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Author: Schools & Community Psychology Service

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Systemic Tools for Transformational Teaching

Reflective Thinking and Supervision

In education, no teacher works in isolation. Every classroom interaction, policy decision, and professional conversation is part of a larger, interconnected system. When we view teaching through a systemic lens, reflective thinking and supervision become not just personal tools for growth – but essential levers for whole-school transformation and wellbeing.

Seeing the Bigger Picture: What Is a Systemic Lens?

Systemic theory invites us to see schools as living systems – complex, dynamic, and deeply relational. Every teacher, student, leader, and policy is part of a web of influence. Change in one part of the system affects the whole.

“Like a kaleidoscope, transformational leaders must constantly shift their perspective, allowing their identity, lived experience, and theoretical understanding to create dynamic patterns of possibility.”
– Ziegenfuss, Evans & Girman, 2025

With that in mind, we advocate that reflective thinking and supervision, when grounded in systemic principles, can help school staff:

  • Shift from reactive to responsive practice.
  • Understand how their actions ripple through the system.
  • Recognise patterns, not just isolated events.

Reflective Thinking as a Systemic Practice

Reflection is more than self-evaluation—it’s a curious stance towards oneself and the systems around them. 

“I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious”
Albert Einstein 

Teachers who reflect systemically ask:

  • How do my beliefs shape my interactions?
  • What patterns do I notice in student behaviour or outcomes?
  • How does my role connect to wider school goals or community needs?

Systemic reflection encourages teachers to move beyond individual lessons and consider:

  • Relational dynamics (e.g., power, communication, inclusion)
  • Cultural narratives (e.g., equity, identity, belonging)
  • Structural influences (e.g., policies, timetables, assessment systems)

Supervision as a Systemic Support Structure

Supervision, when viewed systemically, is not about oversight—it’s about co-creating meaning and direction.

It becomes a space where educators and leaders explore:

  • How their work aligns with the school’s mission.
  • How systemic pressures (e.g., accountability, funding, trauma) impact practice.
  • How to sustain wellbeing while navigating complexity.

“Supervision should be a conversation, not a critique.”
Stephen Gordon

Systemic supervision fosters:

  • Shared responsibility: Everyone contributes to the health of the system.
  • Collective insight: Patterns and blind spots are surfaced together.
  • Adaptive capacity: Teachers become more agile and resilient in the face of change.

Wellbeing and Burnout: A Systemic Concern

Burnout isn’t just an individual issue—it’s a systemic signal. When teachers are overwhelmed, it often reflects deeper misalignments in the system: unrealistic expectations, lack of voice, or disconnection from purpose. This can affect anyone working with the education system and especially those who care for others and hold leadership responsibility. 

Reflective practice and supervision help staff:

  • Name and normalize emotional experiences.
  • Reconnect with their values and agency.
  • Shift from isolation to interdependence.

“You can’t pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.”
Unknown

Schools that embed systemic reflection and supervision report:

  • Lower burnout and attrition.
  • Stronger professional identity.
  • Greater alignment between personal and organisational value

From Reflection to Transformation

Systemic change doesn’t happen through top-down mandates—it grows from reflective, relational, and responsive practice. When teachers reflect systemically and engage in meaningful supervision, they become agents of transformation—not just in their classrooms, but across the whole school ecosystem.

Practical Tips for Systemic Reflection and Supervision

  • Use systems maps: Visualise how your role and those you supervise connect to others. Where in the system can you see opportunities/ constraints when supporting staff with ‘stuckness’? 
  • Ask systemic questions: What patterns am I part of? What stories are shaping this situation? Who else is affected by this problem? If this problem was not here
  • Create reflective teams: Share insights across phases/ departments or roles and build staff’s capacity to create multiple perspectives in a situation. This leads to creativity in solution finding.  
  • Design supervision for dialogue: Focus on meaning-making, not just performance.
  • Link wellbeing to systems: Reflect on how structures support or hinder your staff’s energy and purpose.

Supervision & Reflective Practice

TRAINING & SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS

Are you looking to enhance the professional development of your staff? Our tailored training programme on supervision and reflective spaces will help educators thrive by improving their practice, fostering collaboration and promoting well-being.

What We Offer:

  • Wellbeing Focus – Foster a culture of support, reflection, and resilience within your school community.
  • Supervision Skills – Learn how to provide effective supervision that supports both individual and team development. 
  • Reflective Practice – Explore techniques for creating reflective spaces where staff can engage in deep learning and growth.
DOWNLOAD INFO

Package Details:

  • Training Duration: 
    2 days of in person training at the WPDC
    (23 Sept & 23 Oct 2025) 
  • Implementation support: 
    Access to group supervision
    (4 sessions of half-termly supervision 1.5 hrs in Nov 2025, Jan, Mar and May 2026) 
  • Cost: 
    £300 pp 
    (or £250 pp discounted price for two or more participants from each setting)
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Supporting Students with SEMH Needs

Students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs are among the most vulnerable in our school communities. They are disproportionately represented in exclusion statistics and their needs are often misunderstood.

