Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane

00:30:20

Sensory Processing: Moving Beyond Labels and...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/10/06

What is sensory processing, and how can we better understand the way children respond to their environment?In this episode of Between Two Psychs, I’m joined by Sadie Charlton, a sensory occupational therapist, to explore sensory processing, regulation and the role predictability plays in how children experience and respond to the world around them.We talk about what occupational therapy actually involves and why sensory processing isn’t something that only affects neurodivergent children. Sadie

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00:34:42

Adaptive Teaching: Moving Beyond Labels to Remove...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/09/29

What does adaptive teaching really mean, and how can teachers move beyond labels to understand the barriers affecting learning?In this episode of Between Two Psychs, I’m joined by Andrew Young, secondary school teacher, co-director of a teaching school hub and author of Adaptive Teaching. We explore what adaptive teaching means in practice and why focusing on barriers rather than labels can change how teachers understand and support pupils.We discuss the difference between proactive and reactive

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00:06:54

Reflective Practice: The Skill You Need to Become a...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/09/22

What makes reflective practice different for a psychologist, and how can psychological theory change the way we understand what we see?In this episode, I explore reflective practice as a core skill in psychology. Rather than simply asking what happened, reflection involves critically examining professional experiences, assumptions and actions, and using that thinking to inform what we do next.The discussion looks at how psychologists can use theory to interrogate situations, consider different

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00:28:34

The Skill Underpinning Psychology

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/09/15

What does reflective practice really look like, and how can psychology move from theory into everyday practice?In this episode of Between Two Psychs, I’m joined by Lois Harreld, a trainee educational psychologist, to explore her journey into educational psychology and why reflective practice has been such a core part of her experience.We discuss how Lois’s experiences across alternative provision, youth work, mainstream education and specialist SEND settings helped shape her passion for psychology,

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00:16:08

Ep. 33 - Why Schools Misunderstand Behaviour

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/07/28

When I was asked to support a school in crisis, the story everyone was telling centred around two children. The belief was simple: if we could fix their behaviour, everything else would improve. But what I found was something very different.In this episode of Between Two Psychs, I share how I worked with a primary school where staff were on the verge of burnout, leadership had broken down, morale was low, and relationships had become fractured. Rather than focusing on changing the children, I

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00:25:07

Ep. 32 - How to Build a School-Wide Culture of...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/07/21

Safeguarding is often seen as policies, procedures, and compliance. But what if the strongest safeguarding cultures are built on something much deeper?In this episode of Between Two Psychs, we're joined by Delyth Lynch, Director of Safeguarding at Wellington College and author of Beyond Compliance. Together, we explore why safeguarding should never be reduced to a checklist, and how values, relationships, leadership, and culture create environments where children and young people genuinely feel

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00:32:51

Ep. 31 - How Teachers Can Manage Stress Before the...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/07/14

The end of the school year is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reset. But after months of increasing pressure, many teachers and school leaders find it difficult to switch off.In this episode, we explore the realities of stress in education and discuss practical psychological strategies that can help teachers decompress over the summer while preparing for the challenges of the new academic year.Drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness,

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00:29:49

Ep. 30 - Will a Social Media Ban Actually Help Young...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/06/30

In this episode, we explore the growing debate around social media restrictions for young people and whether limiting access could improve wellbeing, relationships, and child development.We discuss the proposed social media ban and examine both the potential benefits and unintended consequences. While social media can help young people maintain friendships and find communities, it can also create pressures through constant connectivity, fear of missing out, and online conflict.Throughout the

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00:29:31

Ep. 29 - How to fix Experts At Hand

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/06/23

In this episode, we explore one of the biggest questions emerging from the proposed S.E.N.D reforms: have we become too focused on assessments, reports, diagnoses, and labels, while overlooking the value of professional conversations?We discuss the growing focus on consultation within the Experts at Hand model and what this shift could mean for schools, educational psychologists, and wider S.E.N.D support services. As systems move towards greater collaboration, we examine how consultation can help

