Step by Step Guide To Circle Time

Jenny Mosley
The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time, by Jenny Mosley.

www.circle-time.co.uk
By Jenny Mosley
A first-stop introduction to leading successful Quality Circle

Time meetings for beginners and a refresher for those who
want to improve their practice.

Published in 2006, Reprinted 2009, 2011 and 2015 by:
Positive Press Ltd
28A Gloucester Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire BA14 0AA
Telephone: 01225 719204

Fax: 01225 712187
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.circle-time.co.uk
Text © 2006 Jenny Mosley.
ISBN 978-1-904-866-20-6
Photography by Viewpoint, Somerset
The right of Jenny Mosley to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by
her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade
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Contents
Foreword 3 In my opinion 52
All change 55
Introduction 4
Using SEAL guidance in Quality Circle
Time meetings 57
How to use this book 5 How to use the SEAL toolkit for
Circle Time meetings 59

Part One: Understanding the
Quality Circle Time Model 7
Part Three: Designing Your
The benefits of Quality Circle Time 7 Own Quality Circle Times 62
Quality Circle Time is safe 7 The skills of Circle Time 62
Quality Circle Time is flexible 9 Writing your own plans 65
The structure of Quality Circle Time 12 Step One 66
Getting ready for Quality Circle Time 17 Meeting up 66
Step Two 75
Part Two: Getting to Know
the Model 22 Warming up 75
Before you begin 22 Step Three 79
Practical Circle Time Plans 24 Opening up 79
Into the unknown 24 Step Four 86
Getting to know you 27 Cheering up 86
In and out 30 Step Five 88
Can I join the game? 33 Calming down 88
A time for telling 36
Keeper of the keys 39 Putting It All Into Practice 92
Things that work for us 42

What Teachers Ask 96
Stick with it 44
Monarch of the realm 46
Stop and think 49
1
INTRODUCTION
Foreword
We all have our own ‘light bulb’ moments in our career as educators. For me such
a moment was when I began to understand that there are three very different
reasons for children not behaving as we want them to. One reason may be that
they have not yet learned the skills that underpin positive and pro-social
behaviour. Another may be that they have the skills but are not choosing to use
them – because alternative choices offer them bigger pay-offs. A third reason may
be that although they have the skills, and although the incentives to use those
skills are in place, they are simply too hurt and distressed to make wise choices.
Quality Circle Time was another light-bulb moment for me. It seemed a magic
way of addressing all three of the reasons for behaviour difficulties. The
framework of Golden Rules and Golden Time provides the motivation. Circle
sessions provide the teaching of the skills children need in order to manage
their feelings, develop empathy, and make and keep friends. The sessions also
provide the kind of nurturing environment that reduces children’s distress and
hurt by enabling them to share it with others and receive support.
That is why Circle Time is important in the government’s approach to the social
and emotional aspects of learning materials (SEAL), on which I was privileged to
work. More and more teachers are using circle time routinely in their
classrooms, and looking for guidance and support in how to use it well.
This book provides that guidance. It explains the benefits of circle time and takes us
through the immensely helpful structure of meeting up, warming up, opening up,
cheering up and calming down. It provides just enough worked examples, helpfully
grouped under the SEAL themes, to give confidence to a practitioner new to Circle
Time. It then leads the practitioner into the next, less scripted steps where children
explore the issues that are relevant to them as a group and as individuals.
The ideas in this book are practical and realistic. They acknowledge that some
circle times can feel flat or go wrong. They help us get over those humps and
become ever more confident in our practice.
Enjoy the ideas… look out for the ‘Bag of Power’ – and have fun with the
children you teach.
Jean Gross
Jean was formerly responsible for the Primary National Strategy’s work on behaviour and
inclusion. She now directs the Every Child a Reader initiative.
3
STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO CIRCLE TIME
Introduction
The social and emotional aspects of health are increasingly recognised as
absolutely essential to our success as individuals and communities. So much so
that, in 2005, the Department for Education and Skills introduced Guidance for
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning – SEAL.
The Guidance confirms a crucial shift in our understanding of why some people
seem to glide effortlessly through life while others flounder and ‘mess things
up’. SEAL recognises just how much of our inner and interpersonal well-being is
dependent upon how well, or not, we have learned a range of key skills. The
word ‘skill’ implies something significant and positive for us as educators
because we know that skilfulness is never something anyone is born with. Some
people may be born with an innate aptitude for something but none of us can
be become skilful unless we are given two vital things. These are experience
and training.
Just like any other skill, social and emotional abilities can only flourish if they
are nurtured and practised over and over again. Resources like SEAL are based
on the realisation that every child should be taught social, behavioural and
emotional skills in the same way that they are taught reading or mathematical
skills. This teaching is too essential to be anywhere but at the absolute heart of
your school’s curriculum.
Before each lesson, you make a series of professional decisions about the best
ways to develop your children’s competency and understanding. Your learning
objectives will be clear in your mind and you will have planned your lesson
around the best possible means of achieving them. This book is designed to
show you how to use exciting strategies to teach social, emotional and
behavioural skills effectively.
4
INTRODUCTION
How to use this book

‘Step by Step’ will guide you through all aspects of the delivery of Quality
Circle Time meetings. As you work through the chapters, you will gain a secure
grasp of the knowledge and skills that are needed to plan Circle Time meetings
that are uniquely tailored to the needs of your particular setting.
Part one – benefits of Quality Circle Time and the Five Steps
The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time begins with a description of the
many benefits that accrue from regular Circle Time meetings.
It includes a description of each of the Five Steps and how they fit
together interchangeably to meet your children’s needs.
Part two – practical Circle Time plans

This section begins with advice about the best ways to introduce Circle
Time. Short, three-step meetings are suggested as a ‘way in’. These help
everyone to settle into the routines and rituals that make Circle Time such
safe, invigorating fun. A selection of five-step meetings follows – these
are designed to give you experience of the range and variety of
approaches that can be employed during Circle Time.
Part three – tailoring Circle Time to your own needs

The third part of the book is designed to help you become creative. It
explains how to plan each stage of a Circle Time meeting and put it all
together as a coherent whole. In short, you will be successfully delivering
the curriculum for social and emotional aspects of learning and a great
deal more as well.
5
It’s worth the effort!

Clear structure and clarity of purpose are just two of the features that make
Quality Circle Time so appealing to its many loyal practitioners. We advise you to
try to work through the book in the order in which it is written. You may be
tempted to skip the theoretical bits and move straight into the lesson plans, but
reading the explanations carefully is essential because your understanding of the
dynamics that underpin each session will be crucial when you begin to plan
independently. Time and effort spent rehearsing the model will ensure that you
have the experience to create sessions that will enrich your children’s lives and
help them to become the self-motivated, self-assured individuals whom you want
them to be.
What we don’t do in this book

This book is not about the whole Quality Circle Time model. Other books
include our strategies for setting up rewards and sanctions systems and ways to
deal with challenging and unhappy children. They also highlight the need to
take care of yourselves so that you are energetic and ready for the challenges
that each day brings. Furthermore, the whole model emphasises the need to
ensure that playtimes and lunchtimes are properly managed so that lessons
learned in Circle Time meetings are not lost and forgotten when children are
outside the classroom.
The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time does not revisit these aspects of the
Quality Circle Time model. It concerns itself solely with planning and leading
Circle Time meetings that give children experience and training in a wide range
of cognitive and practical skills that will enable them to achieve satisfying,
motivated and successful lives.
There are many excellent books from Positive Press and LDA that cover all the
other aspects of the model.
6
U N D E R S TA N D I N G T H E Q U A L I T Y C I R C L E T I M E M O D E L
Part One: Understanding the

Quality Circle Time Model
The benefits of Quality Circle Time

Social and emotional aspects of learning are a vital part of every moment
of your school’s practice. They underpin the attitudes with which your
children approach the challenges of learning and how they ‘feel’ about
every lesson in the curriculum. Your academic objectives may change from
lesson to lesson but the attitudes that you instil will be constant
throughout the school day. They inform the way in which you work
together as a community and are an important feature of your success or
failure as an educational establishment.
As educators, you want attentive, motivated children in every lesson. You

want your children to interact peacefully and constructively with one
another. Individual and communal esteem has to be high so that everyone
works towards success with confidence and good humour. All of these
social and emotional aspects of learning are much too important to be left
to chance. They need and deserve curriculum space that is specifically set
aside.
When you think about how these essential lessons should be delivered,
Quality Circle Time offers you a considerable number of advantages, which
are detailed here.
Quality Circle Time is safe

Many of the issues that you will want to investigate can seem difficult,
embarrassing or threatening to some children. If you want them to ‘open up’
and discuss social and emotional aspects of learning in a productive way, you
need to be certain that everyone feels emotionally safe. Quality Circle Time is
7
carefully designed to ensure that group cohesion is strong and supportive and
that all participants feel relaxed and secure throughout the meeting. Quality
Circle Time has a number of characteristics that ensure that the sense of safety
is steadfastly maintained:
• Structure
Every Quality Circle Time meeting is built on a Five-Step Plan. Each stage has a
specific structure and leads into the next one. The first two steps prepare the
ground and are used to create just the right atmosphere of enthusiasm and
trust for the middle step to be constructive and beneficial. The last two steps
are used to wind things down and guarantee that the meeting closes with
everyone feeling positive and calm.
• Solution focused
The atmosphere of safety is further reinforced by the requirement that
everyone must be constructive during meetings. Put-downs and negative
attitudes are not tolerated. The objective of every meeting is to teach positive
behaviours and attitudes and to raise self-esteem. All participants are aware of
this rule. They can feel safe in the knowledge that they are in a circle that is
interested in finding ways of moving forward and which will never resort to
unkind words or recriminations.
• Pace
Quality Circle Time meetings are lively and upbeat. It is the leader’s
responsibility to make sure that meetings never become dreary by moving
briskly from step to step and keeping everyone’s enthusiasm high.
• Variety
An amazing range of teaching strategies is available to Circle Time
practitioners. Some issues require directed discussion and will involve the
teaching of thinking and problem-solving skills. Others can be taught using
more active methods that will be described later in this book. Your children
8
will soon realise that every Circle Time meeting is different from the ones that
went before and will look forward with a sense of expectant enthusiasm for
whatever you have planned.
Quality Circle Time is flexible

The Five Step model is designed to teach social and emotional aspects of
learning but can also be used for school councils. Many schools also use Circle
Time to teach language skills and other academic subjects. It is particularly
useful for groups of less confident children who have low self-esteem and need
careful nurturing. Some enlightened schools now use the model for staff
meetings so that everyone in the school can benefit from its democratic and
positive ethos!
• Quality Circle Time builds group cohesion and strengthens

the individual
Circle Time celebrates signs of progress, however small, and seeks to build on
success. Every child has the chance to speak and feels safe because they know they
will be heard and will not be ridiculed or criticised when they express their
opinions. Each individual feels strengthened and part of a democratic culture that
works together to improve life for the community. This ethos of cooperation and
mutual support spills over into the playground and lesson times because the skills
that are learned in Circle Time can be applied to all social situations.
Quality Circle Time enhances learning
• Teaching learning skills

Academic success requires more than intelligence and a well-planned curriculum. It
involves high levels of skill. Quality Circle Time identifies and teaches five essential
learning skills, which are:

9
Concentrating
Looking
Thinking
Listening
Speaking
Every Circle Time meeting includes activities that encourage the development of
these skills. This means that Circle Time meetings offer you academic benefits
alongside their dynamic effect on social and emotional development.
10
The structure of Quality Circle Time
Opening Up
Forum
Warming Up
Round
Meeting Up
Game
Not Heard?
JENNY MOSLEY’S 5 STEPS
12
Quality Circle Time meetings progress through five distinct steps. Each has a
particular purpose. The theme of the meeting will be apparent in each step but
will be handled differently at each stage.
Cheering Up
Celebrating
Success
Calming Down
Closing Ritual
Feeling GOOD!
TO QUALITY CIRCLE TIME
13
The two introductory steps relax the children and prepare them for the third
step when key issues are investigated. The meeting draws to a close with two
final steps which lighten the mood and ensure an atmosphere of closure and
calm. So, the five steps of Circle Time are:
Meeting Up
Each meeting begins with an enjoyable game to help children relax, release
tension and feel the joy of being together as a group. The games are
designed to create a supportive atmosphere and are often used to
encourage the children to sit next to those who are not their usual
companions. Sometimes, you may feel that is not appropriate to begin with a
lively game and may decide that a relaxing activity might be more suitable.
Warming Up
Many children need to ‘warm up’ to speaking. This is achieved through a
‘round’. The teacher begins a sentence that must be repeated and completed
by each child. For example, you might say, ‘The animal I would like to be is …’
Each child repeats the sentence ‘stem’ and chooses their own way to complete
it. A ‘speaking object’ is used to show whose turn it is to speak and whoever is
holding the speaking object has the right to speak uninterrupted. (A speaking
object might be a decorated wooden egg, a soft toy, ‘talking teddy’ or any
suitable mascot.) The speaking object is then passed to the next person.
Holding the speaking object does not oblige anyone to speak and any child
who does not wish to do so may say, ‘pass’ and hand it on.
14
Opening Up
This is sometimes called ‘Open Forum’ and is an opportunity for children to
work together to explore problems, concerns, hopes and fears. They also
investigate what it means to be part of a community and think about the
social and moral responsibilities that this entails. They learn how to offer
peer support in respectful and compassionate ways. They practice problem-
solving skills and rehearse behaviours that strengthen their confidence and
self-esteem. They learn how express opinions and join in discussions that
develop their ability to reason and think logically.
Cheering Up
It can be difficult to ‘switch off’ from issues of concern so it is important that
you provide two closing activities that ensure everyone leaves the meeting
feeling calm and refreshed. The ‘cheering up’ step begins this process by
celebrating the group’s successes and strengths and giving children the
opportunity to praise one another or cheer everyone up by giving them the
chance to teach everyone new skills and games.
Calming Down
Every meeting needs to end with a closing ritual. This winding down step
is calming and ensures that a feeling of emotional safety and closure is
achieved.
15
Everyone needs to agree that they will work together in a positive way:
We are kind to each

other and never say
hurtful things.
We know that everyone

has the right to have
opinions that are
different from our own.
We take turns and let

other people have a go.
We praise each other

and thank people who
have helped us.
We work together
as a team
We share our opinions

and learn from one
another.
We think about problems

and try to find solutions.
Getting Ready for Circle Time

• Find the right space
A quiet uncluttered area is an ideal base for your Circle Time meetings. It
should be large enough for the children to sit in a circle, facing inwards, and
engage in the activities that happen inside it. Carpet squares, cushions or chairs
that show the children where to sit are helpful. It is also helpful to clear the
space of anything that might distract their attention.
• Choose a good time

