Case study: Putting excellent SEND support into practice For those working in schools today, the government’s plans for SEND reform remain a distant ambition. Suzanne O’Connell looks at what one school is doing right now to support SEND students
School funding: What does the Autumn Statement mean in 2023 and beyond? An additional £2bn is to be added to the core school budgets in each of the next two years – but what does this mean for your financial planning now? Specialist Julia Harnden offers her analysis to help you prepare for 2023 and beyond
Radicalisation and extremism: Prevent self-assessment tool As the government launches a Prevent self-assessment tool and new guidance on responding to extremism, safeguarding expert Elizabeth Rose offers schools a refresher and some pointers to ensure your safeguarding practice in this area is effective
School policy compliance: Getting it right for your school How do you prepare school policies that comply with the law? Nabil Dance provides some tips to set you on the right path
Welcoming and supporting Ukrainian refugees in your school Of the more than 126,500 Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in the UK since the war began, a third are children. How can schools welcome and support them? Sheila Hopkins advises and signposts to resources to help
A school policy checklist Statutory, non-statutory, school-specific – how many official policies does your school have, and how do you keep on top of them, ensuring they are reviewed and updated as required? Craig McKee advises
Keeping Children Safe in Education: Key changes and actions for schools The updated Keeping Children Safe in Education statutory safeguarding guidance has come into force. Elizabeth Rose looks at what has changed and what we should be doing about it in schools
Teacher development: Understanding the DfE's Golden Thread Are you tying yourself in knots with the golden thread? Gareth Conyard discusses two key challenges schools must navigate when considering career-long CPD for teaching staff
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
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
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
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
After COP26: What and where next for climate work in primary schools? From eco-anxiety to the curriculum, from school travel to buildings, there is much to do if we are to truly prioritise climate change education and carbon reduction in schools. Dr Verity Jones advises and signposts to a range of resources to help
Using the DfE Climate Change Strategy to develop your school's sustainability ethos The DfE’s sustainability and climate change strategy sets out a range of actions across five key areas. Author of Leadership for Sustainability, Dr David Dixon, picks out his highlights and sets out why having a sustainability ethos is the only sensible option for schools
Responding to COP26: A robust cross-curricular approach to climate education How do teachers make sense of the decisions emerging from COP26? Alan Kinder says clear curriculum thinking will be required and offers ideas for ensuring a robust approach to climate change education
What the DfE’s reading framework means for your school The DfE’s new reading framework is being implemented this year. Kathy Ewers picks out five key elements of the guidance and looks at bringing them into the classroom 1 comment
The Pupil Premium strategy statement The DfE’s new Pupil Premium strategy statement is aimed at helping schools to explain how they are using this crucial funding. Suzanne O’Connell looks at what it entails and what’s involved
Flexible working: How can it work for your school? Over the last 18 months more school staff will have worked flexibly than ever before, but what does flexible working actually mean in the school context? Louise Hatswell looks at employment law, best practice and offers some guidance for employers
A six-step guide for new mental health leads The emerging role of designated or senior mental health lead in schools has become even more vital in light of the impact of the pandemic. Wellbeing expert Kelly Hannaghan discusses effective practice for those taking on this new position and six steps for success
Employment law and Covid-19: The key issues With a new term upon us, where do we stand in relation to our school staff, vaccinations, self-isolation and other key Covid-related issues? Employment law expert Jane Hallas offers her reflections
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
Early Career Framework: Choosing your school's induction mentors Under the new Early Career Framework, schools must appoint an induction mentor for their early career teachers. Simon Clark explains the role of the mentor, how you can pick the best candidates, and ways you can support them in their role
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
The EYFS reforms: Priorities, opportunities and myths The Development Matters guidance is supporting schools to implement September’s EYFS reforms. Dr Julian Grenier, who led on the writing of Development Matters, looks at the four priorities that are driving the reforms and responds to our recent coverage of the ‘rival’ Birth to Five Matters guidance