When we take the time to listen to these students and promote their voice, we can uncover insightful strategies come from the students themselves. This article shares findings from a ‘Pupil Voice Project’ that captured the voices of 13 secondary students with SEMH needs, using participatory research methods and focus groups, across three secondary schools who shared what helps them thrive in school.

Their insights, grounded in psychological theory and best practice, can offer powerful and practical guidance for support.


Background

Research highlights students with SEMH needs struggle with trust, emotional regulation, and belonging. These challenges are often compounded in school systems. It is understandable that can teachers feel overwhelmed when faced with complex behaviour or emotional outbursts. But drawing on both psychological frameworks and the lived experiences and views of the students themselves, can support our understanding of supportive strategies.

Understanding Through Psychology

  • Attachment and Trauma-Informed Approaches 
    Many students with SEMH needs have experienced disrupted attachments or trauma. Feeling safe and seen at school is essential. Teachers can act as secure bases, building trust through consistency and relational approaches.

  • Self-Determination Theory 
    Autonomy, competence, and relatedness are key for motivation and wellbeing. When students feel they have choice, feel capable, and feel connected, they engage more. 

  • Ecological Systems Theory 
    SEMH support must be holistic, involving collaboration between school, families, and wider systems. Whole-school ethos matters just as much as individual interventions.

  • Pupil Voice in Practice 
    Despite their insights, pupils with SEMH needs are often the least heard. Yet research shows when we do listen, we uncover rich knowledge that improves practice and empowers students.

What Pupils Told Us (and What It Means for Practice):

1. Time for Relationships

“Teachers expect you to automatically trust them and tell them everything”

At the heart of effective support is a strong, trusting relationship. Pupils emphasised the importance of friendships for belonging, as well as adults taking time to understand them and the importance of mutual respect. Consistency, curiosity, and small gestures, like greeting students by name or checking in, can build the trust that’s essential for engagement.

2. Safe Spaces and Time to Regulate 

“When I have my head down, I don’t want to have a chat” 

“Take me out of lessons and talk to me”

Many students need time and space to process emotions and language. Quiet areas, sensory spaces, or simply being allowed to step out of class can help them regulate. These strategies should be seen as part of emotional support, not as rewards or avoidance.

3. Movement and Practical Strategies 

“Walking around helps”

Physical movement helps with concentration and regulation. Opportunities for movement breaks, physical activities, or alternative seating can support attention and behaviour. Simple tools like fidget items or access to clubs can also make a significant difference.

4. Individualised and Flexible Support 

“Giving more time to write stuff down”

Students value when their specific needs are recognised and accommodated. Adjustments like extra processing time, breaking down instructions, or use of assistive technology make learning more accessible.

5. Autonomy, Motivation and Choice 

Pupils want to feel a sense of control over their learning and school experience. Providing meaningful choices, such as where to sit, how to approach tasks, or selecting subjects, supports autonomy, self-esteem and engagement. Involving students in reward systems or goal setting can boost motivation.

6. Practical, Interactive Learning 

“Looking at a whiteboard all day doesn’t help”

Students with SEMH needs respond well to hands-on and real-life learning that connects with their interests and future aspirations. Group work, practical tasks, and use of technology were all valued.

7. Nurturing, Relational Approach

“We should be motivated and encouraged to do the right thing”

Students respond best when staff show empathy and seek to understand the roots of their behaviour rather than relying on punitive responses. Nurture-based approaches, emotional literacy support, and consistent encouragement help them make positive choices and feel safe to take risks in learning.

Conclusion.

The perspectives shared by the students align strongly with what research and psychology advocate for: relationships, trust, autonomy, flexibility, and a move toward relational, trauma-informed approaches, which are essential for meaningful engagement and wellbeing. When we listen to what the students tell us, we not only strengthen our practice, but we also empower young people to feel seen, valued, and capable of thriving in school.

Useful Resources:

AUDIT: Supporting Pupils with SEMH Needs
Infographic: Views of pupils with SEMH needs
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What Schools Are Saying About SCPS

Schools across Wandsworth consistently highlight the Schools and Community Psychology Service (SCPS) as a valued partner in supporting students, staff, and families. Feedback from 38 different schools across the borough underscores the breadth of our impact. We take pride in working collaboratively with schools, co-developing strategies, and providing expert guidance to help create the best possible outcomes for students.

We are encouraged to hear that our expertise, responsiveness, and commitment to collaborative working is helping schools navigate challenges and develop effective strategies.

Here’s some highlights from what schools have to say:

Expert Knowledge and Professionalism

We are recognised for our high level of expertise and collaborative approach, working alongside schools to provide essential insights and guidance.

“Highly knowledgeable and professional service, we are lucky to have this service in Wandsworth!”

