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This is an ‘Exciting times ahead Pupil Leaflet’. It is written in a child friendly way so pupils will understand. This leaflet looks at transition of moving to Secondary school. Included in the ‘Exciting Times Ahead Pupil Leaflet’ Feelings – Looks at the mix of feelings associated with transition and changes. What ifs – All those ‘what if’ questions they might have and how they can be worrying Who can help with ‘What ifs’ – Advice asking for help and a list of people who might be able to help Exciting questions – All those exciting questions they can ask themselves Being prepared – Getting answers from questions, having a practice trip to school and imagining their first day. There is an editable part for you to put your contact details or just your name. Simply type in the blue box. Don’t worry the blue box doesn’t show when you print. You can of course just print it and handwrite your details. There is also a BLACK AND WHITE version included in the pack. We also include a leaflet holder so you can display it in your area. Important information This leaflet is meant to be used as part of ELSA Sessions or some other therapeutic session and shouldn’t just be given out to children without some input. Please DO NOT just give these out without that important input. They are purely reminders for the pupil to take away and for parents to get involved. It is your responsibility to decide whether the information in this leaflet will be helpful to your pupils. Under our terms and conditions these leaflets must not be put onto school websites. They are for printing and giving to pupils at the end of a session or you could use them as a basis for your session. Work through each part with the pupil.

This is a ‘Ready, Set, Secondary’ Transition Workbook. Moving from primary to secondary school is a significant milestone in a pupil’s educational journey, bringing new adventures, opportunities, and challenges. Being prepared for this transition is crucial to ensure pupils approach it with confidence and enthusiasm. ** update we have added a ‘High School’ version Secondary school introduces new subjects, teachers, and a larger environment. Embracing this change with a positive mindset is key. Encouraging pupils to recognise their strengths and achievements builds the confidence needed to face new challenges. Setting realistic goals provides students with direction and purpose. Identifying their unique strengths helps them focus on areas where they can excel and positively contribute to their new school environment. Goal-setting fosters a sense of accomplishment and motivation. Emotional preparation is just as important as academic readiness. Teaching pupils about self-care, self-awareness of feelings, breathing exercises, and visualising that success. When students feel supported and understood, they thrive. With the right support and mindset, the transition to secondary school can be a rewarding and enriching experience. This ‘Ready, set secondary’ transition workbook will help pupils to understand their readiness for Secondary school. Lots of transition resources can be based on anxiety and worries whereas this is about empowering the young person. They are awesome, and ready for their next chapter. It is split into sections Amazing me! Discovering my strengths Goals Moving forward Being prepared emotionally There are 31 pages in the workbook. This workbook is great for working one to one with pupils who need a bit of a confidence boost to help them realise how ready they are for moving onto Secondary School. Just print one out for each pupil you work with.

This is great to have alongside your Worry Monster. There is space to write the worry and/or draw a picture. Children can project their anxieties onto the worry monster, externalising their worries and making them feel less overwhelming. Talking to or sharing worries with the worry monster can provide comfort and reassurance to children, helping them feel understood and supported. Worry monsters create a safe space for children to express their fears and concerns without judgment, fostering open communication and emotional expression. By feeding their worries to the monster or placing them inside, children regain a sense of control over their anxieties, empowering them to manage their emotions more effectively. Interacting with the worry monster becomes a coping strategy for children to deal with their worries in a constructive and tangible way, promoting emotional resilience and well-being.

In this booklet, pupils will embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection as they learn about finding common ground, showing respect, practising inclusion, cultivating empathy, understanding the importance of friendships, recognising their own qualities that make them deserving of friends, and the power of apologising when mistakes are made. Our goal is to provide a safe and engaging space for pupils to explore these themes through activities, and discussions. By fostering a deeper understanding of friendship and the values that underpin it, we aim to empower children to build strong, supportive, and inclusive friendships that enrich their lives. There are 30 pages to the workbook. You can of course use the workbook as it is or if you just want to address certain areas then just print out those areas to work with.

