Every adult is trained
Not only the leaders and not only the class teachers. Everyone who works with children, or with colleagues, learns the HeartWise language together.
HeartWise Certified · Founding cohort
A school or workplace that lives HeartWise.
HeartWise Certified is a programme for schools and for workplaces. A place becomes certified by living the HeartWise practices, not by buying books. Every adult is trained, practice is looked at kindly, and certification is renewed each year.
Founding cohort, now forming. We are inviting the first schools and workplaces to help shape the HeartWise Standards. If you would like to be one of them, register your interest.
Register interest
The promise
Certified by living it, not by buying books
Books and tools help, and they are only the start. HeartWise Certified looks at how a place feels to be in, every day.
Practice is looked at, kindly
A HeartWise reviewer looks at everyday practice against the Standards. The aim is to notice what is going well and to help with what is not yet in place.
Certification is renewed
Each year there is a lighter review, so HeartWise stays alive in the place and does not become a certificate on a wall.
Two tracks
Choose the track that fits your place
Select a track to see what it holds. The journey and the Standards below follow the track you choose; the Standards show both.
For a whole school
A school where every adult uses the same HeartWise language, with children and with each other, from the first year of preschool to the last year of secondary.
- Every member of staff is trained, not only the leaders.
- One full term of twelve weeks of practice, using the HeartWise materials for your age groups.
- A HeartWise reviewer looks at daily practice, with kindness.
Books that support this track
Books are sold separately. The age-band books for your children are in the library.
For an organisation or a team
A workplace where leaders and colleagues share one way of speaking about feelings, stress, repair and purpose.
HeartWise is not about making work comfortable. It is about making work human.
Yasmin Mubarak, HeartWise Workplace
- Every person on the team is trained, from the newest colleague to the most senior leader.
- One full term of twelve weeks of practice, using the HeartWise materials.
- A HeartWise reviewer looks at daily practice, with kindness.
The journey
Six steps from hello to certified
Follow the lantern. Each step is small and clear, and step 3 is the heart of it: everyone is trained.
- Step 1
Discover: a call and a plan
We talk about your place, your people and what you hope for, and shape a plan together.
School: A school’s call includes the principal and the leadership team.
Workplace: A workplace’s call includes a leader and the people who look after culture and wellbeing.
- Step 2
Baseline: see where you are
You take the HeartWise Culture Check-up, sixteen statements that end in a kind plan, and hold a team reflection on what it shows. The HeartWise Compass, twelve statements, is a lighter personal start. Neither is a test.
School: You choose the school path in the Culture Check-up or the Compass.
Workplace: You choose the organisation or workplace path in the Culture Check-up or the Compass.
Take the Culture Check-up Open the HeartWise Compass - The heart of CertifiedStep 3
Train: everyone is trained
Every member of staff, not only the leaders, takes part in a HeartWise Camp or on-site training.
School: Teaching and non-teaching staff and leaders, together.
Workplace: Colleagues and leaders, from the newest to the most senior, together.
Everyone, not only the leadersSee the HeartWise Camps - Step 4
Practise: one full term, twelve weeks
You use the HeartWise materials for a full term of twelve weeks: the Five Feelings, the Zones, L.A.N.T.E.R.N. and repair, in everyday life.
School: In classrooms, corridors and staffrooms.
Workplace: In meetings, one-to-ones and shared spaces.
- Step 5
Audit: a kind look at practice
A HeartWise reviewer looks at practice against the Standards: observation, conversations with staff and with children or colleagues, and documents. This is a friendly review, not a test.
School: Conversations include staff and children. They are short, friendly and planned together with the school.
Workplace: Conversations include colleagues and leaders. They are short, friendly and planned together with you.
- Step 6
Certified: then renew each year
You receive the certificate and the mark, and each year a lighter review keeps HeartWise alive in your place.
School: A school renews each year.
Workplace: A workplace renews each year.
Draft v0.1
The HeartWise Standards
These Standards are a draft. They are being shaped with the founding cohort and will change before anything is certified. They begin with one promise, Standard 0, and then one practice for each of the Six Pillars. Each one is something a reviewer can see, hear or read.
