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Research & Reports

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The mental health of young people is much discussed and a great cause for concern for schools and settings - 50% of mental health issues start before the age of 14, but only 30% of young people who need help get access to it. There is a growing body of academic research which demonstrates the effectiveness of attachment aware approaches in schools and other settings which work with young people. Several Higher Education Institutions have formed a network (The ARC HE & ITT Network) who seek to support ARC in a number of ways. Members of ARC are also able to access this network for support in their action research.

Read the full HE & ITT Statement
If you are interested in starting your own piece of research or want to be part of the ARC HE & ITT Network, please contact the team who would be more than happy to discuss your needs further.



There are a number of recent academic articles which outline current debates and research on attachment and trauma awareness in schools, including:

North Yorkshire Virtual School Attachment & Trauma Aware Schools Project: developing trauma responsive practice: Executive Summary

Doonan, M., Stephens, C. (2021) 

The core purpose of North Yorkshire Virtual School’s Attachment and Trauma Aware Schools Project is to support schools to work on development of their specific trauma responsive practice both systemically and individually. Following full school training in Developmental Trauma and Emotion Coaching, schools are supported to embed an aspect of practice using either Emotion Coaching or Circle of Adults. An audit is used to support planning and development. Schools are encouraged to develop Relational Behaviour Policies.

Click here to read simplified summary

Click here to read executive summary

An Attachment Aware Schools Programme: A Safe Space, a Nurturing Learning Community


Dr Paul Kelly, Lizzie Watt and Dr Sara Giddens

Derbyshire County Council's Attachment Aware Schools programme, now in its fifth year, is meeting this need by providing a substantial school development programme which has led to innovative and sustainable ways of developing school practice.

Click here to download

Attachment theory: developments, debates and recent applications in social work, social care and education

Elizabeth Harlow (2019): Journal of Social Work Practice, DOI: 10.1080/02650533.2019.1700493

Click here to view

Attachment Aware Schools: the impact of a targeted and collaborative intervention

Janet Rose, Rebecca McGuire-Sniekus, Louise Gilbert and Karen McInnes (2019): Pastoral Care in Education, Volume 37, Issue 2 pp 162-184 02643944.2019.1625429

Click here to view

Student behaviour, motivation and the potential of attachment‐aware schools to redefine the landscape

Richard Parker and Martin Levinson (2018): British Education Research Journal, Volume 44, Issue 5 pp 875 - 896

click here to view

A 500 word summary of this latter paper is available
Click here to view

Rees Centre Research, University of Oxford 

The Rees Centre, University of Oxford, has undertaken a number of evaluations of attachment aware schools and is currently undertaking a major national study of the impact of attachment and trauma aware approaches in schools. Its current publications can be found at

Click here to view

Attachment in the Classroom: The Links Between Children's Early Experience, Emotional Well-being and Performance in School
Heather Geddes (2006) London, Worth Publishing. The seminal book on attachment in the classroom was published by Heather Geddes in 2006. 
Available at major retailers.
Click here to view Google link 

David Colley and Paul Cooper recently produced a book summarising current understandings of attachment theory in schools, with contributions from leading academics and practitioners

Attachment and Emotional Development in the Classroom: Theory and Practice

David Colley and Paul Cooper (2017) London, Jessica Kingsley
Available at major retailers

Click here to view Google link

Although this is not a formal academic paper as such, Professor Barry Carpenter (who wrote the foreword to the book above) recently published an article on returning to school post Covid

A Recovery Curriculum: Loss and life for our children and schools post pandemic

Barry Carpenter and Matthew Carpenter (2020) SSAT Blog, May 1 2020

Click here to view

For a more informed critical view of attachment issues you may wish to look at:

From Attachment to Recognition for Children in Care

Mark Smith, Claire Cameron and Daniela Reimer (2017)
British Journal of Social Work Volume 47, Issue 6, pp 1606 - 1624,
DOI 10.1093/bjsw/bcx096; 0045-3102

Click here to view


The diverse neurobiological processes and legacies of early adversity: implications for practice

Matt Woolgar, and John Simmonds (2019) Adoption and Fostering Volume: 43 issue: 3, pp 241-255

Click here to view

The Bath Spa University

Their web page on resources for Attachment Aware Schools includes a number of videos, reports and a detailed bibliography on attachment and schools.

