Asbestos: A hidden killer Eleven years ago, Michael Lees lost his wife, a teacher, to the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma. He is fighting for special guidance and regulations to govern asbestos management in schools. Here he presents his case
A guide to the new Ofsted Framework With the new Ofsted Inspection Framework due to come into effect from January 2012, we take a look at what's in and what's out.
Government-funded, privately provided With government-funded, privately provided schools a growing feature of education systems around the world, the CfBT Education Trust has carried out research into what works and why. Oli de Botton explains
Choosing the right path These are times of great fluidity for primary schools. For some heads, change represents opportunity; for others it is a cause of unease and confusion. Anne Evans, chief executive of leadership charity HTI, discusses the choices available to heads
A project to be proud of In the March edition of Headteacher Update, Tom Donohoe described his school’s attempt to raise money for a new music, dance and drama room. Here, he tells us what they did next and talks us through the highs and lows of the project
Who wants the excluded children? If more and more schools do take on academy status and competition gets sharper, where will this leave the minority who hinder rather than help league tables? Headteacher Update examines the current policy for dealing with excluded pupils
Targeting truancy Every headteacher will have had to deal with unauthorised absence for one reason or another. Val Cameron, head of Park Lane Primary School in Peterborough, tells us of her experiences and how she has dealt with the issue
Unlocking literacy It seems literacy is never far from the headlines. We look at the latest research from the National Literacy Trust and ask how schools can get more children reading for pleasure
Cloud computing: Look beyond the silver lining Cloud computing may save money but choose the wrong cloud service provider and the school could find itself in breach of the Data Protection Act. Paula Williamson and Harvey Davies look at the possible pitfalls
Take teaching outside Outdoor play and learning is regarded as more and more important for well-rounded, happy children. Here Elizabeth Hudson, from environmental charity BTCV, discusses the work they do and looks at ways primary schools can get involved
The true value of teaching assistants Professor Peter Blatchford, Dr Anthony Russell and Rob Webster – researchers on the Deployment and Impact of Support Staff in Schools (DISS) project – discuss their work into the impact TAs have on pupil outcomes and teacher workloads
A solution for vulnerable families? The coalition’s Education Business Plan sets out its intention to ‘develop a new approach to turning around the lives of chaotic and dysfunctional families’. Headteacher Update looks at what this pledge entails
An inspirational year When Tom Donohoe, headteacher of Anton Junior School in Hampshire, came up with the idea of raising funds for a new music, dance and drama room, people said he was mad. Eighteen months on and they have smashed their target of £150,000.
A chance to be creative with primary science? In 2010 science was released. It lost its SATs status and schools got the chance to be creative. But have primary science teachers got the confidence and knowledge to make the most of it? Headteacher Update considers the dilemma for the third core subject
Reaching all parents Getting parents involved has always been a priority at Easington Colliery Primary School. Headteacher Harry Weightman recently took this a step further by publishing pupil information online via their parent portal.
Reading the signals The government recently unveiled proposals for a ‘reading MOT’. Former headteacher Ruth Miskin discusses techniques for improving literacy rates and examines how to prevent children slipping through the reading net
Are lesson observations raising standards? The government is calling for headteachers to observe more lessons as a way of driving up standards. Former headteacher Chris Quigley looks at the current techniques in place and asks if we are monitoring the right things
Keeping schools secure School security is a vital issue for leadership teams to consider. Emma Lee-Potter finds out that it is all about striking the right balance
A passion for learning Robin Hood Junior and Infant School, a primary school in Birmingham, has been supporting children using negotiated learning concepts. Headteacher, Richard Hunter, explains a little more about the programme
Deciphering data protection laws Is your school meeting its obligations under the Data Protection Act? Law expert Paula Williamson looks at the new tougher penalties for breaching data protection law and what schools need to do to get compliant
