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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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

Earth Day 2021: Inspiring young global citizens

This year’s Earth Day on April 22 offers primary schools the chance to engage pupils in issues relating to climate change and environmental protection. Harriet Marshall and Matthew Smitheman offer some ideas

Remote teaching: Effective live lessons

Schools may have re-opened more widely after the third lockdown, but remote teaching looks set to be with us for some time to come, including live online lessons. Dr Sharon Smith considers some differences between online and classroom teaching and offers a few tips

Climate action in schools: Ideas to reduce your carbon impact

Reducing your school’s carbon emissions is not as difficult as it may seem. Alex Green from the Let’s Go Zero campaign outlines some inspiring and money-saving ideas to get your school started

Redefining the classroom set-up post-Covid

We must not revert to the status quo post-pandemic, we must instead embrace the lessons of Covid if we are to increase engagement with learning. Shahana Knight suggests we begin with our classroom set-up and offers some ideas for mixing it up...

Covid recovery: The importance of EAL assessment

Setting accurate language targets and using tailored strategies will be crucial if we are to help the post-lockdown recovery of students who use English as an additional language. Caroline Bruce and Silvana Richardson explain and advise

Introducing rough and tumble play into Reception

Tug of war, tangling, tickling, leapfrog – rough and tumble play is a normal feature of childhood and part of child development – and yet there are understandable reservations about introducing it as part of Reception provision. Teacher Rachna Joshi and EYFS lead Carla Jones advise

Bringing exercise into primary school lessons

Bringing more physical activity into lessons and teaching can help us to get children back on track this year, says year 4 teacher Niamh Hunter

PE and sports: The power of PESSPA

The PESSPA approach can have a big impact on students’ mental and physical health, attendance, attainment and behaviour – especially for those with SEND. Nasen Teacher of the Year Jon White discusses using school sport and physical activity to empower students

Reception Year: The Birth to Five Matters Guidance

With a revised Early Years Foundation Stage becoming statutory in September, the early years sector has united to produce research-led guidance offering a pedagogically sound method of delivery. Neil Henty looks at its implications for primary schools and Reception year teaching

Maintaining high expectations for learners using EAL

That a student uses English as an additional language should not be an excuse for lowering our expectations for learning and progress. Kamil Trzebiatowski considers some strategies and resources to ensure high expectations in your lessons

SEN: Getting the last five minutes of your lesson right

The last five minutes of any lesson is vital if we are to avoid disengaged students, sensory overload, and anxiety – especially for those with SEN. Sara Alston advises

Ideas to foster a love of reading in primary-age students

How can we continue to foster a love of reading and books during lockdown and remote/bleaned learning? Dr Sarah McGeown offers some tips and ideas

'The first thing I invested in was the school library'

The library must sit at the heart of our teaching and learning environments. Former headteacher, Richard Gerver – the new president of the School Library Association – explains why school libraries have never been more important and looks at some tenets of good practice

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LGBT+ teaching within relationships education

If a child is not too young to learn about heterosexual relationships, they are not too young to learn about same-sex relationships. Emma Fay from charity Just Like Us advises on how we can ensure relationships education is LGBT-inclusive

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Remote education: Supporting learners with SEND (and their families)

Reports from Ofsted and the National SENCO Workforce team have raised concerns about how SEND pupils are faring during remote education. Dr Helen Curran explores the findings and offers her tips and strategies for supporting those with SEND during Covid-19 and beyond

Introducing dogs safely into the primary school

Animals have long been used in primary schools – especially dogs. Dr Helen Lewis and Dr Russell Grigg, authors of Tails from the Classroom, take a practical look at how dogs can be used in primary schools and offer six steps for their safe introduction

Relationships and projects: A new curriculum focus post-Covid?

As we develop our curriculum for after Covid, we must focus on nurturing children’s relationships with parents, peers and staff and developing their vital characteristics and skills. Julie Norman considers some ideas, including the role that a project-based learning approach can play

Remote education framework: Evaluating your provision

The LEARNERs’ Trust has developed its own framework for its schools to use to evaluate the effectiveness of their remote education provision. CEO Matt Freeston explains how they are using it to identify and share good practice across the trust

Curriculum planning and delivery during a pandemic

Curriculum planning and delivery at a time of such disruption to education is challenging to say the least. Lekha Sharma considers how primary schools can plan ahead and prepare their curriculum for the rest of 2021 and beyond…

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

Remote teaching: How to develop staff expertise

From setting clear goals to providing short feedback loops, Jacob Senior offers some suggestions for how schools can develop their teachers' remote teaching and ed-tech skills

Building back better: Teaching, pedagogy and learning

Some schools have already begun changing and adapting their in-school teaching practices in light of their experiences during remote education. Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith asks how your school is already 'building back better'

Musical play: A powerful tool for self-regulation

Musical play can help to teach young children crucial self-regulation skills, research has suggested. Dr Antonia Zachariou explains more and offers some practical ideas based on their findings

Lockdown teaching and learning: A quick guide for families

Feeling daunted by the return to remote teaching? In this two-part series Sara Davidson and Sean Harris look at some of the basic research-informed principles that can help teachers and parents to navigate learning at home. In part two they offer advice for parents/carers

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