These resources are for education settings to support pupils with their social skills, feelings and mental wellbeing. They include simple ideas to help manage emotions, build resilience and make positive relationships.
Watch the short videos below for practical ideas to use within education settings.
Window of Tolerance
Use the window of tolerance to:
- Increase self-awareness of triggers and emotional responses
- Support emotional regulation
- Build trusting and supportive relationships
Relationships Policy
Use a relationships policy to:
- Recognise that behaviour can reflect unmet needs or emotions
- Foster positive connections
- Follow a restorative approach, enabling a fresh start
Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance (EBSNA): Understanding triggers and the iceberg
Support pupils experiencing EBSNA by:
- Having early, supportive and curious conversations
- Exploring underlying needs
- Helping staff respond in a consistent way
Support for pupils experiencing EBSNA
Support pupils experiencing EBSNA by:
- Listening to their needs and ideas
- Providing a dedicated contact within school
- Ensuring all staff know the young person’s support plan
Find more detailed guidance and resources to support pupils experiencing EBSNA
School wellbeing cards
Use school wellbeing cards to:
- Listen to pupil voice in a simple, visual way
- Create clear action plans to support wellbeing
- Understand and respond to pupils’ emotional needs
Welcome Club
Use a Welcome Club to:
- Offer a nurturing space to support the morning transition into school
- Allow pupils to share worries with staff before school starts
- Increase motivation to attend and reduce anxiety
Support for transitions
Use a transitions communications sheet to:
- Record key information
- Capture parent and pupil voice
- Provide consistency between settings
Restorative conversations
Use restorative conversations to:
- Help pupils feel heard and validated
- Enable pupils to move on from incidents
- Capture and share learning to inform future plans
For more information about autism and communication, visit the National Autistic Society website.
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Use a Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to:
- Identify if support is needed
- Identify appropriate interventions
- Track how pupils are presenting over a period of time
For more information, visit the Youth in Mind website.
Emotional regulation
Use self-regulation plans to:
- Ensure a consistent and personalised approach for pupils
- Identify and minimise triggers
- Review the use of language and setup of environment
Zones of Regulation
Use the Zones of Regulation curriculum to:
- Help pupils to recognise how they feel and why
- Provide tools to enable pupils to express how they feel
- Teach emotional regulation strategies
For more information, visit the Zones of Regulation website.
Drawing and Talking
Use drawing and talking therapy to:
- Offer a gentle, non-directive approach for emotional healing
- Help pupils discover and process emotions
- Support mental wellbeing and resilience
For more information, visit the Drawing and Talking website.
Completing a Boxall Profile
How to complete the Boxall Profile to support:
- Selection of pupils for a Nurture Group
- Inform your Assess Plan Do Review process for pupils with SEMH needs