Expert Insights - Navigating Change: Fostering Student Belonging

Transitions often present very specific challenges for those students who have attachment-related needs. Staff can find it difficult to navigate how best to provide care for these youngsters during such challenging times, as well as holding appropriate expectations.

During this webinar we will explore proven, practical ways to translate what we know from attachment theory in order to utilise transitions as an opportunity to promote a sense of belonging for students. We will approach this using two lenses:

- The Behaviour Wall can illuminate our understanding of behaviour as communication by considering the developmental needs students have. With it, we can identify ‘bricks’ that are missing/needs that require revisiting. The challenges transition can present are then reframed as rich opportunities to promote emotional growth, including belonging.

- Functional Fluency offers a clear and highly practical framework to help adults blend and balance the needs for both nurture and structure. Included within this is the Marshmallowing mode, a great way of considering the unintentional impact that doing too much caring for students can have.

We will thread the two models together with a golden thread of being solution-focused.