Health and Wellbeing

Wellbeing and life-skills

What first steps can primary heads take to set up a strategy that will help pupils develop the wellbeing and life-skills they need for success? Colin McLean shares some advice

Safeguarding and the law

From radicalisation to female genital mutilation, are your staff up-to-date on their safeguarding duties and will they know what to do if they suspect abuse? Safeguarding specialist Sam Preston offers her advice

Why you should let your year 6 pupils play!

Play can be an important outlet for children, but by the time they reach key stage 2 it has often all but stopped. Play therapist Shahana Knight argues the importance of play in all year groups, especially year 6

Positive male role-models

For many pupils, having a positive male role-model in their lives can make a big difference to outcomes. Kim Jones suggests hosting workshops to give your fathers a chance to engage with their children and the school

Encouraging pupils to make friends

Making friends is a key learning curve of primary school and teaches pupils many key skills for later life. However, it is something that some pupils can find difficult. Naomi Richards offers some ideas for how schools can help pupils to make and retain friends

Prevent for primaries – a misplaced strategy?

An increasing number of primary-age children are being referred to the government’s Channel anti-terrorism scheme. With a bid to remove the duty for primary schools currently in Parliament, how beneficial is the Prevent strategy for this age group?

Reviewing your Anti-Bullying Policy

What does your anti-bullying policy say about your school? As Anti-Bullying Week approaches, Lauren Seager-Smith looks at the key ingredients of an effective policy

SATs: The aftermath

The 2016 SATs might be behind us, but headteachers are still angry about what the majority see as having been a testing fiasco. With a new school year beginning, heads reflect and speculate about what should happen in 2017

Have you seen fallout after Brexit?

Incidents of racial abuse and prejudice have risen dramatically since June 23’s EU referendum result. While it is unclear how many schools have experienced problems among parents or children, there is some anecdotal evidence and the issue is certainly high on the agenda for school leaders. Dorothy ...

Developing your pupils’ emotional intelligence

With children and young people facing so many challenges to their wellbeing and mental health, having active strategies in the school environment to develop their emotional intelligence can make a real difference. Expert Shahana Knight offers some quick ideas

Engaging parents with PSHE

PSHE covers a range of issues that are vital to the health and wellbeing of children and, as such, the involvement and support of parents is key. Jan Lever discusses how teachers can work with parents and carers to boost PSHE programmes

Treading the fine line of child protection...

Every day in schools, staff need to make safeguarding-related judgements about pupils and their families. But it can often be a fine line to tread and a difficult call to make. Safeguarding expert Ann Marie Christian discusses how to handle these situations and offers some general advice

SMSC and British Values

Social, moral, spiritual and cultural education and development is an crucial duty for schools, especially in light of requirements to teach ‘British Values’. Headteacher Helen Frostick looks at key definitions to help you evaluate your school’s provision and offers some ideas for SMSC activities

Case study: Talking about death

Talking about death is something we are not very good at and often do not tackle in schools. Yet a vast majority of pupils will experience a significant bereavement before the age of 16. Emma Lee-Potter reports on a pilot project linking one school’s pupils with their local hospice

Moving on up: A transition lesson plan

Transition is always a stressful time for young people. Coach and author Naomi Richards offers some lesson ideas to help prepare our year 6 pupils for their move to secondary school this September

Mental health: Are we too quick to label?

Are we too quick to label the young as having mental health problems? And do the labels we give to pupils actually get in the way of the support they need? Dr Stephanie Thornton considers these very sensitive questions

Tackling the bullying of pupils with SEND

Disabled students and pupils with SEN are more likely to be bullied – a hard truth that is too often overlooked. Drawing on work by the Anti-Bullying Alliance to develop effective practice to tackle this kind of bullying, Sophie Keenleyside offers some practical advice to primary school leaders

Safeguarding: Domestic violence

Domestic violence is a child protection issue that schools must be prepared for. Expert Dr Julie Leoni explains what abuse can look like, the impact on children, spotting the signs and taking action

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Headteacher Update is the only magazine delivered directly to every primary school headteacher in the UK. It is published six times a year, at the beginning of each term and half-term, to keep headteachers up-to-date with everything going on in primary education.

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