{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":87.83,"endTime":94.55,"body":"If the early identification of pupils with social, emotional, and mental health needs is important to you, or you're seeing"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":94.55,"endTime":101.96499999999999,"body":"increasing numbers of kids with SEMH and behaviour needs in your school, then this episode of School Behaviour Secrets is"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":101.96499999999999,"endTime":110.844,"body":"perfect for you, because I'm going to share the 3 factors that reliably predict whether a student will have SEMH needs and"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":110.844,"endTime":117.74,"body":"what this means for your systems and practices in your school so that no no child's needs go under the radar."},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":118.359,"endTime":123.15899999999999,"body":"Welcome to the School Behaviour Secrets podcast. I'm your host, Simon Currigan."},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":123.15899999999999,"endTime":130.245,"body":"My co host is Emma Shackleton, and we're obsessed with helping teachers, school leaders, parents, and of course students when"},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":130.245,"endTime":132.825,"body":"classroom behaviour gets in the way of success."},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":132.965,"endTime":139.125,"body":"We're gonna share the tried and tested secrets to classroom management, behavioural special needs, whole school strategy, and"},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":139.125,"endTime":143.22,"body":"more, all with the aim of helping your students reach their true potential."},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":143.51999999999998,"endTime":150.32,"body":"Plus, we'll be letting you eavesdrop on our conversations with thought leaders from around the world, so you'll get to hear"},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":150.32,"endTime":154.0,"body":"the latest evidence based strategies before anyone else."},{"speaker":"Simon Currigan","startTime":154.0,"endTime":157.06,"body":"This is the School Behaviour Secrets podcast."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":158.615,"endTime":164.635,"body":"Hi there. My name's Emma Shackleton, and welcome to today's episode of School Behaviour Secrets."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":165.095,"endTime":172.56,"body":"And it's a very special episode, because it's also the first time that we're sharing the podcast on the usual audio format"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":172.86,"endTime":175.68,"body":"as well as on YouTube as a video podcast."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":176.219,"endTime":181.92,"body":"So, if you're someone who prefers to watch than listen, you've now got the option of doing both."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":182.14,"endTime":190.422,"body":"And we're also trialling a new format which is going to be shorter and laser focused on giving you the SEMH and behaviour"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":190.77499999999998,"endTime":194.39499999999998,"body":"strategies you need to support the kids in your school."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":195.015,"endTime":204.1,"body":"In this episode, we're going to focus on how to identify SMH needs in school children quickly and effectively, using systems"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":204.24,"endTime":213.865,"body":"to assess their needs, whether they're big, obvious physical behaviours or whether a pupil's emotional churn is going on under the radar."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":214.565,"endTime":218.665,"body":"You should also know that we've got a free download that supports this episode."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":219.04399999999998,"endTime":229.04,"body":"It's called the SEND Behaviour Handbook and that helps you to link in a simple way the behaviours that you're seeing in school to possible underlying needs."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":229.1,"endTime":237.76,"body":"Get yours today by clicking in the link in the comments if you're on the podcast or in the episode description or the comments if you're watching the video."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":238.14,"endTime":244.195,"body":"And don't forget, if you find this free podcast useful, make sure you like and subscribe."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":244.73499999999999,"endTime":251.79399999999998,"body":"That helps to share this content with other teachers and school leaders so that this information can reach more people."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":252.015,"endTime":258.2,"body":"It's the quickest and cheapest way of supporting the show. It'll cost you just 30 seconds."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":258.74,"endTime":262.91999999999996,"body":"Now let's jump straight into the strategies and SEMH insights."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":264.58,"endTime":271.414,"body":"If you want to make sure that no child gets left behind in your school so they don't end up having to struggle for years with"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":271.414,"endTime":279.914,"body":"an underlying SEMH need without getting the help that they deserve, then it's really important to get early intervention right"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":280.4,"endTime":287.78,"body":"because we know that when a student is supported in school with the right strategies their outcomes are so much better."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":288.15999999999997,"endTime":295.615,"body":"But the thing is, and this is surprisingly common, many students have needs that don't get picked up until they reach their"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":295.615,"endTime":299.71500000000003,"body":"teens, and by then it's too late and the damage is done."