Circle time is important so it needs to be timetabled to reflect the value that
you and your school place upon it. Choose a time when you know that
everyone will be feeling energetic and alert. Stick to the timetable and never
allow Circle Time to be squeezed out by the rest of the curriculum.
• Build a collection of props

Puppets are an indispensable addition to Circle Time meetings. There are books of
stories and scripts available that are specially designed to use with puppets during
Circle Time meetings. These will help you to become proficient enough to devise
scripts of your own that meet the specific needs of your children. Many teachers
also use props like crowns, cloaks and other items from the dressing-up box.
Planning is easier if you have a collection of poems and stories that can be used
to stimulate drama and discussion and there are ready-made collections
available. Circle Time meetings are not just about talking about difficult issues:
most begin and end with a game that is designed to put the children at their
ease. Party games are easy to adapt and many games from the PE curriculum
can be tailored for Circle Time.
• Now assemble a ‘bag of power’

Just like other lessons, not every Circle Time meeting will go as you wish.
Sometimes the meetings will be flat and the children unresponsive. You will
17
need to have something up your sleeve for these difficult moments. We call this
‘the Bag of Power’, a cloth bag full of Circle Time rescue remedies! Include your
puppets, games and objects to intrigue and invite discussion, a book of poems,
a cloak or other dressing-up clothes and a ‘treasure box’. When things start to
flag, just slowly put your hand in the Bag of Power and pull out something to
surprise and distract. You need to be more exciting than the most disruptive
child in your group so that the rest of the class ignore the distraction and focus
all their attention on you!
• Prepare your adult helpers

You will need adult helpers trained to understand how Circle Time works and it
is helpful to spend time before each meeting explaining what you are intending
to do and what you will expect from your aides. Parents can be useful and you
may decide to send out invitations so that they feel welcome to attend. This is
another reason for holding your meetings at a regular time every week.
• Agree your ground rules

Ground rules tell us how to behave in particular situations. Their purpose is to
minimise confusion and conflict and to create an atmosphere in which
meaningful discussion can take place. To be effective, the rules must be agreed
by everyone and you will need to review them before each meeting. The list
below covers the ground rules that experienced practitioners find indispensable.
Everyone has the right to be heard
It is important the children have the right to be heard without interruption.

This right is made very clear when a ‘speaking object‘ is used. Only the individual
who is holding the speaking object is allowed to speak. It can be passed around
the group or placed in the centre of the circle and picked up by children who
wish to contribute to discussions. Alternatively, children can raise their hand or
do a ‘thumbs-up’ to indicate their wish to speak. In excellent Circle Time
meetings, the teacher acts as a facilitator and skilfully ensures that children talk
and debate with each other. The teacher’s voice is heard less and less as children
18
become more respectful and confident with each other. Attentive listening is a
vital social skill and meetings cannot be successful if this rule is not observed.
Sometimes, however, you will need to employ some polite interruption: We
advise that you do so like this: ‘I’m very sorry to have to interrupt you, Sally, but I
need to remind Joe about one of our ground rules.’
Everyone has the right to ‘pass’
In the circle, every child has an equal right to speak. Every child also has the right to
remain quiet if they so wish – they can say ‘pass’ if it is a round, for example. Give
them another opportunity to speak at the end of each step when you can say,
‘Does anyone want to change their mind and say something before we move on?’
We are always kind and positive
Children will clam up and refuse to contribute if they feel that their views will
be dismissed or ridiculed. Circle Time meetings are all about reinforcing good
behaviour and it is important that only positive things are said. Participants need
to be taught to make ‘I’ statements that describe their personal feelings so that
their statements are not received as an attack. Teach your children to relate
things back to their own viewpoint by using this sentence stem: ‘When you
……………., I felt ………… ‘
• Facilitate different learning styles

Circle meetings are fast-paced and involve a wide range of activities. They should
be designed to tap into different learning styles so that every child can excel at
some point of the meeting. Shy children, for example, can be transformed by
holding a puppet. Academic lessons are planned to accommodate a variety of
learning styles, so plan your Circle Time activities in the same way. Both shy and
outgoing children should have a chance to shine and every child must get an
opportunity to learn in the way that suits them best.
• Use your adult helpers

Your adult helpers can be encouraged to give extra support where it is needed.
19
This may mean one-to-one support for particular children. For children whose
development is delayed they can be asked to simplify tasks or they may be used
to help particular children concentrate and stay on task. It is a good idea to
keep an empty chair in the circle for children who find it difficult to join in.
Welcome them into the circle if they choose to come in from the outside.
• Encourage, don’t ‘force’

Some children are reticent and are allowed to say ‘pass’ if they feel that they do
not want to speak. They need encouragement and can be given a second
chance to speak with assistance from an adult helper. Alternatively, you may
find that they will feel more confident if they are allowed to hold a puppet or
a cuddly toy. Be prepared to wait patiently until such children are more familiar
with the routines of circle time. They will come to realise that they are in a safe
environment and can trust in the people around them.
• Use the sessions to meet children’s needs

If you have children in your class who display particular problems, then Circle
Time is your opportunity to offer them help. For example, if you have a child who
has a problem with anger then you can model and teach anger management and
calming techniques. This means that the whole class learns to help one another
by practising pro-active strategies and problem-solving as a team.
• Try smaller Circles of Support for ‘children beyond’

Some children are exceptionally needy and cannot cope with whole-class circle
meetings. These children need to attend small therapeutic meetings where their
specific needs can be met. They need extra-large portions of praise and
affirmation that only a small group can supply. In an ideal world, these small
group meetings are timetabled to take place at the same time as the larger
meetings. Children with emotional, social and behavioural problems urgently need
these boosts to their self-esteem and it is well worth rearranging the timetable to
accommodate them. Running Small Circles of Support For Children ‘Beyond’
What Normally Works by Jenny Mosley will be published by LDA in 2007.
20
Children say…
“ My teacher is go od
because she cho oses
go od games. She thinks
hard to make it fun and
she works hard to be
very smiley.
”
Fallon, Year 3
Children say…
“ I like holding the

speaking object and
talking about the things
”“
Children say…
I sometimes think about.
I lik e circle time
Joseph, Year 6
because it relaxes me
so I’m not so steamed
up all the time.
”
Holly, Year 4
Children say…
“ It relaxes me so I
don’t yell at anyone.
”
James, Year 5

Part Two: Getting to

Know the Model
BEFORE YOU BEGIN…
The five steps of Quality Circle Time are building blocks that join
together to make a complete meeting. Jumping in and attempting all
of these steps at once may be too much for your children, so we advise
you to introduce Circle Time in planned stages. This will enable you to
build trust and group strength so that, when everyone is ready, you
can hold complete five-step meetings successfully and with confidence.
We advise you to work towards full meetings in the following way:
1. Teach the five skills

It is wise to introduce a programme to teach the five skills of Quality
Circle Time before you start to hold Circle Time meetings. These skills
are essential if your meetings are to run smoothly with children who
are alert and attentive. You can make this fun by playing simple
games and by referring to the skills frequently throughout the day,
by saying things like, ‘Well, done, Stephen, I have noticed that you
are using your listening skills very well today’. By reinforcing the five
skills you can guarantee that children understand the behaviour that
will be expected of them and will be ready to focus their minds.
Older children need a reminder of the five skills prior to each
meeting and it is useful to teach younger children the script below:
In circle time…
We use our looking skills (point to eyes)
We use our listening skills (point to ears)
We use our speaking skills (point to mouths)
We use our thinking skills (place hands on side of head)
We use our concentration skills (clasp hands and place in laps)
22
GETTING TO KNOW THE MODEL
The teaching of these skills can also be made into a daily ‘circle
ritual’. Decide on a suitable time to hold your ritual, perhaps after
registration, and use this time to remind the children of the five
learning skills. Make a poster-sized version of the skills so that they
are visible in the classroom. You can point to the poster throughout
the day as you praise children for developing their skills. Even
better, if you have the energy, why not take photographs of your
children using different skills. Don’t leave any child out by mistake.
Keep changing the display.
2. Introduce Circle Time with three-step meetings

In three step meetings the ‘Opening Up’ phase is omitted and the
leader pick-and-mixes from the other steps to create active, exciting
circle meetings. These simple meetings help everyone to become
accustomed to the activities that take place during Circle Time. This
is an opportunity to try out different combinations of activities
from the remaining four steps. For example, game/round/game;
game/ round/celebration; game/celebration/calming down; calming
down/round/calming down and so on. Eventually your group will
be ready to try the more difficult ‘Opening Up’ phase with
confidence because every other step will be familiar.
You can find a range of popular Circle Time activities in this book and
many more can be found in the SEAL toolkit. (A ‘further reading’ list
is included at the back of this book.) Read through each activity or
game before you play it so that you are sure that you have identified
the skills it is reinforcing. While you are playing, you need to mention
the underlying skill so that your children can learn to recognise how
it feels in practice. For example: ‘Well done, Josie, for using your
looking skills so cleverly,’ or ‘That game needed a lot of
concentration. Thank you everyone, for concentrating so hard.’ If
you don’t tell them why they are playing the games, a learning
opportunity will be lost.
23
3. Use Circle Time plans

Once you have introduced Quality Circle Time with three step
meetings, you will be ready to deliver full five-step meetings. Try out
the scripts that follow and you will soon be familiar with the ways
things work.
Practical Circle Time Plans

The plans that follow are designed to show you the range of
approaches that can be utilised during Circle Time meetings.
The themes have been carefully chosen to reflect the Primary
National Strategy guidance for the teaching of the social and
emotional aspects of learning. Each session should take about
half an hour but may take longer if the children respond well
to the middle stage and you allow them to investigate the issue
in more depth. However, if you decide to give more time to the
‘Opening Up’ don’t forget that the closing steps are vital to
bring the meeting to a close in an atmosphere of positivity and
calm. The meetings are suitable for a wide age span, but you
may need to adapt them to suit your particular group.
INTO THE UNKNOWN

SEAL theme: New beginnings
Focus: Getting to know one another
What you need: Two blankets or large sheet of cloth; a number of
different objects from around the classroom – a
photo, a storybook, a purse, skipping rope etc
Preparation: Spread the objects across the floor and cover them
with the blanket
24
Meeting up
When the children are sitting in the circle, ask them to curl up
with their knees touching their chests. When their name is called,
they must uncurl and look steadily at you. Then you welcome them
into the circle with the words:
Leader: Where is Susie?

Susie: Here I am.
Leader: Great to see you. 1,2,3.
Everyone: Great to see you, Susie.
Leader: It’s very nice to see you today!
Warming up
Give the speaking object to the child sitting next to you and ask
him/her to complete the following sentence: ‘My name is (insert
name) and I like to (insert skip, sing, play football etc)’. Continue
this around the group. If some children are shy, you can prepare
them for this activity by talking about it before the meeting and/or
giving them a picture of their favourite activity that they can hold up.
They can say, ‘I would like to (ski, parachute)’ if they wish.
Opening up
Choose each child in turn to wriggle under the blanket and bring
out an object. Ask them to show the group what they have found
and to give it to someone in the group (not their best friend) who
might like it. The receiver should say, ‘Thank you’. Both children can
demonstrate and talk about the use of the object, e.g. ‘I gave it to
you because ……..’ or ‘I like it because………’
Tell the children that it can be a bit scary to go under the dark
blanket and then stand up and talk to the rest of the group. Ask if
there have been other times when they have felt scared and talk
25
about ways of making it less scary. You can use sentence stems
like, ‘I need help because ( I get scared when it’s quiet at
night).’ ‘I get scared when (I have to talk in front of the whole
school).’ Ask them to listen to suggestions from other children
about coping strategies they have found useful.
TOP
It boosts children’s self-esteem to realise that they TIP
have wisdom that they can share with others. It is
important that adults sometimes share their feelings and
allow the children to learn that they can help adults too.
Cheering up
Use this rhyme to the tune of ‘Muffin Man’:
If you’ve been under the blanket today,

Blanket today, blanket today,
If you’ve been under the blanket today,
Stand up and shout ‘Hoo-ray! Hooooooo...ray!”
Calming down
Tell the children that the blanket has another use: we can
wrap ourselves up in it and feel nice and snug and warm. Let
the children lie with their feet all pointing into the middle and
lay two big blankets over them. Say, ‘You are feeling very calm
and happy. Breathe in 1, 2, 3. Now, I am going to slowly slide
the warm blanket away but everyone can keep the calm happy
feeling. You can hold on it because its inside you!’
Go round and tap each child gently on the shoulder and lead
them quietly to their next activity.
TOP
At other times during the day, TIP
help children to breathe calmly.
26
GETTING TO KNOW YOU

SEAL theme: New beginnings
Focus: Boosting the individual and strengthening
the group
What you need: Speaking object; fruit basket
Meeting up
The children sit in a circle. Go around the group and label each
child either an orange or lemon. Call out ‘oranges’, or ‘lemons’
or ‘fruit basket’. The children in the named category must change
places. When ‘fruit basket’ is called, everybody changes places.
TOP
TIP The purpose of this game is to make sure that everyone
‘mixes up’ and sits next to someone with whom they
would not usually interact. Explore other games that
help children to sit next to ‘new’ people.
Warming up
Each member introduces him/herself and physically makes one
action to indicate how they are feeling now. For example, Joe is
tired and so he stretches, Shakira is excited so she jumps up and
down. The whole group imitates that person’s contribution.
TOP
TIP Work on these ideas before Circle Time and
put them up on the wall.
Opening up
Everybody should mingle inside the circle – they have two minutes
to shake each other’s hands, give their names and tell a fact that
they think everybody knows about them, e.g., ‘I like jelly
sandwiches.’ The children then return to their circle seats.
27
TOP
Don’t forget that adults must try to join in TIP
Circle Time activities.
Now ask if they can remember any of the facts. Ask for
volunteers to stand up and introduce a classmate like this: ‘This is
Kayleigh and she likes to dance to loud music in the kitchen.’
Kayleigh then introduces another person until the whole group is
standing up. Ask another child to walk around the group
labelling each child A-B-A-B-A-B-A around the circle. All the ‘A’
children should now move their chairs to face the ‘B’ children so
that an inner and outer circle is formed. These pairs of children
now have to discover three things that they both like and three
things that they both dislike. When you re-form the larger circle,
ask the ‘A’ children to introduce their partner and recount the
things that they both like. The ‘B’ children then introduce their
partner and recount the things that they both dislike.
TOP
The aim here is to introduce the concept of shared TIP
experience and individual differences at a basic level.
Cheering up
Congratulate all the children on their speaking skills and
highlight individuals who have displayed particular skill – for
example, ‘Well done, Joe, I liked the way you used eye contact.’
Or, ‘Susie, the way you stood still made it much easier to
concentrate on what you were saying.’ and so on.
Calming down
Ask the children to hold hands in the group and close their
eyes. Gently squeeze the hand of the child next to you and ask
him/her to pass the squeeze on to the next person and so on
28
around the circle. Repeat this with a smile and then with a ‘hello’.
Unclasp hands and thank the children for listening to each other
so well.
TOP
TIP Like Chinese Whispers, pass around a shape drawn
on a palm. It doesn’t really matter what is drawn –
it’s a lovely feeling.
TOP
TIP Take time to reflect on the success of your Circle Time.
If your teaching assistant is able to join you all ask her
for her thoughts on how you could plan the next meeting to
embrace more children’s needs. For example; if too many
children say ‘pass’ – then a few days before Circle Time give
them notice of what the sentence stem will be. They can then
prepare by bringing a little card with them to remind them
what they want to say. If a child is terribly shy they can give
their card to someone else to read – or whisper to your puppet
who can then speak for them
29
IN AND OUT
This circle meeting uses a game as stimulus for discussion
and debate.
SEAL theme: Getting on and falling out

