Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane

In this episode, we explore the growing debate around social media restrictions for young people and whether limiting access could improve wellbeing, relationships, and child development. We discuss the proposed social media ban and examine both the potential benefits and unintended consequences. While social media can help young people maintain friendships and find communities, it can also create...

In this episode, we explore one of the biggest questions emerging from the proposed S.E.N.D reforms: have we become too focused on assessments, reports, diagnoses, and labels, while overlooking the value of professional conversations? We discuss the growing focus on consultation within the Experts at Hand model and what this shift could mean for schools, educational psychologists, and wider S.E.N....

In this episode, I explore a question that many schools are grappling with: Why are exclusions continuing to rise despite behaviour policies becoming clearer and more structured than ever before? Drawing on my experience as an Educational Psychologist, I examine the growing reliance on consequence-driven behaviour systems and explore why these approaches often fail to create lasting change. While...

In this episode, I explore one of the most effective approaches I use when working with schools: Lesson Study for Assessment. Originally developed in Japan, lesson study offers a collaborative framework that brings together teachers, educational psychologists, and school leaders to design, observe, evaluate, and refine teaching in a way that benefits all learners. Rather than relying on expert-dri...

In this episode, we sit down with teaching SENCO Tom Hodgson to explore why relationships sit at the heart of successful inclusion and how emotionally attuned practice can completely change a child’s journey in school. Drawing on real classroom experience, we reflect on the emotional demands of supporting children with complex needs and why connection must come before correction. Through a powerfu...

In this episode, I explore something that quietly shapes almost every school setting, why collaboration between professionals can feel so difficult, even when everyone around the table genuinely wants to help. Whether it’s a SENCO, pastoral lead, educational psychologist, speech and language therapist, autism specialist, or school leader, meetings often begin with good intentions but end with unce...

In this episode, we explore the realities many teachers face when supporting children with emerging autistic traits in mainstream classrooms, particularly in the early years, where needs are still being understood. The conversation centres around a reception teacher supporting a young child who struggles with communication, social interaction, routines, and engagement during classroom activities....

The transition into Key Stage 3 is often described as a fresh start, but for many young people, it’s where things quietly begin to unravel. In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we explore why the move from primary to secondary school can be such a vulnerable point, particularly for students who sit on the margins. We unpack the steady rise in exclusions between Years 7 and 9 and ask a deeper qu...

In this episode, I explore a question that keeps coming up in education: Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder over diagnosed or are we missing something deeper? To make sense of that, I take a step back into the history of mental health and how diagnosis became so focused on criteria and checklists. While systems like the DSM brought structure, they also shaped how we interpret behaviour, s...

In this episode, we explore a question many secondary teachers quietly wrestle with, is a relational approach actually realistic in such a complex, high-pressure environment? The conversation centres on a powerful classroom moment, where what appears to be defiance begins to reveal something deeper about identity, belonging and what sits beneath behaviour. It challenges the idea of behaviour as th...

In this episode, we explore what happens when coaching enters the education system not as a quick fix, but as a way to make schools feel more human again. The conversation begins with Sam’s personal journey. From a young teacher struggling with anxiety and burnout, to a moment of vulnerability in the classroom that changed everything, coaching became the turning point. Not because it gave him all...

In this episode, we unpack the Department for Education’s latest push on inclusion and ask a big question… is this the turning point schools have been waiting for or another ambitious idea that may struggle in reality? The conversation begins with the growing expectation on schools to embed inclusion into everything they do from leadership and culture to curriculum and classroom practice. While th...

In this episode, we explore whether the “expert at hand” model can truly improve the S.E.N.D system, or whether it risks becoming another strong idea that struggles in practice. The conversation starts with a simple but important question… who actually is the expert? Rather than placing that label on one professional, the discussion reframes expertise as something shared. Teachers, SENCOs, special...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we’re joined by paediatric neurologist and author Dr. Andrew Curran to explore what the science of the brain can teach us about learning, relationships and emotional connection in education. Dr. Andrew shares insights from decades of studying the neurobiology of learning, explaining how the brain forms connections between nerve cells and why those connection...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we explore a key question emerging from the S.E.N.D White Paper: Is creating more S.E.N.D places enough, or are we overlooking the workforce needed to support them? While significant funding has been announced to expand provision, we reflect on whether enough attention is being given to developing the professionals who make inclusion work in practice. School...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we explore a growing and important area of understanding within education and psychology autism in girls. Drawing directly from our reflections in practice, we talk about why this conversation feels relatively recent, and why so many girls have historically gone unseen. Much of what professionals were trained to recognise was based on more stereotypical pres...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs, we respond to the newly published SEND White Paper and ask a question we don’t think is being asked clearly enough: If supervision isn’t part of the reform, are we simply increasing pressure on schools without increasing support? We explore the emphasis on inclusion, the proposed “expert at hand” approach, and the acknowledgement that many teachers do not fee...

In this special episode of Between Two Psychs, we respond to the recent SEND White Paper leak and unpack what it could mean for schools, families, and professionals. With the clear understanding that this is speculative, we walk through the key themes emerging from the leak, including the proposed move toward a tiered system, the possibility of EHCPs being reserved for the most complex cases, and...

In this episode, we sit down with teaching SENCO Tom Hodgson to explore why relationships sit at the heart of successful inclusion and how emotionally attuned practice can completely change a child’s journey in school. Drawing on real classroom experience, we reflect on the emotional demands of supporting children with complex needs and why connection must come before correction. Through a powerfu...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we explore the realities of early years provision and the incredible work practitioners do despite increasing demands and limited resources. Drawing on experiences from educational psychology and early settings, we reflect on the pressures staff face and the psychological foundations that help young children feel safe, connected and ready to learn. A central...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we explore a question many educators quietly wrestle with: why do some children still struggle to engage, even when lessons are well planned, differentiated, and thoughtfully delivered? Drawing on classroom observations, psychological research, and real conversations with teachers, we unpack what it really means to be ready to learn . We look beyond lesson p...

The transition into Key Stage 3 is often described as a fresh start but for many young people, it’s where things quietly begin to unravel. In this episode of Between Two Psychs , we explore why the move from primary to secondary school can be such a vulnerable point, particularly for students who sit on the margins. We unpack the steady rise in exclusions between Years 7 and 9 and ask a deeper que...

In this episode, we sit down with Gillian Airey Goodwin to explore what burnout really looks like in education and why understanding our own psychology may be key to keeping educators in the profession. Drawing on Gillian’s Master’s research in mental health and wellbeing, alongside more than 30 years of experience in education, we reflect on the emotional demands teachers face, the role of emotio...

In this episode, we explore why behaviour systems work for many students but not for those who sit outside the middle of the bell curve and what changes when we genuinely listen to a child’s story. We look at how timing, nervous-system regulation, curiosity, and relational repair help us move from confrontation to connection. We also reflect on the post-COVID social gap, why some young people stru...

In this episode of Between Two Psychs, we explore one of the most essential aspects of classroom life: Bonding and Attunement. We look at why relationships come before learning, how children “borrow” our nervous systems, and the practical ways we can help students move from emotional overwhelm into the calm, thinking brain. Drawing on attachment theory, polyvagal theory, developmental psychology,...