School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

If pupils are marked present, but still spend large parts of the school day hiding in the toilets, wandering corridors or visiting the medical room – have you solved your internal truancy problem, or just moved it somewhere else?
In this episode, you’ll learn about emotionally based internal truancy, or EBIT - an informal way of thinking about pupils who make it into school but struggle to access the classroom.
You’ll discover how to balance safe toilet access with clear expectations around lesson attendance, why restricting access may treat the symptom rather than the cause and how the MAP process can help schools identify what’s driving internal truancy and put the right support in place.
Important links:
Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbook
Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.php

Have you ever taught a pupil who produces excellent work most of the time, but becomes overwhelmed, angry or tearful after making one tiny mistake? Perfectionism can look like a positive quality from the outside, yet it may be hiding intense anxiety underneath.
In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why some perfectionist pupils are more vulnerable to dysregulation and how to distinguish healthy high standards from a fear-driven need to avoid mistakes.
You’ll also discover the two different motivations behind perfectionism, what research tells us about anxious pupils’ responses to errors and practical ways to help them tolerate mistakes, recover and carry on.
Important links:
Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbook
Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.php

Why do some pupils smile, deny what happened, blame someone else or become angry when they're challenged about their behaviour?
Sometimes, what looks like defiance or a lack of remorse may actually be a defence against shame.
In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you'll learn:
- The important difference between guilt and shame - and why it matters for behaviour
- Why shame doesn't always look like shame, and can sometimes appear as smiling, blame, denial or aggression
- How shame can contribute to a cycle of dysregulation and escalating behaviour
- Why understanding the need behind behaviour doesn't mean removing boundaries or accountability
- Four practical ways to respond that reduce shame and make it easier for pupils to take responsibility, repair relationships and move forward
If you support pupils who become defensive, angry or dysregulated when they're corrected, this episode will help you understand what might be causing it - and respond effectively.
Important links:
Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbook
Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.php

Some pupils never put their hand up. They never admit they’re stuck. But then they fall behind while everyone assumes they’re coping.

In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn why asking for help can feel threatening for some pupils and the hidden coping strategies they use instead - from copying others’ work to trying to become invisible in the classroom.
You’ll also discover the simple SAFE approach for understanding why pupils stay silent, and how the PAIN Framework can help you uncover the needs driving their behaviour so you can respond in a way that makes asking for help feel safer.

Important links:
Download the FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook

The final week of term should feel positive - but when routines disappear, emotions rise and pupils realise the year is ending, behaviour can quickly start to unravel.
In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll learn how to keep the end of term calm, structured and meaningful without removing all the fun. We’ll look at why pupils often become silly, emotional or unsettled before the holidays, how to balance high-energy activities with calm “landing” tasks, and how to help children look back with pride while feeling ready for what comes next.
You’ll also discover simple ways to create a warm goodbye that gives pupils closure without turning the final day into an emotional collapse.
Important links:
Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbook
Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.php