Elizabeth Vale School principal Julie Murphy runs a trauma-informed school

Meet the South Australian principal who changed her entire school’s culture to strive for regulated and calm students. And the results are remarkable.

The simple act of breathing is considered a superpower at Elizabeth Vale School and, while the concept may seem childish, its application is part of a sophisticated approach to education.

Understanding the power of breathing techniques is part of the school’s commitment to trauma-informed education and principal Julie Murphy said the results spoke for themselves.

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“Our school is diverse, with students from all over the world, and for a whole range of societal and historical reasons many of our children are having experiences which could be categorised as childhood trauma,” she said.

“That sometimes manifests in ways where their wellbeing and their readiness to learn is compromised.

“We’ve been fortunate to have access to a whole range of people who have done a lot of work around positive psychology, education and trauma-informed education.

Elizabeth Vale Primary School principal Julie Murphy with Lily Byrt (6), Truphena Singirankabo (6), Harrison Rigney (5). Picture: Keryn Stevens

“We’ve taken the time to do deep learning so that we understand neurobiology and what we can do within a school or classroom system, or even with an individual child system, to … work on getting the brain and the body as focused as we can so that the teaching and learning that is happening is actually authentic.

“And that’s changed our school, a whole way of culture of our school, and we are very calm.”

Striving for regulated and calm students has not only dramatically improved attendance and academic results – year 1 students attaining the Standard Education Achievement in reading rose from 44 to 73 per cent in three years – the school now has a long waiting list of students wanting to enrol.

“We believe every child can learn, it’s just sometimes if your heart rate is heightened or if you are distracted by worries at home or if you’re hungry or if there is a range of things that are going on for you biologically, the impact on your brain’s capacity to concentrate and attend to the cognitive load of school is compromised,” Ms Murphy said.

Julie Murphy knows first-hand the power of teaching children to be and regulated before attempting to learn. Picture: Keryn Stevens

“We believe that breathing is one of our superpowers at school.

“I think over time ‘take a deep breath’ has been like a catch phrase that we all heard but I don’t know that many of us really understood what happens to our bodies and our brains when we do stop and take a deep breath.

“And that capacity to stop and be and think before you act is such an important skill to learn to become more regulated as a person.”

Ms Murphy was last year recognised for her work by national non-profit Schools Plus, established to help children facing disadvantage succeed at school. Its chief executive Rosemary Conn said she was privileged to have seen Ms Murphy’s work.

“She has done some remarkable things in ensuring her school and staff have the skills and resources they need to support their students, particularly those who have experienced trauma,” Ms Conn said.

“I remember being blown away as she explained the under-desk pedal bikes she’d installed in some classrooms to help anxious kids shed excess energy.”