School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton
221 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingAre 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 management strategies that will work with that ‘tricky class’?
Then you’re in the right place.
Welcome to the School Behaviour Secrets podcast where we’ll answer ALL these questions and so much more! Week after week, your hosts Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton share the secrets to behaviour success that every teacher and school leader should know, all based on their decades of experience supporting real teachers and real students in real classrooms.
But that’s not all...We also interview thought leaders from the world of education so you can hear NEW insights that could hold the key to unlocking your students’ potential. Whether it’s managing the whole class, helping kids with behavioural SEN, or whole school strategy - we’ve got you covered.
Are you in? Brilliant. Because this is YOUR CHANCE to get unstuck, hear from the experts, feel inspired and start seeing more positive behaviour in your classroom again. So hit that subscribe button... and let’s get started!
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Episodes
What Every Teacher Should Know About The Anger Cycle (And Why It Matters)
May 30, 2021 23:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBKnowing 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 stages of the anger cycle - and how to adjust your response for each one, so you approach de-escala...
How To Support Pupils Affected By Imprisonment (with Sara Turner from Ormiston Families)
May 23, 2021 23:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBWhen 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 strategies that help students manage their emotions in school. Ormiston Families website Join ou...
5-Steps To Effective Whole School Behaviour Training
May 16, 2021 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBPutting 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 students in your school. Important links: Behaviour 360: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/behaviour...
How To Build Relationships With Challenging Students (with Kevin Hewitson)
May 09, 2021 23:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBThe 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 guides us through his 4-part framework (PBCF) for breaking down those barriers - and explains h...
The Top #5 Classroom Management Skills Every Teachers Should Know
May 02, 2021 23:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBWant 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 for you and your students. Important links: Get our FREE classroom management scoresheet: https...
Teaching Strategies for Pathological Demand Avoidance with Ruth Fidler
April 25, 2021 23:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBTeaching 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 (and what to avoid). Important links: Collaborative Approaches to Learning for Pupils with PDA: Strate...
The 11 Key Questions That Make Or Break Behaviour Interventions
April 18, 2021 23:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBWant 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 are, why they’re important, and how to use them. Don’t write another behaviour plan until you’...
Why Attachment Theory Is Wrong (And We Should Let It Die) With Dr. Jerome Kagan
April 11, 2021 23:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBAttachment 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 our students instead. Important links: Get our FREE SEN Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconscho...
A Fast Explanation Of The Difference Between ADHD And Autism
April 04, 2021 23:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBWant 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 everything you need to know, giving you the knowledge you need to support the pupils in your class...
How To Measure The Impact Of Your Behaviour Interventions
March 28, 2021 23:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBHere 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 we address the underlying problems driving the pupil's behaviour. Important links: Learn mor...
4 Reasons (Some) Kids Get Angry So Quickly
March 22, 2021 00:00 - 19 minutes - 13.3 MBSome 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). Important links: Get our FREE SEN Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/SEN-handb...
ADHD: What One Parent Wants All Teachers To Know
March 15, 2021 00:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBIt’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 affected his schooling (and his perception of himself as a learner), and the struggles involved in ...
Do Gratitude Diaries *Really* Improve Pupil Resilience?
March 08, 2021 00:00 - 18 minutes - 12.6 MBThe 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 support the internet hype? Important links: Get our FREE SEN Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconscho...
How To Help Children Overcome Attachment Injuries
March 01, 2021 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBWhen 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 behaviours and manage their emotions more successfully. Important links: M-MAT Attachment Therapy book: A...
6+1 Common Mistakes In School Behaviour Policies
February 22, 2021 00:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBWant 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 schools, and explain how to get your policy right first time. Important links: Get our FREE g...
How To Transform Behaviour At Breaktimes (With Tim Davies)
February 15, 2021 00:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBWhile student behaviour is often good in class, it often deteriorates once pupils get outside - leading to arguments and low-level behaviour that have to be sorted out in the following lesson. In today’s episode, we talk to Tim Davies about how to transform the systems and environment in your school (without spending a fortune!) to improve pupil behaviour and relationships at break time. Important links: Conway Primary School's website: https://www.conway.bham.sch.uk/ Successful Supervis...
Do Whole Class Reward Systems Actually Work?
February 08, 2021 00:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBIn this episode, we dig into the questions: do whole class reward systems actually make any difference? Do they act as a motivator… or are they quietly demotivating the students in our classroom? By the end of this episode, you’ll have all the information you need to assess the effectiveness of the systems in your classroom - and the key advantages (and limitations) of using class-wide extrinsic rewards. Important links: Get our FREE classroom management scoresheet: https://beaconschoolsu...
The 4 Attachment Styles In Children (Explained)
February 01, 2021 01:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBWant to understand how each of the 4 attachment styles affects how students behave in the classroom? How a child’s early years influences their ability to form relationships with adults (and even whether they feel relaxed and confident in the classroom) In this episode, we’ll: walk you through what each the attachment styles actually means; look at the difference between an attachment difficulty and attachment disorder; and finally join the dots between attachment theory and every day class...
How To Succeed With Restorative Practice In Your School (with Sara Hagel)
February 01, 2021 00:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBTired of playing referee when your students fall out or have long-running disputes? Wish there was a better way of resolving conflict in your classroom (or school)? There is - it’s called restorative practice - and in today’s show, Sara Hagel from Peacemakers is going to walk us through how to get a programme of restorative justice up and running successfully in your school. Important links: Peacemakers' website: https://peacemakers.org.uk/ Restorative justice council: https://restorativ...
Teaching Self-Regulation Skills In The Classroom (with Dr. Stuart Shanker)
February 01, 2021 00:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBEver wondered what *really* causes children to have difficulties with their behaviour? Or the difference between self-control and self-regulation? In today's episode, we interview Dr. Stuart Shanker, expert on the impact of stress on human behaviour - and learn how reframing kids' behaviour means we're more likely to find solutions to challenging behaviour in the classroom. Important links: Free stress inventory by the Self-Regulation Institute: https://selfregulationinstitute.org/resourc...
3 Assertiveness Techniques To Improve Your Classroom Presence
January 24, 2021 18:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBBeing assertive in the classroom can have a huge impact on both your whole class management and your ability to manage behaviour incidents. The secret is to be intentional about your body language, your tone of voice and exactly how you word your instructions. In this episode, we show you how to do just that. We give you 3 techniques you can start using today to look and sound more confident in your classroom. The result? Teaching feels easier, your lessons are more productive and your ...