Focus: Empathy and our power to make others happy
What you need: Speaking object
Meeting up
Begin with a game of ‘Hunter and Hunted’. The children sit in a
circle and two children are chosen and blindfolded. The first is
the hunter, the other the hunted. Within the circle, the hunter
attempts to capture the quarry. The rest of the group sit in a
circle and guide them away from the edge of the circle with
very gentle contact, using palms of hands only.
TOP
TIP
This game ensures a kind, co-operative atmosphere.
Warming up
Using the speaking object, ask each child in turn to complete
the following sentence: ‘I like to play with (insert name of
playmate from home or school) because (insert reason).’
Children who do not wish to speak may say ‘pass’ and give the
speaking object to the next child.
Opening up
Explain that the following game will remind us of the good
feelings we get from being part of a group, and the bad
feeling we get when we are left out or made to feel different.
Choose a popular, confident member of the group and ask
him/her to stand in the middle of the circle. Tell the rest of the
30
class to move clockwise, covering the seats with their behinds as they
move from chair to chair (so that there is always an empty chair but
it appears and disappears as the children move around). The
volunteer has to try and sit on an empty chair and the class has to try
to prevent him/her from doing so. When the game is over, the
volunteer sits in the middle of the circle. Ask the children if any of
them can identify how the volunteer may be feeling. They should
come forward and put a hand on her shoulder and speak ‘for’ her.
For example: ‘You may be feeling very stupid. Everyone else was
having a good time.’ ‘You may be feeling frustrated …’
TOP
TIP
This activity teaches children about empathy and can
be used in many Circle Time meetings.
If no-one mentions the idea of rejection, you can comment on how

the scene looked to you as an observer. Explain how it is reminiscent
of playground scenarios. Can any children describe similar situations
and make a list of them? Offer a choice of sentence stem – such as
‘A time when I felt left out was …’ or ‘Some people feel left out
when …’ Use the list and ask children to share strategies that they
have found useful in similar situations. You may choose to support
their suggestions by offering the sentence stem ‘Would it help if …?’
TOP
TIP
Giving the children the first half of a sentence,
and asking them to complete it, helps them to phrase the
answer clearly and concisely.
Cheering up
Thank the children for their useful contributions and point out that
they are learning the meaning of the word empathy. Be specific and
thank some children personally while praising the group as a whole.
31
(A definition of empathy is ‘insight into the motives, feelings

and behaviour of others and the ability to communicate this
understanding’.)
Calming down
Tell the children that you are going to show them how to calm
down when the going gets tough. Explain that we can calm
ourselves down by concentrating on our breathing. Show them
what you mean by sitting still and quiet and letting your
breath become steady and slow. Ask them to try this out. Sit
quietly for a few minutes. Play a CD of quiet water sounds
(from any alternative ‘healing’ shop). Afterwards ask them to
‘thumb up’ any sounds they heard when they were very quiet.
32
CAN I JOIN THE GAME?

This session uses a puppet script to stimulate discussion in an
atmosphere of safety.
SEAL theme: Getting on and falling out

Focus: The social skills involved in friendship
What you need: Two glove puppets; a small selection of toys
Preparation: None
Meeting up
Play a game of ‘Who’s talking now?’ The children sit in a circle and
you have to choose one to be the monarch. This child stands in the
centre of the circle wearing the blindfold. On the command, ‘Go’
the other children walk round the circle until the monarch calls,
‘Stop’. She then points straight ahead and asks, ‘Who goes there,
friend or foe?’ The child who is being pointed at answers, ‘Why,
friend of course your Majesty’. The monarch should now try to guess
the identity of the speaker. If they guess correctly, the two of them
swap places. If the guess is incorrect, the monarch stays in the centre
and a new game begins.
Warming up
Using the speaking object, ask each child in turn to complete the
following sentence: ‘I like to play with (insert name of playmate)
because (insert reason)’. Children who do not wish to speak may say
‘pass’ and give the speaking object to the next child.
Opening up
Introduce the puppets to the children. We are going to call them
Perry Pig and Jerry Giraffe. Play out the following script with the
puppets:
33
Leader: Perry, you’re looking sad and lonely. What can have
made you feel so sad?
Perry: I want to play with Jerry but he won’t let me.
Leader: Jerry, why won’t you play with Jerry today?
Jerry: Because I want to play all by myself.
Leader: But, Jerry, I thought that Perry was your friend?
Friends don’t make each other sad and lonely.
Ask the children what they think that Perry and Jerry should
do. Take their suggestions and repeat them so that everyone
is clear. Use the puppets to show the children how these
suggestions might work out in practice and add some more of
our own by saying things like: ‘I was in the playground
yesterday and I saw how Samantha joined in Kerry and Josie’s
game by offering to hold the rope. That was clever of you,
Samantha. Perhaps some of you might like to try something
like that when you want to join in a game.’
TOP
Children love puppets and it is a good idea to TIP
practice at home so that you feel relaxed when you
use them in the class.
Cheering up
Ask the children to join hands in a circle and sing or chant the
following rhyme. At the end of each line, they raise their
hands towards the ceiling and then lower them. At the end of
the last line, they let go and point to everyone else in the
group with a big smile.
I’m happy with my friends

I’m happy when we play
I’m happy with my friends
34
And you’re my friends today!
Calming down
Try a breathing exercise. Tell the children to take a deep breath
while you count to four. Then, as you count back to one, ask
them to breathe out slowly.
35
A TIME FOR TELLING

This meeting celebrates children’s ability to solve problems
and find solutions.
SEAL theme: Say no to bullying

Focus: Agreeing a procedure for reporting incidents
of bullying
Meeting up
Turn to the child next to you and greet them by smiling and
saying hello. Ask this child to pass on a greeting. They may do
so by copying your or by changing it to a ‘high five’, a ‘hi-ya’ or
any other greeting that they know. When these greetings have
completed the circle, you can all try out any new ones as a
group
Warming up
the following sentence: ‘I know someone is unhappy when I see
them (crying, looking at their feet, fiddling with their cuffs etc)’.
Opening up
Explain to the children that, today, you will be looking at the
difference between ‘telling tales’ and reporting bullying
incidents. Read out the following statements and ask the
children to decide which each one is.
1) Ashley tells the teacher that Damon keeps hiding his work to
try to get him into trouble.
36
2) Alicia tells the teacher that Mary is playing with a toy on the
carpet during listening time.
3) Shaheen tells the teacher that Alice is saying nasty things about a
new girl so that no-one will like her.
4) Sam tells the teacher that Daniel hasn’t handed his work in as
requested.
5) Rashad tells the teacher that Leroy was playing with water in the
toilets.
6) Zoe tells the teacher that Cara has been calling Maxine a nasty
name during playtimes.
TOP
TIP
Using examples like this makes it easier for children to
identify problems and see them more clearly.
Talk about the difference between telling tales and reporting

incidents of bullying. (Numbers 2, 4, 5 can be considered ‘telling
tales’.) Explain clearly that you are telling tales about someone
when their actions are not hurting anyone else. Now ask the
children why people don’t always report incidents of bullying. They
will probably give answers such as:
‘I don’t like telling tales.’

‘If I tell on someone, everyone might dislike me.’
‘I’m scared that the bully will pick on me.’
‘The bully is my friend.’
‘I don’t like the victim.’
Explain that if a safe school is to be created for everyone it is

important that incidents of bullying are reported to an adult. Do
the children think it would be easier to report incidents if they
could do this confidentially? Ask them for suggestions on how this
could be achieved. For example, you may have a box in the
37
classroom where notes could be posted, or you might have a

special time and place where children could meet with you to
report incidents. Before you agree a set procedure for
reporting any incidents, you will need to have discussed the
issue in a staff meeting. Be prepared to negotiate and take
suggestions back to the rest of the staff before they are
agreed.
Cheering up
Thank the children for their wisdom and insightful suggestions.
Join together for a joyful Mexican wave to celebrate your
strength as a group.
Calming down
Ask the children to sit with straight backs, hands resting gently
in their laps. Tell them to close their eyes and to think about
their breathing. Tell them that you want them to breathe in a
feeling of happiness and, as they breathe out, you want them
to breathe out any feelings or thoughts that may be making
them unhappy. Next, ask them to think about themselves
enjoying a lovely warm summer day, doing things that they
really enjoy. Finally, they can slowly open their eyes and
become aware of the room and the present moment.
TOP
TIP Quiet reflection is calming and clears the mind so
that everyone is ready for the next lesson. Slow
breathing, rain-sticks, sea sounds or gentle music all help
38
KEEPER OF THE KEYS

Theme: Going for goals
Focus: Encouraging children to think about what they
want to achieve and what stops them
What you need: Speaking object; lots of loosely-scrunched sheets
of newspaper
Meeting up
Make a circle with sufficient space for the children to move around
inside. Explain to the children that they are going to walk around
pretending they are on different surfaces. Start with thick, squelchy
mud. At intervals, change the surface: slippery ice, a trampoline,
quicksand, hot coals, glue, long grass etc.
Warming up
Using the speaking object or a wand, ask each child in turn to
complete the following sentence: ‘If I were a magician, I would …’
Opening up
Place a chair in the centre of the circle and surround it with lots of
scrunchy newspaper. Place some ‘treasure’ (something noisy like
keys or bells) under the chair. Now choose a child to be the
‘guardian of the treasure’. Give him a blindfold and seat him on
the guardian’s chair. Select another child to be the ‘seeker’. This
child must try to retrieve the treasure without being caught. It is
the guardian’s task to listen carefully and point to the seeker and say,
‘stop’ loudly if he thinks he knows where the seeker is. The seeker
has to freeze. If the pointed finger is in their direction, they have to
return to their seat. The guardian is allowed only three attempts at
stopping any seeker. If the treasure seeker reaches the treasure
without being stopped, give them a clap. Next, clear everything away
39
and initiate a discussion about goals, which should be

compared to the treasure in the game. What would we like to
achieve and what prevents us from achieving these things?
Some children will able to volunteer some goals and the
obstacles that need to be overcome. Everyone should be given
the opportunity to offer advice, using the sentence starter,
‘Would it help if …?’ As a follow-up, children can make
individual action plans to help them reach their ‘treasure’.
Cheering up
Tell the children that you have noticed some of them working
hard lately, and that you are confident that they will achieve
their ambitions through hard work and effort. Read out their
names and the occasion when you noticed them trying really
hard. Ask them to look out for examples of hard work to
celebrate next week.
Calming down
Sit quietly with eyes closed and hands in laps. Read the following
script slowly, leaving pauses where the dotted lines appear.
You are going to imagine that you are riding on a magic

carpet which will take you to exciting, interesting places. Think
of yourself lying on the carpet. What is it like? Imagine the
colours, patterns and texture of your carpet …
(pause)
It lifts up into the air. You feel the wind on your face as the
carpet glides through the sky. Below you is the sea twinkling
and glistening in the sunlight. You can see things on the
water ...
(Pause)
Now the carpet is soaring higher as you approach mountains.
Look down and see the snow-covered peaks, crisp and white.
Feel the cold air – it makes you shiver …
40
(Pause)
You see a group of skiers on a snowy slope. Imagine them sliding
smoothly down, twisting this way and that. You can hear the swish
of their skis as they move …
(Pause)
You are past the mountains now and the carpet drops down lower.
You feel the air getting warmer and enjoy the sun on your back …
(Pause)
It is now time to travel home. You lie on your back and feel the
gentle swaying of the carpet, thinking of all the things you have
seen on your journey.
Allow the children a few minutes to ‘come back’ to the classroom

and then guide them quietly to the next lesson.
41
THINGS THAT WORK FOR US

SEAL theme: Going for goals
Focus: Investigating the children’s perception of
methods for motivating them
What you need: Speaking object; two identical cut-out
figures, one showing a happy, smiling face,
the other a sad face; scissors; blu-tack; flip-
chart and pens
Meeting up
Form the circle and explain to the children that they are going
to clap some rhythms. At the same time you are going to call
out instructions that they must follow. For example:
Clap high (clap above your head) 1, 2, 3, 4

