FAQ

Q1: What is the Grange-Enders Teacher Resource Pack?

Q2: What does the Grange-Enders teacher resource pack consist of?

Q3: What content does Grange-Enders cover?

Q4: Why should we buy Grange-Enders when we have the secondary strategy materials?

Q5: How does it link with Secondary SEAL?

Q6: How does it link with the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes?

Q7: ‘How does Grange-Enders put into practice the recommendations of the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials?’ The impact of social and emotional learning.

Q8: We are not yet doing Secondary SEAL. Can we buy items from Grange-Enders separately to support our ECM work?

Q1: What is the Grange-Enders Teacher Resource Pack?

The Grange-Enders teacher resource pack offers a comprehensive PSHE/SEAL/ECM teaching resource for Y7 teams which aims to support Y7 tutors and teachers in

• Supporting pupils with transition from KS2/KS3
• Creating establishing a safe and respectful learning environment in which individuals feel heard and valued, behave well, enjoy coming to school and learn to the best of their potential (as part of an induction/transition programme)
• Developing the social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL), in line with the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials
• Providing a full teaching programme and school-wide resources to support pupils in achieving the five outcomes of the Every Child Matters (ECM) agenda.

Q2: What does the Grange-Enders teacher resource pack consist of?

The teacher resource pack is centered around the novel ‘Grange-Enders’. Audio-CDs enable you to present the novel in different ways, and the illustrations are available for projection or printing from the CD-ROM. Structured teaching and learning opportunities (based on best practice) are included on over 150PowerPoint™ slides for immediate use in different curriculum areas: tutor periods, PSHE, English, drama etc. A personal diary (linked to the events of the novel and the Secondary Strategy learning outcomes) encourages student reflection, while an ECM Pupil Passport ensures that students have the opportunity to apply the learning in every lesson. Classroom Posters (for display around the school) ensure that the focus SEAL/ECM skills are reinforced, noticed and celebrated consistently by adults throughout the school day.

The teacher file:

• Part 1 of the introduction contains full guidance notes for implementing and using Grange-Enders and notes on good practice in teaching SEAL, including sections on promoting student engagement, establishing a safe learning environment, reinforcing the learning and dealing with sensitive issues.
• Part 2 of the introduction offers detailed guidance on preparing and running Grange-Enders sessions, including practical information on timing, preparation, resources and learning objectives. Links to the Secondary SEAL learning outcomes, and to the Y7 SEAL curriculum materials are also included in this section.
• Hard copies of all PowerPoint™ slides are included, with space for teacher notes.
• Appendix 1 maps the links to ECM and secondary SEAL for those schools using Grange-Enders in conjunction with these materials.
• Appendix 2 lists the 50 learning outcomes of the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials for ease of reference.

The rest of the teacher file contains:

• Hard copies of all PowerPoint™ slides are included (illustrations, teaching and learning ideas and information posters).
• Hard copies of diary pages.
• Hard copies of passport pages.
• Audio CDs (2).
• CD-ROM.

The Grange-Enders novel.

Written by ex-headteacher and noted children’s author Maggie Walker, this sensitive and engaging story follows the ups and downs of life in Y7 from the point of view of four very different students. It provides rich opportunities to explore the issues that really matter to Y7 students – changing friendship patterns, fitting in, tricky choices, falling out and making up, crushes and rejection and the exhilaration of achieving a dream, all set alongside the backdrop of the joys and sadnesses that make up family life.

Organised in 4 sections over 13 episodes, the novel is designed to dovetail with the four themes of the Secondary Strategy Y7 SEAL curriculum materials*, and the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters, as shown below.

 

Grange-Enders	Every Child Matters Outcome	Every Child Matters Outcome
Section 1: Episodes 1-4	Stay safe	Theme 1: A place to learn
Section 2: Episodes 5-8	Make a positive contribution	Theme 2: Learning to be together
Section 3: Episodes 9-11	Enjoy and achieve/Economic wellbeing	Theme 3: Keep on learning
Section 4: Episodes 12-13	Be healthy	Theme 4: Learning about me

 

Illustrations.

Each illustration from the novel is available on the CD-ROM for maximum flexibility. They are organised as a PowerPoint™ presentation for ease of use.

Audio-CDs.

The full novel spoken aloud on two audio-CDs enables you to vary presentation style, reduce reading demands, increase motivation and improve listening skills. Use while projecting the illustrations from the CD-ROM to engage students further.

PowerPoint teaching and learning ideas to accompany each episode For use with tutor or subject groups, the PowerPoint™ slides link with the events of the story. Packed with ideas for interactive, experiential and active learning opportunities, they can be mixed and matched to fit sessions from 10 minutes to an hour. The slides include suggestions for a variety of different tasks that could be used across the curriculum in areas such as art, drama, dance and English as well as PSHE, so that the learning activities can be incorporated into different curriculum areas. See the section entitled ‘Good practice in teaching SEAL’ for a detailed explanation of the different teaching and learning strategies included in the slides. Part 2 of the introduction offers detailed information for planning teaching and learning opportunities. It includes the learning objectives, timing and resources needed for each idea included on the PowerPoint™ slides, organized by novel section.

