The Good Morning Club
Helping Children Understand Their Minds
Hollyfield ...a place where everyone matters.
This simple statement sits at the heart of everything we do. We believe that every child deserves to feel valued, understood, included and supported to achieve their full potential.
That is why we are proud to be a The Good Morning Club (TGMC) School, embracing one of the most exciting and evidence-informed approaches to emotional literacy, behaviour, regulation and wellbeing available in primary education today.
At Hollyfield, we believe children deserve to understand how their minds work. By teaching children about their brains, emotions and behaviour, we help them develop the self-awareness, resilience and regulation skills they need to thrive both in school and beyond. TGMC supports our commitment to ensuring every child feels happy, safe and ready to learn.
What is The Good Morning Club?
The Good Morning Club is a research-backed approach to behaviour, emotional literacy, regulation and engagement used in schools across the world. At Hollyfield, TGMC shapes the way our staff understand and respond to children's behaviour. It provides a shared language, practical strategies and a consistent framework rooted in the understanding that behaviour is often a communication of an unmet need or overwhelming emotion.
The philosophy is built around simple but powerful principles:
- Curious not Furious
- Regulate to Educate
- Connection over Correction
- Connect the Dots
- Theorise and then Systemise
These principles help us move beyond simply managing behaviour and instead focus on understanding, supporting and empowering children.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding your own brain can be life-changing. A child who understands why they feel worried, overwhelmed, tired or frustrated, and who has strategies to manage those feelings, is a child who can remain engaged in learning, maintain positive relationships and build resilience.
At Hollyfield, we see emotional literacy and self-regulation as essential life skills. TGMC sits at the heart of our inclusion strategy, not as a programme for a small group of children, but as a universal provision that benefits every child in our school. We want all children, regardless of background, ability or need, to develop the knowledge and tools they need to succeed both in school and beyond.
Benefits for Children and Families
Through TGMC, children benefit from:
- A calm, predictable and supportive learning environment.
- Greater understanding of their emotions and behaviours.
- Improved confidence in expressing how they feel.
- Practical strategies to manage difficult emotions.
- Stronger relationships with adults and peers.
- Increased readiness to learn and engage in lessons.
- A sense of belonging, safety and connection within school.
For families, TGMC provides a shared language around emotions and wellbeing, helping parents and carers better understand and support their children both at home and at school.
Our Soft Starts
Every day begins with a soft start. Rather than rushing straight into demanding academic work, children are welcomed into a calm and predictable environment where they can settle, connect and prepare themselves for learning.
Check-In Dials
Children use check-in dials throughout the day to communicate how they are feeling. These simple tools help children recognise and express emotions while enabling staff to identify and respond to any support needs before they become barriers to learning.
Brain School and Emotions Shed
Through our Brain School lessons and Emotions Shed assemblies, children develop a deeper understanding of how their brains, emotions and behaviours are connected through the concept of Mind HQ. Using child-friendly language and engaging activities, children learn about the different parts of the brain, how emotions can influence their thoughts and actions, and why feeling safe and regulated is so important for learning.
Children are encouraged to recognise and talk about their emotions, understand why they might be feeling a particular way, and explore practical strategies that can help them manage challenges successfully. By answering questions such as How am I feeling?, Why do I feel this way? and What can I do to help myself?, children develop the self-awareness and emotional literacy needed to become resilient, confident and independent learners.
Together, Brain School and Emotions Shed provide children with the knowledge, language and tools to understand themselves better, strengthen their wellbeing and be ready to learn.
Regulation Stations and Backpacks
Every classroom has a Regulation Station, giving children access to practical resources that support emotional regulation throughout the school day. Designed for all children, these spaces encourage proactive self-regulation rather than simply providing a place to calm down.
Children learn about the individual Regulation Backpacks – Calm, Focus, Energise, Connect, Celebrate and Help - and develop a range of strategies they can use depending on how they are feeling. By recognising emotions in their bodies and selecting the most effective tools, children build independence, self-awareness and emotional resilience.
A Place Where Everyone Matters
The Good Morning Club is much more than a behaviour approach. It is a whole-school commitment to understanding children, building strong relationships and creating an environment where everyone can flourish.
Through soft starts, check-ins, Brain School, Emotions Shed and Regulation Backpacks, we help children develop the emotional skills they need for life. At Hollyfield, we believe that when children feel safe, connected and understood, they are able to achieve their very best. That is why TGMC sits at the heart of everything we do.