Emotional Security in the Classroom, a case study of a Residential Special School (RSS)

What is it about?

If children don't feel safe they are less able to engage in learning. Over two years we sought to; measure students levels of Emotional Security in the Classroom using a number of measures (Boxall Profile, SEA Scale, PEDs, ACEs) and sought educators views on some new curriculum elements in a focus group. The data led to a number of findings that could be transferable into mainstream education settings. Primarily = Child progress is not linear. Professional supervision is vital. The curriculum underpins engagement.

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Photo by Daniel K Cheung on Unsplash

Photo by Daniel K Cheung on Unsplash

Why is it important?

For children with Social & Emotional Mental Health (SEMH) and/or Special Educational Needs & Disabilities (SEND) hearing that your progress was not necessarily going to be linear could be freeing and reduce shame and negativity. Others with similar needs also feel like sometimes after steps forward they take steps backwards too. For parents & carers of children who aren't following a predicted trajectory, this might shed some light on their experience of their classrooms. If they don't feel safe, if the curriculum is not engaging with high expectations and if the education staff are not provided with regular professional supervision your child may not be being supported as they need to be in order to feel emotionally secure. Even when all these factors are in place some children do not make linear progress in relation to Emotional Security. Educators may be able to take solace from understanding that a child's irregular and non-linear progress is not automatically a reflection on their efforts, you could have tried hard to build a healthy & trusting relationship, you could have a shared approach to your curriculum that does have high expectations and you could be receiving regular professional supervisions and reflective spaces and yet a child in your care could remain emotionally insecure. Past trauma, attachment difficulties, growing up, changes and transitions all impact a child's capacity to feel emotionally secure.