Following training and using the resources we began to deliver SEAL to Year 2 after the Autumn Half Term 2005.

2^nd Half Autumn Term 2005.

We did this theme through a weekly session on a Monday afternoon, and then reinforced the messages from the theme in Circle time and throughout the school day. The year group worked on making props together and learning songs for a performance that the Year group did for parents and children in school. The performance, “One Snowman at Hovingham”, adapted from a musical, “One Snowman at Sunset”, was a story that also contained the messages from the SEAL theme. The musical had a very good song called the “Angry Song”, which was an excellent way for us to look at anger and conflict resolution.

1^st Half Spring Term 2006.

Children in 2R thought of personal targets, which they put onto footballs, and we made a display with a goal at both ends of the class and the balls suspended from the ceiling, and later when they had achieved the goals, we moved the ball into the goal. Children in 2Y did a similar thing, but their goals were written onto darts that were heading for a dartboard. Both made good visual displays of the goals we had set, and showed the children that they had achieved their goal. The theme was delivered through some initial full sessions, and then through circle time and across the curriculum, and then a final session were we looked at our progress and moved the footballs into the goals.

2^nd Half of Spring term 2006

Children talked about all the things that they had achieved and all the things that made them feel lucky. Following on from Book Week, we read books about “Harry” and when we read “Harry and the Dinosaurs go wild”, the story told them about a boy who made cards to raise money to help animals that were coming extinct. From this starting point we thpought about what we could do to help others. We looked at the work of Save the Children fund in schools in Pakistan, and thought about all the difference between the lives of children there, and here. The children then drew pictures of themselves, thinking about how lucky and special they are. These cards were made into 2 class cards that we sold in school and to parents and the children raised £150 for Save the Children fund.

We covered this theme largely through Literacy and focused on the story of “The Rainbow Fish.” Children also did a lot of creative work, and PE sessions where they were allocated partners or put in unfamiliar groups. We talked about what it felt like to be away from their peers that they felt most comfortable with. We discussed strategies for making it easier to work with different children and how to make new friends. Children began to comment and notice that how they behaved affected how their relationships in class worked.

This topic seemed to follow on very well from the last theme and many children wanted to change the way they behaved to either make them more friends, or to improve their school work. The theme “Goals” also had begun to make the children aware of the fact that they did have control over some aspects of their lives. Our science topic fitted in well, and we discussed how the life cycle, is a change that we have no control over. Also within the context of the World cup we discussed what it was like for people to move countries, and connected this with Refugee week, talking about the changes these people would experience.

In summary we have greatly enjoyed the SEAL program. We have found it flexible to implement, sometimes doing a theme as regular stand-alone lesson, and sometimes through parts of the curriculum. During each theme we have referred back to the objectives throughout each school day, and also discussed it in Circle time. I feel that the children have gained a lot, and most children have shown an increased self confidence, better behaviour, and a more positive attitude to school and learning.

We are looking forward to introducing it across the school in September, and I believe that a whole school approach will have an even greater impact.