Making New Friends at Senior School PSHE Workshop looks in detail at common worries and fears over making new friends/ leaving old friends and provides practical, confidence building strategies as well as emotional support. The workshop involves working in pairs and in groups and will result in cooperating to create a class sheet of the Top Tips as well as a class Friendship Charter. It can be delivered in around an hour, or can be divided into separate activities over multiple sessions. Students will learn strategies for finding possible friends that might be right for them, initiating conversations and deciding between groups and one-to-one friendships. As the workshop itself involves lots of discussion and co-operation, it can function as an ice breaker for new Year 7s in its own right. This workshop is ideal for Year 6s preparing to transition to a new school or Year 7s who have just joined their new school, as part of their induction and settling in period. The Friendship Charter is important in remembering that in order to make a good friend, we need to be a good friend. Often children may struggle to form friendships without realising that they are not reaching out or showing friendly behaviour themselves, so it can be useful to focus in on what they want from a friend and how they can be a good friend too. This actvity can also be used independently with other year groups experiencing friendship difficulties, as a way of opening discussion and encouraging reflection.

A 20 minute activity to help new Year 7s with personal organisation, taking responsibility for their learning and becoming more independent. It’s ideal for Tutor Group time or PSHE sessions. Children discuss the advantages of preparing their school bag the evening before then fill in a personalised bag planner using their own timetable and considering clubs and sports they may do before and after school. Teacher’s notes and tips supplied.

A 15 minute activity to help Year 6 students focus on positive feelings about changing schools. Students discuss hopes and plans for their first year at their new schools, then record them on a special sheet and put them away to reopen once they they have completed their first year. Suitable for PSHE sessions, this is a fun and upbeat activity and comes with full Teacher’s notes and lesson plan.

A fun, 30 minute lesson for years 5-6 on beginning sentences with adverbs, adjectives and -ing verb forms. Using the topic of flying, children will learn how being creative with sentence structure improves their writing. They will brainstorm ideas, then complete sentences with varied structures using a prompt sheet. Finally they will share ideas and write up their own stories incorporating the work they have done. Lesson plan and teacher’s notes provided.

A series of positive and uplifting affirmations for children to copy out whilst practicing their handwriting. A child friendly tip sheet on improving handwriting is included. Special focus is given to mid word 'v’s and 'w’s and closing 'o’s and 'a’s. An enjoyable and relaxing activity that could be used in English or P.S.H.E. lessons. Suitable for age 8 and upwards.

Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’ is read and discussed with reflective questions and prompts. Brainstorming exercises follow, to help children write their own poem, using a fun ‘cut and paste’ approach to engage learners who might find the idea of poetry writing daunting. An enjoyable and thought provoking lesson suitable for age 10 and upwards. Teacher’s notes included.

Children learn about the layout and conventions of formal letter writing and practice using formal/polite language in a task that will make them laugh. The task covers letter layout, structure, salutations and sign offs as well as giving prompts for appropriate phrases. Teacher’s notes included.