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A new report from the Public Policy Institute for Wales synthesises research and policy evaluations related to school-based strategies to promote emotional health, well-being, and resilience among primary school students aged 4 to 11 years.
The report argues that school-based work in this area can be very effective, and school systems need to be strongly connected with each other in order to translate the research evidence into sustained impact. While work on emotional health and well-being is relevant to all students, some children are likely to have additional needs. These children often come from high-risk groups that can be identified, for example, those who have socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The report’s overarching recommendation is to develop a carefully planned and well-supported approach to social and emotional learning (SEL) that is integrated with core pedagogical principles and situated within a connected school. It also calls for an independent evaluation of a Welsh initiative on SEL that is designed to support emotional health, well-being, and resilience. Importantly, the focus should not be on developing an entirely new SEL curriculum or new teaching resources, since many evidence-based programs with high-quality resources already exist. Rather, the emphasis should be on identifying specific strategies for integrating SEL work, engaging families, and broader schools systems and core pedagogical principles.
Source:Promoting Emotional Health, Well-being and Resilience in Primary Schools (2016), Public Policy Institute for Wales.