Relationships

Roots of Empathy is an international, evidence-based classroom program that has shown significant effect in reducing levels of aggression among schoolchildren by raising social/emotional competence and increasing empathy. The program is designed for children ages 5 to 13.

For more information see: https://uk.rootsofempathy.org/roots-of-empathy/

Age range: 8-16

Overview: Peer mentoring involves a one-to-one non-judgemental relationship between a mentor and a mentee. The mentor volunteers their time to support the mentee and provide advice and guidance whilst acting as a positive role model for younger people who require their support. Peer mentoring can be set up in schools where an older pupil offers to mentor a younger pupil. Peer mentoring can be beneficial to both students involved. It can improve the emotional health and well-being of pupils. Furthermore, it can empower older mentors to develop their skills, desirable in their CVs and job applications.

Resources: There are many resources available online. Here is a link to a Peer Mentoring Toolkit that outlines a peer mentor programme for schools; https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/peer-mentoring-toolkit/

Time: This requires time to train mentors.

To construct a class sociogram, ask each pupil to confidentially list two students to work with on an activity. The topic does not matter. In most cases, the social relationships will be relatively constant regardless of the activity. Make sure they put their own name on the top of the paper.

Write up this data as a chart. Different-sized circles, as in the diagram, give visual impact to these relationships and make it easy to discern the various degrees of popularity. This can be done either on a computer, or by hand tracing. Arrows indicate who is choosing whom.

Find out more @ https://www.6seconds.org/2012/05/08/sociograms-mapping-the-emotional-dynamics-of-a-classroom/

Achievement for All is a leading not-for-profit organisation that works in partnership with early years settings, schools and colleges, improving outcomes for all children and young people vulnerable to underachievement regardless of background, challenge or need.

Find out more @ https://afaeducation.org/about-us/

SULP is a cohesive framework within which to enhance personal, emotional and social development from a communication and thinking skills perspective. Within this framework, it provides a series of multisensory activity sequences incorporating interactive stories (these can now be used with puppet toys in the infant and preschool versions), talking pictures, modelling, games and takeaways/ ‘carryover‘ practice. From the summer of 2013 there will be an option to have the stories in colour if this is preferred to the current black and white line drawings.

Find out more @ http://www.autismtoolbox.co.uk/resources/interventions-and-approaches/social-use-of-language-program-sulp/

For Nurseries, Pre schools, Children’s Centres, parents and Primary schools, Spirals offers an effective approach to developing children’s language and thinking skills and their emotional literacy through experiencing a series of 15 to 25 minutes (dependent on age) sessions in a small group. The Spirals programme is supported by 7 separate books and a range of training courses. Practitioners running small group sessions for children who are vulnerable in these areas have given us lots of positive feedback that it really makes a difference. Children are encouraged to take small steps and build up their confidence gradually, with the aim being to allow them to catch up and keep pace with their peers. All sessions are very practical, involving games and activities. They are graded to cover important areas of language development and expansion, early pragmatic skills, listening skills, social skills, critical thinking skills, self esteem and self confidence. All books contain photo-copiable resources as well as samples of assessment forms used.

Find out more @ http://www.spiralstraining.co.uk

Go-Givers contributes to SMSC (Social, Moral, Spiritual, Cultural) learning. It cultivates an ethos of caring, concern and community connection. We’ve seen time and time again that Go-Givers helps teachers to deliver PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health & Citizenship Education) in a cross-curricular way. We complement the remit of PSHCE schemes such as SEAL and Healthy Schools, by extending the related citizenship elements and applying them to a wider societal context. For instance, issues of bullying in the classroom and playground open up learning opportunities for children to discuss power and politics between groups in society and between nation-states.

