School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

The government’s new SEND reform paper proposes major changes to how schools support pupils with additional needs.But what does it actually mean for mainstream schools, teachers and SENCOs?In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we break down the key changes in the proposed SEND reforms and explains what they could mean for SEMH support in schools.You’ll learn:• Why mainstream schools will increasingly be expected to meet SEND needs earlier• How the new layers of support (Universal, Targeted and Specialist provision) are designed to work• Why support bases and inclusion spaces may become more common in mainstream schools• What the move away from diagnosis-driven support means for classrooms• Why adaptive teaching, staff training and whole-school consistency will matter more than ever.If you’re a school leader, SENCO or teacher supporting pupils with SEMH needs, this episode will help you understand what changes may be coming - and what your school should start thinking about now.Important links:Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.phpSecondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in BirminghamWhere you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.

Some of the pupils who need the most support are the ones who refuse it.They say they’re fine. They push adults away. They avoid check-ins, mentoring and pastoral support - then struggle or explode under pressure.In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore why this happens, through the lens of avoidant attachment. Not as a label, but as a way of understanding why help itself can feel unsafe for some children.You’ll learn why well-meaning support strategies sometimes backfire, what rejecting help is really communicating, and how small shifts in adult approach can make support feel safer without forcing closeness.This episode is especially useful for teachers, SENCOs and school leaders working with hard-to-reach pupils who appear independent but struggle beneath the surface.Plus, we also share practical techniques to use with the pupils you work with - who survive by not needing anyone.A must-listen if you’ve ever thought: “Why won’t they let me help?”Important links:Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.php

Why do children sometimes say things online they would never say face to face?In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why social media can make behaviour escalate so quickly - and why it’s not simply about children being unkind. Drawing on psychology and real-world school experience, we explain how social media and messaging apps remove the natural feedback that helps children regulate their behaviour - and why that’s important.You’ll come away with a brain-based framework to understand online cruelty in children that you can share with staff and parents - and ideas for supporting children to slow down and make better choices on social media.Important links:Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.php

Emotional regulation is not a curriculum - and treating it like one backfires.Many pupils can explain their emotions, name calming strategies, and talk confidently about what they “should” do… yet still struggle to cope when things get hard in the classroom.In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why teaching emotional regulation as a set of lessons often doesn’t work, and how schools can accidentally make things worse by confusing facts about regulation with emotional regulation skills.Using a real-world pupil story, we break down:Why recalling strategies often fails when children are dysregulatedHow automatic behaviours always win under stressWhy motivation doesn’t come first – and what should replace itAnd how regulation is built through repeated, practical, supported experiences, not curriculum contentYou’ll also hear a simple, classroom-friendly model – Co-regulation, Practise, Fade - to help pupils develop regulation through co-regulation, without adding more programmes or workload.If you’re supporting pupils who “know the strategies” but still struggle in the moment, this episode will help you reframe what’s really going on - and what actually helps.Important links:Get your FREE Beacon School Support guide to helping children manage their strong emotionsGet our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.phpSecondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in BirminghamWhere you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.

They unpack why kids seem less able to handle small setbacks and argue it is environmental, not biological. They examine how apps, over-scaffolding and curriculum pressure reduce chances to practise coping. They clarify what resilience actually means versus grit. They share four classroom strategies to prime kids for difficulty, praise regulation, build pride reflections and create supported struggle.

Clear strategies for steadier classroom responses, focusing on body stillness and controlled voice. Practical tips on giving instructions that stop debate and matching body, words and tone. A framework for defining a calm, long term “win” before reacting. Guidance on timing follow-ups to avoid power struggles and preserve relationships.

In many schools, the SENCO role has become the pressure point where everything ends up - SEND, SEMH, behaviour, parent concerns, paperwork and managing crises and pupil outbursts.And when that happens, how SEND and SEMH is supported across the school starts to break down.In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why the SENCO job has become increasingly difficult even in caring, well-intentioned schools - and why this isn’t about individual failure.You’ll see how a range of factors have unintentionally made the role of SENCO the single point of SEND failure in schools. And how this affects classroom practice, consistency of support and long-term sustainability for pupils with complex needs in school.Most importantly, you’ll come away with a clearer way of thinking about the role - and how we need to redefine it - so it’s fit for purpose moving forwards. All without adding additional stress to hard-working SENCOs or burning them out.If you care about inclusion and want SENCO support that’s sustainable, this episode is for you.Important links:Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resourcesSecondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in BirminghamWhere you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.

On paper, your behaviour policy makes sense… so why doesn’t it work in every classroom - and for every pupil?In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn the 7 reasons why good behaviour policies often fail in good schools - even when leaders care, staff are committed and the intentions are right.Drawing on nearly two decades of work with real schools, we unpack the hidden reasons behaviour policies stumble: why copying “best practice” from other settings can backfire, why consistency breaks down under pressure and what happens when policies are launched but never truly embedded into everyday practice.If you’re a school leader or teacher trying to build a behaviour policy that staff actually use, trust, and stick to when things get difficult, this episode will help you stress-test your thinking and understand how to embed an effective policy in your school.Important links:Get our FREE Reducing Exclusions Checklist: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/exclusions-checklist.phpDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resourcesSecondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in BirminghamWhere you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.

Restorative conversations are everywhere in schools right now. They’re written into behaviour policies, referenced in Ofsted language, and promoted as the gold standard for repairing harm and building accountability.But what happens when those conversations don’t work - especially for pupils with SEND?In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why:·         standard restorative conversations can break down for pupils with communication difficulties, empathy differences, trauma histories or rejection sensitive dysphoria·         what restorative practice assumes about children’s skills, why some pupils struggle to access those conversations·         how to adapt your approach so it remains inclusive, fair, and effective - without lowering expectations or abandoning accountabilityIf you’ve ever walked away from a “restorative” conversation thinking, ”that didn’t change anything”, this episode will give you the practical strategies you’ve been missing.Important links:Download our FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resourcesSecondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in BirminghamWhere you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.

In 2026 the government is going to make big changes in how schools handle behaviour, SEMH and inclusion.The question is: are we ready for what that actually means?In this episode, we makes a series of predictions about where the system is heading next year - not based on politics or policy promises, but on how schools really work when money, policy and classroom reality collide.Some of these predictions may make you uncomfortable. Others may feel uncomfortably familiar.But if you want a grounded, experience-led perspective on what’s coming - and how to lead through it without burning out - this episode will help you see 2026 more clearly before it arrives.Share your thoughts on these predictions (or share your own!) through Linked In or Facebook:https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-currigan/ https://www.facebook.com/beaconschoolsupportSecondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in BirminghamWhere you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.