Our impact
Since our launch in September 2018, Compassion Matters (CM) has partnered with a wide range of schools in the state, independent, special education needs and international sectors. While being universally available, CM prioritises schools and individuals facing social and/or economic disadvantage. More than half of the schools participating in CM during 2018-19 record over the national average number of children cohort as in receipt of free school meals or serve communities with significant educational, social or economic disadvantage. By providing our project at no cost to schools; we can bring the project’s benefit to children regardless of their background.
CM works with several educational charities and organisations who support the most disadvantaged children in society. Working in partnership allows CM to benefit those in the most need and with fewest opportunities to access learning opportunities.
In January 2019, Dulwich Prep, a school based in South London, worked with the Dalai Lama Centre for Compassion to bring the centre’s Compassion Matters ethics and values education project to the school. The following video explores the children and teachers experiences of the project.
The Dalai Lama Centre for Compassion has commissioned an external researcher to assess the impact of Compassion Matters based on academic skills, social-emotional learning, mental well-being and social-economic impact. Data collection and analysis will take place between April-June 2019 with a final reported published in late July 2019.
Below are case studies of schools participating in the project since its launch in September 2019 exploring the projects impact and accessibility.
Sun Academy and Star Academy, Stoke on Trent
Here at SUN Academy, Year 6 has just finished the fourth lesson on Compassion. Richard’s story had a profound effect on their outlook, especially the clear message of empathy and action. There was a much-improved level of concentration and focus in our PSHE lessons as a result off using these resources, and we will produce a hall display using them. The children have a much-improved level of empathy with each other and as a result, far fewer disagreements, especially at break times.
Iain Macdonald, Head of Academy, Sun Academy
From January 2019, Compassion Matters partnered with two schools in Stoke on Trent; The Sun Academy and The Star Academy both part of the Action Academy Trust. The schools approached Compassion Matters, having struggled to find high-quality materials to use to support PSHE and personal development lesson and a desire to develop a renewed focus on children’s well-being. Both schools serve communities facing significant challenges in terms of engagement with education and economic opportunities with both schools having over the national average number of children in receipt of free schools meals in their cohorts.
During our initial consultation with the schools, the teachers indicated significant challenges with the children’s social cohesion in and outside of the classroom leading to a problematic learning environment and confrontations between children often escalating to parents becoming involved. The schools wished to see children develop greater empathy, emotional regulation and social awareness during the project.
We worked with the two schools to support the running of our curriculum with 120 children during the spring term. Children explored our compassion module, which explores concepts such as empathy, the consequences of compassion and compassionate action. The lessons explore a deeper understanding of what compassion is, our emotional reactions and support children to see effective models for compassionate action. We worked together with the school to focus on compassionate action using recognition and reflection tools, such as wall charts and journals, developed in partnership with the schools year six teachers.
