Walk into any classroom, and you will see the future. But a future built solely on test scores and academic checklists is a fragile one. Here at Quintilian School, we believe that a child’s ability to navigate their inner world, including managing frustration, articulating joy and extending a hand to a struggling peer, is just as vital as their ability to solve a maths problem. We call this foundation Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). It is the basis for which we grow curious, resilient and connected human beings.
Rethinking Success: The Quintilian Approach to Social and Emotional Learning
In the heart of Mt Claremont, our approach operates on a simple truth: children learn best when they feel safe, seen and secure. We structure our independent, co-educational environment to prioritise inquiry-based learning, but inquiry cannot flourish without emotional safety.
A student who fears failure will not take intellectual risks. A child who cannot name their frustration will struggle to collaborate. This is why we embed Social and Emotional Learning into the very fabric of our day. Aside from simply telling children how to behave, we also give them the language to understand why they feel what they feel and the tools to manage those feelings constructively.
Nurturing Tiny Hearts: The Kimochis Program
For our youngest learners in Pre-Kindergarten through the early primary years, emotions can feel like a foreign language. They can be big, overwhelming and hard to control. To bridge this gap, we employ the Kimochis program.
Kimochis (which means “feelings” in Japanese) uses a cast of plush characters with distinct personalities (like a determined cat or a worried butterfly) to help children identify and articulate complex emotions. Through this program, Social and Emotional Learning becomes tangible. For example, children learn that having mixed feelings is normal; and they learn that whilst it is okay to feel angry, it is not okay to hit.
By giving children a concrete vocabulary for their internal experiences, we empower them to ask for help, set boundaries and express empathy. We see the results on the playground: a child who can say “I feel frustrated because you took my toy” rather than resorting to a push. This early intervention lays the groundwork for self-regulation, a skill that predicts future academic success far more accurately than early literacy scores alone.
Friendship as a Skill: The URSTRONG Program
As children grow, the social world becomes more complex. Friendships shift, conflicts arise and the need for healthy relationship management intensifies. This is where our partnership with the URSTRONG program becomes invaluable. URSTRONG reframes Social and Emotional Learning by teaching students a common language around friendship. We introduce concepts like the “Friendship Fire,” which is a small conflict that, if handled poorly, can burn bridges, but if handled well, can actually strengthen a relationship.
Rather than shielding children from conflict, we teach them how to navigate it. Students learn the “Friend-o-meter” to assess the health of their relationships and practice “putting out the Friendship Fire” using respectful communication. We arm them with the skills to stand up for themselves, to apologise sincerely and to know the difference between a normal disagreement and a toxic dynamic.
When children know they have the skills to resolve their own social problems, their anxiety decreases. Their focus sharpens. They stop worrying about who is sitting next to them at lunch and start engaging deeply with their learning.
The Long View: How SEL Shapes Child Development
The benefits of Social and Emotional Learning extend far beyond the school gates. When we prioritise emotional intelligence, we are doing more than creating a harmonious classroom; we are actively shaping child development in three critical ways:
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Building Cognitive Space
The human brain cannot focus on complex problem-solving when it is in a state of emotional distress. By teaching self-regulation, we free up cognitive resources. A child who masters their emotions can then fully immerse themselves in inquiry, exploration and the joy of discovery.
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Fostering True Resilience
We often mistake “toughness” for resilience. But true resilience is actually flexibility. It is the ability to feel disappointment, process it and then try again. Our integrated approach to wellbeing teaches children that setbacks are data, not disasters.
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Cultivating Connection
In an increasingly digital world, the ability to read non-verbal cues, show empathy and collaborate in person is a superpower. Social and Emotional Learning ensures our students graduate Year 6 not just with academic excellence, but with the character strength to build meaningful communities wherever they go.
At Quintilian School, we hold academic excellence in high regard. We want our students to read critically, write persuasively and calculate accurately. But we know that a truly educated person is one who also possesses self-awareness, kindness and courage. So by weaving programs like Kimochis and URSTRONG into our daily practice, we ensure that our students are prepared for secondary school and for life. Because while the world will always ask them what they know, it will ultimately rely on who they are. To see how we build strong minds and gentle hearts, we invite you to visit our campus in Mt Claremont and experience Quintilian for yourself.
