Q & A with Sophie Tales, author of ‘Creating Adversity-Aware Schools’

On ACEs and why we should be aware of them in the classroom.

By Sophie Tales, Vice Principal of a School in Leicester, and author of Creating Adversity-Aware Schools

What are ACEs?

Adverse Childhood Experiences are events or situations which take place during childhood and/or adolescence that are stressful and, potentially, traumatic. These events may be singular or repeated over a long period of time. Adverse Childhood Experiences compromise a child and/or adolescence’s safety, connection to key relationships, sense of belonging, identity and, therefore, development.

The term ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ was introduced in the 1990s by researchers Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda. The study conducted on ACEs in 1998 categorised childhood adversities in to: physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; having a mother who was treated violently; living with someone who was mentally ill; living with someone who abused alcohol or drugs; and incarceration of a member of the household (Felitti, V.J., Adna, R.F., Nordenberg, D., Williamson, D.F., et al. 1998).

It is important to note that just because someone has been through Adverse Childhood Experiences, does not mean that they have experienced trauma. Indeed, a child may have experienced adversity as their parents are divorced or separated. However, this does not necessarily mean that the child has felt a sense of trauma towards this event. What the study in 1998 did show was that the higher number of adversities a child has experienced, the worse their physical and mental health outcomes would be as adults (e.g., heart disease, substance misuse, depression) (Bartlett, J.D., Sacks, V. 2019)

Why do educators need to be aware of ACEs?

In the present climate, where access to support services is strained, educators have become a frontline service whereby parents and children go for support for a whole variety of needs beyond the realms of education. More now than ever, an educator’s role has been stretched to include elements of social work, nursing, counselling and so on. This means that educators need to have a strong understanding and awareness of the adversity that pupils and students arrive with to be able to support them with these challenges to then be able to educate them.

It is increasingly understood within the education sector that to provide the best possible education to pupils and students, schools must be prepared to develop the whole self. As there is increased and improved research into neuroscience, schools have grown in their knowledge of how the brain learns and the optimum climate for learning. This book draws on such research to articulate how schools can further develop their awareness of children and young people’s lived experiences to ensure that in school support is effective so that all pupils and students can reach their full potential.

Why do you think it’s so important to hear from the lived experiences of educators who’ve experienced adversity?

In my experience, school staff from an adverse and/or trauma-experienced background who have chosen to work in education to improve the lives of children and young people, and have undergone their own therapy, have a strong knowledge of what they were lacking in their own childhood, the impact that had on their development and how it has affected them in adulthood. This self-awareness supports an educators ability to see similar behaviours and needs within the children they are working with, at times unconsciously, and may mean they are those within a school setting that are typically very attuned to children and young people’s needs, providing a safe and comfortable learning environment, causing there to be minimal behavioural disruption within their classes and a focus on learning within each lesson due to the foundation of emotional regularity that is provided by the adult.

What kind of tools and skills can Creating Adversity-Aware Schools give you as a teacher and how can it help you to transform the wellbeing of your classroom?

‘The Continuum of School Needs’ forms the structure of the book and articulates how to support a child to reach their full potential. The book draws upon the Adverse Childhood Experiences of adults who work within education and incorporates the author’s experience of key school elements that will support the child in being able to succeed. The Continuum encourages schools to consider the needs of children and young people and provides key actions and practical tools at each stage which will meet the child’s need in the classroom and across the school context.

Creating Adversity-Aware Schools is aware to buy now from www.jkp.com