The Learning Exchange Library

Play therapy: the evidence   Evidence-based research by Play Therapy UK (PTUK) into the beneficial effects of play therapy on children’s well-being shows that between 74 per cent and 83 per cent of children receiving play therapy from PTUK Members experience positive changes. Since 2008, the outcomes have been demonstrated to be replicable and they are being used to justify funding for play therapy services. The research report is called: An Effective Way of Promoting Children’s Wellbeing and Alleviating Emotional, Behavioural and Mental Health Problems - the Latest Research.

Social and emotional aspects of learning (SEAL) programme in secondary schools: national evaluation   This evaluation, published in October 2010, looked at quantitative and qualitative data to assess how well the SEAL approach has worked in secondary schools. (SEAL is 'a comprehensive, whole-school approach to promoting the social and emotional skills that underpin effective learning, positive behaviour, regular attendance, staff effectiveness and the emotional health and well-being of all who learn and work in schools'.)

The Beyond Text strategic programme: embodied emotions   A fascinating programme of research which recognises that economic and political control of all digital forms of communication – performances, sounds, images and objects – which swirl around the globe in split seconds, every split second –  is a key economic and legal question with ‘long historical roots’. If you are running a Pyramid Club, for example, you might be interested in The embodied emotions project. (There are videos linked to each project too). 

Feeling Good: Supporting resilience in young people in Foyers in England   The Foyer Federation's report offers universal recommendations for aiding vulnerable young people in care.

Cohabitation, marriage and child outcomes    The Nuffield Foundation has funded the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) to examine data on 10,000 three and five year olds. The conclusion is that parental marital status is not the primary cause of differences in children’s social, emotional and cognitive development between those born to married and cohabiting couples.

Getting on: Well-being in later life   Society has a mixed and incomplete picture of older people’s well-being. If nothing else, read the recommendations in this report written by James McCormick with Jonathan Clifton, Alic Sachrajda, Myriam Cherti and Eleanor McDowell, produced by think tank ippr, December 2009.

Quick facts from Family trends - British families since the 1950s (a report from the Family & Parenting Institute)

Sinking and swimming: understanding Britain's unmet needs   This Young Foundation report has important implications for policy, philantropy and public action. Based on new analysis of statistical data, case studies, surveys and hundreds of conversations with people across the country, it explores how Britain’s psychological and material needs are being met –  or not. One of its proposals is that policy makers rethink welfare provision through the lens of 'well-being'.

Pyramid clubs   Find resources and help in running Pyramid clubs, which offer a safe haven for children amid the hustle and bustle of the busy school environment. They offer fun and support for a group of children that is often overlooked – the quieter children who don’t make a fuss or draw attention to themselves, but who are not entirely happy or doing as well as they could in school. Pyramid clubs use a systematic approach to ensure that the children who need support are identified early so that the support given is low-key and non-stigmatising.

Developing successful learners in nurturing schools: the impact of nurture groups in primary schools (Scotland)  Nurture groups in schools aim to create 'the world of earliest childhood'. They help to build in the basic and essential learning experiences that children usually gain in their first three years of life, which enable them to adjust to and achieve within mainstream schools.

Doing better for children    This useful report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) looks at the well-being of children across OECD member countries. It compares outcome indicators for children in OECD countries across six dimensions: material well-being; housing and environment; education; health; risk behaviours; and quality of school life. In its concluding chapter, the report also offers a range of policy recommendations for improving child well-being. To obtain the document you need to be a registered member of the OECD site - and there is a charge.