Head Teacher
Alternative Provision

“Expert knowledge and expertise that differ from that of teaching staff/SENCO. Helpful for staff and parents to be able to understand a child’s needs better and therefore support them better.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

As a fully staffed team with deep knowledge of Wandsworth’s diverse communities, we build lasting relationships with schools, offering tailored psychological support informed by local needs. The team also plays a vital role in key decision-making panels and forums, bridging local authority strategic planning with school-level implementation to help schools access additional resources and make the best use of existing support.

Collaborative Support for Schools and Staff

Schools value the opportunity to work closely with SCPS, benefitting from a supportive and reflective space to explore complex situations together.

“Having a calm voice and thoughtful presence to give us the space to talk through a difficult case – it can be difficult to find the time and not to feel as if you need to have all the answers (especially as a SENCo) and the EPs that I work with are great at providing that space and asking all the right questions!”

Inclusion Manager
Secondary

Our consultation model is built around working with schools, ensuring that all voices are heard and that strategies are co-developed for meaningful and lasting impact. Our approach is based on robust theoretical evidence and a commitment to understanding the child within their wider context. While it may take longer than a direct within-child assessment approach, this model provides a comprehensive and holistic view of a child’s needs. By taking the time to explore the systems around the child, we help schools develop sustainable and long-term solutions that benefit students, staff, and families alike.

Empowering Schools Through Training and Development

Training and professional development provided by SCPS equip school staff with the tools they need to better support students in a collaborative learning environment.

“Very supportive service for supporting staff to meet the needs of children through training and consultations which has supported staff in challenging situations.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

“Great INSETs.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

We are leaders in delivering training on trauma and relational approaches, ELSA, AME coaching, and other evidence-based strategies that support schools in meeting the needs of their most vulnerable students. The team also supports professional learning through monthly development sessions and opportunities to share expertise, ensuring that best practices are consistently refined and upheld.

Strong Communication and Responsiveness

Schools appreciate our clear and open communication, which supports effective collaboration and helps schools navigate complex processes with confidence.

“Excellent communication, child-focused sessions.“

Inclusion Manager
Primary

“Swift communication. All work is well planned and when deadlines are tight, SCPS always work to these deadlines.”

Inclusion Manager
Secondary

With strong relationships across Wandsworth schools, we work flexibly to provide timely and practical support when it’s needed most. The team’s size and diverse expertise allow for shared casework, ensuring that schools have access to a wide range of specialist knowledge and a collaborative approach to problem-solving.

High-Quality Assessments and Reports

Our assessments and reports are recognised for their depth and clarity, helping schools and families better understand students’ needs and access the right support.

“The EP reports are invaluable when applying for EHCNAs.“

Inclusion Manager
Primary

“Assessments are thorough and helpful and the EP is personable and efficient. Parents like him.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

The team’s capacity to hold both pre-statutory and statutory work ensures a deep understanding of casework and provision, providing continuity for families and informed recommendations for schools.

Partnerships with Families and Multi-Agency Working

We work closely with schools, families, and other services to ensure a joined-up approach to student support, helping to navigate challenging conversations with care and expertise.

“EP having difficult conversations with parents to help them understand in a supportive way.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

“Working in partnership with families, class teams and pupils. Advice and support on a myriad of issues that come with working in a school with a resources base and pupils in mainstream with high needs.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

With direct links to Wandsworth Council, NHS teams, and key national networks, we are well-positioned to provide informed, system-wide guidance that enhances school support structures. The team is also a leading example in anti-racist practice, helping other local authority teams build confidence in this crucial area.

Flexibility and Innovation

Schools appreciate our adaptable and solutions-focused approach, working in partnership to develop strategies that fit their unique contexts.

“EPs open to new and innovative ways of working with the school and their decreasing budgets.”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

“Flexibility and calm approach to problem-solving!”

Inclusion Manager
Primary

With a large, well-connected team, we remain responsive to the evolving needs of schools, ensuring support is both effective and sustainable. Each EP is allocated a variety of early years, primary, secondary, and specialist schools, allowing for a broad familiarity with different educational settings while also encouraging team members to develop deeper areas of expertise.

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Conversations for student behaviour change

Supporting students with behaviour change 

As teachers, teaching assistants, pastoral leads, or school leaders, you will likely have encountered students presenting with low motivation and engagement, or behaviours that feel challenging. Whether you are seeking to support a student to reduce disruptive behaviour, engage with lessons or improve their attendance, these difficult conversations can sometimes feel frustrating and unproductive. 

So, how do you engage with these students in a positive and productive way, that leads to desired behaviour change? How do you do this without damaging your relationship? 

Motivational Interviewing (MI) offers a practical and evidence-based conversational approach that can help unlock a young person’s potential for change whilst maintaining mutual trust and respect.

What is Motivational Interviewing?

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a collaborative, person-centred approach to communication that helps individuals explore their own thoughts and feelings about change. 

MI was originally developed in healthcare and it is being increasingly used in schools. There is research evidence that using MI-informed approaches with students can improve: behaviour, academic motivation, attendance, punctuality, independence, effort, task completion, confidence and reduced disciplinary incidents. 

