Using Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends to help with transition
School transitions can be an unsettling time for both teachers and pupils and may bring up difficult feelings.
To help your new class or current class with the transition to a new year group and teacher, try these Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends ideas at the end or beginning of term:
- Use the teacher training presentation we provide to make next year’s teacher aware of the programme and how the work you have done with the class on Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends can be followed through. This consistency and familiarity may be just what the children need if they struggle during the first few weeks. The new teacher can remind them of the Zippy Tips, Apple tips and Rules for Choosing a Good Solution.
- Make a pipe cleaner Zippy or toy Apple for children to take with them into their new class next year so Zippy and Apple can join them on their journey and remind them of all they learnt, particularly about change.
- Use the Zippy’s Friends & Apple’s Friends programmes during transition week. If you are teaching your new class at the end of term, start Zippy’s Friends or Apple’s Friends to get to know the class and create an open and supportive atmosphere. Or you could start at the beginning of term to build up positive relationships between children.
- Repeat the Home Activity on change in Module 5 Session 1 of Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends to help initiate conversations at home about how the children might be feeling about a new class.
A reminder that if you are moving year groups as a trained Zippy’s Friends and Apple’s Friends teacher, you are trained to teach both programmes.
Zippy’s Friends is designed for 5-7 year olds and Apple’s Friends is designed for 7-9 year olds, so you can start one of the programmes in Years 1-4.
Contact us for more information on 020 8974 6004.
