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ISP and SEAL at Birchwood Junior School, Lincoln
Intensifying Support Programme (ISP) and Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL)
Birchwood Junior School - April 2006
Context
What the school did
What has been the impact of SEAL within ISP?
Next steps
Appendices
Context
Birchwood Junior School is a three-form entry school in an area of high social deprivation. In September 2004 the school took part in a one year, pre-ISP programme. This helped the school to establish rigorous whole-school improvement systems to raise standards. Central to the success of the programme, and ISP, was the introduction of the DfES materials for developing social, emotional and behavioural skills - the SEAL materials.
Why the SEAL materials?
The school had identified several areas that it felt were holding back children’s learning:
- children’s skills in understanding and managing their feelings
- working cooperatively in groups
- demonstrating resilience in the face of setbacks.
The SEAL materials were used because they provide a whole-school framework to help to develop children as effective learners.
The resources aim to develop the qualities and skills that help promote positive behaviour and effective learning. They focus on five aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation, empathy and social skills.
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What the school did
Leadership and management
The identification of a member of the school leadership team (SLT) to drive the SEAL programme forward was important to its success. This ensured that SEAL was integrated into the school’s Raising Attainment Plan (RAP). For each term, key actions, success criteria, monitoring evaluation and resources are planned. The plan was then reviewed and updated at the middle and end of each term.
See Appendix 1 and 2, which are available to download from this case study web page, for copies of the RAP at the start and in the last term of ISP.
Professional development meetings (PDMs)
Throughout ISP and SEAL, high-quality professional development has been central. This was planned within the RAP. Where possible, support staff and governors were invited and involved so that the whole school would move forward together.
See Appendix 3 for links to staff training materials.
Regular, planned, whole-school assemblies
All staff and children attended the first assembly of each half-term when the new SEAL theme was launched. Throughout the term, collective worship was carefully planned to support the learning within the SEAL themes.
At the end of each half-term there was a SEAL celebration assembly. This gave all members of the school community the opportunity to see learning from across the school. As part of the assembly, good practice was shared and learning was monitored.
See Appendix 3 for links to assemblies to support SEAL.
Regular, timetabled SEAL lessons, alongside informal and cross-curricular learning
Weekly lessons were established in all classes. Staff and children enjoyed using the high-quality support material from the pilot website: http://www.bandapilot.org.uk. The resources are also now available as downloadable zip files from the Primary area of the Standards site at: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/banda/seal/.
See Appendix 3 for links to resources to support teaching and learning.
As the material became more familiar, cross-curricular links - especially in literacy, history and RE - were made. Further development of cross-curricular opportunities and links is a continuing focus this year.
High-profile visual support for SEAL within the learning environment
Having strong visual support in classrooms, corridors and the hall where the school meets for worship was key to reinforcing SEAL themes and establishing them throughout the school. Children worked with professional artists to develop SEAL themes in artwork.
'Calming down areas' with soft seating, prompts and posters were established in all parts of the school.
The next step for the school will be to develop indoor and outdoor areas where peer mediation can be supported. Children will be fully involved in this process.
See the accompanying PowerPoint presentation.
Small-group learning opportunities and multi-agency working
In the first year of SEAL it was recognised that some children needed more support in this area of learning. A multi-agency working party was established to plan proactive small-group learning. This group included school staff (teachers and teaching assistants), the ISP consultant (ISPC), the Emotional and Behavioural Support Service and an educational psychologist.
See Appendix 3 for links to material to support small-group learning.
Communication with parents and carers
Regular curriculum newsletters gave information about the current themes for SEAL learning. There were opportunities to attend small-group and class learning celebration assemblies. Next term, there are plans to use the workshop material for parents.
See Appendix 3 for material to support working with parents and carers.
Assessment for Learning
This has been a key area of school improvement as part of the ISP programme and is reflected within the SEAL learning. Within each SEAL theme, every year group has a learning focus. All SEAL lessons have clear learning intentions (WALT - we are learning to) and success criteria (WALF - we are looking for). Children are actively involved in generating success criteria and using and peer and self-assessment.
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What has been the impact of SEAL within ISP?
SEAL has been central to the success of ISP in our school. The trend in data is upwards.
|
KS2 National Curriculum results (%) |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
| English level 4 + |
56 |
63 |
70 |
| English level 5 |
14 |
6 |
32 |
| Mathematics level 4 + |
51 |
62 |
72 |
| Mathematics level 5 |
24 |
20 |
22 |
| Science level 4 + |
67 |
81 |
86 |
| Science level 5 |
20 |
31 |
35 |
Data from non-statutory National Curriculum tests indicate that the school is on course to make further improvements.
Monitoring also shows:
- improved attendance - 92.7% (2004), 94.5% (2005)
- fewer exclusions - fixed term exclusions reduced by 50% with no permanent exclusions this year
- improved attitudes to learning – internal and external monitoring shows that children are much more able to sustain independent learning
- improvements in children’s self-esteem, resilience, understanding of others’ points of view and self-control
- whole-school language established for children and adults to talk about emotions and behaviour
- reduction in the number of serious whole-school incidents recorded.
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Next steps
- Continue to develop the learning environment - inside and outside - to support the whole-school approach to SEAL.
- Further develop use of assessment for learning strategies within SEAL.
- Review the school’s behaviour policy to take account of the impact of SEAL.
- Further develop parental involvement through assemblies.
- Evaluate new 'Family SEAL' materials with a view to using these in the next year.
- Develop cross-curricular learning opportunities with SEAL.
- Continue to encourage creativity in the use of the SEAL materials.
- Further develop systems of monitoring and evaluating of impact of SEAL.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: RAP at start of SEAL/ISP work
Appendix 2: Current RAP
(Appendices 1 and 2 are available as a combined download from this web page).
Appendix 3: Useful SEAL resources
Many of the SEAL resources were not available when we first began using the original SEBs materials two years ago. We have started to use them since and fully recommend that they be used.
The SEAL pack is also available to download by theme and colour from the Standards site at: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/banda/seal.
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