Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL): Improving behaviour,

improving learning
This publication is a curriculum resource to help primary schools develop childrens
social, emotional and behavioural skills. It includes assemblies and follow-up ideas
for work in class.
Who will use it?
It will be used by schools who have identified the social and emotional aspects of
learning as a key focus for their work with the children. These will be schools who
know that the factors holding back learning in their setting include childrens
difficulties in understanding and managing their feelings, working co-operatively in
groups, motivating themselves and demonstrating resilience in the face of setbacks.
These will not necessarily be schools where behaviour and attendance are poor. The
materials will help develop children as effective learners and are therefore relevant to
schools without significant behaviour problems as well as to those with behaviour or
attendance as key issues.
How was it developed?
The publication has been developed as a result of work over the last two years in
over 500 schools taking part in the Primary National Strategys Behaviour and
Attendance pilot.
What does it do?
This curriculum resource aims to develop the underpinning qualities and skills that
help promote positive behaviour and effective learning. It focuses on five social and
emotional aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing feelings, motivation,
empathy and social skills.
The materials help children develop skills such as understanding anothers point of
view, working in a group, sticking at things when they get difficult, resolving conflict
and managing worries. They build on effective work already in place in the many
primary schools who pay systematic attention to the social and emotional aspects of
learning through whole-school ethos, initiatives such as circle time or buddy
schemes, and the taught personal, social and health education (PSHE) and
Citizenship curriculum.
The materials are organised into seven themes: New Beginnings, Getting on and
falling out, Say no to bullying, Going for goals!, Good to be me, Relationships and
Changes. Each theme is designed for a whole-school approach and includes a
whole-school assembly and suggested follow-up activities in all areas of the
curriculum. The colour-coded resources are organized at four levels: Foundation
Stage, Years 1 and 2, Years 3 and 4, and Years 5 and 6. Pupil reference material and
photocopiable teacher reference material accompany each theme.
There is a whole-school pack for the staffroom, a year-group pack with the same
materials organised into a set of booklets for each year group from early Foundation
Stage through to Year 6, and a resource file of photographs and posters.
Theme 1: New beginnings
This theme focuses on developing childrens knowledge, understanding and skills in
four key social and emotional aspects of learning: empathy, self-awareness, social
skills and motivation.

The theme offers children the opportunity to see themselves as valued individuals
within their community and to contribute to shaping a welcoming, safe and fair
learning community for all. Throughout the theme, children explore feelings of
happiness and excitement, sadness, anxiety and fearfulness, and learn shared
models for calming down and problem solving.

Find all the activities and

resources in the Attachments
panel on the right hand side of
your Colour

Red

Photocards

Posters

happy, sad,
scared, excited

Feelings
detective

Others

Resources

Feelings fans

Ruby at nursery

Feeling identikit

The new boy

Class charter

Blue

happy, sad,
scared, excited

Feelings
detective

Ways to calm
down

Problem
solving

Emotional
barometer

New world
challenge
Flag challenge
Faisal

Class charter
Gifts and talents
cards
Gifts and talents
challenges

Yellow

Problem
solving

Ways to calm
down

Sami's new
beginning

Feelings
detective

Emotional
barometer

Favourites wheel

frightened, scared

Introducing rights
and responsibilities
Welcome pack
challenge
Poems about
friendship

Class charter

Green

Purple

excited, worried,
frightened, afraid,
scared

Feelings
detective

Ways to calm
down

Problem
solving

Emotional
barometer

Appendix 1 guidance Getting

started poster

Class guide
challenge
Dream school
challenge
A new beginning
for Amy

Our route

Theme 2: Getting on and falling out

This theme focuses on developing children's knowledge, understanding and skills in
three key social and emotional aspects of learning: empathy, managing feelings (with
a focus on anger) and social skills.
Each colour-coded set is organised around developing the ethos of the classroom
extending the work of 'Theme 1: New beginnings' on cooperation and valuing
diversity, and focusing on four key content areas: developing the social skills of
friendship, working well together in a group, managing anger and resolving conflict.
Find all the activities and resources in the Attachments panel on the right hand side
of your screen.

Colou
r

Red

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Feelings fans

angry, happy,
friendly, friendship

Squeak and Snappy

Feeling identikit

Fireworks
Are we ready
for circle time?

Blue

angry, conflict,
friendship

Feelings
detective
Peaceful
problem
solving

Working together
self-review
checklists
Ways to calm down
Emotional
barometer
Music for different
moods

Are we ready
for circle time?

Working together
self-review
checklists

Wanted a friend
Falling out and
making up
Dino and Dot What
can you see?
Point of view Making
a game

Rap connected
Cooperation puzzles

Yellow

friendship, friendly

Feelings
detective
Peaceful
problem
solving

Fireworks
Emotional
barometer
Music for different
moods

Seeing another point

of view
Poems for literacy
work

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Working together
self-review
checklists

Green

conflict

Are we ready
for circle time?

