This module uses a zones-based model, adapted from the widely used Zones of Regulation framework, alongside simple mindfulness and grounding techniques, giving pupils a shared, non-judgemental language for talking about how they feel. It follows the DfE's Mental health and behaviour in schools advice, which asks staff to consider whether behaviour may be an expression of an underlying difficulty with regulating emotion, rather than treating it purely as wilful misconduct. This also contributes to the personal development judgement in Ofsted's Education Inspection Framework, which considers how well pupils learn to understand and manage their own emotions.
Objective: Pupil can name at least five emotions beyond 'happy', 'sad' and 'angry'.
Check-in: Simple zone check-in, which zone am I in today: calm, wobbly, overwhelmed, or shut down?
Input: Introduce an emotions wheel or zones chart to expand emotional vocabulary beyond the basics.
Activity: Sort emotion word cards into zones and discuss one recent moment for two or three of them.
Reflect: Which emotion is hardest to talk about? Agree to use the zones check-in language once this week, even just to self.
Watch for: Emotional vocabulary is often genuinely underdeveloped, not resisted, treat this as teaching, not therapy.
Parent/carer take-home: Try asking 'what zone are you in?' instead of 'what's wrong?' this week, it can feel easier to answer.
Objective: Pupil can identify physical sensations linked to at least two emotions.
Check-in: Zones check-in.
Input: Explain the mind-body link, emotions show up physically before we're consciously aware of them.
Activity: Body map exercise linking sensations (tight chest, fidgety legs, heavy head) to specific emotions.
Reflect: What's your earliest physical sign of stress or worry? Notice it once this week.
Watch for: Some pupils, particularly those with additional needs, may have reduced awareness of body sensations, allow more time and use concrete examples.
Parent/carer take-home: Next time something happens, notice together where the feeling shows up in the body, 'my stomach felt tight' is a great start.
Objective: Pupil can try two grounding or calming techniques.
Check-in: Zones check-in and review of the noticing task.
Input: Teach two or three grounding techniques: the five senses technique, box breathing, or grounding through touch and texture.
Activity: Practise each technique together; pupil rates how each felt out of 10.
Reflect: Which strategy would you actually use? Agree to try it once this week in a low-stakes moment.
Watch for: Strategies need to feel natural to the individual pupil, don't force a technique that clearly isn't landing.
Parent/carer take-home: Practise one grounding technique together at a calm moment so it's familiar before it's actually needed.
Objective: Pupil understands emotions rise and fall, and can describe a personal 'wave'.
Check-in: Zones check-in and review of strategy use.
Input: Introduce the idea that emotional intensity naturally peaks and falls if nothing feeds it, like a wave rather than a light switch.
Activity: Draw a personal 'anger or worry wave' for a recent strong emotion, marking where a strategy could have been used to ride it out rather than escalate it.
Reflect: What's one moment this week where you could try 'riding the wave' instead of reacting straight away?
Watch for: This concept lands well with pupils who feel emotions are permanent or unbearable, reassure that intensity does pass.
Parent/carer take-home: When a strong feeling passes, point it out afterwards: 'that felt big, and it did pass', reinforcing that emotions rise and fall.
Objective: Pupil has a personalised regulation plan shared with key staff.
Check-in: Compare zones and mood against the Week 1 baseline.
Input: Recap the course: vocabulary, body awareness, strategies, and the wave.
Activity: Build a one-page personal toolkit: my zones, my early signs, my go-to strategies. Share with the class teacher.
Reflect: What's changed most since Week 1?
Watch for: Agree a review point and make sure the toolkit language is also understood by relevant class staff, so it's reinforced outside sessions.
Parent/carer take-home: Look at the pupil's toolkit together and agree one way you can remind the pupil of it at home, like a note on the fridge.