A free guide for teachers and school staff

Safe enough to learn

The HushAway® Guide to Trauma and Anxiety in School

Most teachers have had no formal training in trauma, and yet you are often the first person to notice that a child is frightened, worn out or carrying something heavy from home. This free 20-page guide looks at what children carry into the classroom, how it shows up, why “calm down” doesn’t work, and gentle, trauma-sensitive ways to help them feel safe enough to learn.

With TRE Practitioner Natasha Brand

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The HushAway Guide to Trauma and Anxiety in School cover

What’s inside the guide

What we mean by trauma, and why it can be small as well as big
How trauma and anxiety show up in the classroom, including in the quiet children
Why “calm down” doesn’t work, and what helps instead
Trauma-sensitive principles for the classroom, and spaces children choose
The body as a way in, with TRE Practitioner Natasha Brand
Looking after the adults, working with families and knowing when to ask for more help
Ten trauma-sensitive steps and a staffroom checklist to print and pin up

Written with people who know schools

With insight from teacher and TRE Practitioner Natasha Brand, Dr Viki Veale of St Mary’s University, Twickenham, parent advocate Jannine Gentle, psychoacoustics analyst Mark Tew, Helen Rutherford, Sleep Practitioner with The Sleep Charity, and our research consultant Dr Giulia Poerio, University of Sussex.

“When a child is flooded, it’s almost as though you’re handing a drowning person a pamphlet on how to start swimming.”

Natasha Brand, Teacher and TRE Practitioner

About HushAway®

HushAway® is a UK-based audio library of stories, affirmations and soundscapes for children aged 4 to 10 years. It was built from the ground up for neurodivergent children, not neurotypical content relabelled. It is low-demand and instruction-free, designed to become a gentle, familiar part of a child’s everyday routine, not a sticking plaster for moments of crisis. There are no “calm down” steps to follow. Our stories and sounds are frequency-based, using Solfeggio frequencies, binaural beats and ASMR-informed soundscapes, and we are research-informed and backed by the Circle of Experts and SoundSonic® Ambassadors.

HushAway® is a sound-therapy-informed regulation tool. It is not a medical or clinical treatment.

Questions teachers ask

Is the guide really free?

Yes. Fill in the form and the guide is yours to download, share with colleagues and print.

Who is the guide for?

Anyone working with children aged 4 to 10 years in a primary school or nursery: class teachers, teaching assistants, SENCos, pastoral leads, Senior Mental Health Leads, early years practitioners and senior leaders.

Do I need training in trauma to use it?

No. The guide is about everyday classroom practice that any adult in school can offer. It isn’t training in therapy, and it doesn’t replace your school’s safeguarding procedures. If you are worried that a child is being harmed, speak to your Designated Safeguarding Lead straight away.

Will I be asked to run TRE in my classroom?

No. TRE is something to learn with a qualified practitioner. The guide shares what Natasha has learned about letting the body settle first, which works in any classroom without special training.

How is HushAway® different from apps like Calm or Headspace?

Many calming apps ask children to follow a meditation or a breathing pattern. For a child in overwhelm, that can be one more demand. HushAway® is low-demand and instruction-free, designed to become a gentle, familiar part of a child’s everyday routine, not a sticking plaster for moments of crisis. It was built from the ground up for neurodivergent children, not neurotypical content relabelled.

Is HushAway® a therapy for trauma?

No. HushAway® is a sound-therapy-informed regulation tool. It is not a medical treatment or a therapy for trauma, and it doesn’t replace specialist support or safeguarding procedures.

Can we use HushAway® in our school?

Yes. Sanctuary in Schools is HushAway® for primary schools and nurseries, with areas for Worries & Anxiety and Big Feelings & Meltdowns. You can register your school’s interest at education.hushaway.com.

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