Case study: Talking about death Talking about death is something we are not very good at and often do not tackle in schools. Yet a vast majority of pupils will experience a significant bereavement before the age of 16. Emma Lee-Potter reports on a pilot project linking one school’s pupils with their local hospice
Moving on up: A transition lesson plan Transition is always a stressful time for young people. Coach and author Naomi Richards offers some lesson ideas to help prepare our year 6 pupils for their move to secondary school this September
Mental health: Are we too quick to label? Are we too quick to label the young as having mental health problems? And do the labels we give to pupils actually get in the way of the support they need? Dr Stephanie Thornton considers these very sensitive questions
Tackling the bullying of pupils with SEND Disabled students and pupils with SEN are more likely to be bullied – a hard truth that is too often overlooked. Drawing on work by the Anti-Bullying Alliance to develop effective practice to tackle this kind of bullying, Sophie Keenleyside offers some practical advice to primary school leaders
Safeguarding: Domestic violence Domestic violence is a child protection issue that schools must be prepared for. Expert Dr Julie Leoni explains what abuse can look like, the impact on children, spotting the signs and taking action
Safeguarding advice: Keeping our children safe Safeguarding forms a key focus for inspectors during the new Ofsted Section 8 monitoring visits of schools rated as good. Headteacher Helen Frostick offers a useful overview for schools
Building resistance to extremism in primary-aged pupils With more and more scrutiny on the prevention of radicalisation among young people, Lucie Parker and Olivia Iannelli offer schools seven recommendations for how to build your pupils’ resistance to extremism
Simple ideas to support your staff’s wellbeing Can schools do more to tackle the rise of stress-related illnesses among their staff? Mandy Gallagher suggests some strategies that could help
Tackling obesity – the primary school role Preventing childhood obesity is a key challenge of our time, with many seeing a vital role for primary schools – but how best can we engage with pupils and families to make a difference? Dr Joanne Clarke reports on her research into this area 1 comment
Stress: Keeping your head above water as a school leader As a headteacher, James Hilton fell victim to the huge stress that can affect many school leaders. He now spends his time helping education professionals to recognise and overcome the symptoms of stress. It is a theme tackled in his new book – Leading From the Edge. We invited him to offer some ... 2 comments
Child protection: ‘Don’t wait for disclosures’ The Children’s Commissioner said in November that schools must be more proactive in identifying sexual abuse. Meanwhile, proposed updates to government guidance highlight the responsibilities of individual members of staff. Are schools really not doing enough?
Keeping workplace stress at bay Taking active steps to tackle the stress of school leadership is vital for headteachers. Julian Stanley offers some basic advice to help ease the pressure and encourages heads under strain to seek help now
Troubled families – is it too good to be true? Following the riots in 2011, the issue of disaffected and troublesome young people made the headlines. The Troubled Families programme was heralded as a solution. With its continued expansion, do we know how successful this programme has actually been? Suzanne O’Connell reports
The links between language ability and behaviour Are we focusing too much on the behaviour of children when we should be looking at interventions aimed at supporting language and communication ability? Dr Zoe Owen discusses the links between language ability and unwanted behaviour – and some possible interventions
Supporting refugee children arriving in your school Receiving the children of Syrian refugees as they begin to arrive in the UK is a realistic possibility for many schools. It is likely that these children will face many challenges as they integrate. Educational psychologist Dr Joanna Mitchell offers a checklist for successful inclusion
Why are our young so stressed? Young children seem to suffer increasingly from stress or anxiety. Psychologist Dr Stephanie Thornton considers why this is and offers some solutions for schools to help our pupils cope better 1 comment
How to create a calmer dining hall in your school Lunchtime can often be one of the louder parts of the school day. Author of a new book on calm dining halls, Jenny Mosley, offers her advice on achieving the perfect lunchtime atmosphere
Seven ideas to improve teachers' wellbeing Jenny Moore suggests seven ways to address the teacher workload challenge and improve staff wellbeing during the year ahead
Restorative practices – it's good to talk Restorative justice practices involve working with pupils to resolve the conflicts that often occur during daily school life. Teacher and SENCO Nicola Preston explains more about the approach
Pupils with Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes affects more than 30,000 children and there are clear legal duties regarding the support schools have to offer. Libby Dowling advises
Play therapy in schools Many schools engage with play therapy services to help support their pupils' mental health and wellbeing. Jeff Thomas looks at how primary schools can ensure they offer safe, effective and sustainable services
Staff wellbeing and mental health Brian Taylor looks at new recommendations from NICE about the mental health and wellbeing of your staff and discusses how Employee Assistance Programmes may be able to help
The CAMHS crisis Tackling the silent majority of unaddressed CAMHS cases has become a challenge for many schools. Daniel Sobel discusses two particular problems
Supporting refugees in your school community In some parts of the world, going to school means putting your life at risk and as a result many child refugees in the UK will carry with them traumatic experiences from the past. Suzanne O'Connell looks at the process of becoming a refugee and how schools can help
A counsellor in every primary school? Mental health difficulties in schools are increasing and CAMHS services are stretched. Is the government's plan to put a counsellor in every school the solution? 1 comment