These are our unwind the mind activity mats. These mats are a combination of working on the particular topic – e.g. be brave and mighty and relaxation activities through refocusing attention. There are puzzles, mindful colouring, drawing, creating patterns and a little writing. You can print them A4 but also if you want them bigger, use your printer settings and print them on A3 paper. These are suitable for KS2 and most of them for secondary too. These unwind the mind activity mats are perfect for Before or after SATs or tests Ending your session Beginning your session Morning routine whole class activity When things are winding down at the end of term Calming corners Homework Transition times Any stressful situations We have the following 10 mats along with answer sheets where needed Be joyful Be mindful Be calm Be positive Be brave and mighty Be kind Be caring to yourself Be determined Be friendly Be proud Benefits of unwind the mind mats Both puzzles and mindful colouring are calming activities that can help children relax and unwind after a busy day or during stressful times. Engaging in these activities encourages deep breathing and fosters a sense of peace and tranquillity. Solving puzzles and colouring mindfully can act as effective stress-relief techniques for children. By focusing their attention on the task at hand, children can temporarily shift their focus away from worries and anxieties, promoting a sense of calmness and emotional well-being. Puzzles and mindful colouring require children to concentrate and pay attention to details, which can help improve their concentration and focus over time. These activities encourage children to stay engaged in the present moment, enhancing their ability to sustain attention and ignore distractions. Puzzles can provide children with opportunities to exercise their problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities. By deciphering clues, finding patterns, and making logical deductions, children can develop important cognitive skills that are essential for academic success. Mindful colouring allows children to express themselves creatively and explore their imagination through colours and designs. It provides a non-verbal outlet for self-expression, allowing children to convey their emotions and feelings in a safe and therapeutic manner. Successfully completing puzzles and creating beautiful artwork through mindful colouring can boost children’s self-esteem and confidence. Accomplishing challenging tasks and seeing tangible results can instil a sense of pride and accomplishment in children, reinforcing their belief in their abilities. There are lots more benefits to these activity mats.

These are lanyard tabbed cards for identifying emotions. The tabs on the side help find the emotion quickly. These are two sets of Tabbed emotion lanyard cards. One is for uncomfortable emotions and the other is for uncomfortable emotions. The comfortable emotions cover – happy, excited, calm, proud, brave and loved. The uncomfortable emotions cover – sad, scared, worried, angry, embarrassed and disgusted. Each set has a card with just the face and a card with the face and a simple scale.

This is a ‘My voice matters pupil leaflet’. It is written in a child friendly way so pupils will understand. This is a special leaflet for children’s mental health week. Focus on expressing yourself and how their voices matter. We have lots of other Pupil Leaflets on our website. Our leaflet comes with its own holder for displaying on the wall. Included in the ‘My voice matters pupil leaflet’: Mental wellbeing? – How talking about thoughts and feelings can help your brain feel better and is the first step to a healthy mind. Emotions matter? – How emotions are normal but sometimes need to be talked about. Boost confidence – How expressing yourself in different ways can boost confidence. Whether that is writing, drawing, body language or talking. Community – How belonging to a community with help boost self esteem and create safety. Respecting everyone’s opinions and ideas and having yours respected too. Strength- How communication makes a difference and makes the world a better place. There is an editable part for you to put your contact details or just your name. Simply type in the blue box. Don’t worry the blue box doesn’t show when you print. You can of course just print it and handwrite your details. There is also a BLACK AND WHITE version included in the pack. Important information This leaflet is meant to be used as part of ELSA Sessions or some other therapeutic session and shouldn’t just be given out to children without some input. Please DO NOT just give these out without that important input. They are purely reminders for the pupil to take away and for parents to get involved. It is your responsibility to decide whether the information in this leaflet will be helpful to your pupils. Under our terms and conditions these leaflets must not be put onto school websites. They are for printing and giving to pupils at the end of a session or you could use them as a basis for your session. Work through each part with the pupil.

This is a ‘Falling out with friends pupil leaflet’ (conflict) which was an ELSA request. It is written in a child friendly way so pupils will understand. Included in the ‘falling out with friends pupil leaflet’: Understanding Conflict – Explanation of what conflict means and the emotions around conflict. Causes of conflict – examples of situations that lead to conflict. Win win – What is a win win situation? Compromise – What it means to compromise along with traffic light reminder. Test yourself – Questions to check understanding. There is an editable part for you to put your contact details or just your name. Simply type in the blue box. Don’t worry the blue box doesn’t show when you print. You can of course just print it and handwrite your details. There is also a BLACK AND WHITE version included in the pack. Important information This leaflet is meant to be used as part of ELSA Sessions or some other therapeutic session and shouldn’t just be given out to children without some input. Please DO NOT just give these out without that important input. They are purely reminders for the pupil to take away and for parents to get involved. It is your responsibility to decide whether the information in this leaflet will be helpful to your pupils. Under our terms and conditions these leaflets must not be put onto school websites. They are for printing and giving to pupils at the end of a session or you could use them as a basis for your session. Work through each part with the pupil.

