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
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
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…
Avoiding the pitfalls: Teaching assistants, behaviour and learning The role of the teaching assistant in supporting good behaviour in the mainstream classroom is crucial, but there are a number of pitfalls to avoid. Sara Alston offers some practical advice
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: Ten low-cost ideas This year, Shahana Knight has transformed a year 3 classroom into a therapeutic teaching space. But not every school can rebuild an entire classroom – so here she offers 10 low-cost, easy therapeutic ideas
Statutory RSE – a role for all teaching staff Statutory RSE is not just a list of topics to tick off a list, it should be relevant to children’s everyday lives and reach across the curriculum. Indeed, in many ways, all teachers are teachers of RSE. Lucy Emmerson explains
Safeguarding: Getting the basics right – every time The basics of safeguarding revolve around identifying children at risk of harm and we can never take this work for granted. Elizabeth Rose recaps the four main types of abuse, the principles of effective staff training, and the basics of keeping children safe from serious harm
A Champion for Every Child: A case study of one-to-one tutoring provision A Champion for Every Child is a pastoral tutoring programme that has had a notable impact for thousands of Pupil Premium pupils across the Kemnal Academies Trust. Emma Lee-Potter finds out how it works in practice at Smarden Primary School
How would you respond? Playground fall-outs Continuing her regular articles on responding therapeutically to common behaviour scenarios in primary schools, Shahana Knight looks at how we might respond when groups of children fall-out in the playground
Practical strategies for building self-esteem in pupils with ADHD Children with ADHD will hear thousands more negative messages while at school than their peers, making self-esteem and poor self-image a huge challenge. Dr Pooky Knightsmith considers how to better support ADHD pupils
Covid recovery: Promoting playground play and social skills There are anecdotal reports that some pupils are finding unstructured playground play and socialisation difficult after two years of living with Covid. Jenny Mosley looks at what primary schools might do about this
How would you respond? When pupils get angry In her articles this year, Shahana Knight is spotlighting common behaviours or classroom scenarios, looking at why they might occur and how we can respond therapeutically. This time, she looks at pupils who are angry
Vulnerable students: The four domains of safety What are the four domains of safety and why are they so important in enabling vulnerable and other children to flourish? Dr Pooky Knightsmith explains
Relational practice: Behaviour and culture When we put relationships at the heart of all we do in schools then everyone benefits – vulnerable children, their peers, and the adults working with them. Dr Pooky Knightsmith looks at how
Incels: Safeguarding implications for primary schools We must not assume that the incel phenomenon only has implications for secondary safeguarding practice – primary schools must be alert too. Elizabeth Rose considers how we can respond to this new and rapidly emerging threat, offering practical advice and reassurance
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: The pupils arrive... After months of planning and a hectic half-term makeover, Shahana Knight‘s vision for a therapeutic classroom environment is about to be unveiled and put to the test by excited year 3 children...
Anti-Bullying: How can we teach kindness? What has been the impact of lockdowns, self-isolation and remote learning for our pupils? Julaan Govier and Gemma Hennessey noticed less tolerance, patience and willingness to collaborate. So, they set about teaching their pupils to ‘be kind’...
Behaviour: Check yourself before tackling flashpoints Changing the way we deal with behaviour incidents will help children build strong foundations for their learning, says Viv Trask-Hall
How would you respond? Dealing with pupils who can’t settle In her articles this year, Shahana Knight spotlights common behaviours or classroom scenarios, looking at why they might occur and how we can respond therapeutically. This time, she looks at the pupil who is unable to settle and is distracting others...
Sexual harassment: The role of RSE in responding to Ofsted’s review The shockwaves of Ofsted’s review of sexual harassment and abuse in schools can still be felt. Schools are now responding. Lucy Emmerson looks at the role of effective RSE as part of this response
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: He said yes! This year, childhood trauma expert Shahana Knight is working with a primary school to transform one of its year 3 classrooms into the ultimate therapeutic classroom. This monthly diary will chronicle the project, the ups and downs, and the lessons learned
Safeguarding: Preventing peer-on-peer abuse Following Ofsted’s review of sexual harassment and abuse in schools – and the subsequent updates to the inspection framework from September – what should schools be doing to address peer-in-peer abuse? Jenny Moore advises and signposts to some useful resources
Sexual abuse and safeguarding: Harnessing pupil voice When considering Ofsted’s review of sexual abuse and harassment, it is clear that we may not be asking young people the right questions. One immediate action for schools must be to listen to our pupils. Elizabeth Rose looks at putting pupil voice at the heart of our safeguarding response
Why ‘letting go’ is the secret to transforming pupil outcomes There is so much that teachers try to control but in doing so they risk creating adversarial choices which push at-risk young people further away. Mark Goodwin advocates letting go. It’s scary and uncomfortable, but it can be transformational too
Behaviour Hubs: A renewed focus on our approaches to behaviour in schools The DfE has concerns that standards of behaviour are slipping. Their answer is new Behaviour Hubs, a more ‘traditional’ approach, and the promise of reviewed advice later this year. Suzanne O'Connell looks at what schools might do in the meantime...
