Background

What role does SEAL play in learning?

Social and emotional skills underpin effective learning by helping all pupils to do the following.

Learn to manage their impulses, helping them settle quickly, concentrate and not disrupt others.
Build warm relationships, which help them to care what others (e.g. staff and peers) think and to respond positively to them.
Manage strong and uncomfortable emotions such as anger and frustration, and become more resilient, which helps them rise to the challenges of the learning process and stick at it if things get tough.
Learn to feel good about themselves, which reduces the likelihood of disruptive behaviour and increases capacity for independent learning.
Manage anxiety and stress, including around tests and examinations.
Learn to empathise, for example with other pupils’ desire to learn, which helps them contribute to a positive learning environment.
Reflect on longer term goals, which helps them see the point of learning, raise their aspirations and become more able to resist negative pressure from others.
Feel optimistic about themselves and their ability to learn, which improves their motivation to work hard and attend regularly.