The concept of relational safety in schools is fundamental to creating a supportive and nurturing environment for students. When students feel emotionally and relationally safe, it can lead to a range of positive outcomes, including increased learning, regulation, engagement, and more deliberate responses. This is because the part of the brain responsible for these functions can only fully engage when physical and relational safety is perceived.
Relational safety in schools is not just about having a good relationship with students, but about creating safe and effective relationships that are therapeutic and purposeful, with understood limits. It involves respecting the physical and emotional boundaries of students, allowing them to feel secure and confident in expressing themselves.
To achieve emotional safety in schools, teachers need to be responsive to students’ needs, establish consistent routines, and create a supportive classroom environment. When teachers build structures that support belonging and emotional safety, they lay the groundwork for students to focus on learning.
A whole-school relational approach, where children develop positive relationships with multiple adults and peers, can significantly contribute to students’ sense of safety and well-being. By focusing on relationships first, schools can proactively build felt relational safety in students, leading to increased engagement, reduced anxiety, and fewer critical incidents of challenging behavior
Prioritizing relational safety in schools is essential for creating an environment where students feel valued, supported, and safe. By investing in practices that build felt safety and positive relationships, schools can significantly impact students’ well-being, engagement, and capacity to learn.
School nurses play a crucial role in promoting relational safety and well-being in schools. We have a unique opportunity to impact students’ health and safety, which in turn can contribute to creating a supportive and nurturing environment. Here are some ways in which school nurses can influence relational safety:
- Advocacy and Support: School nurses are advocates for children’s health concerns and serve as liaisons between students, their families, and teachers, as well as primary care and public health services.
- Emotional Support and Health Dialogue: School nurses provide emotional support to students, demonstrating compassion, nurturance, and uncritical acceptance, which can positively impact students’ information-seeking behavior and health literacy.
- Safeguarding and Health Promotion: School nurses are public health specialists with an integral role in the safeguarding of children and young people. We maintain contact with students, respond to safeguarding concerns, and continue delivering health promotion and education, thereby contributing to the overall well-being of the school community.
- Collaboration and Connection: By collaborating with other school staff and promoting school connectedness, school nurses contribute to students’ perceived sense of safety and support within the school environment.
References/Resources:
Hey Sigmund – link below:
Home
Belonging and Emotional Safety
Safety from the outside to the inside