Draft v0.1Not final. Open a practice to see what it can look like in a school and in a workplace.
Standard 0
Everyone is trained
Before anything else, every adult is trained.
In a schoolEvery member of staff, teaching or not, and every leader has taken part in HeartWise training.
In a workplaceEvery person in the organisation, from the newest colleague to the most senior leader, has taken part in HeartWise training.
Practice 1 · Pillar 1
Self-Awareness
The Iceberg
What is going on inside me?
We name what is going on inside
What it looks like
In a schoolChildren and adults use the Five Feelings (happy, sad, angry, scared and tired) to say what is going on inside, and staff look for the need beneath a behaviour before they respond to it.
In a workplaceColleagues are at ease naming how they feel at work with the Five Feelings, and leaders look for the need beneath a hard moment before they respond to it.
Practice 2 · Pillar 2
Self-Regulation
The Zones & L.A.N.T.E.R.N.
What do I do with a big feeling?
We meet big feelings with calm
What it looks like
In a schoolAdults and children share the three Zones, green, yellow and red, and meet every zone with calm: All zones are okay. When a feeling is big, adults walk through L.A.N.T.E.R.N. with the child.
In a workplaceTeams share the three Zones and use them to check in with one another: All zones are okay. In a tense moment, people take a pause and use L.A.N.T.E.R.N. before they reply or decide.
Practice 3 · Pillar 3
Growth Mindset
The Seed
What if I can’t… yet?
We say ‘yet’
What it looks like
In a school‘Yet’ is part of everyday talk, so “I can’t…” becomes “I can’t… yet”, and mistakes are treated as the place where learning begins, for adults as well as children.
In a workplace‘Yet’ is part of how people talk about skills and setbacks, and mistakes are shared openly and learned from together.
Practice 4 · Pillar 4
Empathy & Connection
The Mirror
What is it like to be you?
We ask what it is like to be you
What it looks like
In a schoolAdults listen first and ask what it is like to be the other person, and connection comes before correction.
In a workplaceColleagues and leaders listen to understand before they reply, and meetings make room for how people are as well as what is due.
Practice 5 · Pillar 5
Relationships & Repair
The Bridge
How do we mend what breaks?
We mend what breaks
What it looks like
In a schoolWhen something breaks between people, time is made to mend it, and adults repair first when they have got it wrong.
In a workplaceWhen trust is bruised, people mend it through a real conversation, and leaders go first in saying sorry and putting things right.
Practice 6 · Pillar 6
Resilience & Purpose
The Roots
What keeps me standing, and what is it for?
We keep each other standing
What it looks like
In a schoolAdults and children can say what keeps them standing, and the school makes room for rest, belonging and the purpose behind the work.
In a workplaceTeams protect time to recover, notice what is going well, and connect everyday work to what it is for.
What the Standards stand on
Built on the HeartWise canon
Every practice comes from ideas that already live in the HeartWise books.
6Pillars
7steps in L.A.N.T.E.R.N.
3Zones: green, yellow, red
5Feelings: happy, sad, angry, scared, tired
12weeks in one term of practice
The proposed package
What every certified place receives
This is the package we propose. The details are agreed with the founding cohort.
Training for all staff
Every adult in the place is trained, through a HeartWise Camp or on-site training.
The book set for your level
The HeartWise books that match your place, chosen from the library.
An audit
A kind, thorough look at everyday practice by a HeartWise reviewer.
The certificate and the mark
A certificate and the HeartWise Certified mark, once its design is final.
A yearly review
A lighter review each year that keeps certification current.
How the audit works
A kind look, not an exam
An audit is a visit from a HeartWise reviewer who comes to see what daily life is like, to listen, and to read what you already have. Nobody is graded.
Observation
The reviewer spends time where the work happens and notices how adults and children, or colleagues, are with one another.
Conversations
The reviewer talks with staff and leaders, and with children or colleagues. The conversations are short, friendly and planned with you. Nobody is put on the spot.
