Overcoming Childhood Trauma (OCT) is a structured therapeutic programme used at Compass Community Schools to support children and young people affected by trauma, loss, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) or significant disruption.
Delivered in partnership with New Ways Safeguarding, OCT helps children understand how their experiences may be affecting them, develop healthier ways of coping and build a more hopeful view of themselves and their future. It forms part of our wider therapeutic education approach, in which emotional wellbeing and learning are supported together throughout the school day.
Childhood trauma can occur when an experience—or a series of experiences—feels overwhelming, frightening or unsafe. This may include:
Children do not all respond to adversity in the same way. Their response can be influenced by their age, development, relationships, previous experiences and the support available to them.
Some children may become anxious, highly alert or easily overwhelmed. Others may withdraw, find it difficult to communicate or appear unaffected until much later. The NHS guidance on supporting children following trauma explains that reactions can vary and may affect children’s emotions, behaviour and everyday functioning.
When a child does not feel safe, much of their energy may be directed towards noticing and responding to possible danger. This can make it harder to:
Behaviour that appears angry, avoidant or disengaged may be a way of communicating distress. Understanding this does not mean removing appropriate expectations or boundaries. It helps adults respond to the need beneath the behaviour while maintaining a safe and predictable environment.
Children experiencing these difficulties may also have social, emotional and mental health needs or need support with their wider emotional wellbeing and engagement with school.
OCT gives children a safe, structured and age-appropriate way to explore the impact of their experiences. The programme is adapted around the child’s development, communication, strengths and individual needs.
Support may help a child to:
The purpose is not to define a child by what has happened to them. It is to help them understand themselves, recognise their strengths and discover new ways of responding when life feels difficult.
Positive change begins with emotional and physical safety. A child may find it difficult to reflect on their experiences or try unfamiliar strategies until they have developed trust in the adults supporting them.
At Compass Schools, children are supported through consistent relationships, predictable routines and calm, personalised learning environments. Small classes allow staff to notice changes, understand how each child communicates and respond before difficulties become overwhelming.
As trust develops, children may become more able to ask for help, manage challenges, repair relationships and take appropriate risks in their learning.
OCT is not treated as separate from a child’s education. The understanding developed through therapeutic work can inform how adults communicate with the child, structure learning, support emotional regulation and respond during difficult moments.
This joined-up approach may include:
A child’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), where they have one, also helps the school understand the provision and outcomes required to meet their special educational needs.
Compass delivers OCT in partnership with New Ways Safeguarding, a specialist service that works with professionals across schools, residential homes, social work and fostering.
New Ways provides therapeutic intervention programmes alongside professional supervision and training. It describes its approach as child-centred, trauma-focused, collaborative and multimodal, delivered by a multidisciplinary team led by Clinical Director Dr Valerie Sheehan.
This partnership supports a shared understanding between therapists, education staff, families and other professionals. This matters because a child’s needs and relationships extend beyond an individual therapeutic session. Consistency between the adults around them can make their world feel safer and more predictable.
OCT and Assessing and Healing Complex Trauma (AHCT) are related but distinct parts of Compass’s therapeutic approach.
AHCT is a broader framework for developing a holistic understanding of how complex trauma may have affected a child’s development, relationships, communication, emotional regulation and learning. That understanding is used to create an individual therapeutic plan.
OCT is a structured therapeutic intervention that helps children explore the impact of trauma and develop healthier coping strategies. A child’s individual assessment and therapeutic plan will help determine which form of support is appropriate.
OCT may be considered for a child or young person who:
OCT is not automatically appropriate because a child has experienced a difficult event. Decisions are based on the individual child, their current needs and the professional understanding developed around them.
For some children, a smaller specialist SEN school can provide the consistency, personalised teaching and therapeutic environment they need.
Progress will look different for every child. It may include:
These changes may be gradual. A difficult day does not mean that progress has been lost; it can provide useful information about what the child is experiencing and whether their support needs to change.
OCT stands for Overcoming Childhood Trauma. It is Compass Schools’ specialist therapeutic programme designed to help children and young people recover from the impact of trauma and adverse childhood experiences.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur during childhood, such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, parental substance misuse or significant family disruption.
Trauma-informed education recognises how trauma affects learning, behaviour and emotional wellbeing. It creates supportive environments where children feel safe, understood and able to succeed.
Yes. Many children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs have experienced adversity, trauma or disrupted relationships. OCT can help address underlying emotional needs while supporting educational progress.
Yes. At Compass Schools, therapeutic support is integrated into the school environment, allowing education and therapy professionals to work together to support each child’s wellbeing and learning.
A therapeutic school may help when a child needs their learning, emotional wellbeing and experiences to be understood together. The right provision should respond to the individual child, provide consistent specialist support and remain ambitious for their future.
You can find your nearest Compass school to learn more about our provision or contact our team to discuss your child’s needs.
