# What is trauma-informed practice in schools, and what does the evidence say?

Source page: https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/ace  
Last updated: 2026-10-20  
Publisher: Pupil Protect (Glacier Labs Ltd)

> Trauma-informed practice means working in a way that recognises how trauma can affect people and avoids causing more harm. It asks "What does this person need?" rather than "What is wrong with this person?" It is not a statutory requirement for schools. Keeping children safe in education 2026 uses the phrase only once, but it does expect DSLs to understand "the lasting impact that adversity and trauma can have" (Annex B). The evidence linking adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to later harm is strong at population level. The evidence that trauma-informed programmes improve children's outcomes is still limited.

## What the terms mean

**Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)** comes from a US study run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the health provider Kaiser Permanente. Between 1995 and 1997, more than 17,000 adults answered questions about their childhood. The CDC groups the 10 ACEs it measured into three types:

- **abuse:** emotional, physical and sexual
- **neglect:** emotional and physical
- **household challenges:** a mother treated violently, substance misuse in the household, mental illness in the household, parental separation or divorce, and a household member in prison

The more ACEs people reported, the more likely they were to have poor health later. The 2015 Welsh ACE study found 47% of adults in Wales had at least one ACE and 14% had four or more.

**Trauma-informed practice** has no single agreed definition. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) published a working definition in 2022 for the health and care sector. It says trauma-informed practice asks "'What does this person need?' rather than 'What is wrong with this person?'". It also seeks to avoid re-traumatising people. It sets out six principles:

1. safety
2. trustworthiness
3. choice
4. collaboration
5. empowerment
6. cultural consideration

OHID is clear that the purpose "is not to treat trauma-related difficulties, which is the role of trauma-specialist services". It also says the evidence base "is still being developed".

## What schools are and aren't required to do

Being "trauma-informed" is **not a statutory requirement** for schools in England. Here is what the current guidance says.

- **KCSIE 2026** uses the phrase "trauma-informed" once, in Annex A. Staff should understand the need for "tailored, trauma-informed and sensitive support" for children with a family member in prison.
- **KCSIE Annex B** expects the DSL to understand "the lasting impact that adversity and trauma can have, including on children's behaviour, mental health and wellbeing, and what is needed in responding to this in promoting educational outcomes". That is a requirement for the DSL's knowledge, not for a whole school approach.
- KCSIE also says a child's "experiences of adversity and trauma can leave them vulnerable to further harm" and educationally disadvantaged (paragraph 217). It says children who display harmful sexual behaviour have often experienced abuse and trauma themselves (paragraph 538), and that they need support that addresses any underlying trauma (paragraph 633).
- The DfE's **Mental health and behaviour in schools** (2018) is the DfE document that discusses ACEs most directly (paragraphs 3.17 to 3.21). It says staff should understand how the experiences of children in need and looked-after children can affect behaviour. It says behaviour policies should reflect this, "including through individualised graduated responses, balanced with the needs of the whole school community".
- The DfE's **Behaviour in schools** advice (2024) doesn't use the word trauma. It says staff should take account of contributing factors such as bereavement, abuse or neglect, mental health needs or bullying, and try to understand the underlying causes of behaviour.
- **Ofsted's** school inspection toolkit doesn't mention trauma-informed practice.

So a school can choose a trauma-informed approach, but it should be clear that this is a choice, and it doesn't replace the behaviour policy or safeguarding procedures.

## What the evidence shows

The research on ACEs is strong on one point: at population level, adversity in childhood is linked to poorer health and wellbeing later in life.

The evidence is weaker on what to do about it. The Early Intervention Foundation, now called Foundations, reviewed the evidence in 2020. It found:

- prevalence estimates for ACEs are "imprecise"
- focusing only on the original 10 ACEs "risks missing people who also need help"
- some ACE screening practices raise "serious concerns" about ethics
- trauma-informed care "is not well defined, current practice is highly varied", and there is "limited robust UK evidence" that it improves outcomes for children

None of this means trauma doesn't matter. It means an ACE count can't tell you what an individual child needs. Training alone isn't enough, and claims that a programme is "evidence-based" should be checked.

