Chapter-30-J-Mosley-Z-Niwano-Promoting-Social-Emotional-and-Behavioural-Skills-Through-Circle-Time-and-Circles-of-Support

Chapter 30: Promoting Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills through Circle Time and Circles of Support Mosley, J and Niwano, Z (2012) Promoting Social, Emotional and Behavioural Skills Through Circle Time And Circles Of Support In Cole, T et al eds The Routledge International Companion To Emotional And Behavioural Difficulties (Routledge Handbooks) London and New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group Jenny Mosley and Zara Niwano INTRODUCTION To become better learners in class, to succeed more generally at school and in their personal lives, children need opportunities to develop more than their cognitive skills Social and emotional competencies are linked by Demos (2009) to educational success and by Weare and Gray (2003) to positive behaviour, improved learning, greater social cohesion, improvements in mental health and increased degrees of school inclusion Circle time, a student-centred approach, encourages the practice of social and emotional skills inclusively and democratically, and provides opportunities to develop co-operative learning, group discussion and problem-solving It is a frequently-used strategy in the UK and abroad, with a history of providing early experiential development through a well-tested educational model (Ballard 1982; White 1990; Bliss, Robinson and Maines 1995; Robinson and Maines 1998) Developing from the groupwork and social dynamics theories of researchers such as Moreno (1945, 1946), Mead (1934), Rogers (1951, 1961), Glasser (1990) and Burns (1979, 1982), a distinctive approach to circle time, Quality Circle Time (QCT) (Mosley 1988, 1989) was introduced in England in 1988 This system was widely adopted with the introduction of specific guidelines, routines and procedures QCT is part of the ‘Whole -School Quality Circle Time’ model, encompassing circle time practice and a whole-school approach promoting positive behaviour and developing respectful relationships (Mosley 1993, 1996, 1998, 2006) For this discussion, QCT will refer to the circle time feature of this model QCT became a well-established weekly system in many schools where school leaders recognised that meeting in circles encourages participation and teamwork Planning, structuring, pacing and evaluating the activities are the essential ingredients in providing effective opportunities for social, emotional and intellectual learning within these sessions Designing games and learning activities maximises the benefits of work on areas such as self-esteem, self-confidence, positive behaviour, emotional literacy and social skills Whilst the majority of young people can benefit from whole-class weekly circle time sessions, a minority of pupils – those presenting social, emotional and behavioural issues and challenges – may fail to gain from or even to access the QCT model For them smaller, more focused groupwork circle sessions are usually more beneficial Such groups can focus in detail on areas of relevant personal development, including anger management and self-esteem Small group work approaches within the QCT model are entitled ‘Circles Of Support’ (Mosley 1988; Mosley and Niwano 2007) (see Table 1) Circles of Support share some attributes with Nurture Groups (Bennathan and Boxall 1998), ‘Circle of Friends’ approach (Newton and Wilson 1999); (Taylor 1996, 1997) and SEAL Silver Set – small group work (DfES 2006) [INSERT TABLE 30.1 HERE] THE CIRCLE OF SUPPORT METHOD Before setting up a Circle of Support (CoS), the school leadership’s backing must be gained and every aspect carefully planned Detailed discussions should take place between all involved with the children A CoS consists of: • two adult facilitators (if possible); • four to six children who have been identified as requiring targeted, additional support measures; • up to four others acting as role models and benefit from sessions Children in the last category might include withdrawn pupils with otherwise good social skills who would benefit from this special activity Mixing age groups is beneficial Children are usually referred by teachers after the completion of attitudinal or behavioural questionnaires, but can be put forward by parents; or by staff after a case review at a meeting The two facilitators should work together to run a CoS, usually a teacher working with a teaching assistant One facilitator should work full-time in the school so that s/he can fulfil the role of advocate for the children in the CoS Both adults can model positive behaviour and share the leading of the sessions They ensure sessions are well-planned and evaluated They decide the plans to follow, the qualities and skills to praise, the boundaries to set and the consequences to enforce consistently and how to communicate unobtrusively with each other during sessions through signals Facilitators should seek to arrange that every child in each CoS session experiences feelings of