Back to School Guide: Teaching & Learning In this 12-page guide, we consider what teaching and learning should look like in schools from this September when all pupils are due to return following the Covid-19 lockdown...
Back to School Guide: Staff wellbeing and support In this 12-page guide, we consider how lockdown has affected the wellbeing and mental health of school staff and offer practical advice and ideas for promoting wellbeing and supporting colleagues, both now and this autumn
Back to School Guide: Supporting student wellbeing Headteacher Update has published the first of four free Back to School guides offering advice ahead of September and the wider opening of schools. In this 12-page guide, we consider how the lockdown will have affected young people’s wellbeing and mental health, what challenges we expect to see as ...
Education post-Covid: Our principles of recovery At the Unity Schools Partnership, the pandemic hiatus has provided an opportunity to re-evaluate and focus on what really matters in education. Yvonne Gandy looks at the trust’s principles of recovery
An annual checklist for your school’s governing body What should the annual to-do list look like for an effective governing body? Al Kingsley considers some of the key roles and responsibilities and how they should be carried out
We’re ready to tackle lockdown learning loss Tackling the gaps in learning post-lockdown does not mean blunt approaches like extra homework – it is about good assessment and working smarter. Louise Smith explains the approaches being planned at Warrington Primary Academy Trust
School improvement: Peer review & collaboration Peer reviews have been described as a driving force for school improvement. Laura McPhee considers which approaches can lead to maximum impact
GDPR, data protection and remote learning In a world of online learning, data protection has never been more important. Have you got your bases covered? Lynne Taylor advises
September re-opening: Lessons from the special school sector During the lockdown, many special schools remained fully open to provide support for SEN learners. Kelley Fray considers what lessons they have to offer mainstream schools ahead of wider re-opening
Four coaching conversations for school leaders Coaching can have a positive influence on staff wellbeing, morale and performance in schools. Denise Barrows outlines four particularly powerful coaching conversations that leaders can use to achieve this sort of transformative impact
Knowledge and skills: How you can achieve both in your school There is a virus doing the rounds – it makes people think that knowledge and skills cannot co-habit. Professor Guy Claxton says that ‘both/and’ – not ‘either/or’ – is perfectly possible. He offers some practical reflections for school leaders
Saving money on your school's rateable value What is your school’s rateable value? Are you overpaying? Mark Paterson looks at how schools might be able to make substantial savings
Vulnerable students: Planning for transition back to school As increasing numbers of students return to school, Daniel Sobel outlines a framework he says all schools can use to ensure the right support is in place to ensure a successful transition for vulnerable students 1 comment
Pupil trauma and wellbeing post-lockdown When pupils leave lockdown, and return to school it is anticipated that staff will face a range of pastoral, wellbeing and behaviour issues. Teacher and mental health first-aider Amy Sayer considers the challenges that lie ahead...
How can we talk about death? ?As schools begin to re-open to more students, we will need to deal with conversations about death, bereavement and grief. In this article, teacher Zinnia Wilkinson explains how she worked with her students after the death of her daughter 1 comment
WOW: Leading a primary school through lockdown Leading a primary school through the lockdown has had its fair share of challenges for executive principal Sophie Murfin. She speaks to Yvonne Gandy about how this period has triggered changes that will continue when normal service eventually resumes
Coronavirus: On the wrong side of the digital divide What does the research say about the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on potential gaps in learning – and about how schools can best support students and their families with remote education – especially those on the wrong side of the digital divide? Dr Beng Huat See considers the evidence
Reducing teacher workload: Four key areas to review From scheduling to marking, school leaders looking to reduce the workload burden for their staff should review four key areas of school life. Matt Bromley explains
Parents of EAL pupils: Support and collaboration Supporting and collaborating with parents of learners with English as an additional language is crucial if we are to achieve successful outcomes. Kamil Trzebiatowski advises
Safeguarding and mental health: Reintegrating your pupils As school leaders welcome more pupils back into school, safeguarding will be at the forefront of planning. Bethany Eadie looks at what to cover in your staff safeguarding update so that your team feels prepared and confident to support pupils as they reintegrate
Coronavirus: Pastoral care in a changed school environment As pupils return to school, we will need to be prepared for challenging behaviour, safeguarding disclosures and signs of mental health and wellbeing problems. Anthony David looks at the pastoral priorities that must be at the top of the list for primary schools
Supporting school staff worried about the impact of Covid-19 More than half of the calls to the Education Support confidential helpline are currently related to coronavirus. Sophie Howells looks at the concerns of teachers and school leaders
Parental engagement: Building on lockdown relationships The further re-opening of schools will still involve a large role for remote education and home learning. Ben Case looks at how the improvements in parental engagement that we have seen during lockdown can be built upon as pupils begin to return to the classroom
June 1 re-opening: The concerns and considerations of a headteacher Like headteachers across the country, Rachel Jones is working with her team to plan for a possible June 1 re-opening. She talks us through her thinking, how she plans to set-up her school, and the pressure that comes with such a significant responsibility
A judgement call like no other The science on school re-opening is reassuring, but it is not immutable. In the end, it is a judgement call and schools must be given the flexibility to do what is in the best interests of their communities, says Geoff Barton