Documents
The reviewer reads what you already have, such as training records and notes from your twelve weeks of practice.
Sharing back
The reviewer shares what is going well first, and then anything that is not yet in place.
You are certified
You receive the certificate and the mark, and a lighter review follows each year.
A plan and support, never failure
That is a starting point, not a failure. We agree a plan together, you receive support to put it in place, and the reviewer returns to look again.
Two places to begin
Start with a free reflection, then train together
The Compass and the Culture Check-up are open to everyone now, whether or not you join the founding cohort. HeartWise Camps are one way to train every adult together, and their dates will be announced.
Free · a few minutesBegin with the HeartWise CompassA personal reflection of twelve statements, never a test. For your whole team, the Culture Check-up (sixteen statements, about five to ten minutes) is the baseline for the journey.Open the Compass
Step 3 · TrainTrain together at a HeartWise CampAdults go first. A camp is one way to train everyone, and it can also be taken on its own.See the Camps
Step 3 · TrainTrain together at a HeartWise CampAdults go first. A camp is one way to train everyone, and it can also be taken on its own.See the Camps
Good to know
Honest answers
What makes HeartWise Certified different?
It recognises a place for living the HeartWise practices every day, not for owning materials. Every adult is trained, practice is looked at kindly, and the certificate is renewed each year, so the culture stays alive.
Can we be part of the founding cohort?
Yes. We are inviting the first schools and workplaces to help shape the HeartWise Standards with us. Register your interest, and we will write back to talk about what could fit.
How long does it take?
Everyone is trained first, then there is one full term of twelve weeks of practice, then the audit. The exact length is agreed with each place.
What does it cost?
Costs will be shared when the founding cohort opens. Registering interest is not a commitment.
Can a single class or team join?
HeartWise Certified is for a whole school or a whole workplace, because every adult is trained. A single class or team can begin with the books, the HeartWise Compass or a HeartWise Camp.
Do we have to buy the books?
A place is certified for living the HeartWise practices, not for owning books. The books support the practice, and the book set for your level is part of the proposed package.
Who reviews, and is HeartWise Certified independent?
HeartWise Certified is a HeartWise programme. HeartWise trains, reviews and certifies. Reviews are led by Yasmin Mubarak, or by a HeartWise reviewer she has trained. It is not an independent or official accreditation, and we say so plainly. The Standards are still a draft and are being shaped with the founding cohort.
How are children looked after in a school review?
Children always have a choice. A school adult is always in the room, nobody is recorded or photographed, no child’s name is written down, and a child can say no or stop at any time. The school decides how families are told. Read how reviews work (PDF), which includes the consent form.
What if we disagree with a decision, or a review did not feel fair?
Write to hello@heartwise.world. We confirm within five working days and answer within twenty. You can ask for a second look by someone who was not involved. The steps are in how reviews work (PDF).
How can we use the HeartWise Certified mark?
Once certified, you may use the mark on your website, building and letters, with the words “HeartWise Certified” and the year. Please keep it unchanged, and stop using it if a certificate ends. The simple rules are on the last page of how reviews work (PDF).
What happens if something is not yet in place at the audit?
We agree a plan together and you receive support to put it in place. It is never treated as failure, and the reviewer returns to look again.
Register interest
Help shape the founding cohort
Tell us about your school or workplace. This is an expression of interest, not a commitment.
- Registering interest is not a commitment, and it does not promise a place.
- We will write back to talk about what could fit.
- Your email is needed so that we can reply.
Thank you for your interest
Your message is ready in your email app. Please press send there. This was an expression of interest, not a commitment.
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Not sure where to start?
Begin with a check-up
See where your people are today, and get a plan of the HeartWise training that fits.
Start here
The Culture Check-up
Sixteen statements about how your people talk, support each other and repair. Get a plan of the HeartWise training you need.
Take the check-up
A gentle reflection
The HeartWise Compass
A few minutes, four versions, one small next step. Watch your garden bloom.
Start the Compass
Free
Read the first pages
Up to ten pages of every HeartWise book, free. The cover, the contents and the start of the first chapter.
Get the samples