success through activities that are accessible and motivating and help to counter the negative emotions associated with the rejection, sense of hopelessness and inability to control their worlds that the children in these groups frequently experience Potential participants should be interviewed before the series of sessions begin so that they understand why they have been put forward and to help them choose to work towards improving certain behaviours or qualities It is empowering to them if they themselves suggest areas on which to focus Pupils must know that complete confidentiality cannot be offered and that if some sensitive issues are raised, facilitators will have to discuss these with others Facilitators need to say to the children that “if you tell me anything that worries me, I will need to speak to someone about it, and I will tell you if I am going to this” (Mosley and Niwano, 2007) CoS sessions usually take place once a week for up to a term but a series may run for longer, depending upon children’s needs They should take place in a quiet room with “Do Not Disturb” on the door Children need arrival and leaving plans to minimize disruption Sessions generally last forty-five minutes Shorter sessions may be more appropriate in the initial stages Parents need to be involved from before the start This is best achieved though an initial letter praising their child’s progress in some areas but informing them that staff believe their child might benefit from more support with their social skills development and that their child has been invited to participate in a short booster programme An offer should be made to meet them if they have concerns or queries The facilitators must be well prepared, knowing what sessions will involve, having resources to hand so that they are relaxed and confident, thereby helping children to feel safe and aiding their engagement with the activities offered When planning themes, decision-making starts with consulting the children and the other adults who work with them and deciding how best to support appropriate development The following areas are frequently needed, though the Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) or Social, Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum may provide an outline: • Self-confidence and self-esteem; • Managing emotions; • Assertiveness; • Empathy; • Building language development; • Learning to be part of a team; • Becoming motivated to learn At first many children need to be taught five essential learning skills: looking, listening, speaking, thinking and concentrating Each session should include activities encouraging development of these skills and once learnt, through enjoyable and cooperative activities, children may gain from more complex sessions Circle of Support sessions usually mirror the QCT Five-Step model with meetings progressing through five distinct steps Each step has a particular purpose: Step One: Meeting Up Game Each meeting begins with a game designed to help the children relax, release tension, enjoy being together and to create a supportive atmosphere Sometimes it may be better to begin with a calm, focused activity instead of a game Step Two: Warming Up Round Many young people need to ‘warm up’ before speaking in discussions Warm up can be achieved through a ‘round’ with pupils in turn repeating and completing a sentence started by the teacher, for example, ‘The animal I would like to be is……’ A ‘speaking object’ (such as a soft toy) shows whose turn it is and whoever is holding the speaking object has the right to speak uninterrupted before passing it on to the next person Any child not wishing to speak may say ‘pass’ and hand it on If many children choose this option, they can be told the sentence stem a few days before so they have time to think up their contribution Step Three: ‘Opening Up’ and ‘Exploring Issues’ Forum The ‘Open Forum’ is an opportunity for children to work together, explore problems, concerns, hopes and fears They investigate what it means to be part of a community and think about social and moral responsibilities They learn to offer peer support in respectful and compassionate ways, practice problem-solving skills and rehearse behaviours to strengthen confidence and self-esteem Pupils learn to express opinions and join in discussions to develop their ability to reason To support the forum, the facilitators use a range of approaches, including puppets, role play and poems Step Four: ‘Cheering Up’ and Celebrating Success It can be difficult for troubled children to ‘switch off’ from issues of concern so it is important to provide two closing activities to help participants leaves the meeting feeling calm and refreshed The ‘cheering up’ step celebrates individual successes and strengths Class team honours – a certificate signed by the class - may be awarded or children may teach the others a new game Step Five: Calming Down Closing Ritual Each meeting ends with a closing ritual designed to calm and ensure feelings of emotional