Whole-school issues

Covid-19: Managing and supporting your school's staff

With increased staff absence due to Covid-19, increased anxiety among our colleagues, and an ever-changing landscape, supporting and managing our teaching colleagues is a priority for school leaders this year. Employment law expert Jane Hallas offers some tips

Covid-19: Keeping parents involved

Primary schools pride themselves on their relationships with parents, but in the socially distanced era of Covid-19 this has become more problematic. Suzanne O’Connell speaks to school leaders about how they are maintaining parental engagement this term

Planning your school's digital strategy post-Covid

With the future still uncertain, digital plans for schools have taken on a new significance and we must ensure that ed-tech can be used effectively both in-school and remotely. Al Kingsley offers some advice and reflections

Taking a longer term look at Covid recovery

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Fiona Aubrey-Smith looks at how we can take advantage of the disruption of Covid-19 to build back better with children’s learning and parental engagement

Back to school: A headteacher's checklist

September is upon us and pupils are returning to school – some after more than five months away. National Leader of Education Helen Frostick considers how we can ensure we meet the pastoral needs of our pupils post-lockdown

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...

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

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

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

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

The virtual staffroom: Morale and engagement during lockdown

During lockdown, we must not neglect staff morale and wellbeing. Denise Barrows looks at how school leaders can deepen trust and connections with and between staff. She considers our one-to-one interactions and how to build a virtual staffroom environment

Protecting teacher wellbeing during lockdown

While we are doing all we can to support the wellbeing of our young people during the school closures, we must not forget our teachers. From financial grants to mental health support, Sophie Howells advises

Attendance: A more intelligent approach?

A system of letters and fines, with the possibility of prosecution, has been part of many schools’ attendance policy for years. With children forced to stay home and at least a slight change in Ofsted's tone, is it time to consider a new approach in the post-lockdown world?

Crisis management for school leaders

Schools and school leaders will sometimes have to deal with a crisis or emergency situation. Richard Bettsworth offers practical crisis-management advice

Coronavirus: Our Angels of the North

Teachers and schools across the UK have gone above and beyond in recent weeks to support pupils and families. Sean Harris reports from the North East on some of the work being undertaken to support communities during the coronavirus lockdown

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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.

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