Moorlands Infant School (Southampton):
Whole school policy statement for Emotional Literacy

The Context: Moorlands is a small Infant School currently with 120 on roll. It fosters a climate of learning where children’s self-esteem is nurtured. We are confident that we already use many strategies that develop a child’s emotional well-being but we needed to articulate our good practice. In January Educational Psychologist Adrian Faupel led an INSET day which involved all stakeholders. We reflected on our good practice and considered areas for further development. The following policy statement is the outcome. Policies need to be practised and developed further so this is just the beginning!

Margaret White, Acting Head, January 2004.


MOORLANDS WHOLE SCHOOL POLICY STATEMENT FOR: EMOTIONAL LITERACY

DEVELOPED BY: Margaret White, Spring 2004

DATE OF NEXT REVIEW: Spring 2005

1.Philosophy: the reason we need the policy:

• At Moorlands we believe that when any individual has positive self-esteem and self-competence, whilst also valuing others, he/she will learn effectively and be able to serve an essential role in family life, place of work or in the community as a whole.
• It is an entitlement for every pupil to develop the skills and competencies to enable him/her to be emotionally literate.
• The Southampton L.E.A. is totally committed to the promotion of Emotional Literacy.
• The Primary Strategy, “Excellence and Enjoyment”, acknowledges the importance of the “Emotional Well Being “ of a pupil as being a crucial factor in the ability to learn.

2.Aims: the way the philosophy will be put into practice. At Moorlands we aim:

• To develop the Emotional Intelligence, Emotional Well Being and Social Skills of every pupil. (Emotional Intelligence).
• To teach the skills to enable pupils to become self-aware, to manage feelings, to be motivated, to empathise and to handle relationships.
• To ensure that there are direct links to Moorlands School Mission, principles and aims- an ethos that promotes Emotional Literacy.
  ”Develop the whole child and you have a Learner For Life”.
• To encourage children to make links with areas of the curriculum such as PSHE and circle time/assemblies/ R.E./role play /Intercultural and so on.
• To ensure that, wherever possible, policies will support the promotion of Emotional Literacy but especially P.S.H.E., Behaviour, Inclusion, Teaching and Learning, S.E.N., Equal Opportunity and Intercultural.
• To expect all adults who are in contact with pupils to be aware of this policy and its procedures in order to model appropriate behaviours, attitudes and emotions as well as trying to understand the young child’s responses to environmental stimuli.

3.Objectives: At Moorlands we will:

Teach the children how to recognise and understand own emotions and that of others, handle own emotions in order to develop positive and wholesome relationships and appropriately express emotions by:

• Directly referring to and making links to Moorlands P.S.H.E and Citizenship policy objectives and scheme of work.
• Using assembly, Collective Worship, whole class or small group opportunities to develop the above.
• Having clearly identified strategies, understood by all, in the Behaviour Policy.
• Using Intercultural themes , Festivals, R.E. and evocative stories for reflection.
• Having both planned and spontaneous opportunities to model feelings for children to reflect on.
• Using the art, music, drama and Role Play curriculum as a vehicle for expressing and articulating feelings,
• Providing children with a variety of Learning Styles, a way of expressing preferred learning styles but the confidence to try and develop others (This is directly linked to agreed procedures in Teaching and Learning Policy).
• Developing an agreed “bank” of “feelings” vocabulary so that children can begin to articulate their responses.
• Piloting aspects of the Guidance Scheme for developing Social, Emotional and Behavioural skills as produced by the DFES, 2003.
• Developing a lunchtime “curriculum” which supports supervisors and enhances the quality of the pupil’s play experiences.
• Developing the “pupil voice” through the School Council and Network Learning Community research.

4.Notes for further development:

• Identify “gaps” in the curriculum where skills and competences may be further developed.
• Incorporate into planning.
• SMT monitor developments through talking to children, adults and observations.
• SMT develop a “lunchtime pack” of games, strategies and activities.
• Review in Summer 2004 developments at a twilight meeting under the guidance of E.P.

5. Sources Consulted in the Development of this Policy:

• Moorlands Existing Policies as appropriate.
• Moorlands Mission, Aims and Values.
• Excellence and Enjoyment—The Primary Strategy.
• Southampton L.E.A. “Promoting Emotional Literacy” guidance, 2003.
• Information from Adrian Faupel’s Training Day.
• DFES, 2003 Pilot Scheme Guidance for Emotional, Social and Behavioural Curriculum.

Added January 2004