My Social & Emotional Well-being

In this curriculum area, pupils learn about their identity and their place in the world. They explore what makes them unique and work to develop a strong sense of self. Pupils will engage in a rich variety of experiences to help them develop confidence and self-esteem. They may recognise that their life experiences are different to others’ and share in others’ celebrations and interests. The curriculum recognises the diversity of the school population and celebrates this through a variety of meaningful experiences, tailored to pupils’ needs and understanding.

The curriculum enhances pupils’ understanding of their own emotions and emotional regulation, using an adapted ‘Zones of Regulation’ (ZOR) approach, which draws on advice from Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists. Pupils working within the Roots curriculum will be learning about their core emotions and associating these with the four colours of ZOR. They will then begin to explore strategies which make them feel calm. At Branches and Leaves level, pupils will develop their own personal self-regulation toolkits and some may begin to understand others’ emotions as well as be able to recognise their own.

Social communication development programmes, such as Talkabout and SCERTS, are used to enhance pupils’ social skills and engagement. Pupils develop confidence in social interaction and build on their communication and language skills to become able social communicators.

The curriculum has pupil well-being at its core and adopts a holistic approach which recognises pupils’ individual skills, interests and achievements. It sets aspirational goals for ALL pupils and is delivered through highly bespoke means, including play-based learning and targeted interventions.