Changes: Moving on to secondary school
Session 1
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Session One:
Year 6
45 minutes
Objectives:
 To get to know each other
 To establish group rules
 To establish aims of the group
 To build self esteem/feeling good about yourself
Date/Time
Resources: The Dot by Peter H Reynolds, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
1.
Introductions-Name games (say name with action and rest of group says hello,
repeats the persons name and copies the action)/then throw ball across the
circle have to say your persons name you are throwing it to.
2. Establish aims of the group- Circle of testimony-children to share positive
thoughts about working in a group.
3. Can you all show me your drama faces (explain what drama faces are) about how
you feel about going to Secondary School at the moment? Everything we do in
this group is to help you feel positive about going to Secondary school.
4. Group rules/drama contract-Teacher in role-“I come from another school where
everyone is horrible to each other when they work in a group.” Can the children
as superhelpers come up with suggestions for group rules for the group to work
well? (record the ideas on sugar paper)
5. Read The Dot by Peter H Reynolds. Stop and ask children to show drama
faces/drama voices of how characters are feeling. Get children up to show a
still image of something they are good at, use magic wand to ask children to
explain their action.
7. Ending-Play pass the clap or pass the smile. Drama faces about how have felt
about today’s group?
Evaluation
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
1
Session 2
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Date/Time
Session Two:
Year 6
45 minutes
Objectives:
 I can share something I am good at.
 I can share something I would like to get better at.
 I can think about ways to change and get better at something.
 I can express how I feel about change.
Resources: The Dot by Peter H Reynolds, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
6. Warm-up-Move on game-split group into A and B pairs. Each partner to tell each
other three facts about themselves. Class teacher to model this first with a
volunteer. A’s then move on to another partner and repeat the process. Come
back together and group leader to try and build up a picture of each member.
7. Recap on group rules/contract-thumbs up, middle, down for each rule. Discuss
any thumbs down.
8. Recap on last week-children to freeze frame what they are good at . What are
we good at as a group? I think I am good at….. use talking stone. Poster of ideas
on computer.
9. Look at back at The Dot and ask group some questions about the child changing
their ideas about art. Drama faces, show me what child thought about art at the
beginning of the story (use magic wand again to ask children for feelings words,
ask why if appropriate), then do the same for the end of the story. What has
changed and why? Do you think it was easy to change? Does anyone ever feel
like the child in the story? Thumbs up if do? Can anyone think of something
they would like to change or get better at? Children to close their eyes as if
going to sleep. When they hear the alarm clock it’s a new day and they have
started to change or get better at something. In pairs tell partner what the
change was and how you did it, act out each others change, freeze and use magic
wand to ask about the change. Change isn’t always that easy it takes hard work.
How does everyone feel about change? Drama voices and body language, say the
word change. We are going to talk more about change next week.
6. Ending game-Who’s doing it? Choose one child to leave the room. Choose one child
to be mime leader. When child comes back into room mime leader begins and
children have to copy. Child who left the room needs to identify who the leader is.
Evaluation
2
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Session 3
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Date/Time
Session Three:
Year 6
45 minutes
Objectives:
 I can share something I am good at.
 I can share something I would like to get better at.
 I can think about ways to change and get better at something.
 I can express how I feel about change.
 I can understand that change can be hard for everyone.
Resources:Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
10. Warm-up-Touch and tell-in partners one closes their eyes and is led round the
room to touch five objects/surfaces, has to guess what they are-swap over.
11. Recap on group rules/contract-thumbs up, middle, down for each rule. Discuss
any thumbs down.
12. Get children to draw their journey of life so far and changes that are going to
happen in the future, not just Secondary school but after this as well. Drama
faces for how they feel about change.
13. Read Scaredy Squirrel-use thought bubbles to show panic reaction and Squirrel’s
thinking. Separate group into two one panic reaction one thinking. Conscience
alley for Scaredy Squirrel leaving the nut tree. Class teacher to take on role of
Squirrel and walk through the alley.
14. Use drama faces/body language/still image for what they think is coming next
throughout the story. How did Scaredy Squirrel feel at the beginning and at the
end. How has Scaredy Squirrel changed?
15. Go through cycle of change with the children. Use Scaredy Squirrel as an
example. Then children to think back to what they wanted to change and discuss
how they could do this using the cycle.
16. Ending game-Who’s doing it? Choose one child to leave the room. Choose one
child to be mime leader. When child comes back into room mime leader begins
and children have to copy. Child who left the room needs to identify who the
leader is.
Evaluation
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
3
Session 4
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Date/Time
Session four:
Year 6
45 minutes
Objectives:
 I can think about how someone else may be feeing.
 I can share worries I have about secondary school.
 I can think about and share ways to make these worries better.