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00:23:54

Ep. 28 - Why Are School Exclusions Rising When...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/06/16

In this episode, I explore a question that many schools are grappling with: Why are exclusions continuing to rise despite behaviour policies becoming clearer and more structured than ever before?Drawing on my experience as an Educational Psychologist, I examine the growing reliance on consequence-driven behaviour systems and explore why these approaches often fail to create lasting change. While clear expectations and boundaries have their place, behaviour does not happen in isolation

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00:19:31

Ep. 27 - The Power of Lesson Study: Making Inclusion...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/06/09

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

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00:42:39

Ep. 26 - From Crisis to Connection

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/05/26

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

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00:16:53

Ep. 25 - How to Fix Inclusion

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/05/19

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

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00:30:11

Ep. 24 - Talking about the Real Stuff!

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/05/12

In this episode, we explore the realities many teachers face when supporting children with emerging autistic traits in mainstream classrooms, particularly in the early years, where needs are still being understood.The conversation centres around a reception teacher supporting a young child who struggles with communication, social interaction, routines, and engagement during classroom activities. Rather than focusing purely on behaviour, the episode looks deeper at development, asking what

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00:28:35

Ep. 23 - Why Key Stage 3 Transitions Matter More Than...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/05/05

The transition into Key Stage 3 is often described as a fresh start, but for many young people, it’s where things quietly begin to unravel.In this episode of Between Two Psychs, we explore why the move from primary to secondary school can be such a vulnerable point, particularly for students who sit on the margins. We unpack the steady rise in exclusions between Years 7 and 9 and ask a deeper question: what does this transition feel like psychologically for children, and what are schools

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00:22:59

Ep. 22 - ADHD: Over diagnosed?

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/04/28

In this episode, I explore a question that keeps coming up in education: Is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder over diagnosed or are we missing something deeper?To make sense of that, I take a step back into the history of mental health and how diagnosis became so focused on criteria and checklists. While systems like the DSM brought structure, they also shaped how we interpret behaviour, sometimes reducing complex experiences into a set of symptoms.I also touch on the Rosenhan study, which

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00:28:15

Ep. 21 - Is It Unreasonable to be Relational?

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/04/21

In this episode, we explore a question many secondary teachers quietly wrestle with, is a relational approach actually realistic in such a complex, high-pressure environment?The conversation centres on a powerful classroom moment, where what appears to be defiance begins to reveal something deeper about identity, belonging and what sits beneath behaviour. It challenges the idea of behaviour as the problem, instead reframing it as a signal.We also unpack the realities of secondary school life. With

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00:27:57

Ep. 20 - LETS GO! Coaching in Education

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/04/14

In this episode, we explore what happens when coaching enters the education system not as a quick fix, but as a way to make schools feel more human again.The conversation begins with Sam’s personal journey. From a young teacher struggling with anxiety and burnout, to a moment of vulnerability in the classroom that changed everything, coaching became the turning point. Not because it gave him all the answers, but because it gave him something simple and powerful a space to be heard.From there, the

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00:21:19

Ep. 19 - What does it take to achieve an Inclusive...

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/04/07

In this episode, we unpack the Department for Education’s latest push on inclusion and ask a big question… is this the turning point schools have been waiting for or another ambitious idea that may struggle in reality?The conversation begins with the growing expectation on schools to embed inclusion into everything they do from leadership and culture to curriculum and classroom practice. While the vision is clear, there’s an immediate tension between ambition and practicality, especially when

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00:30:46

Ep. 18 - Experts at Hand… But Is the System Ready?

Between Two Psychs with Dr Adam McCartney and Mike Lane ·

2026/03/31

In this episode, we explore whether the “expert at hand” model can truly improve the S.E.N.D system, or whether it risks becoming another strong idea that struggles in practice.The conversation starts with a simple but important question… who actually is the expert? Rather than placing that label on one professional, the discussion reframes expertise as something shared. Teachers, SENCOs, specialists, families, and even the child all bring valuable insight and it’s only when those perspectives come

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