Leadership and Policy

The pupils who banned phones before bedtime

After a research project looking at mobile phone use and its impact on sleep, year 6 pupils at Weaverham Primary Academy have pledged to ditch their phones an hour before bedtime. Emma Lee-Potter explains

Curriculum design under a new Ofsted regime

The new Ofsted inspection framework will see a focus on the breadth of a school’s curriculum offer, including its ‘intent’, ‘implementation’ and ‘impact’. In light of these changes, Matt Bromley looks at how schools might plan their curriculum

Baseline pilots loom as DfE sticks to its guns

Can any test taken by four-year-olds provide an accurate baseline to a completely different test seven years later? Since 2013 – despite embarrassing set backs – the DfE has doggedly pushed for Baseline Assessment. With the latest trials complete, a new framework is out and pilots are on the horizon

CPD in the EAL classroom

As schools become linguistically and culturally diverse, it makes sense to ensure that teaching staff are adequately prepared. Silvana Richardson looks at CPD to enable teaching staff to work effectively in diverse multilingual classrooms

RSE: Engaging with parents

Parents cannot opt-out of new statutory relationships education in primary schools, but should still be consulted over the curriculum. Lucy Emmerson looks at how schools can engage with parents

Recruitment: Selling your school

Primary schools with 200 to 600 pupils are the most common school type in England, making for a crowded recruitment market. Imogen Rowley outlines how you can refresh the way you advertise this year and ensure your school stands out

Three pastoral challenges: What would you do?

Inclusion expert Daniel Sobel outlines three common pastoral challenges that he comes across in schools and discusses how he would approach each situation in order to achieve positive outcomes

What is behind the spike in home education?

A notable spike in the number of pupils being home educated has sparked suspicions that a minority of schools are using ‘off-rolling’ practices. Suzanne O’Connell looks at the figures, recent research and the background of home education in England

RSCs and Headteacher Boards: Lifting the veil

The world of Regional Schools Commissioners and Headteacher Boards has long seemed opaque. Brian Rossiter looks at how the system has evolved and advises how we can best engage with our RSC

Leadership reflections: Leading the wagons west...

We can achieve positive outcomes for the pupils in our care if we ask ourselves the right questions as school leaders, and that begins with interrogating our own leadership styles and approaches. Jonathan Cordiner offers us some food for thought

Case study: Turning around a school

A formerly struggling school has achieved a remarkable turnaround over the past five years. Headteacher Sarah Isberg outlines the ethos and measures that have led to their success

Retaining our new and experienced teachers

With more teachers leaving the profession than joining, improving retention rates is crucial to tackling the on-going supply challenges. The government has recently announced new plans to boost teacher retention, particularly with additional support for new teachers. Dorothy Lepkowska reports

Case study: Innovative school facilities

As far as innovative facilities projects go, Aldingbourne Primary School perhaps takes the gold medal – from a diner made from shipping containers to a double decker bus-based breakfast club. Emma Lee-Potter takes a look

Supporting refugee children

The plight of the millions of child refugees and their fight for education is being highlighted in the run up to this year’s Red Nose Day on March 15. Emma Stevenson looks at the work of two charities and seeks some advice for UK schools on how they can support refugee children

Forging firm foundations for your leadership

Forging a firm leadership foundation is a key job for the head of any multi-academy trust if they want their schools to thrive in the long term. Primary executive head and MAT CEO Michaela Lewis talks to Liam Donnison about her approach

What to expect from education in 2019?

What does 2019 hold in store for the world of state education? Imogen Rowley dusts off her crystal ball and flags up three key areas that could see significant change this year

Spotting and tackling child sexual exploitation

Spotting potential child sexual exploitation is a key part of safeguarding work. Suzanne O’Connell provides a summary of what CSE refers to, how you and your staff might identify it, and what positive actions a primary school can take

Shared Education: A strong partnership

Catholic Mount St Michael’s and the controlled Randalstown Central Primary School have been working in partnership for 14 years, proving that the shared education movement in Northern Ireland can work. Fergus Cooper spoke to the schools’ principals about the partnership

About Us

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.

Learn more about Headteacher update

Newsletter

Register to receive regular updates on primary education news delivered free to your inbox.