Grateful to get the chance to attend the @IrvineRoyalAcad Christmas concert! Such talented young people and dedicated staff! It’s easy to forget with some of the challenges in education at the moment that there’s still so many wonderful things going on! Thank you for inviting me!

The Bad Kid Myth No child is born with a heart made of stone, No plan to ruin your day when they wake, alone. Behaviors you see are a cry, not a curse, A story untold in actions, not words. For deep within, there’s a hunger, a need, A longing for kindness, attention to feed. A spark of compassion can kindle the way, To turn rough roads smooth, to lead them astray. No "bad kid" exists, just emotions untamed, A soul that’s been hurt, misunderstood, blamed. Lead with your empathy, offer a hand, You might be the one who helps them to stand. It takes but one caring heart to ignite, A future of love, to guide them to light. So, see through the anger, the walls they’ve built high, Behaviors are messages — look with soft eyes. Fuel them with hope, not judgment or fear, And you’ll be the reason they finally hear That they’re worthy of kindness, deserving of grace— A new path unfolding, a brighter, safe space.

facebook.com/share/r/r9sYLf9… - Really interesting - if we got this right we would save so much money in the long run and more importantly so many wasted lives!

Greenwood Academy in @North_Ayrshire introduced a variety of interventions to successfully improve engagement, attendance and qualifications gained by targeted groups of pupils from S1-S5. #ScottishAttainmentChallenge Find out what the school did 👇 ow.ly/kyUw50TcYeQ

What are Graham Norton, john swinney and Will Ferrell doing some dad dancing and singing the final song at the Eurovision semi finals??? 😉#eurovison

This article really struck a chord! The medical model of mental illness that it is biological often ignores the complexity of its origins and that it is a response to the very real social world and incredibly challenging situations we find ourselves in! amp.theguardian.com/society/…

Delighted to be at the first in person SDEP National Conference for 4 years! Hearing about exclusion across the 4 nations and some of the challenges! So important to explore these issues so we can continue to positively support our cyp and staff working with them. @nac_eps

Did you know we work with educational psychologists to identify and address systemic changes needed across education? Here, you can find their latest think piece on the psychology of school attendance 👉 ow.ly/JIW250QwCqX #ScottishAttainmentChallenge #SAC #attendance

If you are concerned that someone you know may be suicidal, please ask them directly whether they have been thinking about suicide. It could save a life #TimeToTalk

Great to be part of supporting needs collaborative where the shared message between educ and health was about compassionate adults who set clear boundaries&expectations for behaviour.Looking forward to continuing the discussion with ⁦@NHSaaaNSAIS⁩ ⁦⁦@NAC_Education⁩

Some interesting points in this article! Whilst it is discussing the English system - some of its arguments undoubtedly apply in Scotland, particularly around labelling! SEND: a label worth having? tes.com/magazine/teaching-le…

Happy holidays to the hard working staff who are stopping for their holidays today! It hasn’t been an easy few terms but the commitment of staff has really shone through! Wishing you all a wonderful break! @NAC_Education @HealthNac @nac_eps

I absolutely love seeing all the Christmas trees and lights when I’m out and about at this time of year! I think it might be about connection, that regardless of our religious beliefs we can all come together at one time and have hope that there is some light in the darkness!🎄

Do you work with children and young people with challenging behaviour? Would you like to support them in a trauma-informed way that helps to address the causes? Find out more here... ow.ly/oMvk50Q3BIq #TraumaInformedTraining

Reading this and thinking how the ideas resonate with our ‘Building on Positive Relationships’ approach in NA. Importance of the adult setting the emotional tone (adult presence), scripts to help de-escalate and ‘positive noticing’ (relational gestures). Great practical advice!

Love this. Great example of attunement between baby and mum! I’ve always been puzzled by why you get ante natal classes to help you with the birth but reinforcing the importance of this type of interaction isn’t a prerequisite when you have a baby!!

You wont get this anywhere else... Through @saiaorg you can now attend elements of DDP PACE training delivered online. Dip in and out and just attend the days you want. Find out more tinyurl.com/44zh7zem Attend all 5 sessions to gain the DDPI certificate.

We are looking for two outstanding executive managers to help lead our education service and drive further improvements. Could this be you? See link for more details and application form. (Updated link) myjobscotland.gov.uk/council…