Best Practice

Safeguarding: Spotting the signs of domestic abuse

Sadly, some children returning to school after Christmas will have been victims of domestic abuse. Elizabeth Rose considers what this could look like, the signs and symptoms staff might see and practical ways to respond

A case study of inspection during Covid

Ofsted’s inspection schedule is back in full swing but there have been accusations that inspectors are not taking account of the pandemic hardships that schools have faced. Suzanne O’Connell caught up with executive headteacher Joe Roberts following a recent Ofsted

Attendance: Where do primary schools stand?

Managing attendance has been one of the trickiest issues of the pandemic as schools struggle to balance the health concerns of a nation with the need to educate our children. What problems do we still face and what lies ahead?

School culture & values: An unwritten ethos

Do you use your school’s values? Or are they positive-sounding aphorisms which are rarely dusted off in the heat of battle? Bill Holledge considers how we create and use school values and discusses the Paradigm Trust’s ‘Unwritten Ethos’

Verdicts on the Reception Baseline Assessment

We have been anticipating the introduction of the Reception Baseline Assessment for years. With full implementation finally coming last term, has it lived up to expectations? Suzanne O’Connell speaks to schools and reflects on the choppy past and uncertain future of the controversial test

Where next? Taking edtech into 2022

After almost two years of edtech development in response to the pandemic, Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith looks at what 2022 has in store for us, touching upon the changing nature of the digital divide, assessment, parental engagement and personalised learning

How flexible working can succeed in your primary school

Flexible working is increasingly seen as a solution to recruitment and retention challenges, especially given our recent experience during Covid. Colin Hooker advises on some effective ways to offer flexible options which benefit schools, staff and pupils

Refocusing on Prevent: Five actions to take now

It feels like work on the Prevent Duty has gone quiet during the pandemic. Justin Reilly says now is the right time for schools to rejuvenate their focus on Prevent and offers five actions we can take

Anti-Bullying: How can we teach kindness?

What has been the impact of lockdowns, self-isolation and remote learning for our pupils? Julaan Govier and Gemma Hennessey noticed less tolerance, patience and willingness to collaborate. So, they set about teaching their pupils to ‘be kind’...

EAL: Adaptive teaching in language-heavy subjects

History, geography, English literature and religious studies are undeniably language-heavy subjects, making them particularly challenging for learners who have English as an additional language. Caroline Bruce offers some advice, ideas and resources to support your teaching of EAL pupils

Edtech: Common mistakes made by schools

The EdTech Demonstrator programme is funded by the DfE to offer technology support and advice to schools. After operating for 18 months, Sally Lanni looks at some of the common ‘mistakes’ that she sees

Getting the most out of your MAT

As a teacher, how do you get the most out of your school’s multi-academy trust? Paul Ainsworth looks at some of the opportunities MATs should be providing for their staff and what teachers themselves can do to take advantage

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Headteacher Update is a magazine, website, podcast and regular ebulletin dedicated to the primary school leadership team. We tackle a wide range of leadership issues, offering best practice, case studies and in-depth information, advice and guidance. Headteacher Update magazine is distributed free to approximately 20,000 primary school headteachers.

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