Pupil Premium

Welcoming the refugees seeking sanctuary from war

Every month there are pupils arriving in our schools from abroad as refugees and the Russian war in Ukraine means this issue is at the forefront of our minds. Suzanne O’Connell considers how schools can support newly arrived pupils, and how they might prepare and plan for longer-term integration

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

Inclusion is a verb: Belonging and schools

Inclusion boils down to belonging, but how can we ensure that children from a diverse range of backgrounds and with diverse needs feel that they belong in their schools and classrooms? Daniel Sobel offers some tips, reflections – and a checklist!

Military children: What kind of support do they need?

The Service Pupil Premium amounts to £310 per child. How can primary schools make a difference to the wellbeing of service children with little to no budget? Louise Fetigan, founder of the charity Little Troopers, advises

Crafting your curriculum with poverty in mind

Poverty is an ever-present challenge in our schools and there are important links to our curriculum. Sean Harris, a teacher and post-doctoral researcher investigating poverty in schools, offers practical ways in which we can recalibrate our curriculum with poverty in mind

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

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

Doorstep disadvantage: Beyond the Pupil Premium

Do you understand the barriers to learning that poverty creates in your school’s community? Doctoral researcher and teacher, Sean Harris, reflects on some of the lessons he has learned as a school leader, researcher and as somebody who has experienced poverty himself

SEND & Covid: Supporting students in the months to come

The return to school last month may have been particularly challenging for our students with SEND. Garry Freeman reminds us of the basic principles of supporting students’ underlying needs – which will be more crucial than ever in the months to come

Ideas for working with hard-to-reach families

Every school will have some families with which it is difficult to engage, and often these are the families of our more vulnerable learners. Dr Pooky Knightsmith looks at why this might be and offers some practical ideas

Vulnerable learners: Child-centred planning

Child-centred planning can make all the difference for vulnerable young people. Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers five principles to ensure this is done in a genuine, non-tick-box, fashion

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