Resources: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
17. Warm-up-up, down, freeze game. When group are used to the commands go to
opposites e.g. up means down.
18. Recap on group rules/contract-thumbs up, middle, down for each rule. Discuss
any thumbs down.
19. Re-cap on story of Scaredy Squirrel-tell the person next to you something you
remember about the story. Share ideas.
20. When I wave my wand you are all now Scaredy Squirrel (children in role) at
Secondary School.
21. Drama faces and body language about going to Secondary School. Ask Squirrels
how they are feeling and what their fears are? Do this in a round. I feel….
About Secondary School. I am worried about……..
22. Children in role as Squirrels to now write down worries about secondary school.
Separate into two boxes ours and others (on acorn template to be buried).
23. Teacher in role, care taker from the school, has found the box of worries called
a meeting with some of the pupils from the Secondary School to see what they
can do to help/what they think the children could do to feel better about these
worries, what helped them?
24. Then back as teacher and group again-look at worries say have had all these
really good ideas, what do they all think? Were there any worries we couldn’t
help with today? Role on the wall about we know about Secondary school and
what would like to know?
25. Ending game-Pass the ball. Ask children to feel the weight of it, try bouncing it,
what happens if it becomes hot, or cold, or as light as a ballon?
Evaluation
4
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Session 5
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Session five:
Year 6
(Children should have been for their
day at Secondary School)
45 minutes
Objectives:
 I can think of positives about my Secondary School.
 I can express how I feel about Secondary school.
 We can work together as a group.
Date/Time
Resources: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
26. Warm-up-Walk together-on a given signal everyone starts to walk, and on a given
signal everyone stops. Then try this without talking.
27. Recap on group rules/contract-thumbs up, middle, down for each rule. Discuss
any thumbs down.
28. Scaredy Squirrel goes to Secondary School-when you cross over the magic line
you are now Scaredy Squirrel the night before going to Secondary School
(children in role.)
29. Two groups or in pairs, role play of packing emergency kit for Secondary School
etc and freeze frame? What have you packed and why?
30. Out of role as a group look at homework diary, timetable for Secondary school,
map of school-discuss. (real kit needed for Secondary school).
31. Anything that is still worrying them they can ask questions as we have visitors
from Secondary School next week, look at role of the wall that we have already
done. Think of list of questions to ask.
32. Ending game-pass the smile/pass the clap
Evaluation
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
5
Session 6
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Session Six:
Year 6
45 minutes
Objectives:
 I can ask questions about my worries.
 I can work as part of a group.
Date/Time
Resources: Scaredy Squirrel, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
33. Warm-up-Try and get everyone standing up, without talking have to all stand up
in turn, if two people stand up at the same time have to start again. (this to
include pupils from Secondary school)
34. Recap on group rules/contract-thumbs up, middle, down for each rule. Discuss
any thumbs down.
35. Put up children’s role on the wall and list of questions to help prompt them.
36. Question and answer session.
37. After our visitors have left fill in more on role on the wall.
38. Show with drama/emotions faces and body how you have felt about today’s
session. Ask children if they feel they can share verbally how they feel, use
talking stone.
39. Play final game-Pass the clap.
Evaluation
6
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Session 7
BST Transition project:
Group/Pupil:
Session Seven:
Year 6
45 minutes
Objectives:
 I remember things I have learnt about Secondary School.
 I can think more positively about Secondary School
Date/Time
Resources: Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt, Drama bag, Sugar paper
Activity (Children to be sat on chairs or carpet in a circle)
40. Warm-up-Greet each other as move around the room. Give different emotions
for children to express through body language ad voice when they meet each
other.
41. Recap on group rules/contract-thumbs up, middle, down for each rule. Discuss
any thumbs down.
42. One member of the group to be hot seated as Scaredy Squirrel after the
induction day, have an advisor to help as well (one of Scaredy Squirrels
friends)-children to ask questions about what the Secondary school was likehave role on the wall up as a reference point.
43. After add any new information to role on the wall.
44. As a round group to think of something positive about Secondary School. I am
looking forward to……..Class teacher to write up all these positives.
45. Teacher in role as parent of new child who is going to join the Secondary
school (give profile of child as being very nervous about joining a new school in
September, doesn’t like change) but will have missed having these groups, what
have you learnt that might help her/him feel more positive about going to
Secondary school?
46. Make/or if not time give each child set of worry dolls for any final worries to
take away with them.
47. Give out booklet for children to take home to look at over the summer about
their Secondary school (include all timetable information/map/role on the
wall/list of positives-all work we have done that can be put into a booklet).
48. Give out certificates
49. Play final game-groups choice.
Evaluation
HIAS Healthy Schools website
Jo Bean – Behaviour Support Team
7