The Team Teach Podcast

In this episode, Clare talks to Shaheen Myers, founder of Balance:ed , about the human side of school leadership. They discuss the pressures faced by school leaders in the current educational climate, and how this can contribute to overwhelm and burnout. Shaheen also highlights the interplay between culture and wellbeing and suggests ways for school leaders to best support themselves and others. S...

In this episode, Clare talks to Murray Hodge-Neill, Assistant Director of the PBL team at the ACT Education Directorate, Australia, about restorative approaches in education. In Part 2 of a two-part series, they discuss reasons for resistance to change amongst staff, and how we can successfully shift mindsets in our schools, especially around behaviourist approaches and the notion of consequences....

Warning: This episode includes candid discussions around suicide and self-harm which some listeners may find distressing. Please use discretion when listening and take a break if needed.   In this episode, Clare talks to Marie Greenhalgh, Relationships Director at Inclusion Education, about how to have sensitive conversations around suicide and suicide prevention. Marie explains what ‘suicidal ide...

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about reducing spitting. They discuss the contextual factors that can lead to spitting and explore what this behaviour might be communicating. They also highlight the fact that reducing spitting is not a ‘quick fix’ but is an ongoing and individualised process. Dave has work...

In this episode, Clare talks to Murray Hodge-Neill, Assistant Director of the PBL team at the ACT Education Directorate, Australia, about restorative approaches in education. In Part 1 of a two-part series, they discuss the history of and terminology around restorative approaches. They also explore the key principles and components of a restorative approach and what some of the barriers might be f...

In this episode, Clare talks to Lisa Pinkerton, Head of Education at Widgit Software, about how to use symbols to support emotional regulation. They talk about what self-regulation and co-regulation mean and how the ability to regulate emotions can impact behaviour. They also discuss how visuals and symbols fit into the teaching of emotional regulation, helping to support individuals, provide scaf...

Warning: This episode includes frank discussions around self-harm which some listeners may find distressing. Please use discretion when listening and take a break if needed.   In this episode, Clare talks to Marie Greenhalgh, Relationships Director at Inclusion Education, about how to have sensitive conversations around self-harm. They discuss what self-harming behaviour might look like, explore s...

In this episode, Clare talks to Priyanka Lalwani, Lead Educator for children with special needs at The Developing Child Center, about inclusive classrooms for neurodivergent learners. They discuss the features of an effective inclusive classroom and the importance of having an empathetic, inclusive mindset. Priyanka highlights the role of the adult in co-regulation and explores a range of proactiv...

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about pre-escalation. Dave shares ways to shape the environment to support individuals and highlights how making adjustments can help build resilience. They also discuss the challenges of only focusing on crisis behaviour and how shifting our attention to pre-escalation can...

In this episode, Clare talks to David Bartlett MBE, founder and Managing Director of Pear Tree Projects, about workingholistically in children’s residential care. David introduces his foundational framework of values, environment and experiences that underpins his organisation’s approach, and reflects on the interplay between these three elements. He also emphasisesthe importance of involving chil...

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about ways to reduce internal truancy. They discuss what is meant by internal truancy and why some students might find it difficult to attend classes and accesseducation. Dave also explores the impact on children and young people, and suggests practical ways for staff to bui...

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about de-escalating with parents and carers. They explore different reasons why parents and carers might feel dysregulated and how our own emotional state can affect our capacity to empathise and support them. They also talk about finding incidental opportunities for buildin...

In this episode, Clare talks to Principal Team Teach trainer, Kat Booker, about positive touch. They discuss what is meant by positive touch and consent, and the associated implications for safeguarding, behaviour support, and wellbeing. They also talk about the importance of creating robust policies, so that everyone clearly understands the parameters around positive touch, to ensure that we alwa...

In this episode, Clare talks to Amy Miskimmin-Logan and Abbie Gillies from Our Hearings, Our Voice about the language that education professionals use when communicating to and about children with care experience. They discuss the origins and goals of the organisation and the work of Language Leaders in shaping the language principles adopted by Our Hearings, Our Voice . They talk about the import...

In this episode, Clare talks to Dr Anne Emerson, resident counsellor at the Lilya Lighthouse Educational Trust, about supporting neurodivergent individuals when they are dysregulated. They discuss what is meant by ‘dysregulation’ and the impact the environment can have on all individuals’ behaviour. They also talk about how we can respond with curiosity and compassion to feelings of dysregulation,...

In this episode, Clare talks to expert guest, Dr Dean Burnett, about how brain development affects behaviour. They discuss how emotions can influence responses and what dysregulation might look like in individuals. Dean explains the roles of different parts of the brain and how they interact to shape our behaviour. They also explore what is meant by neuroplasticity and the implications for emotion...

In this episode, Clare talks to Helly Douglas, Head of Content at Team Teach, about the importance of continuing professional development around behaviour support. They talk about the difference between behaviour management and behaviour support, and why we need to remain curious about behaviour to understand what is driving it. Helly shares the benefits of ongoing learning between and after train...

In this episode, Clare talks to independent SEND and behaviour consultant, Andrea Reid-Kelly, about Noonan Syndrome. They talk about what Noonan Syndrome is and the different ways it may affect individuals, cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially. Andrea is SEND and behaviour consultant with a Master’s degree in Autism and Education. She has over 25 years’ teaching experience spanning m...

In this episode, Clare talks to Cale Begley, Learning and Development Lead for Team Teach Australia and New Zealand, about how we can enhance safety, wellbeing, and productivity in complex support services. They discuss the types of stressors staff might face and how these can impact safety and wellbeing. They also explore strategies to create calm, positive, and supportive environments for all, e...

In this episode, Clare talks to Principal Team Teach trainer, Amanda Brady-Fujita, about the importance of providing behaviour support training to frontline workers. They discuss some of the challenges faced by practitioners and how high-quality training can equip staff with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to reduce risk, de-escalate situations safely, and support behaviour effectively. A...

In this episode, Clare talks to Richard Fisher, Principal Team Teach trainer, about using restorative conversations to informindividual support plan reviews. They discuss what is meant by a ‘restorative conversation’, as a way to help children and young people understand the impact they can have on other people. They also talk about the need for flexibility and post-incident support – for students...

In this episode, Clare talks to Michael Follett, founder and director of OPAL, about the power of play and its impacton behaviour. They discuss the definition of ‘play’ and the importance of primary, hands-on experiences during childhood. They explore ways to balance unstructured play with risk management, and how policies and monitoring processes can guide staff to identify the intrinsic and extr...

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about supporting autistic children in early years. They discuss some of the indicators of autism in young children and highlight the importance of taking an individualised approach to support. They also explore some strategies that practitioners can implement to best support...

In this episode, Clare talks to Mica Coleman Jones, Head of Provision at The Lilya Lighthouse Education Trust Ltd, abouttaking a compassionate approach to school attendance. Mica talks about the importance of language and its power to shape our perspective on school attendance. They also discuss ‘big picture thinking’ and how being flexible and making reasonable adjustments can make a significant...

In this episode, Clare talks to independent SEND and behaviour consultant, Andrea Reid-Kelly, about a graduated response to SEND provision in schools. They talk about establishing a cyclical process of assessing, planning, doing, and reviewing that starts with the class teacher.  Staff can then use this system to identify needs and implement appropriate strategies for individual childrenand young...