Permeating the curriculum through collective creativity, social-emotional learning and ethical action through children’s voices

DR LISA STEPHENSON, LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY, UK DR ROS McLELLAN, UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE, UK DR ELLIE WILLARD, LEEDS BECKETT UNIVERSITY, UK Introduction While OECD analyses confirm that competencies such as collaboration, empathy and responsibility can be effectively taught (OECD, 2024), comparative data reveals that pupils in England demonstrate weaker socio-emotional skills than peers in 30 other countries (Lucas et al., 2025). Social-emotional learning is most effective when embedded schoolwide and across the curriculum; however, the pressure to raise attainment often limits consistent, evidence-based practice. While social-emotional competencies are essential for ethical action, the dimensions of ethical learning remain underexplored in both research and educational practice (Burroughs and Barkauskas, 2017). How can teachers cultivate social-emotional learning and ethical action within their curriculum, given these constraints and a lack of empirical evidence? This paper b