Understanding the 'Zones of Regulation'

At Dixons Trinity Chapeltown, we are committed to helping all students develop the skills they need to manage their emotions, behaviour and wellbeing. By teaching effective coping and regulation strategies, we aim to empower pupils to better understand their feelings and respond positively to challenges they may face, both in school and beyond.

As part of this work, we are implementing the Zones of Regulation programme, an internationally recognised approach that supports children in developing self-regulation skills. Self-regulation may also be referred to as self-control, impulse management or self-management. This programme aligns closely with our school drivers of mastery, autonomy and purpose, helping pupils to grow academically, socially and emotionally.

During Cycle 2, each class will be taught about the Zones of Regulation through structured, age-appropriate lessons delivered as part of our Personal Development Studies (PDS) curriculum. Staff will also consistently use the language of the Zones throughout daily school life, helping pupils to apply their learning in real situations and build strong, transferable emotional skills.

What We Aim to Achieve

Through the Zones of Regulation programme, we aim to support pupils in developing:

• Mastery of their emotions by recognising which zone they are in and learning how to remain in or move towards a more regulated state.
• A wider emotional vocabulary so they can clearly explain how they are feeling.
• Increased empathy by recognising when others may be experiencing different emotional states.
• Greater self-awareness of what may trigger emotional changes.
• An understanding of how factors such as tiredness, hunger, sensory experiences and environment can influence emotional wellbeing.
• Stronger problem-solving skills and resilience.
• A personalised toolkit of calming and alerting strategies to support emotional regulation.

By building these skills, pupils develop greater autonomy, enabling them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing and behaviour, and strengthening their confidence to manage everyday challenges.

Understanding the Zones

The Zones of Regulation framework uses four colour-coded zones to help pupils identify and understand emotional states:

• Blue Zone
  This zone represents low levels of alertness, such as feeling sad, tired, unwell or bored. In this state, the body and brain may feel slow or lacking energy.
• Green Zone
  This is the optimal state for learning and engagement. Pupils in the Green Zone may feel calm, happy, focused or content.
• Yellow Zone
  The Yellow Zone reflects a heightened state of alertness with some control. This may include feelings of stress, excitement, frustration, nervousness or anxiety. Pupils may appear fidgety or unsettled and may be starting to lose focus or control.
• Red Zone
  This zone represents very intense emotional states such as anger, panic, rage or extreme excitement. In this state, pupils may find it difficult to regulate their behaviour and emotions without support.

How Families Can Support at Home

Parents and carers play a vital role in reinforcing emotional regulation strategies. You can support your child by:

• Modelling Zones language at home, for example: “I’m feeling frustrated. I think I am in the Yellow Zone.”
• Talking through which strategies can help, such as: “I need to take some deep breaths to return to the Green Zone.”
• Discussing characters’ emotions in books or films and identifying which zone they may be in.
• Helping your child learn which strategies support them best, such as reading quietly before bedtime to move into the Blue Zone.
• Checking in regularly by asking how they are feeling and what might help them regulate.
• Sharing your own strategies for emotional regulation.
• Displaying Zones visuals or toolkits at home where possible.
• Praising your child when they successfully identify their emotions or use regulation strategies.

Our Ongoing Commitment

The Zones of Regulation programme reflects our wider purpose of creating a calm, supportive and inclusive learning environment where every child feels safe, understood and ready to succeed. By embedding emotional wellbeing into everyday practice, we aim to equip our pupils with lifelong skills that support both academic success and personal development.

We look forward to continuing this important work with our pupils and families and strengthening the emotional wellbeing of our whole school community.