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":300.17499999999995,"endTime":307.27,"body":"And this has never been more important to get right than right now because studies show that more and more pupils are walking"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":307.27,"endTime":311.61,"body":"through our doors with social, emotional and mental health needs."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":312.07,"endTime":320.15,"body":"Just to put those numbers into perspective, according to the Department For Education, in the 2 school years from 2021 to"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":320.15,"endTime":330.885,"body":"2023 in England alone, the number of EHCP plans grew by 78,000 and the number of kids that needed additional SEN support,"},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":331.025,"endTime":339.149,"body":"(so the kids just below the EHCP level), also grew by almost 100,000 in just 2 years."},{"speaker":"Emma Shackleton","startTime":339.77,"endTime":343.47,"body":"So early identification is important and urgent."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":349.98400000000004,"endTime":355.44500000000005,"body":"in the past, identification of special educational needs was often left to the teachers."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":355.98400000000004,"endTime":363.18499999999995,"body":"Teachers used their own skill and experience to look at the kids that they were working with and used their judgement to refer"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":363.18499999999995,"endTime":366.23,"body":"those pupils to the SENCO for additional support."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":366.85,"endTime":370.54999999999995,"body":"But that's not going to cut it anymore because guess what?"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":370.61,"endTime":378.725,"body":"We're all human and our judgement and our tolerance for behaviour differs from person to person, and then kids get missed."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":379.345,"endTime":388.245,"body":"So what we need to be doing is using data and systems much more effectively to identify pupils with SEMH needs. How do you do that?"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":388.46500000000003,"endTime":392.33000000000004,"body":"We use the data we already collect about behaviour in school."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":392.54999999999995,"endTime":398.89,"body":"So if we have a behaviour tracking system then someone monitors that data monthly and looks for trends."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":399.42999999999995,"endTime":406.225,"body":"If we spot a child who's consistently presenting issues at lunchtime but who's never been referred to the SENCO, then"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":406.225,"endTime":414.145,"body":"we ask the question, 'Perhaps maybe there's an underlying sensory or social need that could have been missed?' We've moved"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":414.145,"endTime":423.05999999999995,"body":"beyond judgement to systems, and in the words of James Clear, we don't rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":423.84000000000003,"endTime":433.66499999999996,"body":"And did you know there's a key predictor of whether a pupil will have SMH needs that often gets overlooked and it's probably not what you think."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":433.66499999999996,"endTime":437.385,"body":"Most teachers, when you ask them, will name factors like whether a child lives in a family where there's deprivation, or if"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":437.385,"endTime":443.245,"body":"the pupil is on free school meals, or has a sibling with a special need, or the"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":446.38,"endTime":450.48,"body":"child comes from a big family or maybe they have difficulty academically."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":451.34000000000003,"endTime":457.20000000000005,"body":"But although all of those factors can be a factor, they aren't the most accurate predictor."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":457.74,"endTime":464.81499999999994,"body":"The best predictor is actually whether a child has language needs and that makes total sense, right?"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":465.11400000000003,"endTime":472.58500000000004,"body":"If a child has difficulty with receptive language that's listening to, processing and understanding what the adults are saying"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":472.58500000000004,"endTime":473.70500000000004,"body":"to them, then they're going to have difficulty following school rules, routines and expectations."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":475.269,"endTime":476.932,"body":"."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":476.932,"endTime":481.75,"body":"If they can't communicate their needs, they're going to become frustrated and then often they end up communicating physically"},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":481.75,"endTime":494.33500000000004,"body":"in an unsafe way, like hitting or kicking or throwing in an unsafe way like hitting or kicking or throwing objects or walking off or breaking things."},{"speaker":"If your school is seeing big increases in SEMH needs, here's the takeaway for you","startTime":495.03499999999997,"endTime":500.76,"body":"Good language skills are the bedrock of success for a child's behaviour in school."},{"speaker":"This means two things. One","startTime":500.76,"endTime":511.5,"body":"in the early years, preferably before the student walks into our reception classrooms, that screening process has already started."},{"speaker":"This means two things. One","startTime":511.88,"endTime":515.505,"body":"So we've picked up potential difficulties from day one."