At Hope school Attachment and trauma approach is at the heart of everything we do. We share this fantastic practice with a range of settings across the country and... The HEARTs project has been nominated for an award. More information will be given soon but in the mean time please read one of the many positive feedback responses to the sessions:

 

Being part of the HEARTS project has been truly transformational for XXXXXXXXXX. Post covid and with growing pupil numbers, we were exploring different ways of future-proofing our culture so that the support that pupils get at our school and their subsequent positive outcomes could be secured for every child. We also wanted to ensure that our families felt part of their child's journey and were able to work with us to navigate the often difficult teenage years. HEARTS enabled us to work with other secondary schools but also primary schools to reflect the fact that education is a life long journey and not something that can be carved up into neat periods of time. It made us think about a child's experience at different parts of its life and particularly at the crucial primary / secondary transition phase.

It is essential that everyone working at a school understands the impact that early years experience can have on a child's behaviours. So many of our children also experience ACEs and trauma that we also need to understand the real impact that this can have on brain development and so on behaviour. This does not excuse behaviours, there still need to be consequences,  but it explains and helps those of us in schools as well as families to find a way to help a child to feel safe and to regulate. In this way, we can not only change educational outcomes; but can really change lives.

The work that we are doing in school as part of the HEARTS project is not easy; it takes a lot of explanation and discussion with staff, pupils and families, but we are already seeing real results. Our school is calmer and our most dysregulated children and their families are more able to work with us as they increasingly feel that they belong to our community.