The importance of high-quality training provided by the Virtual School AAS programme was recognised as a crucial component to bring school staff on board with the attachment aware and trauma informed approach. Swanwick decided to have their whole staff attend school-based training in attachment aware and trauma informed practice. This enabled strong and clear messages of the scientific background of trauma and attachment issues to be delivered to all staff in school.
ACTION RESEARCH PROJECT
Swanwick Primary School created a physical space in school to support pupils and their families with pastoral needs. Called the Pea Pod, the room was intended to be a comfortable space for meetings with pupils or families to identify ways to support the pupil with their individual, academic, and social development. Since the school graduated from the AAS programme, they have enhanced the Pea Pod to include a sensory room for pupils to support emotional self-regulation.