Adopted and care experienced children often face additional challenges in educational environments due to early trauma or the impact of neglect, which can affect the way they view and interact with the world. This free training, funded by the Welsh Government and delivered by Adoption UK Cymru, gives teachers and school staff the knowledge and practical tools needed to understand and respond to these unique challenges.

Schools can build their understanding of where feelings and behaviour come from. They will be provided with evidence-based strategies to support emotional regulation and create a supportive, compassionate classroom environment where adopted and care-experienced children feel safe and settled to learn.

A teacher who completed the training last year at Sully Primary School said:

As an adoptive parent and a member of staff it was lovely to have Julie [Julie Mosely, Adoption UK] come into school to educate staff about the impacts that trauma can have on children who are adopted. It gave staff the opportunity to learn about how trauma in a child's early life can affect them throughout childhood including things that have happened during pregnancy. The training allowed staff to see the struggles that these children have differently and provided them with strategies to support them.

Headteacher of St Illtyd Primary School Roger Hardy, who has also undertaken the training, said:

Despite having had training on trauma before, we found Julie's training incredibly helpful and furthered our understanding of the challenges adopted or children in care may face. It has helped us adapt our practice for these children and this has had a wider benefit to the rest of the school population. The training was well paced and expertly delivered.

Lead Education Officer (Wales) Adoption UK, Julie Moseley said:

Adoption UK's Adoption Barometer highlights a pressing need: three quarters of adoptive parents in Wales say their children require more support in school than their peers, and 42% face social, emotional, and mental health challenges. To truly meet these needs, we must equip education professionals from the very start of their careers with the understanding and tools to support care experienced learners effectively. This training is not just beneficial, it's essential.

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle said:

All learners deserve equal opportunities to succeed, regardless of their background or experiences before entering the classroom. By ensuring schools understand the complex needs of adopted and care experienced learners, they can better support these learners to achieve their full potential. I am proud that we are funding this training, and I would like to thank Adoption UK Cymru for delivering this innovative and vital programme of training.

For more information about this training, please visit: Supporting care experienced learners: Taking a trauma informed approach to behaviour (Adoption UK Charity)