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Psychological Safety in schools: Building environments where students and teachers thrive

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This blog was originally published as Psychological Safety in schools: How to promote, measure and intervene by Abby Dale-Bates (19/08/2022), and The importance of psychological safety in schools by Ilia Lindsay (15/7/2022). It has been revised, combined and updated October 2024 by the Komodo Psychology Team. Last reviewed in October 2025. This blog has since been reviewed in December 2025 and republished as Psychological safety in schools: building environments where students and teachers thrive.

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At its core, psychological safety is about creating environments where individuals feel safe to be themselves - where they can express ideas, ask questions, make mistakes, and take risks without fear of ridicule or punishment. In schools, this concept is far more than a “nice-to-have”: it is essential for learning, wellbeing, and development.

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Why psychological safety matters in schools

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Psychological safety in the classroom supports both students and teachers.

When students feel safe:

• They are more willing to participate and ask questions, fostering active engagement and deeper learning (Edmondson, 1999).
• They can make mistakes without fear, which is crucial for experiential learning and resilience (Hardiman, 2009).
• They experience lower stress and anxiety, supporting mental health and wellbeing (Whiting, 2021).

For teachers, psychological safety means they can:

• Experiment with new teaching strategies.
• Provide feedback constructively.
• Collaborate openly with colleagues without fear of criticism.

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Neuroscience evidence

Research in educational neuroscience shows that our brains are wired to prioritise safety. When a student feels threatened—whether by judgment, ridicule, or unrealistic pressure - the brain activates the amygdala, triggering a “fight, flight, or freeze” response. In this state, higher - order cognitive functions like problem-solving, creativity, and memory formation are suppressed(Hardiman, 2009).
Conversely, when students feel psychologically safe:

• The prefrontal cortex - responsible for executive functions such as planning, reasoning, and flexible thinking  -remains active.
• Stress hormones like cortisol decrease, reducing anxiety and supporting attention and focus.
• Learning and memory pathways are optimised, making engagement more effective and durable

In short, psychological safety creates the neurobiological conditions for learning to flourish. Without it, even the most well designed lessons and resources may fail to reach students’ full potential.

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Psychological safety and school climate

Psychological safety isn’t just about individual classrooms; it’s a school - wide ethos. Schools that prioritise safety cultivate environments where:

• Collaboration and peer learning thrive.
• Mistakes are reframed as learning opportunities.
• Emotional regulation and social skills are modeled and reinforced.

This culture reduces the likelihood of bullying, exclusion, and teacher burnout, creating a positive feedback loop that strengthens wellbeing and academic outcomes (Goldberg, 2022).

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Practical classroom strategies to foster psychological safety

Teachers can take concrete steps to embed psychological safety into daily practice. Some evidence-informed strategies include:

1. Normalise mistakes
   
   • Emphasise that errors, mistakes, imperfection, are part of learning.
   • Share examples of teacher or historical mistakes and what was learned.
   • Celebrate effort and improvement, not just outcomes (Dweck, 2006).
2. Use predictable routines
   
   • Provide clear lesson structures and consistent classroom rules.
   • Reduce uncertainty to lower student anxiety and support executive functioning (Immordino-Yang & Damasio, 2007).
3. Foster voice and choice
   
   • Encourage students to share opinions, ask questions, and contribute to decisions about classroom activities.
   • Use student-led projects and inquiry-based learning to strengthen autonomy (Ryan & Deci, 2017).
4. Promote inclusive communication
   
   • Use reflective listening: Repeat or paraphrase what students share to show understanding: “So you’re saying that this task felt overwhelming—am I getting that right?”
   • Model inclusive language: Avoid labels like “lazy” or “disruptive.” Use neutral, descriptive language: “I noticed you didn’t complete this task. Let’s explore what made it difficult."
5. Provide structured feedback
   • Focus on effort and strategies: Praise approaches, persistence, or problem-solving, not just outcomes. “You tried several strategies to solve this problem—great persistence!” (Dweck, 2006)
   • Use the “feedback sandwich”: Start with positive reinforcement, then constructive advice, then encouragement or affirmation.
   • Encourage reflection: Prompt students to think about what worked, what didn’t, and what they might do differently next time.

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Psychological safety is the foundation of learning and wellbeing. It allows students to explore ideas without fear, teachers to innovate confidently, and schools to cultivate thriving communities. When embedded in classrooms, it improves engagement, emotional regulation, social skills, and academic outcomes.

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At Komodo, we support schools to measure Psychological Safety through student voice which helps schools assess and measure how physiologically safe students feel in their learning environment. Our Psychological Safety Survey is the first of its kind in the education space, reach out to find out how you can implement it at your school!

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References:

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Edmondson, A. C. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Goldberg, H. (2022). Growing brains, nurturing minds—Neuroscience as an approach to motivation. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9775149/
Hardiman, M. (2009). Neuroscience and education: A review of the contribution of neuroscience to teaching and learning. Education Review Office. https://www.ero.govt.nz/publications/education-review-office-reports/education-reports/2009/08/01/neuroscience-and-education-a-review-of-the-contribution-of-neuroscience-to-teaching-and-learning/
Whiting, S. B. (2021). Stress and learning in pupils: Neuroscience evidence. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8248342