},{"speaker":"This means two things. One","startTime":515.805,"endTime":523.005,"body":"So they don't have to walk into the classroom and experience failure. We are proactively ready for them."},{"speaker":"This means two things. One","startTime":523.005,"endTime":527.81,"body":"We know what to expect and we can support them effectively. No surprises."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":528.59,"endTime":538.05,"body":"when an older student is presenting challenging behaviour, we almost make it our default position to rescreen and recheck"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":538.51,"endTime":541.735,"body":"for whether there is a language and communication need."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":542.114,"endTime":546.455,"body":"Then when we address the need, the difficult behaviour should melt away."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":548.195,"endTime":557.2,"body":"Another key indicator of a pupil having unmet SEMH needs, that child having social difficulties. Why is that important?"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":557.82,"endTime":566.4,"body":"Because when a pupil finds it difficult to follow social rules and expectations or to accommodate others, the result is usually"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":566.62,"endTime":571.005,"body":"social isolation or arguments and disputes and fights."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":571.625,"endTime":579.245,"body":"Both of those things, the isolation or the arguments, are a result of the underlying need which is the students struggling"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":579.625,"endTime":585.6899999999999,"body":"with social rules, and many of those rules, especially as kids get older, are unwritten."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":586.15,"endTime":595.675,"body":"They're implicit, and for kids that struggle with that, the isolation and arguments are like a big flashing warning sign that they need support."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":596.295,"endTime":599.035,"body":"They haven't picked up those unwritten rules yet."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":599.335,"endTime":602.715,"body":"So imagine what that feels like from the child's perspective."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":603.1750000000001,"endTime":610.86,"body":"They want to join in a game but they just don't know how to ask, or they don't even understand from a social perspective that"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":610.86,"endTime":614.16,"body":"there's a need to ask the other kids if they can join in."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":614.62,"endTime":619.0400000000001,"body":"So from the outside they appear to barge in and take over the game."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":619.26,"endTime":627.515,"body":"At face value we might interpret that as selfishness or bossiness, but the child, while they can see the other kids are upset,"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":627.815,"endTime":634.51,"body":"they're not really sure why, or they think that they're in the right and everybody else must be wrong or they're being oversensitive."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":635.61,"endTime":641.39,"body":"That means what that child actually needs to get the situation right next time is coaching."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":642.09,"endTime":649.554,"body":"That means if we are seeing kids getting into lots of social disputes at playtimes and lunchtimes and that's happening consistently,"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":649.934,"endTime":657.235,"body":"so it's not just a one off incident or a two off, then that information should be a trigger for us."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":657.775,"endTime":665.47,"body":"It tells us when we are regularly analysing our school or year group's behaviour data that if the child hasn't been referred"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":665.47,"endTime":671.57,"body":"to the SENCO already, there may be an unmet need there and it's something that we should consider."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":672.03,"endTime":679.035,"body":"And I'm not saying we should jump to conclusions about there being an unmet need, but if they've got a history of incidents"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":679.655,"endTime":684.235,"body":"that should prompt us to ask the question, does this child need support?"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":685.015,"endTime":687.559,"body":"And that's where we get systematic again."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":687.559,"endTime":696.14,"body":"We're going to need to do some screening and there are lots of tools available to assess the child's ability socially and pro socially."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":696.76,"endTime":706.265,"body":"Our social skills are our ability to fit in with the group, to say and do the right things, and to follow the right unwritten rules to gain acceptance."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":707.125,"endTime":718.2,"body":"Prosocial skills are how we contribute to the group, how we forego our own interests to accommodate the needs of the group. Basically, team skills. Skills."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":718.2,"endTime":720.22,"body":"And then, of course, we have empathy."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":720.76,"endTime":723.66,"body":"Can we read the needs or actions of others?"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":724.2,"endTime":730.859,"body":"Once we've considered these factors and assessed them, then we can put together an effective intervention programme."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":731.754,"endTime":739.2950000000001,"body":"In terms of factors that predict SEMH needs, we also need to think about whether the family has a history of trauma and ACEs."