The theory that contributes to the theme is John Bowlby's attachment theory. “Bowlby used the term maternal deprivation to refer to the separation or loss of the mother as well as the inability to develop attachment”, Mcleod, (2007). Bowlby's attachment theory is relevant to the development of children and young people. For children to develop, they need secure attachments, as children with secure attachments are better able to explore the environment freely and confidently. Because there are many tasks that involve regulating emotions, such as stress. “If a child has not developed a strong foundation of emotional competence…they will struggle to manage the learning and social environment of school as successfully as their peers,” Furnivall, (2013). If children cannot adapt to the learning environment, then it will be difficult for them to develop. This is supported by Harlow's (1959) study in which Harlow created two wire mothers, one with a bottle and the other without food but a warm cloth. wrapped around. The monkeys formed an attachment with the unresponsive cloth-covered mother, but these monkeys had difficulty later in life. This shows the importance of interaction in attachment, another study that supports Bowlby's theory is the study by Scaffer and Emerson (1964), they observed 60 babies for a year and found that they were most attached to the person who responded and interacted with them. Bowlby's theory talks about how a primary caregiver should respond and interact with children. However, Bowlby's attachment theory has some weaknesses, as Bowlby suggests that the most important attachment figure for a child is the mother. However, "many psychologists believe that any attachment... middle of paper... ..determining factors for the child's development and an overall impact on the quality of the provision provided. My learning can have a positive impact on future practice as it improves the quality of children and young people's experience of education. Works CitedMcLeod, SA (2007). John Bowlby | Maternal Deprivation Theory - Simply Psychology, (http://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html), [Accessed October 29, 2013]. Cardwell et al. (2008). AS Psychology| The Complete Companion, 2nd Edition. Oxford. Oxford University Press. Taylor, W, et al, (2012), CACHE Level 3 Extended Diploma, Children and Young People's Workforce, Essex, Pearson Education Limited. Furnivall. J, (2013), Attachment informed practice with looked after children and young people, (http://www.iriss.org.uk/resources/attachment-informed-practice-looked-after-children- and-young-people), [Consulted December 30 2013].