Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
Trauma Perceptive Practice
What is Trauma Perceptive Practice (TPP)?
TPP is a programme offered to all Essex schools and settings aiming to improve policy and practice.
It is the Essex approach to understanding behaviour and supporting mental health and emotional wellbeing in all our children and our adults. It has been developed by people who work in and with Essex schools and settings.
Trauma Perceptive Practice at Theydon Bois Primary School
Theydon began our journey in TPP in September 2020 and completed the journey in February 2022. Staff were trained in each of the nine elements in order to establish the values and mind-set of TPP (kindness and compassion, hope, connection and belonging). The aim is for our school community to recognise the importance of building positive relationships, embed the language of TPP, understanding that every behaviour is a communication of a need and to use TPP to inform policy and procedures. We have re-written our Behaviour policy to reflect TPP practices within the school community and have renamed it as our Behaviour and Relationships Policy. TPP exists alongside the Zones of Regulation which provides children with the language and skills needed to recognise and express their emotions. Currently, the Zones of Regulation are being used in Key Stage 1 and we aim to roll this out into Reception and Key Stage 2 in the Autumn Term 2022.
Ways to Look After Your Wellbeing and Keep Yourself Mentally Healthy
Growth Mindset
At Theydon Bois Primary School we have adopted growth mindset principles to foster resilience, a love of learning, and a positive attitude toward challenges. Here are some of the key ways we implement growth mindset practices:
- Language & Encouragement:
- Praising Effort, Not Just Results: Teachers emphasize effort, persistence, and strategy rather than just outcomes. For example, they might say, "You worked really hard on that!" or "I love how you kept trying!"
- Growth-Oriented Feedback: Instead of simply saying "Good job," teachers might use more detailed praise like, "You made a great improvement this time! What do you think helped you?" or “I really like your use of expanded noun phrases.”
- Teaching About the Brain:
- Brain Science for Children: Some classes teach basic brain science, helping children understand how the brain grows and gets stronger with practice. For instance, explaining that “every time you learn something new, your brain grows and forms new connections.”
- Emphasizing Mistakes as Learning Opportunities:
- "Mistakes Are Okay" Culture: Our teachers normalise making mistakes by encouraging children to view them as opportunities for growth. For example, teachers might say, "Mistakes are how we learn," or "It's okay to fail—how can we try again?"
- Reflection Time: After a mistake, children may be prompted to reflect on what went wrong and what they can do differently next time.
- Setting Goals and Self-Reflection:
- Setting Personal Goals: Teachers may help children set short-term goals for learning and improvement.
- Growth Mindset Activities:
- Mindset Challenges: Activities are designed to push children outside their comfort zones. For example, teachers may give a challenge that is a little difficult but achievable with effort, to show how persistence leads to improvement.
- Growth Mindset Stories or Videos: Teachers might show videos or read books that illustrate characters overcoming obstacles through perseverance and a positive mindset.
- Collaboration and Peer Learning:
- Working Together: In line with a growth mindset, children are often encouraged to collaborate, helping each other and learning from one another’s strengths.
- Peer Feedback: Constructive peer feedback is also used as a tool for growth, where children offer support and suggestions to each other to improve.
- Role Models and Growth-Oriented Teacher Behavior:
- Teacher as a Role Model: Teachers actively model a growth mindset by sharing their own experiences with challenges and how they overcame them. For instance, a teacher might say, "I struggled with this too when I was learning it, but I kept practicing and got better."
- Persistent Attitude: Teachers demonstrate persistence in their own work and learning, showing that growth mindset is not just for children but applies to everyone.
- Learning Challenges and Games:
- Learning Games: We may use games or puzzles that require persistence to solve, and where failure is part of the process, teaching children to keep trying.
- Classroom Challenges: Challenges like timed maths tasks, memory games, or problem-solving activities can encourage children to stretch their abilities and realize that improvement comes with practice.
- Inclusive Classroom Environment:
- Safe Space for Growth: A classroom environment where children feel safe to take risks and be vulnerable is crucial for growth mindset. If children are afraid of being judged, they’re less likely to take risks in their learning.
- Differentiated Learning: Tailoring lessons to meet the individual needs of children, ensuring that everyone is challenged in a way that’s appropriate for their current level, also promotes growth mindset.
By implementing these strategies, we create an environment where children not only feel encouraged to face challenges head-on but also develop the resilience to overcome them, understanding that their abilities can grow over time.
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