At BISP, professional learning is an important part of ensuring that our teachers continue to develop new skills that support student wellbeing and learning. Recently, BISP Primary staff used their weekly INSET session to explore the principles of Play Therapy and how elements of play can support children’s emotional expression and communication.

During the session, led by BISP Year 1 Team Leader and Learning Enhancement Teacher  Jess Jones (Newhouse), primary teachers used symbols to explore how deep meaning can be communicated through play. They also examined the neuroscience behind how symbols, play and metaphors can help create new neural pathways in the brain. Since play is a child’s natural language, the session focused on how these approaches can help children express feelings and experiences that words sometimes cannot easily reach.

By developing a deeper understanding of how play supports emotional communication and brain development, our Primary teachers continue to strengthen the ways they support the wellbeing of every child at BISP.