safety and closure This may involve visualisations, sensory work and breathing techniques Some young people are not ready for the full Five Steps and practitioners may choose to ‘pick and mix’ which steps it is appropriate to use Sessions should never end on a Step ‘opening up’ activity as this stage can open up participants’ feelings of vulnerability It is advisable to distance children from emotional issues by visiting at least one different step after Step to increase the chances of their leaving in a happy or relaxed mood Sessions can start by repeating a game from the previous session to help children feel more confident Circles of Support benefit from ground rules These are best introduced around sessions three or four, after the participants have been engaged in and motivated by CoS in two or three enjoyable and well paced introductory sessions Rules need to support schools values and children can be asked to suggest them Rules frequently fall into these categories: • Physical safety (e.g ‘we are gentle’) • Emotional safety (‘we are kind’) • Respect for each other (‘we listen’) • Respect for work (‘we our best’) • Respect for the environment (‘we look after property’) • Respect for the truth (‘we are honest’) Agreeing practical routines such as ‘turning up on time’ and’ tidying up’ is also beneficial The rules can be put on a poster and displayed on the wall Facilitators should discuss with pupils the consequences of someone breaking an agreed rule and a list of sanctions should be drawn up Children often suggest verbal warnings, visual warnings and ‘time out’ but the most severe and effective sanction can be the loss of the privilege of coming to the group Children are keen to discuss the rewards, such as certificates, they can receive if they keep the rules Children sometimes like extra support after a Circle of Support and one facilitator should be available after the session or at an agreed time if a child wants to talk Circles of Support work well when children know that CoS is part of a continuous care and education process The participating child, their teacher and facilitators should try to meet together every few weeks to identify with the child the issues on which the young person wants to work At this meeting, the teacher can suggest one area in which support could help the child e.g in listening or concentration skills Discussions at this joint meeting make it more difficult for the child to cast the teacher as the ‘baddie’ and the CoS facilitator as ‘the good one’ Bringing about a safe ending to a series of Circle of Support sessions is important Children see the circles as nurturing and often feel a loss when the sessions cease If possible, children should be ‘bridged’ back into mainstream life by one of the facilitators accompanying them and joining in with mainstream circle times for a couple of sessions This helps both child and teacher One useful approach is the facilitator ensuring that the child is asked to teach the rest of the class games learnt during the Circle of Support The pupil should this in his or her own way By doing this, they bring back from the smaller circle a taste of fun which can win them the support of the other students The leaving participant’s feelings of loss can also be eased by the facilitator giving the child a card with a photograph of the group on it and best wishes messages inside Facilitators can let the child know how to get in touch with them if the pupil really need to EVIDENCE FOR THE IMPACT OF QCT AND CoS The benefits of Circles Times are subtle and difficult to quantify Early research on the effects of QCT programmes largely consist of informal reports and qualitative data from schools where QCT and CoS have functioned effectively This section sketches studies indicating the positive impact of QCT and CoS, some of which takes the form of peer-reviewed journal articles and some unpublished masters’ degree dissertations Dawson and McNess (1997) found 88 per cent of headteachers used weekly circle times in their schools: 71 per cent said it raised self-esteem, 79 percent said it increased social skills; 85 per cent stated it improved communication and 69 per cent stated it helped children take responsibility for their actions In a Gulbenkian Foundation commissioned study, Tew (1999) found headteachers identified circle time as a powerful system for improving school ethos and promoting spiritual, cultural, moral, social and personal development of children Results from the ‘Campaign for Learning’ research at the University of Newcastle (England) showed circle time programmes benefiting children: they allowed pupils more time to reflect on their feelings, created an increased readiness to learn, improved resilience and reduced inappropriate behaviour (Higgins, Wall, Baumfield et al 2004; Higgins, Wall, Falzon et al 2005) Results from another unpublished early years Masters dissertation showed that a classroom management approach centring upon circle time significantly contributed to the personal, social