An exploration of teachers’ experiences of relational rupture and repair with students described as having social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs in a specialist SEMH provision

Government statistics illustrate that school exclusion rates are rising and that students who are already facing disadvantage continue to be disproportionately represented in this data. The students most frequently excluded are those with SEMH needs, with many of these pupils going on to be educated in specialist schools or alternative provisions (AP). A strong protective factor for the inclusion of SEMH students is the teacher-student relationship (TSR), with specialist provisions often placing an emphasis on these by providing smaller class sizes and a greater focus on the students’ relational requirements. Despite this emphasis, teachers continue to find their TSRs with SEMH students challenging, consequently, relational rupture or breakdown can be a common feature. Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) conceptualises rupture as an inevitable aspect of relationships and therefore focuses on empathic repair. As teachers inhabit a position of power within TSRs and are therefore, according to RCT, responsible for their repair, this study sought to understand how teachers experienced the processes of rupture and repair in their TSRs with SEMH students in AP. It also considered how the educational setting influenced this process.

An Interpretative Phenomenology Analysis (IPA) methodology was chosen, and semi-structured interviews were undertaken with five teachers employed at a specialist school for SEMH students. The findings highlighted the significance of boundaries in relation to rupture and affirmed previous research regarding the socio-emotional support needed for teachers to maintain their TSRs. The study illustrated the teachers’ preference for informal repair and highlighted how the concept of the Working Alliance could support an understanding of relational tensions within the classroom. Finally, it showed the necessity for teachers to be embedded within a supportive relational environment for empathic repair to occur. The implications for both specialist SEMH provisions and for EPs are discussed, such as the promotion of whole school relational approaches and the provision of reflective supervision