Support Children, Families, and Staff with a Relationship Health Approach

Schools and nurseries are increasingly supporting not only children’s learning, but also their emotional wellbeing, behaviour, and relationships — often alongside the needs of families.

These situations can feel complex, especially when staff are working within time pressures, varied needs, and limited shared frameworks.

The I Matter Relationship Health Learning Journey provides a practical, structured approach to help staff respond with greater confidence, consistency, and clarity — supporting both children and the adults around them.

👉 Start I Matter Online Learning

👉 New here? Learn more: What is I Matter? 

Who This Is For

• School leaders and senior leadership teams
• Teachers and early years practitioners
• SENCOs and inclusion leads
• Pastoral and wellbeing staff
• Nursery and early years settings supporting children and families

Why This Matters in Schools and Nurseries

Children’s behaviour, emotional wellbeing, and learning are closely linked to their relationships and environments — both in school and at home.

Staff are often supporting children who are dysregulated, anxious, or finding it difficult to engage, while also working with families who may be under pressure themselves.

A relationship health informed approach provides a shared language and practical framework that helps staff understand what they are seeing, respond constructively, and build more consistent and supportive environments.

What You Will Gain

• A clearer understanding of children’s behaviour and relational dynamics
• Practical approaches to support regulation, connection, and communication
• Greater confidence in working with parents and carers
• A shared language and approach across staff teams
• Ways to support both staff wellbeing and classroom environments

Your Learning and Development Pathway

• Start Learning: Build core understanding through structured online learning (Level 1–2)
• Apply in Practice: Use frameworks in classroom, nursery, and pastoral settings
• Develop Further: Progress into supported learning and team-based development
• Extend Your Role: Develop in-house capacity, support families, and contribute to wider school or locality approaches
• Become Certified: Progress towards becoming an I Matter informed practitioner or lead within your setting

Working with Families

Many schools and nurseries are looking for ways to support parents and carers alongside their work with children.

The I Matter approach provides structured pathways that can be shared with families, helping to create more alignment between home and educational settings.

This can support:

• More consistent approaches between home and school
• Earlier support for emerging difficulties
• Improved communication and understanding

What Educators Say

“This has given us a shared way of understanding behaviour and supporting children that feels practical and achievable. It has made a difference to both staff confidence and how we work with families.”

School Staff Member

“The learning has helped me feel more confident in responding to children and in conversations with parents. It feels like we are now working more consistently as a team.”

Early Years Practitioner

More Impact Feedback

Connecting with Others

As your setting develops its approach, you may wish to connect with other schools, practitioners, and local initiatives.

Locality Hubs and the wider I Matter network provide opportunities to share learning, develop practice, and contribute to a more joined-up approach across education, health, and community settings.

Explore the Practitioner Directory

Explore the Locality Hub Directory

Next Steps

Schools and nurseries can begin their I Matter learning journey in a way that fits their setting and priorities.

Some start with a small number of staff, while others develop a wider, whole-setting approach over time.

If you are unsure where to begin, we are happy to guide you

👉 Start I Matter Online Learning

👉 New here? Learn more: What is I Matter?