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":739.434,"endTime":745.855,"body":"And by the way, if you haven't come across the term, ACEs stands for Adverse Childhood Experiences."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":746.77,"endTime":755.27,"body":"Factors like domestic violence or a family bereavement or parents separating or divorcing, they all have been scientifically"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":755.65,"endTime":760.23,"body":"linked to a range of poor outcomes for kids back in the late nineties."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":761.155,"endTime":763.875,"body":"But some people interpret this in the wrong way."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":763.875,"endTime":768.775,"body":"So first of all, let's clear up some misconceptions. Trauma is complicated."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":769.395,"endTime":782.02,"body":"For instance, the same event, such as a parent using drugs can make one child fall off the rails while their brother or sister seems almost unaffected. Ever wondered why that is?"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":782.24,"endTime":784.4200000000001,"body":"Well, there are 2 parts to trauma."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":784.8000000000001,"endTime":793.855,"body":"It's made up of the external event that happens to us, in this case a parent using drugs, and our internal reaction to that event."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":794.3140000000001,"endTime":803.195,"body":"That's our natural resilience and stories and explanations that we tell ourselves about the event. One child might draw the"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":803.195,"endTime":806.895,"body":"conclusion that their parent uses drugs because they don't love them."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":807.09,"endTime":811.59,"body":"The other tells themselves that their parent is sad and is going through a bad time."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":811.97,"endTime":819.934,"body":"So there's not a straight line drawn between trauma and potential behaviour issues, but there is a strong link, assuming the"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":819.934,"endTime":823.3140000000001,"body":"other child isn't masking or internalising of course."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":824.095,"endTime":830.994,"body":"So here's the important thing to remember when it comes to ACEs and the early identification of SEMH needs."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":831.374,"endTime":840.0500000000001,"body":"If a child experiences some form of trauma, they won't automatically present with behaviour and SEMH needs in school."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":840.59,"endTime":845.73,"body":"They're more likely to, but it's not a definite. The probability goes up."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":846.03,"endTime":854.715,"body":"That means when we want to proactively identify pupils with SEMH needs, we should consider ACEs as an indicator only."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":855.335,"endTime":859.195,"body":"There's a history there to think about, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":859.895,"endTime":868.33,"body":"And when we're thinking about SEMH needs here, the temptation is to think about the kids who externalise, those pupils who"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":868.33,"endTime":871.87,"body":"throw chairs, walk out of class, show physical behaviours."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":872.73,"endTime":883.765,"body":"If a child has ACES in their background, but we're not seeing that, it's important to consider if they are internalising or masking. Are they quietly struggling?"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":884.225,"endTime":890.085,"body":"Their emotional churn and anxiety going under the radar because they aren't acting out."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":890.625,"endTime":899.1800000000001,"body":"As schools, we have to get better at the early identification of kids who internalise their behaviour, direct their pain inward,"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":899.5600000000001,"endTime":908.215,"body":"as well as the kids who do big outward challenging externalising behaviours that are obvious for everyone to see in the classroom."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":908.9150000000001,"endTime":914.535,"body":"Because kids who mask and internalise still have a need and it's damaging their lives."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":915.3140000000001,"endTime":922.87,"body":"So to summarise, early identification is key to a child achieving social, emotional and behaviour success."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":923.41,"endTime":932.645,"body":"The key factors to proactively look for are challenges around language, both receptive and expressive, social difficulties,"},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":933.105,"endTime":935.845,"body":"a history of trauma or ACEs in the family."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":935.905,"endTime":939.285,"body":"There's a strong link here, but not one that's a 100%."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":940.225,"endTime":947.0600000000001,"body":"If you found this episode useful, don't forget to like and subscribe or leave a review if you're listening to the podcast."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":947.44,"endTime":955.22,"body":"And remember to grab your free copy of our SEND handbook, look in the comments or episode description for a direct link."},{"speaker":"And two","startTime":955.44,"endTime":961.035,"body":"Thanks for joining me today and I look forward to seeing you on the next episode of School Behaviour Secrets."}]}