Teaching and learning is crucial to the success of a primary school. Our best practice articles and case studies focus on how school leaders can support their teachers to sustain high quality teaching and learning.

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Covid recovery: What kind of support will EAL pupils need this term and beyond?

Teaching and learning post-lockdown presents many challenges. Silvana Richardson considers how we can support the most disadvantaged EAL pupils, who as well as suffering a hit to their learning, may have also experienced a language learning loss...

Cognitive load theory in the primary classroom

What is cognitive load theory and how can it help teachers in the classroom and with their pedagogy? Steve Garnett, author of a new teacher’s handbook on cognitive load theory, offers some practical pointers

Covid challenge: How to make blended learning engaging for students

From the end of September, government Covid guidance requires that schools have in place remote learning contingency plans. Colin Hegarty looks at what your blended learning strategies must consider

Behaviour: Verbal and non-verbal communication

There are many children who expend much of their time and energy trying to decipher adult communications and masking their responses with ‘poor behaviour’ when they feel that they have misunderstood. Sara Alston looks at verbal and non-verbal communication

Lost learning? Why we must avoid a deficit teaching model post-lockdown – and how we can do it

The rhetoric around ‘lost learning’ is not helpful and should be avoided, says Matt Bromley. Drawing on the words of David Ausubel and Dylan Wiliam, he looks here about why we must avoid the deficit model when teaching this academic year

Creating inclusive classroom environments: Practical advice & ideas

How can we best support pupils who struggle with behaviour or emotional wellbeing? What does a positive, inclusive classroom environment look like? Virtual school headteacher Darren Martindale offers some advice and ideas

Covid-19 recovery: Time to start listening to our pupils

What does ‘recovery’ mean? Post-lockdown and as the Covid-19 pandemic continues, we are all talking about pupil wellbeing – but are we listening to the children? Jenny Mosley urges a renewed focus on circle time and other ways of supporting pupil (and staff) wellbeing

Literacy: Five ways to encourage pupils to read at home

Reading at home can boost pupils’ literacy and love of books. Alex Goss shares five tips for how schools can support and encourage young learners to want to read at home

Language and communication strategies as part of good pedagogy

Language challenges are often considered as part of SEN strategies. However, Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston argue for language and communication strategies rooted in general good pedagogy and offer five easy classroom tips

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Covid: Making remote learning work in the months ahead

As the fight against coronavirus continues, remote learning is here to stay and must now be adapted and embraced as part of our range of teaching and learning approaches this academic year. Al Kingsley advises

Back to School Guide: Education technology & remote education

In this 12-page Back to School Guide we consider what the technological legacy of the Covid-19 lockdown will be for schools, including the teaching and working practices that will continue, and advice on effective remote education.

Remote learning: Creating safe digital ecosystems

Remote and online learning is likely to be with us for some time as the Covid-19 fight continues. As such, we must continue to prioritise esafety. Al Kingsley asks how we can promote and deliver safer digital ecosystems in schools and better develop pupils’ digital citizenship

Back to School Guide: Teaching & Learning

In this 12-page guide, we consider what teaching and learning should look like in schools from this September when all pupils are due to return following the Covid-19 lockdown...

Building subject knowledge in primary schools

Developing the subject knowledge and sequencing skills of teachers is crucial, certainly in light of the revised national curriculum and change in focus of Ofsted inspection. Neil Almond explains the approaches being implemented across the Woodland Academy Trust

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

Character education: The why before the how

Launching character education in your school? Tom Haigh urges schools to start off with the why and not the how…

GDPR, data protection and remote learning

In a world of online learning, data protection has never been more important. Have you got your bases covered? Lynne Taylor advises

Knowledge and skills: How you can achieve both in your school

There is a virus doing the rounds – it makes people think that knowledge and skills cannot co-habit. Professor Guy Claxton says that ‘both/and’ – not ‘either/or’ – is perfectly possible. He offers some practical reflections for school leaders

Mind the reading gap: Developing a reading culture

How can we develop a successful reading culture across our primary school? Aimee Cave, a SENCO and assistant head, explains her school’s approach

Year 6 to 7: Answering the transition challenge

Primary to secondary transition is always challenging for students, who face the double whammy of anxiety and learning loss. The impact is felt particularly keenly in maths. Colin Hegarty offers his advice

WOW: Leading a primary school through lockdown

Leading a primary school through the lockdown has had its fair share of challenges for executive principal Sophie Murfin. She speaks to Yvonne Gandy about how this period has triggered changes that will continue when normal service eventually resumes

Inclusion: Making group work effective for all students

Inclusion and group work can go together well – but can also raise fears in students of a Lord of Flies-type hell. Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston advise

An easier way: The nine Rs of differentiation

In writing their new book on differentiation, Daniel Sobel and Sara Alston drew on expert advice to create a list of easy and quick things that would result in real differentiation for most children. The best news of all, they all begin with R...

Character education: What does it look like?

The virtues and traits that are developed through effective character education have never been more important as young people navigate their way through the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing on the Schools of Character Kitemark, Tom Haigh looks at what it means place character at the heart of your school

Delivering effective mental health education

With health education becoming compulsory in September, there is an opportunity for a clearer focus on mental wellbeing. Clare Stafford speaks with two mental health experts about effective whole-school approaches and practical tips for schools preparing to deliver the new curriculum

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