and health education early learning goals (Wood 2001) In a secondary circle time study (Tew 1998), two groups for 11-12 year olds, were taught personal and social education within or beyond circle time sessions Results showed the circle time group knew each other more thoroughly and could easily make specific positive comments about fellow group members Their teachers made positive comments relating to pupils’ self-confidence, attitude and learning about each other More recently, OFSTED, the English government’s national schools inspectorate, found that QCT assisted the re-engagement of disaffected and reluctant secondary pupils in their learning Amongst schools identified as being very successful at reengaging pupils, an adapted curriculum that involved QCT, amongst other initiatives, was most common (OFSTED 2008) Another inspectors’ report (OFSTED 2009:17) stated that in schools with low exclusion rates for children from to years: ‘Circle time’ approaches were widely used, which enabled children to develop the skills to negotiate, listen and respond with empathy, as well as to express themselves and to solve problems In many cases, children were involved in defining the class rules or expectations based on the whole-school rules, and designing rewards and even sanctions In the best practice, children were taught and encouraged to be highly aware of their own behaviour, including the possible triggers for poor behaviour, and to regulate it accordingly.’ By 1988 the potential of circle-based support programmes (Circles Of Support) became evident (Mosley 1988), and was explored into the 1990s using active experiential activities like role play, improvisation and games to support pupils experiencing social, emotional and behavioural difficulties In 1991, Circles of Support were found to help Year and 10 pupils with behavioural and adjustment problems (Shaw, 1991) Morris (1998) reported that young women, referred for low levels of self-esteem, perceived themselves as being more competent and confident as a result of circle work Working in a Circle of Support with eight Year boys (9 or 10 years of age) 10 with EBD, Franks (2001) found that they became more skilled in expressing emotions, with indications of improvement in behaviour Another study found Year pupils exhibited increased perception of their social acceptance after ten weeks of Circles of Support (Liberman, 2003) Circles of Support were also used successfully in the Compass for Life project in Stirling, Scotland (Alcorn, 2004) with young people aged between 14 and 25 years, focusing upon employability through participative learning programmes with a trainer After three-months, the Circle of Support had improved participants’ understanding of themselves and others, helped them to appreciate more the effects of the language they used, reducing the use of verbal ‘put-downs’ in their social interactions Finally, we repeat the views of a few young people, with whom the writers have worked in Circles of Support: ‘It helps me learn about other people.’ ‘It helped me to get things off my chest.’ ‘We learned to help each other and didn’t laugh when people made a try [an effort, but failed].’ ‘I liked talking about how to make good friends and to work harder.’ CONCLUSION Quality Circle Time and Circles of Support are widely used in schools in the UK and abroad Experiences and opportunities offered are designed to support children in developing social, communication, emotional, problem-solving and learning skills The available evidence suggests both QCT and its variant contribute to pupils’ social and emotional effectiveness However, when staff facilitate Circles of Support without adequate training and understanding, circles can be ineffective and at worst emotionally unsafe 11 QCT and CoS are most commonly used in many primary schools It is of concern to the authors that very few secondary schools have regular weekly circle time for pupils as part of tutor time or PSHE These same schools often run small circles for children who have problems – thereby giving the message to all other children that in their school, only children with problems are listened to One child came up to a facilitator, known to the writers, and asked ‘Who I have to hit to get into your group?’ Circles of Support and weekly circle times urgently need more rigorous and extensive research to test – and hopefully endorse - the authors’ belief that they should be used far more widely with pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties REFERENCES Alcorn, J (2004) Post-school Learning and Self-esteem: Using Quality Circle Time in the Stirling Compass for Life Partnership Trowbridge: Jenny Mosley Consultancies Ballard, J (1982) Circletime Irvington Publishers: New York Benanthon, M and Boxall, M (1998) The Boxall Profile: Handbook for teachers London: Nurture Group Network Bliss, T., Robinson, G and Maines, B (1995) Developing Circle Time: Taking Circle Time Much Further London: Lucky Duck Burns, R (1979) The Self Concept London: