ACTIVITYAND

Acrossschools,common features in practiceincludeddaily and/ or weeklytimetabled or crosscurricular activities, regular events and intermittent focus days or weeks Targeted interventions included the introductionofthe SMILE language and ethos through resources andstrategies, suchasSMILE emotions, posters, cards,fans, wheels, key rings,SMILE ‘stations’,choice boards or toolboxes

The‘Emotion check-in’included ‘zonesofregulation’ or feelings boards, fans, wheels, charts or scales, and oneschool usedperiodicstaff assessment of pupil moodfor pupils withprofoundand multiple learning difficulties. Regular‘SMILE time’ activities were also amongst the targeted interventions,suchasa‘daily mile’, before andafter-school clubs, staff-pupil meet-and-greet, playtime and after-lunchactivities such as mindfulness, and forestor farmschool sessions

Personalised pupil interventions included peer support,‘emotion coaching’,therapies,counselling and educationalpsychology support forindividual students

All schools had the best hoped for outcomes linkedtobothstaffemotional healthand wellbeing or increasing staff knowledge,understanding,skills and confidencetosupport pupils’ emotional health andwellbeing.

Fiveschools used staff forumsand, for threeschools,wellbeing fed into supervision or appraisal.

We recognised that the‘NHSFive ways’ were practical steps that could be taught toour pupils but wantedtogofurtherby building them into theschool’srestorative ethosand adapting forour pupils’ needs; to make each of the five ways memorable to staffand pupils; to shout about them; to live them.“Giveusfiveto make us SMILE!”becameour mantra.

We incorporated play and creativity throughout our SMILE ethos; introducing the children to SMILEsteps through awhole-school wellbeing day, enthusing them through activities led by talented staffwhichshared‘normal’things youcoulddoevery dayinafun, inspiringway toenhance wellbeing. Agroup ofpupilsran acaféto supportsocialising, emotionalliteracy wastargeted, there wasrugby, teambuilding gamesand dance, naturewalks,mindful meditation, massage andfilm. Staffand pupils were able to learnnew skills in cooking,craft, cartoon design and throughoutwe engagedinthe new ‘Give me five’ focus as ateam, learning together, having funand launching anew kindness initiative.

SMILE is linked into thecurriculum: with resources in every classroom, staff look foropportunities to highlight wellbeing through learningand SMILEactivities considered priority are timetabled.

Emotional check-insare frequent and pupils independentlyaccess or are prompted to use helpful coping strategies they’ve identified if theyare anxious.The impact of this workafter ayearwas thatcoping skills increasedfrom 39 per centto100 percent.

Pupils whosaidthey coped with unhealthy strategies decreased from 11 percent to 0per cent More staff could name five-plus positive,self-help coping strategies.

Thepartnership studyfound evidenceofincreased learningresilience, including pupils’growing ability to use strategiestomanage issues and emotions in addition to ‘check-ins’, afoundationalstrategyfor all but one.

and feelings and to explore differentways toreflect and regulate in ordertomanage theirwellbeing’.

There was increased targeted supportofindividual pupils,with schools usingadaptedsupport and finding that thepersonalised strategies for individual children were also good for anxious children. Meanwhile, home-schoolrelationshipsweresupported, with schools reportingthe positive impactofSMILE events,with oneschoolstating that, ‘having funtogether has absolutely been ahighlight….Familieshave truly valued howwellbeing hasbeenput as apriority andthe approach taken.’

The scaffolding response to Covid wasalsofound to be beneficial. All schools reported that the approachsupported designing pastoral and curriculum recoverycurriculums during lockdowns or on pupils’returntothe school.

The approach also proved effective at increasingstaff knowledge of the importanceoftheir ownemotionalhealth andwellbeing, withschools reporting enthusiasm and increased interest in the topic,along with lessstigma, more openness and peer support. Therewas also increased staffunderstanding, interest,confidence andresponsibilityinsupporting pupils’ emotional healthand wellbeing. Eight schools reported morepositive staffattitudes, recognitionthatemotionalhealth and wellbeing is everybody’s responsibility. Onestaff member said there had been, ‘a significant shiftinthe language usedaroundschool –inparticular around encouraging staff and children to identify and label their emotions

Other strengths of the approach, as reported byschools, were theevidence-basednature of the methodology, which is aligned with NHS ‘Five ways to wellbeing’ strategy and was reassuring to participatingschools. Thestructured foundation andorganised responsestopupil andstaff emotionalhealthand wellbeing wasalso useful, helping to define scope and remit, while collaborationenabled exchangeofideas, helped schools gain inspirationand build confidence, and modify approaches as needed. Thetargeted CPD impacted knowledge alongside practical strategies and thestaff wellbeingfocus provided encouragement andjustificationtosupportstaff alongside pupils.

Positive responses from participating schools supportthe SMILEFramework as atool to rationaliseand shape emotional health and wellbeing initiativeswithin schoolcommunities. Nineofthe ten schools stated intentions to continue in some way.The final school is implementing SMILEoutside theproject but will alsocontinue. Transformation wasunderpinned by structural changes in allten participatingschools; planning (six schools),policies (fiveschools)and curricula(all ten schools)

To request accesstofull researchreport or to express interest in using theSMILE approach andresources contact Issy Jerrard, ForestOak: https://bit.ly/3tKWvll on 01217170088.

To find outmoreabout ForestOak School’s experience of the project,listen to thepodcast by AmandaMordey: https://bit.ly/3Xjza7X

For more information on theRecovery Curriculum,visit: https://bit.ly/3Epuipc

To find outmoreabout the Solihull Emotional Healthand WellbeinginSchools Project (2014-2016), visit: https://bit.ly/3XhUjiS nc nc www.nasen.org.uk