Classrooms are full of diverse experiences, and many pupils carry the effects of past or ongoing trauma into their learning. For supply teachers, teaching assistants, and support staff, understanding trauma and applying restorative approaches is essential for creating safe, supportive environments, even in short-term placements.
Understanding Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
Trauma occurs when an individual experiences events or circumstances that feel harmful, distressing, or life-threatening. While abuse or bereavement are widely recognised causes, trauma can also result from chronic bullying, neglect, humiliation, or feeling unseen over time.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful or traumatic events, that occur before the age of 18, that may have lasting effects. These include:
- Parental separation, bereavement, or divorce
- Living with a family member misusing substances
- Exposure to domestic conflict or violence
- Family mental health difficulties
- Periods of neglect or unmet emotional/physical needs
Trauma, Behaviour, and Learning in Schools
Pupils’ behaviour often reflects their experiences rather than intentional misbehaviour. Children who have experienced trauma or multiple adverse experiences may struggle to regulate their emotions, respond impulsively, or withdraw from learning. Behaviour can be a form of communication, signalling that a pupil feels unsafe, anxious, or overwhelmed.
For example, a pupil who has been bullied may react aggressively in competitive group activities, while a child who has experienced neglect may avoid routines or contact with adults. Some pupils develop coping strategies that work in other environments but are not suitable in school, such as taking food or withdrawing from participation. Understanding these behaviours as responses to past experiences helps supply teachers and support staff respond with empathy and consistency.
Trauma can also affect pupils’ confidence and sense of self. Some may feel shame, believe they are “bad,” or struggle to trust adults. It’s common for pupils to test boundaries or resist new relationships, and supply staff should not take this personally. Observing patterns, recognising triggers, and offering calm, predictable responses can make a meaningful difference in helping pupils feel safe and supported.
Even simple strategies, such as offering choices, maintaining predictable routines, or providing a quiet space for self-regulation, can help pupils engage in learning more effectively and feel emotionally supported.
Principles of Trauma-Informed Practice
Trauma-informed practice is about creating a classroom where pupils feel safe, supported, and understood. The following six principles guide this approach and help educators respond effectively to the needs of pupils affected by trauma:
Safety: Pupils need to feel both physically and emotionally safe, and predictable routines and a calm classroom environment can help them feel secure.
Trust and Consistency: Being reliable, clear, and consistent in your expectations helps pupils build trust in adults and feel more confident in the learning environment.
Peer Support: Positive relationships with classmates can reduce isolation and foster resilience, so encouraging collaboration and supportive interactions is key.
Collaboration: Working together with pupils and involving them in problem-solving promotes inclusion, empowerment, and a sense of ownership over their learning.
Empowerment, Voice, and Choice: Giving pupils opportunities to make small decisions, express their thoughts, and recognise their own strengths helps build confidence and reduce anxiety.
Cultural, Historical, and Gender Awareness: Being curious about pupils’ backgrounds and experiences, rather than making assumptions, ensures that responses are fair, inclusive, and sensitive to individual contexts.
By applying these principles, even supply staff in short-term placements can create environments that support emotional regulation and meaningful engagement in learning.
Restorative Approaches in Practice
Restorative approaches focus on repairing relationships rather than punishing behaviour. This method recognises that behaviour is often a response to past experiences, and traditional punitive approaches can sometimes make things worse.
The key ideas behind restorative practice are connection, accountability, and repair. Maintaining connection helps pupils feel supported; encouraging accountability helps them understand the impact of their actions; and focusing on repair helps rebuild trust and relationships.
In practice, restorative approaches can be as simple as short conversations following an incident. For example, if two pupils argue over playground equipment, guiding them to talk through what happened, how they felt, and what could prevent the conflict in the future helps restore relationships and builds empathy. Similarly, in the classroom, a pupil who refuses to engage in a group task can be supported with choices, modelling, and later, a restorative conversation to reflect on the situation.
Even brief restorative interactions can strengthen relationships and reduce repeated incidents, creating a calmer and more positive learning environment.
Supporting Yourself as an Educator
Trauma-informed practice isn’t just about supporting pupils, it’s also about supporting yourself. Working with children affected by trauma can be emotionally demanding, and supply staff may experience stress or vicarious trauma as a result.
Maintaining your own wellbeing is essential, both for yourself and for the pupils you work with. Simple strategies, like taking a short pause between lessons, reflecting on positive moments, or speaking with colleagues or your dedicated justteachers consultant, can help you stay calm and grounded.
By caring for your own wellbeing, you model calm and predictable behaviour, which in turn helps pupils feel safer and better supported.
Take your Learning Further with Trauma-Informed CPD
While this blog provides an overview of trauma-informed practice, there is much more to explore for those looking to support pupils effectively. Our justteachers online CPD Hub offers a flexible, certified Trauma-Informed Practice & Restorative Approaches course, designed specifically for supply staff.
The course goes beyond what we cover in this blog, offering in-depth guidance on:
Understanding different types of trauma and their effects on behaviour
Recognising subtle signs of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and how these can impact learning and relationships
Applying trauma-informed strategies to classroom routines, transitions, and learning activities
Facilitating restorative conversations safely, including preparation, participation, and follow-up
Supporting pupils’ emotional regulation and resilience through practical interventions
Maintaining your own wellbeing and managing vicarious trauma while working with pupils affected by trauma
Completing the course not only equips you with practical skills to respond to challenging behaviour and build trusting relationships, but also enhances your professional profile, making you a highly sought-after educator for school placements.
The justteachers online CPD Hub is available to all our registered educators. Check your inbox for access details, or speak with your dedicated justteachers consultant who will be happy to help.
If you’re not currently registered with justteachers but would like to access our CPD Hub and explore supply teaching or education support job opportunities across Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Yorkshire, Lancashire, the North West, or the Midlands, you can register with us today at: www.justteachers.co.uk/register
