Trauma Informed Practice

The Polygon school is dedicated to being a Trauma informed and an Attachment Aware setting.  We are currently working with Southampton Virtual School and Southampton Educational Psychology service to complete the project.

We are committed to developing a culture of Trauma Informed schools leading to a Trauma informed community. We acknowledge the impact trauma can have on individuals, groups and communities and work tirelessly to mitigate those effects.

Staff prioritise building positive, meaningful and effective relationships between pupils, staff, and the broader community and we believe that these connections are fundamental our pupils being able to make progress, not only academic but in all aspects of their lives.

Our approach is based on the 6 principles of trauma informed practice:

• Safety
• Trustworthiness
• Choice
• Collaboration
• Empowerment
• Cultural Consideration

We recognise that there are different types, reasons and risk factors associated with trauma and that trauma affects everyone differently. We also recognise that previous experiences of trauma, limited social and / or systemic support, attachment challenges and cultural contexts can result in vulnerability toward experiencing trauma. Staff respond to the needs of pupils with unmet attachment needs and those who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences