Learning about friendship

I recently attended a course where the facilitator talked about the importance of people feeling as if they are part of a group and how this harks back to evolutionary times, when you were more likely to survive if you were part of a group. This led me to think about friendships and how this can apply in the playground. 

We are fortunate to have delightful children here at Blackheath High School but it would be naïve to think that they are never excluded from their chosen friendship group. This is something that all children face at some point and it is our responsibility as teachers to help them navigate this emotional path. As staff, we address this with children as and when it occurs. The children learn about healthy and unhealthy friendships through the PSHEE curriculum where we discuss possible scenarios and how we might address these. Tempting as it can be for a parent to intervene and hold peace talks, it is important that we support children to acquire the necessary skills so that they learn to create positive relationships now and in the future. The good news is that in most cases, it is not long until the children in question have learned that it is possible to disagree, find a resolution and move on with the sound of laughter coming from the playground once again.