1. Promoting Emotional Health in Torfaen Primary Schools: the Pyramid approach
Lorna Coombes
Health Promotion Practitioner – Mental/Emotional Health
(Torfaen Local Public Health Team)

2. Pyramid Mission Statement
Pyramid was set up in 1993 to help children of primary school age (5-12 years) fulfil their potential in school and in life by building their self-esteem and resilience.
Their aim is to provide support within community and educational settings to quiet, withdrawn or isolated children who are finding it difficult to integrate or make friends, helping them to develop social and emotional confidence and well-being.

3. Children’s Mental Health
“An estimated one in five children experience mental health problems and one in ten have problems that are sufficiently disabling to stop them doing everyday things such as going to school, making friends and functioning productively.”
Bright Futures Mental Health Foundation 1999

4. Stage 1: Checking Needs
Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman) – a ‘trigger for action’
Undertaken by class teacher
Whole class – a preventive safety net
Looks at emotional needs, behaviour, conduct, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationships and pro-social behaviour

5. Stage 2: Interdisciplinary meeting
Early identification of need
Select help for each child
Bring the experience of all agencies
Learn about risk factors for the school

6. Positive interventions
EWO home visit/ Family support
Medical check-up, referrals to school nurse, GP or speech therapist
SEN curriculum / behaviour management support
Young carers’ support
1-2-1 support/mentoring
Circle of Friends or out of school activities
Referral to social services, EP, CAMHS
Pyramid clubs

7. Stage 3: Pyramid Clubs
Fun, positive experiences, in a group, with lots of new experiences and chances to develop friendships. Including:
Fun games
Cooking
Circle Time
Art and craft activities
Trained (volunteer) club leaders.
After school for 1½ hours. Clubs take place once a week for ten weeks during the school term.

9. Key ingredients of a Pyramid club
Praise and Recognition – activities that ensure success and recognise each child’s uniqueness
Love and Security – positive relationships in a safe, supportive, non-stigmatising environment
New Experiences – developing skills in relationship building and practical, physical and creative skills through fun activities
Responsibility – sense of ownership and belonging through controlling their club environment

10. Volunteer club leaders
Recruited from local colleges, the community, local employers
CRB checks and references
Trained to plan, manage, evaluate and liaise with schools and parents, and work with children

11. Pyramid Clubs help develop…
A sense of belonging
Confidence through new skills
Friendships
Positive relationships with adults
An increase in ‘emotional literacy’
The resilience to cope with life’s ups and downs.

12. Who will benefit? Children who: have poor social skills
are unhappy, fearful, lonely, withdrawn
have low self-esteem and confidence
are experiencing stress
have emotional/mental health problems
are being bullied
have difficulty learning

13. Adam’s Story
Adam was an elective mute. He would walk to school with a parent and his brothers, talking normally until he reached the playground. Here he would stop talking completely, his Mum and brothers included.
He would not speak at all in school but communicated via facial expressions. As he left with his family at home time he would be silent until he reached the playground again, where he would carry on the conversation from the morning. Teachers and other professionals had been working with Adam and his family for many months.

14. Adam’s Story continued
He began attending the club in January During the third weekly session he began to speak. One of the children commented “But you don’t speak!” He replied “I do at Pyramid Club!”
He began to talk more and more at the club. This continued into the classroom, to the teachers and other staff. Teachers report that he is now “talking all the time, in fact he won’t shut up!”

15. The Evidence Base
The Pyramid model has been independently evaluated by the University of Surrey and the Institute of Education.
These have shown that the approach helps children develop greater self-esteem, be less withdrawn, have better peer relationships, be happier and learn better.
Pyramid are committed to on-going evaluation.

16. Improved academic performance
Pyramid club children:
Showed significantly greater reduction in errors in sentence generation
Showed greater improvements in free writing tasks
University of Surrey 1998/9
68 children assessed pre and post club
Free writing
Sentence generation
Copying

17. Pyramid in Torfaen NPHS (Lead Agency) Education - Healthy Schools
Head Teacher(s)
Education Psychologist
School Health Nursing
NCH
Primary Mental Health Worker
3 x primary schools

18. Tasks for schools Identify link teacher Ensure whole school included
Include parents & governors
Screening
Hold interdisciplinary meetings
Venue & resources/ parental consent
Pre/post club visit (club leaders, parents)
Support club leaders
Link teacher on site
Contribution to evaluation

19. Pyramid is about prevention through:
Summary
Pyramid is about prevention through:
Multi-disciplinary partnership
Group-work with a focus on skills and relationships
Using trained volunteers
Sound evaluation
Quality assurance

20. Any Questions ?