School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

FASD (Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) is a condition that's estimated to affect as many as autism, can lead to emotional and behaviour issues in the classroom, but can be very difficult to identify. So how can we recognise - and support - children with the condition? In today's School Behaviour Secrets, we explode some of the myths about FASD, look at the surprising facts and figures a...

If you're working with a pupil who has difficulties with their emotions and behaviour, there may be an issue with their sensory processing. Sensory needs aren't exclusive to children with autism - and they actually impact on a wide range of children in our schools. In this week's episode, we speak to expert, author and occupational therapist Lindsey Biel. She explains how sensory ne...

Sometimes it can be hard to pin down what causes students to behave in a challenging way. Which means that our support strategies are unlikely to be effective - and those behaviours persist (or get worse). In today's episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we share 3 overlooked factors that can cause challenging classroom behaviour. We explain what they are, how to recognise them and how to addr...

Huge numbers of kids are affected by imprisonment - and most schools will have at least one family where a mother or father is in the criminal justice system. But how do we reach children affected by this issue - and help them break the chain of inter-generational offending that is all too common? James Ottley from Children Heard and Seen is an expert in supporting pupils and families affected by...

Mean Girls behaviours (or to use its correct name, Relational Aggression) is a common form of bullying where the group turns on one of its own members. It's emotionally damaging and it doesn't just affect girls - boys can be victims too. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore exactly what relational aggression is - and how to tackle this problem in schools. This episode...

Is your aim not just for your students to behave better in class - but want to behave? Not just because you're spoon-feeding them with rewards (or threatening consequences) - but because it's the right thing to do? Pamela Tseu is an expert in classroom management and she's developed 7 teaching tools to make this happen. In this episode, she explains what those tools are, and how to...

Trying to support your students with anger issues - but feel like your intervention isn't making the progress your pupils deserve? Then it's time to identify the obstacles in the way of your group's (and your pupils') success. In today's episode, we look at the factors that prevent anger management programmes from having an impact, and review the evidence about how well th...

For children with special needs, early intervention can be the difference between succeeding in school and reaching their potential - and disengagement, struggling academically and poor social emotional outcomes. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we interview Jayne Wesler (who's spent her career supporting students with SEN) about what the best schools do to get early intervention...

Motivation in the classroom is easy, right? We dangle rewards in front of kids and they’ll change their behaviour to get the rewards. But what if that idea is wrong? What if using rewards actually diminishes children’s motivation in the long term? In today’s episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore the surprising science of reward systems… so you know exactly how to increase pupil motivatio...

Looking for a way of moving away from rewards and consequences in your school, towards a fairer system where everyone has a voice? In her school, Headteacher Janine Dodds has done just that - and in today’s show, Janine is going to talk us through her schools journey in introducing and embedding restorative practice - including her experience of getting staff and parents on board. Get our FREE cla...

Knowing what to say and do when a child becomes angry (or highly anxious) can be difficult. One wrong move and the child’s emotions can seem to explode! The secret to de-escalation is understanding the anger cycle - the biological changes that lead to the fight-flight-or-freeze responses that are so difficult to manage in school. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we look at the key stag...

When a child has a family member go into prison, the impact on their emotions (and their behaviour) can be huge. Yet there’s very little training for schools on how to support those pupils. In this episode, we interview Sara Turner from Ormiston Families, who has practical experience of supporting young people affected by imprisonment. She explains the struggles those children go through - and str...

Putting together a training programme related to behaviour and SEMH that actually makes a difference in the classroom is hard! And no one wants to invest time and money in training that won’t work. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we give you a simple, 5-step process for planning out your SEMH training programme across the entire year - so it has real impact on the teachers and student...

The best way to influence the behaviour of the most challenging students isn’t with with rewards or consequences - it’s through relationships. But how do you form relationships with kids who are resistant (or wary of) adults, or actively avoid engaging with teaching staff? In this episode, we interview Kevin Hewitson, an educational consultant and author with over 40 years teaching experience. He...

Want to know the top 5 essential classroom management skills every teacher should know? The 5 skills that lead to whole class success, healthy adult:pupil relationships and on-task behaviour? In this episode, based on 1000s of lesson observations, we reveal exactly what those skills are - and how to start using them in your classroom. All with the aim of creating a positive learning environment fo...

Teaching pupils with PDA (pathological demand avoidance) can be draining and frustrating. The key to success is understanding what's driving your student's resistance to demands. In this episode, we interview Ruth Fidler, expert and author on the subject of PDA. She reveals the best way of supporting children with PDA in the classroom - and explains what kinds of strategies are effective...

Want to make sure the behaviour plans you write for your SEN students are successful? Then picking the correct target behaviours is essential - because a plan that focuses on the wrong areas isn’t likely to succeed. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we share 11 questions that will laser focus your interventions on the target behaviours that really matter. We explain what those questions...

Attachment theory has received a lot of attention in education over the last 20 years - but is it just plain wrong? Are attachment interventions used in school built a foundation of sand? In today’s controversial episode, distinguished professor and author Jerome Kagan explains why we should let attachment theory die, why the evidence to support it is so poor, and what we should be doing to help o...

Want to understand - in simple, clear terms - the real difference between ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and ASD (autism spectrum disorder)? Especially as more children are entering are classrooms with a diagnosis? Understanding how these two conditions affect students is key to helping them manage their emotions and behaviour. So in this episode we’ve condensed and simplified eve...

Here are two key questions that are surprisingly difficult to answer about behaviour interventions in school: 1) Are they having any impact? 2) Are they providing value for money? In today’s episode, Dr. Rob Long explains how to objectively measure whether your interventions are effective using the SNAP-B profile. He’ll also explain how to use SNAP-B to select the right intervention strategies, so...

Some children seem to jump from calm to angry at the flick of switch - while others seem to be able to manage strong emotions perfectly well. What makes the difference between emotional success and failure? In this episode, we’re going to look at 4 factors that cause some children to struggle with anger - so you can finally understand their behaviour (and help them self-regulate effectively). Impo...

It’s hard to imagine the classroom experience of kids with an ADHD diagnosis - because they often find it hard to articulate how it feels (and how it affects them). In today’s episode, we speak to John Booth, who not only has a son diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, but also received a diagnosis of ADHD himself in his forties. He speaks honestly and openly about how ADHD affe...

The web is full of articles about the power of gratitude journals to improve our resilience and mental-wellbeing? But how much of this is true - and how much is wishful thinking? In this episode, we look at whether the evidence stacks up with children of school age. Are gratitude diaries a tool for improving our children’s mental health and emotions - and does any of the scientific research suppor...

When a child’s early bonding experiences with their parents goes wrong, the result can be extremely challenging behaviour in school, difficulties with social interaction and problems with emotional regulation. In today’s episode, our guest Catherine Young explains how to use her evidence-based M-MAT process (multi-modal attachment therapy) to heal the 'attachment injury' driving those be...

Want to know which 6 mistakes hold back behaviour policies from having the whole-school impact school leaders are looking for? So your school can finally get the whole school consistency that really drives improvements in behaviour? In this episode, based on our experience of looking at hundreds of policies, we talk through what makes a good behaviour policy, highlight the pitfalls that undo many...