Emotional literacy: a whole school approach §Connect E.L. with the central concerns of education §Outline kind of holistic approaches we need to promote E.L.

Objectives: to explore §Context of increased interest in EL §Key areas of education that relate to it §Key competences §Rationale for a whole school approach §‘Successful’ LEAs

Overlapping terms

Use whatever terms…... §Work §Are appropriate §Make sense §Bring people together

Some key terms that work currently

Emotional literacy is… §The ability to understand ourselves and other people, and in particular to be aware of, understand, and use information about the emotional states of ourselves and others with skill and competence. §It includes the ability to understand, express and manage our own emotions, and respond to the emotions of others, in ways that are helpful others and to ourselves.

Emotional and social wellbeing §Broad concern with whole person §Concern with underlying determinants §Focus on context and environment

Growth of research evidence in education

Changes in Education §‘Realisation that effective learning and pursuit of ‘standards’ demands EL too §Development of effective programmes of emotional and social competence/ literacy §Inclusion demands EL §Growth in interest in managing behaviour through positive approaches and contextual determinants §Healthy schools’ movement - emotional and social at centre

Gardner’s ‘intelligences’ include §Logical §Spacial §Verbal §Kinaesthetic §Intra-personal (understanding self) §Inter-personal (understanding others)

Goleman’s work on impact of emotional intelligence on... §Work §Education §Personal life

Emotional and social competence ‘missing key’ to many educational problems, e.g. §Learning difficulties §Behaviour problems §Exclusion and disaffection §Teacher retention

Some emotions block learning §Cannot think straight e.g. when angry §Chronic emotional problems make learning difficult §Low self esteem makes us feel incompetent §Lack of attachment to others makes it hard to take direction

Some emotions aid learning §Pupils learn better with self esteem, sense of optimism §Teachers more effective when feel respected

Links between emotions and learning §Need to feel relaxed, calm safe to use whole brain approaches to learning §Whole brain approach based in the emotional centre of the brain §Need to feel safe to use a range of learning styles

Emotions are essential for rationality: we need them to §Direct attention to what matters §Prioritise §Plan §Anticipate our actions and those of others §Determine value

Emotional and social competences that are essential to educational and personal success

Self understanding and belief §Accurate self concept §Self esteem §Optimism §Resilience §Awareness of own power §Ability to change and grow

Self control §Thinking clearly and ‘rationally’ §Managing the emotions §Impulse control §Self motivation §Deferring gratification §Taking responsibility for own actions

Emotional awareness and expression §Developing emotional complexity through language §Impact of emotions on the body §Impact of self on others §Awareness of emotion/ feeling deeply §Expressing self, through language and action §Expressing -ve e.g. fear, guilt, anger §Expressing +ve e.g. happiness, having fun, ‘going with the flow’

Social competence includes…. §Communicating effectively §Making relationships §Empathy §Genuineness/ authenticity §Respect for others §Sociability/ reciprocity §Balancing needs of self and others

Social competence also includes... §Anger management §Negotiation §Co-operation §Conflict resolution §Mediation §Active listening §Tolerating/ celebrating difference

A whole school approach

Whole school/ holistic approach also called….

Holistic e.g. whole school, approach means §Focus on organisation not individual §Includes all aspects, not just curriculum §Focus on environmental causes, not outcomes e.g. behaviour §Seeing the school in its community §Involving all parties at all levels §Coordination, congruence between the parts §Teamwork, multi professional working

Who/ what is emotional and social education for? §Traditional view §Pupils §Special needs §Those with problems §Focus on behaviour change §EL worked on for its own sake only §Whole school §And teachers §And mainstream §All of us §Focus on emotional growth and self empowerment §EL linked with mainstream learning

Why use whole school approach? §All of us need EL – links with wellbeing and effective learning for all §Demonstrably more effective in producing change §Less stigmatising for those with problems §Causes of problems often environmental anyway §Emotional and social problems are extremely widespread and on a continuum §Processes which help some shown to help all §‘Herd immunity’/ critical mass to help those with problems

§Same strategies work for all pupils - and promote wellbeing and learning of all and prevent problems §Same teaching programmes work, if level and amount of input is adjusted §Need early identification and help for all §Support teachers to keep students in mainstream schools where possible §Withdrawal units and rest of school should use same clear, warm strategies Whole school approach to special needs

Whole school approach produces higher levels of... §Learning §Attendance §Results e.g.examinations §Pupil and teacher effectiveness §Morale of teachers and pupils §Self esteem §Sociable behaviour

Physical environment Some key areas for a whole school approach Community Parents Agencies Management Policies Curriculum Methods Relationships Communication

4 key features §Relationships §Participation §Autonomy §Clarity

Relationships based on §Social competence §Empathy §Respect §Genuineness §Listening: ‘the listening school?’

Participation means §‘Bottom up’ approach §Open and transparent §Consultation and involvement §Shared goals, values, power §Whole ethnic and social mix §‘Slower’ and ‘difficult’ pupils

Clarity means having clear and positive…. §Boundaries §Structures §Rules §Roles §Expectations

Autonomy means... §Self determination §Independence §Having control §Personal responsibility §Independent thinking §Critical awareness

Need a balance §Relationships §Participation §Clarity §Autonomy

Unbalanced…. §Clarity only = cold, rigid environment §Relationships only = laissez faire §Relationships + clarity + participation = brainwashing

Effective programmes of teaching and learning §High profile §Support at the top §Whole school experience §Involve all subjects and all pupils §Explicit and planned §Spiral, developmental and long term §Start early

An effective curriculum for EL §Integrated §Planned §Developmental §Active methods §Teaches skills as well as attitudes and knowledge §Generalises to real life §Culturally appropriate

Working with parents to promote EL §Parents welcome and comfortable §School listens actively to parents’ interests and concerns §Parents involved in school life, decision making, learning §School and home support one another

DFES project §‘What works in developing emotional and social competency in children and young people? §Review of evidence §Case studies of best practice in 5 ‘successful’ LEAs

Successful links and locations for this work in LEAs §Behaviour support teams §National Healthy School Standard §CAMHS

Successful LEAs…. §High priority §Holistic approaches §Multiprofessional teams §Inclusive framework §Explicit teaching programmes §Staff development