SEAL & The Global Dimension
This project continues to provide clear pathways for embedding the Global Dimension within the Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) programme, engaging schools across South Yorkshire and beyond in the personal, political and planetary implications of development. The main target groups have been staff and pupils within primary schools in South Yorkshire, then regionally and nationally, and local authority contacts, and finally including staff and pupils of secondary schools.
The project originally developed quality resources covering all of the Primary and Secondary SEAL themes, made available free on the project website along with an introductory video and downloadable booklet. The website is ongoing and is divided into four sections: Primary, Secondary, CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and Further Resources. The comprehensive CPD training programme developed with the key schools, and then carried out throughout the region and nationally, has equipped and inspired teachers to embrace the Global Dimension throughout their curriculum. Over the three years of the DFID-funded project, the project team has worked closely with eight primary and three secondary schools, teaching around 1,020 pupils directly. Key partners were Local Authority Advisors in Sheffield, Rotherham and Doncaster, the case study schools in Sheffield and Rotherham and the Consultants Group comprising authors of the SEAL National Strategy.
Over 800 teachers, advisors and members of NGOs have been trained to use SEAL-GD materials as a result of the SEAL-GD project. The increased confidence amongst teaching staff as a result of this project was highlighted as the most successful aspect of the project in the external evaluation.
In most of the participating schools, the impact has been – or is becoming – profound in terms of the way they teach SEAL and the introduction of the Global Dimension to new curriculum areas and staff members. Triple Line consultancy commented (on behalf of DFID, the funders) on the Project Completion Report for SEAL and the Global Dimension: “This has been an innovative project, bringing the global dimension to an important aspect of the curriculum and, despite uncertainty about its future in the schools, has been received with enthusiasm and commitment by the teachers involved in the project. You have achieved all your objectives and outcomes, and your project looks set to have national impact, which is excellent. The quality of the materials is high and this will have contributed to the success of the project.”
It is FREE to register and use resources on the project website. Adaption of the resources is ongoing and your feedback is welcome. Visit the project website at: http://www.sealgd.org.uk.
