Guest blog by Dr Neil Hawkes
Do schools nourish mental health? This is a question that I hold in my mind when I visit schools the world over. Recently, I was at Goldington Green School in Bedford, visiting to see whether the school met the criteria for being awarded the Quality Mark as a Values-based School. I spent a fascinating day talking with staff and pupils and observing the routines and structures that make the culture of this school so nourishing.
There was no doubt in my mind that as far as it is able to be, Goldington Green is an excellent school that promotes and nurtures the mental health of its community. It achieved the Quality Mark with flying colours.
However, it and all English State schools, have little power over the National Curriculum requirements and the Ofsted regime. I believe both are out of sync with how children learn best, what young children should be experiencing and learning in the primary school and what society needs for the education of its citizens.
Is there really a place for knowing grammatical terms such as the ‘fronted adverbial clause’? I was thrilled when this concern was brought to my attention during lockdown by a parent, home schooling, who couldn’t understand why his nine-year-old child was being made to learn such things that didn’t, in his opinion, increase his child’s excitement and creativity for story writing.
Despite the limiting narrative of the centrally imposed system, so many schools are doing amazing things for children. As an example, Ledbury Primary School in Herefordshire nurtures mental health and wellbeing through an approach to education called Values-based Education. Ledbury is led by an outstanding Headteacher, Julie Rees, who is very proud that her school is recognised as a Values-based school.
Ledbury is one of thousands of schools worldwide that sees education as a holistic process that nurtures the essence of what it means to be human, whilst giving pupils an outstanding education. This has created an environment where children do well and are helped to be well adjusted, mentally robust, happy pupils.
What is Values-based Education (VbE)?
Value-based Education (VbE) provides a teaching environment in which learners experience positive values such as respect, trust, honesty and empathy first-hand throughout their schooling. It is a method that underpins the overall vision and practice of the school and its approach to teaching and learning.
VbE gives children a ‘transformational vocabulary’, based on these values of respect, trust, honesty, and others such as fairness, justice and compassion. These value words are thought about and experientially explored by those who use them (pupils, staff and parents) to empower them to live their lives based on such values.
The process of implementing such an approach is challenging, as it requires each person to hold a mirror up to their thoughts and actions. The benefits are worth the effort: individuals feel transformed and empowered to be self-leaders.
Embedding such an active ethical compass has shown to positively affect pupils’ behaviour, their thinking, the quality of their schoolwork: and most importantly for me, their mental health and wellbeing.
The process of implementing such an approach is challenging, as it requires each person to hold a mirror up to their thoughts and actions. The benefits are worth the effort.”
What are the key processes involved?
1. Deciding on a group of values that you want to think about. Schools will make this a community process. At home you can have a family meeting to decide your values. The values then underpin every aspect of life.
2. Give yourself and others time and space to think about the values. Schools often have a value for the month. Remember that you must help each other to keep to your chosen values and not drop them. For instance, when you are shopping, consider how you are showing respect for others and not acting selfishly.
3. Remember that you are the living role model for the values. Children will spot inconsistencies in what you say and do as adults. Use the language of values when talking with children, “Well done, you were very respectful” and show the positive values in action.
4. Give regular time and space to be inwardly reflective about the values and work on them. Pausing to be and brain breaks are key elements for empowering children to allow their authentic self to be in control of their internal world.
5. Mental health is promoted in a culture in which people are emotionally intelligent, are great listeners and are curious rather than judgemental. Mistakes are welcomed as a path to improvement: no one is shamed or ridiculed.
I have written books to help guide you through this process, including From My Heart, which includes practical information on developing values, and another written with my wife Jane who is a psychotherapist, The Inner Curriculum, which is about nurturing mental health and wellbeing.
In a word, the impact is transformational. Research has found that by giving children positive value words to think about, an ethical vocabulary is developed, which guides their thinking and behaviour. It nurtures ethical intelligence, which is the ability to morally self-regulate our behaviour. In my view, this is the most important intelligence to develop in our world today and should be a major aim of education.
The important link between our lived values and mental health is recognised in several evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
If we are serious about our children’s mental health, a Values-based Education culture should be a requirement in schools not an option. Ask your local school if it is “Values-based”!
I hope this short blog may have inspired you to be curious about and want to promote the principles of Values-based Education for the sake of our children’s education and mental health. For more information and examples of VbE in practice, visit www.valuesbasededucation.com.
Dr. Neil Hawkes D.Phil (Oxford), MEd, BA, FRSA
Neil Hawkes is well known as a TEDx presenter, former Headteacher, author and social commentator. He is is one of the V20 Task Group that is advising G20 leaders about the importance of values to humanity. Neil first gained international recognition when he was a Headteacher in Oxfordshire, UK, where he worked with a school community to devise and implement a pedagogical system that would give pupils a transformational vocabulary, based on values such as respect, tolerance, humility and justice. Neil founded The International Values based Trust, https://ivetfoundation.com and its educational arm Values-based Education, https://www.valuesbasededucation.com More information about Dr Hawkes can be found at http://neilhawkes.org
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