Tools / 36-week planner

36-week planner

Plan the whole year, week by week

Pick an age band to see all thirty-six weeks across three terms. Tick weeks off as you go, add your start date to see which week you are in, and print the plan for the staff room wall. Your ticks stay on this device.

Baby HeartsAges 1–3 Little HeartsAges 3–5 Growing HeartsAges 5–8 Strong HeartsAges 8–12 Brave HeartsAges 12–16

0of 36 weeks

Baby Hearts · ages 1–3

A complete scheme of work for the first three years — thirty-six weeks across three terms

Cover of The HeartWise Early Years Curriculum

The curriculumThe HeartWise Early Years Curriculum

The guideThe Early Years Guidebook

The Early Years Guidebook is organised in four parts (The Foundations, The HeartWise Tools, The Daily Work, Putting It Together) rather than numbered weekly lessons. Read it alongside the curriculum.

My first week starts on

Show what each week is about

Print layout

HeartWise 36-week plan · Baby Hearts, ages 1–3The HeartWise Early Years Curriculum ·

Term One

Settling, Safety & Feelings

0 of 12

Week 1Welcome & the secure baseSettling & SafetyHelping each child feel safe, seen and welcome — the foundation of everything.
Week 2A predictable daySettling & SafetyBuilding the dependable rhythm that tells a small child the world is safe.
Week 3Hello & goodbyeSettling & SafetyMaking partings warm, honest and predictable — so the child learns ‘you always come back.’
Week 4I am here — borrowing calmCo-regulationBeing the steady calm a flooded child can borrow — the heart of the whole curriculum.
Week 5HappyFirst FeelingsNaming and celebrating happiness — the first and easiest feeling word.
Week 6SadFirst FeelingsAllowing and naming sadness — teaching that it is okay, and it passes.
Week 7Angry / crossFirst FeelingsAccepting anger while keeping everyone safe — ‘all feelings are okay, not all actions.’
Week 8ScaredFirst FeelingsMeeting fear with safety and presence — never dismissing it.
Week 9TiredFirst FeelingsNaming tiredness and honouring the body’s need for rest.
Week 10All feelings are okayFirst FeelingsDrawing the Five Feelings together — every one is welcome here.
Week 11Calm bodies — breathing & rockingFinding CalmIntroducing the very first calming tools, practised in calm times.
Week 12Our calm cornerFinding CalmMaking a cosy calm space the child can come to — together — when feelings are big.

Term Two

Kindness, Connection & Repair

0 of 12

Week 13Gentle handsGentlenessTeaching soft, gentle hands — the foundation of kindness, taught through the body.
Week 14Soft & kind with othersGentlenessExtending gentleness to other children — the first social kindness.
Week 15Noticing others’ feelingsEmpathyHelping the child notice that others have feelings too.
Week 16Comforting a friendEmpathyThe first acts of comfort — giving the empathy they have received.
Week 17First sharing & turn-takingSharingBeginning turn-taking — realistically, gently, with no forcing.
Week 18Waiting, a littleSharingBuilding the very first capacity to wait — the root of self-control.
Week 19Saying sorry & making it betterRepairThe first taste of repair — mending, never forcing, an apology.
Week 20Hugs & connectionConnectionFilling the child’s cup with warmth and belonging.
Week 21Please & thank youKind WordsPlanting the first kind, social words — modelled warmly, never demanded.
Week 22Helping handsHelpingChannelling the toddler’s drive to help into real, valued contribution.
Week 23Caring for living thingsCaringGentleness and care extended to animals and plants.
Week 24We belong togetherBelongingA sense of being part of a warm group — the first community.

Term Three

Growing, Exploring & Moving On

0 of 12

Week 25Curiosity & exploring safelyExploringHonouring the toddler’s drive to explore, from the safety of a secure base.
Week 26I can do itIndependenceSupporting growing independence and the ‘me do it!’ drive.
Week 27Not yet!GrowthPlanting the seed of growth mindset — ‘I can’t… yet.’
Week 28Plant a seed — watching things growGrowthA living metaphor for growth — planting, tending and watching something grow.
Week 29Big feelings about little changesResilienceSupporting the child through the everyday changes that feel huge to a toddler.
Week 30Brave stepsResilienceEncouraging gentle courage — trying new things from a place of safety.
Week 31My body & meSelf-AwarenessBuilding body awareness and a positive sense of self.
Week 32Routines I knowSelf-RegulationConsolidating the calming and daily routines the child now knows — mastery.
Week 33Looking after myselfResponsibilityThe beginnings of self-care — tending to one’s own needs, with help.
Week 34Celebrating growthReflectionNoticing, together, how much the child has grown across the year.
Week 35Thank you & gratitudeGratitudePlanting the first seeds of gratitude and appreciation.
Week 36Moving onTransitionHolding endings and transitions with care — a warm, prepared goodbye.

