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
Energy saving in your school: Top tips 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...
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
The changing shape of performance management Decoupling performance and pay does not mean a less robust appraisal system, in fact it can mean quite the opposite. Pay specialist Louise Hatswell advises
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.
School leadership: Starting afresh in 2022/23? With summer over and batteries hopefully recharged after a gruelling two years, how are schools and their leaders approaching the academic year ahead? Suzanne O’Connell spoke to four headteachers to find out
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
Governors & trustees: Overcoming the barriers to recruitment Governor recruitment seems to be getting tougher and tougher. Al Kingsley considers why governance is a great role, the barriers that exist to recruitment, and how we might start to overcome them
Inclusion: How does your school ‘feel’? The real sign of greatness is not exam results or other measurable outcomes, but how your school makes people feel, what your values are, and how they are woven into everything you do. Daniel Sobel reflects
Seven starting points for interrogating your curriculum What are the seven starting points that will ensure you have a healthy, open conversation about your school’s curriculum? John Tomsett, co-author of a new book on curriculum conversations, discusses some of the key questions we should be asking…
Are your pupils ready for Ofsted’s deep dives? Deep dives are intended to give Ofsted insight into how subjects are taught and are now a key tool for inspectors. But how well can pupils contribute to the discussion? Suzanne O'Connell spoke to one school about its recent experience...
School websites: Common errors and top tips Your website is a vital window into your school – for both parents and school inspectors – and there a number of requirements for what it must contain. Craig McKee discusses some common website mistakes
The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: Ten low-cost ideas This year, Shahana Knight has transformed a year 3 classroom into a therapeutic teaching space. But not every school can rebuild an entire classroom – so here she offers 10 low-cost, easy therapeutic ideas
