Leading on Navigating the School Environment with ACEs and Trauma

A pupil storms out of class, or squares up to the teacher who told them to calm down. It looks like attitude. For a child living with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), it's often a brain that has learned to expect danger and a body full of adrenaline.

This gives leaders a clear way to explain that to their teams and change how the school responds. You'll get the science of the stress response in plain terms, and Bruce Perry's regulate, relate, reason sequence: breathing first, then connection, and only then the conversation about what happened. There's a strong case for "time in" over time out, so a child isn't left alone with feelings they can't manage.

It comes from a secondary teacher and school mindfulness lead, whose school also runs drop-in sessions to help staff regulate before they go home.