0of 36 weeks

Little Hearts · ages 3–5

A complete scheme of work for ages three to five — thirty-six teacher-guided, play-based weeks across three terms. The curriculum is a scheme of work of thirty-six weeks across three terms.

Cover of The HeartWise Preschool Curriculum

The curriculumThe HeartWise Preschool Curriculum

The guideHeartWise Little Hearts

HeartWise Little Hearts has its own forty weekly lessons, grouped into four terms, with titles of their own. Read it alongside the curriculum.

My first week starts on

Show what each week is about

Print layout

HeartWise 36-week plan · Little Hearts, ages 3–5The HeartWise Preschool Curriculum ·

Term One

Knowing Myself

0 of 12

Week 1Welcome & belongingBelongingHelping every child feel safe, seen, welcome and part of the class.
Week 2All about meBelongingCelebrating each child’s uniqueness — the beginning of self-awareness.
Week 3Our class agreementsBelongingCo-creating, with the children, how we want to be together.
Week 4Heart Bear has feelingsMy FeelingsIntroducing the Five Feelings through Heart Bear — the start of the feelings work.
Week 5HappyMy FeelingsExploring happiness — what it feels like and what brings it.
Week 6SadMy FeelingsUnderstanding sadness — that it is okay, it passes, and we help each other.
Week 7AngryMy FeelingsAccepting anger and learning safe ways to let it out.
Week 8Scared & tiredMy FeelingsNaming fear and tiredness, and knowing what helps each.
Week 9How do I feel today?My FeelingsBringing the feelings together with a daily check-in.
Week 10My feeling coloursMy CalmIntroducing the Zones — green, yellow, red — in a shame-free way.
Week 11Calm tools & breathingMy CalmLearning and practising the calming tools, in ‘green’.
Week 12My calm cornerMy CalmSetting up and learning to use the calm corner — a place to find calm.

Term Two

Knowing Others

0 of 12

Week 13Gentle handsKindnessSoft, gentle hands — the foundation of kindness, and the ‘do’ not the ‘don’t’.
Week 14Kind wordsKindnessThe kind words we can say, and how they make others feel.
Week 15Being a good friendFriendshipWhat makes a good friend — and how to be one.
Week 16Sharing & taking turnsFriendshipSharing and turn-taking — realistically, with support.
Week 17Joining in & includingFriendshipIncluding others, and how it feels to be left out or welcomed in.
Week 18How does my friend feel?EmpathyNoticing and imagining how others feel — growing empathy.
Week 19Falling out happensRepairNormalising conflict — friends fall out, and that’s okay.
Week 20Saying sorry & making it betterRepairGenuine repair — mending, not a forced ‘sorry’.
Week 21Helping handsHelpingHelping others and our class — kindness in action.
Week 22Listening earsListeningGood listening — a key friendship and learning skill.
Week 23Kindness in actionKindnessPutting all the kindness together — doing kind things for real.
Week 24We are a kind classBelongingCelebrating the kind, caring community the class has become.

Term Three

Growing Strong

0 of 12

Week 25I can’t… YET!GrowthThe power of ‘yet’ — the heart of growth mindset.
Week 26Mistakes help us learnGrowthMistakes as friends — how we grow.
Week 27Keep tryingGrowthPersistence and effort — the muscle of learning.
Week 28Plant a seed & watch it growGrowthGrowth made real — planting, tending and watching something grow.
Week 29Brave triesResilienceGentle courage — trying new things from a place of safety.
Week 30Calm in big feelingsResilienceRevisiting and consolidating self-regulation — calm even when it’s hard.
Week 31Looking after myself & othersResponsibilitySelf-care and care for others — the roots of responsibility.
Week 32Caring for our worldCaringCaring for animals, plants and our world — widening kindness.
Week 33Things I love & thank youGratitudeGratitude and appreciation — noticing the good.
Week 34Look how I’ve grownReflectionLooking back at the year — celebrating each child’s growth.
Week 35My HeartWise promisesReflectionDrawing the year together into the child’s own HeartWise promises.
Week 36Moving upTransitionHolding the ending and the next step with care — a warm, prepared goodbye.

