School Workforce

Action research

Aiming for headship

CPD

Early Career Teachers

Flexible working

Pay and conditions

Recruitment & Retention

Remote working

Support staff

Teaching staff

Trade unions

Workload

Support staff

Support staff can make a notable difference to the achievement of pupils, including the now vital role of the teaching assistant. Learn more about their effective deployment here.

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Meet the two Mr Ps...

The Two Mr Ps in a Pod(Cast) is one of the most popular educational podcasts. Emma Lee-Potter meets the two brothers behind the show and shares some of their anecdotes about primary school life

Flexible working: How can it work for your school?

Over the last 18 months more school staff will have worked flexibly than ever before, but what does flexible working actually mean in the school context? Louise Hatswell looks at employment law, best practice and offers some guidance for employers

Achieving workforce diversity (while avoiding tokenism)

How do we create meaningful representation in our schools? Hannah Wilson, director of the Diverse Educators network, advises how we can diversify our workforce while avoiding tokenism

Employment law and Covid-19: The key issues

With a new term upon us, where do we stand in relation to our school staff, vaccinations, self-isolation and other key Covid-related issues? Employment law expert Jane Hallas offers her reflections

The unsung heroes of the Covid-19 pandemic…

The Unsung Heroes report has revealed the key role played by teaching assistants during the pandemic. However, Jon Richards says that if these support staff are to play their part in the recovery effort, then they need proper training, a healthy career path and a decent wage

Teachers & teaching assistants: Eight principles of effective working partnerships

Effective working between teachers & teaching assistants are vital. Sara Alston considers eight key principles to emerge from recent snapshot research of what makes effective teacher-TA working partnerships

Staff wellbeing: Five resilience hacks

Protecting the wellbeing of our education workforce is crucial during the pandemic. Martina Witter offers five resilience hacks for teaching staff to help support wellbeing during these times of change and uncertainty

Effective remote CPD: Five practical tips

The recent review of the evidence around remote CPD for teaching staff has outlined approaches that could prove effective, including by using video and coaching. Nihad Cehic considers five ideas for how schools can used video as part of remote CPD

Using CPD to support effective remote teaching

CPD to support remote teaching & the use of ed-tech has become commonplace during the pandemic. Maria Cunningham advises on how schools should approach using CPD programmes to develop effective remote teaching practice

Lockdown: Five ideas for maintaining your team’s morale

Many of us are finding the third national lockdown much tougher than those that have gone before. Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers five simple ideas that will help us to maintain the morale and wellbeing of our colleagues and school teams

Wellbeing at Christmas: Time to focus on you

This Christmas holiday may be the first time that many teachers and school leaders have chance to take a breath and step back from the chaos and stress of Covid-19. Sophie Howells says that now is the time to prioritise your wellbeing – and offers some ideas

How to collect staff feedback on workload and wellbeing

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, it is important to check in on your staff to see how remote learning and Covid restrictions are affecting their workload and wellbeing. Katherine Fowler shares some practical tips on how to talk to your staff and gather feedback, so that you can help ...

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

Staff wellbeing: Managing feelings of anxiety

School staff may well be struggling with feelings of anxiety as the pandemic continues and schools remain open. Sophie Howells advises

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

Case study: Creating an inspiring reading environment

Drawing on research evidence, Nafferton Primary School has gone all-out to create a reading environment to inspire its pupils and make them want to pick up a book. Lucy May and David Murray explain how

Coronavirus: Crisis management and school closure – issues to consider

Schools are closing across the UK in the face of the coronavirus emergency. As they prepare to shut their doors, Matt Bromley looks at some of the issues headteachers will need to think about, including practical considerations, supporting staff, the continuation of learning, and safeguarding

CPD: Five things schools should…

Are you planning next year’s CPD programme for your schools? Maria Cunningham suggests five things the evidence says you should leave out

Teaching assistants: The right ethos, good CPD and effective deployment

Getting the best from your school’s teaching assistants means creating the right school ethos, proper training and effective deployment. Hannah Foster offers some practical advice and reflections

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Looking after your teaching voice

As a teacher, losing your voice can be debilitating and is an ever-present risk given how much we talk day-to-day. Do you look after your voice? Nikki Doig offers some practical tips

The four Cs of effective teaching assistants

Professional collaboration between teachers and teaching assistants is crucial to high-quality lessons and teaching. Matt Bromley outlines his four Cs for creating outstanding working relationships

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Addressing secondary traumatic stress

Secondary trauma occurs when the act of supporting a traumatised young person becomes traumatic in itself – and it is a danger that teachers should be aware of. Darren Martindale advises

Staff wellbeing: Showing your vulnerability

Julian Stanley talks about the importance of schools leaders showing vulnerability and the positive impact this can have on staff

Coaching: More than just a queue of questions

Investing more time in coaching approaches to professional development could pay dividends for your schools, says assistant principal Laura Mackay. She offers some tenets of good practice

Teaching assistants’ role in managing behaviour

Research has shown that fear of ‘overstepping the mark’ can stop teaching assistants from managing behaviour. Dr Emma Clarke outlines some of the issues uncovered during her research and suggests ways in which schools, teachers and teaching assistants can support effective behaviour management

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