Senior Teacher for Playgroup and Pre-Kindergarten (Curriculum & Development), ESF / ESF Explore
Valerie Lagarde is a dedicated early years practitioner.
Valerie specialises in bioecological models and home-school partnerships. She guides caregivers and educators in understanding play in the early years, children’s emotional and physical development, and fostering resilience, self-regulation, and psychological safety within the classroom. Her doctoral research focuses on performance improvement leadership and the application of Bronfenbrenner’s model in creating collaborative pathways between the school and the home environment to support children’s development through sociodramatic play.
From Incident to Insight: A Developmental Approach to Safeguarding
Why does my child always get hurt? Are they not safe at school?
This session bridges the gap between child protection protocols and the neurobiology of early childhood for family education and enhanced home-school partnerships. We will explore how “difficult” behaviours—often symptoms of “lagging skills” or stress responses like fight-flight-freeze—can escalate into safeguarding incidents.
Attendees will learn to distinguish between tolerable and toxic stress and receive a quick overview of the Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS) model to address root causes and the importance of adult modelling behaviour. The presentation covers practical incident management, from immediate first aid to effective parent communication and reporting systems. Join us to develop strategies that ensure physical safety while fostering emotional regulation and resilience.
Note: This session focuses primarily on toddlers and early learners.