Join us for a captivating conversation with Alison Waterhouse, an educational psychotherapist and founder of the Circles for Learning project. This episode explores a unique and powerful approach to wellbeing that involves bringing a parent and their young child into the classroom to foster emotional literacy and connection.

In this episode, we delve into how observing a baby’s interactions allows children to witness the living reality of relationships, emotions, and self-regulation. Alison shares how this therapeutic model helps pupils and staff alike understand attachment figures and the secure base necessary for a positive learning environment. By shifting the focus toward proactive and preventative mental health strategies, schools can cultivate a rich ethos centered on communication, empathy, and a deep sense of belonging.

• Five Essential Foundations: Discover the core elements that underpin mental health and wellbeing: emotional literacy, positive relationships, understanding the brain and behavior, sense of self, and skills for learning.
• The Power of Observation: Learn how bringing a baby into the classroom captivates children, encouraging them to reflect on their own feelings and appreciate how others may experience emotions differently.
• Inclusive Solution-Seeking: See how students can use these observations to develop transition policies or learning profiles, moving from distress to proactive problem-solving.
• A Whole School Approach: Understand the importance of normalising emotional literacy and providing staff with coaching and resources to create a mental health friendly environment.

Alison recommends exploring the Solihull approach through Hazel Douglas’s book, Containment and Reciprocity, alongside Scott Barry Kaufman’s sailboat metaphor for a fresh perspective on the hierarchy of needs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r4CFFJdOE0

Don't forget to follow us on your podcast platform and give us a rating and review to help more educators find these crucial conversations. Share your thoughts, comments, questions, or brilliant work by emailing the team at teamwellbeing@twinkl.co.uk.

• 00:00 – The power of peer empathy and support.
• 01:24 – Introduction to Circles for Learning and its five pillars.
• 04:33 – Why babies are the ultimate tool for engagement.
• 06:53 – Teacher training and the role of reflective coaching.
• 10:31 – Creating the right ethos through leadership and communication.
• 14:44 – Impact story: Developing a student-led transition policy.
• 20:58 – Impact story: Understanding attachment and the secure base.
• 25:03 – Student perspectives on emotional literacy and regulation.
• 26:53 – Reducing behavior incidents in mainstream and behavior units.
• 28:39 – A proactive vision for the future of the education system.
• 32:51 – Sharing is Caring: Recommendations for educators.