Gather children in a circle on cushions. Hold up the talking stone and explain: ‘In our classroom, whoever holds this stone has the floor — everyone else’s job is to listen with their whole body: eyes watching, ears open, heart ready.’ Demonstrate what ‘whole body listening’ looks like by modelling it yourself.

Begin by holding the stone yourself and sharing a simple, genuine thought. Pass the stone around the circle. Each child may speak or pass — there is no pressure. After each child speaks, the group gives a silent acknowledgement — a gentle nod or a soft clap — before the stone moves on.

Once the stone has travelled the circle, invite open discussion: ‘Did anyone hear something that surprised them? What did it feel like to be listened to?’ Record children’s responses on a large sheet of paper.

Place the talking stone in a visible spot in the classroom. Explain that it will always be available — any child who wants to share something important can pick it up.

Introduce the weather chart. Ask: ‘Have you ever noticed that your feelings are a bit like the weather? Sometimes you feel bright and sunny inside. Sometimes you feel stormy.’ Read through each symbol together.

Give each child their own weather card. Ask them to choose the weather that best matches how they feel right now and place it on the display board beside their name. Emphasise that there is no wrong answer.

Look at the board together. ‘I notice we have lots of different weathers in our classroom today. That’s what makes our group interesting.’ Ask: ‘Has anyone ever felt two weathers at the same time?’

Explain that the weather board will be updated every morning. ‘Each day when you arrive, you can change your weather. And if your weather changes during the day, you can change it then too.’

Hold up the wordless picture book. ‘This book has no words at all. How do you think we’ll know what’s happening in the story?’ Take a few responses.

Read through the book slowly, pausing on each page. Ask: ‘What do you think is happening here? How do you know? What is this character feeling? How can you tell without any words?’

Ask children to create their own wordless story — a sequence of three drawings that tell a story with no words. The only rule: a stranger should be able to understand what is happening just by looking.

Invite volunteers to share their wordless story with the group. The group tries to ‘read’ the story before the creator explains it. Celebrate moments where the visual communication worked perfectly.

Ask: ‘Has anyone ever been talking to someone and you could tell they weren’t really listening? What did that feel like?’ Today we’re going to practise being the best listeners in the world.

Ask a confident child to sit with you. Demonstrate bad listening first — looking away, fidgeting, interrupting. Then demonstrate excellent listening — full eye contact, still body, nodding, asking one genuine question.

Arrange children in pairs. Round 1: Partner A speaks for 2 minutes about ‘a place that makes me feel happy.’ Partner B listens using the checklist. When the timer ends, Partner B asks one genuine question. Then swap. Round 2: Topic is ‘something I find difficult.’

Bring the group back together. ‘What was hard about listening for two whole minutes without interrupting? What did it feel like to have someone’s full attention?’ Introduce the saying: ‘We have two ears and one mouth.’

Send a note home to families asking them to teach their child how to say ‘hello,’ ‘thank you,’ and ‘you are my friend’ in their home language.

Spread the world map on the floor. Ask each child to place a sticky dot on the country where their family comes from. Step back and look at the map together: ‘Look at all the places our classroom comes from.’

Go around the circle. Each child shares their greeting in their home language. The whole group repeats it together. Write each greeting on an index card and attach it to the map. Celebrate every language equally.

In small groups, children create a ‘Hello Book’ — a simple folded booklet in which they draw themselves saying hello in each language they have learned today. Display all greeting cards around the classroom.

Ask: ‘Has anyone ever looked at someone and just known they were sad, even before they said anything? How did you know?’ Today we’re going to practise the skill of reading what someone else is feeling.

Show the first scenario card. Model completing the Empathy Map aloud: ‘This child is sitting alone at lunch. What do they see? Probably other children laughing together. What do they hear? Noise all around them, but no one talking to them. What do they feel? Probably lonely, maybe a bit sad. What do they need? Maybe someone to sit with them, or to say hello.’

Groups of 3–4 receive a scenario card and complete an Empathy Map together. Groups share their maps with the class.

‘Empathy doesn’t mean you have to fix everything. Sometimes the most empathic thing you can do is simply notice, and let someone know you’ve noticed.’

