Literacy: Top tips for instilling a love of reading Summer reading learning loss is a common issue that primary schools face every autumn term, exacerbated this year in the wake of Covid. Dr Sarah McGeown shares some tips to help teachers instil a love of reading this academic year
How governors can support whole-school wellbeing Mental health and wellbeing must be at heart of school governance, but how? In an article adapted from her contribution to a new book on effective governance, Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers some pointers and ideas
Effective whole-school mental health interventions The unprecedented challenges for young people’s mental health constitute a public health crisis and schools find themselves on the front-line. Dr Michelle Jayman considers the barriers and facilitators to effective whole-school mental health interventions
School leadership: Starting afresh in 2022/23? With summer over and batteries hopefully recharged after a gruelling two years, how are schools and their leaders approaching the academic year ahead? Suzanne O’Connell spoke to four headteachers to find out
Keeping Children Safe in Education: Key changes and actions for schools The updated Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory safeguarding guidance has come into force. Elizabeth Rose looks at what has changed and what we should be doing about it in schools
Governors & trustees: Overcoming the barriers to recruitment Governor recruitment seems to be getting tougher and tougher. Al Kingsley considers why governance is a great role, the barriers that exist to recruitment, and how we might start to overcome them
Inclusion: How does your school ‘feel’? The real sign of greatness is not exam results or other measurable outcomes, but how your school makes people feel, what your values are, and how they are woven into everything you do. Daniel Sobel reflects
'The feeling in the classroom is calm and purposeful' More schools are signing up to transform their classrooms into therapeutic teaching spaces. Shahana Knight looks at the approaches she has helped implement at St Charles Primary School
Teaching emotional literacy in reception year The reception year comes in the middle of two key transition points when anxiety and other emotions can threaten to overwhelm some children. Neil Henty discusses the importance of promoting emotional literacy in the reception year
Working relationships: Dealing with difference If we want to build better relationships with colleagues, it ultimately starts with us. But dealing with differences and building workplace relationships is not always easy. Leonie Hurrell advises
'If you do that, you’ll be much happier in the job you do' Primary school professionals – and brothers – Lee and Adam Parkinson’s podcast has been listened to more than five million times. Emma Lee-Potter caught up with them to talk staff wellbeing, advice for new teachers, online safety and more
Using positive language to support Autistic children The language we use when working with Autistic students is important and is one of the most common areas of practice with which speech and language therapist Emily Lees supports teaching staff...
Teaching with moral purpose What is the purpose of education? As retirement approaches headteacher Jim Mepham is more convinced than ever that we want children who know things, can apply this knowledge, but who also understand themselves, others, and the world around them
Multilingual pedagogies for diverse inclusive schools We should not expect children who use English as an additional language to leave their language and culture at the school door. Kamil Trzebiatowski and Silvana Richardson advise teachers on using multilingual pedagogies
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: What a year it's been This year, Shahana Knight has transformed a real-life year 3 classroom into a fully therapeutic environment. As the end of term approaches, she reflects on the project and the lessons learned 1 comment
Difference and disability in schools: Participation or isolation? The D of SEND can risk passing unnoticed under the radar. A new guide sets out the legal duties that schools must meet when it comes to supporting disabled students. Its author Philippa Stobbs offers four vital considerations for teachers and schools
Implementing deliberate practice as part of CPD: A case study Effective teacher development involves practising the right things, at the right time and in the right way then it is a key CPD tool. In part two of his look at deliberate practice, Robbie Burns explains how his school has implemented this approach
Metacognition and self-regulation in the primary classroom The explicit teaching of metacognition and self-regulation can bring a range of benefits, not least offering us a powerful tool for improving pupil behaviour, motivation and learning. Anoara Mughal – author of Think! Metacognition-powered primary teaching – offers tips and five concrete classroom ...
The case for one-to-one device access in schools After a recent Headteacher Update webinar focused on what schools can do to close the digital divide, Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith and Sarah Evans discuss different ways of achieving one-to-one device access and how this approach can unlock powerful learning
Teacher development: Understanding the DfE's Golden Thread Are you tying yourself in knots with the golden thread? Gareth Conyard discusses two key challenges schools must navigate when considering career-long CPD for teaching staff
Deliberate practice: What is it and why does it matter? Deliberate practice is often ‘an overlooked servant’ when it comes to teacher development, but if we practise the right things, at the right time and in the right way then it is a key CPD tool. In this two-part article, Robbie Burns explains what it’s all about...
How to write an effective SEF for your school Are you about to tackle the school self-evaluation form? Ciara Lamb shares some tips for writing your SEF, so you can be confident it is set up to effectively support your school's development
Safeguarding: Responding to harmful sexual behaviours Responding to and addressing harmful sexual behaviours is a key part of safeguarding. Carmel Glassbrook considers eight forms this behaviour might take for primary-age children and how we can respond
How your school library can help pupils and staff An effective school library can support the whole school. Clare Brumpton and Elizabeth Hutchinson look at how libraries – and librarians – can play a key role in raising standards and improving outcomes 2 comments
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: An inspector calls This year, Shahana Knight has transformed a real-life year 3 classroom into a fully therapeutic environment. But now Ofsted is on its way and the school is on tenterhooks to see what they make of these unusual approaches…
