What are the Zones of Regulation?

The Zones of Regulation is an internationally renowned intervention, which helps children to manage difficult emotions, known as ‘self-regulation’.

Self-regulation can go by many names such as ‘self-control’, ‘impulse management’ and ‘self-management’. Self-regulation is best described as the best state of alertness for a situation.

From time to time, all of us (including adults) find it hard to manage strong feelings such as worry, anger, restlessness, fear or tiredness, and this stops us from getting on with our day effectively. Children who feel these emotions often find it hard to learn and concentrate in school. The Zones of Regulation aims to teach children strategies to help them cope with these feelings so they can get back to feeling calm and ready to learn. These coping strategies are called ‘self-regulation’.

Why are we using them?

At Harmondswroth Primary School, we have launched Zones of Regulation throughout the whole school. We want to teach all of our children good coping and regulation strategies so they can help themselves when they experience anxiety and stress. In the classroom, sometimes children panic when faced with a tricky learning problem or challenge. By teaching them how to cope with these feelings might make them better at tackling learning challenges and build better resilience so they don’t give up so easily when faced with difficulty.

What are the Different Zones?

• Blue Zone: low level of arousal; not ready to learn; feels sad, sick, tired, bored, moving slowly.

• Green Zone: calm state of alertness; optimal level to learn; feels happy, calm, feeling okay, focused.

• Yellow Zone: heightened state of alertness; elevated emotions; has some control; feels frustrated, worried, silly/wiggly, excited, loss of some control.

• Red Zone: heightened state of alertness and intense emotions; not an optimal level for learning; out of control; feels mad/angry, terrified, yelling/hitting, elated, out of control.

We will teach the children that everyone experiences all of the Zones.  All of the Zones are expected at one time or another. We will show them that the Blue Zone, for example, is helpful when you are trying to fall asleep.

We will:

• Revisit the Zones of Regulation in PSHE and Assemblies.
• Use the Zones of Regulation displays to help children demonstrate their feelings.
• Work with our link Early Mental Health Practitioner to run class sessions on Zones of Regulation and to work with children and their Parents/Carers.
• Offer a range of activities and tailored sessions for children to learn about Zones of Regulation throughout their time at Harmondsworth Primary School.