PRIMARY PROGRAMME
ORIENTATION PAGE
Onboarding 1
KNOWLEDGE CHECK IN
What do I / we already know about Emotion Works?
What else would I / we like to know?
TEACHER BASELINE ACTIVITY
This is our Teacher Baseline Questionairre which you can complete now, or at another point before starting the training
SCHOOL LEADS / MANAGEMENT
What are you hoping for from an Emotion Works partnership with your school?
- Teachers & staff
- Pupils
- Families
- Whole School
Onboarding 2
EMOTION WORKS PROGRAMMES
Take a look at the Programmes & Sectors infographic to make sure the Cog Curriculum Programme is at the right level for your learners.
The ‘Cog Model’ framework is at the center of the programme to scaffold learning and talking about concepts such as Emotion Triggers, Behaviours, Body Sensations, Intensity and Regulation Strategies.
While differentiated at 3 broad levels across the Primary Stages and with lots of visual support, the Cog Curriculum is a talk-based programme requiring the ability to engage in learning conversations about the different cog concepts and how they link together.
If you work with younger or earlier level ASN learners the ‘EW Foundations Programme’ is more suited to developing emotion word knowledge and language.
Onboarding 3
THE COG CURRICULUM IN PRACTICE
Watch the snapshot practice video then click through the photos to get an idea of how the Cog Curriculum programme looks in practice across different ages and stages of Primary level teaching.
- Notice…
- The cog colours & titles
- The number of cogs in the resources & displays
- The different curriculum links
Onboarding 4
RESOURCES & PROGRESSION
Classroom Starter Packs contain all of the resources shown. Depending on the level / stage of your class or learners you’ll pull out and use the following :
- Lower Primary: 5 Cog Model & 5 Starter Cogs
- Middle Primary: 6 Cog Model & 6 Cogs
- Upper Primary: 7 Cog Model & 7 Cogs
The Symbol Book contains colour matched vocabulary and language for Cog Learning Conversations across all levels as and when required.
Staff Guidance & Reference Tools: Starter Packs also include a Training Booklet, Progression Document and Getting Started Checklist for every teacher, which are shown alongside the other staff reference tools in the photo in slide 2. The final slide shows the Cog Model progression overview page to take a closer look..
Onboarding 5
MEMBERS PLATFORM,
TRAINING & TEACHING activities
The PRIMARY LAUNCHPAD is our members platform for teachers and practitioners to access the training and teaching content required for delivery of the Cog Curriculum across Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum levels of the programme.
- Launchpad navigation is guided by a series of Teachers Checklists.
- See the Bronze & Silver Teacher checklists
- Click through the slideshow to the Launchpad video preview
Onboarding 6
PRIMARY SCHOOL AWARD JOURNEY
& TEACHER CPD PATHWAY
If you’re part of a whole school approach to rolling out Emotion Works, the PRIMARY SCHOOL ROUTE MAP serves as a 32-step Implementation Guide for longer term planning and capacity building as well as a 4-part Award journey to help you all keep track of your progress and celebrate your achievements across Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels.
The PRIMARY TEACHER CPD PATHWAY focuses on the journey of each individual teacher too
Onboarding 7
GETTING STARTED &
PLANNING YOUR FIRST YEAR
For schools new to Emotion Works in the Autumn term of 2026, or starting their Award journey, our Primary Year Planner for the 2026-27 school session is now available to preview & download.
Whether you’re a School Lead or Class Teacher, your journey with key dates and support opportunities is mapped out for you which you can tweak or adapt as required for your own situation.
School Leads Journey
Class Teachers / Staff Journey
Pupil Journey
Onboarding 8
INSPIRING CASE STUDIES
Case Study 1
ST ANDREW’S PRIMARY SCHOOL, INVERCLYDE
Watch this quick reel to see how delivery of the Bronze and Silver levels of the Cog Curriculum programme came together in the classrooms of St Mary’s Primary School in Greenock over the course of their first year rolling out Emotion Works.
Watch out for the in the learning activities and classroon displays that feature
- The different levels of Cog Model being taught at the different stages of the school.
