Circle of Security® Classroom Approach (COSP Classroom)
The COSP Classroom Approach is a relationship-based professional development program designed to enhance teachers’ understanding of attachment and emotional needs in the classroom. Grounded in the Circle of Security® model, it helps educators recognise and respond to children's cues for connection, exploration, and support. By fostering secure teacher-student relationships, the approach promotes emotional regulation, social competence, and a strong foundation for learning and growth.
Why Complete Circle of Security Classroom with a Registered Play Therapist?
The Circle of Security Classroom program, developed by Kent Hoffman, Glen Cooper and Bert Powell, translates decades of attachment research into practical strategies for educational settings. While many facilitators are trained to deliver the program, participating with a Registered Play Therapist brings an added layer of depth, clinical understanding, and real-world application.
A Registered Play Therapist has advanced training in child development, attachment theory, trauma, emotional regulation, and the neuroscience of play. In a classroom context, this means educators are supported not only to understand the Circle visually and conceptually, but to recognise how attachment needs show up in behaviour — including dysregulation, withdrawal, control, perfectionism, or oppositional behaviour.
This deeper lens allows educators to explore challenging classroom dynamics safely and thoughtfully. Behaviour is reframed through an attachment-informed perspective, helping staff respond with both structure and sensitivity. Discussions can move beyond theory into case-based reflection, practical co-regulation strategies, and developmentally appropriate interventions tailored to your school environment.
The investment reflects this additional clinical expertise and the capacity to hold reflective conversations around complex student needs. You are not simply attending professional development — you are strengthening your team’s relational capacity, building trauma-informed practice, and enhancing whole-school wellbeing.
For schools seeking sustainable change in classroom culture and student engagement, this added expertise makes a meaningful difference.
COSI Website: https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/
Articles on COSP Classroom:
https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com/blogs/resources/overview-of-the-cosc-approach
What is the Circle of Security Classroom Approach?
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST)
COSP Classroom Approach – Mapping to APST:
1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
COSP helps educators understand attachment needs and emotional development, improving how they respond to students’ relational and behavioural cues.
1.5 Differentiate teaching to meet the specific learning needs of students across the full range of abilities
COSP supports recognising individual emotional needs and adjusting responses to support secure relationships that enable learning.
4.1 Support student participation
COSP promotes creating emotionally safe classrooms, which supports greater engagement and participation from students.
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
COSP provides a relational lens for understanding and responding to difficult behaviour, reducing reactive discipline and fostering connection.
6.2 Engage in professional learning and improve practice
The training itself is PD, and integrating COSP into practice shows commitment to ongoing development.
7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
Using COSP often involves collaboration with other educators, school wellbeing teams, and parent networks.
Costs:
Individual COSP Classroom Approach (8x 1 hour sessions): $193.99 plus GST per session
Group (max 10 participants) COSP Classroom Approach (8x 2 hour sessions): $581.97 plus GST per session