Hold up a pair of shoes. ‘There’s a saying: before you judge someone, walk a mile in their shoes. What do you think that means?’

Present a scenario: ‘It’s the first day at a new school.’ Assign roles: the new child, a child who is shy, a child who is confident, a child who is unkind, a child who is kind. Act out the scenario. Then rotate roles so children experience it from multiple perspectives.

‘Which role felt most comfortable? Which was hardest? Did your feelings change when you changed roles? What did you learn about the new child’s experience?’

Write ‘happy’ on the board. Ask: ‘Can you think of other words that mean something like happy but not exactly the same?’ Build a word cloud: joyful, content, excited, proud, relieved, grateful, peaceful. ‘Each of these is a different feeling. Having the right word helps you understand yourself and helps others understand you.’

Each child creates a personal ‘Feelings Library’ — a small booklet with one feeling per page. They draw a face showing the feeling, write or dictate the word, and add a sentence: ‘I feel [word] when…’ Aim for at least 8–10 feelings.

Share new words. ‘From today, when you want to tell someone how you feel, try to find the most precise word you can. Your Feelings Library can help.’

Drop a stone into a bowl of water. ‘Watch the ripples. One small action creates rings that spread outward. Kindness works the same way — one act of kindness can ripple through an entire community.’

Each child writes or dictates one specific act of kindness they will do for someone today — not a vague ‘be nice’ but something specific: ‘I will sit with [name] at lunch because they usually sit alone.’ ‘I will help [name] tidy up without being asked.’ Children carry out their act during the day.

At end of day: ‘Did you do your kind act? What happened? How did the other person respond? How did you feel?’

‘When you feel sad or upset, what helps you feel better?’ Take responses: a hug, being alone, talking, music, drawing. ‘Notice that everyone said something different. That’s very important.’

Each child creates their personal ‘Comfort Toolkit’ — a small illustrated card showing 3–5 things that help them feel better. These are laminated and kept in a special place in the classroom. Children also write one thing they can offer to a friend who is upset.

‘Before you try to comfort someone, it’s kind to ask: What do you need right now? Because what helps you might not help them. Real empathy means finding out what the other person needs, not just giving them what you would want.’

If a balance board is available, invite children to try standing on it. Notice together: ‘Everyone wobbles. Some people wobble a lot. Some people fall off. But what happens after the wobble?’ (They try again, they adjust, they get better.)

Share a personal story about a time when something was really hard and you wanted to give up — but you didn’t. Describe the wobble and what helped.

Give each child a strip of paper. Ask them to complete: ‘I wobbled when _______, and then I _______.’ Display all strips on the Resilience Wall.

‘Look at this wall. Every single person in this room has wobbled and kept going. That is what resilience looks like.’

Share stories of famous mistakes that became great discoveries: Post-it Notes, penicillin, chocolate chip cookies. ‘Did you know that Post-it Notes were invented because someone made a glue that wasn’t sticky enough?’

Each child creates a ‘Museum Exhibit’ for a mistake they made. The exhibit card includes: what they were trying to do, what went wrong, what they felt, and what they discovered because of the mistake.

Children walk through the museum and leave a sticky note on one exhibit that resonates with them. ‘From today, our classroom is a place where mistakes are welcome.’

‘Today we’re going outside to build a shelter. When things get hard — and they will — I want you to notice what happens in your body and what you do next.’

Teams of 3–4 build a shelter using only natural materials. The educator introduces deliberate challenges: ‘Your team has just lost one builder. A storm has knocked down part of your shelter. What now?’

‘What happened when things got hard? What did you feel? What did you do? What helped your team keep going?’

Introduce two puppet characters: the Helpful Voice (‘I can try, It’s okay to make mistakes’) and the Unhelpful Voice (‘I can’t do this, I give up’).

Each child writes or draws an unhelpful thing their inner voice sometimes says, then what the Helpful Voice could say instead.

Each child creates their personal resilience phrase: ‘I haven’t got it yet.’ ‘Wobbling means I’m learning.’ ‘I am brave enough to try.’

