Supporting Adopted Children in your Setting

A child adopted from care has lived through trauma and disrupted attachment, sometimes from before they were born. At school that can look like a need to control everything, sudden rage at a "no", or a child who won't let any adult get close.

You'll learn what sits behind that behaviour and what helps: predictability and consistency so they feel safe, natural consequences in place of detentions or lost golden time, and PACE (playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy). "I wonder…" becomes a way to be curious about what upset them without demanding an answer. There are everyday changes too, like handling family trees and baby photos with care, and books that show all kinds of families.

It's taught by a headteacher who is also an adoptive parent, so she knows both sides of the school gate.