This is a ‘Building confidence pupil leaflet’. It is written in a child friendly way so pupils will understand. Included in the ‘Building confidence pupil leaflet’: What is confidence? – A description of what confidence is and how you can cross the bridge from self doubt to self confidence What is self doubt? – Description with examples and a chance for the pupil to write down what their little voice might be saying. Confidence knockers – What sort of things knock confidence and a chance for pupils to write down what knocks their confidence. Confidence boosters – Ways to build confidence. Setting yourself a goal – Steps to set a goal – success breeds confidence. There is an editable part for you to put your contact details or just your name. Simply type in the blue box. Don’t worry the blue box doesn’t show when you print. You can of course just print it and handwrite your details. There is also a BLACK AND WHITE version included in the pack. Important information This leaflet is meant to be used as part of ELSA Sessions or some other therapeutic session and shouldn’t just be given out to children without some input. Please DO NOT just give these out without that important input. They are purely reminders for the pupil to take away and for parents to get involved. It is your responsibility to decide whether the information in this leaflet will be helpful to your pupils. Under our terms and conditions these leaflets must not be put onto school websites. They are for printing and giving to pupils at the end of a session or you could use them as a basis for your session. Work through each part with the pupil.

ANTS Automatic Negative Thoughts game. ANTs are the spontaneous, habitual, and often irrational thoughts that creep into our minds in response to various situations and triggers. These thoughts can significantly impact our emotional well-being and overall mental health. This game will help pupils to recognise those ANTs and will help them to reframe their thinking so they are more positive. Included in the ANTS automatic negative thoughts game: Game board (print A3) Change it cards – 8 of each type of ANT – 64 in total ANTs cards – 2 sets of 8 – one with their names and one without Positive affirmation cards – 16 cards Editable ‘Change it and Positive affirmation cards’) for you to add your own if needed. This is especially relevant for secondary pupils. This is editable in POWERPOINT so please ensure you have that installed if you want to edit the cards. ANTS covered in this pack: Emotional Edna – thinks with her feelings. eg. I FEEL hopeless, I FEEL like a failure. Fortune Teller Felicity – predicts the worst outcome e.g. I can’t win the race!, I will come last! Guilty Gertrude – Uses the word should and then feels guilty – eg. I should have done my homework, I should have done some exercise. All or nothing Audrey – uses words like always, never, every. Eg. I always lose, I never have anyone to play with. Blaming Barry – blames everyone else – eg. It’s your fault I slept in, It’s your fault I feel angry! Mind Reader Mavis – thinks he can read other people’s minds – eg. He must be laughing at me, I know she hates me! Labelling Lawrence – calls himself and others names – eg I am such a loser, She is such an idiot! Negative Nancy – ignores the positives and only sees the negative – I only came second in the race, I only got one sticker today.

Here’s our “Break the Ice Game” – a fantastic game designed to add warmth and engagement to the start of your sessions! Dive into a world of penguins and ice holes, where penguin cards holds captivating questions waiting to be explored. It’s a great winter game on the run up to Christmas and beyond. It would also be suitable at any time of year so you will get lots out of this game. Say goodbye to the chill of starting a session with a new pupil; our game adds warmth and enthusiasm, setting a positive tone from the beginning. Pupils explore questions that encourage sharing and understanding, fostering a sense of connection within the group. Included in the ‘Break the Ice Game’ pack: A3 game board 90 question cards 9 blank cards if you want to write your own A5 Certificate for completing the game

Here is a lovely calming game to play on the run up to Christmas. How to play our Christmas Calming Bingo game: Give each pupil a base board and some counters. Pick one of the calming cards and read through it with the pupils. The pupils can close their eyes so they can imagine the scene you are setting for them. Once they have all done this they place a counter on their base board over the appropriate exercise. Repeat until someone has a row vertically, horizontally or diagonally. The first person to get a row vertically, horizontally or diagonally is the winner of the game. They need to shout out ‘I am calm’ if they win. Included in the pack: 9 Calming activities 9 base boards with the images mixed up. You can play with up to 9 players.