## Using the ideas well in school

- **Don't score children.** An ACE count describes populations, not individuals. Two children with the same score can be affected very differently, and some of the most harmful experiences aren't on the list.
- **Look for the need behind the behaviour,** as the DfE's behaviour advice already asks. Keep clear routines and expectations. The DfE's 2018 advice lists "clear, consistent discipline", "a sense of belonging" and good relationships with staff among the factors that protect children's mental health (table 1).
- **Trusted adults.** The same advice says schools matter most for children "who may not have a trusted adult they can talk to" (paragraph 3.10).
- **Avoid re-traumatising.** Don't ask a child to retell what happened more than needed. Think about how sanctions, isolation or physical intervention will feel to a child who has been hurt.
- **Behaviour can be a sign.** A change in behaviour can be the first sign of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Pass it to the DSL. Knowing a child has had a difficult past doesn't replace reporting a new concern.
- **Use what you know about the child.** If a child has a social worker, KCSIE expects the DSL to hold and use that information when deciding on pastoral and academic support (paragraphs 218 and 219).

## Questions

**What is trauma-informed practice in schools?**  
It is a way of working that takes account of how trauma can affect a child's behaviour, learning and relationships, and tries not to make things worse. The government's working definition, written for health and care, sets out six principles. These are safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, empowerment and cultural consideration. In school it usually means predictable routines, trusted adults, and looking for the need behind behaviour, alongside clear expectations.

**Is trauma-informed practice a statutory requirement?**  
No. KCSIE 2026 doesn't require schools to be "trauma-informed". It uses the phrase once, about support for children with a parent in prison. It does expect DSLs to understand the lasting impact of adversity and trauma on children's behaviour, mental health and wellbeing (Annex B). The DfE's behaviour guidance doesn't use the term, and Ofsted's school inspection toolkit doesn't mention it.

**What are the 10 ACEs?**  
The original CDC-Kaiser Permanente study grouped ACEs into abuse (emotional, physical and sexual), neglect (emotional and physical) and household challenges. The household challenges are a mother treated violently, substance misuse in the household, mental illness in the household, parental separation or divorce, and a household member in prison.

**Is trauma-informed practice evidence based?**  
Only partly. The link between ACEs and poorer health later in life is well established at population level. But a 2020 review by the Early Intervention Foundation, now Foundations, found that trauma-informed care "is not well defined", that practice varies widely, and that there is "limited robust UK evidence" that it improves children's outcomes. It advised caution in treating it as "a sufficient response".

**What are adverse childhood experiences?**  
ACEs are stressful or traumatic experiences before the age of 18, such as abuse, neglect, domestic abuse, or living with a parent with mental illness, substance misuse or in prison. In the 2015 Welsh ACE study, 47% of adults reported at least one ACE and 14% reported four or more.

## Sources

- [Keeping children safe in education 2026 (DfE, statutory guidance, in force from 1 September 2026): paragraphs 217 to 219, 538 and 633, Annex A, 'Children with family members in prison', and Annex B, 'Training, knowledge and skills'](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ac3c09c11ed58342ad8e4ac/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2026.pdf), checked 2026-10-20
- [Working definition of trauma-informed practice (Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, 2 November 2022)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/working-definition-of-trauma-informed-practice/working-definition-of-trauma-informed-practice), checked 2026-10-20
- [Mental health and behaviour in schools (DfE advice, updated 12 November 2018): paragraphs 3.7 to 3.10 and 3.17 to 3.21](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2), checked 2026-10-20
- [Behaviour in schools: advice for headteachers and school staff (DfE, February 2024)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools--2), checked 2026-10-20
- [About adverse childhood experiences: the CDC-Kaiser Permanente ACE study (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)](https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html), checked 2026-10-20
- [Welsh Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study: ACEs and their impact on health-harming behaviours in the Welsh adult population (Public Health Wales, 2015; copy hosted by Audit Wales)](https://www.audit.wales/sites/default/files/2020-12/ACE_Report_FINAL.pdf), checked 2026-10-20
- [Adverse childhood experiences: what we know, what we don't know, and what should happen next (Foundations, formerly the Early Intervention Foundation, 2020, updated 2024)](https://foundations.org.uk/our-work/publications/adverse-childhood-experiences-what-we-know-what-we-dont-know-and-what-should-happen-next/), checked 2026-10-20
- [State-funded school inspection toolkit (Ofsted, updated June 2026)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a915d1c01bbff0bf8f97b51/Schools_inspection_toolkit.pdf), checked 2026-10-20

## Related

- [Mental health as a safeguarding concern](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/guides/mental-health-as-a-safeguarding-concern)
- [Signs of domestic abuse in children](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/domestic-abuse)
- [Looked after children in schools](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/lac)
- [Suspensions and exclusions guidance](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/exclusion)
- [Voice of the child](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/voice-of-the-child)
- [Pastoral jobs](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/jobs/role/pastoral)

## In Pupil Protect

Pupil Protect Safeguard keeps every concern, action, meeting and referral on one chronology for each child, so when an inspector samples a case, the DSL can show what happened and why, in order. [See the chronology in Safeguard](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/safeguard)