Why do some kids feel like school just isn't built for them? In Part Two of our Belonging by Design series, Culture 360 host Stu Savage sits down with Assistant Head Teacher Duncan Morrison and school counsellor/consultant James Nelson to unpack how schools can intentionally build psychological safety, trust and belonging into everyday classroom culture — not just hope it happens.From smartphone bans and ”mental truancy” to the SEN system, neurodiversity, and Paul Dix's famous ”poker chip” theory of emotional currency, this episode goes deep into what actually makes a young person feel safe, known, and like they matter — and why that matters more for behaviour, attendance and attainment than any curriculum reform.If you work in education, leadership, HR, or organisational culture, this conversation will change how you think about belonging, trust and psychological safety — in schools and beyond.🎧 Missed Part One? Watch ”The School Wasn't Built for Me” by heading to the list of episodes.

TIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to Culture 360 – Education Series Part 202:08 Belonging by design: the big question03:24 Safety, being known, and mattering07:13 The impact of social media and phones on classroom safety09:37 Phone pouches, wanding kids, and the psychology of school gates12:07 Teacher workload vs building real relationships20:10 Behaviour or belonging? Spotting unmet SEN and neurodiversity26:01 The ”poker chip” theory of emotional currency30:17 What's really underneath the behaviour36:07 Root causes: EQ, self-awareness and emotional regulation in kids44:42 Every touchpoint counts – lessons from customer experience48:54 Does Ofsted grade belonging?53:19 The magic wand question: what would change in 12 months59:40 Politics, metrics and the future of educationMeet the guests:👉 Duncan Morrison – Assistant Head Teacher at Bridgewater High School, Warrington, UK. 20+ years in education, specialising in behaviour management and inclusion.👉 James Nelson – Consultant, counsellor and therapist working with secondary school students across the UK and New Zealand, specialising in adolescent mental health and psychological safety.About Culture 360:Culture 360 is the podcast from The Culture Room exploring workplace and organisational culture, human behaviour, and performance — hosted by Stu Savage. New episodes exploring leadership, belonging, psychological safety and culture design, every week.IG: @the.cultureroomFB: @the.cultureroomwww.thecultureroom.co.nz [email protected] 🔗 Get in touch: thecultureroom.co.nz🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on culture, leadership and belonging.👍 If this episode resonated, please like, comment and share — it genuinely helps more people find the show.