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POSITIVE NOTICING DAY 2026

We're very much looking forward to this year's Positive Noticing Day, taking place on Wednesday 18th November. Feel free to mark it on a different date if that works better for your setting - whatever suits you is completely fine.

Importantly, positive noticing is a year-round approach. It's simple to do and, importantly, it works - you'll see more of the behaviours you want to see and build deeper relationships with your learners. And why stop there? Your colleagues, and even those in your home life, will benefit from being noticed for the right reasons as well.

positive noticing in action

For the last few years, Positive Noticing Day has been celebrated by hundreds of schools, colleges and other educational settings. It has helped to bring about improvements in their learning culture, their peer-to-peer relationships and the sense of community throughout the year. Many have made positive noticing a regular thing and have embedded it within their setting.

We've also seen a big push towards getting our communities and home adults involved. Positive noticing has gone beyond just learners, reaching staff, home adults and even pets! We encourage you to share your Positive Noticing with us online - simply tag When The Adults Change on LinkedIn or Instagram, or use #PositiveNoticingDay.

the power of the positive

Positive noticing is simple, practical and highly effective. It is an everyday relational strategy, any time, any place.

Catching children doing the right thing and marking it with positive acknowledgement is not just kindness - it teaches behaviour. You get more of the behaviour that you notice most.

The impact of positive noticing is both immediate and long-lasting. It helps build self-esteem and confidence in children and shifts the culture in the classroom so that the right behaviour is always the most sought-after behaviour.

HOW CAN MY Setting GET INVOLVED?

The idea is simple: every learner leaves school or college on Positive Noticing Day with a positive label attached to their bag, wrist, blazer or even their hair. They are also welcome to keep it private if they'd rather not display it.
You can create labels using our templates, pick some up from a Post Office or stationery shop or search "brown luggage labels" on Amazon.
Before the day itself, talk to learners about what positive noticing is and why it matters. Our briefing on the resources page has some ideas for this conversation. It's worth setting the moment up properly - this should feel like a genuine, reflective moment, not an opportunity for negative comments.
On the day, ask every learner to positively notice the person next to them or their partner, write it down and share it if they're comfortable. This works well in tutor/form/pastoral time, as a large group in assembly or as a short activity during a break in teaching.
However you run it, make sure every learner leaves with a label of their own.

Would you like to get involved this year? Register for Positive Noticing Day 2026 by emailing tracey@whentheadultschange.com. Nearer the time, we'll send you more information and details of our virtual briefings and events.