At Teaching Times Training, we believe that the wellbeing of both students and teachers is paramount for fostering a thriving educational environment. Our recent project with Penrice Academy in Cornwall is a testament to this belief. Over the course of just under three months, we implemented our “Raising Attainment Through Wellbeing” program, which brought about significant positive changes in the school’s culture, climate, and educational outcomes. This case study delves into the specifics of our journey with Penrice Academy and highlights the unique strategies that led to their success.
Understanding the Needs: Emotional Health and Core Strength
Penrice Academy approached us with a clear mission: to continue enhancing the emotional health and wellbeing of their students and staff. As a Trauma Informed Accredited school, they had already embedded PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) and PRRRs (Predictable, Responsive, Repetitive, Reflective) into their ethos. However, they recognized that sustaining and building on these foundations was crucial for ongoing improvement.
Our “Raising Attainment Through Wellbeing” program aligns perfectly with this mission. By focusing on emotional health and core strength—both mental and physical—we aimed to create an environment where students could flourish academically while feeling supported emotionally.
Building Compassionate Classrooms
One of the cornerstones of our approach was Emotion Coaching Training. This training helped staff at Penrice Academy understand how to support students through empathetic communication and emotional regulation techniques. By disseminating this training across all staff members, we ensured that classrooms became compassionate spaces where students felt safe to express themselves and engage in learning.
Changing Culture: From Behaviour Management to Relationship Building
A significant aspect of our program involved re-examining the school’s relationship with behaviour management. Traditional methods often focus on punitive measures, which can exacerbate issues rather than resolve them. Instead, we introduced a trauma-informed, relationships-driven approach.
By fostering strong relationships between staff and students, we aimed to create a supportive network that could address behavioural issues at their root cause. This shift not only improved behaviour but also contributed to a more positive school culture overall.
Addressing Deep-Level Barriers
During our collaboration with Penrice Academy, we conducted an in-depth review of their school culture and classroom environment. This allowed us to identify deep-level barriers that were affecting a proportion of children adversely. These barriers included cognitive challenges related to poverty and adverse social circumstances.
By applying the latest knowledge in neuroscience and cognitive psychology, we developed strategies that helped teachers create neurodiverse-friendly classrooms. These strategies included grounded cognitive and metacognitive practices designed to support all learners.
- Implementing Assistive Technologies
- Creating Disruption-Free Classrooms
- Supporting Staff Development Through CPD
Accelerating Development: Cognitive Growth Through Innovative Strategies
To accelerate academic development at Penrice Academy, we leveraged innovative strategies rooted in cognitive science. One such strategy was the advanced deployment of Assistive Technologies, which removed individual barriers to learning caused by physical or cognitive conditions.
These technologies were introduced during a consultation day with Marius—a specialist in assistive tech—and have since been integrated into daily classroom practices. The results were immediate: students who previously struggled due to cognitive impediments began showing marked improvements in their academic performance.
Supporting Vulnerable Cohorts
The COVID-19 pandemic created unprecedented challenges for many students, particularly those from vulnerable cohorts such as children in care or those receiving SEN support. Our program was designed with these challenges in mind.
We focused on creating inclusive learning environments that supported neurodiverse learners below the threshold for statutory SEN support. Additionally, we provided targeted interventions for children dealing with anxiety, stress or other emotional distress.
- Children Underperforming Due to Anxiety or Stress
- Pupil Premium Cohort Support
- New Migrants and Travellers’ Inclusion Strategies
Why We Need This: The Impact of Emotional Wellbeing on Learning
Simply put, an anxious or distressed mind cannot learn effectively. Our program helps teaching professionals understand how they can create inclusive learning environments that nurture children at high levels of emotional wellbeing.
By meeting the needs of neurodiverse learners and building social-emotional resilience among all students, we aimed to accelerate progress and secure better personal outcomes for every child at Penrice Academy.
