ABSTRACT
Conceptual frameworks in the field of social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) remain a major concern. A number of studies have identified the need for initial teacher training (ITT) and continuous professional development (CPD) with different foci, but agreeing that teachers need increased understanding of pupils with SEMH. Parent-school links extend well beyond the ‘school gates’. The pivotal role of the family ‘shapes’ children’s behaviour and its multifarious effect on the ‘parent-child-school dynamic’. Empathy involves understanding the other’s feelings through processes such as role-taking, switching attention to take another’s perspective or responding non-egocentrically. Empathy is a core component of emotional intelligence and includes cognitive and affective elements. Many pupils who present with SEMH needs have experienced ‘adverse childhood experiences’ (ACE), which frequently impacts negatively on their learning and relationships with teachers. Direction, support and intervention are vital to ensure pupils’ progress at a sufficient pace, to help motivate and encourage them in their tasks and thinking.