The emotions iceberg is a metaphorical representation of the concept that there are visible and hidden aspects to our emotions. It suggests that what we express or display on the surface is just a small part of the broader emotional experience we have internally. The iceberg is divided into two main parts: Visible Emotions (the ones that show on the surface) These are the emotions that show and what can be seen Visible emotions could include happiness, anger, sadness, excitement, fear, surprise, and disgust. They are usually accompanied by recognisable facial expressions, body language, and vocal cues. Hidden Emotions (the ones that are hidden under the surface) These are the deeper and less visible emotions that lie beneath the surface. Hidden emotions are often more complex, and influenced by personal experiences, memories, beliefs, and thoughts. Examples of hidden emotions include shame, guilt, jealousy, anxiety, vulnerability, insecurity, loneliness, and grief. Identifying hidden emotions requires self-awareness, and empathy towards oneself and others. All the sheets print as A3 apart from the worksheets which are A4. Included in the Emotions Iceberg display pack: Emotions iceberg in A3 but you could print it bigger using adobe print settings Two pockets to include emoji faces and word cards A set of 20 emoji cards that will fit into the pocket 32 cards with suggested feelings words plus some bank cards for handwriting more words A set of editable cards (in PowerPoint) A banner 6 Supporting worksheets 2 quotes

This is a ‘Looking after my mental health’ tab booklet for world mental health day on the 10th October 2023 This resource is to help remove the stigma of mental health and help children to understand what they might need for good mental health. This booklet is here to show that it’s okay to talk about feelings and to help children  know what they can do to have happy and healthy minds. It is aimed at primary and lower secondary. This resource is to support World mental health day. Included in the pack How important are feelings? Who can I talk to? How can I relax? What makes me happy? How can I look after me?

This is a children’s feelings dictionary. The title is ‘Feelings Explorers – a journey to discover your feelings’ This dictionary covers the word and a simple definition. It is aimed at primary or older if older students don’t mind the characters. Life presents children with a range of challenging emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or fear. A feelings dictionary equips them with the tools to navigate these emotions more effectively. It empowers children to label their feelings, recognise their triggers, and identify appropriate coping strategies. This emotional resilience not only helps them manage difficult emotions but also promotes mental well-being and fosters a positive outlook on life. Labeling feelings is a crucial step in teaching children how to regulate their emotions. When children can identify and label their emotions, they are better equipped to manage them. By recognising when they are experiencing frustration, for example, children can learn strategies to calm themselves down, such as taking deep breaths or engaging in a preferred calming activity. The ability to regulate emotions effectively contributes to improved self-control and reduced impulsivity. Included in this Children’s Feelings Dictionary 13 Page booklet with a front cover – this is the dictionary from A to Z, lots of words included. Please note there are no words beginning with the letter X. A to Z of feelings worksheet – for pupils to choose words they like and write them down or add words not included in the dictionary. Please note there are no feelings words for x Feelings words I can use worksheet – for pupils to think about the core emotions such as angry, sad, scared, happy, disgusted and surprised and write words they would use to describe those emotions. Feelings words to describe the characters worksheet – pupils can look through the dictionary and choose words to describe the character’s feelings. Synonyms worksheet – pupils can hunt for synonyms of the 6 core emotions. Silly sentences worksheet – pupils can make up silly sentences using some of the feelings words in the dictionary. Draw the feeling worksheet – pupils can choose six words from the dictionary and try to draw what that feeling might look like.

This is a six session fully planned EBSA intervention. EBSA is emotionally based school avoidance. This intervention is for working one to one with a pupil that has difficulties in coming to school or staying in school. It is aimed at KS2 and could also be used with Year 2 pupils. It covers areas such as anxiety, the CBT cycle, exploring the perfect day at school, what pushes them into school and what pulls them away from school, what is safety and feeling safe? Pupil led plan on returning or staying in school. Emotions and relaxation are included along with work on strengths to help raise confidence and self-esteem. Included in the EBSA intervention: Planning booklet with 6 fully planned sessions 6 warmup activities based on strengths 6 relaxation exercises using visualisations Emotions check in with resources to cover aspects of emotional literacy Comic strip and callouts for spotting anxiety Comic strip and callouts for the perfect day at school CBT cycle pack Safety shield resource Anxiety thermometer Safety scale Pushing and pulling resource pack with visual, worksheets and scenario cards Attending school questions and a pupil led plan

The teen affirmation workbook begins by offering a clear explanation of affirmations and their significance. It is vital for young minds to grasp the concept of positive self-talk and how it can shape their perceptions and attitudes. The workbook helps pupils to craft personalised affirmations that resonate with their unique experiences and aspirations. Teens learn to transform negative thoughts into affirmations that inspire confidence and resilience. Pupils will reflect on any negativity in their lives through self reflection and learn to flip these into positive affirmations. Pupils are encouraged to use their affirmations daily for 2 weeks and monitor their feelings over this time. They are then encouraged to reflect on any changes that have been observed over that 2 week period. What’s included in the teen affirmation workbook? Affirmations are… (what they are) Affirmations can… (how they can benefit you) Self reflection…(what are the negatives?) Turning the negatives…(How to flip those negatives into a positive statement) Your turn…(Practising how to flip the negatives) Creating affirmations (advice on how to write one) Example affirmations Creating your own affirmations Daily affirmation practice Remember… (the importance of daily practice) Keeping track…(A table for helping monitor feelings and any positive changes) Reflection…(How have things changed over two weeks – question prompts)

