ASPIRE to wellbeing and learning for all

It's everywhere in the media, the state of state education in the UK. From crumbling buildings to pupil absence and staff attrition, from stressful Ofsted inspections to toxic cultures and increasing exclusions, it is clear that for many students and teachers things are far from well. It is past time for radical change.

I've worked in education all my life, as a teacher, educational psychologist, academic and consultant, both in the UK and overseas, and have never been as concerned as I am now about what is happening in British schools. There are many educators doing their best, but the outdated ideology emanating from a succession of education ministers shows a paucity of understanding about child development, how people learn, what encouragement means and what we need in education to build a vibrant, healthy society. It is as if psychology had not yet arrived in government.

Others are also saying this. The Times Education Commission Report (2022) has 40 pages of what is not happening in British education, what needs to happen, and how other countries are getting it right. There are comments from business leaders, ex-politicians, Nobel prize-winners, educators and those in the arts, saying that education in the UK is often not fit for purpose and failing at least a third of pupils. This is at great cost not only to those students' sense of self and wellbeing but also the economy and future potential.

I started writing to share research and good practice and have now published around 20 books and numerous chapters, many on approaches to school behaviour and what is likely to be more effective. I taught young people deemed a 'problem' in school and it was clear that most had been neglected, rejected, bullied or abused -– some experiencing major loss or trauma. They are 'double whammy kids' – children who experience frightening, miserable or confusing events in their lives, find it difficult to concentrate, learn and comply, and are consequently blamed for being 'deliberately' difficult. No-one likes them much; they often become defensive and get into trouble. 

There are teachers who do their very best every day for those students but rarely get thanked for it. Instead, the current focus on strong 'discipline' and high grades in schools, alongside the use of rewards and punishment rather than relationships, resilience, connection and context, is leading to more exclusions and deteriorating mental health. Teachers under pressure are voting with their feet. 

This is a social justice issue, and to an extent we do know what works well, and what is needed. I was on the editorial board of Educational and Child Psychology for 15 years and educational psychologists, amongst others, regularly published the findings of their research in British schools. The Australian Scoping Study on Approaches to Student Wellbeing (2008) found that when wellbeing was at the core of a school's endeavours there was better mental health, more pro-social behaviour, improved attendance and therefore academic outcomes for all – and teachers were happier. This has been replicated by rafts of evidence since (eg see Kern & Wehmeyer, 2021). 

In researching, teaching and writing about positive education, I have become increasingly aware of what is needed to be threaded throughout the learning environment to provide an optimal experience for all stakeholders. But this has been largely falling on deaf ears. Now we have the possibility of a different government, is it time to explore a different paradigm to revision education?

ASPIRE is an acronym for Agency, Safety, Positivity, Inclusion, Respect and Equity. These principles also promote healthy child development and the development of positive relationships. Each is aligned with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Here is a brief summary of what each means and why it matters.

Agency

Self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2018) has been significant worldwide in challenging the view that people only do things for external reward or because they are told to. Children are not empty vessels to be filled: they bring their own experiences, interests, strengths and personality to every learning situation. It is their interaction with that knowledge that stimulates their engagement and understanding. Teachers can no longer be founts of 'information' when this is available at the touch of a keyboard. 

Skilled educators are, however, essential as facilitators of learning, to help students distinguish what is real from what is not, the difference between fact and opinion, and how to apply knowledge within context. Agency is empowering in giving people a voice and enhancing intrinsic motivation, innovation, self-control and confidence. If we want the future to include a vibrant and engaged citizenship then young people need to feel they are heard, they matter and they can act.

Agency is about acting rather than being acted upon; shaping rather than being shaped; and making responsible decisions and choices rather than accepting those determined by others (OECD Learning Framework 2030).

Safety

It is not just physical safety that matters but social, psychological, emotional and digital. Many pupils do not feel safe in school for reasons that include bullying, intimidation and harassment, fear of being a loser in a competitive academic environment, getting into trouble for lateness, uniform infringement and other misdemeanours and also not being accepted for who they are. Many have unmet needs. The book Square Pegs (Costello & Morgan, 2023) raises awareness of pupils who are terrified of going to school for myriad reasons, and for whom coercion to attend has backfired dramatically on both those individuals and their families. When children in the UK are some of the unhappiest in the world (Children's Society, 2023) something is far from right. 

The pillars of 'Learning to Be' and 'Learning to Live Together' that build resilience and healthy relationships have been marginalised within the curriculum, when they need to be threaded through the life of school. We hear, for instance, about problems with toxic masculinity and how organisations need to improve their vetting procedures. But what is in place throughout education to provide alternative understandings of how to become a 'good man' in our society? Teaching social and emotional skills for resilience and relationships is not just for young people in school now, but what they need for their future, in families, communities and workplaces.

Positivity

The default position for many is the negative and it takes a deliberate decision to shift perspective and action. But it is worth doing. Words matter. The way we speak to each other determines the quality of interactions, the possibility of collaboration and, for children, their developing self-concept. When young people come to school not feeling good about themselves, other people and the world around them, they need to be surrounded by strengths-based language, be given opportunities to be creative and playful and experience positivity on a daily basis. A solution-focused approach explores what works rather than spending time dissecting problems. When the media is full of stories of cruelty, callousness, greed and the worst of human behaviour, young people may begin to think that this is the norm. If we want a future world that builds and celebrates the best of humanity, students need examples and opportunities to practice altruism, kindness, gratitude, fairness and empathy.

