A consistency of teaching while protecting teacher autonomy Consistency is often a misconstrued word in education. David Ruddle explains how his school achieved a consistency of teaching approaches in mathematics while still protecting teacher autonomy
Therapeutic schools: Looking after yourself... Our therapeutic schools series continues. This time, Shahana Knight turns her attention to you – the teacher. If we do not look after teachers’ mental health then how can they be expected to support our pupils?
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
The procurement process: Best practice for schools Are your school’s procurement processes up-to-scratch and compliant? Imogen Rowley offers a quick checklist to help you evaluate your practices
The pupils who banned phones before bedtime After a research project looking at mobile phone use and its impact on sleep, year 6 pupils at Weaverham Primary Academy have pledged to ditch their phones an hour before bedtime. Emma Lee-Potter explains
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
Curriculum design under a new Ofsted regime The new Ofsted inspection framework will see a focus on the breadth of a school’s curriculum offer, including its ‘intent’, ‘implementation’ and ‘impact’. In light of these changes, Matt Bromley looks at how schools might plan their curriculum
The rising tide of sensory troubles: Low-level behaviours (part 3) In this three-part series, inclusion specialist Joanna Grace addresses the sensory challenges that many pupils face. In her final article, she considers some of the smaller sensory behaviour challenges and offers us some classroom strategies
Pupil Premium interventions: The evaluation deficit We should be using evidence of what works to close the attainment gaps, but are we properly evaluating our interventions? Owen Carter looks at the ‘evaluation deficit’...
Adverse childhood experiences and the implications for schools Half of children will live through an adverse childhood experience and around one in 10 will suffer four or more. How can schools support these young people? Lynn Miles, who suffered ACEs herself, explains more and offers her advice
Theatre-inspired ideas to boost creative skills How can we integrate creativity into the primary classroom? Drawing on the approaches of the National Theatre’s Let’s Play programme, Lorna McGinty offers some ideas and inspiration
Looking after your teaching voice As a teacher, losing your voice can be debilitating and is an ever-present risk given how much we talk day-to-day. Do you look after your voice? Nikki Doig offers some practical tips
Baseline pilots loom as DfE sticks to its guns Can any test taken by four-year-olds provide an accurate baseline to a completely different test seven years later? Since 2013 – despite embarrassing set backs – the DfE has doggedly pushed for Baseline Assessment. With the latest trials complete, a new framework is out and pilots are on the horizon
A responsive, research-informed CPD cycle Designing and implementing an effective, research-informed CPD cycle for your school requires five steps. Alex Beauchamp explains
What can schools do to lessen the impact of knife crime on pupils? The knife crime epidemic is having a huge impact on communities and is leaving our youngest children frightened and anxious. A group of schools is now convening a summit in June to discuss the role of primary schools in reassuring and supporting pupils and their families. Fiona Aubrey-Smith reports
The four Cs of effective teaching assistants Professional collaboration between teachers and teaching assistants is crucial to high-quality lessons and teaching. Matt Bromley outlines his four Cs for creating outstanding working relationships
CPD in the EAL classroom As schools become linguistically and culturally diverse, it makes sense to ensure that teaching staff are adequately prepared. Silvana Richardson looks at CPD to enable teaching staff to work effectively in diverse multilingual classrooms
RSE: Engaging with parents Parents cannot opt-out of new statutory relationships education in primary schools, but should still be consulted over the curriculum. Lucy Emmerson looks at how schools can engage with parents
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
Staff wellbeing: Taking care of ourselves Learning how we can handle and beat stress is vital to maintaining our wellbeing as teachers and school leaders. Ross McWilliam offers some practical reflections and easy techniques
A STEM-inspired primary school curriculum Pupils at Willowtown Primary in South Wales benefit from a STEM-rich curriculum. Headteacher Paul Keane discusses what the school offers and how this curriculum has been developed
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
Recruitment: Selling your school Primary schools with 200 to 600 pupils are the most common school type in England, making for a crowded recruitment market. Imogen Rowley outlines how you can refresh the way you advertise this year and ensure your school stands out
The challenges facing primary science education Primary science education faces some key challenges since it was overhauled in the national curriculum reforms, including questions over how well ‘working like a scientist’ is promoted and how confident teachers are to deliver lessons. Deborah Roberts explains
