TIAAS Trauma Informed Attachment Aware School
In November 2024, Myles Academy has joined a select group of schools to achieve the prestigious Gold Certification for being a Trauma Informed Attachment Awareness school (TIASS).
What is TIAAS?
TIAAS is a whole school development programme which is supported by the Virtual School in Birmingham and delivered by Birmingham Educational Psychology Service. The Virtual School support this programme because current research and policy indicates that it is whole school practice which supports vulnerable pupils to have positive outcomes, not just individual interventions. Birmingham Educational Psychology service supports the programme because in addition to supporting vulnerable pupils, they are aware that relational practice at whole school level supports the development and mental health of all pupils. At Myles Academy we believe that it is particularly important given the challenges that children, young people and their families have faced throughout their life.
Introducing the TIAAS Principles
A TIASS school is a place where resilience is promoted and where the most vulnerable children are able to recover from trauma. Evidence suggests that attachment awareness in adults can lead to increased self-regulation in children (and adults). The capacity to self-regulate underpins emotional well-being and mental health, and enables the development of cognitive skills and learning.
All Myles Academy staff have received Trauma Informed and Attachment Aware training. This comprehensive training included the impact of trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs),
understanding what attachment awareness is, how the brain develops for children and young people, and developing resilience. Alongside this, there has been training in emotion coaching – an evidence-based, universal approach towards responding to children and young people’s emotions, enabling them to develop their own self-regulation skills, in time.
We are incredibly proud to have been accredited the TIAAS (Trauma Informed Attachment Aware School) Gold award which demonstrates our commitment to our students and that relationships are at the heart of our practice at Myles Academy