Top 10 tips for... Sociable lunch-times We all know how important eating together is – sitting around a table and having opportunity to chat is a valuable social experience. As part of our top 10 tips series, Suzanne O’Connell considers making lunch-times socialable, calm, and harmonious
Curriculum development and leadership: Lessons learned A new book tells the story of the development of a primary school curriculum across an academy trust. What lessons did the authors learn? Claire Banks and Professor Mick Waters explain
Vulnerable pupils: Identifying invisible barriers to learning There seem to be so many more barriers to learning now and many of these are seemingly invisible to schools. Ali Williams discusses how schools can identify ‘vulnerability’ and what we can do once we have
Professional development: Thinking schools and thinking teachers The learning environment for your staff really matters. Dr Kulvarn Atwal introduces his recipe for creating thinking schools and developing thinking teachers – offering us five concrete strategies
School strikes: Answering headteacher's legal questions Many school leaders are supportive of the industrial action being taken by the NEU but are still required to open and run their schools where possible. As such, legal expert Jane Hallas answers some key questions
Poverty in school: Practical tips for supporting families The cost of living crisis is hitting families hard. Fabienne Crocket from the UK Cost of the School Day project considers four areas where we might review our provision to ensure the costs of school are not adding to the burden
School admissions and exceptional SEND cases Sometimes schools are compelled to admit pupils with exceptional SEND that they cannot meet because the local authority insists on the placement. Nabil Dance outlines how schools can respond in these difficult and often sensitive circumstances 1 comment
School admissions and the law: Insights and advice What are some of the basic principles in school admissions law? Nabil Dance outlines some examples of the requirements that apply to primary schools and offers some insights, guidance and tips
Cultures and actions to drive leadership diversity As part of anti-racism work, the diversity of our staff and senior leadership matters. Orlene Badu says this work begins with a focus on retention and creating cultures to challenge racism and inequality
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
Seven ways to maximise your CPD spend With huge cost pressures facing schools, making the most of every pound spent on, and every second of staff time dedicated to, CPD is crucial. David Weston offers seven ways you can think about maximising the impact of this enormous investment
Disability discrimination law explained Disability discrimination and equality legislation have greatly strengthened the protection of pupils against discriminatory treatment since the mid-1990s. Nabil Dance provides a basic introduction to some rules and how they affect primary schools
Top 10 tips for... Energy saving in your school Schools can play their part in responding to the climate emergency while also reducing their energy costs at a time of rising prices. Suzanne Gibbon from the Let’s Go Zero campaign offers 10 energy-saving tips and examples from schools
Preparing governors for Ofsted inspection Governors have a key role to play during Ofsted inspection. Tiffnie Harris discusses 10 ways we can ensure governors are well prepared for when the inspectors come calling...
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
Black and female: Adultification, bias and racism Black children are more likely to be excluded from school and face systemic adultification, bias and racism. Our response to this often focuses on boys, but Orlene Badu looks at the barriers faced by students who are both female and of black heritage... 1 comment
Trauma-informed leadership: A framework for everyday practice Many teachers are familiar with the tenets of trauma-informed practice, but what do these look like from a whole-school leadership perspective? Dr Pooky Knightsmith outlines five principles
Emergencies in school: Preparing for the unknown All education settings are required to have emergency plans in place. These are designed to help you respond effectively to unforeseen incidents and a range of materials have been published to assist you with this. Suzanne O’Connell takes a look
Searching, screening and confiscation: Dos and don’ts How can schools safely approach searching, screening and confiscation? Safeguarding expert Elizabeth Rose looks at what to do and what to avoid
Safeguarding & the quality of education: A case study of Ofsted inspection From updated statutory safeguarding guidance to a focus on prior learning and the quality of education, what lessons can we draw from a recent primary school inspection? Here are some notes from an anonymous headteacher
Cost of living crisis: Conversations with colleagues 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 concludes here with a focus on how we might respond with colleagues who are struggling
How to create a whole-school culture of mental health How can senior mental health leads build a team and deliver a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing provision? Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers general principles of practice as well as 26 specific suggestions 1 comment
Making school uniforms affordable: A case study The introduction of a new uniform at Race Leys Junior School could have presented a financial burden to parents. Head of school Sue-Ellen Lamb explains what they did to ensure this wasn’t the case
School-to-school improvement: Peer review with a purpose Following the nine principles of effective school-to-school peer review, two south London primary schools have embarked on a new collaboration focused on behaviour. Laura McPhee reports
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...
