Lewes New School is committed to nurturing emotional and social intelligence as an integral part of the school’s ethos. We recognise the importance of this aspect of the children’s education in equipping them with skills in relationships, peaceful conflict resolution, empathy, emotional honesty, and self-discipline. We also consider these skills to be the building blocks of academic achievement.
We place emphasis on the day-to-day communication skills of the teaching staff as we recognise that the teachers are models for the children, and it is the teachers who create the ‘culture’ of the classroom. We feel that respectful and authentic relationships are taught through example and experience rather than as a theory.
The school initially used the Teacher Effectiveness Training model designed by Dr Thomas Gordon as the basis for respectful communication within the school. Years of experience and careful monitoring of the Gordon model have enabled us to refine these skills and develop our own flexible approach, based on open and authentic communication. Our approach continually evolves and develops as we observe and learn from new situations and different personalities.
In the teacher-child relationship, we recognise the importance of both the teacher’s authority on the one hand, and the human relationship on the other. Our aim is to integrate both these aspects of the relationship in order to foster close personal relationships with the children while at the same time providing the safety of adult authority and boundaries. The teachers’ approach is firmly authoritative, rather than authoritarian, and the language used is clear and direct rather than threatening. Expectations of respectful, courteous behaviour are high, and children may be firmly corrected or reprimanded, without being shamed or belittled. Whilst we believe in the importance of children learning to express their feelings, we feel it is equally important for them to learn to manage their emotions. We therefore encourage the expression of feelings in an appropriate way, so that children know they will be listened to and acknowledged as long as their behaviour is acceptable. In this way, feelings are accepted but not indulged.
When children are in conflict with each other, we help them to take responsibility for their own problems and the finding of mutually acceptable solutions. Teachers and playground supervisors see their role as facilitators rather than police so that children can learn to solve their own problems, under the guidance of trained adults.
As the children move up through the school they are expected to take more responsibility for the smooth running of their community, and Year 6 children are given training in Peer Mediation so that they can become Playground Buddies and help the younger ones to resolve their conflicts.
All teachers, teaching assistants and playground supervisors are given on-going communication skills training, and courses for parents are also available.
Through our methods we aim to create an open and honest community where differences are respected, as well as providing children with emotional and relationship skills that will serve them for life.
