Mind-Up at Clifton Primary School 

At Clifton Primary School, we understand how important it is to know how the brain functions and works. All staff, teach children about the different parts of the brain and how each one links to their learning, emotional well-being and decision-making. We learn about the three most important parts of the brain; the Prefrontal Cortex, the Amygdala and the Hippocampus. 

The Prefrontal Cortex (The Wise Owl)

The Prefrontal Cortex is located at the front of the frontal lobe within the brain. It is associated with almost every part of our brain when it is thinking. This part of the brain allows us to concentrate, make decisions, focus, stay alert/aware and sense things being wrong or right. The Prefrontal cortex is similar to the Hippocampus, when under stress, the part of the brain begins to struggle and does not function to the best of its ability.

Amygdala (The Guard dog)

This part of the brain is located deep inside the Limbic system. The function of the brain is to primarily take charge and control the way we behave and react to situations. Most importantly, the Amygdala is extremely important when detecting ‘fear’ and enables us to react to situations. These reactions are known as: Fight, Flight and Freeze.

Hippocampus (The Elephant)

 This part of the brain works alongside the Amygdala. The function of this part is to log/store our memories, this allows us to have flashbacks, re-experiences and gives us the ability to retrieve information. When under pressure, the Hippocampus does not work at its best. It begins to store information in the wrong place which causes us to ‘stress’, when trying to think of something from our memory.