School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton
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School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton
Are you a teacher, a SENCo or a school leader?Want research-backed strategies for supporting students who find it hard to manage their emotions or behaviour? Want practical ways of supporting pupils with special needs like autism, ADHD, FASD or attachment disorder? Want tried-and-tested classroom ma...
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How To Keep The End Of Term Sane
The final week of term should feel positive - but when routines disappear, emotions rise and pupils realise the year is ending, behaviour can quickly...
What School Leaders Need To Know About SEMH Right Now
School leaders are facing increasingly complex SEMH needs, rising pressure around behaviour and inclusion, and more uncertainty about what effective s...
When Pupils Use Friendships As A Weapon
Some behaviour problems don’t start with defiance, disruption or poor emotional control. They actually start when pupils use relationships to humiliat...
How To Support Pupils Who Are Anxious
Have you noticed some pupils seem more anxious, avoidant or dysregulated at this time of year - even when nothing obvious has changed in the classroom...
Teaching A Tricky Class? This Is The First Thing To Fix
Got a tricky class that feels harder to teach than it should?
Sometimes the problem isn’t one big behaviour issue - it’s the smaller repeated is...
Why Some Pupils Fall Apart After Lunch - And What Schools Can Do
Have you ever had a pupil come back from lunch looking fine - only to refuse work, argue, shout or completely fall apart minutes later?
In this...
When Behaviour Strategies Work… But Make Things Worse
Have you ever used a behaviour strategy that worked brilliantly in the moment - only to find the same behaviour came back again the next day? And the...
Are We Mistaking Compliance For Regulation? (And Why It Matters)
Are the quiet, compliant pupils in your classroom genuinely regulated - or just holding everything together?
In this episode of School Behaviour...
Why Pupils Say “I Don’t Care” - And What To Do Next
What should you do when a pupil looks you in the eye, shrugs and says, “I don’t care”? It’s one of those classroom moments that can easily pull adults...
When Behaviour Seems To Come Out Of Nowhere: Understanding Stress Stacking
When a pupil explodes over something small, it can look like their behaviour came out of nowhere.
But what if that “tiny trigger” wasn’t really...
The Hidden Causes of Attention-Seeking Behaviour
Why do so many sensible school strategies fail, even when staff are trying their best?
In this episode, you’ll learn why attention-seeking behav...
Why Good School Strategies Fail - And How To Fix Them
Why do so many sensible school strategies fail, even when staff are trying their best?
In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore o...
How Executive Function Can Trigger Student Dysregulation
What if a pupil’s dysregulation isn’t just about behaviour - but about hidden executive function demands they can’t yet manage?
In this episode...
SEND Reform Is Coming: What It Means For Behaviour And SEMH In Schools
The government’s new SEND reform paper proposes major changes to how schools support pupils with additional needs.
But what does it actually mea...
Why The Students Who Need Your Help the Most Are the Ones Who Reject It (Understanding Avoidant Attachment)
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, men...
Why Social Media Makes Children’s Behaviour Worse (And How To Help)
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 soc...
Emotional regulation is not a curriculum – and treating it like one backfires
Emotional regulation is not a curriculum - and treating it like one backfires.
Many pupils can explain their emotions, name calming strategies,...
Kids Aren’t Less Resilient - We’re Training It Out Of Our Students
More children are struggling to cope with small setbacks in school.
Mistakes feel overwhelming. Frustration escalates quickly. And learning grin...
Why “Be More Assertive” Is Bad Advice – And What Actually Works in Classrooms
Teachers are often told they need to be “more assertive” in the classroom.
But what does that actually mean when behaviour starts to wobble, pre...
The SENCO Bottleneck: Why the Role Is Becoming Impossible in Caring Schools
In many schools, the SENCO role has become the pressure point where everything ends up - SEND, SEMH, behaviour, parent concerns, paperwork and managin...
7 Reasons Why Good Behaviour Policies Fail in Good Schools (And What Leaders Miss)
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 Behaviou...
Restorative Conversations Don’t Work for Every Pupil - Here’s How to Fix That
Restorative conversations are everywhere in schools right now. They’re written into behaviour policies, referenced in Ofsted language, and promoted as...
Behaviour, SEMH and Inclusion in 2026: What’s Really Coming Next
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...
The 4 SEMH Myths That Are Making Behaviour In School Worse
Some of the most damaging ideas about behaviour in schools don’t sound wrong.
They sound kind.
They sound scientific.
They sound pro...
The January Reset: How To Use The Fresh Start Effect To Transform Classroom Behaviour
The first week of January isn’t just “back to school” - it’s one of the most effective behaviour intervention points of the entire year. In this episo...
RSD and ADHD: The Hidden Trigger Behind Sudden Classroom Meltdowns
When a pupil goes from “fine” to “furious” because you asked them to correct one sentence, it’s easy to think they’re overreacting. But for many child...
From Festive Chaos To Calm Classrooms - Helping Pupils Cope With Christmas
Christmas is exciting… but in schools, it can also send behaviour spiralling.
Between nativity rehearsals, parties, Christmas jumper day, and al...
When Rewards Stop Working: How To Build Behaviour That Lasts
Ever had that moment where your reward system just… stops working? The stickers lose their sparkle, the house points barely register, and suddenly eve...
Escape Behaviour Firefighting with the PAIN Framework
When pupils show persistent, emotionally escalated behaviour, it’s easy to focus on the surface - the shouting, the refusal, the walking out - and mi...
Turn Chatty Classes Into Focused Learning With The T3 Method
Got a class that just won’t stop talking? The kind where the chatter keeps creeping back in, no matter how many times you settle them? We feel your pa...
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD): How to Support Pupils And Avoid Power Struggles
Ever worked with a pupil who argues about everything — even the things they secretly agree with?
In this episode, we unpack Oppositional...
How to protect your emotional wellbeing in 5 minutes a day or less
Ever get to Friday and feel like your emotional battery’s is fried? You’re not alone. Working in education — especially when supporting pupils with SE...
Connection Before Correction: 3 Ways To Make It Work In Your Classroom
“Connection before correction” has become a bit of a buzz phrase in education — but what does it actually mean in a real classroom? How do you do it i...
Why Isolation Rooms Don’t Work (And What Schools Should Be Doing Instead)
Summary
Do isolation rooms really work? And if they do… why do we see the same pupils sitting in them day after day?
In this...
The Truth About Consistency: Why It’s Hard and How to Nail It
Consistency across classrooms isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s the foundation of your school culture. When pupils see one teacher give a warning, anot...
Ofsted’s 2025 Shake-Up: 5 Questions Every School Leader Should Be Asking About Behaviour and SEMH
From November 2025, inclusion, behaviour, attendance, and wellbeing are set to take centre stage during Ofsted inspections. But what does this mean f...
ADHD in Girls: Why It’s Missed and What Teachers Can Do
When we think of ADHD, most people picture the stereotype: a restless boy bouncing off the walls, blurting out answers, unable to sit still. But here...
Why De-escalation Isn’t Enough (And What To Do Instead)
Ever tried every de-escalation strategy in the book—calm voice, supportive stance, soothing words—only to watch a student keep spiralling? The proble...
The Myth of 1:1 Support: Why 1:1 Support Isn’t Always the Answer for SEMH Success in Schools
Are one-to-one teaching assistants really the best way to support students with SEMH needs?
In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we expl...
Is Bullying A Form Of Trauma? Insights From Kidscape's New Research (With Paula Timms & Nathalie Noret)
Should bullying be viewed as trauma? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we speak with guests Paula Timms and Nathalie Noret from Kidscape ab...