Circle of Security® in the Classroom

A Reflective Approach for Educators

Thank you for your interest in this training.

This topic is now only available for organisations as private, in-house workshops face-face for teams of 15 - 40 participants.

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If you are waiting on funding approval - we strongly recommend you contact us to pencil book a place.

This professional development workshop is designed for teachers, early childhood educators, learning support staff, and allied professionals working across the education sector.

What Makes This Workshop Different?

Rather than adding more strategies, it is a chance to pause, reflect, and better understand what’s happening beneath a child’s behaviour, and within ourselves.

You’ll be introduced to the Circle of Security® Classroom (COSC) approach: a reflective, relationship-based model grounded in decades of attachment research and educational neuroscience. Designed for early education settings, COSC supports the creation of secure, emotionally attuned learning environments.

You’ll Explore:

How the Circle of Security® helps explain children’s drive for connection and exploration
The role of emotional safety in resilience, regulation, and learning
“Shark Music”: internal triggers and how they affect connection
Being a secure base and safe haven
Reflection tools to support attunement and presence

Why It Matters:

When children feel emotionally safe, they’re more able to learn, explore, and grow. Your relationship with them, especially during moments of challenge, shapes their view of themselves, others, and the world around them.

This session helps you:

Recognize your role as a potential attachment figure
Respond to emotional needs with more insight and compassion
Understand how the nervous system shapes presence
Create more emotionally regulated learning environments
Reflect personally and professionally on caregiving patterns

“This workshop shifted my lens from managing behaviour to truly understanding the 'Why' underneath it."

What You’ll Take Away:

A clearer understanding of how attachment needs show up in learning environments
Practical tools for personal and professional reflection
Strategies to support co-regulation and relational safety
Increased confidence in showing up with calm, connection, and clarity

This session is an invitation to slow down, reflect, and reconnect.

Please Note:
This is not a certification course. It’s a 2.5-hour introductory session offering a foundation in COSC, with a focus on relational presence rather than behaviour management. Some content may be emotionally activating, please engage at your own pace and reach out for support as needed.

Who Should Attend

This workshop is ideal for 0-6 age range:

Early Childhood Educators
Primary Teachers (especially new entrant)
Learning Support Staff
RTLBs and SENCOs
Allied professionals working in education

What others have said about Nicky's classroom and parenting presentations

"Thank you Nicky. That was a wonderful session that really connected us as a team. I personally loved your enthusiasm and depth of knowledge, your playful spirit and passion. So cool to have met you. We will be keeping you closely linked with us going forward, as we have some nice alignments for sure."

"Thank you for joining us Nicky. Our team are still buzzing, sharing all the info they learnt. Our teachers who missed it are very gutted they couldn't attend, but they have been fully informed. We look forward to future contact."

"Thank you so much - we are still buzzing seeing circles everywhere! This was super helpful, and if you have any further courses/ P.D coming up, our kaiako would like to know about them."

"This training was excellent- could have easily spent hours on the content. It is very powerful and meaningful work."

"Kia Ora Nicky. Ngā mihi for sharing your knowledge. We loved it and could have listened to you for hours. Such a fascinating topic."

“I really enjoyed the course. It was educational and enlightening. Nicky was amazing at delivering the course which really helped with the parts that were more confronting. I really appreciate the opportunity to have completed it. Thank-you.”

“A wonderful course and facilitated extremely well by Nicky.”

“Absolutely fantastic course that has changed the way I view all relationships in my life. I have already seen significant positive changes over the duration of the course and can see this extending further as I am constantly more aware.”

“Very helpful, informative and encouraging. Eye-opening! I love that the concepts are quite simple - meaning they are easily accessible in day-day life.”

“It was super helpful and made me feel more confident in my parenting.”

“The course was presented in a manner that was easy to follow but very educational. I enjoyed every part of it even though some of it was emotionally challenging. I grew a lot as a person and as a parent.”

The following peak bodies and organisations recognise that the training we offer is of a high quality, evidence based and relevant for their members CPD.

About the Presenter: Nicky Cooper

Nicky is a Clinical Nurse Specialist and educator with a deep experience in child, adolescent, and parental health. Her background spans population health, family violence, and child protection, and she is known for blending clinical depth with a warm, grounded approach.

Trained in both the parenting and classroom Circle of Security® programs, Nicky has delivered over 100 COS-based professional development sessions across Aotearoa. Her workshops offer a condensed, relationally rich experience designed to help educators understand their vital role as attachment figures in the lives of tamariki and whānau.