Activating children’s social-emotional learning through story-making: A collaborative approach in primary classrooms

DR LISA STEPHENSON, LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY, UK BERYCE NIXON OBE, CEO, EXCEED LEARNING PARTNERSHIP, UK RACHEL HODGSON, HEAD OF RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, EXCEED LEARNING PARTNERSHIP, UK REBECCA AUSTWICK, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND INCLUSION, EXCEED LEARNING PARTNERSHIP, UK Introduction National and international guidance (OECD, 2019; DfE, 2025) highlights the importance of helping pupils to work collaboratively with others, listen actively, consider different perspectives and act responsibly. This article explores how story-based drama can be embedded within everyday teaching to support pupils’ social-emotional learning through collaborative, creative approaches. Drawing on a trust-wide action research project across eight primary schools over three years, we examine how embedding drama and storytelling pedagogy across the curriculum enabled pupils to engage with complex social situations, develop empathy and make decisions together. In England, while relationship