At St Mary’s, we believe that children learn best when they understand their emotions and feel confident talking about them. That is why emotional literacy is a key part of our personal development provision and is taught explicitly through our FEELIT! programme.

Each academic year, children are introduced to twelve carefully chosen emotion words. Learning to name an emotion is a powerful first step. When children can put a name to a feeling, it helps them make sense of what is happening inside them and gives them the language to explain their behaviour or ask for help.

Through FEELIT!, children learn:

• what each emotion means
• how it might show on the outside (facial expressions, body language, behaviour)
• where they might feel it in their body (a tight tummy, fast heartbeat, heavy shoulders)

Importantly, children are also taught that feelings are not fixed. Once a feeling has been named, children learn that they can begin to manage it. They explore how their thoughts influence their feelings, and how changing what they are thinking can help change how they feel.

This growing emotional awareness supports children to:

• regulate their emotions more effectively
• develop empathy and understanding for others
• build resilience and confidence
• feel calm, safe and ready to learn

Emotional literacy is a vital life skill. By helping children to notice, name and manage their emotions, we are equipping them with tools they will use far beyond the classroom – enabling them to flourish as confident, compassionate individuals.