‘For the next four weeks, you are going to grow something from a seed. You will water it, observe it, and record what you notice. Some days nothing will seem to be happening. That is the hardest part — waiting and trusting.’ Plant seeds together.

Each week, children water their plant, observe changes, and make a journal entry. The class chart is updated together.

Children share Growth Journals and reflect: ‘What was the hardest week? Was there a moment you wanted to give up? What kept you going?’

Share something that genuinely makes you wonder. Model writing a wonder question on a sticky note: ‘I wonder why the sky is blue at noon but orange at sunset.’ Invite children to share their own wonder questions. Three colours: yellow = I wonder why…; blue = I wonder how…; pink = I wonder what would happen if…

Each morning, children have 5 minutes to add a new wonder question. Once a week, the class selects one question from the Wonder Jar to investigate together.

‘Have any of our questions been answered? Have any of our answers led to new questions?’ Celebrate the growth of curiosity over time.

‘Scientists are professional wonderers. Their job is to look at the world very, very carefully and write down exactly what they notice — not what they think they should see, but what is actually there. Today, you are all scientists.’

Give each child a natural object and magnifying glass. 5 minutes just looking — no drawing yet. Then: ‘What do you notice? What surprises you?’ Children draw in as much detail as possible.

In pairs, share notebooks. ‘Did you notice anything your partner missed?’ The Scientist’s Notebook is theirs for the whole year.

‘Today there are no instructions. There is no right answer. There is no finished product you’re supposed to make. Your only job is to explore, create, discover, and wonder.’

Step back and observe. Resist the urge to direct or suggest. Loose parts: stones, shells, corks, fabric scraps, wooden blocks, buttons, wire, tubes, mirrors, magnets, string, clay, water, sand, seeds, leaves, pinecones.

‘What did you discover? Did anything surprise you? What questions did you end up with?’

‘Your mission is to ask as many questions as you can. Every time you notice something and wonder about it, that’s a question. We’re going to count our questions.’

Walk slowly through the outdoor space. Stop frequently. Prompt: ‘What do you notice? What’s different from last week? What’s happening here?’ Children record questions in notebooks.

Count the questions. ‘We asked [X] questions today. That is [X] more things we want to understand about the world.’ Select one to investigate next week.

Announce the expert visit — a parent, community member, or local professional (beekeeper, chef, builder, musician, doctor, gardener). Spend one session generating questions as a class.

Children take turns asking prepared questions. Encourage follow-up: ‘That’s interesting — can you tell us more? What do you still wonder about?’

‘What did you learn that you didn’t know before? What new questions do you have now?’ Create a collective thank-you.

‘What would our classroom need to feel like a good place for everyone?’ Take responses on sticky notes. Guide children toward principles rather than rules: ‘Be kind’ rather than ‘No hitting.’

Together, draft 5–7 agreements in the children’s own language. Use the voting system to confirm each one. Once agreed, each child signs or makes their mark on the agreement.

Return to the agreement when conflicts arise: ‘Let’s look at what we agreed together. What do we think happened here?’

Use a scenario card: ‘You’re building a tower and your friend accidentally knocks it over.’ Map out two choices and trace the consequences of each on the map.

Groups receive a scenario card and create their own Choice Map, tracing at least two possible choices and their consequences.

‘Self-responsibility means understanding that your choices matter — to you and to the people around you.’

Introduce each job on the rota: Plant Waterer, Door Holder, Snack Helper, Book Organiser, Weather Reporter, Tidy-Up Captain, Welcome Greeter. For each one: ‘Why does this job matter? What would happen if nobody did it?’

Children check their job for the day and carry it out. Jobs rotate weekly. Celebrate contributions publicly and specifically.

Explore the difference between a quick ‘Sorry’ and a genuine apology using the framework: 1. I did/said ______. 2. I understand that made you feel ______. 3. I am sorry because ______. 4. Next time, I will ______.

In pairs, practise giving and receiving genuine apologies using the framework and scenario cards.

‘Taking responsibility for something you did wrong is one of the bravest things a person can do. It’s not about feeling bad about yourself — it’s about caring about the other person.’

‘In this classroom, your learning belongs to you. I can only help you well if you tell me what you need. Today, we’re going to think carefully about our own learning and share it with me.’