Longman 12 Dawson, N and McNess, E (1997) A Report on the Use of Circle Time in Wiltshire Primary schools Unpublished report commissioned from Bristol University by Wiltshire Local Education Authority DEMOS (2009) A stitch in time: tackling educational disengagement www.demos.co.uk/files/Demos_stitch_in_time_report_C.pdf?1243336176 DfES (2006) Excellence and enjoyment: social and emotional aspects of learning Key Stage Small group activities Nottingham: DfES Publications Franks, G (2001) Can Circle Time Facilitate the Learning of Emotional Expression and Competence in Boys with Severe EBD? Unpublished MEd thesis, School of Education, University of Bristol Glasser, W (1990) Reality Therapy New York Harpers and Collins Higgins, S., Wall, K., Baumfield, V., Hall, E., Leat, D and Woolner, P with Clark, J., Edwards, G., Falzon, C., Jones, H., Lofthouse, R., Miller, J., Moseley, D., McCaughey, C., and Mroz, M (2006) Learning to Learn in Schools Phase Evaluation: Year Two Report London: Campaign for Learning Higgins, S., Wall, K., Falzon, C., Hall, E., Leat, D., Baumfield, V., Clark, J., Edwards, G., Jones, H., Lofthouse, R., Moseley, D., Miller, J., Murtagh, L., Smith, F., Smith, H and Woolner, P (1005) Learning to Learn in Schools Phase Evaluation: Year One Final Report London: Campaign for Learning 13 Liberman, J (2003) Can a Circle of Support Help to Boost the Self-concept, Social Skills and Modify the Behaviour of Pupils in Year at a Secondary School? Unpublished MEd thesis, School of Education, University of Bristol Mead, G.H (1934) Mind, Self and Society Chicago: University of Chicago Press Moreno, J.L (1934) Who Shall Survive? New York: Plenum Press Moreno, J.L (1946) Psychodrama (2nd revised edition) Ambler, PA: Beacon House Morris, A (1998) Groupwork with Self Referred Young Women with Low Self-esteem Unpublished Med thesis, School of Education, University of Bristol Mosley, J (1988) ‘Some Implications arising from a small scale study of a circlebased programme initiated for the tutorial period.’ Pastoral Care, June 10 – 16 Mosley, J (1989) All Round Success Trowbridge: Wiltshire Local Education Authority Mosley, J (1993) Turn Your School Round Cambridge: LDA Mosley, J (1996) Quality Circle Time Cambridge: LDA Mosley, J (1998) More Quality Circle Time Cambridge: LDA Mosley, J (2006) Step-by-Step Guide to Circle Time for SEAL Trowbridge: Positive Press 14 Mosley, J (2009) ‘Circle Time and Socio-emotional Competence in Children and Young People.’ In Cefai, C and Cooper, P (eds) Promoting Emotional Education: Engaging Children and Young People with Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Mosley, J and Tew, M (1998) Quality Circle Time in the Secondary School: a Handbook of Good Practice London: David Fulton Mosley, J and Niwano, Z (2007) They’re Driving Me Mad: Running Circles Of Support for Children Whose Behaviour Pushes You Beyond Your Limit Cambridge: LDA Newton, C and Wilson, D (1999) Circles of Friends Dunstable and Dublin: Folens Ofsted (2008) Good practice in re-engaging disaffected and reluctant students in secondary schools (HMI 070255) http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-allby/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/Good-practice-in-re-engaging-disaffectedand-reluctant-students-in-secondary-schools OFSTED (2009) The Exclusion from School of Children aged Four to Seven HMI 090012 http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-allby/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/The-exclusion-from-school-of-childrenaged-four-to-seven Robinson, G and Maines, B (1998) Circle Time Resources London: Chapman & Hall 15 Rogers, C (1951) Client Centered Therapy Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Rogers, C (1961) On Becoming a Person: A Therapist’s View of Psychotherapy Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Shaw, K (1991) ‘Setting up peer support groups: one school’s INSET response to the Elton Report.’ Pastoral Care, December, 13 Taylor, G (1996) ‘Creating a circle of friends: A Case Study.’ In H.Cowie and S.Sharp (eds) Peer Counselling in School London: David Fulton Taylor, G (1997) ‘Community building in schools: Developing a circle of friends.’ Educational and Child Psychology 14, 45 – 50 Tew, M (1998) ‘Circle time: a much-neglected resource in secondary schools?’ Pastoral Care, September, 24-26 Tew, M (1999) A Report on the Use of Jenny Mosley’s Whole School Quality Circle Time model in Primary Schools in the U.K Commissioned by All Round Success Unpublished Weare, K and Gray, G (2003) What Works in Developing Children’s Emotional and Social Competence and Well-being? DfES Research Report 456 Southampton: The Health Education Unit, Research and Graduate School of Education White, M (1990) 'Circle Time’ Cambridge Journal of Education Vol 20 (1), pp 53 - 56 16 Wood, F (2001) Can Circle Time in the Foundation Stage Support the Early Learning Goals for Personal, Social and Emotional Development? Unpublished dissertation, School of Education, University of Bristol 17