Diary Pages.

It is suggested that each student has the opportunity to complete the diary pages either in school or at home. Additional diaries can be purchased from the publisher, or the pages printed directly from the CD-ROM.

The diary pages consist of tasks and activities, including guided diary entries, linked to the events of the novel and teaching and learning opportunities. These encourage students to reflect on their SEAL learning, and to consider how the learning applies to them personally. They also provide extension activities which reinforce and personalise learning, and encourage the embedding of SEAL skills, as well as serving as stimuli for group and class discussion and exploration.

Pupil Passport.

The Y7 Secondary SEAL curriculum guidance suggests that, in order to embed and reinforce the skills developed in each of the four SEAL themes, schools should consider setting up a year-wide focus on a small number of key skills relevant to the current SEAL theme. This enables all staff (including administrative and non-teaching personnel) to acknowledge, reinforce and celebrate the practical application of the same skills across the school day in a consistent and manageable manner.

The ‘Pupil Passport’ enables schools to put this suggestion into practice. Additional passports can be purchased from the publishers, or the individual pages printed directly from the CD-ROM. The passport consists of 5 sections (matched to the Secondary Strategy Y7 themes, and to the five ECM outcomes). Each section lists 5 skills relevant to the SEAL theme (and related ECM outcome) which students are encouraged to demonstrate across the school day.

It is suggested that all staff are primed to ‘catch’ students using the focus skills (and encouraged to display the posters in their classroom as a reminder – see below). When noticing a student demonstrating a focus skill, the adult signs the student’s passport. Schools might like to use the ‘Year 7 Challenge’ idea which involves students getting all 25 skills ‘ticked off’ over the course of an academic year (or on a theme by theme basis). Students who successfully complete the challenge could be rewarded (e.g. entered into a draw or eligible for a certificate or prize). The ‘Year 7 Challenge’ is supported by the Classroom Poster set (see below).

Classroom Posters.

A set of 5 posters is included in the pack. Additional sets of posters can be purchased from the publishers, or the individual pages printed directly from the CD-ROM.

Each poster takes one ECM outcome, and reproduces the five tasks listed in the Pupil Passport for that outcome (see above). The posters are compatible with the Y7 SEAL themes and to the events from the relevant section of the Grange-Enders novel that students will be studying. Displayed in every classroom (and the places in which students spend unstructured time), the purpose of the posters is to remind staff and students that the application of SEAL skills is relevant across the curriculum and throughout the school day. They provide a useful way in which SEAL learning can be reinforced, acknowledged and celebrated across the school day and in every curriculum area. Subject departments might like to use the posters as a starting point for discussion about how the skills might be relevant to, and demonstrated within, their particular subject area.

CD-ROM.

The CD-ROM enables you to produce multiple copies of the diary sheets, posters and pupil passport pages, and to project illustrations or PowerPoint™ slides.

The CD-ROM can be copied once and allows schools to share the materials across Y7 classrooms.

Q3: What content does Grange-Enders cover?

 

Section 1: Episodes 1 to 4	Section 2: Episodes 5 to 8
ECM focus outcome: Stay safe Y7 Secondary SEAL curriculum resource: Theme 1 ‘A place to learn’ Understanding and managing the feelings associated with starting at a new school Getting to know and work with new people Creating a safe, positive environment and understanding rights and responsibilities Knowing and valuing ourselves Recognising and developing strategies to deal with peer pressure and risk Using assertiveness skills	ECM focus outcome: Make a positive contribution Y7 Secondary SEAL curriculum resource: Theme 2 ‘Learning to be together’ Working well in groups and understanding the rights and responsibilities of group situations Understanding and developing friendships Using assertiveness skills Understanding conflict and developing strategies for conflict resolution and problem-solving Understanding how our behaviour choices affect others, as well as influencing how we think and feel about ourselves Exploring responsibility, fault and blame
Section 3: Episodes 9 to 11	Section 4: Episodes 12 to 13
ECM focus outcome: Enjoy and achieve/Economic wellbeing Y7 Secondary SEAL curriculum resource: Theme 3 ‘Keep on learning’ Recognising our strengths and current limitations Developing the skills to set and achieve goals Developing the skills of persistence and resilience (bouncing back after a disappointment or when things have gone wrong) Learning from mistakes, past experiences and constructive criticism Taking responsibility for our learning, successes and mistakes Developing an optimistic outlook and the positive thinking skills to achieve this Exploring issues of working, solving problems and decision making as part of a team Using assertiveness skills Developing initiative and enterprise	ECM focus outcome: Be healthy Y7 Secondary SEAL curriculum resource: Theme 4 ‘Learning about me’ Being aware of, identifying, labelling and expressing a range of feelings in themselves and others Developing an understanding of the relationship between thoughts, feelings and behaviour Understanding ‘emotional hijacks’, and developing strategies for managing impulses and strong emotions Using their knowledge about emotions, and strategies for managing them, in order to change uncomfortable feelings, and promote positive ones Understanding and managing the ‘social emotions’ (e.g. jealousy and embarrassment), loss and change Developing and using the skills to support others who are having a hard time Exploring changing friendship patterns

Q4: Why should we buy Grange-Enders when we have the secondary strategy materials?

