Pyramid Club Primary is a schools-based social and emotional learning intervention for primary school-aged children who are quiet or shy and prone to internalising symptoms such as low self-esteem and anxiety, and children who appear to have difficulties interacting with peers and adults. It is delivered by a school or voluntary organisation staff member or volunteer to groups of children over 10 sessions of 1.5 hours’ duration.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
7 to 8 years old
Group
Pyramid Club Primary is a schools-based social and emotional learning intervention for primary school-age children who are quiet or shy and prone to internalising symptoms such as low self-esteem and anxiety, and children who appear to have difficulties interacting with peers and adults.
Pyramid Club Primary is delivered by three school or voluntary organisation staff members or volunteers to groups of eight to 12 children, over 10 weekly sessions of 1.5 hours’ duration. Pyramid Clubs can be run as an after-school activity or during the school day.
The focus of Pyramid Clubs is to support children in building friendships, based on the theory that friendships are key to children’s social and emotional development. In the first session, children name their club and collaborate to create their club rules, to encourage children to feel part of an accepting peer group.
Sessions 2 to 10 then focus on building positive emotions and friendships, with each session following a consistent format. Sessions begin with circle time, followed by an art activity lasting approximately 20 minutes designed to encourage creativity and emotional expression, and non-competitive team-building games designed to promote the development of social problem-solving skills. Sessions then incorporate role-play involving behavioural vignettes of potential real-life problems, and end with laughing yoga and a final circle time.
7 to 8 years old
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Internalising symptoms (e.g. shyness, sensitivity, and social withdrawal) in childhood are predictors of future psychological issues such as anxiety and depression
Children with internalising problems are also more likely to experience long-term negative life outcomes such as poor school achievement, relationship difficulties, and job instability.
Science-based assumption
Strong socio-emotional competences will enable children and young people to achieve their full potential in school and in life.
Science-based assumption
Children aged 7 to 8 at risk of internalising problems (shyness, social withdrawal, emotional vulnerability).
Intervention
Pyramid clubs allow children to observe and practise coping skills, and encourage effective social interaction with both peers and adults, developing increased socio-emotional competence.
Short-term
Improved emotional self-management, competence and coping strategies.
Medium-term
Reduction in internalising symptoms (shyness, social withdrawal, emotional difficulties)
Enhanced peer relationships and social interactions
Increased confidence and resilience
Better school engagement and academic performance.
Long-term
Reduced likelihood of mental health problems
Reduced failure in school
Reduced likelihood of job instability
Primary school children considered shy or quiet and prone to internalising problems, and primary school children with difficulties interacting with peers or adults.
Pyramid Club Primary is delivered in 10 weekly sessions of 1.5 hours’ duration each by three practitioners, to groups of eight to 12 children. Pyramid Clubs can be run as an after-school activity or during the school day.
Children are supported to form friendships and develop social and emotional skills in a group setting with significant adult support.
Children form a group identity by setting their own club name and rules in the initial session, and subsequent sessions aim to build positive emotions and social skills using circle time discussions, art activities, collaborative games, role-play, and laughing yoga.
The practitioners who deliver this intervention are school or voluntary organisation staff members or volunteers.
Staff practitioners have 10 hours of intervention training and volunteer practitioners have 15 hours. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one external supervisor, with six hours of intervention training per year.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Contact person: Bronach Hughes
Organisation: University of West London
Email address: pyramid@uwl.ac.uk
Website: www.uwl.ac.uk/pyramid
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Pyramid Club Primary’s most rigorous evidence comes from a single RCT which was conducted in the UK.
This study identified statistically significant improvements in teacher-reported emotional intelligence and prosocial behaviour, and reductions in teacher-reported emotional problems, peer problems, and overall psychological difficulties. Improvements were maintained at 12 weeks post-intervention.
Pyramid Club Primary has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome, but we cannot be confident that the intervention caused the improvement.
| Identified in search | 8 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 1 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 0 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 7 |
| Study design | RCT |
| Country | UK |
| Sample characteristics |
|
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities | Not reported |
| Population risk factors | Not reported |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Citations | Cassidy, T., McLaughlin, M. & Giles, M. (2015) Socio-emotional health in school children: An emotion-focused intervention. International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology. 2 (4), 1–7. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Buckinghamshire Educational Psychology Service. (2005) Buckinghamshire Pyramid Trust evaluation report January 2002 – July 2005.
Cassidy, T., McLaughlin, M. & Giles, M. (2014) Group-based intervention to improve socio-emotional health in vulnerable children. Journal of Psychology and Clinical Psychiatry. 1 (7), 45.
Jayman, M., Ohl, M., Hughes, B. & Fox, P. (2015) Improving the socio-emotional health of young people in early secondary education: Preliminary findings from a study of the Pyramid Intervention Project. In Resilience and health in a fast-changing world. Jagiellonian University Press.
Jayman, M. (2017) Evaluating the impact of a school-based intervention on the socio-emotional health and school performance of pupils in early secondary education (Doctoral thesis, University of West London).
Lyons, R. E. (2011) An evaluation of the use of a Pyramid Club to support shy and withdrawn children’s transition to secondary school (Thesis submitted to University of Manchester for Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology).
Lyons, R., & Woods, K. (2012) Effective transition to secondary school for shy, less confident children: A case study using ‘Pyramid’ group work. Educational and Child Psychology. 29 (3), 8–26.
McKenna, Á. E., Cassidy, T., & Giles, M. (2014) Prospective evaluation of the pyramid plus psychosocial intervention for shy withdrawn children: An assessment of efficacy in 7‐ to 8‐year‐old school children in Northern Ireland. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 19 (1), 9–15.
Ohl, M., Mitchell, K., Cassidy, T., & Fox, P. (2008) The Pyramid Club primary school-based intervention: Evaluating the impact on children’s social-emotional health. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 13 (3), 115–121.
Ohl, M. A. (2009) The efficacy of a school-based intervention on socio-emotional health and well-being of children in middle childhood: An evaluation (A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of Thames Valley University).
Ohl, M., Fox, P. & Mitchell, K. (2012) Strengthening socio‐emotional competencies in a school setting: Data from the Pyramid project. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 83 (3), 452–466.
Ohl, M., Fox, P., & Mitchell, K. (2013) The Pyramid Club elementary school-based intervention: Testing the circle time technique to elicit children’s service satisfaction. Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology. 3 (2), 204.
Shepherd, J. & Roker, D. (2005) An evaluation of a ‘transition to secondary school’ project run by the National Pyramid Trust. Undertaken by the Trust for the Study of Adolescence (TSA).
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
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Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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