Instead of relying on external rewards and sanctions, MI uses a guiding style to support the young person to think of their own motivation for change, set their own goals and feel empowered to achieve them. MI can be particularly effective for pupils who might be reluctant or unsure about making changes. 

The beauty of MI is that it can be used flexibly in your everyday conversations and a lot can be achieved in 5-10 minutes.

How to apply MI in your conversations  

To create meaningful, respectful, student-centred conversations that foster positive behaviour change, you need to embody the ‘spirit’ of MI, which uses the acronym ‘PACE’. It stands for Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion, and Evocation.

1. Partnership: Working together

Partnership emphasises collaboration rather than authority, ensuring that the student feels involved in the conversation.

Scenario: A student has been disrupting class and isn’t engaging with their work.

“I noticed that you’ve been finding it tough to stay focused during lessons. Can we figure out together what’s making it tricky and how we can make things feel easier for you?”

 “I just don’t get what’s going on in class, so I get bored.”

“That makes sense. When the work feels confusing, it’s hard to stay motivated. What do you think would help us make the lessons clearer for you?”

By using collaborative language (“Can we figure out together?”), the staff member avoids blame and invites the student into the problem-solving process.

2. Acceptance: Valuing the student’s perspective

Acceptance involves recognising and respecting the student’s feelings, experiences, and autonomy. We may need to set aside our own thoughts and feelings about their behaviour, in order to show non-judgement and acceptance. 

Scenario: A student is repeatedly late to school.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been arriving late recently. I just want to understand how things are for you in the mornings—what’s been going on?”

“It’s just hard to get up. I’m tired, and sometimes I just don’t care.”

“It sounds like mornings have been a real struggle for you, and getting out of bed doesn’t feel worth it right now.”

“Yeah, exactly.”

“Thanks for sharing that—it’s not easy to admit when you’re finding things tough. What might make mornings feel more manageable for you?”

By reflecting the student’s feelings without judgment (“It sounds like mornings have been a real struggle”), the staff member creates a safe space for the student to open up.

3. Compassion: Prioritising the student’s well-being

Compassion means showing empathy, understanding and genuine care for the student’s challenges. When we feel compassion, we feel compelled to help. We try to see things from the student’s perspective and offer support, rather than adopting punitive approaches, such as reprimanding or giving sanctions. 

Scenario: A student is reluctant to participate in group work and often withdraws.

“I’ve noticed you tend to keep to yourself during group activities. I just want to check in—how do you feel about working with others?”

 “I don’t like it. I feel like no one listens to me.”

“That sounds frustrating. It’s important to feel like your voice matters. What do you think would help you feel more comfortable in group work?”

“I guess if I was with people who don’t talk over me.”

“That’s a good point. Let’s work together to find a group where you feel more respected—it’s important that you feel part of the team.”

By focusing on the student’s emotional experience (“It’s important to feel like your voice matters”), the staff member shows compassion and prioritises their well-being.

4. Empowerment: Building confidence in change

Empowerment involves fostering the student’s belief in their ability to take meaningful action and make positive changes. Empowerment is about building confidence and strengthening the young person’s own motivation to change. 

Scenario: A student frequently forgets to complete their homework and is falling behind.

“I noticed you’ve had a tough time keeping up with homework lately. What’s been making it hard to get it done?”

“I just forget about it until it’s too late.”

“That happens to a lot of people—especially when there’s so much else going on. When you do remember to finish it, what helps you stay on top of things?”

“If I write it down, I usually remember.”

“That’s a great strategy! You’ve already shown you can keep track when you write it down. How could we make that even more reliable for you?”

By focusing on the student’s past successes (“You’ve already shown you can keep track when you write it down”), the staff member builds the student’s confidence and empowers them to feel capable of taking the next steps.

Why Does MI Work?

Motivational Interviewing works because it shifts the role of the staff member from a ‘fixer’ to a ‘guide’. Instead of telling a young person what they ‘should’ do, you’re helping them discover their own reasons for change. This approach reduces defensiveness and resistance and increases the likelihood of genuine, long-lasting change.

Final Thoughts

Using MI principles in school doesn’t mean adding another ‘to-do’ to your busy day. Instead, it’s about changing the way you approach conversations with pupils—asking open-ended questions, listening deeply, and helping them recognise their strengths and motivations. Whether you’re a teacher supporting a student with attendance, or a pastoral lead addressing behaviour concerns, small shifts in how you communicate can make a big difference.

Next Steps 

You can start by trying these strategies in your next conversation with a pupil. You might be surprised at how much more open and motivated they become when they feel heard, understood, and supported. You may well already be doing this skilfully. 

At present, every secondary school in Wandsworth is working with SCPS to train an ‘AME Coach’ to use MI-based approaches with young people to enhance their motivation and engagement related to education, employment and future aspirations. (AME stands for autonomy, motivation and engagement.) For more information, contact us>>

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Emotion Coaching

What is Emotion Coaching?