Clap low (clap down by your knees) 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap to the right, 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap to the left, 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap with your partner (both hands together) 1, 2, 3, 4
Warming up
the following sentence: ‘At school, I like it when …’ Children
who do not wish to speak may say ‘pass’ and give the
Opening up
Pin up the picture of the happy figure and choose a name that
belongs to nobody in your class. You are going to tell the
children about a day in the life of this child. Explain that he
woke up happy and enthusiastic about going to school. Go
through the day and describe how everything seems to go
wrong. He gets his sums wrong, he loses his pencil, nobody
42
will play with him at playtime, someone shouts at him. As you

mention each one of these things, cut a ‘jigsaw’ shape out of the
sad figure and stick it on to the happy figure. By the end of the
day, the happy, smiling child has turned into an unhappy figure!
Make a list of the things that could be done to make him feel better
by asking the children to suggest things that they like receiving –
praise, smiles, stickers, stamps, certificates, peer praise, Golden Time,
letters home etc. Can the children rate each of these ‘motivators’ out
of ten, or rank them in order with the most effective first and least
effective last? You might find it easier to divide the children into
groups for this. The groups can share their opinions and explain the
reasons for their choices. Close by removing the blue jigsaw pieces
and return the sad figure to its happy, smiling state! (You might
want to introduce the important concept of self-praise at this point.)
TOP
TIP
Self-praise is a fundamental aspect of healthy self-esteem
and children should be encouraged to recognise, appreciate and
applaud themselves when they have done something well. This is
not immodest, but valuable self-assessment and we all have the
right to be pleased with a job well done. If we know our
strengths, we’ll ask for help with our weaknesses.
Cheering up
Join together with the joyful statement, ‘We are all wonderful!’ and
do a Mexican wave. Repeat this a couple of times.
Calming down
Explain that you are the rain, denoted by waving fingers. Pass the
action around the circle. Next, become the thunder and mime this
by slapping your knees in rhythm. Again, pass the action around
the circle. Finally, bring out the sun by folding your arms, and let
this action pass around the group.
43
STICK WITH IT
SEAL theme: Good to be me
Focus: Developing a positive self-image
What you need: Stickers with smiley faces drawn on them; a
smiling puppet or picture of someone
smiling; cheerful music (eg The Dance of the
Sugar Plum Fairy by Tchaikovsky).
Meeting up
Quickly mix the children with a game like ‘fruit basket’. Then,
divide them into pairs. They have to take it in turns to try to
make their partner laugh. They can pull silly faces but must not
make physical contact while the partner has to remain serious
for as long as possible.
Warming up
Using the speaking object, ask the children to complete the
following sentence: ‘I can (run/jump/draw, etc) very well.’
Opening up
Give each child an unpeeled ‘well done’ sticker. Choose one child
and ask her to unpeel the sticker and put it on someone else’s
jumper. As they do so, they need to say, ‘I am giving you this
because you are (good at being kind, good at helping me, etc)’.
When each child has received a sticker, go round the group and
ask them to repeat the reason why they were given the smiley
face. Did they like to receive the sticker and the kind words
from their classmates? They can give other people this warm
feeling at any time because all they have to do is smile and say
something nice. Now see if they can think of someone who
might like to receive the gift of some kind words – their mum or
dad perhaps. Set them the task of remembering to say
something kind to everyone at home and at school every day
44
and see how much happiness they can make all by themselves.
Cheering up
Smiles are very ‘catching’ and a very good thing to share. Tell the
children the following rhyme – pick up the smiley puppet or show
them the picture of a smiley person and say:
Here’s smiley Sue.

What shall we do?
Her smile’s so bright,
We are smiling too.
Calming down
Play the cheerful music and ask the children to move their arms
and legs in a light, floating light way to the rhythm of the music
until everyone is in a happy frame of mind.
TOP
TIP
To help children self-praise, give each of them a red
sticky dot. They can put it on any piece of work they have done
that they think is good for any reason they can offer.
If they are proud of a kind act they did during the week,
they do a drawing of it and put a red dot on it.
They can bring these to Circle Time to talk about.
45
MONARCH OF THE REALM

SEAL theme: Good to be me
Focus: To give a boost to everyone’s self-esteem
and provide children with a sense of
personal power
What you need: Speaking object; crown; a cloak; cheerful
orchestral music or a rainstick
TOP
Role-playing social interaction provides children TIP
with a means of trying out different ways of
responding in a safe setting.
Meeting up
Choose a child to be ‘it’, who then has to leave the room, and
another child to be ‘chief’. The chief acts out short movements
(eg clapping hands three times and stomping feet four times).
All other players must do what the chief does. The ‘it’ person
returns to the group to figure out who is the Big Chief.
Everyone must concentrate so that they can follow the Big
Chief’s movements without a pause.
Warming up
the sentence: ‘If I met a king, I would say …’ Children who do
not wish to speak may say ‘pass’ and give the speaking object
to the next child.
Opening up
Tell the children a few days before to imagine that they are all
‘Monarch of the Realm’ and that they can issue any royal decree
that they like. This can be as preposterous as they wish: the
46
object is to use their imagination and have fun. For example they
might put on the crown and say, ‘I am the queen of the realm and I
decree that every one of my subjects should wear spotted welly boots
in the sunshine.’ The monarch then passes the crown on to the other
children so that everyone can have a turn. The last royal personage to
pass a decree is then given the task of introducing the Wizard to the
Royal Court of Children by choosing someone and giving them the
magic cloak. This wizard can make a wish on behalf of the group. This
may be a visit to the park or a party or whatever they wish.
TOP
TIP If you have a child in your class who really needs a boost,
you need to either take the crown and choose them yourself or
prompt the current monarch to choose that particular child.
Under the safety of a crown or a cloak, many shy children find
the courage to do things that they would never do in real life!
Finally, the wizard can lead the children in a game of ‘Wizard Says’
which is just like ‘Simon Says’ but much more magical!
Cheering up
Use this little rhyme to thank the royal wizard for coming to your
circle meeting:
Wizard (insert child’s name) is here today

We’ll all clap our hands and say,
‘It’s good to see you, Wizard.’
Remind the children that they are ALL important, magical and
special. Ask everybody to stand up and hold hands. Swing your
arms high and chant, ‘We are special’ as you do so. Repeat a couple
of times.
47
Calming down
Ask the children to close their eyes and put their hands on
knees with the palms facing upwards and their fingers lightly
curled. Using a rain-stick or mood music, allow them to think
about what makes them special.
“ I felt scared but

excited pretending to be
a queen, telling others
what to do
”
Danielle, aged 10
48
STOP AND THINK

Theme: Relationships
Focus: To teach the children to be assertive
Group size: 10, up to whole class
Meeting up
The children sit in a circle. Demonstrate actions, for example,
‘Simon says, stand on one foot’. If the order is given without the
prefix, ‘Simon says’, the group must NOT imitate the action or
follow the order. Players who move when they should stay still
must take a turn out and sit out of the game for three commands.
Warming up
following sentence: ‘I don’t like it when people say…’
Opening up
Use your current storybook, a recent event in class, or something in
the news to generate a discussion about a tricky situation
experienced by a fictional character. (Using a fictional character is
essential because your children need to start this discussion in an
atmosphere of safety. They need to be reassured that they will
not have to describe their own difficult experiences but can think
about them from a distance.) Now explain that it is important to
keep safe and out of trouble and difficulties, so we need to learn to
stop and think when someone asks us to do something. What might
happen if we do what someone is asking us to do? ‘No’ is a very hard
word to say but there are some ways to make it easier.
Look as if you mean it

Stand tall, hands on hips, head up, looking straight ahead. Ask for
confident volunteers to come up and demonstrate an assertive ‘no’, or
49
‘no, thank you’ to your prompts to do things like mess up a

painting or knock over a box of pencils. All the children can
then stand up and say ‘no’ firmly.
Give reasons
Explain why you don’t want to do something: ‘No, I don’t
want to get into trouble’ or ‘No, because it would make me
feel bad’. Choose scenarios that are relevant to your situation
and practice this technique with some more volunteers.
Give the behaviour a name

Stealing, bullying, being unkind, dishonest, breaking the rules
are all examples of things we don’t want to do. Teach the
children to say, ‘No, I won’t do that because it’s
cheating/stealing/naughty’ etc. Give more volunteers scenarios
to practise this skill.
Change the subject

Take the conversation into a different topic, away from what you
are being asked to do. Again, you can role-play using volunteers
or ask the whole assembly to ‘repeat after you’. Older children
may like to learn to ask questions, like: ‘Why do you think that is
a good thing to do? Why would you want me to do something
like that?’ Tell the children that they can always just walk away
or walk away and ask an adult to assist them.
Cheering up
Commend the children on how assertive and independent they
are becoming. Be specific, especially towards shy or hesitant
children and give them precise feedback to reinforce the lesson.
For example, ‘Sammy, I really liked the way you held your head
up and LOOKED as if you meant every word’. Ask other children
if they can commend anyone who is not their best friend for any
recent assertive behaviour they’ve seen at playtime.
50
Calming down
Ask the children to sit very quietly and to shut their eyes. Tell
them to slowly touch their elbows to make sure that they are still
there. Now ask them to: gently touch their shoulders to make sure
that they are still there and haven’t got lost; quietly touch their hair;
put their hands in their laps and gently wiggle their toes; gently
wiggle their fingers. Then ask them to breathe quietly for a moment
or two, open their eyes and ‘come back’ to the room.
“ When I opened
my eyes I thought
”
I was in a
different world
Sakira, aged 11
51
IN MY OPINION…
When you work together as a group to investigate social,
emotional and behavioural issues you all need to know when
facts are a necessity and when opinions can be expressed.
SEAL theme: Relationships

Focus: To facilitate smooth social interaction
What you need: Speaking object, pictures of animals or a
collection of animal toys
Meeting up
The children should crouch down to balance on arms and legs
in a large circle, facing towards the centre. Number the children
1, 2, 3 and again 1, 2, 3 and so on around the circle. When a
number is called, all of the children with that number can move
one limb. The numbers need to be called quite quickly. The
object of the activity is to cross the circle without touching
anyone else so there needs to be considerable co-operation and
manoeuvring. For example, a child may have to move
backwards or sideways to allow another child to pass.
Warming up
the following sentence: ‘My favourite animal is …’ Children
who do not wish to speak may say ‘pass’ and give the speaking
object to the next child.
Opening up
Point out that a lot of people chose different animals but there
were no wrong answers. It was all a question of taste and
everyone had their own reasons for making their particular
52
choice. Hold up a toy giraffe and tell the children that you are going
to say three things about it:
‘This giraffe has four legs.’ (a fact)

‘It has long legs.’ (another fact)
‘Giraffes are pretty.’ (an opinion)
You can then ask for a show of hands. ‘Who agrees that this is a
giraffe?’ (It is a fact so everybody should agree.) ‘Who agrees that it
has four legs?’ (This is also a fact so everyone should put up his or her
hand.) ‘Who agrees that it is pretty?’ (There should be a variety of
opinions here.) Repeat this activity with another animal. Now ask the
children to think of another animal and state two facts about it and
then add an opinion. Point out that we can hold opinions that are
very different. For example, one child may think that lions are cuddly
while another may think that they are quite frightening. Ask the
children to research the range of opinions about animals.
TOP
TIP You can extend this idea later by showing the children
how to research strength of opinion. Give them a prepared
survey sheet that gives a range of opinion – hate/dislike/
like/like very much – and an issue to research, such
as ‘Opinions about dogs’.
Now you can show the children how we justify opinions by telling
them how we use the word ‘because’. It’s a word that means ‘for the
reason that follows’. Put the children into groups of three and give
them an animal and a large card with the word ‘because’ printed on
it. Ask each group to think of facts about the animal and to discuss
their opinions about it. They can then hold up their picture and
describe it using facts, and then share their opinions. For example:
53
Ist child: ‘We like this animal…’ (expresses opinion)

2nd child: ‘because’ (holds up card)
3rd child: ‘it has interesting habits and runs very fast.’ (our
reasons)
You can then develop this by asking them to follow the same
format when discussing more abstract issues, such as: ‘We don’t
like noisy people because it is hard to concentrate when they
are around.’
Cheering up
Tell the children that you know some facts about them: they
are all in your class, they are a group of boys and girls, and so
on. Then tell them that you are of the opinion that they are
also quite wonderful because……….. . (Prepare a list of positive
comments about your class from your teaching assistants, other
support staff, school secretary etc.)
Calming down
Ask the children to take three or four slow deep breaths and
imagine that they are breathing in happiness and breathing
out unhappiness until their whole body feels peaceful and
content. Pause for moment and then think of positive words to
tell themselves. These can be thought as ‘I’ statements – ‘I am
lovely. I am good at many things, I am happy’ etc.
54
ALL CHANGE
SEAL theme: Changes
Focus: Adjusting to change
What you need: Speaking object; a copy of the story of Snow
White or any story that is relevant to your
classroom activities
Meeting up
Ask children to volunteer or choose a child to begin a movement
that is to be copied by the player who is sitting on your right.
In turn and without speaking, each person in the circle should
perform the action until the action has come full circle. Now change
the action and begin the process again.
Warming up
following sentence: ‘If I changed into a story character, I would
be…’ Children who do not wish to speak may say ‘pass’ and give
the speaking object to the next child.
Opening up
Tell or recap the story of Snow White and make a list of the major
changes that take place in her life. Talk about how these changes
must have affected every aspect of her daily life. Take contributions
from the children. What strategies do they think she might have
used to get used to the changes? (Take her time, relax, think about
things carefully, try to look on the bright side and so on.) Talk about
the changes that might take place in your children’s lives: change of
class or a new school. Choose one of these and decide which
strategies might help. Take suggestions from the children using the
sentence stem, ‘Would it help if…?’
55
Cheering up
Change is difficult, however old we are. Congratulate the
children on sharing their adjustment strategies and ask them to
give themselves a clap. Ask if any child would like to teach the
others a new game which may change the games they play at
lunchtime. If you are not sure anybody will volunteer on the
day then the day before offer your book of games to any child
prepared to teach others in the circle. The child then chooses six
volunteers to come in the middle so they can teach them a new
activity or game. Clapping games are very popular. After
they’ve taught a game and sat down again, the outside circle is
encouraged to give feedback on the quality of their teaching.
Ask them all to see if they could be brave enough to teach this
new skill to younger children in the playground today.
Calming down
Repeat the meeting-up game.
TOP
TIP
Sometimes, you can reuse your meeting-up game as a
calming down game to reinforce the skill it teaches.
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USING SEAL GUIDANCE IN QUALITY

CIRCLE TIME MEETINGS
The SEAL toolkit offers you a wealth of practical ways to achieve
your learning objectives, with a yearly cycle of six themes and an
additional short focus on the issue of bullying. A great deal of
thought has been invested in the structure of these themes and the
DfES would clearly prefer you to use them for the following reason:
‘Schools and settings should be aware that within the suggested
sequence of themes later work sometimes builds on key concepts
taught earlier in the year.’
DfES Guidance for the Primary National Strategy, Excellence and

Enjoyment: social and emotional aspects of learning, page 18.
But the choice is yours: you can decide to fit the resource into your
existing curriculum OR you can choose to fit your existing curricular
materials in with the cycle of themes in the SEAL pack. In other
words, nobody is asking you to throw away what you already have,
but you will be expected to be familiar with what SEAL has to offer
and to use the materials in your planning for social and emotional
development. The SEAL themes are:
New beginnings Good to be me
Getting on and falling out Relationships
Say no to bullying Changes
Going for goals!
Each primary year group has a booklet of activities that have been
produced for each theme. These booklets provide clear descriptions
of the intended learning outcomes that are made into positive ‘I’
statements that will prove useful when you write your own Circle
57
Time meetings. They can be found in Appendix One of the

Guidance document. For example, the statements, ‘I know that
everybody in the world has feelings’, ‘I like the ways we are all
different’ and ‘I like belonging to my group/class/school’ can form
the core of many successful meetings if you tailor them to the
specific needs of your group or class. These affirmations can then be
taught to the children, helping them to develop a positive image.
The lesson plans in the SEAL pack often begin with the first two
steps used in Quality Circle Time meetings and use the words
‘Learning Opportunities’ as an alternative to ‘Opening Up’. There
are many useful suggestions in the SEAL documents to show you
the different ways that you can approach this vital stage of your
Circle Time meetings.
However, Quality Circle Time meetings always end with two further
activities. The first is ‘Cheering Up’ when success is celebrated (the
positive ‘I’ statements in the SEAL guidance document will come in
very useful here!). Finally, a calming game or short reflection
completes the meeting. The SEAL document does not always offer
advice about how you should bring your meetings to a close but
these two steps from the Quality Circle Time model will help you to
do so in an appropriate manner.
Each SEAL toolkit offers activities, scripts and interactive stories that
are specifically designed to fit their purpose. You are also told
exactly how to use them and are provided with examples of
suitable questions. You don’t need to spend hours searching for
stories, scripts, activities and pictures that describe the scenarios you
want children to think about – you have them at your fingertips.
The SEAL package is well grounded in excellent primary practice.

