In this episode, Clare talks to Murray Hodge-Neill, Assistant Director of the PBL team at the ACT Education Directorate, Australia, about restorative approaches in education.

In Part 1 of a two-part series, they discuss the history of and terminology around restorative approaches. They also explore the key principles and components of a restorative approach and what some of the barriers might be for staff and schools.

Murray is a teaching professional in Canberra, Australia. He is an accredited Team Teach trainer and currently manages Team Teach training for all 93 schools in the ACT Education Directorate, including supporting approximately 150 Foundation trainers.

Murray has expertise in restorative processes in schools and is a trained Restorative Conference Facilitator. Murray leads the Restorative School Communities Initiative in ACT schools, providing professional learning and implementation support directly to schools.

He shares some useful terminology around restorative approaches:

Restorative approach – Conducting oneself in personal interactions in ways that prioritise relationship, seek to understand with empathy, and value each individual. A restorative approach is collaborative, looks for solutions, and strives to be at peace with those around you.

Restorative culture – An environment where all people use a restorative approach. Relationship, empathy, and collaboration are central when making decisions and addressing harm or conflict.

Restorative conversations – An approach to resolving conflict or harm that centralises mutual understanding, identifying harm, and agreeing on how to repair harm and interact more positively in the future. A restorative conversation explores what happened, what harm was caused, how it is currently affecting people and relationships, and deciding the way forward. Restorative conversations also look beyond what was done and said, to include what people are thinking and feeling.

Restorative conference – A more formal and structured form of restorative conversation that is used for incidents that have a higher level of complexity or harm. Restorative conferences are not scripted, but they follow a structured and consistent format. Restorative conferences should only be facilitated by someone with the skill required for the complexity of the situation.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector and geographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

In this episode, Clare talks to Lisa Pinkerton, Head of Education at Widgit Software, about how to use symbols to support emotional regulation.

They talk about what self-regulation and co-regulation mean and how the ability to regulate emotions can impact behaviour. They also discuss how visuals and symbols fit into the teaching of emotional regulation, helping to support individuals, provide scaffolding, reduce cognitive load, and create calm, safe and consistent environments.

Lisa joined the Widgit team in 2025, having been an avid symbol-user and enthusiast throughout her 26 years of teaching in the primary sector. Until recently, Lisa was a Deputy Head Teacher and Inclusion Lead at a large primary school. Alongside this, she worked as a SEND consultant for alternative provisions, and as a qualified specialist teacher for literacy-related difficulties. Lisa’s lifelong passion has been effective inclusion for all pupils, regardless of background, needs or ability. She continues to share this enthusiasm through being a Lead Facilitator for the NPQSENCo award with the Best Practice Network.

You can find out more about Widgit Software on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, or on their website.

Lisa also shares three tips during the episode:

• Focus on consistent routines and relational practice, to help individuals feel safe, understood, and empowered to self-regulate.
• Use inclusive scaffolds to discuss and develop emotional literacy.
• Plan the environment with intention and care.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgement to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector and geographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

Warning: This episode includes frank discussions around self-harm which some listeners may find distressing. Please use discretion when listening and take a break if needed.

In this episode, Clare talks to Marie Greenhalgh, Relationships Director at Inclusion Education, about how to have sensitive conversations around self-harm.

They discuss what self-harming behaviour might look like, explore some of the underlying reasons for self-harm, and identify ways to address associated feelings of shame, stigma, and secrecy. They also talk about how to create supportive environments where children and young people feel safe to share their emotions and engage in sensitive conversations.

Marie is Relationships Director at Inclusion Education, where she has worked for over 16 years, building programmes and education provision that support young people with mental health needs and neurodivergence.

She was Project Lead for Baton of Hope Tour, Basingstoke in 2025 and co-authored ‘All the Things They Never Told You About Teaching: Facilitating Sensitive Conversations with Our Learners’ and 'Supporting Bereaved Children in the Primary Classroom’, both of which are published by Routledge.

She is also a Community Ambassador for Winston’s Wish, and monthly columnist for Fusion Magazine UK. Marie is passionate about diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, and challenging the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health and suicide.

You can find Marie on LinkedIn or go to Inclusion Education to find out more about how to support children and young people in your organisation.

Marie also shares three tips during the episode:

• Listen with empathy and compassion, not judgement.
• Know your processes, to make sure you are equipped with the confidence to have difficult conversations.
• Conversations around self-harm can be very upsetting, so make sure you seek support for yourself, too.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector and geographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

In this episode, Clare talks to Priyanka Lalwani, Lead Educator for children with special needs at The Developing Child Center, about inclusive classrooms for neurodivergent learners.

They discuss the features of an effective inclusive classroom and the importance of having an empathetic, inclusive mindset. Priyanka highlights the role of the adult in co-regulation and explores a range of proactive, adaptive strategies that can support regulation, reduce escalation, and foster autonomy in children and young people.

