Parental engagement

Supporting EAL pupils who arrive late in school

Supporting EAL students who arrive ‘late’ – specifically in year 5 or in year 6 – is a common but particular challenge for primary schools. Kamil Trzebiatowski offers his advice, resources and ideas

Top 10 tips for... Reception to year 1 transition

When children arrive in reception it is a carefully thought-out process with lots of preparation. But it could be argued that the move from reception to year 1 gets less attention. Suzanne O’Connell gives us 10 suggestions for making it smoother

School transport provision: An overview

What does the law expect of schools and local authorities in providing transport to pupils? How can schools challenge unsatisfactory arrangements? Nabil Dance tackles the legal requirements and practical elements that schools should be aware of

Top 10 tips for... Interesting assemblies

Assemblies can help you to develop your whole school ethos and bring your learning community together. As part of our regular top 10 tips series, Suzanne O’Connell considers making assembly time better

The SEND Tribunal: Attending the hearing

The SEND Tribunal specialises in hearing SEN appeals and disability discrimination claims concerning children in schools. In the second of two articles, Nabil Dance offers advice on preparing for and attending a hearing

At crisis point: Poverty in our communities

The cost-of-living crisis has not left many untouched and those working in schools are experiencing first-hand the impact it is having on families. Suzanne O'Connell speaks with three schools to find out what they are seeing and what they are doing to help

Parental complaints: How to respond and resolve problems

What is the best approach to handling written complaints from parents? What are the common mistakes that primary schools make during the complaints procedure? Nabil Dance provides a concise analysis and some practical tips on how we can respond effectively

Four ideas to ensure high school attendance

School attendance is a priority for all schools. No matter what your context, it is vital that you do not leave attendance to chance. Paul K Ainsworth considers four ideas to try and ensure high attendance

Cost of living crisis: Conversations with pupils

The cost of living crisis is biting hard. Pupils, families, and school staff are all suffering. In two articles, Sean Harris considers how to support both pupils and school staff. He begins by focusing on how we might respond with our pupils and their families

Closing the Digital Divide: What can schools do?

A recent SecEd and Stone Group webinar discussed what schools can do, practically and realistically, to support those families on the wrong side of the digital divide. Panellists Bukky Yusuf and Fiona Aubrey-Smith pick up the conversation...

Working together on school attendance

Attendance still isn’t back on track for many schools and new guidance is kicking in this term, putting this issue firmly at the top of the agenda. Suzanne O'Connell asks what school leaders and attendance leads should be focused on this year.

Safeguarding: Getting the basics right – every time

The basics of safeguarding revolve around identifying children at risk of harm and we can never take this work for granted. Elizabeth Rose recaps the four main types of abuse, the principles of effective staff training, and the basics of keeping children safe from serious harm

How can we support pupils who have Long Covid?

How does Long Covid affect children and young people in the classroom and what can teaching staff do to help them? In the second of two articles on the impact of Long Covid on the young, Dr Sue Peters offers some practical advice

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

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?

The four pillars of parental engagement

Now is a pivotal moment to take parental engagement seriously and review our approaches. Justin Robbins and Karen Dempster describe their four pillars of effective practice

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

Anti-racism & diversity: Curriculum, policy and practice

Decolonising the primary curriculum, embedding diversity, and becoming an anti-racist school is a challenging and at times difficult process. Headteacher Laura McPhee describes how her school reviewed and reformed its curriculum, policy and practice

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