Find out more @ https://www.gogivers.org/about-us/educational-and-political-context/

Encouraging discussions, advising government, both national and local supporting action by the NHS and other people and organisations. Supporting the public so they can protect and improve their own health. Protecting the nation’s health through the national health protection service, and preparing for public health emergencies. Sharing our information and expertise with local authorities, industry and the NHS, to help them make improvements in the public’s health. Researching, collecting and analysing data to improve our understanding of health and come up with answers to public health problems. Reporting on improvements in the public’s health so everyone can understand the challenge and the next steps. Helping local authorities and the NHS to develop the public health system and its specialist workforce.

Find out more @ https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources

Encourage the pupils to get involved with volunteering within the community, e.g. old people’s homes, clean ups, disabled groups.

The Nurturing Programme aims to help adults understand and manage feelings and behaviour and become more positive and nurturing in their relationships with children and each other. It encourages an approach to relationships that gives children and adults an emotionally healthy start for their lives and learning. American child psychologist Dr Stephen J Bavolek developed the Nurturing Programme in the 1970s. Bavolek researched dysfunctional and abusive family interactions; he identified four destructive parental behaviour patterns and developed the Nurturing Programme to counter these.

Find out more @ https://familylinks.org.uk/the-nurturing-programme

VIG is a relationship based intervention to promote attunement, empathy and emotional well-being. It uses small Video clips of positive interaction between people to help them observe and reflect on what works well within the relationship and to explore ways that communication could be different in order to improve emotional regulation, behaviour, and attachment within the relationship.

Find out more @ https://www3.northamptonshire.gov.uk/councilservices/children-families-education/schools-and-education/information-for-school-staff/pupil-support-and-inclusion/Documents/VIG_Video_Interaction_Guidance_TaMHS_Brochure_addendum.pdf

Schools play a key role in promoting internet safety. A whole school approach to e-safety can help involve staff, governors, parents and pupils themselves in keeping children and young people safe online.

Find out more @ https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/research-resources/schools/e-safety-for-schools/

School staff have a signifi cant role to play in supporting children and families of cultural and language diverse (CALD) backgrounds. When staff are welcoming and approachable it helps to build a sense of belonging and trust for students and their families. Cultivating a culture of respect, caring and inclusion of difference amongst the whole school community is very important for supporting positive mental health and reducing school-based risk factors for children from CALD backgrounds.

Find out more @ https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/families/about-difference/cultural-difference/cultural-differences-suggestions-teaching-staff

MindMatters is a mental health initiative for secondary schools that aims to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young people. We call it a 'framework', in that it provides structure, guidance and support while enabling schools to build their own mental health strategy to suit their unique circumstances. MindMatters provides school staff with blended professional learning that includes online resources, face-to-face events, webinars and support.

Find out more @ https://www.mindmatters.edu.au/

Pivotal Education is an education training consultancy working across the whole of the UK and internationally. We are the leading Behaviour Specialists in the UK. There are over 1000 schools and colleges using the Pivotal approach to behaviour management, a proven system that works in every classroom, with every adult and every learner. We will show you exactly what steps you need to go through to improve behaviour in your classroom and throughout your school or college. We will lead you through whole organisation behaviour change.

Find out more @ https://pivotaleducation.com/

The Institute provides in-depth training to schools and communities in the prevention and intervention of all high risk behavior. We offer state-of-the-art training in national program models which are successfully impacting youth, their families and communities in which they live.

Find out more @ http://www.cwsap.com/

We act on the belief – that a child is the most precious of all human beings, and the

ability to withstand the emotional and social challenges as a teenager, clearly rests

upon a caring relationship between parent, teacher and child. Our mission is to advance the social and emotional behaviour of children of all ethnic groups, through a series of interlocking parent, teacher and child programs supported by more than thirty years of clinically proven worldwide research. Our goal is to deliver evidence-based programs and materials that develop positive parent-teacher-child relationships and assist in preventing and treating behaviour problems and promoting social, emotional, and academic competence before a child becomes an adult.

Find out more @ http://www.incredibleyears.com/

This unique volume brings together authorities from across the world to write about how relationships might be enhanced in all these difference areas of our lives. It also explores how to address the challenges involved in establishing and maintaining positive relationships.

