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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Six steps to supporting Afghan refugees arriving in your school

As refugees from Afghanistan begin to arrive in the UK, primary schools across the UK are ready to welcome the children of these families. Katy Isaac offers six steps for supporting these children and signposts to useful resources

Animal therapy: Down on the school farm

From lambs to donkeys to pigs, the animals at York House School are helping pupils to adopt and model positive behaviour. Head Jon Gray explains why all schools should consider ‘animal therapy’

Metacognition in the primary classroom

Metacognitive strategies can empower even the youngest children to think about how they are learning and equip them to learn new tasks. Jane Downes explains

The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: The vision begins to form

This year, childhood trauma expert Shahana Knight is working with a primary school to transform a year 3 classroom into the ultimate therapeutic classroom. This diary chronicles the project. This time, she sketches out her initial plans…

Quality first teaching: Six features of excellent explanations

Teaching is explaining. But how do we explain effectively? Robbie Burns draws on research evidence and best practice and distils them into the six principles of excellent explanations

What works in maths?

Maths is one of the subjects reported on in Ofsted’s series of research reviews. Suzanne O’Connell looks at the main themes and messages in the report and the implications for practice in our primary schools

Pedagogical content knowledge and the sequence of learning

When it comes to great teaching and pedagogy, the sequence of learning trumps everything – and our new goal is pedagogical content knowledge. Ben Harding offers some insights into what this means in the classroom and school

Case study: Teaching Mandarin and a virtual trip to China

The LEO Academy Trust launched its immersive Mandarin programme three years ago and recently held a virtual trip to China to give pupils further opportunities to practise speaking. Chris Ansell explains

EAL recovery: Creating opportunities for talk

As the pandemic continues, promoting oracy and opportunities to talk will be crucial to supporting the recovery of students who use English as an additional language. Sarah Moodie offers some ideas

The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: He said yes!

This year, childhood trauma expert Shahana Knight is working with a primary school to transform one of its year 3 classrooms into the ultimate therapeutic classroom. This monthly diary will chronicle the project, the ups and downs, and the lessons learned

Covid-19: Ideas for taking learning outside this autumn

During the pandemic, many schools have become more adept at making the most of their outside spaces. How can we ensure that teaching outdoors continues to feature in our planning? Suzanne O’Connell gets some tips from headteacher Emma Barker and the charity Learning through Landscapes

LGBT+ and gender: Auditing your school’s curriculum

It is vital that your school curriculum represents the diversity seen in modern Britain. Katherine Fowler outlines what to consider when carrying out a curriculum review focused on gender and LGBT+ and considers how to instil a cross-curricular sense of inclusivity

Pastoral care and safeguarding: Four kinds of vulnerable pupil who will need our support

With the new school year upon us safeguarding and pastoral care expert Dawn Jotham looks at some pupils facing particular challenges and what schools can do to support young people to help keep them safe in school

Creating the perfect early years education environment

Since coming back to school, our youngest pupils have been bursting to get going, embracing play and messy learning especially. Carys Henwood considers how we can create a purposeful early years’ education environment

EAL: Supporting teachers to plan for linguistic diversity

Many of our EAL students will likely have suffered a language learning loss during successive lockdowns. Kamil Trzebiatowski considers ideas and resources to help support teachers who have such learners in their classrooms

Making Sports Day fun for all pupils, including those with SEN

Sports Day can be a daunting experience for some students with SEN. Specialist Jemma Ive offers some tips and ideas for races and activities that will ensure an inclusive event and fun for all pupils

Edtech change and transformation: How to make things happen...

When it comes to edtech in schools, we are all grappling with how to harness the momentum that has been built up during the pandemic. Al Kingsley – author of the new book My Secret EdTech Diary – explains how to take control of edtech change and make things happen

Whole class feedback: Strategies and experiences

Whole class feedback reduces workload and ensures we are responsive to student need. Robbie Burns considers research into effective practice and describes his school’s strategy for whole-class feedback

Curriculum design: Impact, impact, impact...

As part of Ofsted’s focus on curriculum impact, evaluating the pace of pupil progress, pupil outcomes, and their preparedness for next steps is vital, as is ‘performance development’. Matt Bromley explains

The features of effective and high-quality RSE

Ahead of the deadline for entry to the 2021 Relationships and Sex Education Awards, Lucy Emmerson considers the features of effective, high-quality RSE provision in primary schools

Forget edtech – we need to talk about ‘pedtech’

Most research papers, roundtable discussions and industry experts agree that effective pedagogy is at the heart of good edtech use. But whose pedagogy we are referring to? Fiona Aubrey-Smith argues that the narrative around technology in education must change

Reception to key stage 1: Achieving transfer of learning

Reception, key stage 1 and beyond – learning transfer is a crucial part of effective education. Juliet Mickelburgh considers the EYFS Characteristics of Effective Learning and how we might transfer this key learning from the early years into primary

Anti-racism & diversity: Curriculum, policy and practice

Decolonising the primary curriculum, embedding diversity, and becoming an anti-racist school is a challenging and at times difficult process. Headteacher Laura McPhee describes how her school reviewed and reformed its curriculum, policy and practice

Three strategies to create instant classroom culture

What is classroom culture? Why does it matter? Primary teacher and school leader, Robbie Burns, looks at the five elements of classroom culture and offers us three ways in which we can cultivate it instantly

Doorstep disadvantage: Beyond the Pupil Premium

Do you understand the barriers to learning that poverty creates in your school’s community? Doctoral researcher and teacher, Sean Harris, reflects on some of the lessons he has learned as a school leader, researcher and as somebody who has experienced poverty himself

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