See the guide’s forty weekly lessons

Titles and focus lines are copied from the guide. Where a focus is shown, it is the guide’s own wording.

Term One: Feelings Are FriendsNaming, recognising, and welcoming emotions

Week 1 Welcome to HeartWise — Introducing the Five Feelings
Week 2 My Body Tells Me How I Feel
Week 3 Green Zone, Yellow Zone, Red Zone
Week 4 When I Feel Happy
Week 5 When I Feel Sad — It Is Okay to Cry
Week 6 When I Feel Angry — Anger Is a Feeling, Not a Behaviour
Week 7 When I Feel Scared — Brave Does Not Mean Not Scared
Week 8 When I Feel Tired — My Body Needs Care
Week 9 Feelings Change — They Come and They Go
Week 10 My Feelings Review — Celebration Week!

Term Two: My Body, My CalmBreathing, regulation strategies, and the calm-down toolkit

Week 11 Breathing Is My Superpower
Week 12 My Calm-Down Space
Week 13 Shaking It Off — Movement as Regulation
Week 14 The Turtle Technique — Stop, Tuck, Breathe, Think
Week 15 Big Feelings Are Okay — Holding Space for Meltdowns
Week 16 I Can Ask for Help — “I Need…” Sentences
Week 17 My Body Is My Friend — Listening to Hunger, Tiredness, Energy
Week 18 Music and Feelings — How Music Changes My Zone
Week 19 Nature Calms Me — Outdoor Regulation
Week 20 My Calm Toolkit — Review and Celebrate!

Term Three: Friends and KindnessEmpathy, sharing, conflict resolution, and inclusion

Week 21 What Is a Friend?
Week 22 How Does My Friend Feel? — Reading Faces and Bodies
Week 23 Taking Turns and Sharing
Week 24 Kind Words and Kind Hands
Week 25 When My Friend Is Sad — How to Comfort Others
Week 26 When I Disagree — Using Words, Not Hands
Week 27 Sorry and Repair — Making Things Right
Week 28 Including Everyone — Nobody Sits Alone
Week 29 Different Is Wonderful — Celebrating Uniqueness
Week 30 Kindness Review — Celebration Week!

Term Four: I Am Brave, I Can GrowCourage, resilience, growth, and the HeartWise promise

Week 31 I Can Try — The Courage to Start
Week 32 Mistakes Help Me Learn
Week 33 I Can’t Do It YET — The Power of Yet
Week 34 My Family Loves Me — Family Is My Safe Base
Week 35 When Things Change — Transitions, New Siblings, Moving
Week 36 My Feelings, My Choices — The L.A.N.T.E.R.N. Review
Week 37 I Am Special — Self-Portrait and Affirmation
Week 38 What I Learned This Year — Reflection
Week 39 My HeartWise Promise
Week 40 Celebration and Graduation — HeartWise Little Hearts!

0of 36 weeks

Growing Hearts · ages 5–8

Social and emotional learning, ages five to eight. The curriculum is a scheme of work of thirty-six weeks across three terms.

The curriculumThe Growing Hearts Curriculum

The guideGrowing Hearts

Growing Hearts has its own thirty-six weekly lessons, grouped into four units, with titles of their own. Read it alongside the curriculum.

My first week starts on

Show what each week is about

Print layout

HeartWise 36-week plan · Growing Hearts, ages 5–8The Growing Hearts Curriculum ·

Term One

Knowing Myself

Weeks 1–12 · Belonging, a rich feelings vocabulary, the Zones, and a personal calming toolkit.

0 of 12

Week 1Belonging & our classBelongingBuilding a safe, connected classroom community where every child belongs.
Week 2Our class charterBelongingCo-creating the agreements and values that will guide our year together.
Week 3All about me & my strengthsBelongingKnowing and valuing myself — my strengths, likes and what makes me, me.
Week 4A world of feelingsMy FeelingsGrowing a rich emotional vocabulary beyond the basic feelings.
Week 5Feelings in my bodyMy FeelingsNoticing where and how feelings show up in the body — the basis of self-awareness.
Week 6Big & small feelingsMy FeelingsUnderstanding that feelings come in different sizes — and grow if ignored.
Week 7The ZonesMy RegulationLearning the Zones — a shared map of how we feel and what helps.
Week 8Noticing my ZoneMy RegulationUsing the Zones for real self-awareness — spotting my own Zone.
Week 9Catching yellow earlyMy RegulationThe key skill — noticing a feeling rising before it becomes overwhelming.
Week 10My calming toolkit: breathingMy ToolkitBuilding a personal toolkit of calming strategies, starting with breathing.
Week 11My calming toolkit: movement & groundingMy ToolkitAdding movement, grounding and sensory tools to my calming toolkit.
Week 12My personal calm planMy ToolkitBringing it together — a personal plan for managing big feelings.

