The Grange Learning Centre Celebrate Gold Award
Pupils and staff from The Grange Learning Centre were delighted with the news that they have been awarded the Gold Level Award for the Attachment & Trauma Sensitive Schools Award (ATSSA). Accredited by Jennifer Nock Training and Consultancy, the award aims to provide a framework of support and understanding for schools to support children and young people who have experienced adversity and assist in helping them to heal, thrive, play and learn.
The Award aims to ensure that everyone within the educational environment has a good knowledge of the needs of children and young people who have experienced adversity and of the strategies and resources that are available to meet such needs. This awareness of how to support children and young people’s emotional needs and development is a key factor in promoting better learning and mental/physical health outcomes for all learners.
In May 2019, the learning centre was awarded the silver award and since then have been working towards achieving the Gold Award. During the Gold Award phase, two visits took place, one at very short notice and a final verification visit took place before accreditation.
The Attachment and Trauma Sensitive Schools Award is an external sign of recognition of the commitment to the steps taken to develop a culture of compassion and nurture, and to become a truly attachment and trauma responsive setting.
Some of the comments from the report include:
- The high number of clinical staff ensures that every member of staff has access to both formal and informal supervision. This is a particular strength of the school, and all staff interviewed shared examples of the organisational understand of, and response to, the psychological and emotional fall-out for staff working with children and young people with complex trauma backgrounds.
- Staff felt that the interview process was reassuring and they felt that this enabled them to perform at their best. They felt listened-to and valued.
- It is a priority in the school for every member of staff to understand and respond to the children and young peoples’ needs, and this priority drives and informs CPD.
- There is a strong focus on the physical environment at The Grange, with the safety and comfort of all being a priority.
- All staff are included in daily briefings, and this is followed by an email so that staff who are off site are also included.
The award is issued only to those educational establishments that can demonstrate that they have met its rigorous quality standards and can maintain them over time.
Well done to everyone at The Grange!