Emotional regulation is not a curriculum – and treating it like one backfires

Emotional regulation is not a curriculum - and treating it like one backfires. Many pupils can explain their emotions, name calming strategies, and talk confidently about what they “should” do… yet still struggle to cope when things get hard in the classroom. In this episode of School Behaviour Secrets , you’ll learn why teaching emotional regulation as a set of lessons often doesn’t work, and how schools can accidentally make things worse by confusing facts about regulation with emotional regulation skills. Using a real-world pupil story, we break down: Why recalling strategies often fails when children are dysregulated How automatic behaviours always win under stress Why motivation doesn’t come first – and what should replace it And how regulation is built through repeated, practical, supported experiences, not curriculum content You’ll also hear a simple, classroom-friendly model – Co-regulation, Practise, Fade - to help pupils develop regulation through co-regulation, without adding more programmes or workload. If you’re supporting pupils who “know the strategies” but still struggle in the moment, this episode will help you reframe what’s really going on - and what actually helps. Important links: Get your FREE Beacon School Support guide to helping children manage their strong emotions Get our FREE SEND Behaviour Handbook: Download other FREE behaviour resources for use in school: School leaders: Join us at the National SEMH Conference (October 2026) It's a whole day focused on the real SEMH, behaviour and inclusion pressures facing schools - and what leaders can do next. Plus, right now you can get Super Early Bird tickets at £250 - find out more and book your place here.

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Emotional regulation is not a curriculum – and treating it like one backfires is an episode from School Behaviour Secrets with Simon Currigan and Emma Shackleton by Beacon School Support.

This episode is 23:01 long.

This episode was published on Mar 2, 2026.

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