In order for the children to explore
aspects such as friendship, responsibility and changing emotions, teachers will
provide regular group time for the children to share their feelings and ideas
within a climate of respect and trust.
Wellbeing 'Check-ins'
In Primary 1-7, all children evaluate themselves annually (in September) against each Wellbeing Indicator on the Wellbeing Wheel below.
In Primary 3-7, these children also complete a short self-evaluation survey - Pupil Attitudes to Self and School (PASS) in January. This is used to capture feelings about school and teachers, and can help to detect any possible barriers to learning, including issues around confidence, resilience, motivation, concentration, disaffection and alienation.
In Primary 1-7, all children are invited (in June) to provide any information that they would like their new teacher to know about them e.g., how they are feeling about moving onto a new Year Group.
Following each 'check in', staged intervention is employed for any children requiring it. This is a flexible, individualised, solution-focused approach that is tailored to support children and their individual circumstances.
In addition to the above, children will experience certain topics through focused programmes of study. Please see below for the main content.
Emotional Vocabulary and Literacy (Terms 1-4)
Through weekly
lessons focusing on a wide range of words associated with feelings, we assist
our children in developing the ability to recognise, understand, take care of
and appropriately express their emotions.
By ‘talking and teaching’ through stories, activities and
games, we nurture, support and encourage our children’s emotional literacy so
that they can learn to express themselves appropriately. We also use emotional literacy to empower our
children and help them to develop deep respect and understanding of the
emotions of others.
Mindfulness (Terms 1-4)
Mindfulness is a powerful tool that
supports children in calming themselves, focusing their attention and
interacting effectively with others, which are all critical skills for effective
functioning in school and throughout life.
Incorporating mindfulness into
education has been linked to improved academic, social and emotional learning
because Mindfulness strengthens underlying developmental processes such as
focus, self-regulation and resilience.
Through regular Mindfulness sessions in the classroom, we aim
to make a positive difference to our children’s health and wellbeing.
Culture and Values (Term 1)
Every child will be given the opportunity to explore and share aspects of their lives that they are particularly passionate about. For example, the significance of their culture and values. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the diversity in our school community.
Health and Fitness (Term 1)
This topic links to our Science Topic in Term 1 - The Human Body. The children will investigate how to take care of their bodies e.g. the importance of oral health and the
damaging effects of habits such as smoking and vaping.
They will learn about nutrition and explore the effects of exercise on
their bodies.
Anti-Racism (Term 2)
The children will take part in educational workshops using materials from the UK's leading anti-racism educational charities 'Show Racism the Red Card' and 'ARISE' (Anti-Racism in Schools and Education).
The Compassionate and Connected Global Classroom (Terms 2 and 3)
This
programme (from Education Scotland) aims to support children in understanding some
effects of adversity and trauma on wellbeing.
It aims to support children in developing compassion, empathy and
tolerance in their relationships with others, understanding that they have
the right to be protected and supported by the adults in their lives. It also provides them with strategies and
personal coping skills to help them deal with challenges and develop
resilience.
From this base we move on to helping our children to explore compassion towards others across the UK by learning about the importance of the system of democracy in both the Scottish and UK Parliaments. The children will explore freedom and equality between all people, learning how important decisions are made in Parliament and the direct impact these decisions can make.
Personal Safety (Terms 2 and 3)
The children will revise their Road Safety knowledge and explore how to keep themselves safe when the winter nights become darker. Due to the fact that many children, due to their age, will be given increasing responsibility at home, we also spend time learning about how to deal with various emergencies in the home.
Love and Relationships (Term 3)
The children will learn about aspects of
puberty, relationships and human reproduction using lessons from the national resource for relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP). Key knowledge is provided with
the opportunity for discussion, which will help our children to make safe,
informed and confident choices as they enter adulthood. Detailed information about each lesson in
this topic will be sent to parents via SchoolPost.
Health Week (Term 4)
In this
week, the children will revisit how to keep their minds and bodies
healthy, understanding the important links between good health and wellbeing to
effective learning.
NSPCC (Term 4)
The children take part in an annual NSPCC online assembly as part of the NSPCC's Speak out, Stay safe. programme. It aims to help children understand abuse in all its forms and to recognise the signs of abuse in a child friendly way. Children are taught to speak out if they are worried, either to a trusted adult or to Childline.
Primary 6 Camp (Term 4)
Primary
6 Camp is an important learning experience for our children. It enables them to challenge themselves and
develop both their independence and resilience.
It is also an opportunity to further their interpersonal skills by
spending additional time with their peers and various members of staff.