As schools work out the implications of the government’s recent Education White Paper and the long-awaited SEND (special educational needs and disability) review, we need to leave space for one vital idea that is gaining resurgence: a whole-child approach to learning.
This idea depends on the strength of relationships that schools, families and pupils can build together.
Right now, though, focusing on this isn’t easy. Schools are having to swallow the enormous problems caused by social, economic and pandemic-related pressures on their communities; manage the effect of this on the experiences of young people and how they behave in school; and, in many cases, rebuild relationships with pupils and parents that have been damaged over the past two years.
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This context absolutely matters. The social and emotional fallout we are seeing within schools is clearly a consequence of factors beyond the school gate.
When addressing those behaviours, then, we must consider not simply how to support the child but also how to improve their wider social and emotional context. Because, as every good teacher knows, happy, motivated pupils are better able to learn.
A joined-up approach to policymaking will support schools here, helping their practice to become more effective, consistent and aligned.
But how can this be done when budgets are constrained and ambition for schools to have any wider social impact is stymied by the pursuit of academic targets?
A whole-child approach: what needs to change
Here is my eight-point plan.
First, we need a mindset change, where we recognise that school systems solely focused on academic attainment rather than the holistic development of our young people are outdated and outmoded. This ambition should be clear and cohesive: a system-wide approach to policymaking.
Next, we must identify models for improvement that have proven impact, such as Unicef’s Rights Respecting School Award, which helps schools to use the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as their values framework. A 2020 evaluation of the award found that it improved academic achievement and reduced the negative effects of poverty on achievement, boosting outcomes and student engagement.
Such approaches will help us to unmask the real culprits behind poor school performance - food poverty, lack of social engagement, reduced opportunities to learn and the consequent drop in confidence levels, social cognition and mental wellbeing - and consider how best to tackle these.
At the same time, we must align the conceptual models around relationships being used in various policy areas. For example, Bronfenbrenner’s ecosystem theory is worth exploring. It was central to the evidence-informed guidance in the Education Endowment Foundation’s SEND Report 2020, and views child development as a complex system of relationships, affected by multiple levels of the surrounding environment.
We must replace ‘zero tolerance’ policies with discipline policies focused on explicit teaching of social-emotional strategies, and restorative practices that support young people in learning key skills and developing responsibility for themselves and their community. Stop blaming the child.
A whole-school approach to multi-tiered systems of support is needed. We should see integrated academic support for students and professional learning for educators. Social-emotional learning, trauma-informed practice and restorative justice programmes should run alongside nurturing practices (including appropriate assessments).
School climate, and social and emotional support must be measured, to value the quality of teacher-pupil relationships. This informs a joined-up approach to policymaking that will support schools to hone their practice.
Finally, we need to design schools or families of schools for strong, personalised relationships, so that students can be well-known and supported
None of this is easy. But, ultimately, it boils down to one key idea: that relationships in schools truly matter.
Teachers understand this already. Now, it is time for policymakers to recognise it, too - and, crucially, to put it into practice.
