ARC Alex Timpson National Award Winner 2026
The Royal National Children's SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) is proud to have received a commendation from the Attachment Research Community (ARC) Alex Timpson Award in recognition of our work to improve understanding and implementation of attachment-aware and trauma-informed practice across the independent and boarding school sector.
The commendation acknowledges the commitment, collaboration and dedication of eight RNCSF Accredited Schools that took part in the first phase of a pioneering whole-school audit and culture change programme. Spanning schools from Staffordshire to Surrey, the project supported participating schools to explore and strengthen relational practice across their settings, helping to create more inclusive and supportive environments for children and young people.
The initiative was independently evaluated by the University of Oxford's Rees Centre, whose findings provided valuable evidence of the programme's impact and contributed to the recognition received through the award.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks and congratulations to the schools involved in this first phase:
Denstone College
The Royal School Wolverhampton
Royal Masonic School for Girls
Forest School
Bryanston School
Caterham School
Cranleigh School
Lord Wandsworth College
Their willingness to engage deeply with the process has helped advance understanding of attachment-aware and trauma-informed approaches within the sector and provided important learning that will benefit schools and young people alike.
Building on the success of the first phase, RNCSF has now launched the second phase of the programme with schools across the South West of England. We look forward to sharing further insights and outcomes from this work over the coming year.
Our thanks to all the schools, partners and practitioners whose commitment continues to improve outcomes for children and young people through attachment-aware and trauma-informed practice.