Supporting Trauma Attachment Aware Relational Settings (STAARS) Programme 2025
Being an Attachment and Trauma Aware Setting is a national term used to identify schools where all the staff are aware of the neuroscience that stops vulnerable children effectively accessing learning and have specific understanding of attachment and trauma that they can draw upon to develop setting and classroom practice.
A significant element in the Statutory Guidance for Designated Teachers and Governing Bodies relates to the leadership of an attachment approach across the school. This programme is designed to enable your school to meet these recommendations. We have developed the model for training over the past seven years based on feedback and ongoing impact evaluation. This work is being led primarily by Hampshire’s Virtual School, with input from the Primary Behaviour Service and HIAS SEN Advisers during day two. As a result, we are rebranding our training that was formerly known as ATAS (Attachment and Trauma Aware Settings) to be titled STAARS – Supporting Trauma Attachment Aware Relational Settings
The lead team will be key to ensuring the school can quickly embed the learning from the training days into practice, around individual cases as well as school policies more generally. The team should consist of 3-5 members of staff and must include the Designated Teacher and a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Examples of the other members of the team could include a member of support staff, a governor, a parental/pastoral support officer or a classroom teacher.
The three days formal input will be spread out across the terms. The Virtual School will support with termly buddy visits to support your implementation and planning.
All participating schools will be required to sign up to the Attachment Research Community (ARC) and complete their audit between days two and three if this hasn’t already been completed.
If you are interested in this training, please contact hcc.vstraining@hants.gov.uk.