Term Two

Knowing Others

Weeks 13–24 · Empathy, friendship, communication, conflict and restorative repair.

0 of 12

Week 13What is empathy?EmpathyUnderstanding empathy — imagining and caring about how others feel.
Week 14Reading feelingsEmpathyGetting better at reading how others feel — faces, bodies, words and situations.
Week 15Walking in someone’s shoesEmpathyPerspective-taking — imagining a situation from someone else’s point of view.
Week 16What makes a good friendFriendshipExploring friendship — what good friends do and how to be one.
Week 17Including everyoneFriendshipInclusion — noticing who is left out, and welcoming them in.
Week 18Kindness in actionFriendshipPutting empathy and friendship into real, deliberate acts of kindness.
Week 19Falling out happensRepairNormalising conflict — friends fall out, and conflict can be handled well.
Week 20The restorative conversationRepairLearning the restorative way to mend a fall-out — the five questions.
Week 21Saying sorry & forgivenessRepairGenuine apology and forgiveness — the heart of repair.
Week 22Kind & clear communicationCommunicationSpeaking up kindly and clearly — saying how I feel and what I need.
Week 23Listening wellCommunicationGood listening — the other half of communication and friendship.
Week 24A kinder class & worldCommunityDrawing the term’s empathy and friendship into a caring community.

Term Three

Growing Strong

Weeks 25–36 · Growth mindset, resilience, responsibility, gratitude and moving on.

0 of 12

Week 25The power of YETGrowthGrowth mindset — the belief that we grow through effort, and the magic of ‘yet’.
Week 26Mistakes & magnificent failuresGrowthReframing mistakes as the feeling of learning, not a sign of failure.
Week 27The learning pitGrowthUnderstanding that struggle is part of learning — and how to climb out.
Week 28Bouncing backResilienceResilience — recovering from disappointment, setbacks and hard times.
Week 29My roots — what keeps me strongResilienceIdentifying the sources of strength that hold us up — people, strengths, what we love.
Week 30Calm under pressureResilienceApplying self-regulation to harder, real-pressure moments.
Week 31Responsible choicesResponsibilityMaking thoughtful choices — thinking before acting, and owning the outcome.
Week 32Caring for our community & worldResponsibilityWidening responsibility — to our community, our environment and our world.
Week 33Being a helper & leaderResponsibilityThe first taste of leadership — helping, contributing and leading kindly.
Week 34Gratitude & what matters to meReflectionGratitude and the first sense of personal values and purpose.
Week 35Looking back at my growthReflectionReflecting on the whole year — how I have grown, and celebrating it.
Week 36Moving upTransitionHolding the transition to the next year/class with care and confidence.

See the guide’s thirty-six weekly lessons

Titles and focus lines are copied from the guide. Where a focus is shown, it is the guide’s own wording.

Unit One · Weeks 1–9: Knowing MyselfSelf-Awareness Deep Dive

Week 1 Welcome to Our HeartWise Classroom Self-Awareness (community)
Week 2 The Fifteen Feelings Self-Awareness (vocabulary)
Week 3 Where Do Feelings Live in My Body? Self-Awareness (interoception)
Week 4 The Whole Child Iceberg Self-Awareness (behaviour is information)
Week 5 My Zones — Green, Yellow, Red Self-Regulation
Week 6 My Personal Triggers Self-Awareness
Week 7 My Body’s Warning Signals Self-Awareness (body)
Week 8 My Thinking Brain and My Feeling Brain Self-Awareness (brain)
Week 9 My First Lantern — Label and Accept Self-Regulation

Unit Two · Weeks 10–18: Growing My MindsetGrowth Mindset and Managing Emotions

Week 10 Your Amazing Brain Growth Mindset (neuroplasticity)
Week 11 Practice Changes My Brain Growth Mindset
Week 12 Helpful Thoughts and Unhelpful Thoughts Growth Mindset (metacognition)
Week 13 Famous Failures Growth Mindset (embracing mistakes)
Week 14 The Power of YET Growth Mindset
Week 15 Setting a Small Goal Growth Mindset (goals)
Week 16 When I Am Disappointed Self-Regulation (managing big feelings)
Week 17 When I Am Frustrated Self-Regulation
Week 18 Looking Back, Moving Forward Growth Mindset (reflection)