  • A method to help children understand and manage their emotions.
  • Supports the development of emotional intelligence.
  • The concept of emotion coaching was developed by Dr John Gottman. His work emphasizes the importance of parents and caregivers in helping children understand and manage their emotions, effectively. 

Benefits:

  • It helps create nurturing relationships, develop capacities to promote emotional and behavioural self-regulation and support pro-social behaviours.
  • It can harness wellbeing through improved communication, relationships, self-regulation, attainment, health, and resilience.

Emotion coaching involves several key steps to help children understand and manage their emotions effectively:

  1. Become Aware of the Child’s Emotions
    Notice the child’s emotional signals, such as facial expressions, body language, and tone of voice. Be present and attentive to their emotional state.
  2. Recognise the Emotion as an Opportunity for Connection
    View emotional moments as chances to connect with the child, rather than as problems to be solved quickly. Show that you understand and care about what the child is feeling.
  3. Listen to the Child with Empathy
    Give the child your full attention and reflect back what you hear to show understanding. Let them express their feelings without criticism or interruption.
  4. Label the Emotion
    Encourage the child to put a name to their emotions (e.g. I notice that… I was wondering if you are feeling... ). Teach them various words to describe their feelings.
  5. Set Limits While Supporting Problem Solving
    All emotions are acceptable, but not all behaviours are. Help the child find constructive ways to cope with their emotions and the situation. Encourage them to brainstorm solutions and make choices about how to handle their feelings.

View our full presentation for top tips and techniques:

Emotion CoachingDownload
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Understanding Self-Harm

What is self-harm?

Self-harm is a behaviour that is done to deliberately harm oneself. Self-harm is more commonly used as a way of managing difficult emotions, by helping to regulate intense feelings.

The Addictive Model of Self-Harming Behaviour (Non-Suicidal and Suicidal) 

How do I talk about self-harm?

Talking about self-harm can feel hard and create difficult feelings and worries. Research tells us that talking about self-harm does not put the idea into their head. In fact, it creates a safe space for them to be open and honest about how they feel and provide them with a safe person to turn to.

To do this, you should:

  • Provide a safe and confidential space/environment.
  • Listen and explain the limits to confidentiality.
  • Reassure the child or young person that their feelings are important and valid, and it may help to talk about them.
  • Tell the young person how courageous they are to be talking about difficult thoughts and feelings.
  • Stay calm and always provide an empathic and non-judgemental approach. 
  • Use the https://www.richmond.gov.uk/portus/files/professionals-risk-assessment.pdf to help you understand the context of the behaviour and to help you make an informed decision about next steps.
  • Check in with them regularly to make sure the support offered is making a difference.

What questions could I ask?

  • How are things for you right now?
  • Can you say what’s bothering you? 
  • What might help you? 
  • What would you like to happen next?

How do I respond to self-harm?

If you have serious and immediate concerns regarding the safety or a child or young person due to self-harm or suicidal ideation, contact the emergency services on 999 or the Mental Health Trust 24/7 crisis line on 080 0028 800.

Refer to the Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention Pathway to help you and your colleagues to make decisions about the support required: Children and Young People’s Self-harm and Suicide Prevention Pathway.

It is important to ensure parent’s and carer’s are involved in this process unless there are safeguarding concerns relating to the young person’s family. 

As young people should be attending an educational setting on a regular basis, schools and colleges are also well placed to support anyone who is facing emotional distress.

Are they at risk of suicide?

While self-harm is relatively common in young people, suicide is rare. Although some people who self-harm may experience suicidal thoughts, this is often not the case. Suicides are uncommon in childhood and early adolescence, but risk increases in the late teens and continues to rise into early adulthood.

The following steps can help you find out if a child or young person is thinking about suicide. 

Ask directly.
Use the word suicide. ‘Are you thinking about suicide?’ Practice asking first if this helps. It may give you more confidence.

Stay calm.
This is important as the child or young person may be looking at how you react to decide how much they should tell you.

If you are unsure of how to start the conversation, contact the Papyrus helpline HOPELINEUK on 0800 068 4141. Papyrus’ specially trained advisers can talk you through what to say and how to support the child or young person during this conversation. 

Talking with a child or young person about suicide can be very difficult. If you need support following your conversation, Papyrus’ advisers are on hand to de-brief with you and help you to process what has been said and where to go next.

If the child or young person says that they have had, or are currently experiencing, suicidal thoughts, you should create a personalised plan to help keep them safe: Suicide Prevention Support and Safety Plan.

Additional resources 

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Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a common, lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Depending on the presentation, there are different subtypes of ADHD namely:

  1. Inattentive Subtype (previously known as ADD): 20-30%
  2. Hyperactive-Impulsive Subtype: 15%
  3. Combined Subtype: 50-75%

As an area of neuro-diversity, ADHD can co-exist with other areas of neurodiversity such as dysgraphia, developmental coordination disorder, and a large overlap with autism (25-40%). Individuals with ADHD can also present with depression and anxiety, possibly as a result of unmet needs and difficulty adjusting to environments that cater for neurotypical children.

