“It is natural to learn; It is nurture that creates a love of learning” - Mark Gittos

well rounded & grounded students will always achieve more

“Education doesn’t need to be reformed — it needs to be transformed”. Sir Ken Robinson

Positive Education

Positive education is a spin-off from positive psychology. Prominent psychologists such as Martin Seligman and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi were instrumental in its creation, initially in 2000.

Positive psychology employs a strength-based approach to mental health and wellbeing. It focuses on a number of aspects such as resilience, general wellbeing, and happiness.

So, is positive education another fad in education? The answer is “perhaps”, as nothing is static in education. But positive psychology research indicates long-lasting benefits for young adults.

Positive psychology interventions include decision-making, coping skills, problem-solving skills, relaxation and creative brainstorming. Using these in positive education improves mental health and life satisfaction, reduces depression and anxiety and improves academic success and creative thinking.

International research indicates positive education does work. This has been conducted by reputable researchers through universities with good reputations.

WE ARE LIKE NO OTHERS

We are different
That makes the Difference

Our workshops focus on the person, NOT the process, and are tailored to individual needs in order to develop the confidence and knowledge required to implement positive change.

The foundation, building blocks and support mechanisms we build are each under-pinned by personal development, delivered through methods developed in the field of Positive Psychology, Emotional Resilience, Mindfulness, Appreciative Inquiry, Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology.

THOUGHT BEHIND ALL WE DO

Everything we do
is planned to the nth degree

Our multi-media, multi-sensory, interactive large-group presentation seminars delight, entertain and challenge audiences, while encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning and their futures.

These seminars are dynamic, informative and enjoyable events which make a huge impact at the point of delivery, providing students with effective life and learning skills.

RAISING SELF AWARENESS AND AND SELF CONTROL

Mastering mental baggage and gaining control

It is a testament to our unique delivery methods that, to date, we have exceeded engagement and / or outcome targets when set by funders / commissioning organisations, in addition to achieving demonstrable improvement in ‘soft outcomes’ by measuring distance travelled by participants in areas such as happiness, confidence, self efficiency and emotional resilience.

He has worked effectively with students presenting difficulties enabling them to discuss the behaviours and fears which limit their success and engagement in education. His work has helped young people accept who they are and seek to time line their own success offering them a sense of self-control in a time of change and stress. This work has ranged from re-engaging the disaffected, supporting students to view their difficulties with new eyes, exploring examination stress and reflecting on self- esteem issues. Mark is an engaging character who quickly establishes a rapport with others. He has offered staff and students a system of independent support to help view things with clarity and positivity. His work has allowed others to see choices they did not realise were already there. His work has been a quiet assured support allowing those he has supported to gain his help in a discreet yet powerful manner. I would recommend Mark’s support and thank him for the difference he has help make.

Lynn James

Vice Principal - North Shore Health Academy

Mark has worked extensively with students of all ages over the last year at the school where I am an Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for intervention strategies. He has worked as a Performance Enhancement Coach with individuals, small groups, whole classes and an entire year group, focusing on motivation and confidence building, raising self-esteem and developing students’ own belief in themselves. It is very clear that young people rate very highly the work that Mark does with them and feel that he makes a real difference to them. They talk of feeling more confident about themselves and their abilities and less anxious about examinations. Students from Y11 last year who were interviewed several months after their examinations told us that they were still using techniques which Mark had taught them to help them remember things and organise themselves. Recently Mark has also begun to work with parents of some of our students and initial feedback has been very positive.

