In Australia, children spend 16,000 hours in formal schooling during their childhood. Teachers are therefore important secondary attachment figures. Children learn through relationships, which is how family violence cycles are transmitted trans-generationally. In the state of Victoria, Respectful Relationships is a core component of the curriculum taught from prep – year 12, that aims to teach children how to build healthy relationships. The act of teaching involves a combination of activating both ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ neurological processes. ‘Top-down’ approaches require developed cognition and reflective capacity, for children this develops in adolescence and early adulthood. When we are teaching a child by asking them to think/reflect on the content, chances are we are encouraging the use of ‘top down’ neurological process. How do we ensure we are transmitting information about relationships in a developmentally sensitive, more implicit ‘bottom-up’ way for younger children (5-12 years old) in primary schools? Play is children’s natural mode of communication and learning; it allows for developmentally sensitive reflection through toys and expressive resources within relationships. Teacher’s Optimal Relationship Approach (TORA) has adapted play therapy skills for teacher use. TORA supports teachers to engage children in learning through relationships (‘bottom-up’). A close student-teacher relationship has been identified as providing Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). The provision of PCEs is a method of buffering Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as domestic violence. The quality of the student-teacher relationship impacts on engagement in learning, student wellbeing, and teacher wellbeing. TORA is a novel approach for student-teacher relationship enhancement, by activating authentic learning through relationships. Importantly, teacher wellbeing is also supported by using this approach. A multi-tier play therapy approach in one school will be presented to showcase how play therapy embedded into a school can change the course of future family violence cycles through student-teacher relationships.