Everyone Playing in Class' is an unstructured free play based provision for small classes or groups. The intervention involves training staff in attachment theory, presenting up-to-date research findings on the role of play in emotional well-being and relationship building, as well as teaching reflective communication skills. In this article Alison Woolf, who is a Member of British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT), describes how these weekly class play sessions can provide experiences that are beneficial for staff and for pupils. The essential elements that create the therapeutic intervention are described and explored, and set in context through their relationship to SEAL. The ethical considerations of school staff providing therapeutic opportunities are considered. Results of pre-and post-intervention assessments are given, and the responses of staff and pupils to the sessions are summarised. Results show improvements for pupils in the areas of self-esteem and of social development. Most significantly the results demonstrate an increase in the staff's ability to understand and respond to the children in their class.
This article advocates the use of free play in the provision of the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme in schools. It uses case studies to illustrate how children develop and use the five strands of SEAL while playing. The author draws on recent research and literature to support the idea that SEAL skills are caught rather than taught; and that play is the medium most able to provide opportunities for becoming more self-aware, empathic and motivated as well as becoming more able to manage feelings and develop and deploy social skills. The need for school staff to be supported in providing free play and in facilitating social and emotional development in new ways is also considered. The essential role of the adult in developing relationships that support the development of SEAL skills is acknowledged.
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