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, another skip straight to sanctions, and a third ignore the same behaviour completely, the message is clear: the rules don’t really matter. For children with SEMH needs, that unpredictability can even fuel anxiety, dysregulation, and mistrust.In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we dig into why consistency is so hard to achieve in schools and why even the best policies fail without it. You’ll learn how the Beckhard-Harris change equation explains resistance to new approaches—and why accountability is the missing ingredient most schools overlook. Plus, we’ll show you how to balance predictability with professional judgement, so staff don’t feel like robots while still pulling in the same direction.Most importantly, we share practical steps school leaders can use right now: building “useful dissatisfaction,” co-creating a clear vision, breaking change into small, achievable first steps, and embedding supportive accountability. If you want to transform behaviour culture, reduce stress for staff, and create safety for pupils, this episode will show you exactly how to make consistency stick.Links: Download the SEND Behaviour Handbook for FREE Get more free resources about SEMH from Beacon School Support from this page Get NEW behaviour and SEMH strategies in our FREE webinar!Use this link to join our free webinar on Tuesday 21st October 2025 and walk away with strategies and insights you can immediately apply to your own class and students. We're limited to 300 seats to book yours ASAP. Register now.
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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 for schools in practice – especially when it comes to supporting SEMH? In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we unpack the key changes in the new framework and answer the questions school leaders and teachers are already asking. Will Ofsted finally “get” SEMH? How will inspectors judge behaviour when it looks different for pupils with additional needs? And what does “exceptional” practice actually look like under the new rules? More importantly, you’ll discover the practical steps you can take now to prepare your policies, staff, and systems – so you’re inspection-ready and future-ready. If you want clarity on what Ofsted’s new approach really means for behaviour and SEMH in your school, this episode is for you.Links: Download the SEND Behaviour Handbook for FREE Get more free resources about SEMH from Beacon School Support from this page Get NEW behaviour and SEMH strategies in our FREE webinar!Use this link to join our free webinar on Tuesday 21st October 2025 and walk away with strategies and insights you can immediately apply to your own class and students. We're limited to 300 seats to book yours ASAP. Register now.
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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’s the problem - that picture is incomplete. And because of it, thousands of girls with ADHD are being missed, misdiagnosed, or misunderstood. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we share why ADHD often looks different in girls, how history and diagnostic tools built on boys’ behaviours still shape who gets recognised today, and why masking makes it even harder to see what’s going on. Drawing on research from the UK, US, and Sweden, he unpacks the hidden reasons why girls are diagnosed years later than boys - often only after anxiety or depression take hold. More importantly, you’ll learn what teachers can do right now: how to spot the red flags, support girls who may be masking, and put in place ADHD-friendly classroom strategies without waiting for a diagnosis. If you’ve ever taught a pupil who seems bright but scattered, sensitive yet disorganised, or “fine” at school but falling apart at home, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss. Links: Download the SEND Behaviour Handbook for FREE Get more free resources about SEMH from Beacon School Support from this page Get NEW behaviour and SEMH strategies in our FREE webinar!Use this link to join our free webinar on Tuesday 21st October 2025 and walk away with strategies and insights you can immediately apply to your own class and students. We're limited to 300 seats to book yours ASAP. Register now.
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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 problem isn’t you. The problem is that de-escalation on its own isn’t enough. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we reveal why de-escalation so often fails in the heat of the moment, and introduce a new way of thinking about pupil behaviour: the PAINs framework (Primary Areas of Internal Need). Discover the five hidden stressors that keep kids dysregulated—physical, emotional, cognitive, social, and prosocial—and how to compensate for them so pupils don’t tip into crisis in the first place. If you’re tired of firefighting meltdowns and want practical strategies to prevent them instead, this episode is packed with insights you can use in your classroom tomorrow. Links: Download the SEND Behaviour Handbook for FREE Get more free resources about SEMH from Beacon School Support from this page Get NEW behaviour and SEMH strategies in our FREE webinar!Use this link to join our free webinar on Tuesday 21st October 2025 and walk away with strategies and insights you can immediately apply to your own class and students. We're limited to 300 seats to book yours ASAP. Register now.
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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 explore the myth of 1:1 support and its unintended consequences for schools and students.Discover why this topic resonates with teachers and SENCOs working to support pupils with a high level of need and how rethinking your approach could empower independence and resilience in a more sustainable way.Important links:CHECK OUT BEHAVIOUR 360 today if you want a joined up approach to SEMH in your school, with instant access to flexible, on-demand training: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/behaviour_360.phpPop over to our YouTube channel where you can subscribe and keep up to date with any new releases.Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/send-handbookDownload other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/resources.phpGet NEW behaviour and SEMH strategies in our FREE webinar!Use this link to join our free webinar on Tuesday 21st October 2025 and walk away with strategies and insights you can immediately apply to your own class and students. We're limited to 300 seats to book yours ASAP. Register now.
About 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 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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