Page 50 - Education Supplement February 2026

EDITORIAL

Parents need support too. When parents feel their children. Acting as a bridge between schools, clinicians,
informed and steady, they are better able to therapists, and families so that everyone is working from the
support their children. That confidence and clarity same understanding of the child.
ripple outward, strengthening relationships at
home and building more productive partnerships The aim is not to fix children, but to build shared clarity
with schools. about how best to reach and support them, using their
strengths to meet challenges rather than pressuring them to
This kind of work often involves careful translation. overcome them.
Helping schools understand the child beyond
the classroom. Helping parents make sense of Closing the gap between how children learn and how schools
reports and recommendations. Helping clinicians, are structured does not require dismantling education
therapists, and educators align their insights rather systems. It requires widening what we notice, strengthening
than working in parallel. how adults are supported, and taking children’s internal
experiences seriously.
That is the thinking behind Breaking All Barriers
(BABS), co-founded by Nicola Killops and Kate La When that happens, fewer children are labelled, pushed, or
Trobe. It is not a programme or a placement, but quietly worn down by the process.
an approach to understanding children more fully
within the systems in which they operate. They are not managed or corrected.

The focus is on strengthening the adults first. They are understood.
Supporting teachers through meaningful training
that embraces the whole child. Supporting parents If you would like to know more, contact
through workshops and coaching, recognising Kate La Trobe (klt@katelatrobe.co.za) or
that supported parents are better able to support Nicola Killops (nicola.killops@rendercreative.info)

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