Music for different

moods

Feelings
detective

Fireworks

Peaceful
problem
solving

Ways to calm down

Emotional
barometer
Feelings, thoughts,
behaviour

Resources

Levels of friendship
ADI Friends
magazine challenge
Difference a barrier to
friendship
Using I messages
Standing in my shoes
Reframing situations

Fireworks
Purple

Peaceful
problem
solving

Silver

Working together
self-review
checklists

Conflict management
information sheet

Ways to calm down

Theme 3: Say no to bullying

This theme aims to develop and revisit four of the key social and emotional aspects
of learning covered in previous themes through a focus on bullying what it is, how it
feels, why people bully, how we can prevent and respond to it, and how children can
use their social, emotional and behavioural skills to tackle this crucial problem. The
four aspects of learning in which knowledge, skills and understanding are developed
are self-awareness, empathy, managing feelings and social skills.
The theme is structured differently from previous themes. It is intended that the work
will take place over a period of a week or so perhaps to fit in with the national antibullying week in November and that, during this period, work in each subject area
will be focused on the aims of the 'Say no to bullying' theme, as well as subjectrelated objectives. The week will then culminate in a celebration assembly, to which
parents and carers are invited.
Find all the related activities and resources in the Attachments panel on the right
hand side of your screen.

Colou
r

Photocard
s

Posters

Others

Red

Resources
Sean in the building area

Is it bullying?
Blue

Sean and Lisa

Accidental or on purpose

Yellow

Samantha Jayne Pauline's story

The
Fight

The hurt boys and birds

Character descriptions
Bullying scenario
Green

No way - interactive
text

Presentation challenge Quiz - Is it

bullying?
Back in the playground blues Jew

Quiz - Is it bullying?
Extracts from Cat's Eye
Purple

No way - interactive
text

Bullying can be
Key messages
Frequently asked questions

Theme 4: Going for goals!

This theme focuses primarily on the key aspect of motivation, with a subsidiary focus
on self-awareness. It gives an important opportunity for all childrens abilities,
qualities and strengths to be valued.
The Going for goals theme provides opportunities for children to reflect on
themselves as individuals, particularly their strengths as learners and how they learn
most effectively.

Each set of activities focuses on the underlying prerequisites for successful goaldirected learning and behaviour: for example, taking responsibility and building
feelings of confidence and self-efficacy the belief that what you do makes a
difference.
Goal-directed behaviour is only valuable if we are able to make wise and balanced
choices about our goals, so this theme provides opportunities for children to consider
this and to practise problem-solving strategies.
Find all the related activities and resources in the Attachments panel on the right
hand side of your screen.

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Ready to learn
Origami
Blue

determined, bored,
frustrated

Problem
solving

Working together selfreview checklists

Daisy and Rehana

Ladder
New year resolutions

How am I clever
Daisy and Rehana
Lucky Dip
Brave or unwise
challenge
My learning map
Yellow

children learning

Working together selfreview checklists

Barriers to learning
challenge
The race Learning to
make graphs
I have a dream
Overcoming
obstacles to success
Soldier and key

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

The fourth son

Danny's story
Green

disappointed

Feelings
detectives

Working together selfreview checklists

I have a dream
Overcoming
obstacles to success

How am I clever

Problem
solving

Purple

Silver

The fourth son

Feelings fans

Theme 5: Good to be me
This theme is the first of two focusing specifically on feelings. It explores feelings in
the context of the child as an individual, developing self-awareness and helping the
child to realise that it really is Good to be me'.
The theme is about understanding our feelings as well as considering our strengths
and weaknesses as learners. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills
in three key social and emotional aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing
feelings and empathy. The theme focuses on:

understanding feelings, and why and how they lead us to behave the way we
do excited, proud, surprised, hopeful, disappointed, worried and anxious;

self-awareness feeling good about myself, taking risks;

managing my feelings relaxing, coping with anxiety;

standing up for myself assertiveness, standing up for my views.

Find all the related activities and resources in the Attachments panel on the right
hand side of your screen.
Colou
r
Red

Photocards

Posters

excited, happy, proud

Feelings detective

Others

Feelings fans

Resources

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Feelings identikit

Working
together selfreview checklists

Gifts and talents

challenge
Proud Wobbly tooth

Blue

worried, proud,
relaxed

Problem solving
Feelings detective

Feelings,
thoughts,
behaviour

Mouse profile
Relaxed

Emotional
barometer

Asserts challenge

Assembly
pictures

Sam's thinking
brain challenge

Surprise challenge
Lion, mouse, fox
and human
Emotional
barometer

Yellow

surprised, worried,
hopeful,
disappointed, scared

Feelings detective
Assertiveness

Feelings,
thoughts,
behaviour

Worries De Rong
Song
Hopeful Hopeful
and hopeless
challenge

Working
together selfreview checklists

Hiding my feelings

Fight or flight

Ways of saying
what you want to
say
Fight or flight Fight
or flight cards

Green

peer pressure

Assertiveness
Feelings fans

Yes but challenge

Working
together selfreview checklists

Maggie's story
Mouse factfile

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Old Wormwart's
cure for worrying
Our worries