Unit Three · Weeks 19–27: Understanding OthersEmpathy and Connection

Week 19 Reading Faces and Bodies Empathy and Connection
Week 20 Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes Empathy and Connection (perspective-taking)
Week 21 Listening with Your Whole Self Empathy and Connection (active listening)
Week 22 Kind Words and Hurtful Words Empathy and Connection (language)
Week 23 What We Say Instead Empathy and Connection (reframing)
Week 24 When I See Unkindness — Being an Upstander Empathy and Connection (courage)
Week 25 Different Families, Different Lives Empathy and Connection (diversity)
Week 26 Kindness Online and Offline Empathy and Connection (digital citizenship)
Week 27 What Makes a Good Friend Empathy and Connection (friendship)

Unit Four · Weeks 28–36: Solving Problems, Growing StrongerRepair, Resilience, and Growing Stronger

Week 28 The Repair Script Relationships and Repair
Week 29 Stop, Think, Choose Self-Regulation + Relationships
Week 30 When Friendships Change Resilience (relationships)
Week 31 The Courage to Try Resilience (safe risks)
Week 32 When Big Things Are Hard Resilience
Week 33 Asking for Help Resilience (agency)
Week 34 My Body, My Space — Personal Boundaries Self-Awareness + Relationships
Week 35 Gratitude Resilience and Purpose
Week 36 Looking Back, Looking Forward — Our Graduation All Six Pillars

0of 36 weeks

Strong Hearts · ages 8–12

Resilience, empathy and self-belief, ages eight to twelve. The curriculum is a scheme of work of thirty-six weeks across three terms.

The curriculumThe Strong Hearts Curriculum

The guideHeartWise Strong Hearts

HeartWise Strong Hearts has its own thirty-six weekly lessons, grouped into four units, with titles of their own. Read it alongside the curriculum.

My first week starts on

Show what each week is about

Print layout

HeartWise 36-week plan · Strong Hearts, ages 8–12The Strong Hearts Curriculum ·

Term One

Understanding Myself

Weeks 1–12 · Belonging, identity, emotional intelligence, stress, self-regulation and wellbeing.

0 of 12

Week 1Belonging & our communityBelongingBuilding a respectful, connected classroom where every young person belongs.
Week 2Who am I? — identity & valuesIdentityExploring identity and the values that make us who we are.
Week 3My strengths & growthIdentityKnowing my strengths, and the areas I want to grow — with self-compassion.
Week 4Understanding emotionsEmotional IntelligenceIntroducing emotional intelligence — the learnable skill of understanding feelings.
Week 5Complex & mixed feelingsEmotional IntelligenceUnderstanding that we can feel several things at once — and that’s normal.
Week 6What’s underneath?Self-AwarenessThe iceberg — looking beneath behaviour and feelings to needs and triggers.
Week 7Stress & how it worksStressUnderstanding stress — the body’s alarm, why it happens, and when it helps or harms.
Week 8My stress signals & triggersStressKnowing my own stress signals and triggers — so I can act early.
Week 9My self-regulation toolkitSelf-RegulationBuilding a personal, age-appropriate toolkit for managing strong feelings and stress.
Week 10Healthy habits — body & mindWellbeingHow sleep, movement, food, nature and connection shape our feelings and minds.
Week 11Digital balance & wellbeingWellbeingBuilding a healthy, wise relationship with screens, social media and online life.
Week 12Looking after my mindWellbeingDrawing the term together into a personal wellbeing plan, and knowing where to get help.

Term Two

Understanding Others

Weeks 13–24 · Empathy, difference, friendship, peer pressure, communication, conflict and repair.

