Supporting Positive Futures and Transitions Dr Joan Mowat Presentation for Parents [pupils could also be invited along, if desired]

Overview What are Support Groups? Who are they for? What are they for? How are parents involved? What do pupils do? How is pupil progress assessed? © Dr Joan Mowat

What are Support Groups? groups of 4 pupils meet weekly with a Support Group Leader for around an hour a week the group will be supported by other adults or senior pupils groups will meet for a minimum of 20 sessions the activities are discussion-based and are designed to promote thinking-skills pupils are involved in individually negotiated target- setting © Dr Joan Mowat

Who are they for? Pupils who would benefit from additional support to help them to achieve their potential at school and/or to make a positive transition to Secondary school For some pupils, it is a preventative measure For other pupils, it is because they may have problems with their behaviour © Dr Joan Mowat

What are they for? Support Groups aim to develop in pupils:  Understanding of themselves  Understanding of others  Understanding of their relationships with others © Dr Joan Mowat

Understanding of Self and Others Attitudes Beliefs Values Feelings Motivations © Dr Joan Mowat

What are they for? To enable pupils to:  be able to behave well and appropriately  be able to form and keep good relationships with pupils and adults  develop in self-esteem and confidence  have positive attitudes towards learning and school and develop good learning habits © Dr Joan Mowat

How are Parents involved? Parents are asked to take an interest in what their child does in the group and talk to them about it Parents are asked to talk to their son or daughter about how they have done with target-setting and sign the card (there is an opportunity to comment) Parents should keep in regular contact with the Support Group Leader and alert him or her to any problems Parents should receive a progress report at the end of the intervention and will be asked to comment upon it © Dr Joan Mowat

Individually negotiated target-setting Pupil Diary Activities designed to promote reflection & understanding What do pupils do? © Dr Joan Mowat

Choose a situation in which you feel that you coped well or one in which you feel that you coped badly. Describe the situation How did other people react to you at the time? How did you feel at the time? What happened as a result? How did you feel after the event? What have you learned from the experience? If the situation did not work out for you, what could you do differently another time to lead to a better result? Eg. of prompt Pupil Diary © Dr Joan Mowat

Target setting Pupils choose targets once a week with help from the Support Group Leader Targets are monitored by class teachers the Support Group Leader (or a nominated person) should meet briefly each day with the pupil Target booklets or cards are sent home daily or weekly to be signed by parents (option to comment) The school will try to ensure that the process is managed in a sensitive way and will make its own arrangements for this to happen © Dr Joan Mowat

Target Setting Showing Consideration Put up my hand when I want to speak Keep still in class - don ’ t fidgit Keep quiet in class - don ’ t talk Do what the teacher is asking me to do Developing Learning Habits Bring the correct equipment to class Do homework as well as I can Try to concentrate upon my work Listen carefully to the teacher Ask for help if I get stuck Developing good relationships Listen to other people - don ’ t interrupt Avoid getting into arguments - walk away or visualise traffic lights Be polite to teachers Treat others the way I want to be treated Developing self-responsibility Try to be calm in class Think before I act Say sorry when I have done something wrong Keep calm if I get into trouble Behave responsibly around the school © Dr Joan Mowat

Exemplars of Pupil Activities © Dr Joan Mowat

Disagree Not Certain Agree Activity 1c © Dr Joan Mowat

I don ’ t think that my behaviour makes any difference to how I learn Activity 1c © Dr Joan Mowat

Information Sheet 9c How people react to stress The Fight or Flight Response  They tend to act in the same way each time  They want to be seen to be the same as everyone else in the group  But, they can draw attention to themselves as a way of establishing status in the group  They try to establish territory - “ my seat ”  They have difficulty thinking of new ideas  They tend not to be self-motivated  They rely on punishments and rewards © Dr Joan Mowat

Where I am Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Where I want to be Activity 3d Setting Goals © Dr Joan Mowat

You ’ ve got an important test coming up. Your Mum wants you to study but you want to go to the match. Activity 4a Agony Kids Promise that you’ll put time aside to study if you can go to the match No contest! …go to the match Stay at Home to Study © Dr Joan Mowat

Assessing pupil progress The Support Group Leader will observe the child in the group and see how he/she is behaving around the school Pupils complete a booklet about their progress in the group Pupils complete a short questionnaire (assisted by their Support Group Leader) at the end of the intervention The teacher who nominated the pupil for support will be asked to comment upon the child’s progress. © Dr Joan Mowat