To find out how to set up Pyramid in your area, and the benefits to children and schools, look at our pages on How Pyramid works or download our flyer:
ContinYou is one of the UK's leading education charities. We believe that every child and young person must have an education that enables them to develop to their full potential.
About Pyramid Clubs
'Pyramid has had a positive effect on the quiet, withdrawn children in our school. It has made a real difference to their self confidence and the way they interact with other pupils and adults, resulting in noticeably higher standards in their school work.' Headteacher, Ysgol Y Graig, Anglesey
Pyramid – supporting children’s emotional well-being and encouraging collaboration through multi-agency working.
When and where do Pyramid clubs run?
How do Pyramid clubs help children and young people?
What are Pyramid clubs?
Pyramid clubs are specially designed for children in schools who are quiet, shy, anxious, isolated, withdrawn or finding it difficult to make friends. They operate as a group based early intervention which provides children with a fun, positive experience, in a group, with lots of new experiences and chances to develop friendships. Pyramid clubs:
- involve fun games, cooking, circle time discussion and art and craft activities.
- enable children and young people to deal better with the difficulties they face and avoid developing more serious mental health problems
- reduce disengagement and promote participation in learning, thereby maximising attainment
- are run by fully trained, often volunteer, club leaders.
When and where do Pyramid clubs run?
Pyramid clubs usually run on a school site but can be run within the community. Pyramid clubs:
- run after school for an hour and a half
- take place once a week for ten weeks during the school term.
- run in primary schools, either at the transition to key stage 2 or at the end of primary to prepare children for the move to secondary schools (transition clubs)
- also run in secondary schools.
- operate in over 40 local authority areas across the UK.
How do Pyramid clubs help children and young people?
Many children and young people who experience social and emotional problems internalise their difficulties and often struggle to build friendships. Pyramid is a well-established, cost-effective and extensively evaluated early intervention model of working with quiet, shy, withdrawn or anxious children.
The outcomes for children and young people attending Pyramid clubs have been identified as:
- a sense of belonging
- increased self-esteem and confidence
- ability to make new friendships
- improved academic performance
- increased willingness to participate
- better relationships with peers and adults
- improvement in self-concept/locus of control
- better social skills
- improved attendance and attitude towards school.
Can Pyramid help parents?
In addition to clubs for children, Pyramid also offers a complementary or standalone model of support for parents/carers through our Pyramid for Parent programme.
For more information visit the Pyramid for Parents section.
How did Pyramid clubs start?
Pyramid was initially developed by Kay FitzHerbert, a social worker on an Educational Priority Area project attached to a high school and its feeder primaries in the London borough of Ealing, in the 1970s. Two key elements of the Pyramid model are now in the forefront of national thinking – children’s emotional well-being and multi-agency working – and Pyramid continues to prosper as a result.
In 2007 the Pyramid project became a part of ContinYou.
Starting Pyramid
Pyramid video
Take a look at our Pyramid video to find out what parents, children and teachers think about Pyramid.