ADHD and Executive Functioning

Executive Functions: Executive functions are cognitive processes that help us plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and manage multiple tasks. They are primarily located in the prefrontal regions of the frontal lobe and involve multiple connections to other brain regions.

Key Executive Functions Affected by ADHD:

  1. Working Memory: The ability to hold and manipulate information over short periods.
  2. Sustained Attention: The capacity to maintain focus on a task or activity over a prolonged period.
  3. Organization: The skill to arrange thoughts, materials, and tasks in a structured manner.
  4. Response Inhibition: The ability to control impulses and resist distractions.
  5. Emotional Control: The capacity to manage emotions and respond appropriately to situations.
  6. Time Management: The skill to plan and allocate time effectively.
  7. Planning and Prioritizing: The ability to set goals, plan steps to achieve them, and prioritize tasks.
  8. Task Initiation: The ability to begin tasks promptly and efficiently.
  9. Goal-Directed Persistence: The capacity to stay focused on a goal despite obstacles and distractions.

Impact of ADHD on Executive Functions:

People with ADHD often experience a delay in the development of executive functions, making them more likely to act based on short-term rather than long-term goals. ADHD can lead to impairments in one or more executive functions, affecting memory, planning, emotional regulation, and social skills.

Supporting children with their executive function skills, as well as the impact of the environment on their capacity to keep up with school life, is a key area of our EP role and a prerequisite for the child’s overall academic progress and emotional wellbeing.

7 x top tips for schools to consider are:

Learning Environment:
Minimise distractions, use visual aids, allow movement breaks, and provide a quiet space.

Teaching Strategies:
Provide clear instructions, break tasks into manageable chunks, use visual cues, and incorporate meaningful movement.

Emotion coaching:
Remain calm, connect before correcting, use redirection, avoid arguing, and provide feedback on the skills observed and what else the child needs to be doing. Be specific! 

Whole School Approach: 
Provide a structured environment, positive reinforcement, psychoeducation, and support for parents.

Interventions: 
Provide young people with a space to understand themselves and their emotions. Where you may need to support social skills, please consider the language used to ensure we are not asking individual students to mask or reject aspects of their identity. Supporting memory and executive functions through play and games may be an ideal way to support development in a non-threatening or tiring for children way. 

ADHD bodies may require additional sensory processing support such as mindfulness and body scans. It would be ideal to create a bank of regulatory strategies with the child so they feel part of the process and develop their capacity for self awareness and self-regulation. Adults need to model this by thinking out loud “the energy in your body tells me that perhaps we need to…”

Strengths-Based Understanding of ADHD:
It is important to recognise and celebrate strengths such as creativity, energy, enthusiasm, and resilience. Children with ADHD can present with hyper focus on areas they are interested in so utilising this to promote other skills may be an ideal way to turn their ADHD into a superpower! 

ADHD and Trauma:
We are mindful that childhood trauma and children being in a chronic high alert state can also create presentations very similar to ADHD. Many children with trauma end up receiving a diagnosis of ADHD and EPs are often involved in conversations with schools to support staff in considering appropriate and trauma informed ways to support children with hyperactivity, organisational difficulties and emotional regulation challenges.

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Support with Exam Anxiety

What is Exam Anxiety?

Exam anxiety is an intense feeling of stress or pressure related to taking exams. Children and young people who are experiencing exam anxiety may exhibit some of the following symptoms: 

Physical

  • Increased heart rate 
  • Sweating or shaking
  • Shortness of breath 
  • Stomach issues
  • Headaches or dizziness 

Emotional

Excessive feelings of:

  • Fear
  • Worry 
  • Dread
  • Helplessness

Cognitive

  • Going ‘blank’
  • Racing thoughts
  • Negative thoughts or self-talk
  • Difficulty with focus 

Behavioural

  • Avoidance
  • Procrastination
  • Fidgeting 
  • Irritability
  • Changes in eating or sleeping habits
  • Uncontrollable laughing or crying

Exam anxiety is common and a normal response to the stress of exams but too much anxiety can impact the ability of children and young people to learn and retain information, and interfere with studying and revision.  

Source: https://www.psychologytools.com/self-help/anxiety

Why do we experience Exam Anxiety?

Some common reasons why children and young people might feel exam anxiety include:

  • Fear of Failure: This may stem from high expectations, negative past experiences and/or concerns about the consequences of failing that lead to intense pressure to perform well. 
  • Not Feeling Prepared: This could be due to poor time management or ineffective study or revision techniques. 
  • High Stakes: Important exams such GCSEs and A-Levels can increase anxiety due to their significant impact (e.g. not getting the entry requirements for a specific course). 
  •  Lack of Confidence: This could include negative perceptions and self-doubt about their abilities and negative self-talk (e.g. “I’m going to fail.”)

