Yale selects Girton as southern hemisphere’s first RULER Spotlight School

Girton Grammar is delighted to have been selected as a 2025 RULER Spotlight School by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, making it the first school in the southern hemisphere to receive the honour.   

The accolade recognises Girton’s commitment to fostering a supportive and emotionally intelligent learning environment through its implementation of the RULER approach within its Junior School.   

Developed by Yale University in the US, RULER is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning that helps school communities understand the value of emotions, build skills to manage emotions effectively, and create an environment where student and educator wellbeing are a priority.   

Principal Dr Emma O’Rielly expressed pride in the achievement, and the recognition of the school’s leadership in social and emotional learning within the region.  

“At Girton, we believe that student wellbeing and success are closely connected – to achieve their best, students must first feel their best,” she said. 

“The RULER approach focuses on building empathy and positive relationships, which really resonated with us as a school, leading us to adopt the program in 2011. Since that time, we have been delighted to witness its beneficial impact on our students from their earliest days at Girton.” 

“This recognition as a Spotlight School highlights our teachers’ dedication to equipping students with the invaluable skill of emotional intelligence, and I look forward to seeing how RULER continues to shape our school in the years to come.” 

Head of Junior School, Mr Don Thompson, echoed these sentiments, and emphasised the opportunities presented by Girton’s status as a RULER Spotlight School. 

“As a Spotlight School, we will be called upon to support other schools in embedding social and emotional learning in their communities,” he explained.  

“Already, we are in discussions with educators in Hong Kong, who plan to visit Girton later this year to observe how RULER has been integrated into our school, offering an exciting opportunity for cultural and educational exchange.” 

The accolade followed a 2023  visit to Yale University by three of Girton’s Junior School teachers, who completed specialised training with the program’s developers. These teachers are now sharing their knowledge with colleagues to further enrich the school’s RULER program.  

For more information about RULER and the RULER Spotlight School program, visit www.rulerapproach.org.  

To mark the occasion, we produced a video featuring our talented Junior School students and staff, which you can view below.