0 of 12

Week 13Empathy & compassionEmpathyDeepening empathy — understanding others’ feelings — and compassion — acting on it.
Week 14Difference, inclusion & belongingEmpathyValuing difference, and building a community where everyone belongs.
Week 15Being fair — bias & assumptionsEmpathyNoticing the assumptions and snap judgements we all make — and choosing fairness.
Week 16Healthy friendshipsFriendshipWhat makes a friendship healthy — and recognising when one isn’t.
Week 17Peer pressure & being myselfFriendshipRecognising peer pressure, and staying true to my values under it.
Week 18Standing up — for myself and othersFriendshipCourage and kindness — speaking up against unkindness and for what’s right.
Week 19Assertive communicationCommunicationSpeaking up clearly, honestly and kindly — neither passive nor aggressive.
Week 20Listening & understandingCommunicationDeep, active listening — understanding others, not just waiting to reply.
Week 21Handling conflict wellConflictUnderstanding conflict, and the choices we have in how we respond to it.
Week 22Restorative repair & responsibilityRepairMending harm restoratively, and taking genuine responsibility for our part.
Week 23Forgiveness & letting goRepairThe freedom of forgiveness — for others, and for ourselves.
Week 24Relationships online & offRelationshipsCarrying our relationship values into the online world.

Term Three

Growing Strong

Weeks 25–36 · Growth mindset, resilience, goals, responsible decisions, leadership, purpose and the move to secondary.

0 of 12

Week 25Growth mindset & the learning brainGrowthHow the brain grows with effort — and the power of believing it can.
Week 26Failure, setbacks & bouncing backGrowthMeeting failure as information and a step toward growth, not a verdict.
Week 27Resilience & coping strategiesResilienceBuilding resilience — the strategies and supports that help us through hard times.
Week 28Goals & perseveranceGrowthSetting meaningful goals, and persevering toward them.
Week 29Responsible decisionsResponsibilityMaking thoughtful decisions — weighing options, consequences and values.
Week 30Choices, consequences & responsibilityResponsibilityOwning our choices — that we are responsible for how we respond.
Week 31Leadership & influenceLeadershipWhat good leadership is — and how each of us can lead and influence well.
Week 32Contributing to my community & worldContributionUsing our strengths to make a positive difference beyond ourselves.
Week 33Purpose & what matters to mePurposeThe first real exploration of purpose — what matters to me, and the person I want to be.
Week 34Gratitude & wellbeingWellbeingGratitude and the practices that build lasting wellbeing.
Week 35Reflecting on my growthReflectionLooking back on a year of growth — and forward with intention.
Week 36Looking ahead — to secondaryTransitionPreparing well for the big transition to secondary school.

See the guide’s thirty-six weekly lessons

Titles and focus lines are copied from the guide. Where a focus is shown, it is the guide’s own wording.

Unit One: Who Am I Becoming?Identity and Deeper Self-Awareness

Week 1 Welcome to Your Junior Year Community + Self-Awareness
Week 2 The Full Iceberg Self-Awareness
Week 3 Fifty Feelings (and Sometimes Two at Once) Self-Awareness (emotion granularity)
Week 4 What Matters to Me — My Values Self-Awareness (identity)
Week 5 My Strengths and My Growing Edges Self-Awareness + Growth Mindset
Week 6 The Many Parts of Me Self-Awareness (identity)
Week 7 Where I Come From Self-Awareness (history)
Week 8 The Social Brain Self-Awareness (peer dynamics)
Week 9 Looking Back at Unit 1, Looking Ahead All pillars (review)

Unit Two: My Mind, My Thoughts, My ChoicesMetacognition and Advanced Regulation

Week 10 The Full L.A.N.T.E.R.N. — All Seven Steps Self-Regulation
Week 11 Thought Patterns — What I Tell Myself Self-Regulation (metacognition)
Week 12 Five Common Thinking Traps Self-Regulation (cognitive restructuring)
Week 13 Managing Anxiety Self-Regulation (anxiety)
Week 14 Managing Anger Self-Regulation (anger)
Week 15 Focus in a Distracted World Self-Regulation (attention)
Week 16 Making Good Decisions Self-Regulation (decision-making)
Week 17 When the Group Wants Me to Do Something I Do Not Self-Regulation (resisting pressure)
Week 18 Mid-Year Review All (review and adjust)

Unit Three: Navigating My WorldRelationships, Digital Life, and Hard Realities

Week 19 Healthy and Unhealthy Friendships Empathy and Relationships
Week 20 When Conflict Is Harder Than Stop-Think-Choose Relationships and Repair
Week 21 Hard Conversations Relationships and Repair
Week 22 My Digital Self Self-Awareness (digital)
Week 23 The Comparison Engine Self-Awareness + Wellbeing
Week 24 Social Media Habits That Protect You Self-Regulation (digital)
Week 25 Bullying, Exclusion, and What to Do Empathy and Relationships
Week 26 When Family Changes Resilience (family)
Week 27 The Hard Things We Cannot Fix Resilience (grief and loss)

