A new report from youth charity Impetus and the think and action-tank Centre for Education and Youth has today (7 December) announced new findings around young peoples’ social and emotional skills.

Kids Inspire, a charity partner of Impetus, provided insight for this recently commissioned report asking the question: Are young people missing out on classroom skills that are crucial for academic attainment? Key findings from the report found that 92% of teachers, including 60% of headteachers say that learning emotional and social skills are crucial for attainment in school.

PRESS RELEASE

Young people missing out on classroom skills teachers say are ‘crucial for academic attainment’

Overwhelming support for building skills that could break down the attainment gap

Inconsistent policies and a lack of focus on young peoples’ social and emotional skills could be behind a long-term failure to close the attainment gap - preventing young people from getting the academic results that they need to succeed - according to a new report from youth charity Impetus and the think and action-tank Centre for Education and Youth. The report coincides with new survey results* that show that 92 per cent of teachers agree that social and emotional learning is crucial for attainment in school. In particular 60 per cent of headteachers surveyed believe strongly that these skills make a difference to academic success.

However, despite this support from headteachers, 76 per cent of teachers when asked said they had spent an hour or less that day developing social and emotional skills in the classroom, with 27 per cent spending no time at all.

The Education Endowment Foundation found that the development of skills like managing emotions, empathy, and the ability to establish and maintain supportive relationships and make responsible decisions – can drive up to four months of academic progress.

Steven Haines, Director of Public Affairs at youth charity Impetus, who commissioned the report said:

“Before a young person is ready to succeed at school, they must be ready to learn. Our report shows that there has been a long term failure to focus on building the skills necessary in young people to help them achieve academically – and now we know that teachers and headteachers agree.

“The pandemic has seen thousands of children fall behind - overwhelmingly young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who were already only half as likely to pass their GCSE English and Maths. Social and emotional learning urgently needs to be properly embedded in a way that works in our education system, to make sure that all young people, regardless of their background, can have the same life chances.”

Anamaría Granada, CfEY Associate and report author, said:

"Social and emotional learning is incredibly powerful. When taught and embedded well, it can be an equaliser that supports young people to reach their full potential in school and society. This report shows that even though there are examples of great practice from teachers, schools and other practitioners, SEL requires a strong push from DfE to ensure that its importance is recognised, prioritised and embedded in the education system.

"SEL should form part of the battery of strategies that strengthen a preventative, holistic and upstream level of high-quality provision to improve attainment and protect against mental health issues." 

The new report ‘Catalysing Social and Emotional Learning in Schools in England’ from Impetus and the Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) examines the current state of social and emotional learning in schools in England. It aims to understand how policy can create enabling environments to ensure that social and emotional learning thrives across our school system, especially benefiting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Pages 29 – 35 of the report also includes case studies of five pioneering charities who are making a difference in this space (Jon Egging Trust, Khulisa, Kids Inspire, Football Beyond Borders and West London Zone.)

Further information:

• To talk about the report or to speak to any of the case study charities please contact Nicola Robbins, Head of Communications at Impetus on 07967644427 or email nicola.robbins@impetus.org.uk

• To speak with CfEY please contact Alix Robertson, Head of Engagement on 07828183469 or email alix@cfey.org

Notes to editors:

• A full copy of the report ‘Catalysing Social and Emotional Learning in Schools in England’ is available here.

• We used The Collaboration for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning's (CASEL) definition of social and emotional learning:

• “The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”

•  *Survey data is taken from 2 separate questions asked by Teacher Tapp - a daily survey app that asks over 7,000 teachers questions each day and reweights the results to make them representative.

• Question 1: Developing social and emotional skills is crucial for improving attainment at school (respondents were asked to rate their response on a likert scale of agreement/disagreement). Asked on 30.11.2022. 

• Question 2: How much time did you spend today dedicated to developing pupils' social and emotional skills? Asked on 25.04.2022.

About Impetus

Impetus transforms the lives of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, by ensuring they get the right support to succeed in school, work and life. We find, fund and build the most promising charities working with these young people, providing core funding and working shoulder-to-shoulder with their leaders to help them become stronger organisations. In partnership with other funders we help our charities expand, and we work to influence policy and decision makers so that young people get the support they need.

About The Centre for Education and Youth

The Centre for Education and Youth (CfEY) is a ‘think and action-tank’. We believe society should ensure all children and young people receive the support they need to make a fulfilling transition to adulthood.

We work with a wide range of organisations, and people who share this belief, helping them make wise, bold decisions about how best to support young people.

We use our timely and rigorous research to get under the skin of key issues in education and youth, aiming to shape debate, inform policy and change practice. Set up as a community interest company, we have a particular interest in issues affecting marginalised young people.