“I felt so fortunate that I was able to attend professional development training on Positive Education as this is something I’ve been interested in for a long time. Having the chance to understand more about the flourish model and focus upon my character strengths was really enlightening.”
Rachel Rendall Grade 2 Learning Leader, Canadian International School of Hong Kong
UK schools are currently in crisis, with increasing numbers of pupils and staff experiencing mental health concerns. The wellbeing of children in the UK is amongst the lowest in the developed world (27th out of 38 countries) with only 64% of children reporting a life satisfaction score of more than five out of ten (World Economic Forum). Teachers in the UK have markedly lower overall wellbeing levels (WEMWBS) than the general population with a score of 44.7 compared to 49.85 for England overall (NHS Digital, 2017). Schools around the world are introducing Positive Education as a model to support wellbeing and flourishing for all stakeholders.
Positive Education combines traditional education principles with research-backed ways of increasing happiness and wellbeing. The fundamental goal of positive education is to promote flourishing and positive mental health within the school community.
Positive Education has grown out of the science of Positive Psychology and draws upon the PERMA model of wellbeing to support human flourishing in all domains. Underpinned by the principles of growth mindset, positive education focuses on teaching staff and pupils skills to optimise their wellbeing and build resilience. These valuable life skills are already being taught in highly successful schools across the world such as Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, where it provides its students with an increased capacity to learn effectively, as well as offering them a strong foundation on which they can build a successful life.
This workshop is an introduction to the principles of Positive Education and focuses primarily on how staff can implement Positive Psychology interventions in their own lives to enhance personal wellbeing. It provides a foundation from which to begin to build a whole school approach to Positive Education.
“Authentic happiness derives from raising the bar for yourself, not rating yourself against others.”
Martin E.P. Seligman, Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
Positive Education INSET Aims
The workshop aims to develop a basic understanding of human flourishing through an overview of the PERMA model (Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment) and to focus upon 3 key aspects of the model as a foundation for personal and organisational flourishing. It utilises a number of tools to allow staff to assess their own wellbeing against the PERMA model and develop a PERMA Wellbeing Plan.
Consider booking a whole staff self-care and wellbeing INSET for your school to provide teachers and support staff with strategies to manage anxiety and stress. Click here for more details
INSET Outline
What is Positive Education and Why Do We Need It?
- To examine the basic principles of Positive Psychology and Positive Education.
- To understand the PERMA model of human flourishing.
- To consider how the use of the PERMA model in schools can build a flourishing school community.
- To use a number of tools to assess individual PERMA and develop a PERMA Wellbeing Plan.
Building Positive Relationships in School
- To understand why positive relationships are the foundation of wellbeing.
- To consider a range of evidence-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs) to build positive relationships in school.
- To model the use of PPIs to build positive relationships.
Experiencing Positive Emotions
- To understand what we mean by positive emotions and why they are important.
- To consider a range of evidence-based positive psychology interventions (PPIs) to increase positive emotions in school, including VIA Character Strengths.
- To model the use of PPIs to increase positive emotions.
Creating a Sense of Meaning in School
- To understand what we mean by “a sense of meaning” and look at the important role that values play in promoting wellbeing.
- To understand and examine the values of the school.
- To understand our own individual values and those of our colleagues.
- To consider how we can work towards promoting shared values.
