Currently in Britain there is much interest in the potential of personal and social education to improve all aspects of children's educational experience and attainment. From the point of view of the artist Laurie Long, perhaps the most important focus was the validation of the children's own personal identity and experience through the process of art making, with its consequent development of self-esteem, self-confidence and ultimately, to use an increasingly familiar term, 'emotional intelligence'.

The major aim was for all the children to realise that a place or an object has history of its own, so that by photographing something or some place that was special to them they were able to go beyond the surface idea and think about what they had imaged, what made it special.

I wanted them to think of a photograph as more than just a document. What I had hoped was that every child would be able and develop a sense of validation and self-esteem by commemorating on a postcard something from their life.

I think it's really nice to celebrate the individual child. I don't think you can have enough of this in school. I think that this particular project allows them to focus on someone, something or someplace in their lives that's personal to them. Then by also doing the postage stamp of themselves, instead of Prince William or someone famous, they get a sense of value, that they are important. (Laurie Long)

As class teacher Helen identified there was social development inherent in the project:

It related a lot to their families and friends, what they did with their friends, a social thing. All felt that all the images were valid, there was no 'your image is rubbish...'(Helen McDonnell)

Children made decisions about what to photographically record in their lives and then presented images verbally and in written form to others. They were able to construct their identities through their art work and present themselves to their peers and teachers. They were able to get to know each other better, and learn about what was important in each other's lives.