We at Jenny Mosley Consultancies are proud to have made a
58
contribution. SEAL has brought so much together and presented it

in an accessible and straightforward way. We sometimes open
packages from the DfES with a sense of unease but SEAL is an
outstanding exception: a truly useful and uplifting set of practical
suggestions.
HOW TO USE THE SEAL TOOLKIT FOR

CIRCLE TIME MEETINGS
An exemplar meeting – although we know ‘life’ isn’t always this
straight forward!
Mr Thompson has a Year 3 class of 30 mixed ability children. The
school’s catchment area means that children come from a wide variety
of social backgrounds. They are generally well integrated as a class
but Mr Thompson is aware that tensions sometimes surface because a
small number of children tend to assume that they have the right to
lead group activities and a few of these children use their power in
antisocial ways. He has also noticed that other class members feel
frustrated and resentful of this perceived domination but don’t seem
to have learned skills that would help them to resist peer pressure.
Mr Thompson decides that his class would benefit from learning

how to be more assertive. He intends to address this need in a
Circle Time meeting. Before he begins planning the meeting, he
reads through the following collection of SEAL documents:
Good to be me – theme overview

Excellence and Enjoyment – Guidance
Good to be me – staff-room activities
Good to be me – family activities
Good to be me – Years 3 and 4
Good to be me – small group activities
59
1. From the theme overview, he selects the following learning

objectives for PSHE/Citizenship:
3f) Children will be taught that pressure to behave in an

unacceptable or risky way can come from a variety of sources,
including people they know, and how to ask for help and use
basic techniques for resisting pressure to do wrong.
4a) Children will be taught that their actions affect themselves

and others, to care about other people’s feelings and to try to
see things form their point of view. (page 2)
2. He adds positive ‘I’ statements to these objectives to clarify

what he wants the children to know, understand and be able to
do as a result of the Circle Time meetings:
‘I can choose to act assertively.’

‘I know how to be assertive.’
‘I can express myself assertively in a variety of ways.’ (page 6)
3. He is aware that these Circle Time meetings may arouse strong

feelings so he reads Appendix four in the Guidance document to
ensure that his approach complies with guidelines. This
document reminds him that the class must refocus on their
ground rules before each Circle Time meeting.
4. He checks with his head-teacher that the staff-room activity

concerning assertiveness is scheduled prior to the classroom
activities so that he is aware of his own feelings about
assertiveness. The head-teacher confirms that assertiveness skills
will be studied in every classroom and that all members of staff,
particularly lunchtime supervisors are aware that it is being
highlighted throughout the school.
60
5. Mr Thompson then selects, ‘Making a worry catcher’ from the

Family Activities booklet as a homework assignment.
6. He then plans the Circle Time meeting to introduce

assertiveness.
Step one – Meeting up game

‘There’s a chair on my right.’ (page 22)
Step two – Warming up round

Mr Thompson thinks of a suitable round to fit in with the above
game. ‘I know someone is a friend when he/she …
(helps me/is kind/plays with me etc).”
Step three – Opening up

He selects the ‘being assertive’ activity. (page 8)
Step four – Cheering up

Mr Thompson has been keeping a note of children who are pro-
socially assertive. At this point he recounts details of times when
they have used their assertiveness skills and asks everyone to give
them a clap. He asks all the children to keep track of other
children (not their best friends) who, during the week, use some
of the assertive skills they’ve just learnt. Next week they can be
nominated and voted for by the class and, later, receive
certificates signed by everyone in the class.
Step five – Calming down

He uses the visualisation exercise, ‘Melting in the Sun’* in the
small group activities booklet.
*Children love ritual – it’s OK if you use activities from other ‘sets’
sometimes.
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Part T hree: Designing

Your Own
Quality Circle Times
Now you are ready to plan Circle Time meetings that are
uniquely suited to your children’s particular needs. The
following pages will give you the information you need to plan
really successful sessions, but we will begin with a list of points
that you need to bear in mind when you do your planning.
THE SKILLS OF CIRCLE TIME

Be constructive
When you lead a Circle Time meeting, your objective is to build
emotionally strong, resilient children who are confident in their
ability to achieve and be successful. Put-downs and ridicule destroy
trust, and cause vulnerable children to become defensive and
unresponsive. It is vital that you use Circle Time to teach, model,
praise and reinforce the values and behaviour that will give each
child positive ways of learning and interacting.
Be clear about your objectives

Your planning needs to be driven by learning outcomes: the teaching
of social, emotional and behavioural skills and universal moral values.
Keep this in mind when you plan your sessions. Meetings that are
purely activity-driven may be fun, but they are less likely to
successfully change behaviour and raise self-esteem. Similarly, it is a
good idea to try to keep things simple and straightforward. It is much
better to investigate one aspect of an issue carefully and thoroughly
than to try and cover too much at once.
62
DESIGNING YOUR OWN QUALITY CIRCLE TIMES
Keep them eager

Circle Time meetings need to be well-paced and it is important that
children don’t become bored. Never let them have too much of a
favourite activity. Save some of its excitement for the next session
and the one after that. Then you will have a class that looks
forward to Circle Time with eager anticipation.
Use a wide variety of approaches

The list of teaching and learning techniques that can be used in
circle time is long and varied. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
Adapt techniques from PE, mathematics and other lessons. Keep an
open mind and you will soon find that all of these techniques can
be used to teach social, emotional and behavioural skills.
Keep it emotionally safe

We all have times when talking about personal and emotional
issues can seem threatening. However, these dangers can be
sidestepped by taking children into the safety of story-world. If you
use puppets, poems, drama and stories, you can discuss emotional
problems through imaginary characters because they allow children
to think about tricky issues without having to refer to ‘real’ life
events. The issues remain the same, the characters’ responses and
behaviour are entirely human, but somehow the imaginary context
takes away the vulnerability and creates a place of safety in each
child’s mind.
Plan carefully but be flexible

You need to have a clear well-structured plan ready before each
session so that you know how you intend to get from A to B. You
also need to be prepared to accommodate the unexpected. Much
of the curriculum is closely controlled, but Circle Time is one
occasion when you need to be open to the possibility of being
‘child led’ and adaptable.
63
Be child-centred
Though one of your objectives will be to extend each child’s
range of ‘feeling’ words, it is important that you make
difficult, complex subjects easier by talking and demonstrating
in ways that they will understand. Circle Time is democratic, so
give your children every opportunity to explain to you in their
own words and praise them for their efforts. Remember that
your children are looking to you for guidance. Model the
behaviours that you wish to promote – listen carefully,
maintain good eye contact, be warm and reflect back to show
that you understand what the children are saying.
Review frequently
It is vital that your Circle Time meetings don’t become stale or
routine. Review how they are going and seek ways to re-
energise them if you feel that the children are losing interest.
The subjects you are exploring during Circle Time meetings
are important to us all so should never seem boring. Always
adapt plans to suit the very particular needs of your class and
environment.
The ‘round’ is a great ‘review’ tool for feedback on

everything! The day before, tell the children you’ll be having
a round of ‘one thing I’d like to change about Circle Time’.
Or if, as a school, you want to review the quality of
lunchtimes, you could have a round from the children; ‘would
it help…’. In Step 3 they could then debate the validity of the
ideas.
64
WRITING YOUR OWN PLANS

The issue
Begin by choosing the issue you wish to work on. This will be the
subject of the ‘opening up’ phase of the meeting. You must start
your planning in this way by deciding on the content of the middle
section of the meeting.
The strategy
Decide which teaching strategy is best suited to the way you want to
approach the issue. These are explained in detail on the following
pages. You can choose issues that are generated by the curriculum or
situations that are specific to your particular class or group. Don’t
forget it is a good idea to have a Circle Time suggestion box in your
classroom. Any child can put in anonymous notes. I once found one
that said, ‘What do you do, cos you can’t sleep at night, cos you
haven’t got a best friend’. Through puppets we then explored the
issue of ‘Kindness and Friendship’.
Putting it all together

Once you have chosen a theme for your circle meeting, you will
be ready to select appropriate activities for each of the five steps.
Each step has a different purpose but you need to make sure that
the meeting flows from one activity to the next in a way that
makes sense to all the participants. Each step adds something to
your chosen theme. Don’t choose games and visualisations that
have nothing to do with the subject you have chosen to investigate
in the ‘opening up’ phase of the meeting.
We will now look at each step in more detail.
65
STEP ONE
MEETING UP
Playing a game
Each meeting begins with a game. The purpose of the game is to:
- warm everybody up
- help children relax
- bring the children together as
a group
- ensure children feel the idea that being part of the group
is fun
- build group identity
- practise the skills of concentrating, listening,
taking turns, etc
- take their minds off all their worries and problems
MEETING UP GAMES
Fruit basket
This game is
designed to mix The children sit in a circle. Go around the group and label
the children so that each child either an orange or lemon. Now call out ‘oranges’,
they are not sitting or ‘lemons’ or ‘fruit basket’. The children in the named
with their friends category must change places. When fruit basket is called,
everybody changes places. The categories of this game can be
changed to fit with your theme. You could use colours,
football teams, animals – the range is limitless!
… helps develop
The magic box
attentive looking
skills Place an imaginary box in the centre of the circle. A child goes
66
to the ‘box’ and ‘takes out’ something and demonstrates its use. The
other children guess what it is: hairbrush, golf club, snooker cue etc.
Everyone copies the mime and the next child in the circle has a turn
to demonstrate and so on around the circle.
Car chase
…develops
The children sit in a circle and someone starts the ‘car’ going concentration
around the circle by saying ‘zoom’ and turning his head quickly skills
to the person to the right. That player repeats the word, ‘zoom’
and the action – the ‘car’ ‘zooms’ around the circle until someone
says, ‘Eek!’ which means the ‘car’ changes direction and the ‘zoom’
sound goes in the other direction until the next ‘eek!’.
Simon says
…develops
The children call out and demonstrate actions, such as ‘Simon
concentration
says, stand on one foot.’ If the order is given without the prefix,
skills
‘Simon says’, the group must NOT imitate the action or follow the
order. Players who move when they should stay still must sit out
of the game for three commands.
Ready for action

…concentration and
Show the children a selection of actions that correspond with
quick thinking are
visual cues. For example:
learned when you
When the leader touches his elbow, the children jump up play this game
and down.
When the leader raises her arm, the children hop on the spot.
When the leader folds his arms, the children lie down.
The children must react correctly to the visual cues and watch
carefully to see the next cue so that they can change action
immediately. When everyone is familiar with the game you can ask
children to make up their own cues and lead the game.
67
Who’s talking now

…helps everyone
focus on keeping The children sit in a circle and you have to choose one to be
quiet and listening the monarch. This child stands in the centre of the circle
carefully wearing the blindfold. On the command, ‘Go’ the other
children walk round the circle until the monarch calls, ‘Stop’.
She then points straight ahead and asks, ‘Who goes there,
friend or foe?’ The child who is being pointed at answers,
‘Why, friend of course your Majesty.’ The monarch should now
try to guess the identity of the speaker. If they guess correctly,
the two of them swap places. If the guess is incorrect, the
monarch stays in the centre and a new game begins.
Clap this way

…improves
Form the circle and explain to the children that they are going
co-ordination
to clap some rhythms. At the same time you are going to call
out instructions that they must follow. For example:
Clap high (clap above your head) 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap low (clap down by your knees) 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap to the right, 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap to the left, 1, 2, 3, 4
Clap with your partner (both hands together) 1, 2, 3, 4
Follow the leader

This game gets
The leader begins with a movement that is copied by the
brains working!
player who is sitting on her right. In turn and without
speaking, the action is performed by each person in the circle
until the action has come full circle. The leader then changes
the action and the process begins again.
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Tangles
…builds trust
The children stand in a circle, close their eyes and walk slowly
towards the centre. With eyes still closed they each find two
other hands to hold. The children then open their eyes and have to
try to untangle themselves without letting go of hands, until they
can all stand in an inward facing circle.
Wink murder
…improves
The children sit in a circle. Choose a child to be the detective,
observation skills
who must then leave the room. Choose another child to be the
wink murderer. The detective can then return to move slowly
around in the centre of the circle. Without being seen by the
detective, the murderer winks at any child who then sits down. This
continues until the detective correctly identifies the murderer.
Continue with different children in the roles.
Change the action

…improves
Explain that the children are all going to make the same hand attention skills
movements. Once all the children are doing this, the leader
walks behind the chairs and taps someone on the back. That
person counts to five in their head and then changes the
movement. Once all the children are doing the new movement, the
leader touches another child on the back. It is a good idea to show
the children some simple hand movements first to give a general
idea of what to do.
The orchestra
Divide the children into small groups around the circle. Each group …helps listening
must decide on a sound, eg boom-boom, ta-te-te-ta, rrrrr, ticka, skills
ticka, ticka. Explain that the children are musicians in an orchestra
69
and you are going to be the conductor. Demonstrate the

gestures that will be used:
Pointing to different groups to join in
Making a halt sign for groups to stop
Finger on lips for quietly
Raising both hands for loudly
Using hands for tempo
Pulling hands apart for ‘all stop’
Continue until the children are ready for the next activity.
Trust
…helps children to
concentrate and Choose one child from the circle to stand blindfolded in the
gets their ‘thinking centre. Pass an object such as a ruler or book around the circle
brain’ working until the child in the centre calls, ‘Stop’. Everyone else should
now give the child verbal directions to locate the object, eg
turn left, move six paces forward, move slightly to your right,
two paces forward and so on. Choose another child and begin
the game again.
Crossing the circle

