Identifying signs of trauma

• There may be physical symptoms such as sleep problems including nightmares, headaches/stomach pains, or going back to things they did at a younger age such as bedwetting and thumb-sucking.

• Children and young people may become preoccupied with thoughts and memories of the event, be unable to concentrate and be irritable.

• Trauma can also be associated with problems in children’s relationships with fellow pupils and adults.

• Children and young people may experience heightened anxiety or persistent low mood.

UK Trauma Council - further guidance

What Early Years Settings and Schools can do

• Nurture supportive relationships

Relationships in the classroom/school that are built on trust, safety and security can also be protective when children are affected by trauma – encouraging them to open up and talk.

Understand cultural sensitivities and previous background and experiences

• Develop social and emotional skills

These skills help prevent children being overwhelmed by thoughts and feelings as well as helping them to learn effective coping skills in the face of challenging events. These skills can also help children connect with, label, express and process emotions in a healthy way, which is an important protective factor for mental health.

• Explore other avenues of support

If children have experienced traumatic events, they may need extra help, either through school pastoral care/counselling support, through referral to the school nurse or through referral to community-based support.

What Secondary Schools and Further Education Settings can do

• Build trusting relationships

Relationships in the classroom/school that are built on trust, safety and security can help young people impacted by trauma, encouraging them to open up and talk.

• Understand challenging behaviour as a potential symptom of trauma

If a young person is display challenging behaviour, it’s important that schools and settings understand that these behaviours may be a symptom of trauma, and are a way for young people to communicate how they are feeling.

• Help young people access extra support

Some young people will need referral onto community-based support and may need trauma-based expertise (e.g. early help, voluntary sector counselling or specialist CAMHS support).

 Support staff wellbeing

Helping a traumatised child can be overwhelming for staff, and they may even experience symptoms of ‘secondary trauma’. Staff may benefit from some debrief time and opportunities to talk with other staff members.

The intense lights and sudden loud noises of fireworks on Bonfire Night is an event that many of us look forward to. However, Bonfire Night can be challenging for people suffering from trauma. Refugees with wartime trauma might in particular be affected by the evening, especially our newer arrivals who may not know what Bonfire Night is.

Raising awareness of what can be expected during Bonfire Night, and the days surrounding it, is of the utmost importance this 5th of November and it would be helpful if schools could explain to refugee pupils and/or their families what to expect from Bonfire Night.

Please note that encouraging those suffering from trauma to avoid displays is not always the best approach, and while this will vary from person to person, the National Centre for Mental Health suggests that being present and witnessing a display in a supportive environment can be more beneficial than trying to avoid displays altogether.

If you would like more information about supporting those with trauma through Bonfire Night, or in the classroom more generally, then please see the below resources:

Bonfire Night and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) | NCMH

Powys - EAL - Refugee - Asylum Seeker - Support - Supporting Trauma, emotional and well-being support (google.com)

Learning ideas for schools and parents

Bonfire Night | LearnEnglish Teens - British Council

Bonfire Night Fireworks: Fantastic things you never knew about fireworks - CBBC Newsround

Bonfire Night resource - National Geographic Kids (natgeokids.com)

SchoolBeat.cymru