Unit Four: Leading with HeartResilience, Purpose, Service, and Transitions

Week 28 The Neuroscience of Bouncing Back Resilience and Purpose
Week 29 Finding What I Care About Resilience and Purpose
Week 30 Service — Giving Without Getting Resilience and Purpose
Week 31 Being an Ally Across Difference Empathy and Relationships
Week 32 Asking for Help When Things Are Heavy Self-Awareness + Resilience (safeguarding)
Week 33 Courage — Doing the Right Thing When It Is Costly Resilience and Purpose
Week 34 Preparing to Move Up Resilience (transitions)
Week 35 Gratitude for the Long View Resilience and Purpose
Week 36 Graduation — Looking Back, Looking Forward All Six Pillars

0of 36 weeks

Brave Hearts · ages 12–16

A complete scheme of work for ages twelve to sixteen — thirty-six weeks across three terms

Cover of The HeartWise Teenage Curriculum

The curriculumThe HeartWise Teenage Curriculum

The guideHeartWise Brave Hearts

HeartWise Brave Hearts has its own thirty-six weekly lessons, grouped into four units, with titles of their own. Read it alongside the curriculum.

My first week starts on

Show what each week is about

Print layout

HeartWise 36-week plan · Brave Hearts, ages 12–16The HeartWise Teenage Curriculum ·

Term One

Understanding Myself

0 of 12

Week 1Belonging & a community of respectBelongingBuilding a safe, respectful tutor group where every young person belongs and can be real.
Week 2Who am I becoming?IdentityExploring identity in adolescence — the active, lifelong work of becoming oneself.
Week 3Values & integrityIdentityKnowing my values, and the integrity of living by them.
Week 4Self-worth & self-esteemSelf-WorthBuilding self-worth rooted in something deeper than comparison, looks or achievement.
Week 5The adolescent brain & changeThe BrainUnderstanding what is happening in the teenage brain — and why adolescence feels as it does.
Week 6Emotional intelligenceEmotional IntelligenceDeepening emotional intelligence — understanding and using emotions wisely.
Week 7Managing big emotionsSelf-RegulationHandling the intense emotions of adolescence without being ruled by them or suppressing them.
Week 8Stress, pressure & expectationsStressUnderstanding and managing the real pressures of teenage life — exams, expectations, the future.
Week 9Anxiety, low mood & mental healthMental HealthUnderstanding common mental-health challenges of adolescence — and that they can be met.
Week 10My coping & self-care toolkitSelf-RegulationBuilding a personal, mature toolkit of coping and self-care strategies.
Week 11Looking after body & mindWellbeingHow sleep, movement, food, nature and connection shape teenage wellbeing.
Week 12Digital life, identity & wellbeing onlineWellbeingLiving wisely and well in a digital world — identity, comparison, balance and kindness online.

Term Two

Understanding Others

0 of 12

Week 13Empathy & compassionEmpathyDeepening empathy and compassion — understanding others, and acting for them.
Week 14Respect, difference & belonging for allInclusionValuing difference and diversity, and building belonging for everyone.
Week 15Prejudice, discrimination & fairnessFairnessRecognising prejudice and discrimination, and standing for fairness and justice.
Week 16Healthy & unhealthy relationshipsRelationshipsKnowing the signs of healthy and unhealthy relationships of every kind.
Week 17Friendship & belonging in adolescenceFriendshipNavigating the intense, shifting social world of the teenage years.
Week 18Peer pressure, influence & being myselfInfluenceRecognising influence and pressure — including subtle and online — and staying true to myself.
Week 19Boundaries, consent & respectBoundariesUnderstanding boundaries and consent — respecting my own and others’.
Week 20Communication & assertivenessCommunicationSpeaking honestly, clearly and kindly — assertive, not passive or aggressive.
Week 21Conflict, repair & responsibilityRepairHandling conflict well, repairing harm, and taking responsibility.
Week 22Bullying, cruelty & being an upstanderUpstanderUnderstanding bullying — including online — and the courage to stand up.
Week 23Attraction, relationships & loveRelationshipsUnderstanding attraction, romantic relationships and love — with respect and self-respect.
Week 24Digital citizenship & relationships onlineDigitalBeing a wise, kind and safe citizen of the online world.

