SEAL Coordinator

Evidence is emerging in Scotland that links secondary school pupils’ progress and emotional intelligence to the use of philosophical enquiry as a learning approach in primary schools. read more

Staff soon discovered that it was more than just a ‘learning to learn’ scheme. Liz Solomon describes the challenges and insights gained from trialling Thinking Through School. read more

In this month’s in-depth focus Anne De A’Echevarria talks about the Thinking Through School approach to learning-focused innovation. She describes the model and, using examples, explores successful implementation in schools and how the impact can be seen to be more than school-wide

This is what secondary drama teacher Julie Leoni and Bristol Learning Initiative director James Wetz said at a recent Antidote conference about the emotional factors that need addressing if we are to close the achievement gap. read more

Julie Leoni describes how she tried to do justice to the voices of young people in her presentation to the Antidote conference. read more

Emotional Literacy Update takes a look at the learning aims that the secondary curriculum review hopes to put at the centre of the KS3 and KS4 curriculum from autumn 2008. read more

Using attachment theory, educational therapist Heather Geddes elaborates on James Wetz’s idea that behaviour is a form of communication about social and emotional experience that we need to understand before we decide how we are going to intervene. read more

Sue Roffey describes her way of thinking about how to relate more deeply with students in the classroom

A learning partner can help you influence your organisation to move in a more emotionally literate direction, as Peter Sharp, director of learning for MouchelParkman, explains read more

James Park reflects on the progress of personal, social and health education in education today

Unfortunately a large percentage of children have direct experience with divorce. Nikki Parker advises on how to help children young people cope with divorce and similar family disruptions

Neil Hawkes outlines a values-based approach to school improvement

Bob Jelley argues that success is essential since, for many youngsters, a teacher may be one of the most significant male role models in their lives. read more

Psychologist Sylvia Clare discusses the importance of physical touch in helping children and young people reconnect to learning.

Graham Haydon explores the role of moral constraint in influencing behaviour

Counselling is often touted as a solution to challenging behaviour and as a way of meeting needs that are beyond the scope of a school’s pastoral care mechanisms. But is it? Adrian King, independent health education consultant and qualified counsellor looks at what it can realistically deliver. read more

Antidote director James Park and development director Marilyn Tew describe the challenge that schools face if they are to address a decline in student wellbeing between Years 5 and 10

Drawing on his personal and professional experiences, Mark Prever highlights how important it is for schools to actively seek ways to enhance the emotional wellbeing of their pupils. He also makes the case for pupils to have an entitlement to counselling

In a second extract from his book, psychologist Steve Killick describes two approaches to engaging young people in problem-solving conversations. read more

Mark Jennett clarifies why schools and colleges need to talk about homosexuality. read more

Claire Maxwell and Ian Warwick highlight some ways in which student mental health is being addressed in colleges of further education

Secondary drama teacher Julie Leoni writes about how she teaches through the darkest days of winter read more

Christine Fanthome shows how students can gain essential employment skills. read more

In an edited excerpt from his new book, clinical psychologist Steve Killick writes about the importance of listening to young people. read more

Graham Haydon argues that we must go beyond vague references to values. read more

Former headteacher Tim Small, a member of of ViTaL Partnerships, introduces some excerpts from his colleague Ruth Deakin Crick’s new book on learning power and the effective lifelong learning inventory (ELLI)

Jenny Fox Eades writes about the Celebrating Strengths project, which uses the Christmas story to explore emotions around hope and spirituality

A new programme from the charity Samaritans links in with current initiatives to create an emotionally healthy culture in schools. read more

Marilyn Tew takes a look at what the Nuffield Review of 14-19 Education and Training has to tell us about whether current strategies will improve the education on offer to teenagers. read more

A lot more effort needs to go into developing young people’s emotional and social skills, writes behaviour adviser Amanda Whitehead read more

In the first episode of her diary, drama teacher Julie Leoni writes about reconciling her emotional literacy programme with the school’s focus on targets and achievement. read more

In the first of two articles, Jenni Whitehead explores present understanding and research on how abuse experienced in childhood affects the child’s developing brain function and how this in turn affects learning

Susannah Temple, Giles Barrow, Julie Leoni and Trudi Newton describe how teachers can use the principles of transactional analysis (TA) to build relationships that stimulate learning. read more

Teacher and group facilitator Celia Baly describes the challenge of getting out of the way so that children and young people can talk about how emotions affect their experience. read more

Judith Harwood, senior regional adviser for the primary and secondary strategy, describes what one school has been learning from its involvement in the Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills (SEBS) pilot. read more

Heather Clapp, until recently a behaviour and attendance adviser in Gloucestershire, presents thoughts and reflections on one authority’s experiences of engaging with the pilot programme for Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills (SEBS)

Toby Wood and Nick Guest describe how they have encouraged implementation of the SEAL materials in Peterborough primary schools.

Programme director Claire Finka writes about how the Sheffield-based Juniper programme helps children find a way to cope with stress. read more

Emotional abuse is more difficult to prove than physical abuse. Jenni Whitehead looks at how emotional abuse is defined and how it can be recognised

James Park, director of Antidote, explains the benefits for everyone in creating and leading an emotionally literate school and shows how it can be done. read more

Victims of homophobic bullying often have no one to turn to for support. Former headteacher Roger Smith highlights the importance of the fight to eradicate this form of destructive behaviour

G&T coordinator Peter Leyland explains how one Luton primary school has found that this thinking technique benefits everybody – students, more-able students and even staff. read more

Extending vocabulary when talking or listening to children is a good way to develop their emotional language. Margaret Collins describes two ways of doing this. read more

A new study guide by Quakers makes a valuable contribution to peace, finds Brian Walker. read more

Colin Noble explains how achieving national healthy school status supports the new ‘whole-child’ agenda. read more

Preparing sixth-formers for their first weeks of university life has long-term benefits. Dr Christine Fanthome describes how to make the most of independence. read more

David Cattell explores the comparative strengths of vertical and horizontal systems of pastoral care. read more

Theatre in education can be a powerful tool in teaching sex and relationship education and other PSHE and citizenship topics. Chris Cowan explains

Young people discuss bullying, citizenship, fair trade and social responsibility

What happens when a porcupine moves in with a load of moles? Using a hypothetical dilemma from the animal world, Dr Graham Haydon explores the perspectives adopted by female and male students. read more

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