How can we support Exam Anxiety?

Children and young people can find exams a lot to cope with, but there are ways that we can support them to improve their wellbeing during this time.


1. Foster a Supportive Environment: Create a classroom environment that encourages open discussion about exam anxiety and stress. Through this open discussion children or young people will feel able to seek help if needed and supported.

2. Encourage Positive Self-Talk:  Help students identify and challenge negative thoughts about their abilities and the exam outcome. Encourage them to rethink these negative thoughts these with positive affirmations and rational thoughts. This is known as ‘reframing’ thoughts. Examples of reframing thoughts include:

“I’m so anxious in exams, my mind always goes blank” can be reframed to “I am confident that I can manage any difficulties that might occur during the exam”

“If I don’t get the highest grade on this exam I’m a failure” can be reframed to “The result of this exam does not define my abilities or worth”

3. Listen and Normalise anxiety:  Listen to the child or young person about their concerns to validate their emotions. Reassure them that feeling anxious because of exams is common and can be a normal response to stress. This reassurance can help reduce feelings of isolation in someone experiencing anxiety.

4. Promote Healthy Habits: Educate the importance of regular sleep, healthy eating, and physical activity during revision and exam seasons. These factors can significantly impact children and young people’s ability to manage stress, improve general wellbeing and perform at their best during exams.

5. Model Calm Behaviour: As adults we can demonstrate calm and confident behaviour towards exams. The child or young person’s perceptions of a situation can be influenced by your attitudes and reactions therefore having a positive impact on how they view exams. Use positive language such as, “You have worked hard and are more than ready to take this exam”.

6. Promote Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques: In order to help students manage their physical responses to anxiety, you can teach them: 

7. Manage Procrastination and Avoidance Behaviours. Exam anxiety often drives procrastination as a temporary relief but ends up promoting greater anxiety. Strategies such as breaking down revision into manageable chunks, prioritising tasks, encouraging progress checking and celebrating small successes can help. 

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Understanding the systems around a child

Child development does not take place in a vacuum, instead, the context around the child impacts their actions and development. Schools are uniquely placed to influence children’s development due to their key role in their lives and the time spent at school. 

One way of viewing child development is through the Bioecological Model of Human Development (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2007). This model considers the impact of social contexts, structural conditions and political factors on children’s school experiences and the role they play in mediating their development (Bronfenbrenner & Evans, 2000). It highlights the importance of the environmental factors around a child that influence their development from those closest to them (family, teachers) to more indirect factors (government education policies).

Bioecological Model of Human Development

The Bioecological Model is marked by four key aspects: process, person, context, and time (Tudge et al., 2022).

  • Process – this focuses on the interactions between people and their environment, which take place over time. Some examples that are relevant to school include CYP and staff relationships or interactions, staff training and teaching
  • Person – this relates to the individual child and further details are included in the diagram below.
  • Context – this describes four interrelated systems that mark the environments that influence development and are further explained below. 
  • Time – this relates to changes in the environment throughout the child’s lifetime, for instance, changing cultural attitudes, historical events, and life transitions like moving abroad.
Figure 1 – Diagram showing the person and context aspects of the Model

Cultural context

This relates to broader societal attitudes and ideologies, e.g., cultural norms, and societal views of education.

Greater environment 

This relates to aspects that indirectly influence the child’s development e.g., what is happening within the school more broadly, or in their parents’ workplace.

Interactions and connections

This layer considers the interactions that happen within the child’s immediate environment, e.g., relationships between parents and school, and relationships between the child and their teachers.

Immediate environment

This is the first layer around the child and relates to aspects that have direct contact with them and influence their day-to-day life, e.g., home life, school environment and peers. 

Child

This includes their individual characteristics, e.g., age, ethnicity or other features that affect how others view or treat them. Also, their psychological resources along with their skills, experiences, and individual motivations that influence their responses to situations.

How can the Bioecological Model be applied in school settings?

This Model is flexible and provides a way of thinking about how individual traits and surrounding environmental factors influence and interact with one another as part of an ongoing process of child development.

The example below shows how the Model has been applied in the case of a Year 6 boy who is experiencing literacy difficulties.

Figure 2 – Example of the Model applied to an individual child

References

Bronfenbrenner, U., & Morris, P.A. (2007). The bioecological model of human development. In W. Damon & R.M. Lerner (Eds.), Handbook of child psychology. Vol. 1: Theoretical models of human development (6th ed., pp. 793–828). John Wiley. 

Bronfenbrenner, U. and Evans, G. W. (2000), Developmental Science in the 21st Century: Emerging Questions, Theoretical Models, Research Designs and Empirical Findings. Social Development, 9(1), 115-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9507.00114

Tudge, J. R. H., Merçon-Vargas, E. A., Liang, Y., & Payir, A. (2022). The Importance of Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Theory for Early Childhood Education. In L. E. Cohen & S. Waite-Stupiansky (Eds.), Theories of Early Childhood Education: Developmental, Behaviorist and Critical (2nd ed.). Routledge.

