Best Practice

Learn more about primary education and leadership best practice with our range of in-depth articles written specifically for UK primary school leaders.

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Vulnerable learners: Child-centred planning

Child-centred planning can make all the difference for vulnerable young people. Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers five principles to ensure this is done in a genuine, non-tick-box, fashion

Lockdown teaching and learning: A quick guide for families

Feeling daunted by the return to remote teaching? In this two-part series Sara Davidson and Sean Harris look at some of the basic research-informed principles that can help teachers and parents to navigate learning at home. In part two they offer advice for parents/carers

Moving beyond the label: Needs not diagnosis...

For many parents and too many professionals, the diagnosis is seen as a magic answer and the solution to a child’s difficulties – but it is not. Sara Alston discusses the risks involving diagnostic labels and looks at how we must provide SEN support based on need

PFI: Challenging overly expensive contracts

As an academy trust CEO, Andrew Chubb successfully challenged aspects of his school’s PFI contract, leading to substantial savings. He looks here at why PFI often proves unfairly expensive for schools – and what can be done about it

Ideas for developing global citizens through STEM activities

There are plenty of links between practical STEM study and global citizenship. Drawing on her new book, Emily Hunt offers quick ideas for your lessons

Lockdown teaching and learning: A quick guide for teaching staff

Lockdown: Ideas to boost children’s wellbeing during Covid

As we face-up to another national lockdown, pupil wellbeing will once again come to the fore. Shahana Knight offers some ideas and advice for primary schools

Recruitment: Running effective virtual interviews

Moving recruitment processes online has been one of many Covid challenges. Mike Donnelly offers a few tips on conducting effective virtual interviews

TIMSS: Implications for technology use in teaching and schools

We need to understand more about the effective use of technology in teaching, and invest in supporting teachers in its use. Maria Galvis and Dawson McLean looks at the practical implications for primary schools from the recent TIMSS findings

Lockdown: How are you ‘holding in mind’ your pupils?

The benefit of “holding in mind” our children and families during these difficult times are numerous. Angela Greenwood looks at what this might mean for your primary school

Looked after and fragile: How schools can support children in care

The barriers faced by children in care, or looked after children, are manifold and well-documented, perhaps more so now than ever before. How can we help these students to face and overcome these challenges? Virtual school headteacher Darren Martindale advises

Supporting the education of white working class boys

Data suggests that white working class boys are among the lowest attainers in our schools. Matt Bromley considers why this is and what schools might be able to do about it

Seven tried and tested strategies for working with autistic students

The autism resource provision led by Kate Goodwin and her team achieved national recognition at the Nasen Awards 2020. Here, she discusses their approaches and offers seven strategies that mainstream schools might adopt to support autistic learners

Boost your wellbeing: Five simple steps for school staff

The pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on the wellbeing and resilience of school staff. Dr Pooky Knightsmith explains five simple steps to boost your wellbeing when things feel hard

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Behaviour: Connection not disconnection

Continuing her regular look at therapeutic teaching approaches, Shahana Knight discusses why traditional methods of behaviour management, based on disconnection and rejection, will not yield lasting results. She looks at some alternative approaches which help pupils to manage their difficult ...

Closing the gap: Supporting the most disadvantaged EAL pupils during the pandemic

When supporting learners with English as an additional language to catch-up with their studies following this year’s disruption, formative assessment is vital to understanding new starting points. Emily Curran continues Headteacher Update’s recent focus on supporting EAL pupils

Wellbeing at Christmas: Time to focus on you

This Christmas holiday may be the first time that many teachers and school leaders have chance to take a breath and step back from the chaos and stress of Covid-19. Sophie Howells says that now is the time to prioritise your wellbeing – and offers some ideas

Schools post-Covid: Five changes for the better

What changes should schools make in the post-Covid world? What are the new priorities? Malcolm Groves outlines five changes for the better that school leaders say they want to see

What is cultural capital? Satisfying Ofsted’s tone-deaf interpretation

Ofsted’s tone-deaf interpretation of cultural capital brings with it profound dilemmas for school leaders, who may be of a mind to resist… Phil Beadle, author of a new book on the topic, offers his plan to satisfy inspectors without having to turn things upside down

Teachers and technology – six key research findings

Your teachers and your technology – what do you need to be thinking about next? Fiona Aubrey-Smith looks at the emerging findings from new research into teachers’ technology use during the pandemic

How to collect staff feedback on workload and wellbeing

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, it is important to check in on your staff to see how remote learning and Covid restrictions are affecting their workload and wellbeing. Katherine Fowler shares some practical tips on how to talk to your staff and gather feedback, so that you can help ...