Find out more @ https://langleygroup.com.au/product/positive-relationships-sue-roffey/

ASPIRE is both a philosophy for healthy relationships and a positive pedagogy for learning them. It is based on research evidence found in the fields of resilience, positive psychology and neuroscience. The framework can be used in many different ways and for all ages from young children to adult. Circle sessions establish understanding, values and behaviours for learning to be and learning to live together that are reinforced outside these sessions in schools and community contexts.

Find out more @ https://growinggreatschoolsworldwide.com/csn/

We champion people’s right to sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing. We do this through education, information, advocacy and campaigning so that we can achieve a society where everyone can make positive choices about their own sexual health and wellbeing.

Find out more @ https://www.fpa.org.uk/

Childline is here to help anyone under 19 in the UK with any issue they’re going through. You can talk about anything. Whether it’s something big or small, our trained counsellors are here to support you. Childline is free, confidential and available any time, day or night.

Find out more @ https://www.childline.org.uk/

Continuing research is showing that mindful practices can have a tremendous impact on physical and mental wellbeing - both for adults and children. Mindfulness is a key support for optimal learning and protects a student’s’ developing brain from the harmful effects of stress and trauma. It also cultivates greater self-awareness and an expanded awareness of others and the world.

Find out more @ https://www.open-circle.org/resources/mindfulness

Kagan Publishing and Professional Development is all about engagement! Central to most Kagan publications and workshops are Kagan Structures. You've probably heard of some popular Kagan Structures including Numbered Heads Together, Timed Pair Share, RallyRobin, and Quiz-Quiz-Trade. Those Kagan Structures, and many more, are now used world-wide from kindergarten to adult education, in all academic subject areas to boost student engagement and learning.

Find out more @ https://www.kaganonline.com/about_us.php

The Random Acts of Kindness curriculum features developmentally appropriate, standards-aligned lessons that teach kids important Social Emotional (SEL) skills. Website includes free resources and lesson plans

Find out more @ https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/for-educators

ThoughtCo is a premier reference site with a 20+ year focus on expert-created education content. We are proud to be one of the top-10 information sites, as measured by comScore, a leading Internet measurement company. In 2018, ThoughtCo received a Communicator Award in the General Education category and a Davey Award in the Education category. At ThoughtCo, we believe that great inspiration begins with a question, and we help 13 million users answer theirs every month. Whether yours is about science and math, humanities and religion, or architecture and the arts, our in-depth articles, written by literature writers, Ph.D.s, and experienced instructors, are designed to give you the answers and information you need in a clear, easy-to-navigate format. So whether you are asking for a class, that next conversation, or just because you want to know, ThoughtCo can help.

Find out more @ www.thoughtCo.com

Break the Cycle inspires and supports young people 12 - 24 to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse. We are a culturally affirming organization that centers young people, caring adults, and communities in our prevention and intervention efforts. Our dynamic and diverse team believes that all young people deserve to live in a world where they can thrive.

Find out more @ Breakthecycle.org

The Choices Ideabook is the one-stop shop for teachers and educators dedicated to their students’ physical, social, and emotional health. Here you’ll find fresh, creative, inspiring ideas for using Scholastic’s teen health and life skills magazine (and its many spectacular resources!) to bring your classroom to life, plus invaluable expert guidance that will help make your school a healthier, happier, kinder, more inclusive community.

Find out more @ https://choices.scholastic.com/pages/ideabook.html

The trusted home of teacher-created planning and assessment materials and teaching resources!

Perfect for inside and outside the classroom.

Find out more @ https://www.twinkl.co.uk/

Adolescents on the autism spectrum and those with other cognitive challenges are missing out on critical social skills and life skills, impacting their ability to function effectively in society. Without a solid foundation, they can face lifelong struggles when it comes to forming meaningful social relationships. The result? Isolation. Depression. Difficulty finding employment. Victimization. Involvement with the criminal justice system. Educators and therapists face a host of roadblocks when it comes to addressing this critically glaring issue. That’s where The Healthy Relationships Curriculum comes in. This comprehensive package of 37 essential lessons provides young people with the life and social skills they will need as they move onto the next stage of life.

