The Switch Squad is a new relationships and well-being curriculum delivered to schools from the team at Switch Midlands.
The support celebrates the diverse make up of individual schools – driven by pupils’ likes and interests and school values – meaning those taking part develop into their school’s very own Switch Squad as ambassadors for wellbeing, positivity, and good behaviour. It also provides clear evidence that relationship education and the understanding of mental health and wellbeing is being delivered to pupils by specialist and experienced practitioners.
The programme helps develop independent, caring children who navigate life successfully, enabling them to make healthy life choices and build strong, respectful relationships with peers and adults.
Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) research discovered that through supporting pupils’ social and emotional skills, schools can see: • Improved academic performance • Improved attitudes, behaviour & relationships with peers • Reduced emotional distress (pupil depression, anxiety, stress and social withdrawal) • Reduced levels of bullying • Reduced conduct problems • Improved school connection
Our Social & Emotional Learning curriculum includes:
Self Awareness: Pupils are able to recognise their emotions, describe their interests and values whilst accurately assessing their strengths and weaknesses.
Self Management:Pupils are able to manage their thoughts, emotions and behaviour, manage stress, engage in positive talk, control impulses and persevere in overcoming obstacles.
Social Awareness: Pupils are able to take the perspective of, and empathise with others, recognise and appreciate similarities, differences, diversity and social inclusion.
Social Management:Pupils have good relationship skills, being able to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships, based on co-operation and collaboration.
The Switch Squad enhances your PSHE curriculum and teaching, and as we understand that every school is unique, sessions can be offered in a variety of ways:
Weekly sessions that sees a Switch Coach attend your school and deliver for:
Pupils who have been identified as requiring additional support with behaviour and wellbeing. In the time the Switch Coach has with your school they can work with small groups or 1:1 depending on your needs, and the sessions can be highly targeted to your specific needs, meaning a tailored approach.
Universal whole class sessions as part of your PSHE curriculum. Due to the experience and training our Switch Coaches have, this also enables PPA release time cover for your staff.
Our support delivers a structured intervention that uses the recognised SAFE principles at the core. This means our Switch Coaches provide pupils with a Sequenced set of activities that use Active forms of learning through Focused time to develop skills and Explicit targeting setting to monitor progress.