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School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

By: Beacon School Support
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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!

© 2026 Beacon School Support Ltd. Education
Episodes
  • Co-regulation: Why Speaking Calmly Can Make Things Worse

    Co-regulation: Why Speaking Calmly Can Make Things Worse
    Sep 27 2026

    Ever used your calmest voice with an upset pupil, only to find it winds them up even more? You’re trying to help, but somehow your calming strategy is making things worse.

    In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets, you’ll explore the difference between sounding calm and helping a pupil feel understood. Through a familiar classroom scenario, you’ll hear how well-intentioned responses can add pressure, and why showing some emotion can sometimes communicate more empathy than a perfectly soothing voice.

    You’ll learn:

    • Why being regulated doesn’t mean being emotionally flat.
    • How to acknowledge a pupil’s frustration without fuelling their anger.
    • Why the timing of breathing exercises and other calming strategies matters.
    • Three questions to help you adapt your co-regulation approach to the pupil in front of you.

    If this episode helps you see a pupil’s behaviour differently, share it with a colleague and subscribe for more insights into behaviour and SEMH in school.

    Important links:

    Get your FREE Beacon School Support guide to helping children manage their strong emotions

    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
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Why Locking School Toilets Won’t Stop Internal Truancy

    Why Locking School Toilets Won’t Stop Internal Truancy
    Sep 20 2026

    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
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • Why Tiny Mistakes Trigger Big Reactions

    Why Tiny Mistakes Trigger Big Reactions
    Sep 13 2026

    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
    Show More Show Less
    23 mins
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All stars
Most relevant
Easy to listen to, not patronising and certainly worth using as a nudge to improve practice

Great short boosts for your reflection time

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