SEAL skills need to be practised and consolidated in different contexts and formats in order to become embedded and applied practically. This is why a whole-curriculum approach is recommended in the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials. The Grange-Enders resource provides instant stimulus materials to exemplify, bring to life and remind students to focus on the skills taught and explored through Secondary SEAL in an accessible, fun and emotionally engaging format. While Grange-Enders can stand alone as a SEAL/PSHE resource, it is recommended that it is used alongside the Y7 Secondary Strategy materials and is designed to complement and extend these.

Q5: How does it link with Secondary SEAL?

• Explicit and fully mapped links to the 50 Learning Outcomes of the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials.
• The 4 sections of the novel and associated activities mirror the four Y7 Themes, so they can be used concurrently across curriculum areas.
• The resource is based on the principles of best practice in teaching SEAL
  • Uses interactive and experiential activities with clear learning outcomes.
  • Promotes pupil reflection and active application of skills.
  • Supports the creation of a safe emotional classroom and school ethos.
  • Takes a cross-curricular approach.
• Each section of the novel focuses on one or more of the ECM outcomes, and the Secondary SEAL Learning Outcomes relevant to each. For example issues explored in ‘Stay Safe’ (Section 1) include managing risk and dealing with peer pressure.

See also ‘How does Grange-Enders put into practice the recommendations of the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials? The impact of social and emotional learning’. ’

Q6: How does it link with the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes?

The section What content does Grange-Enders cover? Outlines the structure of the Grange-Enders novel, which is built around the five ECM outcomes.

For further information: See Appendix 1 in the introduction pdf.

The ECM Classroom Posters and the ECM Pupil Passport link directly to the 5 ECM outcomes.

For further information: See FAQ question - ‘What does the Grange-Enders teacher resource pack consist of?).

Q7: ‘How does Grange-Enders put into practice the recommendations of the Secondary Strategy SEAL materials?’ The impact of social and emotional learning.

The impact of social and emotional learning on achievement, behaviour and inclusion has been well documented in a number of research studies (at both primary and secondary phases). However, research suggests that potential impact depends on a number of factors, emphasised in the Secondary SEAL Strategy. The key factors are summarised below:

Knowledge, understanding and skills in SEAL should:

• be taught explicitly to all students (not just those with additional needs)
• be reinforced across the curriculum
• be noticed and celebrated at the whole school level within an ethos that promotes emotional health and well-being and the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters
• relevant, motivating and emotionally engaging materials as stimuli
• involve personal reflection and the supported practical application of skills

The Grange-Enders resource has been developed in line with the research findings and aims to provide schools with the opportunity to put into practice these key factors immediately and comprehensively.

Explicit teaching / the need for relevant motivating and emotionally engaging Stimuli:

At the heart of the pack, the Grange-Enders novel provides instant stimulus materials to explicitly teach the skills of SEAL in an accessible, fun, safe and emotionally engaging format for all pupils. If used alongside the Secondary Strategy materials, it provides motivating exemplification and brings the learning to life, engaging the heart as well as the head.

Cross-curricular reinforcement

The Pupil Passport and Classroom Posters enable the SEAL learning to be reinforced consistently across the school day. They provide a clear and manageable focus on the key SEAL/ECM skills for each term, reminding pupils and staff of the need to apply the learning in a variety of different contexts.

Recognition and celebration of the practical application of skills

In addition the Pupil Passport and Classroom Posters remind and encourage all adults in the school to recognise and celebrate the practical application of the focus SEAL skills, helping the learning to become embedded.

Reflection

The Diary Pages enable students to reflect on how the learning applies to them personally, and encourage them to consider how they are using the learning in their everyday lives.

Q8: We are not yet doing Secondary SEAL. Can we buy items from Grange-Enders separately to support our ECM work?

The ECM pupil passports and ECM classroom posters are available separately, as are the diary pages and copies of the novel

However, Grange-Enders can be used as a stand-alone ECM or PSHE resource, and does not depend on the use of Secondary SEAL within the school. Many schools who are not at present involved with Secondary SEAL are choosing to use the resource to support their ECM work (see How does it link with the Every Child Matters (ECM) outcomes?)