Children complete a template: ‘I find it easy to…’, ‘I find it hard to…’, ‘I would love to learn more about…’ using drawing and/or writing.

Over the following week, hold a brief private conversation with each child about their Learning Portrait. Record key themes and use them to inform planning.

Sit in a circle. Hold the end of the yarn and name one community you belong to and one thing you contribute to it. Roll the ball to a child across the circle. Continue until everyone is holding a strand. ‘Look at the web we’ve made. What happens if one person lets go?’

Each child draws themselves in the centre of their Community Web worksheet, with lines extending to the different communities they belong to.

‘You are not just a member of one community — you belong to many, and each one is richer because you are in it.’

Walk through a typical morning together — from waking up to arriving at school. At each step: ‘Who made this possible?’ (The farmer, the water treatment worker, the road builder…) Add photographs to the timeline.

Each child chooses one ‘invisible helper’ and creates a simple thank-you card. If possible, these are sent to local community organisations.

‘Community is not just the people you know — it’s everyone who makes your life possible.’

‘Today our classroom becomes a Parliament — a place where we make decisions together. Everyone has the right to speak, everyone has the right to vote, and the majority decision is respected.’

Present the agenda item. Children speak one at a time from the Speaker’s Chair (1 minute each). After all views are heard, the group votes. The decision is recorded and acted upon.

‘Democracy is not about always getting what you want. It’s about everyone having a voice and everyone respecting the outcome.’

‘Today we’re going to look at our community with caring eyes. What needs attention? What could be better? What could we do?’ Take a short walk around the school grounds.

Vote on one project. Plan the steps: What do we need? Who will do what? How will we know it’s done?

Carry out the project in daily 20-minute sessions. Celebrate: ‘Look at what we did. This community is better because we were here.’

‘Our community is made up of real people, each with their own story. Today we’re going to create portraits — not just drawings, but stories — of the people who make our community what it is.’

Children interview a family member or community member using 3–4 simple questions. They create a portrait — a drawing and a short story — of that person. These are compiled into a ‘People of Our Community’ book.

‘Today we’re going to do something that sounds simple but is actually quite hard: we’re going to sit still and be quiet in nature for 10 minutes. No talking, no moving around — just noticing.’

Each child finds their own spot — at least 2 metres from any other child. They sit quietly, using their Sit Spot Record sheet: What do I see? hear? smell? feel? wonder? The educator sits too, modelling the practice.

‘What did you notice? Did anything surprise you? Your Sit Spot is yours for the whole year. Each time we visit, you’ll notice something different.’

‘Soil is not just dirt — it is one of the most complex and important ecosystems on Earth. Let’s find out what’s living in it.’

Children carefully dig small amounts of soil onto white paper trays and examine them with magnifying glasses. They identify and draw any living things they find.

Carefully return all organisms to the soil. ‘We are guests in their home. What do we owe them?’ Children make a commitment: one thing they will do to protect soil.

Show a dripping tap. ‘How much water do you think this tap wastes in one day?’ A slow drip wastes approximately 15 litres per day — enough for several people to drink.

Walk children through the water cycle. ‘The water we drink today is the same water that dinosaurs drank — it has been cycling for billions of years.’

Children investigate their school for water waste. They record taps left running, leaking pipes, and propose solutions.

‘This table is going to change every week, because nature changes every week. Each week, you are invited to bring something from nature that shows what season we’re in — a leaf, a seed, a feather, a stone, a flower.’

Each Monday, children bring natural objects and place them on the table. ‘What does this object tell us about the season? What has changed since last week?’

At the height of each season, hold a brief celebration — a seasonal walk, a nature-based craft, a seasonal story or song.

‘Imagine a child sitting in this classroom in 10 years’ time. They will breathe the same air, drink the same water, walk on the same earth as you. What kind of world do you want them to inherit?’

Children write or dictate a letter to a child of the future. The letter includes: one thing they love about the natural world, one thing they are worried about, one promise they are making, and one question for the future child.

Place the letters in envelopes, seal them in the time capsule box, and mark it: ‘To be opened in [one year’s date].’ Place it somewhere visible in the classroom.