FERN | Finding Emotional Resilience Naturally
Programme for Schools and Youth Groups
Helping children understand anxiety before it begins to hold them back
Children are growing up in a world that asks a lot of them. Friendship worries, school pressure, social media, family change, puberty and the move to secondary school can leave many feeling overwhelmed.
FERN gives girls and boys simple, practical tools to recognise anxiety, calm their alarm system, and move forward with confidence.
Created by Rites for Girls and developed in partnership with Steve Biddulph, FERN combines emotional literacy, resilience-building and preventative mental wellbeing support in a way children can immediately understand and use.
1 in 5 children and young people now has a probable mental health disorder.
Half of all mental health problems begin before the age of 14.
500+ children a day in England are referred to mental health services for anxiety.
What is FERN?
FERN stands for Finding Emotional Resilience Naturally.
It is a practical emotional resilience and anxiety support programme for children aged 10+, especially those approaching major periods of change such as the move to secondary school.
FERN helps children understand:
- What anxiety is
- Why the brain creates it
- How anxiety shows up in the body
- What happens when worry takes over
- How to calm themselves
- How to take small brave steps even when something feels difficult
- How to ask for support
FERN is not about telling children not to worry. It is about helping them understand worry, work with it, and develop confidence from the inside out
Why FERN?
Many children today are not simply worried. They are getting stuck.
Stuck avoiding things.
Stuck doubting themselves.
Stuck frightened of making mistakes.
Stuck before they have even begun.
FERN helps children understand that anxiety is not the enemy. It is a signal.
And once children understand the signal, they can learn how to respond differently.
We want children to know:
“I can feel worried and still take a step.”
“I can calm my body.”
“I can ask for help.”
“I can do hard things slowly.”
“I am stronger than anxiety makes me feel.”
How FERN can support your school, organisation or community
FERN Workshop
A practical and engaging session for children
The FERN workshop is a lively 45-minute interactive session for Year 6 pupils and children aged 10+.
Designed for schools, youth groups and community settings, the session combines conversation, activities, storytelling, animation and memorable practical tools to help children understand what anxiety is and what they can do when it shows up.
Children leave with:
- A clearer understanding of anxiety
- Practical calming tools
- Language for talking about feelings
- Greater confidence in handling worry
- Reassurance that they are not alone
The aim is simple:
To help children feel less frightened of anxiety and more confident about what to do next.
We also give each child a simple take-home memento to help the learning stay with them beyond the session.
FERN Parent Talk
Helping adults support the tools at home
Children are far more likely to use emotional resilience tools when the adults around them understand them too.
The FERN Parent Talk helps parents and carers understand why anxiety often increases around this age and how they can support children without accidentally increasing fear or avoidance.
This is not about blame or getting parenting “right”.
It is a warm, practical and reassuring talk from educators who have spent many years working directly with children and families.
Parents leave with a clearer understanding of:
- Why anxiety often increases during transition and puberty
- How anxiety can affect behaviour
- What helps when children feel overwhelmed
- How to encourage confidence gradually
- How to support children in taking small brave steps
The aim is joined-up support between children, families and schools.
FERN Programme
Six sessions to practise the tools over time
The FERN Programme is a six-week group programme in schools, youth groups and community settings.
The programme gives groups of up to ten children time to revisit and practise the FERN tools gradually, building confidence through repetition, reflection and shared experience.
Sessions explore real-life experiences including:
- Friendship worries
- School pressure
- Fear of mistakes
- Change and transition
- Separation
- Performance anxiety
- Trying new things
Children learn how to:
- Recognise their own anxiety patterns
- Calm and steady themselves
- Understand what helps them feel safer
- Learn from others
- Build confidence gradually
- Ask for support when needed
The aim is joined-up support between children, families and schools.
FERN Training
Training adults to support children confidently
FERN training is for teachers, mentors, youth workers, parents and professionals who want to learn to deliver FERN – practical, relational tools for supporting children with anxiety.
The training draws on over fifteen years of Rites for Girls experience facilitating groups with children and parents in schools and communities, alongside more than a decade of training adults to run safe, relational and confidence-building group programmes themselves.
Adults learn:
- A deeper understanding of anxiety in children
- Clear language for explaining anxiety simply
- Practical tools children can use immediately
- How to support children without over-rescuing
- How to encourage confidence gradually
- How to run FERN group sessions safely and effectively
FERN is designed to be shared. We want more adults to feel equipped to help children before anxiety becomes entrenched.
What people say about FERN
“Several pupils referred back to the tools later the same day. It gave them simple language for something many of them are already experiencing.”
Year 6 head teacher, East Sussex
“Practical, warm and exactly pitched for this age group. The children were engaged from the start.”
“As a parent, I found it reassuring. It helped me understand how to support my child without rushing in to fix everything”
“The session gave our group a shared language around anxiety, which has already made conversations easier.”
Bring FERN to your school, organisation or community
register your interest, please leave your details and we will contact you to discuss what would work best for your school, organisation or community.
Give children the tools to recognise anxiety, steady themselves, and keep moving forward.