Teach-Secondary-Issue-14.5

Why trauma-informed practice matters We find out how the online learning facilities and teaching expertise provided by Academy21 can help support students experiencing symptoms of trauma R ecent reports on young people’s mental health and attendance underscore the continued disconnectionmany students feel with education. Indeed, NHS findings indicate that 20.3% of 8- to 16-year-olds have a probable mental health difficulty – a figure that’s noticeably increased over recent years. While not all student challenges stem from trauma, it’s clear that difficult life events have significantly hindered many students’ ability to thrive, often without the support needed to process them. Managing unpredictability The DfE defines trauma as significantly distressing circumstances that can have, ‘ Lasting adverse effects, limiting the ability to function and achieve mental, physical, social and emotional well-being.” This might include isolated incidents, such as bereavement, or longer-term trauma, such as abuse or being a witness to domestic violence in the home. For young people, this is oftenmore profound because their ability to process is limited by experience and their development. Research institutions, government bodies and charities continue to examine the influence of trauma on young people’s outcomes, and while there are different views on its application, there is recognition that trauma- informed practice matters. At Academy21, we serve students who have experienced profoundly ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alessandro Capozzi is Executive Headteacher at Academy21; for more information, visit academy21.co.uk adverse events and a disconnection from positive relationships, whichmakes the unpredictability of school life harder to manage. What our practice looks like We work with pupils who face significant challenges in traditional schooling, for whom prior trauma is often a central issue. Our staff are trained to recognise signs of trauma and respond with empathy and consistency, whilst maintaining high ambitions. A key benefit of online settings is that they enable students to connect with teachers in a flexible, controlled environment where pressures are easier to manage through technology. We meet students where they are, and take slow steps towards building their sense of safety and confidence. This helps the adolescent brain relearn safety, and starts to rewire the neuronal pathways that support a lasting move away from ‘fight, flight, or freeze’. This is a priority area; being trauma-informed is not an ‘end state’, but rather a constant pursuit. There are, however, some areas we have deliberately targeted in order to improve the experience for our students. Certainty and security We maintain systems and an ethos that help students flag when they’re struggling, as seen inmany excellent physical schools – where clear procedures and confident staff will ensure calm, consistent responses. Online, we can also create spaces in which young people are able to regulate and share, whether through one-to-one chat pods with teachers or with dedicated support staff, whose availability is enhanced by our setting. Some of our practical strategies are simple, such as utilising flexible timetables to ensure students have the same class teacher in each subject at the same time of day. Other approaches can be more intricate – such as our organisation-wide relational teaching training, which is rooted in the developmental factors that influence learning. We equip teachers with strategies that enhance our relational approach through technology, which has in part led to 97% of our students feeling encouraged to participate in their lessons. Choice and empowerment We build on an environment of safety, by providing students with opportunities to influence their pathway with Academy21. The excellent work of partner schools informs some of our approaches, including regular student voice surveys, a student council and varied participation tools. Others are more involved, and aimed at making active listening a fundamental part of our approach by attuning to cues, validating student feelings and making adjustments to programmes. This year, we’ve run a series of regular peer-to-peer developmental discussions following group inputs, providing staff with the space to explore positive psychology, and examine scenarios where they can build relationships with hard-to-reach students. At the heart of our efforts to be trauma-informed is the recognition that ‘difference is our default’. We prepare our staff and systems for students arriving with individualised ambitions and past experiences. This mindset is the starting point for giving support to those who need it most. 26 teachwire.net/secondary H E A LT H & W E L L B E I N G