In this episode, I explore one of the most effective approaches I use when working with schools: Lesson Study for Assessment.

Originally developed in Japan, lesson study offers a collaborative framework that brings together teachers, educational psychologists, and school leaders to design, observe, evaluate, and refine teaching in a way that benefits all learners. Rather than relying on expert-driven recommendations, this approach places psychology and pedagogy side by side, creating a shared process of inquiry and problem-solving.

Through real examples from my own practice, I explore how lesson study can strengthen inclusion, support pupils with additional needs, and help schools create learning experiences that are both meaningful and engaging. I discuss how collaboration between professionals can lead to better outcomes for children, while also giving teachers greater ownership of the learning process.

A key theme throughout the episode is that effective support comes from psychology and pedagogy working together. When professionals bring different perspectives to the same challenge, they are better able to understand children's needs, build on their strengths, and create opportunities for genuine participation and success.

Ultimately, this episode is about creating classrooms where every child feels valued, included and able to thrive.

In This Episode, I Explore

• What Lesson Study for Assessment is and where it originated.
• How educational psychologists, teachers, and school leaders can work collaboratively to improve learning.
• Why psychology and pedagogy should be viewed as complementary disciplines.
• How lesson study can support inclusion without becoming tokenistic.
• Ways to use peer relationships and collaboration to strengthen learning outcomes.
• How schools can develop meaningful and measurable targets for pupils with additional needs.

Why This Episode Matters

As schools work to create more inclusive learning environments, collaboration has never been more important.

Lesson Study for Assessment provides a practical way for teachers, psychologists, and school leaders to work together, better understand pupils' needs, and design learning that supports everyone.

When professionals think and plan together, children are more likely to feel included, valued, and able to succeed.

🎧 Listen now and discover how psychology and pedagogy can work together to create better learning opportunities for every child.

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, we sit down with teaching SENCO Tom Hodgson to explore why relationships sit at the heart of successful inclusion and how emotionally attuned practice can completely change a child’s journey in school.

Drawing on real classroom experience, we reflect on the emotional demands of supporting children with complex needs and why connection must come before correction. Through a powerful case study, we unpack how one pupil moved from the brink of permanent exclusion to full integration through co-regulation, consistency, and a strong team around the child.

Together, we discuss why meaningful relationships, emotional literacy, and shared staff values are essential for long-term change in schools.

In This Episode, We Discuss

• Why relationships must come before behaviour strategies
• How co-regulation helps prevent escalation
• A real case study from exclusion risk to full inclusion
• The power of empathy, curiosity, and emotional attunement
• Building emotional literacy and helping children name feelings
• Why consistency across adults changes outcomes
• Supporting staff while working with complex pupils
• How everyday interactions become meaningful interventions

Why This Episode Matters

This conversation invites educators to rethink behaviour through the lens of connection and safety. When children feel understood and supported by consistent adults, meaningful progress becomes possible both emotionally and academically.

It also highlights the emotional load educators carry and why reflective practice, shared training, and strong professional relationships are essential for sustainable, inclusive education.

Connect with Mike Lane

Website: ridgewaypsychology.co.uk
LinkedIn: michael-lane

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney

In this episode, I explore something that quietly shapes almost every school setting, why collaboration between professionals can feel so difficult, even when everyone around the table genuinely wants to help.

Whether it’s a SENCO, pastoral lead, educational psychologist, speech and language therapist, autism specialist, or school leader, meetings often begin with good intentions but end with uncertainty. Everyone leaves believing something slightly different was agreed, and the child at the centre of the conversation can easily get lost within the process.

Drawing on my own research into collaborative working around autistic children at risk of exclusion, I explore why this happens and what schools can do differently.

One of the key themes throughout the episode is that tension in meetings is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, when professionals see a child through different lenses, behaviour, anxiety, communication, trauma, sensory needs, relationships, that complexity is often a sign that meaningful thinking is happening.

I also discuss how schools can move beyond rushed problem-solving and instead create space for deeper understanding. Because the best collaborative teams do not race toward solutions.

This explores the importance of understanding professional roles properly. Too often, professionals work alongside one another without fully understanding the expertise each person brings. When that understanding improves, collaboration becomes less defensive and more productive.

Alongside this, I reflect on the emotional side of professional disagreement, why psychological safety matters in meetings, and how respectful challenge can strengthen decision-making rather than damage relationships.

Ultimately, this episode is about leadership, not leadership as having all the answers, but leadership as creating the conditions where people can think well together in service of children.

In This Episode, I Explore

• Why collaboration in schools is often harder than it appears.
• How different professionals interpret the same child in different ways.
• Why slowing meetings down can improve outcomes.
• How respectful disagreement strengthens collaborative thinking.
• How school leaders can keep the child central during complex discussions.

Why This Episode Matters

In education, we often focus heavily on outcomes, but far less on the process that gets us there.

This is a reminder that effective collaboration is not about everyone agreeing immediately. It is about professionals being willing to stay curious, tolerate complexity, and build shared understanding together.

Because when adults think better together, children are far less likely to fall through the cracks.

Connect with Me

Instagram: @‌dradammcartney
Website: dradammccartney.com
YouTube: @‌Dr.AdamMcCartney