Click here to view

Reports

Attachment Awareness in key parliamentary and government reports

There have been a number of key parliamentary and government reports in the past few years which have highlighted the importance of schools promoting children and young people’s mental health, attachment and wellbeing.  These are listed below:

Attachment Research Community's Response to the Children and Young People's Mental Health Green Paper

Download Report

Children’s and adolescents’ mental health and CAMHS Report 2014-15

The Health Committee Report ‘Children’s and adolescents’ mental health and CAMHS’ in November 2014 recommended that awareness of mental health issues, child development and their implications should be a mandatory part of initial teacher training and continuing professional development.

Download Report

Future in mind – Promoting, protecting and improving our children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing

The Department of Health (DoH) Report ‘Future in mind’ of March 2015 referred to the importance of whole school approaches to promoting mental health and wellbeing, with specific reference to vulnerable groups. It identified as a key issue ‘Significant gaps in data, information and system levers’ in this area.

Download Report

Promoting the health and wellbeing of looked-after children

The joint Department for Education (DfE) and Department of Health (DoH) Statutory guidance on promoting the health and well-being of looked after children, published in May 2015, made specific reference to attachment aware schools.

View Report

Children’s attachment: attachment in children and young people who are adopted from care, in care or at high risk of going into care

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Guidelines on children’s attachment, (November 2015) made specific reference to the importance of children’s experience at school and the need for further research in this field.

View Report

Mental health and behaviour in schools

DfE Advice for school staff on mental health and behaviour in schools, (March 2016) again made specific reference to attachment awareness as an important issue.

View Report

Mental health and well-being of looked-after children 2015-16

The Education Committee report on The Mental health and well-being of looked-after children published in April 2016 included a witness session on this issue with specific reference to the work undertaken by Bath Spa University and other colleagues.

Download Report

Initial teacher training: government response to Carter review

The Core Framework for Initial Teacher Training, published by the DfE in July 2016 included attachment awareness as a core part of the programme for trainee teachers.

View Report

Improving the mental health of children and young people

Public Health England ‘Improving the mental health of children and young people in England’(December 2016) identified secure attachment as the most important protective factor for children, and called for schools to have a positive climate that enhances belonging and connectedness, an ‘open door’ policy for children to raise problems and a whole school approach to promoting good mental health.

View Report

Children and young people’s mental health: peer support

The DfE research review ‘Children and young people’s mental health: peer support’ (March 2017) again highlighted the importance of emotional literacy and talking therapies.

View Report

Supporting mental health in schools and colleges

The DfE research report ‘Supporting Mental Health in Schools and Colleges’, (August 2017) indicated a need for shared vision for mental health, strong leadership, trusting relationships and high quality training in schools.

View Report

Children and young people’s mental health – the role of education 2016-17

The Education and Health Select Committees’ joint report in April 2017 - Children and young people’s mental health – the role of education, stated that all teachers should be trained to recognise mental health issues, and that senior leadership must embed well-being throughout the whole culture and provision of the school. The report also pointed out that ‘Promoting attainment and well-being is not a ‘zero-sum activity’’ and that good schools do both.

Download Report

ARC

Promoting mental health and well-being through Attachment & Trauma Aware approaches in education

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A “fascinating and insightful” day – ARC provides its full Annual Conference online to aid teachers and schools in embedding attachment aware & trauma informed practices

A “fascinating and insightful” day – ARC provides its full Annual Conference online to aid teachers and schools in embedding attachment aware & trauma informed practices

Towards the end of 2020 The Attachment Research Community (ARC) hosted their full CPD accredited annual conference on a virtual platform in its efforts to continue to support and guide the education community safely.

5th January 2021

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