Priyanka Lalwani is a Lead Educator and ABA therapist based in Dubai, currently working at The Developing Child Center. She has over nine years’ experience working in international school settings, supporting autistic children and those with ADHD and social, emotional, and behavioural needs.

Priyanka uses evidence-informed and play-based approaches, collaborates closely with multidisciplinary teams, and designs individualised education plans. She is deeply committed to giving back to society and supporting children and families. She is currently completing a master’s in Inclusion and Special Educational Needs.

You can find out more about Always Inclusive on Instagram.

Priyanka also shares three tips during the episode:

• Build organic relationships with students, remembering that small tweaks and adjustments can benefit all children.
• If possible, set up a calm corner for students to use when they feel overwhelmed or dysregulated.
• Visuals are crucial for supporting communication.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Each episode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector and geographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about pre-escalation.

Dave shares ways to shape the environment to support individuals and highlights how making adjustments can help build resilience. They also discuss the challenges of only focusing on crisis behaviour and how shifting our attention to pre-escalation can improve outcomes for everyone, through taking a consistent, values-based approach.

Dave has worked in special schools, for both the local authority and the National Autistic Society and has extensiveexperience of supporting young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities.

When he worked as a staff development co-ordinator for the National Autistic Society, Dave developed and delivered training in autism, and equality, diversity, and rights.

You can find Dave on LinkedIn.

He also shares three tips during the episode:

• Investing time into understanding pre-escalation can transform outcomes.
• Empower staff to make the right decisions around behaviour support by sharing ideas and suggestions.
• Be consistent around implementation of plans and hold each other to account.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Eachepisode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector andgeographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

In this episode, Clare talks to David Bartlett MBE, founder and Managing Director of Pear Tree Projects, about workingholistically in children’s residential care.

David introduces his foundational framework of values, environment and experiences that underpins his organisation’s approach, and reflects on the interplay between these three elements. He also emphasisesthe importance of involving children and young people in designing their environment and supporting them to build skills for life. They discuss what is meant by ‘animal-assisted therapy’ and the benefits of this approach for individuals who have experienced trauma.

Guided by a values-based approach and strong connection to nature, David Bartlett founded Pear Tree Projects in 1990, toprovide an alternative environment in which children and young people in the care system could thrive. Pear Tree Projects currently has 6 residential homes and a special school based on the organisation’s farms, which cover over 500 acres of land. David received an MBE in 2016.

Find out more about Pear Tree Projects on their website, where you can also read David’s publication, ‘In Search of Utopia’.

He also shares three tips during the episode:

• Giving young people the skills they need to engage in economic society and preparing them well for employment is key.
• Acknowledge the importance and impact of a behaviourist approach.
• Implement a fair and effective justice system in your setting.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Eachepisode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector andgeographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about ways to reduce internal truancy.

They discuss what is meant by internal truancy and why some students might find it difficult to attend classes and accesseducation. Dave also explores the impact on children and young people, and suggests practical ways for staff to build strong relationships and help students re-engage with learning.

Dave has worked in special schools, for both the local authority and the National Autistic Society and has extensiveexperience of supporting young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities.

When he worked as a staff development co-ordinator for the National Autistic Society, Dave developed and delivered training in autism, and equality, diversity, and rights.

You can find Dave on LinkedIn.

He also shares three tips during the episode:

• Communication and collaboration are key. If you have a strategy that you think is effective, share it with other practitioners.
• Try to spot patterns early and take preventative action to support individual students’ needs
• Consider the ‘why’ behind the behaviour and reflect on what some of the barriers to accessing learning might be.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Eachepisode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector and geographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.

In this episode, Clare talks to Dave Smallwood, Principal Team Teach trainer and Director at SENse Training and Consultancy, about de-escalating with parents and carers.

They explore different reasons why parents and carers might feel dysregulated and how our own emotional state can affect our capacity to empathise and support them. They also talk about finding incidental opportunities for building connection with families when everyone is feeling calm and regulated. Dave highlights helpful tools for de-escalation, including verbal and non-verbal CALM communication strategies.

Dave has worked in special schools, for both the local authority and the National Autistic Society and has extensiveexperience of supporting young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities.

When he worked as a staff development co-ordinator for the National Autistic Society, Dave developed and delivered training in autism, and equality, diversity, and rights.

You can find Dave on LinkedIn.

He also shares three tips during the episode:

• Being empathetic and trying to understand others’ perspectives can help us devise the right support.
• We should prioritise safety, making sure we are in an environment where everyone feels safe.
• Authenticity is key, so that parents and carers know that we truly care.

The Team Teach podcast shares the latest thinking in behaviour, all in handy 15-minute (ish) bite-sized chunks. Eachepisode features a new guest chatting about a different aspect of behaviour and leaves you with three handy tips to use in your setting.

Find out how Team Teach can help your organisation.

The Team Teach podcast is created in the UK, adhering to UK law and guidance. Practitioners should exercise their professional judgment to determine the appropriateness of any Team Teach material for their specific sector andgeographic region, and be aware of the applicable laws and guidelines governing their organisation.