Managing behaviour in schools is a key consideration for senior school leaders. It is a topic that often draws attention in the media and is a major cause of stress for teaching staff. The case study reported in this article forms the pilot study for a larger piece of PhD research which includes interviews with senior school leaders from around the UK and internationally. The aim of the larger study is to explore alternative approaches to behaviour management in schools, other than the predominant system of rewards and sanctions. This case study examines the views of one senior school leader at a secondary school and explores his perceptions and experiences of behaviour management. An interview was conducted with the senior school leader which was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Three superordinate themes were identified from the interview data: aspirations, relationships and the importance of a structured behaviour management system.