Paul's story

Standing out from

the crowd
Overwhelmed by
emotions
First we picked
captains

Lion, mouse, fox

and human
Purple

Fight or flight
Old Wormwart's
cure for worrying

Silver

Feelings fans

Theme 6: Relationships
This theme is the second of two focusing specifically on feelings. It explores feelings
within the context of our important relationships including family and friends. The
theme aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in three key social and
emotional aspects of learning: self-awareness, managing feelings and empathy.
In addition, there is a focus throughout the theme on helping children understand the
feelings associated with an experience that we all need to cope with at some time:
that of loss whether of a favourite possession, a friend, a family home or a loved
one.
Find all the related activities and resources in the Attachments panel on the right
hand side of your screen.
Colou
r
Red

Photocards
lonely, sad, loved, cared
for, happy, belonging, left
out, friendly, fair, unfair

Posters
Feelings
detective

Others

Resources

Feelings identikit

The sunflower

Sunflower
presentation

Puppet show script

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Fair and unfair

situations
That's not fair

Feelings fans
Jealous
Feeling, thoughts,
behaviour

Blue

jealous, proud, cared for,

lonely, included

Feelings
detective

Emotional
barometer

How would I feel?

Granny had to go
Wils or Pilgrim

Working together
self-review
checklists
Feelings identikit

Wils or Pilgrim
challenge
Feeling lonely
challenge

Photo of Wils

Pamper cards
Feelings, thoughts,
behaviour
Three pictures
Problem
solving
Yellow

guilty
Feelings
detective

Emotional
barometer
Working together
self-review
checklists

Guilty Taking
responsibility
Lynford
Lynford challenge

Jack's choice
My gerbil
Important people
in my life
Remembering

Green

embarrassed
Feelings
detective

Emotional
barometer

Peaceful
problem
solving

Feelings, thoughts,

Blushometer
Embarrassed
Pick me up don't

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

put me down
You can't judge a
book by its cover
behaviour
Working together
self-review
checklists

Harrybo
Just trying to help
challenge
Forgiveness
Forgiveness
challenge

Wils or Pilgrim
Purple

What are the worst

things that could
happen?

Game squares
Layout sheet
Feeling lonely star
cards
My special person
sheet
Silver
Sentence
completion cards
Feelings star cards
Happy and proud
record cards
Zotty's story

Theme 7: Changes

This theme tackles the issue of change and aims to equip children with an
understanding of different types of change, positive and negative, and common
human responses to it.
The theme seeks to develop children's ability to understand and manage the feelings
associated with change. It aims to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in
three key social and emotional aspects of learning: motivation, social skills and
managing feelings.
Find all the activities and resources in the Attachments panel on the right hand side
of your screen.
Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Helping Estelle
Problem solving
Red

empathy

Feelings
detective

Feelings
identikit

Linking feelings
and behaviour
What if
What shall we
do

Blue

Problem solving

Working
together selfreview
checklists

Emotional
barometer
Yellow

Green

Change, confused, hopeful,

angry, embarrassed, wary,
scared, excited, frustrated

Feelings
detective

Feelings
detective
Peaceful
problem solving

Working
together selfreview
checklists

Naughty Nigel

Positive
changes
Emotion in
motion
Making the
links

Emotional
barometer

Melanie's
journal

Working
together selfreview
checklists

Whose fault is it
anyway
Sore spots
We all need

Colou
r

Photocards

Posters

Others

Resources

Making the
links: difficult
changes

Silver

Feelings fans

Panic and
Think bubbles

Whole-school SEAL
The Social and Emotional Aspect of Learning (SEAL) materials are designed to
provide a whole-school approach to promoting social, emotional and behavioural
skills. The materials provide a range of resources that can be used across the whole
primary school.
These resources include a set of high-quality photographs to illustrate a number of
emotions, a set of posters and other ideas for promoting SEAL across the school.
The following resources can be found in the attached files.
Whole-school resources

Working together self-review checklists

Feelings detective poster

Problem-solving poster

Peaceful problem-solving poster

Assertiveness poster

Are we ready for circle time? poster

The fight poster

Emotional barometer resource sheet

Feelings fan resource sheet

Ways to calm down resource sheet

Fireworks poster

Feelings, thoughts, behaviour resource sheet

80 photocards with different emotions

interactive texts in presentations

a list of useful books for children, linked to the themes

words for core feelings

music for different moods

a whole-school booklist

Identikit an interactive program which allows you to select different eyes

and mouths to create expressions on a face.