…helps self control
The children should crouch down to balance on arms and legs
and listening
in a large circle, facing towards the centre. Number the
children 1, 2, 3 and again 1, 2, 3 and so on around the circle.
When a number is called, all of the children with that number
can move one limb. The numbers need to be called quite
quickly. The object of the activity is to cross the circle without
touching anyone else so there needs to be considerable
70
co-operation and manoeuvring. For example, a child may have to

move backwards or sideways to allow another child to pass.
Express yourself
…helps children to
Ask the children to cover their faces with their hands. Now name
read faces
different facial expressions to indicate emotions: smiling, frowning,
anger, laughter, crying. At each one the children should silently
mime the look, and remove their hands to reveal the appropriate
expression. To close, the group can pass a smile around the group.
On cue
Name a cue word and explain that when everyone hears this word
…supports
they must perform an action, for example, ‘I’m going to talk about
excellent listening
the weather. Every time you hear the word “rain” put your hands on
your head.’ Now make up a story and use the cue word frequently.
Changing seats
Call a child’s name – this child must then changes places with
you. The same child then calls the name of another child, …moves
people round
changes places and sits down. This continues until all the
children are seated.
Pass a smile
Smile at the child on your right, who should then pass the smile …encourages eye
contact.
around the circle.
I know your name

One child must call another’s name and roll a ball to them. The
recipient then calls out another child’s name and repeats the …getting to
action. The game continues until all the children have had a know you
turn. Children should fold their arms when they have had a turn.
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Name clap
…everyone
Each child in the circle should say their name in turn. As they
is noticed
say the name, they must clap its rhythm by syllable.
Listen and touch

Tell the children to touch something with their thumb, little
…helps listening
and co-ordination finger, elbow, knee etc. For example, ‘Touch the floor with
your elbow. Touch your teeth with your little finger. Touch
your nose with your thumb.’ Continue until everyone is
attentive and ready for the next activity.
Finger rhyme
…releases tension
Worms live in a hole (wiggle fingers downwards)
in hands
A bird lives in a tree (flutter fingers upwards)
Fish live in the river (wiggle fingers horizontally)
But home is the place for me! (point to self)
First and last names

…helps them to enjoy
words. Tip – give Using the initial of their first and surnames, the children have
them time before to respond to the questions that you ask, around the circle.
circle time to work For example, ‘John Brown, what is your special food?’ John
out answers could answer, ‘Juicy bangers’, ‘Jumpy beetroot,’ or ‘Jelly
beans’ and so on. (Make sure you have a selection of
questions ready: holiday destination, hobby, game etc.)
Things we have in common

…helps children
Call out different categories: anyone with a November birthday,
find ‘bonds’
anyone who likes maths, anyone who swims for a hobby, etc.
Children who feel that they fit with the named category must
go to the centre of the circle and greet the others.
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I went to…
…really helps
One child begins a sentence such as ‘I went to the zoo and saw
memory skills
an elephant’. The next child repeats and adds another animal: ‘I
went to the zoo and saw an elephant and a tiger’. This continues
around the circle with each child repeating the previous sentence and
adding another animal. When someone makes a mistake or cannot
think of a new animal, they are allowed to begin a new sentence.
Word associations
Name a word of your choice. The child next to you must say the
…whole-brain
word that she associates with your word. Everyone should join
workouts
in with two claps to separate the words. A round might go like
this: rain (clap clap), cold (clap clap), handkerchief (clap, clap),
white (clap, clap). If anyone falters, or cannot think of a word, they
begin a new sentence. See how fast the participants can get this
game going around the circle.
Gloop
Throw some imaginary slime over the child sitting next to you. …generates good
The imaginary slime should be passed from one pupil to the eye contact
and much laughter –
next. The ‘slime’ must always land on the person’s face and as it
but can hype some
is pulled off, the group can make slurping noises. This game is a
classes up too much
great energiser if the mood in the group is a bit flat.
Pass the snake

Tell the children that they are now going to mime passing
objects around the circle from one person to the next. Choose …drama and mime
are always fun
one player to mime passing a snake in an appropriate manner.
After the snake has been passed several times change the object
and continue the game. Examples of objects might be a hot plate
of soup, a heavy suitcase, a sticky bun, a foul-smelling experiment.
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Pass the beanbag

…really helps
Put the children into two teams by naming them red, yellow,
children to work
red, yellow, red etc. Give someone in each team a beanbag –
together
they should be on opposite sides of the circle. At a signal, the
beanbags are passed in the same direction from person to
person belonging to the same team. The purpose is to see if
one team can move its beanbag from player to player at such
a speed that it overtakes the ball from the opposing team. If
this happens one point is scored and the game begins again.
The first team to score three points wins. Remember that the
beanbag must be relayed between players of each team
without hindering the opposing team.
Big chief
…helps boost self Choose a child to be ‘it’, who then has to leave the room.
esteem of shy Another child is chosen to be chief. The chief acts out short
children movements, clapping hands three times, stomping feet four
times, for example. All other players must do what the chief
does. The ‘it’ person returns to the group to figure out who is
the Big Chief, so everyone must concentrate so that they can
follow the Big Chief’s movements without a pause.
Ha ha ha
…breaks tension; One child has to look at the person on her right and say 'Ha'
helps laughter as seriously as possible. The next player must say 'Ha ha', and
so on, each child adding an extra ‘ha’ each time. Anyone who
laughs has to stand outside the circle and can pull funny faces
(without touching any of the players) to try to make the other
children laugh.
…helps miming
skills. You could Floors
choose just one Make a circle with sufficient space for the children to move
or two to go around inside. Explain to the children that they are going to
inside circle – walk around pretending they are on different surfaces. Start
others guess with thick, squelchy mud. At intervals, change the surface:
slippery ice, a trampoline, quicksand, hot coals, glue.
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STEP TWO
WARMING UP
Breaking the silence
This step focuses on a ‘round’ to help children to feel confident about
speaking up. The leader begins a simple sentence which is completed by
the child on the leader’s right. Each child speaks in turn until everyone
has had a go. A ‘speaking object’ is used to show whose turn it is to
speak. Whoever is holding the speaking object has the right to speak
without being interrupted. Once they have spoken, each child passes
the speaking object on to the person on their right. The speaking object
needs to be small enough to fit into a child’s hand – a painted egg
works very well but many leaders choose a small fluffy toy or ‘talking
teddy’. Alternatively, you may like to use an object that is linked to your
current themes in class. The purpose of ‘Warming up’ is to:
Remind children that they all have the right to speak

Remind children that they all have the responsibility to
listen attentively
Practise turn-taking
Help focus on the theme of the meeting
Points to remember:
• Make sure that the round is relevant to the theme of the
meeting.
• Any child who does not wish to speak can say ‘pass’ and hand the
speaking object to the child on their right.
• If you notice that many children are opting out of this step by
saying ‘pass’, you can give them a chance to think about what
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they will say by telling them the beginning of the sentence before
the meeting. You might even tell them the day before and explain
that you want them to think about what they will say. Some
children may prefer to write their contribution on a piece of card or
practise it with you before the meeting. Alternatively, you can use a
puppet to chat to the children about what will happen in the
meeting. The puppet might offer to speak for any child who feels
shy. The child can then tell the puppet their sentence before the
meeting and the puppet will say it at the appropriate time.
The following sentence starters work well as rounds:
ROUNDS FOR THE

‘WARMING UP’ STEP
Self-awareness/empathy
I feel happy when I hear…
I feel happy when I see…
I feel happy when I smell…
I feel happy when I touch…
I feel happy when I taste…
One thing that really annoys me is…
I like it when…
I think the world would be better if…
I feel lonely when…
I feel safe when…
I feel scared when…
The most scary place in school is…
I like to be noisy/quiet when…
Silence makes me feel…
I like to be alone when…
My favourite animal is…
If I changed into an animal, I would be…
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Sometimes, I regret…
The last time I was really embarrassed was when…
I know my friend is unhappy when…
I can make my friends happy by…
Something I like about myself is…
When it is wet and rainy, I like…
My favourite story is…
Social skills
I like it when my friends…
I don’t like it when my friends…
When I say sorry, I feel…
I feel threatened when…
I really appreciate it when…
I don’t want people to call me…
I don’t like it when people say…
When someone helps me, I feel…
I like to play with… because…
I say ‘thank you’ when…
The best thing we can do to celebrate is…
I would say ‘no’ if…
To make people happy, I can…
I know… is my friend because…
I make other people cross when I…
I made the right choice when I…
If I met a king, I would say…
If I had a prize, I would give it to…
Motivation
One thing I am looking forward to is…
When I make a mistake, I feel…
If I ruled the world, I would…
My ambition is…
One target I want to achieve today is…
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The most frustrating thing for me is…

The person I admire most is… because…
When I was small…
If I could not fail, I would…
I relax by…
Something interesting that I learned recently is…
Sometimes, I worry about…
I can do… very well…
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STEP THREE
OPENING UP
Exploring issues that concern the class
This is the most challenging phase of any circle meeting. We call it
‘Open Forum’ because it offers everyone an opportunity to explore
important issues. Its structure allows the leader to use a wide
variety of teaching strategies. The children’s concerns can be
approached in ways that capture attention while being investigated
in an environment of emotional safety.
The purpose of ‘Opening Up’ is to:

• Teach children productive ways to express their opinions
• Develop reasoning skills and logical thinking
• Value diversity and appreciate the need for open
mindedness
• Learn the skills of constructive discussion
• Promote self- and group-esteem through the
acknowledgment that every child has the ability to
make healthy decisions and responsible choices
• Allow children to rehearse life-skills and problem-
solving techniques in a safe environment
• Support cooperative target-setting for individuals and
the group
Points to remember
• Keep it simple – it is better to cut complex issues into
bite-sized chunks.
• Keep it safe. Make ground rules clear before each session so that
everyone knows the boundaries of the discussion. You may decide
to concentrate on in-school matters during some meetings and,
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therefore, need to ensure that all children are aware of this

ground rule before the ‘Opening up’ phase of the meeting begins
• Use metaphors or analogies to help children to discuss difficult
issues. These create a sense of safety because they can be used to
explore problems, concerns, hopes and fears in the safety of
imaginary worlds and situations and do not require children to
share their personal realities. Analogical tools include stories,
puppets, role play, drama and dressing up.
TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES
FOR ‘OPENING UP’
Peer support through simple scripts
Peer helping contributes to a climate of care and respect in your
classroom community. Children often want to help one another but
do not always know how or what to do. Children do not make
decisions for their classmates but learn how to suggest options and
alternatives and share their own experiences. The leader asks if
there is anyone who needs help and invites children to raise their
hand and state simply, ‘I need help because I……..’ They may
request help with emotional or social problems or may state that
they are worried about the curriculum, community issues,
understanding what is going on in the world at large etc. Their
peers can respond by saying, ‘Would it help if I/we/you………….’
The needy child thinks about the suggestions he/she has been
offered and thanks everyone for their assistance. It is then possible
for the group and the child to make an action plan which the child
puts into action. The effectiveness of this plan is reviewed during
the next Circle Time meeting and the action plan can be refined.
Only one child at a time can be helped in this way so you need
share out this ‘sharing time’ fairly through the year. Adults can ask
for help too. The best resource in a school is children’s minds.
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Discussion
Discussions help people with different points of view to learn from
each other and search for agreement or compromise. A successful
discussion enables children to share what they know and believe
and find connections with one another. For this to happen, the
theme of the discussion needs to be something to which everyone
can relate. Topics that produce fruitful discussion need to reflect
the real, lived experience of your group and their hopes, aspirations
and fears. Use Circle Time as an opportunity to explain and
demonstrate the behaviours that ensure that discussions are
productive and positive. These include: taking turns, sensitive
listening, appropriate use of vocabulary and facial expression.
Explain the different roles in a discussion – observer, questioner,
leader, speaker, listener – and demonstrate that all of these roles
are valued and praised. Agree ground rules:
• We agree that one speaker at a time should speak
• We listen carefully to one another
• We agree that different viewpoints should be heard
• We always look for agreement and compromise
• We always look for solutions
After a topic has been introduced you can begin a discussion with a
question like, ‘Who would like to agree with ………..?’ or with a
statement like, ‘There are a lot of different opinions about …………
Some people agree with this idea but other people have strong
arguments against it. Let’s look at all the different points of view.’
After listening to a range of points of view, you need to model how
to sum up and find points of consensus.
Drama
Drama gives children the opportunity to use their imagination to
investigate a wide range of real issues that may cause fear or distress.
Dramatic activity can be approached in a wide variety of ways:
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• Mime – The group represents actions, character or mood using

only gestures and movements rather than words. This enables
children to learn to ‘read’ body language. Background sound
effects can be used to create a heightened sense of drama.
• Role play – Role play aims to bring situations and events to life
and enables children to ‘experience’ what it means to be
another person or how it feels to be in an unfamiliar situation.
This helps them to develop a more sensitive understanding of a
variety of viewpoints. They draw on their own experiences but
are guided to improvise and think laterally. Role play can be
used to illustrate important issues or dilemmas like different
ways to deal with bullying or peer pressure. It can be used to
teach pro-social behaviours such as how to respond to praise or
criticism. Situations that cause anxiety, like visiting the dentist,
can be made safer by acting them out in the imaginary arena of
a role play. Children can travel into the past, future or to distant
locations and examine social, moral issue or situations that cause
anxiety. When role-play is used in a Circle Time meeting, it has
the added advantage of allowing children to witness how a
behaviour looks when it is being ‘modelled’ by their peers.
• Action replay – A short play is devised and shown. It is then

replayed with audience participation. The group of observers are
allowed to call out, ‘Stop’, replace a character and show how
they could change the situation and move towards a different
ending. For instance, a group may show a play about peer
pressure and the audience can be invited to ‘stop’ the replay and
demonstrate refusal skills.
• Doubling – This works in a similar way to ‘action replay’ but does

not involve enacting the role-play twice. During an enactment,
members of the audience are encouraged to leave their seats,
stand beside a character and put a hand on his/her shoulder.
They then speak to the ‘character’ and offer a
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contribution to their situation. This may involve advice like,

