Developing the Social and Emotional Aspects of Developing the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) in Devon SchoolsLearning (SEAL) in Devon Schools

Developing SEAL in your SchoolDeveloping SEAL in your School

July 2006July 2006

Agenda

Coffee and registration

10.00 Welcome Anne Whitely (Director CYPS)

10.15 Introduction to SEAL10.45 Workshop session 111.35 Coffee12.10 Network Planning

12.50 Lunch

1.40 Workshop Session 22.35 Workshop Session 33.25 What next?3.40 Close

Objectives:

• To explore the place of SEAL in Primary Schools• To develop knowledge of SEAL materials and

their links with PSHE• To support the planning for the implementation

of the SEAL materials• To help schools identify where they may receive

support for the implementation of the materials• To learn from colleagues who are already using

the SEAL materials

Meeting these objectives through

• Staff who will be able to support you today and in the future

• Hearing what colleagues are doing already• Making the links with partner schools• Space to think about SEAL and your

school – building on what you are doing already

• Displays from SEAL and associated agencies

Social, emotional and behavioural skills curriculum materials

‘‘As every teacher As every teacher knows, in order to knows, in order to learn successfully, learn successfully, children must feel children must feel happy and secure happy and secure within the school within the school environment.’environment.’

Hellaby, L. ‘Hellaby, L. ‘Walking the Talk…’Walking the Talk…’ (London, Fulton 2004) (London, Fulton 2004)

Achievement and emotions

‘Students who are anxious, angry or depressed don’t learn…’

‘…people who are in these states do not take in information efficiently or deal with it well…’Goleman, D. Emotional Intelligence (New York: Bantam Books, 1995)

What do we want for our children?

We want children who:

‘… learn how to communicate their feelings, set themselves goals and work towards them, interact successfully with others, resolve conflicts peaceably, control their anger and negotiate their way through the many complex relationships in their lives today and tomorrow’.

Adapted from Reva Klein, Defying Disaffection.

Recent evidence

Healthy minds - Primary and Secondary- Promoting emotional health and well-being in

schools July 2005 HMI 2457

Steer Report - Learning Behaviour- The Report of The Practitioners’ Group on School

Behaviour and Discipline 2005

Key findings

• Primary schools who were piloting the new materials provided by the Primary National Strategy to promote social and emotional well-being, dealt effectively with issues of pupils’ mental health. (Healthy minds )

• Pupils do not necessarily know how to behave well. Some will not have had the opportunity to learn good behaviour at home; others may be learning it, but their skills need reinforcing.

We see the development of pupil’s social, emotional and behavioural skills as integral to good learning and teaching. It is also integral to making classrooms orderly places for learning.

This means teaching all pupils from the beginning of education to manage strong feelings, resolve conflict effectively and fairly, solve problems, work and play cooperatively, and be respectful, calm, optimistic and resilient. (Steer)

When might the SEAL curriculum materials be introduced?

• Following audits or reflection on improving behaviour and attendance in school

• As part of the school’s reflection and analysis within their response to Excellence and Enjoyment: learning and teaching in the primary years

• As part of the work the school is carrying out within the National Healthy School Standard or in reviewing its PSHE and Citizenship curriculum

The ‘Waves’ modelQuality first teaching of social, emotional and behavioural

skills to all children 

Effective whole-school or setting policies and frameworks for promoting emotional health and well-being

Small-group intervention for children who need additional help in

developing skills, and for their families

Individualintervention

Social, emotional and behavioural skills: taught or caught?

TAUGHT? Teaching social, emotional and behavioural skills to children makes a difference to their learning, behaviour and life outcomes.

CAUGHT?Children need:• practice in real-life situations• a supportive organisational environment (where it is safe to try new things and take a risk) • an emotionally positive environment where social, emotional and behavioural skills are modelled and coached routinely and consistently

Generalising the learning / using real life as the context for learning

To help children generalise to real-life situations, teachers might consider the following.

• Draw attention to those children using the skills

• All staff use the strategies (like calming down) for each real-life incident

• Adults model skills and strategies, for example by thinking out loud

• Display posters and visual reminders around the school

• Display the whole-school focus for noticing and celebrating achievement

• Encourage children to reflect on how well they have used their skills

What is SEAL?

