We are proud to announce that we have successfully achieved an Attachment Aware Schools Award 2020/2021. 

The attachment aware schools award, is a recognition of a commitment to the steps the school has taken, to further develop a culture of compassion and nurture. This plays a pivotal role in getting our children and young people into a state of ‘learning readiness’. The award recognises and celebrates best practice in attachment and trauma aware schools and settings.

At Coombe Hill Infants' we believe strongly that relationships are at the core of everything we do. The personalised, individual approach to all pupils is evidenced through numerous practices. Knowledge of each pupil’s developmental needs underpins relationships, interactions and planning. This is a particular strength of our school. Every interaction is an intervention.

The year long attachment aware schools award programme involved: training from AfC virtual school, coaching from a team of Educational Psychologists, on-site whole school training in attachment and emotion coaching and development of a whole school change project based on findings from the attachment Aware schools audit. As a result of this award we have increased our knowledge of attachment and emotion coaching, we have made our language more trauma informed and have adapted our practice and policies to reflect this attachment and trauma informed approach.

Our work is not yet done and we plan to continue with our attachment aware policies and procedures for many years to come.

“I feel safe in school because the teachers care. I love my special time with my teachers. The teachers make me happy and look after me” Year 2 child.

“From the moment that I looked around CHI and met the staff team I knew that …(Child name).. would flourish and be supported and cared for. Everyone has taken such good care of her, understanding how to meet her needs with care and compassion. The staff team have a good, thorough understanding of her background and are very aware of how attachment and trauma issues may affect her” Parent comments

“The Attachment Aware Schools Training came at the right time for us, following the school lockdowns and the implementation of our recovery curriculum. Some children were really struggling with the constant changes and uncertainty. As a staff we wanted a consistent approach and to continue to develop a culture which prioritises the emotional wellbeing of all children. The key elements which have resonated with our staff are the reframing of certain behaviours, the impact that language can have and the fact that every interaction is an intervention. This was extremely powerful and reinforces everything that we are trying to achieve at our school.”  Headteacher - Mrs Berry