‘Would it help if ……?’ or an empathetic response like, ‘I feel so
sorry that you have this problem’ or, ‘I’m so pleased that you are
feeling happier.’ This strategy ensures the active involvement of
the whole group and deepens their empathy.
• Thought tunnel – In this activity, children stand in two rows,

facing one another. A dilemma or situation is described or
enacted by a third group who then walk between the lines.
Each person in the line then offers advice. When the group reach
the end of the line they are required to make a decision and
enact the outcome of the situation.
• Hot seating – The teacher or a child must get ‘inside’ a character

as completely as possible. The group then questions the
character about their behaviour, motivation and background.
Characters can be hot-seated individually, in pairs or in groups.
This technique has the added benefit of developing the group’s
questioning skills.
• Before and after – The group is asked to invent scenes or

incidents that take place years, days, minutes or even seconds
before or after a dramatic event. This enables children to
concentrate on causes, motivation and consequences. It is
particularly useful when you wish to investigate violent or
dangerous situations. For instance, you can ask the group to
show the events that took place before a fight or to portray the
after effects of a robbery without needing to enact the actual
events. This ensures that children concentrate on thoughts and
responses and do not become overexcited or fretful.
• Thought tapping – In this activity, a play can be stopped at any

moment with the call to ‘freeze’. Each character is then asked to
tell the group their thoughts and feelings. This can be done by
tapping each one on the shoulder or holding a ‘speak’ card
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above their heads. This technique develops the group’s empathy

and awareness of diversity.
Poetry
Poets have a special way of using words that utilises the power of
rhythm and rhyme. Like songs, they can be repeated without losing
any of their power and these qualities make them attractive to
children. Well-written poems go to the heart of our emotions and
spotlight a feeling with shining accuracy. Even a simple nursery
rhyme can be used as the starting point for a thought provoking
discussion. For instance, the little rhyme, ‘Billy and Me’ could be
shared with a group who need to discuss differences between
people.
One, two three,
I love coffee,
And Billy loves tea,
How different we be,
One, two three,
I love coffee,
And Billy loves tea.
Make a collection of suitable poems and you will be able to use

them as starting points for many Circle Time meeting scripts.
Puppets
There are many advantages to using puppets during Circle Time.
Children love them because they have a habit of thinking aloud and
like to give a running commentary about their inner lives which
teaches children a lot about intentions and emotions. Puppets also
react in an exaggerated, immediate and visual way that makes their
inner world easy to understand. They are also able to close the
distance between you and the children with whom you are working.
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Once you have a puppet sitting on your lap, you can cross the
generation gap and speak as a child.
Puppets are particularly useful when you wish to model and talk
about emotions like fear or embarrassment that humans learn to
hide. They like to show these feelings and ask children for advice
about how to solve their problems. This helps children to share
essential problem solving skills and gives them confidence in their
ability to think things through. Positive Press have two great books
on using puppets – see the end of this book for contact details.
Stories
Many children find it easier to discuss the problems confronted by
characters than to talk about their own. Many stories describe the
consequences of actions which makes them an ideal vehicle for
discussing motivation and overcoming obstacles.
Thinking skills
Explicit articulation of how they think helps children to improve
their cognitive processes. Teaching, modelling and practising
specific thinking skills like logical thought or problem-solving helps
them to function emotionally and socially. You can use sentence
stems to help children develop their thinking skills during Circle
Time meetings. Like this:
When we compare…, we notice that they are the same in some
ways and different in others. This is what we have noticed…
We noticed that the problem built up in a number of stages. These
stages were…
I can explain what happened…
I have evidence to explain…
I know this because…
The reason why I came to this conclusion is…
It is a good/bad thing because…
I have looked at the information and I think…
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STEP FOUR
CHEERING UP
Celebrating the positive
When you have been investigating difficult issues, it is vital
that the meeting is brought slowly to a close in an
atmosphere of safety and optimism. The ‘Cheering up’ phase
is used to celebrate individual and group success. This may be
immediate praise for the work the children have done in the
meeting or a more general celebration of recent personal
achievements. The purpose of this step is to:
• Make everyone feel competent, happy and

positive.
• Ensure closure when challenging issues have been
investigated.
• Provide space for adults and children to give
encouraging information to each other.
• Recognise and reward positive behaviour change.
• Remind children of their individual and group
targets and celebrate their attainment.
• Remind children they have talents and skills that
can cheer each other up.
Points to remember
• Keep a record of examples of positive behaviour. Many
leaders keep a notebook in their pocket during the week so
that they can record things they notice and celebrate them
during this phase of the circle meeting.
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• Be specific. Children need precise information about the

behaviours you value if they are to repeat them and integrate
them into their day-to-day lives.
• Empower the group by inviting children to nominate each other for

praise, certificates or a joyful clap. Sometimes it helps to give
children a ‘script’. ‘Who are you pleased with in this class because
they never shout out … so they always create a calm atmosphere?’
and ‘Who are you pleased with because they never get into a fight
at lunchtime but always show self-control?’ The list is endless – it is
up to you to make sure everyone can see something positive about
each person in their class!
• Ask individual children to go into the middle of the circle and teach
others a game
We are special
Ask the children to stand up. Tell them to swing their arms on each
word and chant, ‘We are special’. On the word ‘special’ everyone
should raise their arms above their heads; then lower their arms and
repeat the sentence and action again.
Devise celebratory chants, songs and rhymes with the children to give a
sense of class identity.
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STEP FIVE
CALMING DOWN
Bridging children forward
The calming phase of each meeting ensures that children
leave the session feeling refreshed and positive. This closing
ritual enables everyone to make a smooth transition to the
next part of the day. You can play a simple game like passing
a tambourine round the group without making a sound or
you could lead the group through a guided visualisation.
Alternatively, the children can be asked to sit quietly and
listen to music or a rain-stick.
The purpose of ‘Calming down’ is to:

• Provide an appropriate transitional activity.
• Touch the children’s imagination and allow them to
be reminded of their own inner power and
strength.
• Ensure closure so that ‘hot’ feelings are cooled.
Points to remember
• Take your time – it is important that you do not rush this
phase.
• Speak softly and pause frequently if you are speaking or
leading a guided visualisation – the children need time to
absorb what you are saying.
• Be positive – the children need to leave the meeting feeling
confident and peaceful.
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ACTIVITIES FOR USE IN THE ‘CALMING

DOWN’ STAGE
Send a ripple
Explain that you are the rain, denoted by waving fingers. Each child
must pass the action on around the circle. Now become the thunder
and mime this by slapping your knees. Again, the action should be
passed around the circle. Finally, ‘bring out the sun’ by folding your
arms and make sure this action is also passed around the circle.
Pass the squeeze

Ask everyone in the circle to join hands and close their eyes. Gently
squeeze the hand of the child on your left, who then gently
squeezes the hand of the child on his left and so on until the
‘squeeze’ has passed around the circle and back to the leader.
A calm place
Tell the children that you are going to show them how to calm
down when the going gets tough. Explain that we can calm
ourselves down by concentrating on our breathing. Show them what
you mean by sitting still, and quiet, and letting your breath become
steady and slow. Ask them to try this out. Sit quietly for a few
minutes before softly telling them what the next activity will be.
Breathing deeply
Tell the children to take a deep breath while you count to three.
Then, as you count back to one, ask them to breathe out slowly.
Quiet reflection
Ask the children to sit with straight backs, hands resting gently in
their laps. Tell them to close their eyes and to think about their
breathing. Tell them that you want them to breathe in a feeling of
happiness and, as they breathe out, you want them to breathe out
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any feelings or thoughts that may be making them unhappy. Next,

ask them to think about themselves enjoying a lovely warm summer
day, doing things that they really enjoy. Finally, they can open their
eyes and become aware of the room and the present moment.
Creative visualisation
A guided visualisation is a journey into the imagination that shows
children how to access the places in their mind that offer a feeling
of peace and quiet. Speak slowly in a calm, flat voice and leave
spaces for the imagination to picture the scenes that are described.
Sit quietly with eyes closed and hands in laps. Read the following
script slowly, leaving pauses where the dotted lines appear.
You are going to imagine that you are riding on a magic carpet
which will take you to exciting, interesting places. Think of yourself
lying on the carpet. What is it like? Imagine the colours, patterns
and texture of your carpet…
(Pause)
It lifts up into the air. You feel the wind on your face as the carpet
glides through the sky. Below you is the sea twinkling and
glistening in the sunlight. You can see things on the water...
(Pause)
Now the carpet is soaring higher as you approach mountains. Look
down and see the snow-covered peaks, crisp and white. Feel the
cold air – it makes you shiver…
(Pause)
You see a group of skiers on a snowy slope. Imagine them sliding
smoothly down, twisting this way and that. You can hear the swish
of their skis as they move…
You are past the mountains now and the carpet drops down lower.
You feel the air getting warmer and enjoy the sun on your back…
(Pause)
It is now time to travel home. You lie on your back and feel the
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gentle swaying of the carpet, thinking of all the things you have
seen on your journey.
Try and think of, and write up, lots more visualisations. Children
love them.
Coming ‘back’ after a visualisation

Ask the children to sit very quietly and to shut their eyes. Tell them
to slowly touch their elbows to make sure that they are still there!
Ask them to: gently touch their shoulders to make sure that they
are still there; quietly touch their hair; put their hands in their laps
and gently wiggle their toes; gently wiggle their fingers. Then ask
them to breathe quietly for a moment or two, stretch, open their
eyes and ‘come back’ to the room.
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PUTTING IT ALL
INTO PRACTICE
The meeting that follows is designed to show the planning process
in practice.
SCENARIO
Miss Green has an uneasy feeling that at least one child in her class is
being bullied. Stacey used to be a cheerful little girl who found quite
a lot of the work challenging but was always willing to have a go.
Now she sits by herself and is often tearful. Her mum says that
nothing has happened at home but that Stacey keeps saying that she
has a stomach-ache and often asks if she can stay home from school.
Miss Green has asked Stacey if anything is worrying her but Stacey
just won’t talk. Miss Green has asked a few other children if they
know what the matter might be but they are quiet on the subject
too.
This is how Miss Green goes about planning a circle meeting to

investigate this scenario.
Miss Green decides that the ‘Opening up’ phase of the meeting will
be used as a forum to discuss bullying and she will see how the
children respond. Because the children in her class have been
unwilling to discuss the subject, she decides to approach it from the
safety of storybook characters so that no-one, especially Stacey, will
feel threatened.
Because the class is currently following a geography topic about

European countries, Miss Green decides that she will use the story
of Cinderella because she can link it to the Brothers Grimm and
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Scandinavia. Drama and role-play will be used to tell the story and
she will develop her children’s empathy skills by using the ‘freeze-
stop’ technique. This means that she can call ‘freeze’ at any point
during the action and ask the rest of the group to suggest how
they think each character must be feeling.
Miss Green will then develop the children’s problem-solving skills by

asking them to give Cinderella advice. She decides to scaffold this
by giving the children the beginning of a sentence and asking them
to complete it. The starter is ‘Would it help if…?’ If the atmosphere
feels right, she will gently guide them towards a discussion of
bullying at school.
With the ‘Opening up’ stage planned, Miss Green looks for relevant
ways to open and close the meeting. She chooses a ‘Meeting up’
game that mixes the children up so that they are not all sitting next
to their friends. The round is chosen to get them thinking along the
right lines for the bullying theme – in this case, empathy with others
– with a prompt sentence such as ‘Sometimes I feel left out when…’.
Then she will choose a way to celebrate the positive things that
happen during the meeting. To close the session and make sure that
everyone leaves the meeting feeling calm and refreshed, Miss Green
writes creative visualisation. With all this worked out, the session
plan looks like this:
Focus
Understanding how our actions affect other people.
Group size
Whole class
What you need

Speaking object; story of Cinderella; flip chart
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Meeting up
Game: ‘Fruit basket’ (see page 66)
Warming up
The sentence prompt will be ‘I feel safe when…’
Opening up
• Read/recap the story of Cinderella.
• Talk about the characters.
• Put the children into small groups. Explain that one child must be
Cinderella (or Sidney – the same character but a boy!) The other
members will be Ugly Sisters or Ugly Brothers. Ask each group to
devise a short scene that shows the Ugly Sisters/Brothers being
mean to Cinderella/Sidney.
• Ask volunteers to share their plays with the others. When the
play is frozen, take a note of the children’s opinions about how
each character is feeling, and list key words on the flip chart.
• Choose a confident child to sit in the middle of the circle, to take
the role of Cinderella/Sidney. Encourage the group to ask
questions to find out how she feels about her situation.
• Ask the children to offer advice that might help
Cinderella/Sidney, using the sentence starter ‘Would it help if…?’
Record advice on the flip chart. (If the children seem responsive,
ask if they know of any situations in real life where a child might
feel the way Cinderella/Sidney does.) What could they do to help
a child who is feeling this way?
Cheering up
Thank the children for their insight and empathy. Mention any
incidents of caring behaviour noticed recently. Teach the children
the affirmation: ‘I can understand another person’s point of view
and understand how they might be feeling.’
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Calming down
Ask children to sit still and close their eyes. Use the following
visualisation:
You walk into a lovely garden.

