Over the last few years children’s social, emotional and mental health needs in school and at home have increased, whilst funding has decreased. At Beacon Family Services we provide training and support in schools to help children thrive and learn and to help educators and parents / carers maintain their wellbeing.
We know that many schools are sending up an ever-escalating SOS currently. One of the most significant “storms of uncertainty” for schools has been posed by new Government Reforms in the White Paper (February 2026). So… where and who can help us?
I remember that night.
Alone on a 38-foot sailing yacht.
No sign of any landing point as I scanned the horizon.
Silence, apart from the occasional lapping of water against the bow of this tiny, insignificant craft, possibly lost on the huge dark grey mass of sea beneath me. What creatures lurked beneath, waiting to snatch me and gobble me up? Some time later, day dawned on a mostly sunny English Channel on my first ever trip abroad as a youngster – but I’ll never forget those moments of terror on that dark and lonely night.
Many years on, looking back on my work as a Teacher, a Pastoral Lead in schools and a Theraplay Practitioner and now in a consultancy role at Beacon, I have been privileged to visit many schools and talk with teachers. I occasionally recall those moments of panic on the boat; that feeling of unpredictability, loneliness and despair. As a younger, inexperienced teacher, I did not know the first thing about Trauma in Childhood and its many bewildering and frightening implications for a child or young adult.
If only I had heard of Polyvagal Theory.
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, it provides a better understanding of our OWN physiological state and in turn, how trauma in a person starts to impact on how they behave. This is so helpful when you are supporting a child who is struggling in your classroom.
Working alongside others who understand the impact of Trauma in childhood, carefully and tactfully being curious and accepting with such vulnerable children over the years, has gone some way to developing a greater understanding. More significantly, becoming an Adoptive father has been the major game changer for me.
Polyvagal theory: Supporting teachers to adopt the Beacon Model for children’s improved mental health
I previously led a programme that supported teachers to adopt the Beacon model, informed by Polyvagal Theory. This approach opened the eyes of teachers, paving the way to support all children, in particular those that were struggling big time, especially when in school.
Recent data from the British Medical Association indicates that the number of children and young people in contact with CAMHS expanding at over four times the pace of the psychiatry workforce.
Children need urgent and appropriate help and support as their boats are tossed by waves impacting on any semblance of safety. Their teachers, their parents and their carers need support too.
One leader in a large primary school talked of her “Firefighter” role, in terms of the need to provide emotional First Aid to so many within her school’s community; pupils, most importantly but their parents/carers and her own colleagues too.
At Beacon Family Services, we support families (children, parents, carers) as well as professionals including Teachers and Support Staff in schools.
How Beacon Family Services help teachers be the difference:
We have two delivery options for schools: Whole-class Theraplay® sessions, and small, targeted group sessions for selected children. Both options help children develop the emotional foundations needed for learning, relationships and regulation.
- We provide the relational foundation children need to engage in learning and achieve their potential
- We can talk with Teachers and Teaching Assistants about Trauma in early childhood, loss and separation to help them understand what children have learnt about relationships before starting school
- We inform adult understanding of children’s emotional needs and help educators and parents / carers start to think more deeply about the “storms” behind the behaviours
- We provide proven strategies for the classroom including Theraplay® based activities that can be set up in school to support children’s learning and staff’s self-care.
Our central focus is a lighthouse, synonymous with guidance, hope and safety.
We draw on the latest research into play and its benefits for learning, alongside Polyvagal Theory, the science of providing relational safety that helps to enable children to learn.
Adoptive Dad Pete Brindley is a former teacher, School Senior Leader and Group Theraplay Facilitator at Beacon Family Services and is now an associate member of the team. As a foundational Group Theraplay® Practitioner, Pete has led many Theraplay® groups supporting, engaging and challenging children and parents using play. Over the decades, Pete’s focus has been on supporting pupils who are experiencing significant traumas in their lives and whose emotional and social behaviours are impacted as a result. He has worked closely with teaching colleagues, outside agencies and, most importantly, the parents/carers of such vulnerable young people in order to help deal with some of the challenges met.
Further support
If you are a teacher or a support worker in a school and have recognised challenges regarding school transitions in your own school’s community, you can visit our Support for Schools hub or contact us for more information about our support to schools.
For more information for parents about how Theraplay® Groups could help you and your child OR/AND your child’s school, contact us at Beacon Family Services.
To learn more about Beacon Family Services’ work with families, visit our Families hub or sign up to our mailing list.