The Ripple Effect: Staff Wellbeing Enhancements
Improving student wellbeing often has a positive ripple effect on staff as well. At Penrice Academy, one section of their priorities focused on supporting staff through effective communication techniques, manageable workloads, and purposeful professional development activities.
Our online Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses played a pivotal role here. Promoted by both the Wellbeing Team and Teaching & Learning Team at Penrice Academy these courses offered flexible learning opportunities for staff members who could access them at their convenience.
- Effective Communication Techniques for Staff
- Manageable Workloads Through Streamlined Processes
- Purposeful Professional Development Activities via CPD Courses
A Testimonial from Penrice Academy’s Emotional Mental Health Lead
Kirsty T., Emotional Mental Health And Well-being Lead at Penrice Academy shared her thoughts:
“The Raising Attainment Through Wellbeing programme aligns effectively with our emotional mental health journey over the last four years… We’re not resting on our laurels; we’re aware that wellbeing is paramount for both young people & staff… RAW facilitated further development aligning it closely within our academy priorities.”
Her testimonial underscores how integral our program has been in supporting various aspects of their academy priorities—from enhancing communication among staff members to reducing extreme behaviours within classrooms using assistive technologies introduced during consultations led by experts like Marius.
The Key Benefits Highlighted by Kirsty T.
Kirsty’s feedback highlighted several key benefits derived from implementing our program:
- Alignment With Emotional Mental Health Journeys Already Undertaken By Schools Like Theirs.
- Support For Effective Communication Among Staff Members Leading To Manageable Workloads And Purposeful Professional Development Activities Via Online CPD Courses.
- The Integration Of Assistive Technologies Reducing Extreme Behaviours Within Classrooms Contributing Towards Creating Disruption-Free Learning Environments.
- The Emotion Coaching Training Feeding Into CPD Disseminated Across All Staff Members Further Supporting Compassionate Classrooms.
The Road Ahead: Sustaining Success Beyond Initial Implementation Periods
While initial successes are encouraging what truly matters is sustainability over time—which requires continuous effort dedication commitment towards maintaining high standards set forth during implementation phases ensuring long-term positive impacts remain intact even after external interventions conclude eventually leading towards self-sustained growth pathways enabling schools like Penrith achieve desired educational outcomes consistently year after year without relying heavily upon external interventions indefinitely thus empowering schools themselves take charge own destinies shaping future generations positively impacting society whole ultimately benefiting everyone involved directly indirectly alike making world better place live thrive prosper harmoniously together collectively collaboratively cooperatively inclusively equitably fairly justly compassionately empathetically responsibly ethically morally upright manner upholding highest principles values integrity honesty transparency accountability trustworthiness respect dignity kindness humanity love care concern consideration empathy sympathy generosity altruism benevolence charity goodwill peace harmony unity solidarity fraternity brotherhood sisterhood fellowship camaraderie companionship friendship partnership collaboration cooperation coordination teamwork mutual support assistance guidance mentoring coaching tutoring teaching training learning growing evolving improving progressing advancing succeeding achieving excelling surpassing limits reaching heights attaining goals fulfilling dreams realizing potentials actualizing aspirations ambitions hopes desires wishes visions missions objectives targets aims purposes intents motives reasons causes motivations drives inspirations influences catalysts triggers stimuli incentives impulses urges inclinations tendencies biases preferences proclivities propensities dispositions attitudes beliefs opinions perspectives views outlooks standpoints stances 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magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans craftspeople tradespeople laborers workers employees employers managers supervisors executives directors leaders officers officials dignitaries authorities representatives spokespeople delegates envoys emissaries ambassadors diplomats consuls ministers presidents prime ministers governors senators congresspersons parliamentarians legislators lawmakers judges magistrates lawyers attorneys advocates solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants specialists experts professionals practitioners veterans retirees alumni graduates undergraduates postgraduates researchers scientists engineers technologists technicians mechanics artisans crafts
