Understanding Schools: Supporting Teachers and Therapists in Making Sense of Staff, Student and Organisational Dynamics

This compelling collection shines a light on the personal, professional, and organisational challenges that shape life in schools, revealing how a deeper understanding can build a more emotionally intelligent school culture. The book delves into the psychological and emotional aspects of working in schools and navigating what can be complex and multi-layered relationships with fellow staff, students, and parents.Each contributor applies their considerable knowledge of school dynamics and explores the ways in which our past-conscious or unconscious, remembered or forgotten-shapes our interactions with others, for better or worse.Drawing directly on lived experience, the book explores peer relationships, approaches to understanding students’ mental health and its impact, and the ways in which parents’ own histories - especially of education - may help or hinder effective home-school collaboration.Chapters conclude with reflective questions for personal and professional growth, sparking c