Case study: Supporting social and emotional difficulties via the Pupil Premium Colley Lane Primary School has worked with psychologists to develop interventions for Pupil Premium children, including a Nurture Suite, and to offer training for teachers. Ahead of presenting its work at a free CPD event, Kevin Gallagher explains more
'Structured conversations' to engage parents Quality parent/carer engagement has a positive impact on pupil attainment. But it is about more than just ‘getting on’ with them and requires deeper, more meaningful links. Professor Sonia Blandford discusses the potential of 'structured conversations'
In pursuit of happiness in our schools Happiness is a fairly nebulous concept, but with the right support it can be measured to provide insights into the wellbeing of your school. We consider how this can be achieved.
Improving your pupils' mental health – two case studies Supporting children’s emotional wellbeing in primary school is vital to ensuring pupils can grow into happy and healthy adults. Two winning schools from the Resilience and Results Awards explain how they prioritise their pupils’ mental health
Beating head lice in four steps Former school nurse Christine Brown offers four steps schools can take to win the fight against head lice this September
Tackling truancy and driving up attendance Deputy headteacher Nadia Jarana explains some of the strategies her inner city school employed to help transform their attendance figures
Every school needs a bereavement policy When a bereavement affects a pupil in your school, it is vital to act quickly and appropriately. Heather Butler, the author of a new book on the subject, offers crucial advice on how both staff and pupils can be supported at these difficult times
Poverty: Just how much can schools do? The Pupil Premium is on the up, but so is child poverty. With the number of children below the minimum income standards set to grow by 400,000, can schools really bridge the disadvantage gap on their own?
When primary-aged pupils self-harm Self-harm, traditionally seen as a teenage issue, is becoming increasingly common among primary-age children. Headteacher Update looks at how schools are coping
Using ICT to support pupils with behavioural difficulties Using handheld technology can prove effective in helping pupils with behavioural, emotional and/or social difficulties, who often avoid written or literacy work because of a fear of failure. Primary ICT co-ordinator Mary Farmer explains
The shifting sands of safe-guarding Safe recruitment is a constant concern for schools and an ever-changing statutory regime and lack of guidance don’t help. With new changes in force since September and more expected this spring, Dai Durbridge offers his advice
Helping children and families in hardship As austerity continues to bite, the UK's primary schools have developed a major role in supporting struggling families in some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities. Nick Bannister looks at the inspiring work of two schools
Making school count for young carers Michelle Dale discusses the importance of supporting young carers and explains how her primary school is making a difference for those pupils who have caring responsibilities
One small step towards good pupil behaviour... Small steps and consistent language can have a huge impact on children’s behaviour. Nick Bannister looks at the successful approaches of two schools to behaviour management
Tackling homophobic bullying In 2009, 75 per cent of pupils at Alfred Salter Primary School were hearing homophobic language on a daily basis. Now, the school is to become the only primary in the country offering training days to support school staff in tackling homophobic bullying.
Pupil wellbeing and attainment Wellbeing activities such as yoga, music, breathing techniques and good nutrition can help create pupils who are ready to learn. Giles Bryant explores the link between wellbeing and attainment and looks at case studies of wellbeing practices in action
Lessons in railway safety Trains are popular with children – making rail safety education all the more vital. Mark Shaoul introduces some new resources to help primary schools in this area
BESD: What's in a name? How do we define our pupils with emotional, behavioural and social needs? Suzanne O’Connell looks at how useful the BESD category is and whether abandoning it might improve children's life chances
Attendance – how tough are you? If children do not attend in the first place, schools cannot even begin to raise their attainment. But how far should we go with punishing pupils and their parents? Suzanne O’Connell takes a look
What to do with our excluded children? Pupil exclusion is a messy business with enormous implications for a child’s long-term prospects. Suzanne O’Connell looks at what the government is proposing for our most challenging children
A strategy for school nursing The government has published its long-awaited strategy for the future of school nursing. Caroline Voogd, editor of the British Journal School Nursing, offers her analysis
Wellbeing in schools Giles Bryant is the head of a research team that has conducted a two year study into wellbeing in schools. Here he talks us through his conclusions
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
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
