'miHealth' app, Max, a well-being dog, was introduced to the school last year to support the health and wellbeing strategy and regularly appears in the app. Max, the Cavapoo's time is spent accompanying pupils at break-times, welcoming children at the school gates, and supporting pupils who become anxious about school and sits in on Emotional Literacy Sessions (ELSA).

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”.

You can view the app created by students, here: miHealth on the App Store (apple.com)

You can also view our RARS strategy here: https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/resident/rars/?lang=en-GB&