Learning environments: A question of light and air With the darker days drawing in and winter upon us, Fiona Aubrey-Smith considers two issues that do not often make it to the top of school improvement plans – light and air
Improving your pupils’ retention and retrieval A project to boost the working memories of children in years 3 to 6 has proved a success for Liphook Junior School. SENCO Nicky Parrott takes us through what they did and how it worked
How we created an inspiring school library This is the story of how a small team created a new, woodland-themed library at Halberton Primary School. Christine Campion explains
Discussion is a key step towards maths mastery Mathematics Mastery has developed a framework to help teachers use language and communication to increase pupils’ enjoyment, confidence and attainment. Joe Sarchet-Winters breaks the approach down into five tips to enable pupils to confidently articulate mathematical ideas
Teaching climate change EduCCate Global and a group of Teaching Schools in Derbyshire are supporting teachers to train in climate change education in order to equip children to handle an uncertain future on a warming planet. Headteacher Fiona Cowan explains more about the project and her school’s climate change curriculum
Mastery of a broad and balanced curriculum... Lea Forest Primary Academy delivers an enriched, broad and balanced curriculum, at the heart of which is a five-part mastery model that guides teaching and learning. Headteacher Craig Clarke explains
Getting your pupls reading The reading ethos at Wylam First School is impressive, as was shown by their performance in the 200 Million Minutes Reading Challenge earlier this year. Sean Daley explains how they have created 160 little bookworms
Embracing the benefits and fun of forest schools Creating forest school environments and opportunities for primary pupils of all ages can pay dividends. Emma Lee-Potter looks at some recent research and speaks to one school that has embraced the outdoors...
Ofsted’s EIF and the place of EAL education The new Education Inspection Framework makes no reference to pupils who use English as an additional language as a distinct group. This does not mean, however, that schools should stop considering the distinct learning needs of pupils with EAL. Katherine Solomon and Silvana Richardson advise
Chess in the classroom Chess is a low-risk and low-cost route to creativity, cross-curricular learning and attainment according to deputy headteacher Elizabeth Scott, who has been trialling it at her primary school in South Wales
A simple and inspiring use of ed-tech to boost learning The example of Blackfield Primary School shows us that it does not have to be expensive or time-consuming to ‘realise’ the potential of education technology. Fiona Aubrey-Smith explains
Leading EAL in your primary school EAL support is a core responsibility for every school. Catherine Brennan considers the key roles and duties for those leading EAL within primary schools and offers some tips on how to embed sustainable EAL provision within schools and support your teaching staff
Metacognition in the primary school classroom They are among the most effective teaching strategies, especially for pupils who are disadvantaged. Matt Bromley looks at how metacognition and self-regulation can work in the primary school setting
An inspiring range of STEAM activity ideas Science, art, technology and computing education is high on the agenda at St Mary Magdalen’s Primary as can be seen from their work each year to mark British Science Week. Gary McNab explains
Mission Mondays, RESPECT and character education The RESPECT curriculum at three Manchester primary schools has seven tenets of character education at its heart and is brought to life for pupils by the exciting Mission Mondays. Sophie Murfin explains all...
Dogs in schools: Getting it right There has been recent media attention praising the impact of bringing dogs into schools, but this must be done in the right way to avoid putting both the dogs and the children at risk. Headteacher Nik Gardner urges schools considering this approach to take on board the proper guidance 1 comment
Getting maths mastery right in your primary school Maths mastery is not a quick fix and takes time to implement and embed. Mathematics specialist teacher Chris Gallagher gives us his guide on how to introduce a whole-school mastery approach
What do you want to be when you’re older? The importance of careers education and breaking down gender stereotypes at primary age is increasingly recognised. After the publication of a new report, Suzanne O’Connell looks at some best practice examples
Getting the ‘E’ of PSHE right There are many ways for primary schools to bring financial education lessons to life. Julian Wright offers some ideas and advice from the free RedSTART programme
Supporting an effective transition for EAL pupils Continuing our series on supporting learners with English as an additional language, Kamil Trzebiatowski looks at how we can best help EAL pupils to prepare for their transition to secondary school
Five steps to maths mastery Successful implementation of maths mastery approaches requires a whole-school strategy and effective support and training for your teachers. Alexandra Riley offers a school leader’s mastery checklist
Parent-child learning conversations in action Some schools are reducing teacher workload and boosting parental engagement by scrapping homework and moving to a system of ‘Learning Conversations’. Fiona Aubrey-Smith explains
Supporting EAL learners in your classroom Continuing our series on supporting learners with English as an additional language, Emma Parsons recommends strategies and resources for teachers and support staff to use in class and offers her suggestions for CPD and sharing good EAL practice within your school
Supporting refugee children The plight of the millions of child refugees and their fight for education is being highlighted in the run up to this year’s Red Nose Day on March 15. Emma Stevenson looks at the work of two charities and seeks some advice for UK schools on how they can support refugee children
STEM: Why we should do more tinkering How can we foster creativity, open-mindedness and resourcefulness while still working towards key academic outcomes. The Royal Academy of Engineering says the answer is to tinker. Rhys Morgan explains
