The Dawn School Pack

Dawn has developed a successful programme for childen whose parents have seperated or divorced. It helps these children come to terms with their feelings and develop ways of coping with the problems in their lives.

The pack contains a course that can be delivered to groups of primary aged children that meets once a week  over an eight week period (with a follow up session later). The pack has clear, helpful instructions. It also contains a wide range of materials and a CD so that you can print items that are used regularly.

The activities fall into 3 broad sections

Normalising

  • Group identity and a sense of belonging to the group
  • Trust building, encouraging conversation, awareness and sharing of the issues around   family changes
  •  Normalisation of family diversity and family changes

 Feelings

  •  Awareness of general feelings and how feelings feel
  •  Discussion and identification of personal feelings
  •  Acceptance and understanding of difficult feelings

 Coping strategies

  •  Identification and use of coping strategies and development of new ones
  •  Encouraging confidence and self-esteem

 Sample questions from children’s evaluations after the School Pack Intervention:

Child 1:

  • I can talk to my family about what I think and feel - 90% Increase
  • When I’m worried about something I can talk to someone other than my mum or dad - 90% Increase
  • I feel happy about life at the moment - 40% Increase
  • I like myself - 50% Increase

Child 2:

  • I often feel sad, angry or worried - 40% Decrease
  • I am easily distracted, I find it difficult to concentrate - 50% Decrease         
  •  I have one or more good friend - 30% Increase

Materials in this Pack can also be used in Circle time, PHSE, general class work, one to one work.