Emotional Health and Wellbeing

Emotional health and wellbeing; Birthto5Matters-download.pdf

Early relationships strongly influence how children develop, and having close, secure attachment to their carers is important for children’s healthy development. Positive relationships support wellbeing and the gradual development of self-regulation. When adults tune in to children’s signals and respond sensitively and consistently to meet their needs, children can feel safe, relaxed, and loved. Regular patterns of activities which create routine and help children to know what to expect next also foster a sense of security and self-confidence.

Interactions: The adult’s role as co-regulator is critical in a child’s development of self-regulation (children’s ability to regulate their thoughts, feelings and behaviour). As they observe and interact with their peers and adults, children gradually move from the experience of being supported in managing their feelings, thoughts and behaviour, to developing the ability to regulate these more independently. Sensitive and skillful adults play a key role in supporting development and learning, through observing children and deciding when to step back and when to offer support, encouragement and stimulation for children’s own efforts. Children’s language is enriched and enhanced by back-and-forth exchanges with practitioners who respect and respond to children’s conversation

Since the revision of the EYFS in March 2021, self-regulation is now included within Personal, Social and Emotional Development. Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (publishing.service.gov.uk)

 

Educational Programme for Personal, Social and Emotional Development (Page 8 or Chapter 1.6):

Children’s personal, social and emotional development (PSED) is crucial for children to lead healthy and happy lives, and is fundamental to their cognitive development. Underpinning their personal development are the important attachments that shape their social world. Strong, warm and supportive relationships with adults enable children to learn how to understand their own feelings and those of others. Children should be supported to manage emotions, develop a positive sense of self, set themselves simple goals, have confidence in their own abilities, to persist and wait for what they want and direct attention as necessary. Through adult modelling and guidance, they will learn how to look after their bodies, including healthy eating, and manage personal needs independently. Through supported interaction with other children, they learn how to make good friendships, co-operate and resolve conflicts peaceably. These attributes will provide a secure platform from which children can achieve at school and in later life

Self-Regulation is one of the three Early Learning Goals for Personal, Social and Emotional development. The Early Learning Goals are the level of development children should be expected to have attained by the end of the EYFS.

Children at the expected level of development will:

• Show an understanding of their own feelings and those of others, and begin to regulate their behaviour accordingly.
• Set and work towards simple goals, being able to wait for what they want and control their immediate impulses when appropriate.
• Give focused attention to what the teacher says, responding appropriately even when engaged in activity, and show an ability to follow instructions involving several ideas or actions.

 

During 2022-23, early years settings received training on self-regulation to support meeting the needs of children.

Children who have very high personal, social and emotional needs could be deemed as having a Social, Emotional, Mental Health need one of the four broad areas of needs from the SEN Code of Practice. The setting could access support and advice from the early years or Inclusion advisory teacher within Torbay Council Early Years and Childcare Service. EarlyYears@torbay.gov.uk

 

SEND_Code_of_Practice_January_2015.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

 

Social, emotional and mental health difficulties

6.32 Children and young people may experience a wide range of social and emotional difficulties which manifest themselves in many ways. These may include becoming withdrawn or isolated, as well as displaying challenging, disruptive or disturbing behaviour.

 

Birthto5Matters-download.pdf has detailed information on Self-regulation (page 20) which also overlaps with Care (page 13)

Birth to 5 Matters guidance supports children’s progress toward all of the statutory EYFS Early Learning goals. It strongly links Self-regulation with the Characteristics of Effective Learning.