In my opinion, the schools communities but especially those with high levels of disadvantage often face a familiar challenge. The children who struggle most with attendance, behaviour, engagement or attainment frequently come from families whose own experiences of education have been marked by disappointment, exclusion, failure or mistrust. Or they have simply been ground down by the system and all trust has been lost … especially the parents of children who’s learning is inhibited by an SEND. However, I would argue that hope is not a by-product of successful schools; it is one of the conditions that makes success possible. The Psychological Capital (PsyCap) framework developed by Luthans and colleagues comprises Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism (HERO).
Many parents who are hardest to engage have experienced years of interactions focused on deficits. Attendance concerns, behaviour incidents and safeguarding meetings can unintentionally reinforce a perception that school contact is synonymous with criticism. Over time trust diminishes and engagement reduces. These interactions may have started positive and hopeful but over time they slip into something else. The reasons for this could be many but in truth it was probably down to professional fatigue and eventually a loss of hope.
Hope is more than positive thinking. Snyder describes hope as a combination of agency and pathways: the motivation to pursue goals and the ability to identify routes towards them. For schools, this means helping families believe improvement is possible and supporting them to identify practical pathways to success. For me, even in the darkest days of the journey there needs to be hope. It’s our professional duty. Don’t get me wrong, I am myself guilty of negativity and losing hope. But as professionals we need see this occurring in ourself and others and be able to challenge this. Bringing the focus back to the hopeful interaction and planning.
There seems to have developed two behaviour camps in education: behaviouralist and progressive. For me, the most successful schools rarely sit exclusively within either behaviourist or progressive traditions. Effective schools combine strong routines, clear expectations and consistent teaching with deep relational practice, emotional safety and appropriate adjustment for individual need. Strong systems create predictability, while strong relationships create engagement. However, consistency should not mean identical treatment. High expectations can coexist with flexible pathways. Successful schools maintain clarity about outcomes while adapting the support required to help children and families reach them.
Outstanding teachers, pastoral leaders and family support practitioners often build hope, efficacy, resilience and optimism through everyday interactions. They notice strengths, celebrate progress and maintain belief in children and families even during periods of difficulty. This can be developed into a whole school culture and whole-school cultures founded on hope recognise that relationships, safety, teaching quality and strong systems are mutually reinforcing. By intentionally developing Hope, Efficacy, Resilience and Optimism in parents and staff, schools can strengthen engagement and create better outcomes for children.
American Psychological Association (2023) Psychological capital: What it is and why employers need it now. Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/psychological-capital (Accessed: 25 August 2026).
Covey, S.R. (1989) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Luthans, F. and Youssef-Morgan, C.M. (2017) Psychological Capital: An Evidence-Based Positive Approach. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, pp. 339-366.
Luthans, F., Youssef-Morgan, C.M. and Avolio, B.J. (2007) Psychological Capital: Developing the Human Competitive Edge. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Snyder, C.R. (2002) Hope theory: Rainbows in the mind. Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), pp. 249-275.
Microsoft (2026) Microsoft 365 Copilot. Available at: https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/copilot (Accessed: 25 August 2026).