School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

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• When Behaviour Strategies Work… But Make Things Worse 01.06.2026 28min

  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 next? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore why some short-term behaviour strategies appear to work because they reduce the immediate tension but can accidentally teach pupils or whole classes habits that make behaviour harder in the long run. Most importantly, you’ll discover three simple questions that help break the cycle an...
• Are We Mistaking Compliance For Regulation? (And Why It Matters) 18.05.2026 27min

  Are the quiet, compliant pupils in your classroom genuinely regulated - or just holding everything together? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore the important tension between compliance and regulation. Because while schools absolutely need routines, boundaries and clear expectations, “doing what we asked” doesn’t always mean a pupil is calm, settled or coping underneath. You’ll learn why some pupils can appear fine in school but collapse at home, how masking and shutdown c...
• Why Pupils Say “I Don’t Care” - And What To Do Next 11.05.2026 22min

  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 into a power battle. But while they sound disrespectful or deliberately provocative - what if those three words are not the whole story? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore what pupils might really be communicating when they say, “I don’t care,” why taking the words at face value can lead us in the wrong direction, and what ...
• When Behaviour Seems To Come Out Of Nowhere: Understanding Stress Stacking 04.05.2026 25min

  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 cause - just the final bit of pressure they could no longer cope with? In this episode, you’ll learn how stress stacking affects dysregulated behaviour, why looking for one simple trigger can lead schools down the wrong path, and how to ask better questions after an incident so support is matched to the pupil’s real needs. You’ll also hear a pract...
• The Hidden Causes of Attention-Seeking Behaviour 27.04.2026 28min

  Why do so many sensible school strategies fail, even when staff are trying their best? In this episode, you’ll learn why attention-seeking behaviour is often a misleading label - and why two pupils can show very similar behaviour for completely different reasons. Using the PAIN framework, you’ll discover how to look beneath the surface, identify the hidden drivers behind a child’s behaviour, and choose responses that actually match their needs. You’ll also learn why adult attention can change...
• Why Good School Strategies Fail - And How To Fix Them 20.04.2026 27min

  Why do so many sensible school strategies fail, even when staff are trying their best? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore one of the biggest challenges facing school leaders: consistency. Because having the right strategy is only half the battle - the real challenge is getting staff to understand it, apply it in practice and embed it over time. Using the example of restorative conversations, you’ll learn how to use the ALIGN framework - a simple, practical model to help s...
• How Executive Function Can Trigger Student Dysregulation 13.04.2026 26min

  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 of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn how difficulties with executive function can fuel frustration, overload and emotional dysregulation in the classroom. Using a concrete case study and the PAIN framework, we unpack how challenges with holding information in mind and inhibiting impulses can quickly tip a child from not coping with work into shut...
• SEND Reform Is Coming: What It Means For Behaviour And SEMH In Schools 23.03.2026 23min

  The government’s new SEND reform paper proposes major changes to how schools support pupils with additional needs. But what does it actually mean for mainstream schools, teachers and SENCOs? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we break down the key changes in the proposed SEND reforms and explains what they could mean for SEMH support in schools. You’ll learn: • Why mainstream schools will increasingly be expected to meet SEND needs earlier • How the new layers of support (Universal,...
• Why The Students Who Need Your Help the Most Are the Ones Who Reject It (Understanding Avoidant Attachment) 16.03.2026 20min

  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, mentoring and pastoral support - then struggle or explode under pressure. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore why this happens, through the lens of avoidant attachment. Not as a label, but as a way of understanding why help itself can feel unsafe for some children. You’ll learn why well-meaning support strategies sometimes backfire, w...
• Why Social Media Makes Children’s Behaviour Worse (And How To Help) 09.03.2026 20min

  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 social media can make behaviour escalate so quickly - and why it’s not simply about children being unkind. Drawing on psychology and real-world school experience, we explain how social media and messaging apps remove the natural feedback that helps children regulate their behaviour - and why that’s important. You’ll come away with a brain-based fra...
• Emotional regulation is not a curriculum – and treating it like one backfires 02.03.2026 23min

