

School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton
Beacon School Support
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!
Episodes
Mentioned books

11 snips
May 14, 2024 • 13min
Essentials: Unlocking Potential - Strategies to Overcome Work Refusal in the Classroom
Explore the reasons behind student reluctance in completing work. Strategies for building student confidence and overcoming work avoidance. Tips on overcoming perfectionism in student work by questioning consequences of imperfection and intentionally making mistakes.

May 12, 2024 • 42min
An Emotions-Led Approach To Tackling Bullying In Schools (With Alain Pelletier)
As any educator knows, the battle against bullying is ongoing, and the moment we become complacent, cases tend to rise. But what if we could address bullying at its emotional core? In this week's episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we explore just that.Join us with guest speaker Alain Pelletier as we discuss how to enable students to grasp the true impact of bullying and reject it on an emotional level.Important links:Visit Alain's website.Get your FREE Beacon School Support guide to helping children manage their strong emotionsGet 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.

May 7, 2024 • 11min
Essentials: Is Mindfulness Effective In Helping Children Handle Their Emotions?
Are you looking for innovative ways to support your students' social and emotional well-being? Want to create a more inclusive and nurturing learning environment?Join us in our latest essentials episode of School Behaviour Secrets as we explore the fundamentals of mindfulness and in particular reviewing the scientific research into its application and success with children so that you can consider its application in your classroom.Important links:Click here to hear all of episode 64Get 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.

May 5, 2024 • 25min
Why Kids Find It Hard To Escape Anxiety
Explore why kids find it hard to escape anxiety and how to support them. Learn about understanding anxiety in children, avoidance behaviors, gradual exposure therapy, and mindfulness practices. Discover strategies for managing anxiety and helping children overcome their fears.

Apr 30, 2024 • 14min
Essentials: Creating The Right Mindset For Managing Challenging Pupils
Explore the significance of mindset in managing challenging student behavior, teaching flexibility, empowering teachers to improve classroom behavior, and embracing essential mindset changes in teaching. Learn how mindset changes can transform your approach to supporting challenging behavior in the classroom.

10 snips
Apr 28, 2024 • 44min
Understanding Impulsive Behaviour: Strategies For Classroom Success
Researcher Ruth Pauli and Stephane Dr Brito discuss understanding impulsive behavior in classrooms. They explore different types of impulsivity in children, strategies for supporting impulsive pupils, and the impact of impulsivity on academic and social success. The podcast also delves into the importance of routines, environmental influences, and developmental psychopathology in managing impulsive behaviors.

Apr 23, 2024 • 13min
Essentials: What Really Drives ADHD Behaviour? Exploring The Science With Jeff Copper
Have you ever felt puzzled by the challenges that students with ADHD face in the classroom or wondered why children with ADHD seem to struggle with tasks that others find simple?In this week's episode of School Behaviour Secrets, we dive deep into the topic of ADHD with expert guest speaker - Jeff Copper. Discover the neuroscience behind ADHD behaviors, explore practical strategies for supporting ADHD learners and gain valuable insights to create a more inclusive learning environment.Important links:Click here to hear all of episode 60Click here for episode 61Visit Jeff's website here: Dig CoachingGet 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.

19 snips
Apr 21, 2024 • 26min
How To Improve Lunchtime Behaviour
Exploring lunchtime behavior in schools, strategies for improving lunchtime experiences, fostering a positive environment, creating calming spaces for children with special educational needs, importance of well-trained supervisors, effective strategies to reduce waiting times, enhancing engagement and safety for children during lunchtime

16 snips
Apr 16, 2024 • 13min
Essentials: Strategies For Reducing Low Level Classroom Disruption
Explore essential classroom management strategies for reducing low level disruption, including balancing positive and negative reinforcement. Learn how consistent behavior management can positively impact student behavior and address challenges faced by students with additional needs.

Apr 14, 2024 • 36min
Avoid These 7 Deadly Classroom Management Sins: They Lead To Instant Behaviour Failure
Have you ever felt like you're constantly battling to maintain order in your classroom? Are you working with a tricky class and it feels like nothing you do seems to work?For our special 200th episode of School Behaviour Secrets we share what we believe are the 7 deadly sins of classroom management - the pitfalls you should avoid at all costs in order to improve student behaviour in your classroom.Important links:Get our FREE classroom management scoresheet: https://beaconschoolsupport.co.uk/classroom-management-scoresheet.phpGet 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.