Find out more @ http://healthyrelationshipscurriculum.org/purpose-of-the-curriculum/

Mermaids is passionate about supporting children, young people, and their families to achieve a happier life in the face of great adversity. We work to raise awareness about gender nonconformity in children and young people amongst professionals and the general public. We campaign for the recognition of gender dysphoria in young people and lobby for improvements in professional services.

Find out more @ https://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk/

ENABLE (European Network Against Bullying in Learning and Leisure Environments) aims to tackle bullying in a holistic way, helping young people exercise their fundamental rights in the home, school, class and community (i.e. peer group). Using a unique approach that combines social and emotional learning (SEL) with Peer Support, the ENABLE team strives to provide school staff with the skills, knowledge and confidence that can help them establish an effective student Peer Support scheme in their schools and develop their students’ social and emotional skills.

Find out more @ http://enable.eun.org/

Schools OUT UK is an education charity that began life as The Gay Teachers Association in 1974. Our overarching goal is to make our schools and educational institutions safe spaces for our Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) communities as teachers, lecturers and trainers; as pupils and students; as parents; as teaching and learning support staff; as site-officers, catering and cleaning staff; and as headteachers, managers and governors. There is no other organisation that supports such a wide community in attaining such a wide, yet simple overarching goal.

WRAP staff have been working in education and training using restorative approaches for 15 years. Our partners range from nursery to college, and interventions in adult and youth justice. Our lead trainers are qualified and experienced teachers from primary, secondary, and tertiary contexts, and associates include education senior leaders and school counsellors, school governors, and Estyn wellbeing inspectors. We always work closely with our education partners to ensure our training and strategic support and coaching align to school plans and priorities, so our provision is always bespoke to need. We build in sustainability, and wherever possible train and mentor key staff to become future trainers over time once they have sufficient practice experience.

Find out more @ https://restorativewales.org.uk/sectors/education

The Happiness Consultancy is committed to helping individuals, communities and corporations to benefit from the fruits of positive psychology research.

Find out more @ http://www.thehappinessconsultancy.co.uk/

A set of 10 free resources to support schools to understand the mental health impact of racism on children and young people, and help staff to build a whole school approach to anti-racism.

https://www.annafreud.org/schools-and-colleges/anti-racism-and-mental-health-in-schools/anti-racism-and-mental-health-in-schools-resources/

Age range: This may work better with older ages (KS3/KS4)

Overview: Peer mediation involves problem solving with the children themselves. It occurs when two or more students involved in a dispute meet in a private, safe and confidential setting to work out problems with the assistance of a trained student mediator (the ‘peer mediator’). This approach saves staff time spent on discipline and empowers students to learn to resolve disputes by themselves.

Resources: For more information on peer mediation see this website; https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/peer-mediation.html

Time: This approach requires finding sensible students that can fill the role as a peer mediator.

Age range: Foundation Stage and Primary

Overview: R time is an exciting, dynamic, fun-filled Personal and Social Education programme. The emphasis is upon creating effective, respectful relationships by way of Random Pair work. R time has been shown to improve behaviour, reduce bullying, raise self-esteem and accelerate learning. The essence of the R time approach is a weekly lesson that lasts between 10 - 15 minutes and contains 6 component parts (1.R time Rule and Instruction, 2. Random Pairing, 3. Introduction, 4. The activity, 5. Feedback, 6. Conclusion.

Resources: All R time training and activity resources can be found on their website at http://rtime.info/uk/what-is-rtime.php

Time: 10-15 minute weekly lessons.

