Dealing with incidents of sexual assault in schools Preventing and responding to incidents of child-on-child sexual assault is a key part of safeguarding in the primary school environment. Emma Banister Dean offers a practical guide for schools and parents
Therapeutic schools: Rethinking lunch and break times Continuing her regular series, expert Shahana Knight advises schools on supporting the emotional and mental health of children and staff, offering easy-to-implement and cost-effective activities. Here she focuses on rethinking lunch times and your outdoor spaces
Supporting looked after children in your school Specific support for looked after children is essential if they are to thrive. Darren Martindale focuses on three key elements – the designated teacher, the Personal Education Plan, and the virtual school head
What can schools do about pollution? We are finding out more about the impact of poor air quality on our children, especially in urban areas. But what can schools do to protect their pupils and to raise awareness? Suzanne O’Connell reports
Vulnerable pupils: Parent-school meetings In Headteacher Update this year, Daniel Sobel will be tackling common problems and questions when it comes to supporting vulnerable pupils in school. In his first article, he looks at the challenges and secrets to successful parent-school meetings
When a young person opens up to you... When a child opens up about a mental health issue, responding in the right way is crucial. Caroline Hounsell from MHFA England offers five tips for primary school staff
Spotting and tackling child sexual exploitation Spotting potential child sexual exploitation is a key part of safeguarding work. Suzanne O’Connell provides a summary of what CSE refers to, how you and your staff might identify it, and what positive actions a primary school can take
Tackling childhood obesity – the view from Ofsted A recent Ofsted review into schools’ role in tackling the child obesity crisis has led to a confusing report that criticises and dismisses our efforts, while offering schools few useful recommendations, says Suzanne O’Connell
LGBT: Common questions Equality and diversity consultant Adele Bates answers some of the questions she is commonly asked by teaching staff in primary schools
Religion, culture and diversity Today more than ever primary schools need to adopt an interesting and creative approach to teaching issues relating to diversity and difference, argues Phil Champain
More depth and detail: The new safeguarding guidance Local Safeguarding Children Boards may be on their way out but schools will still be on the frontline when it comes to child protection. Suzanne O’Connell outlines the major changes and implications for schools of the new Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance
Children missing education: It’s time to track the vulnerable Schools are expected to follow up every absence, and yet there are thousands of children who have nobody checking up on them at all. The issue of children missing education is difficult to tackle, so what can be done to protect the vulnerable? Suzanne O’Connell reports
Behaviour management: Using reflective language Using reflective language to meet the emotional and behavioural needs of children can have a big impact on behaviour and learning. Cath Hunter advises
Pornography and other online safety issues The impact that exposure to pornography has on the lives of young people is becoming alarmingly clear – and it is increasingly becoming an issue for primary-age pupils. Stephanie Enson explores the problems and discusses preventative strategies
Will the latest safeguarding changes make a difference? Schools are on the front-line when it comes to safeguarding our children. With government guidance currently being overhauled after the Children and Social Work Act, what should schools be aware of?
Prevent: A curriculum issue? Earlier this year, a report into multi-agency Prevent work suggested that a shift in focus is needed for this agenda in schools. Author Dr David Lundie sets out his findings
How to create a mentally healthy school Creating mentally healthy schools benefits staff and pupils. Emma Mamo from the charity MIND offers her advice both to schools themselves and to staff who are struggling with a mental health problem
The Stella Project: Supporting our vulnerable learners The Stella Project has been working with professionals to provide mental health training in order to better support vulnerable learners. Clare Stafford explains more about the legacy the year-long project hopes to leave
Bullying vs banter: Where do we draw the line? We often hear people say that ‘it was only banter’. But where does playful ‘joshing’ turn into something hurtful and when does that become bullying? As planning begins for Anti-Bullying Week 2018, Martha Evans considers how teachers can tell the difference
Tackling LGBT prejudice How should primary schools go about tackling issues relating to homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and language? Stonewall’s Sam Hardwick advises and signposts some of their primary resources
Pastoral support: Anticipation and preparation Pre-emotion coaching supports children’s ability to regulate feelings. Educational psychologist Licette Gus takes a quick look at this technique
A calming, therapeutic classroom environment How can you create a therapeutic and calming classroom environment that cultivates learning? Play therapist Shahana Knight offers some suggestions and guidance 1 comment
Therapeutic interventions to drive school improvement Introducing a range of therapeutic provision in his disadvantaged primary school was at the heart of Dr Tim Cook’s school improvement strategy
Talking about disfigurement How should we talk about disfigurement in the classroom? Dr Jane Frances and Alexis Camble from the charity Changing Faces offer advice on how to ensure our schools are inclusive
Attachment theory in schools The implications of attachment theory are becoming more and more relevant to the work of schools. Professor Elizabeth Harlow looks at the research and signposts a range of resources, training and support