Social, emotional and behavioural skills:five key aspects of learning

Self-awareness

Managing feelings

motivation

empathy

Social skills

The materials1. Getting started guide and Guidance booklet2. Seven sets of booklets, each set around a ‘theme’:

• Theme overview booklet, with an assembly• Colour-coded booklets giving ideas for learning

opportunitiesRed set (Foundation Stage) Blue set (Years 1 and 2) Yellow set (Years 3 and 4) Green set (Years 5 and 6)Silver set (small-group activities) Purple set (staffroom activities)Gold set (family activities)

Themes

• Theme 1 – New beginnings• Theme 2 – Getting on and falling out• Theme 3 – Say no to bullying (one or two weeks

of learning opportunities across the curriculum)• Theme 4 – Going for goals!• Theme 5 – Good to be me• Theme 6 – Relationships• Theme 7 – Changes

Some pointers for implementation

• Whole school level• Time for planning• Building in monitoring and evaluative processes• Supporting staff• Seeing the potential

• Building on what is already going well

SCHOOL SELF REVIEW SEAL CURRICULUM RESOURCE

FOCUSING DEVELOPING ESTABLISHING ENHANCING

Leadership, management and managing changePolicy developmentPossible indicators:SEAL and emotional well-being vocabulary is evident in conversations and meeting notesBehaviour policy reflects SEAL and emotional health and well-being

Appropriate targets for implementation of the SEAL curriculum resource are set in the school improvement plan.Coordinator(s) with responsibility for the organisation and development of SEAL (including the curriculum resource) within the school have been agreed.

Existing policies are reviewed in consultation with the whole-school community and a framework for implementation is established to ensure a stronger focus throughout the school on the social, emotional aspects of learning. The school leadership team are committed to promoting SEAL and have good knowledge of the approach and are familiar with the content of the curriculum resource.

Appropriate targets are included in the school improvement plan to ensure that SEAL (including the curriculum resource) is integrated throughout all aspects of school life. Responsibility for implementing SEAL has been embedded within management and pay structures, job descriptions and included in induction arrangements.

There is active governing body involvement in the on-going development and reviewing of SEAL.Performance management meetings include a focused discussion about SEAL across the breadth of responsibilities, in relation to the school improvement plan.When other relevant school policy is reviewed account is taken of SEAL.

Curriculum planning and resourcingPossible IndicatorsObjectives and learning outcomes and learning opportunities are included in planning. Resources are available to enhance SEAL curriculum resource.

The curriculum resource has been distributed to all teachers and they have become familiar with them.Appropriate time has been allocated within staff meetings to support the teaching of each theme.

Time has been allocated to the class based elements of the SEAL curriculum resource.

Short and medium term planning have been completed for whole school delivery of SEAL, including reflection to ensure there is progression in learning.

Monitoring is in place to ensure that plans for delivery are being implemented to a high quality.

Developing SEAL in Devon

• Since September 05 to July 06 - The pilot

• Sept 06 to July 07

• Sept 07 onwards

Pilot Sept 05 – July 06• 40 schools involved – geographic spread,

different types, capacity to spread good practice.

• Some aims:– To develop good practice in terms of support– To learn how SEAL materials can support Devon

schools– To learn how SEAL materials are best

implemented into Devon schools– To build upon already existing good practice

Sept 06 – July 07What we are going to try to do:1. To support the roll out of SEAL across all

schools in Devon that wish to use SEAL.2. To develop an understanding of SEAL across

the whole of CYPS and partner agencies.3. To look at how SEAL can be the basis for

support for children who are vulnerable and experiencing difficulties in terms of emotional health and well being

4. To build upon practice in order to be able to use SEAL as a way of promoting whole school development

How will this be done?

• Direct support for schools through networks of support.

• Time and resources given to networks for planning and implementation to take place.

• Professional Development opportunities.• Support for schools who my benefit from intensive

opportunities for development• Projects around specific areas: multiagency work,

work with parents, SEAL +, Development of leading schools.

Support?• From colleagues in Devon schools• Primary Behaviour Network (PBN) – BST &

PRB staff• Healthy Schools team• Educational Psychology Service• Other services depending upon your locality

• Website : www.devon.gov.uk/index/learning/supporting-children/devonseal.htm

The future…….

Networking

• Sustainable model• Continuing to develop resources

across the county/country• Use the experiences of the pilot

schools• Develop school to school support to

share expertise

Primary Behaviour Network Support • Primary Resource Base areas• Other areas via central Behaviour

Support AT• Pulling in other agencies e.g.

– Adult Community Learning– YOT(YISP/CASP)– CAMHS workers

• Educational Psychologists

Example Support Menu

• Set up/planning sessions with PSHE co-ord

• Support to deliver ‘Purple’ activities• Development of monitoring and

evaluation• Specific training for staff e.g. circle

time, groupwork skills

Model 1

• Learning Community have pooled funds for one day a week release time for one year

• Teacher is supported by member of Primary Behaviour Network team

• Link person in school is PSHE Co-ord

Model 2

• PSHE co-ordinators meet as a discreet group in Learning Community

• Central initial input to group from PBN/Patch EP

• Clusters of 3 formed, dependant upon SEAL development level and action plans formed

Next Steps

• Consider making contact with AT in your area

• Discuss SEAL with SLT/Head once back in school

• Use today to talk to as many people as possible

• Ask questions – the pilot taught us a lot!