National Association of Virtual School Headteachers (NAVSH) Conference
At this year’s National Association of Virtual School Headteachers (NAVSH) Conference, RNCSF is proud to share new research exploring how independent and boarding schools can provide supportive and stable environments for care experienced children.
Developed in partnership with the Rees Centre at the University of Oxford, the study examines how eight schools within our network are embedding increasingly relational approaches across their communities. These approaches extend beyond the classroom, drawing on attachment-aware and trauma-informed principles to create environments where pupils feel safe, understood and supported to thrive.
The research highlights how strong pastoral care, consistent adult relationships and strengths-based cultures can play a powerful role in supporting children with care experience. These characteristics are already deeply embedded across many independent and boarding schools and align closely with the priorities that Virtual School Headteachers consider when identifying the right educational setting for the young people they support.
The participating schools — Bryanston School, Caterham School, Cranleigh School, Denstone College, Forest School, Lord Wandsworth College, RMS for Girls and The Royal School — provide valuable insight into how relational practice can be embedded across schools, creating a whole school approach.
As we share this work with Virtual School Headteachers from across the country, the findings offer practical examples of how schools can create nurturing, stable environments where care experienced children can flourish.
If your school would like to get involved, please contact us for more information.