NeuroSmart Safe and Regulated Classroom Framework

A whole-school framework for behaviour, wellbeing, and safeguarding in Irish schools

Behaviour challenges don't happen because staff don't care.

They happen because students are overwhelmed and adults are under pressure.

Most schools are trying to manage behaviour without a shared, safety-led system — leaving individual teachers to make high-stakes decisions alone, in the moment.

This framework changes that.

What this framework actually does

The NeuroSmart Safe and Regulated Classroom Framework gives schools a clear, defensible way to respond to behaviour that prioritises:

Safety before reaction

Regulation before correction

Predictable adult responses

Proportionate, ethical decision-making

It replaces guesswork and inconsistency with a shared professional approach that works in mainstream and special class settings.

Who it's for

This framework is designed for schools that want to:

Reduce behavioural escalation

Support autistic and vulnerable students safely

Move away from punitive or reactive systems

Protect staff from burnout and complaint risk

Align behaviour, wellbeing, safeguarding, and inclusion

It is suitable for:

Primary and post-primary schools

Mainstream classrooms

Special classes and SEN settings

Whole-school adoption

The problem most schools are facing

Many schools are experiencing:

Increased dysregulation and emotional distress

Staff uncertainty about 'what to do next'

Inconsistent responses across classrooms

Over-reliance on sanctions that don't work

Fear of getting behaviour responses wrong

Without a shared framework:

Escalation increases

Staff confidence drops

Students feel unsafe

Leadership carries unnecessary risk

The solution: a safety-led operating system

The NeuroSmart framework is not:

A behaviour management programme

A reward or sanction system

A rigid script

A one-off training

It is:

A whole-school framework

Grounded in nervous system regulation

Aligned with LAOS, safeguarding, and wellbeing

Practical, inspectable, and defensible

It gives staff a clear answer to:
"What is the safest, most proportionate response right now?"

What schools receive

A complete framework manual

• Professional rationale and duty of care alignment

• Six clear safety anchors for decision-making

• Guidance for mainstream and special classes

Practical operating tools

• Regulation Support Plans

• If–Then response pathways

• Incident response records (non-punitive)

• Repair and restoration logs

• Environmental and systems review tools

Policy and inspection alignment

• Code of Behaviour wording

• Wellbeing Policy alignment

• Child Safeguarding alignment

• LAOS mapping

• Board of Management briefing note

Everything is designed to be used, not admired.

Why this works

Because it focuses on:

Prevention, not punishment

Consistency, not individual heroics

Systems, not blame

Safety, not compliance

When adults are predictable and regulated:

Students escalate less

Recovery is faster

Staff feel safer

Learning improves

What changes when schools adopt it

Schools commonly report:

Fewer high-intensity incidents

Increased staff confidence

Clearer communication with families

Better consistency across settings

Reduced reliance on exclusionary practices

Most importantly:
Students experience school as safer — and staff stop feeling exposed.

Built for Irish schools

Uses Irish education language

Aligns with Looking at Our School

Supports safeguarding obligations

Respects professional judgement

Works within real-world constraints

It is designed to stand up to inspection, not just theory.

How it's typically implemented

1

Introduce the framework to staff

2

Agree shared language and principles

3

Use the tools where needed (not everywhere)

4

Review and refine through SSE

It scales at the school's pace.

In plain terms

This framework exists so staff can say:

"We didn't improvise.
We followed an agreed, safety-led framework."

That sentence matters.

Next steps

If your school is ready to move towards:

Safer classrooms
Calmer adults
More consistent practice
Fewer reactive decisions

then the NeuroSmart Safe and Regulated Classroom Framework provides the structure to do so. Learn more about how schools implement the framework.

For pricing, licensing, or school adoption details, get in touch.

[email protected]