GOLD Award
Elson Infant School hold the GOLD Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Schools Award (ATSSA).
The Federation of Elson and Gomer Infant Schools are the only two schools in the South to have obtained the award.
The knowledge and understanding we have gained from our Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Schools Award (ATSSA) aims to provide a framework of support and understanding which children and young people who have experienced adversity, can heal, thrive, play, and learn. This award is a recognition of the commitment of our staff and the steps they take to develop a culture of compassion and nurture, which plays a pivotal role in getting children and young people into a state of ‘learning readiness’
We have worked to communicate to all interested parties, including children and young people, parents and carers, staff, Governors and other stakeholders that the school is committed to embracing inclusion for all by successfully removing barriers to learning and participation in the life of the school.
Our Bronze Award helped us to refine the learning environment and curriculum planning. We focused on making learning accessible for all and underpinned by strong and trusting relationships. Adults working with the children are attuned and learn to know the children and their families well. We use a whole school programme called, Jigsaw. Jigsaw nurtures children to be confident and successful to talk about their personal, social, health and mental wellbeing.
We made sure the environment allowed children a safe place to reflect, talk and learn. Safe spaces are available around the school for children who need time and support to regulate. We made sure classrooms were organised in a way that helped children to feel safe.
We plan in regular physical and mental breaks to avoid children becoming overloaded. This includes things like sensory snack, Go Noodle, Stormbreak. Children have the opportunity to regularly reflect upon their feelings and emotions. Each class provides a range of practical resources to support and facilitate emotional communication e.g. feelings check in, stories, toys and play, worry Monster. These tools are used throughout the day, and responded to at the earliest opportunity.
Our Silver Award helped us to work with outside services to ensure appropriate support can be put in place for individuals. Our staff have developed the range of therapeutic interventions that can be offered to support individuals.
Identiplay Bucket time Sand Therapy Dog Therapy Lego Therapy
We have worked with our families to build strong and trusting relationships where we gain information about the pupils we teach, starting from conception to the present, so these are reflected upon to gain understanding of the impact of trauma and loss.
Our Gold Award helped us to consider how our attachment and trauma informed practice could be shared. We have now worked with a range of practitioners to share our journey and the practice we provide. We have ensured the work that we do shines through in all that we do so that we employ and support the right adults to support our children. We have broadened our range of communication methods to ensure that parents and children can obtain support when they need it. We have a range of support in place for families such as; Home School link worker, ELSA, Tea and Talk sessions, School nursing Team working closely with school and attending regular events, Mental Health Support Team case worker and regular parent workshops, Primary Behaviour Support Service assigned outreach worker and regular parent workshops.
We are now continuing to….
- Strengthen our connections to the community – offering outreach training to other settings
- Supporting our children to understand the importance of good physical and mental health and wellbeing through the introduction and embedding of the Stormbreak programme
- Further improving how we work with and support parents
- Further promoting pupil voice
What to do if I am worried about my child?
Speak with your class teacher about the concerns you have
Attend a Tea and Talk session – Our Home School Link worker, Mrs Mew, leads the sessions. The Mental Health Support Team or School Nursing Team will be there.
Contact our Home School Link worker – Mrs Mew [email protected]
Speak to our Inclusion Leader, Mrs Woollett
Speak to your GP
Read about attachment and trauma below:
Resources for parents and carers
Signs of developmental trauma at home & school
Parenting a child with a strong fight response
A guide for raising your troubled or sensitive child
Common difficulties in the early years | Anna Freud
Self-care for parents and carers | Anna Freud
A guide to neurodiversity in the early years | Anna Freud
Bringing hidden needs to the surface
Videos
Click here to watch Attachment and trauma guidance – The Repair of Early Trauma: A Bottom Up Approach – YouTube
Click here to view an animation about ‘Window of Tolerance’ – The Window of Tolerance – YouTube
Website links for Young people’s mental health
www.childmentalhealthcentre.org (Child Mental Health)
www.youngminds.org.uk (Young Minds)
www.headspace.com/ (A Mindfulness app for relaxation)
www.smilingmind.com.au/ (Relaxation made easy)
www.mermaidsuk.org.uk (Support and information for gender variant children and teens)
In Summary, please read this quote from Dr Jennifer Knock in her report.
“Elson Infant School is a trauma-informed and trauma-responsive organisation, which
prioritises improving systems and practices, making them healthier, more relational and
interpersonal, more cohesive, more integrated, more reflective, and more interconnected,
not only focusing on the pupil population, but by ensuring that trauma-informed knowledge,
narratives, language, values, principles, assumptions and processes are embedded deep into
the culture of the whole school; and are owned, moulded and maintained by everyone who is
a part, regardless of role or status.”“Leaders recognise the importance of a comfortable sensory and physical environment,
leaders understand about felt psychological and emotional safely.”“I have felt particularly privileged to share your journey and am delighted make the Gold
Award to you, along with Gomer Infant School, our first Gold Hampshire Schools.”
Dr Jennifer A Nock, CPsychol, AFBPsS, PhD, BSc (Hons)