Teaching and Learning

The battle to take back control of the curriculum

With the momentum growing behind evidence and research-based teaching practice, arguments to give back control of the curriculum to the profession are becoming louder – led, perhaps surprisingly, by Ofsted’s chief inspector...

Case study: Making PE and sports a priority

With today’s educational climate focusing on literacy and numeracy, PE can sometimes be left behind. Not so at Birchwood Primary. Suzanne O’Connell finds out how deputy headteacher Melanie Alexander and her team have made PE and sports a priority

Successful approaches to the computing curriculum

When the new computing curriculum was introduced there was concern about the capacity of primary schools to deliver it. Suzanne O’Connell speaks to two schools, both possessing Naace’s ICT Mark, about how they prepare their pupils to be IT literate in the 21st century

What is your approach to promoting learning skills?

As a headteacher, what are your priorities when beginning at a new school? For Frances Robertson, the focus must always begin on children’s learning skills and the school’s teaching and learning ethos...

A curriculum to stimulate a sense of engagement

A curriculum focusing on independence, collaboration, creativity and expression has been the key to turning around a primary school in an area known as ‘little Beirut’. Headteacher Steve Kernan explains

Simple science ideas

The Wellcome Trust’s free Explorify programme is helping to boost primary school science lessons. Louise Stubberfield discusses how headteachers can support excellent primary science provision

Developing a reasoning-rich maths curriculum

In 2015, Kirsty Munns spent 10 days in China observing maths lessons. The experience inspired her to develop a whole-school ‘reasoning-rich’ maths curriculum. She reflects on the outcomes and the lessons learned so far

How after-school coding clubs can benefit pupils

In an increasingly digital world, Suzanne Straw looks at research findings showing to what extent after-school coding clubs can support young people to develop skills and further their interest in coding

Literacy: A moral right

In a challenging article, literacy expert Debbie Hepplewhite bemoans the conflicting and often strongly held views on how we should teach children to read – and calls for the moral rights of the child to be placed above the professional rights of the teacher

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Some playground game ideas

Helping children to engage with playground games has clear benefits for their enjoyment of school life and their education, says Jenny Mosley. She offers some ideas and advice

Case study: A values-led philosophy

At the heart of the schools within the Inspire Learning Federation is a values-led philosophy for lifelong learning. Fiona Aubrey-Smith visited to find out more about their approaches to learning

Case study: A library in every classroom

With a small school library that was not fit-for-purpose, Tom Donohoe set about a new approach – creating a well-equipped mini-library in every single classroom...

Literacy: Who is the Secret Storyteller?

Milton Primary School’s Secret Storyteller project, which brings parents into school to read to children, has been an enormous success. Christine Dean explains how it works

Go with the ‘flow’: Pedagogy in the EYFS

The ideal scenario for early years play-based learning is children who are naturally keen to explore and adults who know when to step back and when to intervene. Melody Lowe explains

Reviewing and shaping your curriculum

When she took up her current post as headteacher, Lyndsey King set about reviewing her school’s curriculum offer. She talks us through the approaches her school took and the lessons learned

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Headteacher Update is the only magazine delivered directly to every primary school headteacher in the UK. It is published six times a year, at the beginning of each term and half-term, to keep headteachers up-to-date with everything going on in primary education.

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