The role of teaching and learning has evolved beyond academic attainment. Increasingly, FE colleges are recognised as relational environments where learners’ sense of belonging, emotional safety and wellbeing directly influence engagement and outcomes.
In response to this, I introduced a teaching and learning strategy rooted in Brené Brown’s work on leading with empathy. While this work is in its early stages, it is beginning to have a positive influence on classroom culture and aligns closely with the updated Ofsted inspection framework’s emphasis on inclusion.
I was introduced to Brené Brown’s work by my partner, at a time when I was reflecting on how well existing approaches to behaviour and engagement were serving learners.
Her work is most associated with leadership development, and leading with empathy is being introduced through leadership training rather than classroom practice.
While her research originates in the US, there is growing interest in similar relational and trauma-informed approaches across UK further education.
Why empathy matters
Brown describes empathy as the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings without judgment. Within education, this means recognising learners as whole individuals, shaped by their experiences both in and out of the classroom.
Empathy does not equate to lowering expectations or avoiding challenge. Instead, it enables staff to respond to behaviour, engagement and learning needs with curiosity, fairness and compassion.
Research into student-teacher relationships demonstrates that pupils who feel understood and supported are more likely to engage, persist with challenge and develop positive attitudes to learning.
The strategy introduced was underpinned by three key principles drawn from Brown’s work.
1. Creating psychological safety
Staff focus on building environments where pupils feel safe to contribute, make mistakes and ask for help. This includes normalising error as part of learning, actively listening to pupil voice and responding to mistakes with guidance rather than shame. When pupils experience psychological safety, they are less likely to disengage through avoidance or challenging behaviour.
2. Empathetic but courageous conversations
Empathy is embedded through restorative and solution-focused conversations. Rather than asking, “What rule has been broken?”, staff are encouraged to explore, “What has happened here, and what support is needed next?” These conversations maintain clear boundaries while acknowledging the underlying factors influencing behaviour, such as unmet needs, anxiety or external pressures.
3. Consistency, structure, trust
Predictable routines, clear expectations and calm responses help pupils feel secure. This balance of warmth and structure is particularly beneficial for pupils with additional needs, those experiencing adversity and learners who struggle with regulation or transitions.
Early impact and staff engagement
Early indicators have been encouraging, particularly in relation to staff engagement. Teachers report increased confidence in applying empathetic, relational approaches within their practice.
Feedback suggests staff value the shared language and clarity this approach provides, especially when responding to behaviour, supporting vulnerable learners and maintaining high expectations alongside compassion.
While it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, initial learning visits and informal ‘walk thrus’ point towards a more inclusive culture developing across the setting. Staff are beginning to report stronger relationships with learners and a heightened awareness of individual barriers to learning.
Importantly, inclusion is understood not as the responsibility of specialist teams alone, but as a shared, everyday responsibility embedded within teaching and learning practice.
Alignment with Ofsted
The Ofsted framework places emphasis on how effectively FE colleges identify, understand and meet the needs of all pupils. An empathetic teaching and learning approach supports this by demonstrating strong understanding of individual needs, equitable access to learning, relational approaches to behaviour and inclusive practice enacted consistently across classrooms.
Inspectors look for inclusion as lived experience rather than policy alone. Empathy-driven practice ensures that values of fairness, dignity and support are evident in daily interactions.
By embedding Brown’s principles into classroom practice, staff are better equipped to support diverse needs while maintaining high expectations.
This approach not only aligns with the new Ofsted framework but also reflects a moral commitment to educate with humanity, understanding and purpose.
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