Mike Brearley's Whole School Emotional Intelligence Programme – the child; a Hero of learning. Creativity, imagination, dialogue and emotional engagement in the classroom

'Just writing to say thank you for making a difference to our school and me personally. 12 people started the course but one team left it.'

This was the opening line in a message from a headteacher with whose school Mike Brearley had recently spent just one and a half days. It sums up just how powerful the work that Mike is doing with schools. Work that draws on his years of experience in developing emotional intelligence in students, teachers, leaders and parents, work that has lead to the creation of this programme.

The e-mail continues: 'You took us through a personal journey which challenged my thinking and at times was very emotional. However this was done so cleverly that it was completely non-threatening. The change in atmosphere at school was incredible. At first the people who were not at the course were a little cynical. However in our determination to see the vision through we worked at involving everyone. Most people are now signed up for the next weekend session!!!! The journey is just starting and I am confident that as a team we will continue to develop for the benefit of the children.'

Background and rationale:

Discover how to lead every child to see themselves as a Hero of learning. A Hero who is taking risks, who knows their learning quest, who will be creative and risk taking in pursuit of their own growth as a learner, who can work with their quest in every classroom in school.

This programme was developed by Mike with the intention of changing how we construct learning experiences for young people. To place the child, not the curriculum or the teacher at the centre of learning; to wrap the content around the child not the child around the content; to structure learning experiences in the National Curriculum through the steps of a Hero’s journey. Through these steps the young person begins to understand themselves as a learner, how they need to be with others and how through dialogue the classroom becomes a true community of enquiry – oh and by the way, learns better, the content of the curriculum.

Using the improbable influence of story (See Kieran Egan – Teaching as story telling) and metaphor the young person learns to engage in the content through their own affective (emotional) growth.

The programme leads the creation of communities of learning, where classrooms are characterized by common enquiry, personal growth, curiosity and imagination rather than individual competition, stress, anxiety and doubt.

It has been trialled and evaluated in primary and secondary schools, further education colleges, the independent sector and pupil referral units and externally evaluated through University College London and been shown to have a powerful impact on:

• Developing relationships between staff and young people as well as amongst peers and colleagues
• Increasing motivation, self-esteem, self-efficacy and confidence
• Creating a sense of personal empowerment
• Creating a greater sense of being part of the learning community
• Improved engagement in a shared purpose

In the classroom this has lead to:

• Personal growth of the young people
• Greater creativity 
• Improved engagement in learning
• Better collaborative learning
• Reduced stress for staff and young people
• More fun & enjoyment in the classroom
• Perhaps (yet to be confirmed statistically) improved results

Structure of the programme:

Young people in the classroom

• Structures learning with the young person at the centre – an alphabet of learning from A to Me!
• Provides assessment tools revealing the affective (emotional) growth of the young person
• Builds the learning experience around the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey – the young person's growth is a heroic act!
• Creates a community of learning through creativity, imagination and the improbable influence of story & metaphor
• Is applicable in every classroom

Whole school leadership

• A values framework to assess and grow the emotional intelligence of your school and classroom
• Creates authentic leadership and buy in throughout the school
• Changes relationships throughout the school

The parents

• The P.A.S.T Programme (Parents As Story Tellers) The parents are not engaged with the curriculum (unless they want to be!) but with the affective (emotional) growth of their child
• It may just help to support the growth of the young person and the parent too

The purpose of the programme is to create a school where the young person at the centre of learning creates understanding and dialogue; a community of learning, where classrooms are characterized by common enquiry, personal growth, curiosity and imagination, rather than individual competition, stress, anxiety and doubt.

For more information about this programme please e-mail us on learn@independentthinking.co.uk or call us on 0844 589 0490.             

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