Improving attendance for Pupil Premium children Attendance is a priority for Ofsted and the DfE is to introduce new requirements for schools. Xavier Roeseler outlines some strategies for supporting Pupil Premium children to attend
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
Welcoming the refugees seeking sanctuary from war Every month there are pupils arriving in our schools from abroad as refugees and the Russian war in Ukraine means this issue is at the forefront of our minds. Suzanne O’Connell considers how schools can support newly arrived pupils, and how they might prepare and plan for longer-term integration
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
Inclusion is a verb: Belonging and schools Inclusion boils down to belonging, but how can we ensure that children from a diverse range of backgrounds and with diverse needs feel that they belong in their schools and classrooms? Daniel Sobel offers some tips, reflections – and a checklist!
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
How can we support pupils who have Long Covid? How does Long Covid affect children and young people in the classroom and what can teaching staff do to help them? In the second of two articles on the impact of Long Covid on the young, Dr Sue Peters offers some practical advice
Exhausting, painful, lonely: The impact of Long Covid on children Tens of thousands of children are suffering with Long Covid. In the first of two articles to help schools support children with Long Covid, Dr Sue Peters considers the impact of this mysterious and often debilitating illness on pupils
Emotionally based school avoidance: Five tips Some pupils find it difficult to come to school and there are reports that emotionally based school avoidance has become an even bigger issue as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this article, Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers five steps to re-engage with pupils who struggle to attend school
Safeguarding: What does a culture of safety look like? Safer working practice in schools is crucial to establishing safe cultures and ensuring effective safeguarding. In this article, Elizabeth Rose explains how schools can minimise opportunity for harm perpetrated by those working with children
How do we talk about Ukraine? Engaging with young people over the war As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues and the international crisis grows, students will be filled with questions and concerns. Just how should school staff approach these challenging conversations? Dr Stephanie Thornton looks at the likely impact of the war on young people and what we can ...
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
Turning mental health support in schools on its head As CAMHS delays continue to stack up, schools are taking it upon themselves to transform provision and safeguard children’s mental health and wellbeing, says Andy Mellor
Pupil Premium tutoring: A Champion for Every Child 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 more
Mental health: Moving from reactive to proactive support We consistently talk about proactive, positive solutions for pupils’ physical health. So why can’t we do the same when it comes to their mental health? Headteacher Ben Levinson looks at how schools can ensure a positive focus on mental health
Online safety and safeguarding: A guide for schools Following disturbing revelations from the Internet Watch Foundation, safeguarding expert Elizabeth Rose looks at online safety considerations and details what schools must have in place to respond to ever-changing risks
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
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: Lights, Camera, Action! All this year, Shahana Knight has been working with a school to transform a year 3 classroom into a fully therapeutic teaching space. Staff have been inspired and children awestruck – and now you can watch a film of the entire transformation...
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
One-to-one tutoring: Dos & don’ts Many schools are implementing small group or one-to-one tutoring programmes as part of their Covid recovery work. This article asks tutors at the Kemnal Academies Trust for their dos and don’ts of effective tutoring provision
Safeguarding: Spotting the signs of domestic abuse Sadly, some children returning to school after Christmas will have been victims of domestic abuse. Elizabeth Rose considers what this could look like, the signs and symptoms staff might see and practical ways to respond
