TEACHERS' TV EMOTIONAL LITERACY DOCUMENTARIES

Teachers' TV have filmed two mini documentaries about aspects of Emotional Literacy in practice in Southampton schools, both of which can be watched online for free as well as viewed on the TV channel itself.

The films each last about 15 minutes and focus on work in Hightown Primary, Bassett Green Primary and Foundry Lane Primary.

1) Emotional Literacy: The Hightown ELSAs

The country's first emotional literacy support assistants (ELSAs) have helped Hightown Primary School in Southampton raise standards and cut exclusions by two-thirds.

ELSAs Lorraine Englefield and Tracey Little work with all pupils at their school, but they focus their efforts on those with EBD and other severe behavioural problems. They help them understand and control their emotions and develop strategies to deal with them.

Six years ago, Hightown was put into special measures. Headteacher Sue Bailey explains how important promoting emotional literacy has been in improving behaviour and enhancing learning.

The ELSAs are central to their whole-school approach. From an individual pupil assessment, they decide who needs help with anger management or improvements in empathy, friendship and communication skills.

This programme can be viewed online here:

www.teachers.tv/subjectBlockProgramme.do?transmissionBlockId
=125521&zoneId=1&transmissionProgrammeId=124453

2) Emotional Literacy: School Strategies

Southampton's LEA has cut exclusions and enhanced learning by making emotional literacy a top priority. Their initiative is lead by educational psychologist Adrian Faupel. Over 30 schools in the area have introduced strategies to promote emotional literacy - particularly beneficial for pupils with EBD and other special needs.

This programme explores two approaches. Foundry Lane Primary School is in the second year of a pilot programme to help KS1 pupils develop their emotional awareness. Over 24 weeks, pupils follow the story of a stick insect called Zippy and his friends during which they learn to recognise emotions and develop coping strategies to deal with problems.

Bassett Green Primary School takes a whole-school approach. Both staff and pupils take part in a programme developed to enhance learning through the control of physiology to reduce emotional stress. It uses techniques such as meditation, visualisation and computerized biofeedback.

This programme explores:

- Effective strategies for teaching emotional literacy
- Using physiological techniques to reduce stress

This programme can be viewed online here:

www.teachers.tv/subjectBlockProgramme.do?transmissionBlockId
=125521&zoneId=1&transmissionProgrammeId=125323