Fiona Thompson

Assistant Headteacher - Framwellgate Durham

Cohort Year 11 Intervention with Mark Gittos - Aim - to mentor 85 students to ensure they achieved 5 A*-C in English & Maths. All other students were assertively mentored as well as benefitting from other interventions. Out of the 85 students, Mark coached also worked with the 19 hardest to reach students. We would have expected this cohort of 19 to not do as well, yet they surpassed expectations. 59% of the other students (those coached by 16 members of staff) achieved their 5 A*-C in English and Maths 68% who were coached by Mark achieved 5 A*-C in English and Maths Our results bucked the National trend and went up 17% last year. As well as this particular cohort Mark ended up coaching Emotional Resilience to close to 102 students throughout the Academic year

Dr Lester Ball

Assistant Head Teacher - Joseph Swan Academy

Mark is a true professional and a pleasure to work with. He is absolutely committed to helping young people and is driven by a genuine desire to improve their life chances. He is extremely easy to work with, flexible, discreet and able to create instant rapport whilst never losing his sense of humour and ability to make others laugh. In addition, he works tirelessly to provide resources for individual students such as revision guides and powerpoints to help their understanding of areas with which they are struggling and does so in his own time. Although he was contracted this year to undertake a certain amount of days in the school, he has invested far more of his own time because of his determination to help young people.

Peter Connor

Deputy Head Teacher

Mark Gittos was invited into school to organise and run a year eleven motivation day; with a clear target of increasing motivation and confidence building and improving revision and time management. The day was inspirational with each session carefully planned. The day was outstanding and had students and staff fully engaged in a range of reflective, innovative and fun activities. It was a refreshing approach to learning and raised students’ aspirations at a crucial time in their education. Feedback from pupils was glowing with one student reporting a life changing moment.

Jonathan Lumb

Deputy Head Teacher - Woodham Technology and Community College

Mark is a 'true gentleman' in every sense of the word. If only I could bottle his charisma and ability. He should so be experienced.

Lynne Greenhow

JMG Associates provide:

One-to-one sessions – Students & Staff
Group sessions – Students & Staff
Workshops – Students & Staff
Enterprise Days – Students
Inset Days – Staff
Well Being – Students & Staff

Offering schools

Emotional Resilience training
Anti-Fragility training
Neuro-Linguistic Psychology
Mindfulness
Happiness Training (The European Representative of the Bloom Company)
Positive Psychology
Enterprise Workshops

For students, whole school staff and parents

The unique nature of what JMG Associates does is that it absolutely treats each young person as an individual; JMG strongly believe that it isn’t feasible to list a “strategy” or “strategies” that might work from a pre-conceived list. It isn’t until a meeting with the young person takes place that a programme of care, support and guidance is developed, according to individual need and individual circumstance.

JMG Associates (North East) offers:

One-to-one

Student Well Being
Student Coaching and Mentoring
Student Guidance
Student LIfe Coaching
Student Personal Development
Intervention strategy planning
Personalised learning programmes
Options choice guidance
Effective coursework strategies
Improving exam confidence
Exam stress buster workshops
Effective revision planning
Motivational sessions
Time management
Organisational skills strategies
Anger management
Conflict resolution
Beating the bullies
Pupil coaching & mentoring
Confidently confident
Personal Issues

Group sessions and group workshops

As well as offering all of the above to student groups we also offer group one day workshops:

Am i Bovvered
Moan-opoly
Why So Serious?
If you really knew me
Stress Less
Re-Vision
I Can Do Anything
I am a Lion
Organise and Prioritise – Time Wise
Think Differently

Whole School Programs

The workshops below are programmes run over 12 weeks:

Mind Your Own Business
myTunes
The Apprentice
Respect
TRIAD Tutoring – Vertical Tutoring for the 21st Century

Staff Development

The following bullets highlight a complementary programme of learning and support for school staff. Schools can develop a bespoke programme from the areas below which best meet their needs:

Effective Leadership and Management Workshops
Effective use of Language for Learning Sessions
Building Rapport Skills Workshops
Enhancing Learning Sessions
Dealing with Difficult Situations
Productive Meeting Workshops
Presentational Skills Workshops
Personal Life Coaching Sessions
Relaxation Sessions
Personal Mentoring Sessions
Well Being Sessions
Stress Buster Workshops
Advanced Communication Workshops
Knowing My Team
Getting the Best Out of the Team and Myself
Staff Mentoring

These activities will enable schools and staff within the learning environment to become equipped with the tools to aid students to develop socially, emotionally and academically to ensure that each individual reaches their full potential.