Term Three

Growing Strong

0 of 12

Week 25Growth mindset & the learning selfGrowthBelieving that ability and intelligence grow — and learning how to learn.
Week 26Failure, setbacks & resilienceResilienceMeeting failure and setbacks as part of growth, and bouncing back.
Week 27Coping with hard times, loss & changeResilienceFacing the harder passages of life — loss, change and difficulty — with support and strength.
Week 28Goals, motivation & perseveranceMotivationSetting meaningful goals and finding the motivation to persevere.
Week 29Decision-making & responsibilityResponsibilityMaking thoughtful, responsible decisions — and owning them.
Week 30Risk, choices & consequencesChoicesUnderstanding risk, and making wise choices about the real risks of adolescence.
Week 31Leadership & positive influenceLeadershipWhat good leadership is, and how every young person can lead and influence well.
Week 32Purpose & meaningPurposeExploring purpose and meaning — what matters, and the person I want to be.
Week 33Contribution & changing the worldContributionUsing our strengths and voice to make a real difference in the world.
Week 34Gratitude, wellbeing & flourishingWellbeingThe practices and habits that build lasting wellbeing and a flourishing life.
Week 35Who am I becoming?ReflectionReflecting on a year of growth, and the person taking shape.
Week 36Looking ahead — future, work & adulthoodTransitionLooking forward with hope and readiness to the next stage of life.

See the guide’s thirty-six weekly lessons

Titles and focus lines are copied from the guide. Where a focus is shown, it is the guide’s own wording.

Unit One: Becoming YourselfIdentity, Values, Meaning

Week 1 Welcome to Senior HeartWise Community + Self-Awareness
Week 2 The Adolescent Self Self-Awareness
Week 3 Values Revisited Self-Awareness + Purpose
Week 4 The Stories You Tell About Yourself Self-Awareness + Growth Mindset
Week 5 The Inner Critic at Scale Self-Awareness + Self-Regulation
Week 6 Culture, Identity, Belonging Self-Awareness + Social Awareness
Week 7 The Bigger Questions Self-Awareness + Meaning
Week 8 Who You Are Online, Who You Are In Person Self-Awareness (digital identity)
Week 9 A First Honest Self-Portrait Self-Awareness (integration)

Unit Two: Mind, Body, SelfAdolescent Neuroscience and Mental Health

Week 10 The Adolescent Brain Self-Awareness (neuroscience)
Week 11 Sleep Is a Superpower Self-Regulation (body)
Week 12 A Healthy Relationship with Your Body Self-Awareness + Wellbeing
Week 13 Anxiety — Understanding It, Working With It Self-Awareness + Self-Regulation
Week 14 Depression — Recognising It, Getting Help Self-Awareness + Safeguarding
Week 15 Stress, Burnout, Pacing Self-Regulation + Wellbeing
Week 16 Risk, Impulse, Substances Self-Awareness + Decision-Making
Week 17 Technology and the Mind Self-Regulation (digital)
Week 18 Mid-Year Reset All Six Pillars

Unit Three: People and ConnectionFriendship, Family, Love, Sex, Conflict

Week 19 Friendship Now Empathy and Connection
Week 20 Family Relationships in Adolescence Empathy + Relationships
Week 21 Romantic Relationships Relationships + Self-Awareness
Week 22 Consent and Bodily Autonomy Relationships + Safeguarding
Week 23 Sex, Intimacy, and Care Relationships + Self-Awareness
Week 24 Heartbreak and Loss in Relationships Resilience + Relationships
Week 25 Digital Relationships Relationships (digital)
Week 26 Groups, Belonging, Peer Influence Social Awareness
Week 27 Conflict, Repair, Estrangement Relationships and Repair

Unit Four: Finding Your WayPurpose, Work, Adulthood, Stepping Out

Week 28 What Do You Care About Resilience and Purpose
Week 29 Work, Vocation, Calling Resilience and Purpose
Week 30 Money and Adulthood Resilience (life skills)
Week 31 Service and Citizenship Resilience and Purpose
Week 32 Hard Realities of the World Resilience + Social Awareness
Week 33 Making Big Decisions Self-Awareness + Decision-Making
Week 34 Asking for Help Across a Lifetime Resilience + Self-Awareness
Week 35 Gratitude and Meaning Resilience + Purpose
Week 36 Graduation — Stepping Out All Six Pillars

About the weeks

Every week title, term name and week summary on this page is copied from the curriculum book for that age band. Dates are counted in plain blocks of seven days from the day you choose, so your own holidays are not taken out: move your start date if you need to.

The planner shows you the shape of the year. The lessons, activities and teaching notes are in the books.

Browse the library Find the right book