The follow-up to Dave Whitaker’s bestselling, The Kindness Principle, is packed with case studies and further guidance that continues to challenge the way behaviour is understood and addressed in schools.

Transcending the traditional models of control and compliance, it explores how schools can build a culture rooted in relationships, empathy and genuine care. At its heart is a fundamental question: should we really be “managing” behaviour, or should we seek to understand the complex experiences, emotions and contexts that shape how children act and respond in schools?

Drawing on real-world practice, the book examines the limitations and unintended consequences of behaviourist approaches based on sanctions, fear and compliance. In their place, it introduces the concept of the relational school, grounded in warmth, trust and high expectations, alongside the “warm-determined” approach: combining compassion with a steadfast commitment to every child’s success.

Written for school leaders and teachers navigating the pressures of accountability, this is a hopeful, practical guide to replacing fear with safety, punishment with understanding, and exclusion with belonging.

More than a guide, it is a call to rethink practice and create schools where every child feels seen, supported and able to thrive.

For teachers and school leaders in all phases of education.