DISCOVERY - Paulsgrove’s Voyage of the Emotions Sails Into the Heart of Portsmouth

In 2000, the six head teachers of the cluster of schools that serve the Paulsgrove estate in Portsmouth came to a realisation. The realisation was that doing more of the same, only harder, was not going to produce the results they wanted. Teachers were in fact already working flat out to help their pupils get good results, so maybe it was a case of needing to work smarter not harder.

One of the biggest problems facing an increasing number of teaching staff was the energy and time that had to go into settling classes before the teaching could actually begin. Many children arrived from home, or in from the playground, in such an emotionally chaotic state that getting them to concentrate was a huge struggle. There was also a culture of under-achieving, lack of confidence, low self esteem, little motivation and reduced expectation, which presented huge hurdles in preventing children from being happy and successful. Once caught up in that vicious cycle it becomes a real struggle to escape from a limiting to a liberating belief system; it becomes much easier to be a looser than a winner.

Over the past decade there has been a wealth of new scientific and social research published to back up the long held belief, by many in the world of neuroscience, psychology and human potential, that certain qualities or attributes put certain individuals in a different league to others. In other words, individuals who possess these qualities or attributes are more likely to be happy and successful.

The popular name now given to this list of qualities and attributes is Emotional Intelligence. That list includes: -

• Self awareness
• Optimism
• Motivation
• Persistence
• Empathy
• The ability to recognise and manage personal emotions
• To be able to enjoy healthy and nurturing relationships with others
• The courage to take responsibility for one’s thoughts and actions

We also now know that it is the emotional centre of our brain, the amygdala, situated in the limbic system, that has the power to be in the control seat of our lives. It has the ability to instantly and profoundly impact in a positive or negative way on our thoughts, feelings, physiology and subsequent actions. If it senses a threat or challenge it has the power to shut down the cortex, the thinking rational part of our brain, and it can do so in an instant.

So not only are we creatures of learned behaviour, beliefs and habits, we are creatures primarily driven by our emotions and feelings, and whatever we practice thinking, be it negative or positive, about others or ourselves, we get good at it. However the good news, revealed by current research, also shows that what has been learned can be unlearned, no matter what our age or history, and indicates that the skills and attributes of Emotional Intelligence (EQ) can be developed and improved at any time in our life.

Emotional Intelligence then is the missing link for many of the children in Paulsgrove and children everywhere. It stops them tapping into their huge potential and creates daily struggles and conflicts in the classroom that can sabotage learning.

Discovery, the name given to the Paulsgrove EI programme, is not only unique in its breadth, but its innovative approach looks to address the emotional intelligence of everybody within a school community, not just the children. It also moves beyond the school gates, to the parents. The rationale behind this intent is that everybody needs the key qualities of E.I. on a day-to-day basis, no matter what their age or status or occupation. We need head teachers, staff, parents and children with high EI and schools, where developing and nurturing EI is part of the daily agenda.

We know that for many staff, stress levels are at an all time high. Emotional struggles and challenges faced in the classroom and playground, and sometimes from parents, take their toll, along with the pressures of government to achieve the standards and objectives of the National Curriculum. We also know that many parents find dealing with their children difficult, especially if they face economic hardship. Generally, everybody is trying to do the best they can with the knowledge they have. Build EI into the solution and the outcomes will change because a different attitude will produce a different outcome.

The objectives of Discovery are as follows: -

• To raise awareness of the crucial importance of EI, and knowledge of it.
• To facilitate, through a wide variety of training opportunities, the promotion of the key EQ qualities and attributes that make for a well-rounded individual with a can-do mentality.
• To give all those in school the opportunity to practice and explore their EQ potential within a safe and supportive framework of mutual encouragement.
• To constantly and persistently challenge the emotional blocks to releasing potential that individuals exhibit, such as fear, victimhood, anger, anti-social behaviour, low self worth and expectation, ridicule and closed mindsets
• To offer parents and other adults in the community the chance to develop their own EI levels at every opportunity

So far adults have attended induction training in the concepts of EI and from there many have gone on to attend other workshops, seminars, and twilights. These have included heads and deputies, teachers, LSA’s, supervisory assistants, other support staff, governors, members from various LEA and government agencies and parents. Subjects have included: stress management, relaxation techniques, coaching skills, counselling skills, creating the best EI learning environment, meditation and creative visualisation, goal mapping, transactional analysis, anger management, positive thinking and drama therapy.