This leaflet gives a general idea of what an ELSA works on with children. It shows how a lesson may be run which includes and emotional check in, main activity, relaxation and a review. It looks at the aims of the ELSA programme such as building your child’s emotional development and to help them cope with life’s challenges. Also helping children to find solutions to any problems they may have. It covers the areas an ELSA may help with such as loss and bereavement, emotional literacy, self esteem, social skills, friendship issues, relationships, managing strong feelings, anxiety, bullying, conflict, emotional regulation, growth mindset and social stories. It is helpful to give one of these leaflets out to parents when you first start working with them.

This Rise and Thrive Teen self-esteem intervention is suitable for pupils in secondary. It may also be useful for mature year 6 pupils. It is a group intervention for approximately 6 pupils. It could be run whole class too. Self-esteem refers to how a person views and values themselves. It involves having a positive opinion about your own worth, abilities, and qualities. When someone has healthy self-esteem, they feel confident, capable, and deserving of love and respect. Self-esteem is important because it influences how you perceive yourself, how you interact with others, how you handle challenges in life and your mental wellbeing. An estimate of timings would be: Review last time and check in 10 minutes Activity 30 minutes Review 5 minutes Next time 5 minutes Make sure you have 50 minutes to an hour to run the intervention. There are six sessions to this intervention which will all help to raise self-esteem. Boosters and drainers – pupils will explore what boosts self-esteem and what drains self-esteem Strengths and talents -pupils will explore their strengths and talents Challenging negative self-talk – pupils will learn how to reframe their negative dialogue Building resilience – pupils will explore how to build their resilience by facing challenges and setbacks Healthy and unhealthy relationships – pupils will explore relationships Impact of self-care – pupils will learn the importance of self-care and the impact that has on self-esteem Included in the Rise and Thrive teen self-esteem intervention: Planning booklet with 6 fully planned sessions Self-esteem scale for scaling at the beginning and end of the intervention Lesson 1 – 36 Booster and drainer cards, Booster and drainer worksheet, emotions and self esteem visual Lesson 2 – 40 strength cards, Building my strengths worksheet Lesson 3 – Inner dialogue list for prompting, Challenging my inner dialogue worksheet Lesson 4 – Resilience diary – front cover and one sheet to be copied multiple times Lesson 5 – 8 prompts cards for relationships, Profile of a healthy relationship worksheet Lesson 6 – Self care plan worksheet

This EBSA workbook School difficulties has been created with valuable help from the members of the ELSA Support Facebook Group who provided some of the difficulties their pupils face. It relies on real life situations that pupils have found difficult about coming to school. ELSAs are often on the front line trying to help pupils back into school and to work on their difficulties. The booklet is aimed from Year 3 to Year 6 but could also be used with Year 2 with support. We also have EBSA workbook school thoughts and feelings and EBSA Workbook Coping with school worries on the website. EBSA is Emotionally based school avoidance. Pupils who struggle to come to school or are non attenders. This might have an emotional cause or a mental health cause. The activity consists of a sorting board, cards with suggestions, cards for pupils to write their own, an exploration board, a feelings board with scales and changes and what they want to happen to make things feel ok. This activity will help pupils to identify what is bothering them at school and how to reduce that feeling by changing the situation. Start by printing out the base board and cutting up the cards. Print out a blank sheet so the pupil can add their own if they want to. Help the pupil sort the cards between things that are ok, things they are unsure of and things that are not ok. Once you have done that choose one of the things that are not ok and look at it further. Help the pupil break it down to see if you can find out what the actual issue is. Example might be ‘seating plan’ that is not ok. What is it about the seating plan that is not ok? Is it that they are sitting next to someone they don’t like? Perhaps they can’t hear the teacher? Perhaps they are uncomfortable and there might be a draft or a bright light bothering them. They might prefer to be sitting with a friend. Perhaps someone copies off them or talks to them and they don’t like that. Try and help the pupil to break down the difficulty. Once they have the root cause of their difficulty, help them to identify how it makes them feel. Can they put a name to that feeling? How big is that feeling? There is a sheet for pupil voice to say what changes need to happen for them to be ok. They can write it or you can write it for them and they can tell you what needs to change. There is also a daily sheet for pupils to write down anything that they think of or that crops up for them. There are also some additional supporting resources included in the pack This is the first workbook in the EBSA Workbook Range.