Sessions combine cognitive behavioural techniques (recognising the anger cycle and the link between thoughts, feelings and actions) with restorative practice for repairing harm, strategies widely used in UK pupil referral units and SEMH provision. The approach reflects the DfE's Behaviour in Schools advice, which favours consistent, relationship-based responses over reactive sanctions alone, and supports the behaviour and attitudes judgement in Ofsted's Education Inspection Framework, which expects schools to maintain a calm, safe environment with a clear approach to managing physical incidents.
Objective: Pupil can describe what anger feels like in the body and name at least one recent trigger.
Check-in: Mood check using a 1–5 scale ('How's your week been?'). Build rapport before any discussion of incidents.
Input: Introduce the anger cycle: trigger, body signals, thoughts, action. Use a simple diagram to show how anger builds like a thermometer.
Activity: Pupil completes a body map marking where anger shows up in the body (clenched fists, hot face, fast heartbeat). Discuss one recent incident using the cycle, without judgement, the aim is understanding, not blame.
Reflect: Ask: 'What's the earliest sign your body gives you?' Agree one thing to notice this week: the first body signal of anger.
Watch for: Watch for minimisation ('I wasn't even angry') or shutdown. If the pupil can't discuss a specific incident yet, use a hypothetical scenario instead.
Parent/carer take-home: Ask the pupil to show you where the anger shows up in the body, in the pupil's own words, no fixing, just naming. Try it together with a recent moment of your own frustration, so it feels shared rather than a test.
Objective: Pupil can identify two to three personal triggers and rate their intensity.
Check-in: Review last week's 'notice the first signal' task, did the pupil notice it?
Input: Explain that triggers are personal, what irritates one person doesn't bother another. Introduce a trigger scale from mild annoyance to explosive.
Activity: Pupil builds a personal trigger list (e.g. being told what to do, feeling laughed at, being interrupted) and rates each out of 10, sorted into a simple table.
Reflect: Which trigger comes up most at school? Agree to track one specific trigger this week using a simple tally on a card.
Watch for: Some pupils find it easier to identify triggers through drawing or examples from TV or games rather than direct discussion, adapt the format if needed.
Parent/carer take-home: Quietly notice one thing that seems to trigger the pupil at home this week, and mention it gently: 'I noticed that seemed to bother you, was I right?' This builds trigger awareness outside school too.
Objective: Pupil can name and try at least two calming strategies.
Check-in: Review the trigger tally from the week.
Input: Introduce three to four practical calming strategies: slow breathing (count of four in, six out), a short movement break, counting backwards, or a designated safe space or person.
Activity: Practise one breathing technique together in the room. Role-play asking to use a safe space or signal card during a lesson.
Reflect: Which strategy felt most doable? Agree to try it once this week, even in a low-stakes moment, to build the habit before it's needed under pressure.
Watch for: Strategies only work if rehearsed when calm, resist the urge to introduce them for the first time during an actual incident.
Parent/carer take-home: Practise the breathing technique together for two minutes at a calm moment, not mid-argument, so it becomes a rehearsed habit rather than something new when it's needed.
Objective: Pupil can apply a calming strategy in a simulated stressful scenario and take part in a restorative conversation.
Check-in: Check whether the strategy was used this week and troubleshoot any barriers.
Input: Introduce the idea of rehearsal under mild pressure, practising a skill before it's truly needed makes it more automatic.
Activity: Role-play a mildly frustrating scenario (e.g. losing a game, being told to wait) and practise using the chosen strategy. If there's a recent real incident, run a brief restorative conversation: what happened, who was affected, what needs to happen to put it right.
Reflect: What made the strategy easier or harder to use than in Week 3? Set a goal for using it in one real school situation.
Watch for: Restorative conversations should stay non-blaming and focused on repair, not punishment, the mentor's tone matters as much as the questions.
Parent/carer take-home: If a small frustration comes up at home this week, pause and ask 'what could we try?' before jumping in, give the pupil the chance to try the strategy first.
Objective: Pupil has a personalised, written support plan and understands what happens next.
Check-in: Review progress across the five weeks using the 1–5 mood scale from Week 1 as a comparison point.
Input: Summarise what's been learned: triggers, body signals and the calming toolkit.
Activity: Co-create a one-page 'hot and cold' plan: known triggers, early warning signs, agreed strategies, and who to go to for support. Share the plan with the pupil's class teacher or pastoral lead.
Reflect: What's one thing you're most confident about now? What still feels hard?
Watch for: Agree a review point (e.g. three weeks later) rather than ending support abruptly, sustained change needs follow-up, not a single course.
Parent/carer take-home: Read through the one-page plan together and ask what part the pupil feels most confident about. Keep a copy somewhere visible at home.