You cannot parent this child. You are the child’s teacher, not therapist, nor parent. Teachers are left behind each year, [it’s] normal. These children need to learn that lesson.(4) Programmes that fit the needs and context of the class or school and are easy to carry out are more likely to be implemented well

How teachers form and maintain classroom and staffroom relationships is crucial to the success of their work. A teacher who is able to accurately interpret the underlying relationship processes can learn to proactively, rather than

Disorganised attachment refers to children who have what might seem an unpredictable “love-hate” relationship with their carers. In this group, parents or carers may be a source of both fear and comfort for a child. This evaluation aims to: provide an independent assessment of the outcomes of the Attachment Aware Schools Programme in developing knowledge and understanding of the effects of trauma and neglect on attachment and Enmeshed attachment: attachment that is so close that it hampers the child developing independence and autonomy. Children who have attachment issues can have difficulty forming healthy relationships when they grow up. This may be because their experiences have taught them to believe that other people are unreliable or untrustworthy (Bowlby, 1997) 6. This evidence briefing conducted for NHS Health Scotland and Education Scotland examines the effectiveness of health and wellbeing interventions in a school setting to potentially reduce inequalities in educational outcomes.

This is why we can question the apparent excitement about attachment theory at the moment: there’s nothing a teacher can do that they shouldn’t already be doing. Too often, attachment is seen as something only between a child and a primary carer - usually the mother. Initially, that can be the case, but it is by no means the whole story. Attachment develops as children get older. Secure attachment: The majority of infants, across different cultures, tend to have an attachment style typified by strong stranger and separation anxiety along with enthusiastic proximity-seeking with the parent upon reunion. Kahn, P and Vezzuto, L (2015) Understanding and responding to Adverse Childhood Experiences in the school setting. Orange County Department of Education, Center for Healthy Kids & Schools ( pdf) When a child is in distress, the teacher should be an available source of support and reassurance,” he explains. “[But] we live in an age where there’s a heightened sensitivity about the needs of children, and particularly child abuse, and so teachers are very cautious about the fact that they should probably never touch a child … but that’s a whole other discussion about boundaries and bodies and the rest of it. But even with words, teachers can provide a lot of comfort and reassurance, and a sense of safety.”Live and interactive online course, delivered via Zoom or Teams* exclusively for your team or organisation.