Recruiting from abroad While teachers trained overseas can contribute a great deal to your school team, the process of recruiting them can seem daunting. Lynne Hannigan offers her advice.
The Education Show returns for 2014 Many primary school professionals head off to Birmingham in mid-March to attend the Education Show. We preview this year’s event which offers a variety of CPD and best practice seminars alongside the show exhibition.
SEN and action research It takes a special kind of insight to meet some pupils’ unique and complex needs. Sarah Fleming reports on one school that has boosted their expertise through action research.
KidsMeet: When the pupils take over! You’ve heard of a TeachMeet – now we have KidsMeet! Matt Brooks shares his experience of hosting a day of exchanging ideas and inspiration across seven schools. The best part? It’s the pupils doing the presentations – and providing the inspiration
Avoiding the pitfalls of performance pay Schools are getting to grips this term with the new system of performance-related pay. Employment lawyer Amanda Lyons looks at common pitfalls that new pay systems must avoid.
Independent learning, resilience and reflection skills Two schools have taken some creative approaches to helping their pupils become more independent, resilient and reflective. Alison Willmott reports
Performance-related pay – two months in What ever you think about the merits of performance-related pay, it has arrived in our classrooms. Suzanne O’Connell looks at how the early stages of implementation are working out in practice
Effective teacher-to-teacher mentoring Teacher mentoring can be a powerful tool for CPD and school improvement – if it is done properly. Sarah Coskeran offers guidance for schools.
Transforming the quality of teaching Two headteachers speak to Fiona Aubrey-Smith about how the use of the Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme after an Ofsted inspection has helped them to sustainably improve the quality of teaching
Transforming the quality of teaching Two headteachers speak to Fiona Aubrey-Smith about how the use of the Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme after an Ofsted inspection has helped them to sustainably improve the quality of teaching
Putting teacher-led research to work Graham Handscomb argues the case for practitioner-led enquiry, reflection and research at the heart of successful schools
Diagnosis, treatment and progression: Using research in the classroom Evidence is everywhere – but what are teachers to think? Ben Durbin says teaching can be enhanced by the use of evidence in practice and, inspired by medical practice, gives three steps for its effective use
Team motivation: Hitting the ground running in September Today, team motivation is seen as a key responsibility of modern headship, and it is especially important that as the new school year begins the whole-school team hits the ground running. Nick Bannister looks at the experiences of one primary headteacher
Speed Learning – a new form of CPD Speed Learning is a new concept in grass-roots, profession-led CPD, offering practical and high-impact ideas. Fiona Aubrey-Smith explains
Ask Brenda – Front-of-house efficiency I have just started at a new school and am concerned about how I get best practice in the office. The staff are lovely but they need advice so that they are the best possible “first point of contact” for the school. How best can I approach this?
Planning for performance-related pay Revised pay and conditions arrangements, including plans for performance-related pay, come into force from September 1. They represent a huge change for our schools. Suzanne O’Connell looks at the implications for schools
Despatches from Birmingham From inspection survival advice to the curriculum and dyslexia, seasoned Education Show delegate Sal McKeown offers her highlights from last month’s event at Birmingham’s NEC
Oracy – teaching your pupils to talk Schools can make great strides in tackling underachievement by improving pupils’ spoken language skills across the curriculum. Jean Gross, the former government Communication Champion for children, reports on some of the great practice she has seen
Six aspects of effective CPD Deciding how to focus your school’s CPD can be difficult. David Weston lists six key areas.
Introducing peer observation to primary school staff The introduction of a peer observation programme at Anton Junior School has led to a much stronger focus on pedagogy, improvements in teaching and learning, and has been embraced by staff. Headteacher Tom Donohoe looks at how this has been achieved 1 comment
Conducting the perfect teaching job interview What is the best way to get the most from interviews with prospective teachers looking for a job at your school? Darryl Mydat provides some interview guidance for schools looking to recruit new staff
Ten ways a headteacher can improve the quality of teaching and learning Gilnow Primary School has transformed its curriculum as part of its work to tackle areas for improvement identified by Ofsted. HTU speaks to head Jo Riley about her 10 steps to improving teaching and learning
A new approach to CPD Maggie Farrar discusses joint practice development, a peer-to-peer approach to CPD which is prioritised and modelled by school leaders too
Doing it for the money? From September the new School Teachers’ Appraisal Regulations will come into effect in England. With Ofsted’s interest in performance management, has the time for a new system of rewarding teachers arrived?
Teaching Schools – The primary pioneers Teaching Schools were trumpeted as a major step forward in CPD for teachers and leaders when launched last autumn. Eight months on, Nick Bannister talks to two primary heads who are running two of the first primary Teaching Schools
