Space to Talk

Understanding Feelings & Building Resilience
(Year Groups 3–6)

A calm space for children to talk, understand their feelings, and learn ways to handle worry and overwhelm.

Space to Talk is a small, supportive group for children in Years 3–6 at Tetherdown Primary School in North London, designed to help children better understand worries, strong emotions, and the pressures they carry day to day.

Groups offer a calm, structured space where children can feel heard, build resilience, and develop emotional skills alongside others of a similar age.

This group may be helpful for children who:

  • worry a lot or get stuck in “what if” thinking

  • become overwhelmed by strong emotions

  • find it hard to calm down once upset or frustrated

  • are hard on themselves or fear getting things wrong

  • carry worries quietly inside

  • overthink situations or become easily stressed

  • avoid things that feel difficult, uncomfortable, or unfamiliar

  • would benefit from a calm space to better understand their feelings

Through the group, children may begin to:

  • Better understand worries, strong emotions, and what is happening inside them

  • Feel less overwhelmed by worry, overthinking, or big reactions

  • Recognise early signs of stress and emotional overwhelm

  • Learn calming and grounding strategies that work for them

  • Build resilience with school pressures, change, and difficult feelings

  • Develop a kinder, more supportive way of talking to themselves

  • Feel reassured that they are not the only one struggling with these feelings

What sessions include

Sessions are calm, structured, and age-appropriate, and may include:

  • Understanding worries, emotions, and the body’s “alarm system”

  • Learning calming and grounding tools for overwhelm and big feelings

  • Exploring thoughts, overthinking, and “what if” worries

  • Activities, discussion, and creative reflection

  • Building resilience with difficult feelings, change, and school pressures

  • A safe and supportive space with clear boundaries and no pressure to share

Practical details

Groups are kept small to ensure children feel safe and supported.

  • Small group (up to 6 children)

  • Short, focused sessions suitable for the school day

  • £15 per session (paid in a block)

Further practical details will be shared with parents when a group is confirmed.

Confidentiality

Space to Talk is designed to be a safe and trusting space for children.
What children share in the group is treated as confidential.

This means parents will not receive detailed feedback about what their child says in sessions. Instead, you may receive general updates about themes covered or skills being developed.

If a child shares something that suggests they or someone else may be at risk of harm, this cannot remain confidential. In these situations, Anna would follow safeguarding procedures and work with parents and the school to keep the child safe.

Full confidentiality and consent information will be shared with parents before the group begins.

About the facilitator

Anna Compton is a BACP-registered counsellor and former primary school teacher with over 25 years’ experience working with children. She now works primarily with adults, alongside offering school-based wellbeing groups to support children’s emotional wellbeing in a calm and compassionate way.

Parent referral/ register interest

If you would like your child to be considered for the next group, please complete the short form below.

If you have any questions before registering interest, you are very welcome to email Anna at: spacetotalk.annacompton@gmail.com