Trauma-aware Practice

Swalcliffe Park School, based in Oxfordshire near Banbury, is a specialist residential and day school for autistic boys aged 10-19. As experts in autism education, we are pleased to offer a year-round programme of training sessions for local schools, alongside termly SENCO Circle groups, designed to build knowledge and practical strategies to support pupils with a range of needs.

Understanding trauma is no longer optional in education — it’s essential. This training offers a clear, accessible introduction to trauma‑aware practice, giving participants the knowledge and confidence to recognise how trauma shapes behaviour, learning, and relationships.

Drawing on current research into ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), and the autonomic nervous system, the session explores how stress and threat impact the developing brain and influence capacity to engage, regulate, and connect. Participants will learn why trauma is not defined by the event itself but by the internal wound it creates — a perspective that transforms how we interpret student responses and needs.

The training also highlights the power of protective factors — from supportive relationships to community belonging — and how schools can intentionally strengthen resilience at individual, family, and environmental levels.

By attending, education professionals will:

• Gain a solid understanding of what trauma is and how it affects children, young people and adults across their lives.
• Explore the prevalence and impact of ACEs, including why autistic children are disproportionately affected.
• Learn how the body’s stress systems drive behaviour, and how states of safety or threat shape a student’s ability to learn.
• Understand the principles of trauma‑aware practice and how everyday interactions can become therapeutic, validating, and resilience‑building.
• Identify protective factors that build resilience and buffer the impact of adversity.
• Develop insight into how to create safer, more trusting environments that reduce barriers to learning and support recovery.

This training is highly relevant for teachers, support staff, SEN professionals, pastoral teams, and anyone working with children or young people. Trauma‑aware practice strengthens relationships, improves behaviour responses, and enhances wellbeing — not just for pupils, but for the adults who support them.

Please note that this training is an introduction and attendance does not equate to a school becoming a trauma-informed organisation.

All sessions are free to attend but must be booked in advance. Places are limited to a maximum of two attendees per school per session.