Mrs White’s Words: Trauma & Attachment Awareness, Our Journey and Next Steps

Last academic year, Mrs. Busby (Pastoral Lead) and I had the privilege of participating in a year-long Trauma and Attachment Aware Training Programme in collaboration with Touch Base, a charity dedicated to supporting children and young adults who have experienced trauma and attachment challenges. This experience was both insightful and transformative, allowing us to deeply reflect on how we can best support our pupils, parents, and staff as a community.

The training has had a profound impact on our school practices, leading to key changes such as:

• Updating our Behaviour and Relationships Policy – We have refined our approach to be more empathetic and trauma-informed.
• Enhancing Language and Support Strategies – We’ve introduced new ways of communicating with pupils, particularly those experiencing dysregulation or heightened emotions.
• Strengthening Relationships – We have reevaluated how we build connections with pupils, staff, and parents to foster a more inclusive and understanding school environment.
• Introducing “Soft Start” and “Chomp and Chat” – These structured yet nurturing initiatives support children in developing communication skills while providing calm, reassuring interactions with adults and peers.
• Implementing “Connection Time” – Every Friday afternoon, all classes dedicate time to fostering meaningful relationships, helping pupils feel valued, heard, and ready to learn.

These initiatives, along with others, are already making a significant impact in creating a safer, more connected school environment where every child feels they belong and can thrive.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Busby for her incredible dedication throughout this journey. Reflecting, digesting, and implementing these new practices has been no small task, but together we have worked hard to ensure our staff are equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to make meaningful change—something we will continue to actively review and refine.

A Special Achievement

As a result of our commitment to trauma-informed practices, we are proud to share that we have been awarded the Trauma and Attachment Informed Schools Award. This is a significant achievement for our school and a testament to the dedication of our staff in fostering a nurturing, supportive environment where every child feels safe and understood.

Looking Ahead

We are excited to be running our ACE (Adult Child Empathy) Parenting Group for some of our Key Stage 1 parents, led by Mrs. Busby and Mrs. Keeping. This initiative reflects our learning from the training and aims to build strong, positive relationships between school and parents; further strengthening our ability to support pupils in reaching their full potential.

On a personal note, I am committed to furthering my professional development in this area and am currently engaging in the Trauma Responsive Education course. This will help enhance our ability to respond to the individual needs of our pupils and continue creating the best possible learning environment for them.

To better understand the importance of attachment and trauma-informed practices in education, I highly recommend this powerful video by Dr. Bruce Perry: The Power of Connection.

Thank you for your continued support as we build on this important work.

Mrs White