Inclusion

We are hard-wired to connect with each other and a sense of belonging is now recognised as essential for wellbeing and resilience. Many young people, especially since the pandemic, either feel lonely or are seeking connection to groups that are high risk. School belonging has the power to address this. 

This is celebrating each person's unique place in the world and valuing our shared humanity. It challenges the definition of what is 'normal' and embraces diversity. Inclusive policies and practices are not just focused on those at risk of discrimination but the way all stakeholders think about and treat each other. Feelings of rejection are as painful as physical injury. School belonging is also aligned with purpose and progress in learning.

Dignity is the backbone of mattering – it is the quality of being worthy, honoured and esteemed … being recognised, acknowledged, included and respected (Prilleltensky & Prilleltensky, 2021).

Respect

In education this means valuing the whole student in all dimensions of their development, not just their academic skills. Grading pupils in a competitive environment undermines this, as it does not recognise the vast complexity that each child has to offer. It means acknowledging diverse cultures and contexts rather than imposing one as being 'the right way' and ignoring difference (Dobia & Roffey, 2017). It is treating others in ways we might choose to be treated ourselves. 

This needs to apply to all stakeholders in a school, including families and teachers. In Finland the profession is highly regarded, with teacher autonomy and good pay, and children enjoy being in school. Although better than nothing, a one-off lesson on respectful relationships will not change much. Respect needs to be threaded throughout the learning environment, encapsulated in communication practices, not jumping to judgment or deficit labelling, and finding ways to listen to diverse stories. Children need to experience respect from the day they enter school until they day they leave – even, and perhaps especially, when their behaviour is challenging.

Equity

One size does not fit all. Creating equitable provision for diverse student populations is a feature of education policy in OECD countries but the Times Education Commission Report (2022) comments on UK practice and 'the missing geniuses of this generation whose potential is being wasted by a flawed and unfair education system'. Although many independent schools promote personalised learning, project /problem-based pedagogies and diverse approaches to meet specific needs, state schools rarely have the resources, let alone the will or permission to explore learning outside a standard curriculum and didactic instruction. For young people to have equal opportunities to flourish and learn, we need both educational policies and schools to be adaptable, flexible and fair. One way of doing this is to focus on oracy as a priority and there is now a strong movement to encourage talking for learning (see www.voice21.org).

Idealistic, but not wishful thinking

No-one should be failed in education, but our present system does not give young people credit for what they have learnt unless they have remembered and repeated what they have been taught. Pride in achievement is limited to grades. The keyworkers who kept the country together during lockdown probably considered themselves educational failures if they didn't attain the marks leading to a place in a 'good university' and high-status profession. The homogeneity of the UK curriculum in state education is clearly not working. Everyone needs to learn basic skills but not by undermining a love for learning and curiosity about the world. Things need to change. 

ASPIRE to Wellbeing and Learning for All will be published in June for Early Years and Primary and in August for Secondary Schools. Numerous case-studies illustrate these principles in practice and there are substantial references and resources at the end of each chapter. ASPIRE is idealistic but not just wishful thinking, it is achievable. And for the sake of our children now and the future they are building, it needs to be the basis of revitalising education so that all our children love learning and want to come to school.

Dr Sue Roffey FRSA FBPsS 
Honorary A/Professor at University College  

Director  Growing Great Schools Worldwide

References

The Children's Society (2023). The Good Childhood Report.

Costello, E., Morgan, F. with Gilbert, I. (Eds) (2023). Square Pegs: Inclusivity, Compassion and Fitting in. A guide for schools. Independent Thinking Press 

Dobia, B. & Roffey, S. (2017). Respect for culture: Social and emotional learning with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth. In E. Frydenberg, A.J. Martin & R.J. Collie (Eds.) Social and Emotional Learning in Australia and the Asia-Pacific (313-334). Springer.

Kern, M.L. & Wehmeyer, M.L. (Eds) (2021). The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education. Palgrave Macmillan.

Noble, T., McGrath, H., Roffey, S. & Rowling, L. (2008). A scoping study on student wellbeing. Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Australian Federal Government.

OECD (2018) OECD Learning Framework 2030 Position Paper: The Future of Education and Skills, Education 2030.

Roffey, S. (2024). ASPIRE to Wellbeing and Learning in the Early Years and Primary: The Principles Underpinning Positive Education. Routledge.

Roffey, S. (2024). ASPIRE to Wellbeing and Learning in Secondary Settings: The Principles Underpinning Positive Education. Routledge.

Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2018). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development and Wellness. Guilford Press.

Prilleltensky, I. & Prilleltensky, O. (2021). How People Matter: Why it affects health, happiness, love, work and society. Cambridge University Press.

Seldon, A. & Sylvester, R. (Chairs) (2022). The Times Education Commission Report – Bringing Out the Best.The Times.