Reasons to be Cheerful Films commissioned the survey to establish the extent to which emotional literacy was understood and applied in secondary schools.
Emotional literacy is defined as the ability to:
- understand and manage your emotions
- appreciate the emotions of others
- use emotions effectively to enhance your own life and those of others

R2BC Films was keen to understand, in anticipation of the launch of SEAL (the Government programme for Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) in secondary schools, just how far secondary schools were aware of emotional literacy and how active they are in implementing it. This would help focus activities in the areas where schools need most support.

R2BC Films issued a questionnaire to 260 Midlands schools in March 2007. Replies were collated and analysed this summer.
60 schools returned completed questionnaires, a response rate of 23%.
There were four key findings:
80% of respondents believed that emotional literacy is relevant to teacher classroom effectiveness
63% believed that teachers understood how to apply it
52% believed that teachers applied it effectively
32% believed that they have been given adequate training in the application of emotional literacy

R2BC believes that training falls a long way short of need. As one teacher in the survey put it: “Most of us believe Emotional Literacy is important but most of us aren’t doing it well.”
Another said: “More training and resources are required for effective delivery to both pupils and staff”.
A Curriculum Leader in one school said: “We are very aware of the importance of education for emotional literacy and the central role this plays in raising achievement in all areas. We have already carried out whole-staff CPD in this area and intend to do more.”
Peter Sharp, a leading specialist in emotional literacy said: “Every school needs a high quality training programme to exploit the real benefits of emotional literacy for learning and staff effectiveness. As well as SEAL, the National Healthy Schools Programme is well underway in schools, and Emotional Health and Well-Being (EHWB) is a core element of it.
“The survey contains both encouraging and frustrating results. It is encouraging to see the high level of importance generally applied to EL by most respondents to the survey. It is perhaps not surprising that performance lags behind aspiration. It is frustrating and concerning that two-thirds of respondents felt that they had had inadequate training and professional development in this field. It indicates that schools still have a long way to go if they are going to be able to respond to the Healthy Schools programme and gain the Healthy Schools status which will become a kite mark for behavioural quality in schools.
“I would urge schools to take the results of this survey seriously and develop the programme to achieve Healthy Schools status over the next two years. If they have not already done so, they should ensure that the Healthy Schools Coordinator has a clear strategy and that within it, training plans are in place to cover all staff, and that arrangements are put in place to monitor the value and effectiveness of the training. Leadership for this must come from the top – therefore it is essential that the head teacher takes emotional literacy seriously.”
Notes to editors:
R2BC Films has published an Emotional Literacy for Teachers Toolkit (ELFT) http://www.r2bcfilms.co.uk/products.shtml, which includes a guide to the SEAL programme to be launched by DCSF in October for secondary schools, a poster showing the emotional and social development of children aged 0-18, a training film on DVD and a training manual.
The ELFT is on special offer at £99 to coincide with the launch of the SEAL programme in secondary schools during the Autumn Term.
Peter Sharp, BSc PGCE DipEd CertEdPsych MA CPsychol, is a Director of R2BC Films, former Chief Educational Psychologist at Southampton City Council and a leading authority on emotional literacy in education.
He is now Director of Learning at Mouchel Parkman, and the Director of the Healthy Schools Team supporting the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families, sponsors of the Healthy Schools Programme.
Peter is available for media interviews. Tel: Peter Sharp 07966 310 691 peter.sharp@mouchelparkman.com
Also available for comment is Liz Reason, Director of R2BC Films. Tel: 0771 340 7772
liz.reason@r2bcfilms.co.uk
SEAL
Since 2004, the government has been developing a strategy for improving the quality of relationships in schools, for teachers and pupils, pupils and pupils, and within staff.
A number of important initiatives have been launched including SEAL for primary schools in 2006, and for secondary schools – to be launched in October 2007.
Both these complement the Healthy Schools Programme under which all schools participating are expected to promote a variety of aspects of healthy living with a target for all schools to participate in the programme by December 2009 and for 75% of them to have achieved Healthy School status by that date. In fact, by July 2007, 89% of schools had already signed up for the programme. The challenge now is for them to achieve Health School status over the next few years.
A key element of the Healthy Schools Programme is the promotion of Emotional Health and Well-Being. This includes the application of emotional literacy defined as the ability to:
- understand and manage your emotions
- appreciate the emotions of others
- use emotions effectively to enhance your own life and those of others

The Survey

R2BC Films: October 12th, 2007.