Background
How does SEAL support inclusion?
Social and emotional skills are a key component of an emotionally healthy, inclusive school culture that helps all pupils succeed and which values and celebrates diversity. The key skill of self-awareness helps all members of a school community to recognise and face their own prejudices and intolerances, which is the first step to tackling them. Empathy is central to developing a concern for, and understanding of, others, both recognising our common humanity, and acknowledging and celebrating social, cultural and individual difference. Social skills help build groups and create common feeling. When pupils can understand their feelings and control their behaviour this can overcome the problems that may lead to exclusion. At the same time, helping adults to manage and talk about their own feelings helps them cope more effectively with challenging behaviour.
SEAL helps pupils learn the skills that allow them to take control of their own behaviour. Many exclusions result from impulsive outbursts when emotions are high. SEAL contributes to reducing the need for exclusions by providing pupils and staff with more appropriate ways of managing, moderating and expressing their emotions, and resolving conflict.
2.7.1 Reading