ABSTRACT
Resilience is defined as ‘the ability to cope with adversity and adapt to change’ (Public Health England, 2016). With an increase in the number of primary-aged children in the UK being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, attention must be given to prevention and early intervention. For many children, primary education can provide a much-needed safe and predictable foundation. The transition to secondary education can be overwhelming and disorientating for the more vulnerable children. The author will focus on a pilot study offered to year 6 pupils developed in conjunction with a new primary school that has grown with the population of a new build town (2018–2019). This was an action-based enquiry (Lewin, 1946; Robson, 2002) in which the purpose of the intervention was to identify children’s levels of resilience before and after an intervention. A questionnaire was used that focused on eight key factors identified as supporting or impeding emotional resilience. The questionnaire was compiled using an existing body of empirical research that underpins the Challenge of Change Resilience Training Programme© This chapter introduces the author’s enquiry into the relationship between play and mindfulness and the role of these disciplines in building emotional resilience (Gammage, 2017).
