Health and Wellbeing

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Mental health

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Pastoral issues

Pastoral care is becoming more and more crucial in primary schools because of the range of pressures and dangers that children can face. We offer a range of best practice articles and case studies ranging from mental health and counselling, to anti-bullying work and fostering community cohesion.

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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

Senior Mental Health Lead: How to have an impact

If you are new to the role of mental health lead, or you would like to make sure that your role really makes a difference next year, Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers a few simple ideas to help you to maximise your impact

Free school meals uptake: Removing the barriers

There are still a number of barriers that put children and families off applying for and taking up free school meals. Georgina Burt advises on how schools can remove some of these barriers

The features of effective and high-quality RSE

Ahead of the deadline for entry to the 2021 Relationships and Sex Education Awards, Lucy Emmerson considers the features of effective, high-quality RSE provision in primary schools

Wellbeing in schools: Common questions from parents

The Schools Wellbeing Partnership works with parents to help them choose a school based on their record on mental health. Parent champion Michelle West considers some of the common questions that schools can expect from parents

Doorstep disadvantage: Beyond the Pupil Premium

Do you understand the barriers to learning that poverty creates in your school’s community? Doctoral researcher and teacher, Sean Harris, reflects on some of the lessons he has learned as a school leader, researcher and as somebody who has experienced poverty himself

Emotionally based school avoidance: How can we respond?

Emotionally based school avoidance occurs when a student feels genuinely unable to attend school because of stress or other wellbeing barriers. How should we respond? Darren Martindale advises

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...

Designated mental health leads: What should this new role look like?

The government wants every school to have a designated mental health lead in place by 2025 and has announced funding to support training from next year. In light of the pandemic, many schools will want to act sooner. Sam Preston looks at the attributes of this key role

Working with parents/carers to support a struggling child

How can and should we work with parents and carers when a child is struggling? Mental health expert Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers some tips, strategies and advice

Behaviour conversations: Your unconscious bias...

When holding crucial behaviour conversations with pupils, we need to be aware of our unconscious bias and the negative impact it may have on our responses – and the young people we teach. Fiona Aubrey-Smith and Marva Rollins explain how, why, and what you can do about it...

At risk of dropping out? How to turnaround a disconnected young person

We all understand the importance of re-engaging with disaffected students and those at risk of dropping out, but this is often easier said than done. Mark Goodwin – who does this for a living – offers his advice and a ‘turnaround checklist’

Safeguarding: Have I done enough to keep children safe?

The Everyone’s Invited revelations and Ofsted’s review of sexual harassment and abuse in schools is focused for the most part on secondary education, but primary schools need to understand the issues too – and it never hurts to review your practice. Elizabeth Rose advises

Restorative practice: Placing relationships at the heart of teaching

Every day, in lots of different ways, our students ask: do I matter to you, do you notice me, do I belong here? Mark Finnis looks at why relationships are the most important thing in teaching and offers some tips

Behaviour and bias: Where are your blind-spots?

When it comes to behaviour, do you treat different pupils differently? Do you look for underlying needs? What biases do you have and how do they affect your responses to poor behaviour? Adele Bates discusses and advises

Blended learning: Creating an effective culture of virtual safeguarding

Schools are fully re-open but with self-isolation requirements still in place, remote and blended learning is set to continue for the foreseeable future. Elizabeth Rose considers how we can ensure an effective culture of virtual safeguarding in this new blended world of education