For some, experiencing these courses has been life changing, for others it has been challenging or conformation of what they already know and try to live. It has been part of the project plan to ensure that people feel empowered to put into practice what they have been learning, by creating a culture that embraces change, accepts failure is part of the process of growth, celebrates success and has high expectations for everybody. As a result there has been a transformation in classes of both adults and children.

There have been several specific programmes for pupils. These include people from Enlightening Lunches, Goal Mapping for Life, Moving on Up which deals with the challenges of transition from Junior to Secondary school, and the self-esteem programmes How to be Happy and Delcina the Dolphin. The secondary school in the cluster has a new PSHE programme where there is a specific EQ focus, elements of which are certificated by the Portsmouth & S E Hampshire Chamber of Commerce & Industry. There have also been many focused activities, competitions and events such as the Discovery Show at the Kings Theatre in Portsmouth , all designed to increase levels of self-esteem and confidence. Significantly, Discovery in no way conflicts with the other initiatives and schemes that the schools are involved in. Rather Discovery offers the ‘glue’ that can hold such things together and can be instrumental in making them work more effectively.

Capturing the progress of change is also challenging. Emotions and feelings are not always tangible and are difficult to measure. However we seeing impressive and tangible evidence that Discovery is making an impact on attitude, behaviour and achievement

The expectation as Discovery progresses is that there will be :-

• Significantly increased levels of EI behaviour evident in most individuals, demonstrated in the day-to-day activities of the classes in terms of responses to self and others
• Reduced incidences of exclusion from the classroom and school. Less bullying and anti-social behaviour. Fewer children on report or warnings. Better attendance. Fewer days off for sickness
• Improved relationships with parents, with increasing numbers of parents involved with schools’ activities
• An improved ‘can do’ mentality, which will result in measurably improved test and exam results. More work will be covered in any one lesson because of better behaviour, and a more attentive and retentive mental state will increase the value of the work covered
• Happier children and staff. Less stress. A tangible atmosphere of optimism, respect and enthusiasm for learning. Everybody liberated, not limited, by his or her mindsets

There is a saying that goes ‘A rising tide lifts all boats’ and in its innovative holistic approach Discovery is aiming to create a sea change that will do just that. To date it has achieved many positive things but to broker the degree of change that creates a real and lasting culture shift, more time is needed. Three years is just not long enough, so currently more funding is being sought to extend its life. A measure of Discovery’s uniqueness is reflected in its wide press coverage, locally, nationally and internationally, and the recent recognition by the South East England Development Agency, selecting Cheryl Buggy the Discovery Director, as a social entrepreneur. Another indicator is the interest and commitment many from the business and training world have in the concept of Discovery. To date there has been around £100,000 of gifted time and resources.

As a result of funding obtained from the Children’s Fund in 2003, nine schools in the Heart of the City of Portsmouth signed up to the Discovery EI programme. Most have taken part in the initial induction and training day, and are now beginning to use some of the EI tools such as meditation and stress management, EI Values pockets, EI diaries and Sharing Time. Workshops and twilights are being used to develop EI skills and knowledge and courses are also being offered to parents. In schools where E.I. has been considered as a part of the curriculum – rather than something extra, the project has continued to help facilitate a culture change that shows children, and school communities can be empowered to believe in themselves more and develop a truly positive attitude to learning.

For more information on Emotional Intelligence contact David Boxall, Education and Training Manager, The Discovery Project. david@discovery-project.com or 07787 15374.

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