Teaching and Learning



Literacy: Top tips for instilling a love of reading

Summer reading learning loss is a common issue that primary schools face every autumn term, exacerbated this year in the wake of Covid. Dr Sarah McGeown shares some tips to help teachers instil a love of reading this academic 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


Teaching emotional literacy in reception year

The reception year comes in the middle of two key transition points when anxiety and other emotions can threaten to overwhelm some children. Neil Henty discusses the importance of promoting emotional literacy in the reception year


Multilingual pedagogies for diverse inclusive schools

We should not expect children who use English as an additional language to leave their language and culture at the school door. Kamil Trzebiatowski and Silvana Richardson advise teachers on using multilingual pedagogies


Implementing deliberate practice as part of CPD: A case study

Effective teacher development involves practising the right things, at the right time and in the right way then it is a key CPD tool. In part two of his look at deliberate practice, Robbie Burns explains how his school has implemented this approach


Metacognition and self-regulation in the primary classroom

The explicit teaching of metacognition and self-regulation can bring a range of benefits, not least offering us a powerful tool for improving pupil behaviour, motivation and learning. Anoara Mughal – author of Think! Metacognition-powered primary teaching – offers tips and five concrete classroom ...


The case for one-to-one device access in schools

After a recent Headteacher Update webinar focused on what schools can do to close the digital divide, Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith and Sarah Evans discuss different ways of achieving one-to-one device access and how this approach can unlock powerful learning


Deliberate practice: What is it and why does it matter?

Deliberate practice is often ‘an overlooked servant’ when it comes to teacher development, but if we practise the right things, at the right time and in the right way then it is a key CPD tool. In this two-part article, Robbie Burns explains what it’s all about...



Beating the drum for literacy

Can we use music to help boost recovery and wider literacy lessons in the primary school? Nicola Hankey discusses the approaches used in her school and the benefits of building music into school literacy recovery strategies


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…


The power of words: Teaching vocabulary

It is said that learning floats on a sea of talk. So how can schools build systems, processes, and strategies to make sure students develop powerful word knowledge over time? Robbie Burns advises


Obesity – what can primary schools do?

Recent figures show a sharp rise in obesity among year 6 pupils. While this is a challenge for all of society, what steps can primary schools take to tackle childhood obesity? Tiffnie Harris advises



Covid recovery: When the SENCO knows best

Communication and language skills have taken a hit during Covid, but techniques to support children with SEN can also improve outcomes for mainstream learners. Victoria Annan describes three interventions in particular


Top 10 tips for... Lesson-planning

How should you be planning your lessons to ensure the most efficient use of your time and to best support your pupils’ learning? Mark Creasy offers five dos and five don’ts


Teachers collaborating on the curriculum

It is teachers who deliver the curriculum, so curriculum design and implementation through collaboration is a clear way to improve teaching and learning quality, says Richard Jackson


Statutory RSE – a role for all teaching staff

Statutory RSE is not just a list of topics to tick off a list, it should be relevant to children’s everyday lives and reach across the curriculum. Indeed, in many ways, all teachers are teachers of RSE. Lucy Emmerson explains


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



Phonics: The debate continues...

Synthetic phonics is the accepted way of teaching young children to read in the UK. The phonics screening check, backed up by Ofsted, has ensured this. But not all teachers or researchers are convinced. Suzanne O’Connell reports


Wrap-around provision as part of Covid recovery

Before and after-school clubs have been hit hard – first to be cut, the last to be reinstated. But they could be exactly what disadvantaged pupils and your Covid recovery plan need, says Suzanne O’Connell


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Headteacher Update is a magazine, website, podcast and regular ebulletin dedicated to the primary school leadership team. We tackle a wide range of leadership issues, offering best practice, case studies and in-depth information, advice and guidance. Headteacher Update magazine is distributed free to approximately 20,000 primary school headteachers.

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