Connecting through Creativity: Supporting Transition and Healing of a Year 6 class

22 June 2026

How Connecting Through Creativity helped a displaced Year 6 class rebuild safety, identity and belonging

When a neighbouring primary school closed suddenly, an entire Year 6 class was uprooted and transferred to a new school to complete their final year. The transition was abrupt and emotionally complex. Many pupils were already carrying significant personal challenges — including serious illness within the family and displacement from their home country — and the collective upheaval of losing their school intensified feelings of uncertainty, loss and instability.

The school's leadership team recognised that the class needed more than academic continuity. They needed space to process their experiences, reconnect with one another, and rebuild a sense of safety and identity. The school welcomed Place2Be’s Connecting Through Creativity programme as a structured, trauma‑informed way to support this.

A structured journey that met the class where they were

Delivered over four sessions by a Place2Be Art Room practitioner, the programme offered a structured process which reassured the class. As the teacher explained, “there was a very clear journey between each session… and a very nice ending as well”. The children built their own creative folders, adding to them each week, which helped them see their progress and experience a sense of continuity.

The creative activities opened conversations that would not normally surface in a busy Year 6 timetable, allowing pupils to express feelings of grief, hope and transition in a safe, supported way. Their teacher described how sessions supported both the group and the individual:

“They came here as a group… but they all have slightly different feelings and takes, and that really came through.”

Behaviour, belonging and emotional regulation

The first session brought predictable excitement and testing of boundaries, but the structure quickly helped the class settle. The teacher noted that after the initial session, “they were really… looking forward to them” and that the positive atmosphere “grew as the project continued”.

Pupil feedback echoed this shift. Many described the workshops as “calming”, “relaxing and fun”, and “a mature, fun way to express art by feelings”. One pupil wrote, “The workshops helped me relax after a hard day in school,” while another shared, “Making my art let me think about what helps me feel safe.”

The warm‑ups and grounding activities were particularly impactful, with 80% of pupils agreeing they helped them feel calm.

Identity, agency and connection

A powerful theme that emerged was the balance between individuality and group identity. The teacher observed that the programme helped pupils explore “a sense of individual identity within the team” and recognise that although the change impacted them as a whole class, each child had their own story and emotional journey.

The programme’s emphasis on choice also resonated. Pupils were given the right to include their artwork from the final group piece — a moment the teacher found “really interesting,” as it modelled agency and respect for personal boundaries.

“I loved to connect with other people and make team art.” A child who joined the Connecting through Creativity programme

A meaningful ending

The final session, where pupils presented their work and watched a video of the collective artwork, provided a symbolic and emotional closure. The teacher described it as “a nice metaphor… for the closure they will soon experience” as they prepare to leave primary school behind. She feels that conversations started during this programme can support the class later in the year and lay the groundwork for them to talk about feelings as they approach this major transition. It was positive to hear from one child:

“I am not that scared to go to secondary school as before.”

Impact

By the end of the programme, the class had not only created artwork — they had created space for healing. They reconnected with one another, explored their feelings about transition, and strengthened their sense of belonging in their new school community.

As one pupil summed it up:

“Amazing workshops where everyone is welcome and belongs.”

Interested in having ‘Connecting through Creativity’ at your school?

This programme is available to London primary and secondary schools to help strengthen wellbeing and togetherness in classrooms. Through creative, trauma‑informed sessions, pupils build confidence, belonging and emotional regulation — improving classroom relationships and behaviour.

Contact theartroom@place2be.org.uk to find out more.