- Cog focused learning activities demonstrating their 1 Cog-at-a-time roll out.
Case Study 2
DUNBLANE PRIMARY SCHOOL, STIRLING
To complete your onboarding experience, take a look ahead to the longer term future with our GOLD level case study video showcasing how staff, pupils and parents at Dunblane Primary School have fully embraced and embedded Emotion Works across all areas of the school. As you’ll see and hear, at Gold level teachers are planning Emotion Works lessons linked to their literacy and topic work so the approach becomes very easy to integrate to the wider curriculum in engaging and meaningful ways.
Onboarding Recap
KNOWLEDGE CHECK IN
- In what ways has the information on this page confirmed and enhanced your knowledge about Emotion Works as an approach to supporting Emotional Learning?
- Which ages / levels of learner does the Cog Curriculum suit?
- Can you identify some aspects of emotional learning that are represented by the different coloured cogs?
- What have you learned about teaching the different Cog Models and the progression of learning across the Primary stages? Have you identified the resources that you’ll need from the starter pack for teaching your class or group?
- What are you looking forward to accessing on the Primary Launchpad – For your own learning? – For delivering your first lessons to pupils?
- If you’re delivering Emotion Works as part of a whole school approach, are you starting out at the same time as everyone else, or are you personally at an earlier stage on the journey?
- Are you aware of your own role and responsibilities for your whole school role out over the coming year?
- What did you find inspiring about the St Andrew’s and Dunblane School Case Studies?
How do I / we feel about starting Emotion Works training and teaching?
What questions do I / we still have to help with getting started?
READY TO MAKE A START?
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS & SCHOOL LEADS
Teachers
- Members Platform Log in information – for help with logging in to your account or resetting your password click here
- Live CPD Training & Networking Sessions – all training is provided as modules on the Primary Launchpad but if you appreciate a live session and would like to connect in person click here for dates and information about live introductory sessions.
- Teacher CPD Journey Tracker – keep track of your own journey as a class teacher here
- Head to the PRIMARY LAUNCHPAD to get started!
School Leads
- School Leads Implementation Training If you’re taking on responsibility for overseeing Emotion Works in your school, or will be involved in the School Award process, we strongly recommend joining us for one of our monthly Primary School Leads Training sessions – check dates & sign up here
- Managing your school account & adding team members – this an important first task to ensure your team can access the members content click here for our help sheet
- You should also identify yourself (and any other members of your team) as a Primary Award Lead on the My Account page (4th blue tab along) to be able to access your online application forms
1. Teacher CPD
Check in on your existing knowledge, skills and confidence in teaching emotional literacy and supporting MEHWB.
Click here
When investing in a programme to support pupils’ emotional literacy, it’s important that staff feel the training and resources provide them with what they need to feel confident and competent to deliver the programme.
This tool can provide a ‘before’ and ‘after’ measure for teacher competencies in the area of MEHWB.
The tool suggests a follow-up evaluation after 3-months, but you’re welcome of course to choose a duration to suit your school roll-out plan.Individual Teachers might also like to use this toll for their own PRD tracking.
2. All About Emotion Works Introductory Video
Please ensure that all staff (SLT, teachers, support staff, visiting services etc.) watch this video - ideally together with a follow up discussion to clarify initial expectations for introducing Emotion Works into your school or context.
Click here
A note about face-to-face versus online training and support:
The video shows footage of our (pre-covid) face-to-face introductory training which we replaced with online training modules when social distancing measures came into force.
Although a business challenge to address at the time, we’re now very happy to be in the position of being able to reach more schools to support the implementation of Emotion Works remotely.
To begin the process of familiarising yourself with the Emotion Works programme it will be helpful for you to watch this 5 minute ‘About Us’ video.
In the video you’ll meet Claire Murray, creator of the programme and founder of Emotion Works CIC, who outlines what Emotion Works is and how we work.
You’ll see film footage of Emotion Works in action in a range of educational contexts and using a range of resources for work with learners at different ages and stages.
You’ll also get a sense of the practice support service we provide on an ongoing basis to all of our members.
