This masterclass moves beyond basic awareness to equip you with the practical strategies needed to support children impacted by trauma, manage dysregulated behaviour with empathy, and build a culture of safety and trust in your classroom and school.
Now more than ever, understanding the impact of trauma on a child’s development is a non-negotiable aspect of modern safeguarding. The Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance compels staff to understand the “lived experience of the child,” and this course provides the tools to do so effectively. It recognises that challenging behaviour is often a communication of unmet need. By moving beyond a purely behavioural lens, staff can address the root causes of difficulty, leading to improved student engagement, better attendance, and a calmer school environment—all key indicators of school effectiveness scrutinised by Ofsted.
This masterclass provides a robust framework for creating a physically and emotionally safe school culture. You will explore how trauma impacts the brain and the ability to learn, before diving into evidence-based strategies for de-escalation, building trusting relationships, and avoiding re-traumatisation. The focus is on practical, low-effort, high-impact techniques that can be implemented immediately in any classroom or school setting, ensuring your practice is not only compliant but truly compassionate and effective.
KEY LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion, you will be able to:
• Explain how trauma impacts a child’s brain, behaviour, and ability to learn.
• Identify signs of trauma and dysregulation in students.
• Use proactive strategies to create a physically and emotionally safe classroom.
• Apply practical de-escalation techniques to support dysregulated students.
• Build positive, trusting relationships using a trauma-informed framework.
• Understand the principles of a whole-school trauma-informed approach.
• Develop an action plan to enhance trauma-informed practice in your own setting
FACILITATOR
Steve Burnage FCCT FRSA M.Ed is an experienced international consultant and trainer who has worked extensively with schools in India and worldwide. Having served over 25 years as a teacher and school leader in the UK, Steve is now in demand as a consultant, trainer, inspector, and author, specialising in the areas of leadership development, effective classroom pedagogy and practice; and school inspection, improvement, and development.
Steve is lead inspector and academic consultant for The British Council and a lead trainer and principal examiner in Educational Leadership for Cambridge International Examinations and The International Baccalaureate.
