Resilient Transitions
Five lessons preparing Year 6 students for the transition to secondary school using resilience tools and personal planning.
Lessons
5 lessons in this module.
Life is a Journey
The opening lesson introduces the Resilient Transitions series, framing change as a journey worth preparing for. Students discuss what 'life is a journey' means, establish a Safe Learning Agreement, share positive things about moving on, and explore emotions linked to uncertainty. They are introduced to Finger Breathing as a calming strategy and create a personal 'safe space' drawing as a grounding resource.
Thoughts and Feelings
Students are introduced to fictional characters Tia and Tomas and the ABC model (Activating Events, Beliefs, Consequences), which explains how Beliefs — not events themselves — drive feelings and behaviour. Students apply ABC to scenarios and learn to identify three Gremlin belief types: Me (self-blame), Them (externalising blame), and Always (catastrophising). A focused maze activity develops the skill of deliberately directing attention.
Making Choices
Building on the ABC model, students explore how thinking style shapes choices. They revisit Tia and Tomas to find Gremlin Beliefs, compare pessimism and optimism, and watch an Observation Test film to show how we can miss things. A 'Being a Detective' technique teaches students to seek multiple explanations for events rather than defaulting to Gremlin thinking. Students practise reframing Gremlin Beliefs with worksheets and close with visualised breathing.
Taking Control
Students learn three tools for taking control during change: a gratitude letter to strengthen relationships; the WoBbLe skill, which balances catastrophic worst-case thinking with best-case and most-likely-case outcomes; and a visualisation exercise to calm strong emotions from a distance. The lesson closes with the Five Ways to Wellbeing (Connect, Be Active, Keep Learning, Take Notice, Give), and students make a personal pledge to use them.
Making My Transition Plan
The final lesson consolidates all series learning. Students unpack what resilience means and connect these qualities to their upcoming school transition. A 'Me at My Best' activity builds positive self-concept, followed by imagining a positive future in their new school. Each student creates a personal Transition Plan drawing on all tools from the series - calming techniques, ABC thinking, Gremlin reframing, WoBbLe, gratitude, and the Five Ways to Wellbeing.