Being a diverse international school, our students come from many different nationalities, as well as cultural, social and economic backgrounds. SEL teaches students the skills to understand and regulate their own feelings and relate to others.

Social and Emotional learning provides opportunities for our learners to develop and apply knowledge, attitudes and skills to understand and navigate their own emotions in different situations, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy and respect for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions in a safe environment, where every member of the community feels valued and appreciated in the pursuit of positive and sustained wellbeing.

The skills we teach are grouped in to five main competencies: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. Development in these areas allows students to better engage in learning and perform academically. Research shows that SEL not only improves achievement by an average of 11 percentile points, but it also increases prosocial behaviours (such as kindness, sharing, and empathy), improves student attitudes toward school, and reduces depression and stress among students. See this article for more details.

SEL is one of the four strands of our school strategic plan. We will continue to engage with world experts in this field and other schools delivering SEL programmes to provide the best education possible for our students. This aligns with our school vision and values and is a key part of us delivering a world class curriculum at GIS.

Why study SEL?

SEL teaches you important skills which will apply to all areas of your life. It will help you to regulate your own emotions, relate to other people, and make good decisions. For more details see the page on KS4 curriculum developments.

How is SEL assessed?

SEL is an internally assessed course, there is no external qualification.

When is SEL taught?

SEL is taught once a week in the normal timetable.

Is this different from PSHE?

Yes, although there is a lot of overlap. PSHE will still be taught in tutor time and extended tutor time (ETT). PSHE covers more content about laws, substances, health, and other related topics. SEL focuses more on personal management of emotions and feelings, the perspectives of others and building good relationships, and the ability to make good decisions.

Who will teach me SEL?

SEL is a taught course on your timetable and will be taught by a subject specialist, just like your other classes. It is unlikely that this will be your form tutor.