The Calm Coach Secondary Students Programme

Six 15-minute video sessions, simple and easy to follow. Specially designed for ages 11 to 18.

We regulate through connection

Respecting the Older Pupil’s Intelligence

One continuous programme spanning KS3 through to KS5, delivered once a week for six weeks initially, during form time or PSHE. Pupils get a genuine, respectful understanding of their own nervous system, why certain situations trigger such a strong reaction, why some days feel harder to switch off from than others, and practical tools they can use privately and discreetly, before an exam, a difficult conversation, or simply a stressful day.

Each session is around 15 minutes, pre-recorded, and ready to play. There’s nothing for staff to prepare, script or facilitate.

What The Pupils Learn

Every session returns to the same anchor practice, heart breathing, which brings the heart’s rhythm into a steadier, more coherent pattern. Sessions engage directly with the underlying science of the nervous system and emotional regulation, explained in a way that treats pupils as capable of understanding the real detail, not a simplified version of it. Alongside the science, pupils build a set of practical tools they can use privately and discreetly, without needing anyone around them to notice.

This programme is written to respect an older pupil’s intelligence and any scepticism, rather than talking down to them. Nothing here relies on pupils performing enthusiasm or taking anything on faith.

Built With Every Pupil In Mind

Every pupil’s nervous system is different, and that’s especially true for neurodivergent pupils, who may experience stress, sensory input and regulation in their own particular way. Heart breathing, the anchor practice used throughout this programme, is a genuinely accessible tool for this. It requires no talking and no cognitive processing, just a hand on the heart and a slow breath, so it works quietly and discreetly regardless of whether a pupil finds verbal or cognitive approaches to regulation easy, difficult, or simply not how they’re wired. At an age when standing out can matter enormously to a pupil, a tool that needs no explanation and draws no attention is genuinely valuable for any pupil who wants to use it privately, for whatever reason.

Why This Matters at This Age

Secondary school brings exam pressure, social complexity, and a growing awareness of stress that younger children haven’t yet developed. Pupils at this stage are old enough to want to understand why a tool works, not just be told to use it, and giving them that genuine understanding tends to be what makes the difference between a technique they dismiss and one they actually reach for when it matters.

Ready to Get Going?

This programme is completely free for UK schools, alongside every other Calm Coach age group and the staff programme.

GET THE FREE PROGRAMME

Contact Victoria