Resilient Transitions: Life is a Journey
Before children can embrace what's ahead, they need to feel safe enough to talk about it. The first lesson sets the tone for the whole series — creating a safe, honest space where feelings about change are welcomed, not dismissed. Pupils explore what it really means that life is a journey, share what they're genuinely looking forward to, and begin to name the emotions that come with stepping into the unknown. They're introduced to Finger Breathing as their first practical calming tool, and create their own personal safe space — a grounding resource they can return to whenever things feel overwhelming. From the very first session, pupils leave with something real and useful in their hands.
This lesson is currently free through the Resilient Transitions course offer.
Redeem School Transition - Summer 26 to unlock this lesson and the wider course while the offer is active.
Learning Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Understand the benefits of preparing for change
Outcome 2:
Explore emotions linked to uncertainty
Outcome 3:
Practise being calm and focused
Outcome 4:
Create a safe space
Interactive Activities
My Transition Support Card
What's included
A quick look at the classroom-ready resources that come with this lesson.
Contributing Experts
People who helped produce this lesson.
Lucy Bailey
Lucy Bailey is Founder of Bounce Forward and Healthy Minds for Parents. With two decades of experience in mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, and training 1000s of teachers, parents and other adults around children and young people. Lucy is proud of her early career in youth work and children services. Lucy had a poor experience of school and that has driven her passion to influence UK policy to form a positive system of change with psychological fitness at the core. Lucy has directed national research projects (including the Healthy Minds five year study), is certified by University of Pennsylvania, has an MSc in Practice Based Research, a BSc in Social Policy and Criminology, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. Her published book Raise Resilience: Teach your teenager well has led to the creation of the Psychological Fitness Nana bridging old school wisdom with modern psychology for parents of the 21st century.
About the Organisation
Bounce Forward is a registered charity on a mission to transform how we think about mental health, shifting the narrative from deficit and crisis to strength, prevention, and psychological fitness. They create evidence-based programmes, curricula, and training that give young people, school staff, and the adults around children the knowledge, language, and daily habits to build genuine mental resilience. From whole-staff training to five-year school curricula, everything they do is practical, grounded in science, and designed to make a lasting difference not just in the moment, but across a lifetime.