School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton Podcast By Beacon School Support cover art

School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton

By: Beacon School Support
Listen for free

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
  • SEND Reform Is Coming: What It Means For Behaviour And SEMH In Schools

    SEND Reform Is Coming: What It Means For Behaviour And SEMH In Schools
    Mar 23 2026

    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, Targeted and Specialist provision) are designed to work

    • Why support bases and inclusion spaces may become more common in mainstream schools

    • What the move away from diagnosis-driven support means for classrooms

    • Why adaptive teaching, staff training and whole-school consistency will matter more than ever.

    If you’re a school leader, SENCO or teacher supporting pupils with SEMH needs, this episode will help you understand what changes may be coming - and what your school should start thinking about now.

    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

    Secondary school leaders: Join our in-person event in Birmingham
    Where you’ll learn what really drives lesson avoidance in secondary schools - and leave with a practical whole-school framework for reducing internal truancy.. Register now.
    Show more Show less
    23 mins
  • Why The Students Who Need Your Help the Most Are the Ones Who Reject It (Understanding Avoidant Attachment)

    Why The Students Who Need Your Help the Most Are the Ones Who Reject It (Understanding Avoidant Attachment)
    Mar 16 2026

    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, what rejecting help is really communicating, and how small shifts in adult approach can make support feel safer without forcing closeness.

    This episode is especially useful for teachers, SENCOs and school leaders working with hard-to-reach pupils who appear independent but struggle beneath the surface.

    Plus, we also share practical techniques to use with the pupils you work with - who survive by not needing anyone.

    A must-listen if you’ve ever thought: “Why won’t they let me help?”

    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
    19 mins
  • Why Social Media Makes Children’s Behaviour Worse (And How To Help)

    Why Social Media Makes Children’s Behaviour Worse (And How To Help)
    Mar 9 2026

    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 framework to understand online cruelty in children that you can share with staff and parents - and ideas for supporting children to slow down and make better choices on social media.

    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
    19 mins
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