PATHSEdUK

A new term has officially begun for most of our Scottish schools 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿, which can only mean one thing… training season is here! 🎉📚

Our team of trainers will be travelling across the UK over the coming weeks, delivering training in lots of new schools and meeting plenty of fantastic staff teams along the way. We can’t wait to get started!

Team Manager Kristy was lucky enough to get one of the very first sneak peeks inside the newly renovated Ravenswood Primary School in North Lanarkshire while delivering their Day 1 training last week. 🏫✨

A huge good luck to all pupils and staff starting the new term! We hope it’s a brilliant one! 💙

👏🏼 Nazareth House Primary School and Nursery Unit Staff ending the academic year with a strong social and emotional learning plan in place for 2026/27! 👩🏼‍🏫

🐣 A wonderful example of social and emotional learning in action!

Carr Mill Nursery chicks have hatched, and the pupils have chosen to name them Twiggle and Henrietta after their favourite characters. 🐢🦔

When children form meaningful connections with PATHS characters, they bring the programme's lessons beyond the classroom. It reminds us that familiar characters help reinforce key social and emotional learning skills, supporting children to recognise and manage emotions, build positive relationships and develop empathy and confidence in everyday situations.

Congratulations to everyone at Carr Mill Nursery on welcoming Twiggle and Henrietta! 💛 🐥

We hope everyone is doing okay in this heat 🥵

Taking a moment to cool down isn't just good for our bodies but it's good for our wellbeing too.

💧 Stay hydrated
🧊 Keep cool with ice packs (like Twiggle) or a cold drink
🌳 Find some shade or a cool space
💙 Check in on friends, family, and neighbours who may need extra support

Looking after ourselves helps us regulate our emotions, make positive choices and be there for others. 🩵

Thank you Sageston School Playgroup for showing us how you and Twiggle are keeping cool this week! 🧊 🐢

🌟 Teacher of the Week 🌟

At St Mary’s Catholic Infant Academy in St Helen’s, they've adapted their Child of the Day complimenting process for staff, introducing ‘Teacher of the Week’. Colleagues share kind words and positive feedback, which are displayed in the staffroom to celebrate and appreciate one another.

A simple but powerful way to foster kindness and connection across the whole setting community. 💛

What small changes have made a big difference in your setting? We'd love to hear your ideas in the comments. 🗯️

Buddy Station at Leaps and Bounds Nursery, Renfrewshire 🌿💛

Supporting the development of self-awareness and emotional literacy in an outdoor setting is something we talk about regularly during our visits to schools and early years settings.

The wonderful Buddy Station at Leaps and Bounds Nursery is a fantastic example of this in action. By creating a dedicated space where children can seek out a friend or communicate how they are feeling, the Buddy Station helps nurture emotional understanding, empathy, confidence and positive relationships.

Such great example of how outdoor environments can be used to promote children’s wellbeing and social-emotional development. 🌱

✨Ok and not ok choices!✨

Some of our preschool settings in Richmond have been loving talking about ok and not ok choices and have been using stories, photos and special glasses to help children identify ok and not ok choices and when they might need to do “turtle” to help calm down 🐢✨

They’ve also been focusing on sharing and caring, looking out for each other and creating friendship walk footsteps while enjoying friendship walks, games and activities together… and of course lots of songs! 💖

We love supporting children to be kind to one another and build positive friendships.

What have you done this week to help support making ok and not ok choices? 💭

❤️ ❣️End of an era ❣️❤️

After 16 incredible years leading the team, Mairead will be handing over the baton to Elaine, who will continue her leadership journey as Service Manager.

Mairead’s passion, dedication and commitment to supporting children, schools and communities through PATHS has left a lasting impact across multiple regions. Her leadership has helped enhance the mental health and wellbeing of countless children and young people, and her legacy will continue through the ongoing success of the programme.

Reflecting on her time with PATHS, Mairead shared:

“Leading PATHS has truly been the highlight of my career. Over the past 16 years, the programme has become such a special part of both my professional and family life, with all four of my children experiencing PATHS in their own schools. Twiggle and friends became just as familiar in our home as our own family stories and routines.

What has made this journey so meaningful are the incredible relationships and friendships formed along the way — with schools, colleagues, coaches, and communities across the regions who placed their trust in us to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people through PATHS.

I have also deeply valued the special partnership built over the years with the programme developers and owners, whose shared passion and commitment helped shape and strengthen this work.

I leave with immense gratitude and pride in everything that has been achieved together, and I know the programme is in very safe hands with Elaine as she takes on this next chapter of leadership. Elaine’s passion, experience and commitment to children and schools will ensure the continued success and impact of PATHS for many years to come, and I look forward to watching the programme continue to grow and thrive.”

Our Service Manager Elaine was also asked to write a few words on the next steps for PATHS:

“Following in Mairead’s footsteps after 16 years of dedicated leadership is a real honour. PATHS is far more than a programme - it’s a community built on relationships, compassion and a shared commitment to helping children thrive.

I’m excited to begin this new chapter alongside a fantastic team and the incredible schools we work with, all deeply committed to delivering high-quality social and emotional learning. I look forward to learning, growing and continuing this important work together.”

We’re all excited to continue to grow PATHS over the next 16 years! 🐢 💚