Schools often contact us when a pupil is showing behaviours that are difficult to understand or manage in the classroom.
Many of these children are not making deliberate choices to be challenging. Instead, their behaviour is often a communication of unmet needs, high levels of stress, developmental differences, or difficulties with emotional regulation. Our behaviour support service aims to bring clarity, create a plan of action, and offer practical strategies that staff can use straight away.
Our team brings extensive knowledge and expertise that has been shaped by many years of working with children who present with severe and complex behaviour difficulties. This includes the lived experience of managing behaviour that pushes systems, families, and staff teams to their limits. Because of this, we truly understand the emotional toll on adults and the level of support schools often need. We draw on this depth of understanding in every consultation, ensuring that our guidance is grounded in real-life practice rather than theory alone.
In this blog, we would like to share a short case study that reflects the type of support our team provides. The child described below is fictional, but the themes are drawn from our recent work with schools across Northamptonshire and other counties.
Case Study: Understanding Jamie’s Needs
Jamie is a Year 4 pupil who had begun to show increasing levels of dysregulation in school. Staff described daily incidents of refusal, emotional outbursts, and difficulty coping with transitions. Jamie often appeared overwhelmed by the pace of the school day. He struggled to follow verbal instructions, and he frequently left the classroom when tasks felt too demanding.
The SENCo requested behaviour support to help staff understand what was driving Jamie’s behaviours and to develop consistent strategies. Our involvement began with a school visit to observe Jamie in different parts of the day, including arrival, breaktime, and a literacy session. It was noted that Jamie presented with significant communication and interaction needs. He relied heavily on adult proximity for reassurance, and he became quickly dysregulated when routines changed.
Teachers reported that Jamie often refused to complete work. Through our observation, it became clear that this was linked to difficulties processing instructions and managing information rather than a deliberate refusal. Jamie was trying very hard to cope, but his emotional load was already high before he stepped into the classroom.
Our Assessment and Approach
Following the school visit, we completed a detailed behaviour support consultation report for staff. This included:
We worked collaboratively with school staff to build a tailored support plan. Jamie needed clear visual communication aids, predictable routines, short and simple instructions, and opportunities for movement to regulate his body. Staff were encouraged to use a Now and Next board to help him anticipate upcoming activities and reduce anxiety about transitions.
Our lived experience was especially valuable during this stage. We could recognise subtle patterns in Jamie’s behaviour that often go unnoticed. We understood how his behaviour might escalate if unsupported, and we were able to guide staff with confidence and compassion. We also understood the emotional pressure on Jamie’s parents, who felt exhausted and unsure how to manage his behaviour at home. We offered guidance that helped them understand how Jamie’s behaviour links to unmet needs rather than intentional defiance, which often reduced self-blame and strengthened the home-school relationship.
Outcomes
Over the following weeks, Jamie showed an increase in his ability to stay in the classroom. His anxiety reduced because he felt prepared for each part of the day. Staff noticed fewer incidents of refusal, and his capacity to begin tasks improved when instructions were broken down into short steps. Small but important successes, such as completing a single sentence or joining group work for a few minutes, helped build Jamie’s confidence.
Just as importantly, teachers reported that they felt more confident and equipped to support him. Our ability to combine professional expertise with lived experience meant that staff felt understood and never judged. They appreciated that we had faced similar challenges and could offer practical guidance that genuinely worked in day-to-day school life.
How Our Behaviour Support Service Can Help Your School
Our service offers:
Every child communicates through their behaviour. Our role is to help schools understand the meaning behind the behaviour and to develop a plan that supports the child to feel safe, understood, and ready to learn.
If your school would like to discuss behaviour support, please contact us. We are always happy to talk through concerns and explore whether our service would be a good fit.
