Gill is an experienced reception teacher who now works across the primary range in a support role. She discusses concerns about the National Curriculum's impact on social-emotional development in young children. She notes a shift from child-centered, in-the-moment planning to a knowledge-focused curriculum, which neglects personal, social aspects.

Gill highlights issues such as lack of early intervention support, budget cuts, and the rigid adherence to a knowledge-based curriculum. She emphasizes the importance of early intervention, nurturing relationships, and play-based learning for developing emotional resilience and social skills. Gill argues for a holistic approach that prioritizes personal, social development over academic knowledge, including work with parents.

Gills Recommended Action Items

• [ ] Advocate for a more balanced curriculum that prioritizes the development of social-emotional skills, particularly in the early years.
• [ ] Explore ways to provide more flexibility and autonomy for teachers to respond to the immediate needs of their students, even if it means temporarily deviating from the prescribed curriculum.
• [ ] Engage with policymakers and education authorities to emphasize the importance of early intervention and the need for a robust support network for families, including access to speech and language therapists, mental health services, and other resources.
• [ ] Collaborate with other schools and education professionals to share best practices and advocate for a more holistic approach to education that values the development of social-emotional skills alongside academic achievement.

Kirsten is an experienced primary SENCO working with several small schools. She discussed the challenges in tracking social-emotional development in primary schools. She noted a significant increase in children struggling with emotional regulation and resilience, often first identified in reception but neglected in subsequent years.

Current assessment focuses on cognition and learning, neglecting emotional development. Despite the introduction of ELSA (Emotional Literacy Support Assistant) roles, schools increasingly struggle to afford classroom assistants and the needs for help far outstrips supply of adults able to listen and serious school funding challenges are actively limiting what schools can manage to provide.

Kirsten emphasized the need for formal assessment of emotional development, similar to the Early Years framework, to better support children in a timely fashion. She believes addressing these issues early could prevent future problems.

Clarification: In the recording, I threw Kirsten with my question asking about the 4 strands of the EYFS. This was my mistake, in fact, the Early Years Foundation Stage has 7 strands and the Early Years Development Journal used for SEND children has 4 strands.

Action Items

• [ ] Obtain and review the assessment data from the early years foundation stage to understand the level of social-emotional development of students as they transition to primary school.
• [ ] Investigate the use of Emotional Literacy Support Assistants (ELSAs) in the schools and the potential to expand this support.
• [ ] Explore the possibility of incorporating a structured assessment of social-emotional development into the primary curriculum, similar to the early years framework.
• [ ] Consider ways to prioritize the development of students' social-emotional skills within the primary curriculum.

Paul is an experienced teacher with 40 years of experience in the primary sector, 13 years as primary headteacher. He now trains prospective primary teachers. Paul discussed the evolution of the national curriculum and his views regarding its damaging impact on children's education.

He highlighted the shift from a holistic approach focusing on the whole child to a more academic-centric model under Michael Gove's reforms.

Paul believes this shift has led to a decline in emotional and social development, with schools becoming more like factories focused on SATs and attainment. Paul emphasized the need to return to a holistic curriculum that includes multiple intelligences and emotional intelligence. He also noted that current teacher training is de-skilling new teachers, leading to a lack of creativity and problem-solving skills in education.

Paul's Recommended Action Items

• [ ] Advocate for a curriculum that is more focused on the "whole child" and developing critical thinking, emotional, and social skills.
• [ ] Explore ways to provide more training and support for teachers, especially younger teachers, to help them develop more creative and engaging teaching practices.
• [ ] Identify and implement strategies to help students develop problem-solving and creative thinking skills, rather than just focusing on rote learning.

A conversation with Jacqui Wilson.

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About This Episode:

Dr. Cathy Betoin introduces her podcast, "Relationship Health Matters," aimed at promoting relationship health in a full range of settings. She highlights the importance of relationships in children's well-being, noting that despite research emphasizing this, it is often overlooked in practice and policy.

Cathy defines relationship health as a dynamic process supporting positive connections, emotional understanding, and conflict resolution. She introduces the "I Matter framework," a practical tool to facilitate communication and shared understanding in discussions about relationship health.

The podcast will feature short interviews and discussions on diverse aspects of relationship health, inviting listener input and engagement.