Age range: Any

Overview: The Incredible Years® Series is a set of interlocking, comprehensive, and developmentally based programs developed by psychologist Dr. Webster-Stratton targeting parents, teachers and children. The US training programs that compose Incredible Years® Series are guided by developmental theory on the role of multiple interacting risk and protective factors in the development of conduct problems. The programs are designed to work jointly to promote emotional, social, and academic competence and to prevent, reduce, and treat behavioural and emotional problems in young children.

Resources: See this website for more information, and find separate training programs, intervention manuals and DVDs available to buy; http://www.incredibleyears.com

Age range: Any

Overview: Lego Therapy is an intervention that has started to emerge in schools to help children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their social communication difficulties. Originally proposed by LeGoff (2004) this intervention employs the use of three key roles ‘Engineer’ ‘Builder’ and ‘Supplier’ to build a model together using LEGO® bricks. This is facilitated by a trained adult, although child led, to allow the children a means of developing their social communication skills. Ask your Educational Psychology Service for information on training.

Resources: For more information on what Lego Therapy involves see; https://www.verywellhealth.com/lego-therapy-for-children-with-autism-4169865

Overview: The Solihull Approach offers emotional health and well-being training courses.

Resources: Find out more at https://solihullapproachparenting.com.

Activity: Nurture Groups

Age range: Primary and Secondary

Overview: Nurture groups are small group provision in schools, usually for children identifies as having a difficult behaviour, and/or traumatic early experiences. These groups give children opportunities to revisit early missed ‘nurturing’ experiences.

Resources: Here is a link to a handbook intended as an information pack on nurture groups; http://learning.gov.wales/docs/learningwales/publications/121128nurtureen.pdf

Overview: FRIENDS is resilience intervention proven to reduce anxiety and depression and promote positive mental health for children and young people. The name of the programme is an acronym for central components of the intervention.

F = Feelings

R = Remember to relax. Have quiet time.

I = I can do it! I can try my best!

E = Explore solutions and coping step plans.

N = Now reward yourself! You’ve done your best!

D = Don’t forget to practise!

S = Smile! Stay calm, and talk to your support networks!

There are different versions of the FRIENDS programme for children and young people of different ages as well as the Adult Resilience Programme.

Resources: Read more and order the FRIENDS books at http://www.thepsychologytree.com/friends/

Time: 10-12 weeks resilience intervention

Age range: Any

Overview: Protective Behaviours (PBs) provides a framework for personal safety, self-esteem, resilience and confidence building. The training courses follow two key themes; 1. We all have the right to feel safe all the time. 2. We can talk with someone about anything even if it’s awful or small.

Resources: For more information on these training courses visit https://familiesfeelingsafe.co.uk/what-is-protective-behaviours/

Age range: Year 5/6

Overview: The aim of the Playground Leaders Scheme is to introduce and develop leadership skills in years 5/6 children.

Resources: Teacher Resource Pack (PDF) https://www.sasp.co.uk/uploads/playground-leaders-teachers-resource-pack.pdf

Age range: Any

Overview: For many of these pupils the emotional difficulties that are getting in the way of their learning are related to attachment difficulties. Story Links uses therapeutic storywriting to address behaviour issues, support positive attachment and improve pupils’ reading. It is a solution-focused systemic programme delivered in weekly sessions in which the parent/carer and the child are facilitated to co-create a story which is then used as the child’s reading text during the week.

Resources: For more information on training visit http://www.therapeuticstorywriting.co.uk/story-links

Age range: 8-16

Overview: Peer mentoring involves a one-to-one non-judgemental relationship between a mentor and a mentee. The mentor volunteers their time to support the mentee and provide advice and guidance whilst acting as a positive role model for younger people who require their support. Peer mentoring can be set up in schools where an older pupil offers to mentor a younger pupil. Peer mentoring can be beneficial to both students involved. It can improve the emotional health and well-being of pupils. Furthermore, it can empower older mentors to develop their skills, desirable in their CVs and job applications.

Resources: There are many resources available online. Here is a link to a Peer Mentoring Toolkit that outlines a peer mentor programme for schools; https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/peer-mentoring-toolkit/

Time: This requires time to train mentors.