Schools

More and more schools in Britain, at both primary and secondary levels, are working to build relational cultures. A core component of this shift tends to be providing staff with more knowledge about child development and developmental trauma. It also often means helping staff teams to reflect on ways in which how the physical environment of the school will be impacting on children’s stress systems. Schools frequently choose to replace their traditional behaviour policy with something like a ‘relationship agreement’.

Cultural shifts are not quick or easy. Many teachers today feel undervalued, tired and threatened. Thus, interest in relational cultures is celebratory. It takes courage and commitment for any school to choose to embark on such a journey.

Suzanne has been invited to provide training and support to a wide range of schools pursuing this path.

She is always pleased to champion their efforts, and she frequently shares their stories, ensuring that their efforts provide inspiration to other communities. The impact of that ripple can be seen in these comments from one of the lead campaigners for the UNCRC in Scotland: “As Suzanne Zeedyk regularly points out, behaviour is a symptom – and it can’t be fixed by a system that tells children ‘you’re wrong, so change or we’ll punish you’. We need to do things differently.”

You can find examples of Suzanne’s contributions within the primary and secondary education sectors in the list below.

2023 – Tigers Foundation Apprenticeships in schools –
Staff trained in the Daring Ventures Programme

2022 – Mill O Mains Primary School, Dundee
What do you need for a trauma-informed school?

2023 – Kilsyth Academy, North Lanarkshire – Teenage brain development for parents

2021 – Rosneath Primary, Argyll – Teddy Bear Policy Visit

2022 – Policy Hub Scotland – Trauma-informed Schools

2022 – Glasgow Academy – Adverse Childhood Experiences

2020 – Sabre Tooth Tigers and Teddy Bears – The connected baby guide to attachment, 2nd Edition

2020 – Tigers & Teddies Live! – Trauma-informed Primary Schools

2020 – Tigers & Teddies Live! – Trauma-informed Secondary Schools

2019 – Teddy Bear Policies in West Lothian Primary Schools – St Johns Primary, St Josephs Primary & Our Lady of Lourdes Primary

2019 – Erskine Stewart’s Melville Junior School – Making the start of term easier

2019 – The Thrive Approach – The language we use shapes our practice

2018 – Portobello Learning Festival – ACES: The science, the reality, the responses

2017 – Association of Heads & Deputes Scotland (AHDS) – The biology of attainment

2016 – Play Scotland – Why play makes grown-ups a bit nervous

2015 – Pitteuchar East Primary School, Fife – How a school transformed by changing its language

2023 - Lynburn Primary, Fife

Trauma-informed Christmas celebrations

Suzanne Zeedyk - Sectors - Schools - Lynburn Primary - - link to X

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