Finally you’ll hear from a Principal Teacher and Head Teacher about their reasons for choosing the Emotion Works programme and the impact it’s having on learning and wellbeing in their schools.
3. Training Booklets
A first resource to hand out and browse altogether is the Training Booklet. Full Members should have a hard copy for each member of staff, Trial Members can browse/download below or on the Getting Prepared resource page. Hard Copies can also be bought in the members shop.
Click here
Hand out the Training Booklet to browse before or after watching the Introductory Video to enhance your first discussions about what the Emotion Works programme is and can offer to your school alongside any other wellbeing and curriculum programmes
Teachers might then keep their own copy for training and planning, with the extras as back ups to each class for Support Staff to reference as the roll-out gets underway.
Full Members receive a hard copy for each member of staff, Trial Members can access the download below, or on the Getting Prepared resource page.
4. Important Checklists - for school leads & individual teachers
The checklists provided below for printing are also sent out as hard copy sheets to our new schools with their resources. Each school lead will need a copy of the Implementation Guide and should make sure that each member of teaching staff has their own Teacher Checklist.
Click here
Making sure that the relevant people have these checklists to work through and for reference at the very start of your Emotion Works journey will mean that everyone can take responsibility for their own part in capacity building across the staff team.
The checklists will also ensure that classroom delivery and progression across school stages will be streamlined and consistent.
5. Resource Packs
School Leads should have received and familiarised themselves with the hard copy resources allocated with their school package (full members only) and have a plan for distribution to class teachers and the setting up of communal learning spaces.
Click here
Hard Copy Resources are included with all Full School Memberships packages.
When these arrive, School Leads should familiarise themselves with which resources to allocate to different classes and communal learning spaces (this will be detailed on your resource proposal print out enclosed with your order).
It’s a good idea to have a starter pack and some of the extra resources on display and available to browse at your orientation session, but we’d recommend waiting to distribute to class teachers when you look at the Introductory Training content and programme progression together.
6. The Primary Launchpad - a quick look
Preview the Primary Launchpad web page, which serves as a dashboard to access all of the training & teaching material required to work through our entire Primary Programme. The content is organised into 4 sections, each one aligned with the 4 phases of our Primary School Award journey.
Click here
Your staff orientation session should include a quick look at the Primary Launchpad so that everyone has an understanding of how to navigate through – which is essentially going top to bottom and left to right!
- Do Class Teachers know where to find the resources relevant to their stage, and the training and teaching material highlighted on the Getting Started Teacher’s Checklist?
- Do support staff know where to find resources they may be asked to prepare?
The preview picture shows the top Introductory area of the Launchpad and the first 2 sections.
Section 1 provides access to all training, teaching and baseline resources, followed by an Introductory Training & Teaching Module to work through. This is the content associated with achieving a Primary School Bronze Award.
Section 2 covers the Silver Award content and takes you through a 1-Cog-at-a-time roll-out across your school. Click on each of the Cog module boxes to demonstrate that each module has a corresponding Training and Teaching Page.
- Can Class Teachers see how the training and teaching aspects link in with their Getting Started Checklist?
Sections 3 and 4 of the Primary Launchpad cover our Gold and Platinum Teaching Content and could be browsed at this stage but staff should be reassured that the main focus for getting started with the programme should be on Section 1, with the resource familiarisation and introductory training and teaching modules.
7. Ongoing Practice Support
Take a look at the Practitioner Support web page to see the various ways Emotion Works as an organisation will be continuing to support you to get the best out of your school membership. The main features of our Practice Support Service are listed and linked to in the Practice Support QR poster sent to you with your hard copy resources.
Click here
Look over each of the features of our Practice Support service and discuss which aspects are useful to know about.
If you have a school account, follow us on twitter (X) and staff are welcome to join our private facebook group as soon as your membership is live.
Try out the QR links on your hard copy Poster for a quick link to each of the different practice support features listed.
Decide together where to display the QR poster and make sure everyone knows how to find the Practitioner Support Page on the website (find the link in the blue sky strip at the very top of the page where ‘Practitioner Support’ is written in white).