By Tony Meehan

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The School system in England is facing a number of crises. Prominent among these are special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and school exclusion. Repeated efforts to "fix" these issues have not been successful. The demand for SEND support continues to grow and to outstrip funding, while exclusions continue to rise. 

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Approaches to managing these issues have relied heavily in recent years upon highly systematised approaches to behaviour management that often leave the most vulnerable pupils, particularly those with neurodivergent conditions, unable to cope. I argue that there is a need to focus on the development of person-authority in the classroom and in schools generally. Supporting teachers to become secure in their own skins is essential if pupils are to feel secure and anchored in the institution of the school. NVR/NA is unique in providing a compelling set of principles that allows this to happen, particularly with its focus on developing adult Presence. In doing so NVR/NA offers a new conceptualisation of authority that allows the most vulnerable pupils in schools to feel they belong and feel anchored in the Presence both of individual teachers and other staff, but also in the school as an institution. Such an approach is suitable, not just for the most vulnerable, but for all pupils. It supports the adults in a school to develop a sense of agency and autonomy that leaves them better equipped to respond to the needs of more vulnerable pupils within the classroom.