Teaching Positive Connections

Cultivating therapeutic teachers and therapeutic schools across the UK through our course, award and approach

We work with schools who want to make a real difference in the lives of the children they teach,

Schools who can see that increasing numbers of children are struggling to manage their feelings, experiences and mental health and who recognise that challenging behaviour is on the rise as a result. Children are voting with their feet and our schools know that there must be a better way!

Through our course and award, we guide our schools to focus on developing children’s emotional intelligence and regulation skills and to increase their self-awareness and self belief. Developing therapeutic relationships between staff and children and supporting children’s social emotional and mental health outcomes as their priority.

We work with schools who are not afraid to challenge the status quo and who are committed to making changes to their practise to embed a whole school culture that is underpinned by trauma informed, attachment aware, inclusive practise, so that they can support every single child’s development as they move through school.

3 Ways You Can Work With Us

Childhod trauma and the brain 14 - Teaching Positive Connections

Enrol On The Therapeutic Teaching Course

The therapeutic teaching course is for those schools who want to increase their understanding of trauma informed practise and learn exactly how to embed therapeutic ways of working. Our online course includes six modules that are essential pillars for learning and will help you not only learn trauma informed and attachment aware theory, but learn exactly how to apply this to your settings following a 7-stage approach taught in an easy-to-follow graduated way to your whole staff team. The course is accessible 24 hours a day, Every member of staff receives their own login, and you get a lifetime subscription that allows you to continue to embed the approach as you welcome new staff.

Learn more

Start The Therapeutic School Award Journey

The therapeutic school award Includes the therapeutic teaching course but is for those schools who want accountability, guidance and support. It is for schools who want to create a robust plan for implementing change and who are committed to developing a therapeutic school culture and approach in their setting. The award takes you on a journey, starting with enrolling your team on the modules and it includes detailed support and resources for your senior leadership team, PHSE lessons and resources to teach the children, and ongoing guidance and support with a dedicated TPC support liaison. Enrolling on the award is for schools who are open minded and who are not afraid to question the norm, and who are ready to take their school staff on a journey of self-development. We have a limited number of school places a year.

Learn more

Childhod trauma and the brain 13 - Teaching Positive Connections

20250110_163236 - Teaching Positive Connections

Create a Therapeutic Classrooms

Shahana Knight our director and course creator is pioneering a new era of classrooms. A therapeutic classroom is a safe warm welcoming and comfortable space where children actually want to be. A therapeutic classroom does not include plastic chairs and rectangle tables, display boards and washing lines, instead they are homey spaces that feel emotionally safe and inspire children to want to learn. Her therapeutic classrooms have an overnight significant impact on children’s attention behaviour, social skills, emotional regulation skills, and test results!

Learn more

Head Teacher

“Last year we signed up for the whole staff TPC online training units. Our whole school SEMH has dropped by 50%, the classrooms are calmer and so are staff. We have seen a drop in behaviour incidents. So a huge thank you for the inspiration and CPD.”

Welcome

I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, I am Shahana Knight, childhood trauma and behaviour specialist, founder and director of TPC and the creator of the Therapeutic Teaching Course and award. I am the voice behind the training videos and the face on the Happiness project videos your year 6 children will complete on the award. I am also the founder Director of Therapeutic Classrooms where I am on a mission to redefine the concept of what a classroom should be.

My Therapeutic School approach, which includes my course, award and classrooms, is very special to me because I was once that child sitting in a class of 30 struggling with childhood trauma. Desperate for someone to notice, guide and help me and often feeling overwhelmed with the demands of school alongside everything else. Without realising it, I suppose I created this approach with her in mind. My hope is that every school becomes therapeutic, trauma-informed and attachment aware and puts wellbeing at the core of education. That is the only real way we can truly make a difference to children’s mental health and wellbeing, behaviour and outcomes.

Thank you for being here, I hope you find something here that will help you on your journey!

Listen to the Therapeutic Teaching podcast

What is the future of wellbeing and mental health in schools and what can you do to make the biggest impact on the children in your care? Join me, Shahana Knight, the founder and director of TPC to talk about all things related to wellbeing and mental health in schools.

Buy the book

“This is a crucial book for everyone involved in education. Shahana Knight shares her expertise, centring mental health and wellbeing at the heart of the teaching profession and supports the reader, through taking a critical stance, to evaluate their own practice. This is a powerful read which brings new knowledge and understanding to trauma informed education and will certainly impact on the lives of many children in our schools.”

– Roger McDonald, Associate Professor, University of Greenwich

Buy on Audible or in Paperback

20250416_111355 - Teaching Positive Connections

Learn more about Therapeutic Classrooms

We believe all classrooms should be trauma informed, attachment aware and inclusive and should meet the emotional needs of all children. We design, source and send you everything you need to create therapeutic spaces within your organisation. Whether you have a whole classroom or intervention room in mind. Get in touch to find out more!

Learn more

Watch our channel

20240408_144233 - Teaching Positive Connections

The-Group-High-Table-side - Teaching Positive Connections

20230520_141804 - Teaching Positive Connections

20230831_174858 - Teaching Positive Connections

Find support

Search our free resource hub for advice and help on children’s behaviour, mental health, well being, bereavement, trauma and much more.

We know that supporting children who are struggling with their behaviour, feelings or experiences can be hard and sometimes you just need some advice!

We have a library of support guides, videos, podcasts and articles that will help you support the children in your care.

Find some support