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Insights into creating an Attachment Aware School 

The article below discusses the benefits and impact on becoming an Attachment Aware school based on Amy’s doctoral research thesis titled: An Exploration of the Views and Experiences of Designated Teachers in Creating an Attachment Aware School. To view the thesis in more detail please click here:

An exploration of the views and experiences of Designated Teachers in helping to create an Attachment Aware School | BPS

What was your research about?

During the pandemic 5 primary schools in southwest London took part in a pilot project to become Attachment Aware schools.  The Designated Teachers (responsible for children who are looked after CLA) played a key role in facilitating the project. The Designated Teachers were all interviewed at the end of the year to reflect on their views and experiences. Key themes emerged from analysing the interviews (using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis).

What is an Attachment Aware School?

An Attachment Aware school is a school that takes a relational approach to supporting its students. This type of school is often supported by Educational Psychologists and Virtual schools in order to create systemic changes to support children and young people who may have experienced trauma or disruptions to forming secure attachments, such as CLA. Many Local Authorities have some version of this approach although terminology used may vary such as Trauma informed Practice (TIP), Attachment Aware Schools (AAS) etc.

What motivated schools to become an Attachment Aware school?

  • A desire to support the needs of children in the school (the project took place at the start of the pandemic and so there was an increase in mental health needs).
  • It’s free, there was no cost to schools.
  • It fitted in with the ethos of the school and other relational approaches used.
  • A desire to learn evidence-based approaches. 

One of the Designated Teachers stated:

“The main thing for us was to…to help with any behaviour issues and to make sure that we’re approaching it in a way that dealt with the initial underlying problem rather than just firefighting…”

How did the Attachment Aware Schools approach develop within the schools? 

Schools worked over the year to develop systemic and environmental factors. Schools developed behaviour policies, transformed the environment (to create accessible calm spaces), provided staff with training based on trauma and attachment theory as well as developed restorative approaches to responding to behaviour.

What were some of the changes that occurred in the schools after becoming an Attachment Aware School?

The Designated Teachers reflected on physical/environmental and systemic changes that were occurred:  

  • The attitude of staff towards children, resulting in improved relationships and behaviour.
  • Changes in children’s interactions (with their peers) and staff,
  • Improved relationships between the schools and parents/carers
  • Nurturing and inclusive environment were created, such as calming spaces (that children could use to regulate their emotions)

Which children benefited from the Attachment Aware school approach?

Schools have a statutory duty of care to support CLA by the Designated Teacher and supported through the Virtual School. Although, a key aspect of Attachment Aware Schools is to support the needs of CLA the research found the scope of children who could benefit from such an approach was wide ranging.  The research found that children who were anxious, have special educational needs or who were described as shy also benefited from the approach.

Another Designated Teacher stated the wider benefits:

“I do think that Attachment Awareness helps because if children aren’t emotionally ok, they’re not gonna learn”.

Did the research identify any potential barriers?

Potential barriers identified through this research in implementing the approach ranged from:

  •  Training e.g. the time taken to train staff, embed the new approach and train staff due to staff turnover.
  • Some staff found that the approach was counter to how they may have been raised and so there was some cognitive dissonance between the relational based approach and the punitive approach that they were more familiar with. However, once staff saw the difference that the approach could make to children displaying challenging behaviour, they were then more likely to use the approach.

How does this research fit within similar research in this area?

Research in this area is growing and provides noteworthy evidence of wide-ranging improvements. Some larger scale studies have illustrated positive improvements:

Rose and Gilbert (2017) conducted a large-scale study involving 40 schools over 2 years. This research provided hard and soft indicators of improvements ranging from increases in academic performance, staff confidence and increase self-regulation of students. 

  • Academic improvements in reading, writing and Maths,
  • Increase in attendance,
  • Improvements in staff-wellbeing; in relation to an increase in staff confidence in responding to challenging behaviour and staff becoming more reflective in their practice.

Kelly (2020) involved 77 educational establishments (primary, secondary, specialist and Pupil Referral Units). Evaluation from the research suggests all participating schools had a positive impact by for example developing ethos change within the schools and more informed pedagogical practice to support Children who are Looked After and other vulnerable learners. 

Additionally, the Alex Timpson Attachment and Trauma Aware Programmes in Schools (2022) reviewed the impact of training from 305 schools across 26 Local Authorities.  Some of the findings highlighted, a reduction in the use of sanctions, a positive impact on students, and increase in staff awareness of how behaviour e.g. how behaviour displayed relates to the child communicating a need. 

How can I get my school involved in something similar?

  • Attachment Aware Schools are a whole school approach. It is important that everyone is on board with the aims of using such an approach. Raise awareness within the school and speak to the head teacher about potential benefits of using such an approach. 
  • Schools can contact their local Educational Psychology service or Virtual School for more information to find out how the approach is being delivered within their local area.