Research School Network: Improving Social and Emotional Learning in primary schools An introduction to KiVa

Social and emotional skills matter – every primary and early years teacher knows that. But rarely is this essential strand of work acknowledged or recognised. Yet, as the new EEF Guidance Report, Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools comments, social and emotional skills are protective factors for mental health and a recent study reported that SEL skills at age nine predicted Key Stage 2 test scores at age 11 (controlling for prior attainment), via their influence on mental health difficulties.[1] So taking the time to think about how we teach these essential competancies should be at the top of every school’s to-do list. Luckily the Guidance Report is here to help us ensure we consider the evidence. There are 6 key recommendations, informed by a recent review of the research evidence conducted by the University of Manchester that provide a strong platform to start from.

For the schools in the Aspire Educational Trust and Aspirer Research School, developing the core competencies of the children (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making) is central to the work of all staff, all the time. The schools are relentless in their determination to use the most effective practices identified to ensure the children and work hard to ensure they are using effective, evidence approaches. A perfect example of this approach is the strategy Hollinhey Primary School, Macclesfield is using to ensure it is a bullying-free zone. Hollinhey adopted the KiVa approach in school three years ago and has seen a systematic year on year improvement in the social and emotional skills of the children since then.

But what is KiVA? The Aspirer Research School team went out to investigate and find out more from the Principal, Sarah Clough and Jane Henry, lead KiVa trainer.

Find out more

The main KiVa website, in Finland is here: http://www.kivaprogram.net/wales

In the UK, the main KiVa training centre is run by the Centre for Evidence Based Early Intervention at Bangor University – https://www.bangor.ac.uk/psychology/cebei/kiva.php.en, where training can be accessed. Jane and her team at Visyon also run training and support for schools in and around Cheshire https://www.visyon.org.uk/support-for-schools.

There will be a number of free Evidence Twilights run by the Aspirer Research School looking at the Improving Social and Emotional Learning in Primary Schools Guidance report – you can register your interest in attending one of the sessions by emailing rswann@​aet.​cheshire.​sch.​uk

[1]
Panayiotou, M., Humphrey, N. and Wigelsworth, M. (2019) ​‘An empirical basis for linking social and emotional learning to academic performance’, Contemporary Educational Psychology, 56, pp. 193 – 204