Barnardo’s launches workbook to help children back to school

Dear Editor,

Children can find the start of the school year a real challenge, which is why Barnardo’s has created a workbook to help them through the first few weeks of term.

The Change Challenge booklet contains easy to follow exercises, aimed at children aged from five to 11 to help them deal with the change of going to a new school or new class.

And it also helps them to develop a plan for a successful start by identifying the things that make them feel good, the tricky things that can have a negative impact on their wellbeing, and the people who can help them.

The workbook is designed to be used during the first eight weeks of term with a short reflective session each week, writing down what has helped them, what has been tricky and who has helped them.

There are also ideas to support them when they come across difficult challenges in the future.

Starting a new class or going to a new school is often a nerve-wracking experience for children. After the last 18 months when much of it was spent in lockdown and lessons took place online, some children will be more apprehensive than normal.

I hope the workbook will be useful not just for them to work through with their teachers in the classroom but also something children can do at home with their parents and carers.

The workbook is free to download at the Barnardo’s Education Community site: www.educators-barnardos.org.uk