SPARK Resilience, for 10 – 12 year-olds

SPARK Resilience draws on concepts from mindfulness, positive psychology and cognitive behavioural therapy to give children skills to boost their strengths, control strong emotions and reframe habitual ways of thinking.  Read about the evidence behind SPARK Resilience  and the impact the programme has had on children and teachers.

SPARK Resilience consists of an introductory session plus 10 sessions of 45 minutes. Adapted from the original version by Prof Ilona Boniwell and Lucy Ryan (2009), SPARK Resilience uses imaginary parrots to represent the messages we give ourselves, such as the Judge, the Worrier and the Enthusiast. Children learn how to challenge the parrots’ unhelpful messages and reframe their thoughts, whilst building a ‘resilience portfolio’ of character strengths and sources of support in their lives.

Evaluation of the original programme found it was effective in boosting resilience and preventing depression.

Please note: SPARK Resilience is a social and emotional learning programme aimed at promoting positive mental health and resilience for all children and is not designed to be a therapeutic intervention.

Staff who would like to deliver the SPARK Resilience programme need to complete online training and purchase a subscription to the SPARK Resilience resources on the Skills for Life online teaching platform. You can also purchase printed resources and pupil workbooks to accompany the programme.