A key facilitator to the development journey for this school is the relationship and regular contact with the iTIPS practitioner. They have used this time to meet with the staff working group to identify the key areas for development, co-develop a script for staff when supporting pupils, and provide staff group and individual consultation and reflective practice sessions.
In particular, the staff consultation and reflective practice sessions have been highly valued in supporting the development of trauma-informed practices. Reflective practice sessions, like that made available through iTIPS, are not typical practice in schools, however at Prior Weston there are hopes to develop internal structures to sustain this into the future.
The main impact has been on staff practice, with the senior leadership team supporting staff to spend time as required to emotionally support pupils whenever necessary. They have worked hard to keep the school-wide message of trauma-informed practice on the agenda, by supporting emotional literacy lessons as part of the PSHE curriculum, and also through online assemblies. These are used to role model emotional literacy and normalise the communication of emotions to pupils. Staff have practised supporting pupils with their emotional regulation using semi-scripted conversations, and, with younger pupils, colours associated with feelings are used to facilitate regulation. Looking forward, Prior Weston anticipates that future networking opportunities will be useful to learn from other schools and share the work they are doing.
