Leadership and Policy

Always asking why: Placing pupils at the heart of your school

Learning happens when learning is the focus, when learning is valued and when learning is modelled. Everyone at Sherborne House School is on an educational journey – pupils and staff – and they share a common language of learning. Fiona Aubrey-Smith paid a visit



Staff wellbeing: Which talking therapy is best for you?

As a school leader, do you talk about the pressures you face? Talking helps wellbeing and prevents burn-out. Emily Kenneally considers how you can make time to talk and outlines different types of talking therapy and their uses


Weaving health and safety into school culture

Health and safety needn’t be complex or onerous. It’s about being curious and using common sense, especially when it comes to risk assessments. Stephen Horn offers some advice for school leaders




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




School governors: A culture of no surprises

Ahead of the inaugural National School Governors’ Awareness Day, Steve Barker suggests ways in which this volunteer army can work more closely with school leaders to create a culture of ‘no surprises’


The school run: Ideas to boost active travel

With thousands of schools situated in high pollution areas, decarbonising the school run is a priority for our children’s health. Chris Bennett offers some advice for primary schools and explains the successful School Streets approach





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



In the classroom: Planning your learning spaces

How can we transform traditional classroom spaces to achieve more personalised learning? Headteacher Mel Shute describes her school’s involvement in the Planning Learning Spaces in Practice project


Reviewing your school uniform policy

New statutory rules on school uniform require schools to review their uniform policies, keep branding to a minimum, and ensure best value for money. Ciara Lamb advises how to develop a policy in line with the new guidance


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


A case study of inspection during Covid

Ofsted’s inspection schedule is back in full swing but there have been accusations that inspectors are not taking account of the pandemic hardships that schools have faced. Suzanne O’Connell caught up with executive headteacher Joe Roberts following a recent Ofsted


Attendance: Where do primary schools stand?

Managing attendance has been one of the trickiest issues of the pandemic as schools struggle to balance the health concerns of a nation with the need to educate our children. What problems do we still face and what lies ahead?


School culture & values: An unwritten ethos

Do you use your school’s values? Or are they positive-sounding aphorisms which are rarely dusted off in the heat of battle? Bill Holledge considers how we create and use school values and discusses the Paradigm Trust’s ‘Unwritten Ethos’



Verdicts on the Reception Baseline Assessment

We have been anticipating the introduction of the Reception Baseline Assessment for years. With full implementation finally coming last term, has it lived up to expectations? Suzanne O’Connell speaks to schools and reflects on the choppy past and uncertain future of the controversial test


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Headteacher Update is a magazine, website, podcast and regular ebulletin dedicated to the primary school leadership team. We tackle a wide range of leadership issues, offering best practice, case studies and in-depth information, advice and guidance. Headteacher Update magazine is distributed free to approximately 20,000 primary school headteachers.

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