Connection, attachment and belonging - the real foundations of great education.

In this episode of The Kitchen Table, we are joined by Lisa May Thornley, SEND & Safeguarding Advisor at Zen Educate. A qualified teacher, SENCo, and Drama Therapist with extensive experience supporting vulnerable children and families, Lisa shares her journey and powerful insights on why relationships and purpose matter more than ever in schools.

What You’ll Discover

- Work, Career or Calling: Honest reflections on how viewing your role as a calling transforms your approach to education and life.

- Practical Relational Tools: The power of the Karpman Triangle (thought, feeling, behaviour), embodiment, projection and role, and how these frameworks help children regulate emotions and overcome challenges like emotional-based school avoidance.

- Attachment, Belonging & Social Agency: Why love and connection are the guiding principles for schools, and how giving children voice, safety and choice builds resilience and purpose.

What really stood out is Lisa’s unwavering belief that everything in education comes back to feeling seen, safe, and heard. Whether drawing from her drama therapy roots, her work in prisons and with vulnerable families, or her training at Zen Educate, she shows how relational approaches and simple, practical tools can transform school culture, staff wellbeing, and children’s lives far beyond the classroom.

Connect with Phil Banks

thebelongingcollective.blog.

Connect with Mohamed Abdallah

Substack.

Connect with Danielle Lewis-Egonu

Substack.

The Kitchen Table are grateful to our sponsors Magma Maths, Zen Educate, St Christophers Trust, Cygnus Academies Trust, The Reach Foundation and it is produced by Urban Podcasts.