Attachment & Trauma Sensitive Setting Award
Hirst Wood Nursery School has recently achieved the Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Settings Bronze award. This award recognises the commitment of the school to developing an ethos and culture of compassion and nurture. The award highlighted many areas of expertise, in particular our individualised approach to children and families. The award demonstrates that everyone in school has a good knowledge and awareness of the needs of all children, but with a particular focus on those children in school who may have experienced some form of adversity in their lives.
What is attachment?
Attachment is a theory developed by psychologists to explain how a child interacts with adults in their lives. It refers to a relationship bond between a child and their primary caregiver; the bond is formed in the early years and can have a long-term impact on a child’s sense of self, development, growth and future relationships with others. Depending on the experiences that children have with their parents/carers, and other important adults in their life, they develop certain ways in to respond to others and view themselves and the world. Secure attachments develop when parents and carers have the physical and emotional proximity and resources to be dependable, respond reliably and sensitively to a child’s basic needs, making them feel safe and giving a stable base for exploring the world. The child knows that they are safe to venture out and explore the world, but that the caregiver will always be there to welcome them back and provide comfort in times of stress or anxiety.
Attachment can be a difficult topic for schools to speak to parents/carers about, and for parents/carers to learn about, because it can sometimes lead to people to worry that they may be doing something wrong, however, the reality is that it is not possible to be a perfect parent/carer all of the time; we all get it right sometimes and wrong at other times. The most important thing is to be attuned to children’s needs.
As an attachment aware School, we understand how early relationships with care givers shape children's emotional and social development. We recognise that children may come to School with different attachment experiences and needs, and we work to foster strong, supportive and nurturing relationships within our environment to help children build trust, feel safe, and form positive connections with peers and adults.
What is trauma?
Trauma is an emotional response to an event that is deeply frightening or distressing. It can also be the absence of unconditional love and care. While unique to the individual, generally the experience of trauma can cause lasting adverse effects. Due to young children’s limited experience of the world, things that are frightening or traumatising for an adult are likely to be even more traumatising for a child as they may not understand what is happening. Having a trusted adult around can really help a child cope with frightening events. As a trauma informed setting we recognise and understand the impact of early trauma on young children’s development and behaviour, creating a safe and nurturing environment which supports children’s emotional well-being and readiness to learn.
Our approach to attachment and trauma informed practice includes:
- Understanding the impact of trauma through staff training and professional development
- Providing a safe, nurturing and predictable environment and routines
- Building strong relationships with children and families
- Building trust by setting clear boundaries and consistently meeting expectations
- Allowing children control and decision-making capacity
- Collaboration by working with children to make decisions and sharing power.
- Empowerment through supporting children to feel heard
- A strong focus on developing children’s resilience and self-regulation skills
- Personalised response that meets the needs of individual children and families
- A supportive, non-judgemental ethos throughout the school
You can find further information about trauma, anxiety and other relevant topics at the website linked here Common difficulties in the early years | Anna Freud. If you have any questions or concerns regarding attachment and trauma informed practice do not hesitate to ask.