A Paisley nursery that has excelled in putting children’s social and emotional learning at the heart of all it does has been awarded Model School status.
Hugh Smiley ELCC is the first nursery in the UK to achieve the accolade, which has been earned over the past four years as the early learning setting has successfully integrated the PATHS Programme for Schools within everyday nursery life.
By linking play experiences within nursery, the programme supports children from a young age to raise awareness of their feelings and helps them to develop self-regulation skills.
Three primary schools - Kirklandneuk Primary in Renfrew, Glencoats Primary in Paisley and Barsail Primary in Erskine – have also been awarded Model School status, with the award additionally recognising the continued efforts of schools to focus on children’s well-being throughout recent lockdowns.
Tracey Elliot, Early Years Worker at Hugh Smiley ELCC said: “We have embedded the PATHS Programme strongly within the curriculum and children have learned how to self-regulate and manage their emotions during their play and learning experiences. The children have been learning all about mindfulness, recognising emotions and developing coping strategies to use when feeling anxious or stressed.
“We knew it was vital to continue the programme during lockdown, ensuring communication between nursery and home was ongoing and this allowed us to continue to offer support and develop positive relationships with our families, more so now than ever.”
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Delivery of the PATHS Programme is supported by specialist coaches from Barnardo’s. Age-appropriate activities with pupils are designed to help children’s development in learning to regulate their emotions, boost self-esteem, increase their emotional awareness and teach them problem-solving skills, including within relationships and friendships, improving the mental health of nursery and primary school pupils.
There are now ten schools in Renfrewshire that have achieved Model School recognition, with the PATHS Programme currently running in 36 schools and nurseries in the area in total.
Staff and pupils from the nursery and schools were presented with their awards on Thursday, February 3, by a programme coordinator from Barnardo’s, who has been working to support staff over the past four years to embed the programme into everyday learning.
Elaine Britton, team manager at Barnardo’s said: “We are truly delighted to award our first nursery with the SEL Worldwide Model School Status, as well as three primary schools. All of the staff at each of these settings have remained committed in prioritising children’s emotional and social learning throughout everything they do, and they are really seeing the results from doing this.
“The PATHS Programme is all about early intervention and prevention, supporting children and young people at the earliest point to stop more serious problems arising. Some of the benefits seen include increased concentration in class and improved behaviour, with children better able to navigate difficult situations.
"For the nursery groups at Hugh Smiley to see such a difference in the way their three year olds speak about and approach their feelings, as well as being aware of self-regulation skills, is an incredible achievement and will only go on to benefit these children further as they make their transition to primary school.”
Karen MacKechnie, headteacher at Kirklandneuk Primary School said: “Working with the PATHS Programme team has provided our children, staff and parents with the opportunity to develop vital skills for learning, life and work. This highly structured approach continues to have a significant positive impact on our children’s ability to self-regulate and problem solve in a range of social and emotional situations.
"We are delighted to have been awarded Model School status and recognise this has been achieved as a team and community.”
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