Creating a relational policy embedded in DDP informed principles and practices. Throughout the course, delegates will write a policy over the course of the training using a template created by Louise Michelle Bombèr.

Who is the training for?
Headteachers and Senior Leaders with authority to create and implement policy . This course is not for the faint hearted. We need brave leaders who will take a stand and support this inclusive revolution.

How long is the training?
The training is 7 days, taking place over the course of an academic year, with roughly one day each half term.

What will we cover?
We will use Louise Michelle Bomber’s most recent book Know Me to Teach Me, integrating the work of Dr Bruce Perry, Dr Stephen Porges, Dr Dan Hughes, and Dr Gabor Mate and translating it into practice for everyday life. This seven-day training will offer Leaders in education and policymakers the opportunity to deeply consider current educational practices in light of what we now know about Adverse Childhood Experiences and other relational traumas, including the impact of COVID-19 upon the mental health and well-being of children and young people.

The course will challenge current approaches which still focus on withdrawing relationship when faced with distressed behaviours, instead of offering rich, relational practice. The soaring exclusion rates and distress witnessed in recent years evidence that there is much that needs to change within our education system here in the UK. Now is the time to update our policies and practices, asking ourselves what has happened to our children for them to do what they do, and proactively intervening in order to meet the needs of ALL children, no matter what they have lived. Our learning journey will be compassion focused.

The training will cover:
• The significance of establishing safety.
• The theory and practice of attunement.
• Respecting biology through the use of the polyvagal theory.
• Exploring the work of Dr Bruce Perry including the neurosequential model of support.
• An introduction to DDP (Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy) informed practice.
• Stage- and state-dependent differentiated teaching and discipline.
• The creation of an Attachment Aware and Trauma Responsive school relational policy

This course is open to both individual practitioners to attend a central hub or to individual schools, local authorities, virtual school teams or other organisations wishing to run the course within their own localities, under their professional body.