Personal development – 5 Social and Emotional competencies

At Dickens Heath Community Primary School, social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies are central to pupils’ personal development.  They are embedded across the school’s culture, curriculum, and pastoral approaches — not just in discrete lessons. These competencies support pupils to grow socially, emotionally, and behaviourally so they can become confident, resilient, and well-rounded individuals.

There are five core social and emotional competencies:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social awareness
• Relationship skills
• Responsible decision making

Social and emotional skills are essential for children’s development, support and effective learning and linked to positive outcomes in later life.  Social and emotional learning (SEL) can increase positive pupil behaviour, mental health and well-being as well as academic performance.  Social and emotional skills are protective factors for mental health.

Self-awareness

Self-awareness is: the ability to recognise emotions and thoughts and to understand how they influence behaviour and being aware of our strengths and having a belief in oneself (self-efficacy).

Self-management

Self-management and self-regulation is the ability to understand and regulate emotions, thoughts and behaviour in different situations.

Social awareness

Social awareness is the ability to understand the perspective of others and to empathise.

Relationship skills

Relationship skills is concerned with our ability to interact positively: to recognise, to express and to regulate our emotions.

Responsible decision making

Responsible decision making is the ability to problem solve and make constructive choices.

How SEL Supports Personal Development at Dickens Heath

1. Nurturing Emotional Intelligence and Well-Being
SEL at Dickens Heath helps pupils understand and manage their emotions, build self-awareness, and develop constructive ways of expressing themselves. This is part of the school’s nurturing approach — recognising emotional development as essential for self-confidence, empathy, and positive relationships.

Impact: Pupils are better equipped to cope with challenges, regulate behaviour, and build positive relationships.

2. Building Resilience, Responsibility and Confidence
Through SEL, pupils learn perseverance, responsibility for actions, and how to approach problems with a growth mindset. The school’s DHREACH drivers — such as nurturing emotional intelligence and teaching responsibility — explicitly reinforce these character traits across the curriculum.

Impact: Children show increased confidence in learning, self-motivation, and aspiration to achieve.

3. Supporting Positive Relationships and Social Skills
SEL competencies underpin the development of communication, empathy, teamwork, and respect. These skills are cultivated through whole-school ethos, PSHE (Jigsaw), nurture groups, and structured opportunities like ‘Playground Pals’ who support peers and model positive social behaviour.

Impact: Pupils form meaningful friendships, understand others’ perspectives, and contribute positively to the school community.

4. Promoting Behaviour, Attitudes and Moral Understanding
SEL helps pupils make responsible choices, follow the school’s behaviour expectations, and understand the impact of their actions on others. The school’s emphasis on kindness, respect, and emotional intelligence reinforces socially responsible conduct.

Impact: Children develop ethical awareness, self-regulation, and a sense of belonging and safety.

5. Enhancing Life-Ready Skills Through a Whole-School Approach
Dickens Heath integrates SEL into daily routines, curriculum design, and wellbeing strategies, ensuring SEL is lived as well as taught.

Impact: Pupils gain transferable life skills that support long-term success — including emotional resilience, communication, and self-care.

SEL competencies at Dickens Heath support personal development by:

• equipping pupils to understand and manage emotions;
• fostering resilience, confidence, and responsibility;
• developing positive relationships and social skills;
• reinforcing moral behaviour and self-regulation; and
• embedding wellbeing and life-ready skills across school life.

Targeted social and emotional support - The Mulberry Bush curriculum

We use the Mulberry Bush Curriculum for targeted intervention work to support the social and emotional needs and development of our children. 

The Emotional and Social curriculum is a sequence of planned experiences which support children to practice and achieve proficiency in content and applied learning skills. The Mulberry Bush Emotional and Social curriculum focuses learning on the five core competencies of successful emotional and social development.