Five-part series on anxiety management: sign up to receive the series for your school newsletter
Supporting anxious children: what every school community needs to know
Sign up for our five-part series on managing child anxiety
Anxiety in children is on the rise. In fact, nearly one in three young Australians aged 16 to 24 now experience some form of anxiety. But signs of anxiety often begin much earlier, with many students in upper primary and lower secondary showing symptoms that go unrecognised or misunderstood.
As a school, you’re probably already seeing it:
- The student who avoids sport, group work or presentations
- The frequent health complaints or visits to sick bay
- The child who refuses school altogether
- The families requesting exemptions, adjustments or ‘special treatment’ to help their child cope.
Read the full story on our website - click the link below.
Sign up to receive the full series to use in your school newsletter
Join us in Sydney on 19 August for this important student wellbeing seminar
On Tuesday 19 August 2025 from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM, we will be holding a face-to-face information session about our two wellbeing projects.
Our venue will be the NSW Teachers’ Federation Room in Surry Hills, which has capacity for 90 people. Please book early if you would like to attend as we expect this event will be well attended.
During the session you will receive a framework for how you can improve the wellbeing of your whole school community by addressing the number one mental health issue affecting Australian children, as well as walking away with some strategies and tips for improving teacher wellbeing. Our two projects are evidence based and offer long term and sustainable results. The cost is $129.00.
Our wellbeing projects challenge the use of ‘unhelpful accommodations’ in Australia which, while well-intentioned are problematic. The accommodation of students, by well-intentioned adults, is making the problem of child anxiety worse in Australian schools.
Our projects offer teachers and parents the skills and strategies to reduce student anxiety. Children and teenagers can be coached in ‘everyday conversations’ and taught essential knowledge and skills in seven lessons to help them manage their anxious thoughts and how to calm their bodies. The lessons come with learning intentions and success criteria at each step in the lesson sequence.
Why 1-2-3 Magic® in the Classroom works
1-2-3 Magic® & Emotion Coaching in the Classroom
For teachers, learning support staff and wellbeing coordinators in primary schools, managing classroom behaviour isn’t just a daily task – it’s often one of the most emotionally demanding parts of the job. When students are disruptive, erratic, or refusing to cooperate, even the most experienced educators can feel frustrated, exhausted, or unsure of what to do next.
What schools need are not just ‘tips and tricks’, but a structured, evidence-based approach to managing behaviour: one that reduces escalation, builds student emotional literacy, and supports consistent, calm responses across the whole school team.
That’s where 1-2-3 Magic® & Emotion Coaching in the Classroom comes in. Join us for our free, online information session from 11.30am-12.15pm on Wednesday 11 August, or sign up for our webinar on 11 August.
Information session | 23 July
Live webinar | 11 August | Full day training
Tough Conversations™ for Frontline Staff
Psychologist, Michael Hawton and his team, present Tough Conversations for Frontline Staff. A practical workshop for those at the frontline of a school, council or service organisation to manage difficult, emotional encounters with members of the public.
This workshop provides the practical elements and skills for effectively dealing with offensive behaviour as it arises and what to say to defuse strong emotions.
Attendees will see video examples of both poorly conducted conversations and, by contrast, more effective conversations.
Newcastle | 21 July | Full day training | Morning tea, lunch and training materials provided
Live webinar | 15 August | Full day training
Anxiety Coach™ in the Classroom
Anxiety Coach™ (previously called No Scaredy Cats) is a one-day professional learning course for teachers, teacher aides and early learning staff to learn classroom strategies for managing anxiety and building resilience in the classroom. The Anxiety Coach™ course is based on three underlying principles: first, by having an understanding of how anxiety develops teachers and teacher aides can counter its progress. Second, they can play a preventative role in stopping children from worrying too much. Third, there are practical steps to take to build resilient thinking in children.