As another academic year draws to a close, school leaders finally have an opportunity to step back and reflect on the challenges of the past twelve months.
For many schools, one issue continues to dominate conversations—managing challenging behaviour.
At GoodSense, we have seen a significant increase in enquiries from schools looking to strengthen their approach to behaviour management, de-escalation and Positive Handling ahead of September. The summer holidays provide valuable time to review policies, refresh staff knowledge and ensure everyone starts the new academic year with confidence.
Schools today are supporting children and young people with an increasingly diverse range of needs.
Alongside academic learning, staff are helping pupils who may be experiencing:
As expectations on schools continue to evolve, so too does the complexity of behaviour that staff may encounter.
Many schools report increasing incidents involving emotional dysregulation, physical aggression, refusal behaviours, damage to property and pupils entering crisis. While these situations remain a small proportion of daily school life, they can have a significant impact on learning, staff confidence and the wellbeing of the wider school community.
This is why effective behaviour management training is becoming an essential part of staff development.
Recent developments in SEND policy and behaviour guidance continue to reinforce an important principle: behaviour should not simply be managed—it should be understood.
Schools are increasingly expected to demonstrate that they:
This reflects a growing understanding that behaviour is often the outward expression of an unmet need.
A child who appears oppositional may be anxious.
A pupil refusing to enter a classroom may be overwhelmed by sensory input.
Aggressive behaviour may be driven by fear, frustration or an inability to communicate effectively.
When staff understand what behaviour is communicating, they are better equipped to respond calmly, consistently and effectively.
One of the biggest misconceptions about positive handling training is that it focuses primarily on physical intervention.
In reality, high-quality training is centred on preventing situations from escalating to the point where physical intervention becomes necessary.
Effective behaviour management begins with understanding.
Staff need confidence in recognising early warning signs, adapting their communication, reducing triggers and using evidence-based de-escalation strategies that help pupils regain emotional control.
At GoodSense, our training focuses on:
Physical intervention is introduced only as a genuine last resort, where there is an immediate risk of harm and no safer alternative is available.
Where practical skills are required, they are always taught within the framework of least restrictive practice, ensuring any intervention is reasonable, proportionate, necessary and used for the shortest time possible.
Finding time for meaningful professional development during term time is increasingly difficult.
The summer break provides schools with an opportunity to invest in their staff without the daily pressures of teaching and operational demands.
Many schools use this time to:
Rather than reacting to incidents as they arise during the autumn term, schools can begin the year with shared expectations, consistent approaches and confident staff.
No two schools experience challenging behaviour in exactly the same way.
A mainstream school, specialist SEND provision, pupil referral unit, alternative provision or SEMH setting will each have unique environments, pupils and risks.
For this reason, behaviour management training should never follow a generic script.
Before every course, we work with schools to understand:
Training is then tailored using realistic scenarios based on situations staff genuinely experience, making the learning practical, memorable and immediately applicable.
Managing challenging behaviour places significant emotional demands on education professionals.
Repeated exposure to aggression, emotional distress and crisis situations can reduce confidence, increase stress and contribute to staff absence or burnout if appropriate support is not available.
Investing in high-quality behaviour management training benefits not only pupils but also the adults who support them every day.
Confident staff are more likely to:
Ultimately, safer staff help create safer schools.
The school holidays are far more than a pause in the academic calendar—they provide an opportunity to prepare for the year ahead.
With increasing expectations around inclusion, SEND, behaviour management and staff wellbeing, ensuring colleagues feel confident in managing challenging behaviour has never been more important.
By reviewing policies, refreshing knowledge and strengthening practical skills during the summer break, schools can begin the new academic year ready to provide safe, supportive and inclusive learning environments where every pupil has the opportunity to thrive.
GoodSense delivers bespoke Behaviour Management, Managing Challenging Behaviour and Positive Handling Training for schools, academies, specialist provisions, SEND settings and alternative education providers throughout the UK.
Every course is tailored to your setting and combines:
Whether you are planning an INSET day, refreshing existing staff knowledge or introducing training for new colleagues, we work with you to ensure every programme reflects the real challenges your team faces.
Summer is the perfect time to secure your dates and ensure your staff return confident, consistent and equipped with the skills to manage challenging behaviour safely, effectively and compassionately.