You feel the sun on your body and a warm breeze ruffles your hair.
You feel the tickle of grass under your bare feet.
You see a gate at the end of the lawn and you walk towards it.
You open the gate and walk through.
You see a lovely picnic party going on.
There are lots of children there. They have kind, smiling faces.
You walk over to join them. They are friendly and welcome you to
the party.
You feel safe and happy.
You join in some games. You enjoy yourself.
Now it is time to come back.
Sit very quietly and let your imagination bring you back to the
classroom.
When you are ready, open your eyes and smile at the people who
are sitting next to you.
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What Teachers Ask
You need to be proactive and model the

What makes a good behaviours that you wish to instil in your
Circle Time leader? children. Make sure that you have a range of
positive rewards ready before each meeting.
Be ready to give praise, and more praise, and
make sure that you have a list of specific acts
and behaviours that you can celebrate during
the meeting. No opportunity to give positive
feedback should be missed. It’s easy during a
busy week to forget that you noticed some
small achievement so keep a notebook in your
pocket for jotting down things you have
noticed. Don’t neglect the children who are
always good. Many teachers find that keeping
a little register of praise given ensures that it
is distributed fairly.
Does Circle Time The majority of children adapt to Circle Time

suit every child? quickly and look forward to it with
enthusiasm, but some find it rigorous and
difficult at first. Shy, reticent children may find
it hard to express their opinions and restless
children find the necessary level of
concentration difficult to sustain. Some
children may feel threatened by the themes
and issues that are raised. Some will be
emotionally and socially competent and others
will find life much more difficult. Many will
actively support what you are doing while
others may appear disinterested.
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TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE
Circle Time is an inclusive and democratic

system where all children are encouraged to
contribute as well and as much as they are
able. It is sensitive to their different
competencies and uses a range of strategies to
ensure that every child benefits and comes
away from each session with their self-esteem
strengthened and their confidence raised.
Why are so many The pace may be too slow. You need to keep
children fidgeting? the children ‘asking for more’ so make sure
that none of the games or activities are
allowed to drag on. Keep the pace brisk and
your children will stay alert.
Why do some Are your expectations too high? Are you

children seem asking them to formulate sentences and ideas
restless and that are too complex or to recall, or to carry,
anxious? too many pieces of information? Keep each
plan simple. If an issue is complex, you need
to break it down into small, manageable
chunks and investigate them one at a time. A
problem of bullying might be split into name-
calling; pushing and shoving; where and
when; how to respond. Each issue can then be
dealt with in a separate session.
Some children have Your expectations may be too low and your
told me that Circle meetings may have become routine. Circle
Time is boring. What Time meetings are democratic, so why don’t
am I doing wrong? you have round ‘Circle Time would be better
97
if…?’ Maybe they want to learn some new

games? Maybe they want to use some new
ways of holding the open forum?
What can I do to Are you sticking to your session plan too

make sure that rigidly? Successful circle meetings require give-
everyone feels and-take. Make sure that you are responding
to what is actually happening in the meeting.
motivated?
Be prepared to let go of the script and let the
children decide how a meeting will progress.
What do I do about They may be shy or unwilling, but they might

children who keep also be finding the rounds too difficult.
saying ‘pass’? Simplify your rounds for a while to allow the
children to get the hang of what is expected.
Try prompts such as ‘If I were an animal, I
would be…’ and similar fun rounds so that
they can get used to making their
contribution. Ask your adult helpers to sit next
to shy children so that they can be given help.
If you give them the ‘sentence stem’ in

advance, older children can write their
contribution on a scrap of paper and read it
out. Don’t forget puppets: they can chat to
the children about what will happen in the
meeting and offer to speak for any child who
feels shy. He or she can then tell the puppet
their sentence before the meeting and the
puppet will repeat it at the appropriate time.
98
Maybe your meetings have become too

Children are not
intrusive. Try using the more distanced
‘opening up’. approach of metaphor. Use stories and
What should I do? puppets so that the children can discuss the
characters without being expected to refer
everything to their own personal experiences.
Your class may not be ready to engage in

deep discussion. You need to build the
necessary levels of trust and group strength.
Concentrate on games and activities that will
build these into the group before you attempt
to use the ‘Opening up’ phase for more
difficult issues.
Focus on celebrating things that are going

well and remember that not all meetings need
to be about problem-solving.
I’m finding Circle Are you trying to cover too much ground in
Time very tiring. Am each session? It is better to investigate one
I trying too hard? small issue thoroughly than to try to rush
through many issues too quickly. Make sure
that your meetings are timetabled when you
are feeling fresh and energetic. Circle Time is
too important to be squashed into a Friday
afternoon or held at a time when you are not
at your best.
Getting the room ready Can older children get it ready for you? If not,
is sometimes difficult. you need to train your children so that it is a
What should I do? smooth-running drill. If you always have your
99
meetings at the same time on the same day,

this will soon become routine. Book the hall!
Children sometimes Are you using your meetings to punish or

seem embarrassed. complain about behaviour? If you do, you will
How do I prevent make the whole group fearful that this week it
this? will be their ‘turn’. Never put the spotlight on
individual children and what they are doing
wrong. A circle meeting is not a courtroom or
an opportunity for having a good moan. When
you are planning you need to focus on your
learning outcomes and remember that these
are the emotional and social skills that you
want your children to acquire.
The children don’t Are you preparing them sufficiently? Try telling
seem to have many them what the meeting will be about a few
ideas. How can I days beforehand so they can make themselves
ready. Make sure that you always hold your
help them?
meetings on the same day and at the same
time so that they know what to expect.
What can I do about Try beating them at their own game by being
a couple of more interesting and exciting than they are!
attention-seeking Have surprises ready. You can forestall many
problems by using diversionary tactics. Circle
children who keep
Time practitioners call this their ‘bag of
ruining my Circle power’. It could be a puppet that is pulled
Times? from a bag at an opportune moment or a
wand or rain-stick that can focus attention
100
on you as the leader and away from the

child who is trying to disrupt your meeting.
Ensure that the pace of your meetings is
upbeat and that you have planned plenty of
activities – if the children are busy, you will
find that opportunities for showing off are
few.
There are always If a child is continually disruptive a visual

a few children who warning can be used. Make a number of cards
continually that have a sad face drawn on one side and a
disruptive. What happy face on the other. Keep these cards
can I do to settle handy so that you can place one beside the
them down? child who is spoiling the meeting. Tell her that
the face is sad because she has made the
whole group sad by breaking an important
rule. If the child responds positively and
begins to behave well, you can smile and turn
the card over to show the happy face. Explain
that everyone is now pleased with her. If the
child is unable to change the behaviour, ask
her to sit outside the circle and watch a one-
minute sand-timer before asked if she is ready
to rejoin the group.
I am worried a child Don’t forget children may never mention

might make a anyone’s name in a negative way. They have
disclosure to say ‘Someone is calling me names…’ ‘Some
people are shouting at me…’. Also, prior to
Circle Time, children should know they can
have a one-to-one chat with you if ever
anything personal is troubling them. At all
times it is important that you remain calm and
101
responsive and react with respect. You can

divert the child from the ‘issue’ by focusing on
their feelings. This means that the feeling can
be named and shared and the child can see
that other children have had the same feeling
which, in turn, means that they feel less
isolated and fearful. Show no alarm in your
face – play games before they leave the circle
and then quietly speak to the child afterwards.
Circle Time doesn’t Circle Time cannot work in a vacuum. It must

seem to make any reflect the values of your school. The behaviours
that are taught during meetings must be
difference to
praised and treasured during every minute of
behaviour. What is the school day. These behaviours and values
going wrong? must be modelled by all members of staff and
need to be part of your school’s values, rewards,
sanctions and lunchtime systems.
I try to plan my The purpose of circle meetings is to help

own sessions but children to learn essential emotional and
sometimes don’t social skills. What skills do your children need
know where to begin. to learn? Once you have chosen the skill you
want to teach, you need to find games and
What can I do?
activities that will help your children learn
those skills.
I want to involve the Try a Circle Time suggestion box so that any
children in planning pupil can contribute, anonymously,
meetings so that the suggestions for themes that they want
content is relevant. addressed in Circle Time.
Is this a good idea?
102
Try to encourage children to nominate other

Sometimes I feel
children who are calm, create a lovely working
that the children atmosphere by not shouting out, or who are
are too dependent learning to walk away from fights and so on.
on the praise they Once they are nominated, if the majority of
get from me in the the class agree, the whole class can sign
celebration step of something called a ‘Class Team Honours List’.
each meeting. How If the child or the class don’t feel they quite
do I make them deserve the certificate yet, the child can place
himself on an ‘Achievement Ladder’ at what
more independent?
they feel is the appropriate rung.
Circle Time meetings This is a pace issue. Take control, move on to

seem to lose their the next activity and never allow them to
focus and start to drag. Make sure that you have planned
ramble. How can thoroughly but have your ‘bag of power’
ready for those emergencies when you can see
I stop this?
that the children are not ready or willing to
do as you planned.
TOP
TIP Be Kind To Yourself!
Your mood affects the quality of all your interactions with children and staff.
You need to look after yourself very carefully – your energy is the key to
unlocking excellence in your classroom. Teachers always tend to put other
people’s needs first. It would be kinder to everyone if you put your own needs
first! Try and do all the things that you know you should – give yourself time
boundaries, eat good food, drink lots of water … get to bed early! Most
importantly though, during the day give yourself a ‘Golden Moment’ by
rewarding yourself with small treats. Have a quiet moment with special music,
a good coffee, tasty food and quietly reflect on how lucky we are to work
with children. I know it sounds daft – but they are wise and funny and very
courageous at times. If we don’t become more relaxed and positive we will
fail to see their great qualities.
103
Quality Circle Time has been developed by Jenny

Mosley and her team over the past 20 years as a
whole-school approach to enhancing self-esteem
and, developing positive behaviour and
relationships within the school community.
For more information visit our website
We love running training days for individuals, schools, clusters –

everyone! Contact:
Jenny Mosley Consultancies

28A Gloucester Road
Trowbridge BA14 0AA
Tel: 01225 767157
Fax: 01225 755631
For a catalogue of exciting books and puppets published by Positive Press

please contact:
Positive Press
28A Gloucester Road
Trowbridge BA14 0AA
Tel: 01225 719204
Fax: 01225 712187
Anyone can download SEAL resources from www.dfes.gov.uk
104
-(11<026/(<·6
SMALL BOOKS OF THE 5 SKILLS SERIES
This splendid little series of five small books focuses on how to boost young children’s key skills and is an indispensible guide for
practioners concerned with helping build children’s learning power. Each book is crammed full of lively games, rhymes, songs,
puppet scripts and activities to help each child really understand the meaning of Speaking, Listening, Looking, Thinking and
Concentrating. 5 x A5 b/w 48pp books in a set
BIG BOOK OF CALMERS

By Jenny Mosley and Ross Grogan
When children become over-excited, stressed or fractious, do you ever
wish that you could wave a magic wand and create an atmosphere of
peace and order? This book is what you need to do just that! It is bursting
with ideas to calm whenever and wherever you see that calm is needed.
The activities have been carefully chosen so that they can be used
instantly and effectively almost anywhere in your setting. A very wide range
of strategies are included to suit different age groups and situations. Most
require no equipment or preparation and are quick and easy to learn.
Wherever your setting, you’ll find just what you need to
de-stress your children and cheer everybody up.
BIG BOOK OF ENERGIZERS

By Jenny Mosley and Zara Niwano
Everyone has those troubling moments when suddenly the levels of energy
drop and it is difficult to get children motivated and enthusiastic. Everyone
experiences times when some children seem listless and difficult to
engage. These are times when everyone needs to take a quick break and
do something to revitalise and refresh themselves. The activities have been
carefully chosen so that they can be used instantly and effectively almost
anywhere in your setting. A very wide range of strategies are included to
suit different age groups and situations. Most require no equipment or
preparation and are quick and easy to learn. Whenever your children need
a quick simple tonic, this book will provide you with a wealth of activities to
choose from.
Jenny Mosley has written the circle time guidance for S.E.A.D.
(Social & Emotional Aspects of Development - DCSF 2008) and S.E.A.L.
TO ORDER CONTACT POSITIVE PRESS

For more information about the Learning Through Action and our other games and activity books contact:
Jenny Mosley Consultancies/Positive Press Ltd.
28A Gloucester Road, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 0AA
Telephone: 01225 719204 Fax: 01225 712187
Step-by-Step offers everything you need to know about
delivering the social and emotional aspects of
learning SEAL through Circle Time.
Written for everyone who cares about children’s well-being, this practical and
realistic guide begins with an explanation of the fundamentals of Circle Time.
It then supports and guides you to work your way through scripted sessions
that offer hands-on experience of how Circle Time works in practice.
Each step is vividly described and linked to SEAL themes and, along the way,
you will find helpful advice to show you how to sustain enthusiasm and avoid
pitfalls. The last section of the book explains how to ‘do-it-yourself’ and devise
meetings to meet the needs of your particular group of children.
Jenny Mosley is the renowned pioneer of Quality Circle Time. She and her
team have supported thousands of schools in their development of positive
behaviour and self-esteem policies. Jenny wrote the guidance for Circle Time
for SEAL and is currently supporting many schools to work with SEAL to help
them release excellence through valuing individuals.
“.... Quality Circle Time was another light-bulb moment for me ... this
book explains the benefits of Circle Time and takes us through the
immensely helpful structure of meeting up, warming up, opening up,
cheering up and calming down ... enjoy the ideas ... and have fun with
the children you teach.”
Jean Gross, Director of the Primary National Strategy’s SEAL Guidance.
Follow Jenny Mosley Consultancies on
ISBN 978-1-904866-20-6
01225 719204
[email protected]
www.circle-time.co.uk 9 781904 866206 >


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Jenny Mosley

The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time, by Jenny Mosley.

A first-stop introduction to leading successful Quality Circle

The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time, by Jenny Mosley.

Telephone: 01225 719204

Text © 2006 Jenny Mosley.

Photography by Viewpoint, Somerset

The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time, by Jenny Mosley.

Circle Time meetings 59

Keeper of the keys 39 Putting It All Into Practice 92

Things that work for us 42

Monarch of the realm 46

Stop and think 49

How to use this book

Part two – practical Circle Time plans

Part three – tailoring Circle Time to your own needs

It’s worth the effort!

What we don’t do in this book

Part One: Understanding the

The benefits of Quality Circle Time

As educators, you want attentive, motivated children in every lesson. You

Quality Circle Time is safe

Quality Circle Time is flexible

• Quality Circle Time builds group cohesion and strengthens

Quality Circle Time enhances learning

• Teaching learning skills

The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time, by Jenny Mosley.

The structure of Quality Circle Time

JENNY MOSLEY’S 5 STEPS

TO QUALITY CIRCLE TIME

We are kind to each

We know that everyone

We take turns and let

We praise each other

We share our opinions

We think about problems

Getting Ready for Circle Time

• Choose a good time

• Build a collection of props

• Now assemble a ‘bag of power’

• Prepare your adult helpers

• Agree your ground rules

Everyone has the right to be heard

It is important the children have the right to be heard without interruption.

Everyone has the right to ‘pass’

We are always kind and positive

• Facilitate different learning styles

• Use your adult helpers

• Encourage, don’t ‘force’

• Use the sessions to meet children’s needs

• Try smaller Circles of Support for ‘children beyond’

“ I like holding the

The Step by Step Guide to Circle Time, by Jenny Mosley.

Part Two: Getting to

1. Teach the five skills

2. Introduce Circle Time with three-step meetings

3. Use Circle Time plans

Practical Circle Time Plans

INTO THE UNKNOWN