By Colin Diamond, Schools Week, March 8, 2020
Trauma-informed practice is good for everyone and best of all for the most vulnerable. Why would our government favour compliance instead? asks Colin Diamond
Speeches like Gavin Williamson’s last week, in which he appeared to endorse the nationwide replication of so-called “no-excuses” or “warm-strict” schools, hardly deserve the attention, let alone the heat, they generate. In truth, even if the political desire is for uber-compliance, it is unlikely ever to become the norm. If nothing else, the school system simply doesn’t have the capacity to deal with the level of exclusions that would result.
As government policy moves inexorably towards an ever-tighter definition of the role of schools and teachers, an increasing number in the profession are turning to attachment theory and trauma-informed practice to make sense of their work and its daily demands. Some seek to characterise professionals who champion this work as lowering the bar on behaviour standards in schools. No. This is the key to understanding vulnerable pupils and unlocking their potential.
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