  Emotional regulation is not a curriculum - and treating it like one backfires. Many pupils can explain their emotions, name calming strategies, and talk confidently about what they “should” do… yet still struggle to cope when things get hard in the classroom. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why teaching emotional regulation as a set of lessons often doesn’t work, and how schools can accidentally make things worse by confusing facts about regulation with emotional reg...
• Kids Aren’t Less Resilient - We’re Training It Out Of Our Students 23.02.2026 25min

  More children are struggling to cope with small setbacks in school. Mistakes feel overwhelming. Frustration escalates quickly. And learning grinds to a halt. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore why this isn’t about children being “less resilient” - and why common advice like “push through” or “try harder” often makes things worse. You’ll learn how modern home and school environments have reduced children’s opportunities to practise coping with difficulty - and what that me...
• Why “Be More Assertive” Is Bad Advice – And What Actually Works in Classrooms 09.02.2026 25min

  Teachers are often told they need to be “more assertive” in the classroom. But what does that actually mean when behaviour starts to wobble, pressure rises, and everyone’s watching? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn what assertiveness really looks like in practice - and why it isn’t about being louder, stricter, or more dominant. Instead, it’s about clarity, calm and making better decisions before you even open your mouth. You’ll explore why many behaviour confrontatio...
• The SENCO Bottleneck: Why the Role Is Becoming Impossible in Caring Schools 02.02.2026 26min

  In many schools, the SENCO role has become the pressure point where everything ends up - SEND, SEMH, behaviour, parent concerns, paperwork and managing crises and pupil outbursts. And when that happens, how SEND and SEMH is supported across the school starts to break down. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why the SENCO job has become increasingly difficult even in caring, well-intentioned schools - and why this isn’t about individual failure. You’ll see how a range of...
• 7 Reasons Why Good Behaviour Policies Fail in Good Schools (And What Leaders Miss) 26.01.2026 25min

  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 Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn the 7 reasons why good behaviour policies often fail in good schools - even when leaders care, staff are committed and the intentions are right. Drawing on nearly two decades of work with real schools, we unpack the hidden reasons behaviour policies stumble: why copying “best practice” from other settings can backfire, why cons...
• Restorative Conversations Don’t Work for Every Pupil - Here’s How to Fix That 19.01.2026 23min

  Restorative conversations are everywhere in schools right now. They’re written into behaviour policies, referenced in Ofsted language, and promoted as the gold standard for repairing harm and building accountability. But what happens when those conversations don’t work - especially for pupils with SEND? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why: · standard restorative conversations can break down for pupils with communication difficulties, ...
• Behaviour, SEMH and Inclusion in 2026: What’s Really Coming Next 12.01.2026 21min

  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 that actually means? In this episode, we makes a series of predictions about where the system is heading next year - not based on politics or policy promises, but on how schools really work when money, policy and classroom reality collide. Some of these predictions may make you uncomfortable. Others may feel uncomfortably familiar. But if you want a g...
• The 4 SEMH Myths That Are Making Behaviour In School Worse 05.01.2026 27min

  Some of the most damaging ideas about behaviour in schools don’t sound wrong. They sound kind. They sound scientific. They sound progressive. And that’s exactly why they stick. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, Simon Currigan unpacks four popular SEMH myths that are quietly making behaviour worse - not because people mean badly, but because good ideas have been overstretched, oversimplified, and misunderstood. You’ll explore: Why children do still make choices - even when emotions ...
• The January Reset: How To Use The Fresh Start Effect To Transform Classroom Behaviour 15.12.2025 24min

  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 episode, we explore how to harness the psychology of the Fresh Start Effect to reset classroom routines, rebuild relationships and help pupils begin the new term with confidence rather than shame. You’ll discover: • Why January works better than September for behaviour resets • How to create whole-class “New Year resolutions” that shift identity, not...
• RSD and ADHD: The Hidden Trigger Behind Sudden Classroom Meltdowns 08.12.2025 22min

  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 children with ADHD, even small corrections can feel like rejection - triggering intense emotional pain known as Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria (RSD). In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn what RSD actually is, why it’s so strongly linked with ADHD, and how it shows up in the classroom through explosive moments, sudden shutdowns, pe...