The 'Just Right' state programme

The pupils engaged very positively with the intervention. It was interesting that the mix of genders and types of difficulties were very different, as this enabled us to review how different pupils are supported to regulate more effectively.

Staff training was paramount in order that the staff involved were working with understanding. We found that both members of staff were very positive and engaged. They were keen to apply their knowledge in between the sessions, and were very supportive of the children whilst in sessions. Following the closure of the school, we were very aware that schools were working hard in the Summer term to maintain contact with their children, so limited our contact to two emails signposting schools to helpful information. In the Autumn term, we had two on line meetings with the school staff involved in delivering the intervention to support them, and to see if we could be of further help.

The school staff felt that the training and involvement in sessions had helped them to apply this approach during the Autumn term when we could not attend in person.

During the sessions, the pupils were engaged and positive. The school staff commented on the difference in behaviours that they observed in the sessions as opposed to behaviours in school. They were pleased with the way the children were relating to new adults, and the children’s enthusiasm in the sessions. However, these children are likely to be vulnerable to the impact of CoViD-19 and so their needs are likely to have increased during the last year. Whilst staff readily compiled data at the start and end of the project, it would not be expected that progress would be made or maintained. The data at the end of the project was gathered in September once school was fully reopened. Our face to face working had finished in March 2020. It would be useful to reapply the questionnaire in the coming school year to see if gains have remained consistent.

One aspect that was well received was the use of food to regulate. The research for this is based on the impact of certain foods on the body. The children enjoyed these elements to the session, and were able to talk about how the different foods made them feel. Hot milk and a curly straw was effective in seeing a more relaxed approach. One child struggled with the idea of food generally, but was helped to regulate by a supportive member of staff within the session. Another child was supported in school by the member of staff using food to help regulate.

Another effective element in the intervention were the Scared Gang books. Each of the books takes a survival state and an attachment pattern and describes how this presents in terms of feelings and behaviours. It then outlines strategies that can help to address the impact. Staff reported that one child identified themselves as similar to one of the characters in a story. The abrupt end to the school-based sessions meant that we were not able to include the element of children writing their own stories. We would encourage the school to consider this for their pupils as a way of supporting transition to other staff and situations.