Teaching and learning is crucial to the success of a primary school. Headteacher Update's resources and projects articles focus on engaging and effective school-wide projects or resources that can support the curriculum or which often provide extra-curricular inspiration.

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Supporting EAL pupils who arrive late in school

Supporting EAL students who arrive ‘late’ – specifically in year 5 or in year 6 – is a common but particular challenge for primary schools. Kamil Trzebiatowski offers his advice, resources and ideas

Top 10 tips for... sustainable school food

As part of our work to move our schools to net zero, what can we do with regards to school food to reduce waste and the carbon footprint of our canteens? Richard Dunne offers 10 ideas

Task design: Five pedagogical habits to maximise learning

Students really begin to learn when they take on challenging tasks during their lessons, making task design a crucial element of teaching pedagogy and practice. In this two-part article, Robbie Burns looks how to design effective tasks

The EAL coordinator: Guidance and practical strategies

Increasing numbers of learners who are refugees and who are learning English as an additional language are entering our schools. Glynis Lloyd sets out practical strategies for the work of EAL coordinators, along with helpful guidelines for good practice

Reading for pleasure: Sustaining and developing your school’s reading culture

How can we build on the buzz of World Book Day to develop our school’s reading culture? We must focus on an evidence-based approach to reading for pleasure, not an activity-oriented one. Professor Teresa Cremin explains

Ideas for outdoor learning this spring

Spring is on its way, but we need not wait for warmer days to get our pupils outside, especially given the impact of outdoor learning on wellbeing and happiness. Janet Anderson offers some practical tips for outdoor activities in primary schools

Online safety: Moving beyond compliance

The challenges of recognising and responding to online safety concerns are far-reaching and complex. Laura McPhee discusses moving beyond compliance and developing a safeguarding culture and considers a case study of one school’s approach

Using the school library for inquiry-based learning

The school library and school librarian can play a key role in supporting pupils to develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills via inquiry-based learning. Elizabeth Hutchinson and Clare Brumpton break down the six stages of the FOSIL approach

Effective learning environments for EAL pupils

What are the tenets of a good and safe learning environment for learners who use English as an additional language? Drawing upon the Teachers’ Standards and latest research evidence, Caroline Bruce offers some pointers for primary schools

Addressing inequalities via outdoor and nature-based learning

Nothing sums up inequality in the UK as the extent to which pupils have access to green spaces and nature. Dr Alexia Barrable says one way to address disadvantage is via nature-based learning

Making chess clubs work at primary level

Chess club can be a successful addition to a primary school’s extra-curricular activities, but it must be approached in the proper way, and beginning with ‘mini-chess’ activities is recommended. Richard James offers some dos and don'ts...

Media, information literacy and fake news: Using the skills of your school librarian

The school library and school librarian can play a key role in supporting pupils to develop their media and digital literacy skills, especially when it comes to misinformation and fake news. Elizabeth Hutchinson and Clare Brumpton look at ideas for how they can do this

Welcoming and supporting Ukrainian refugees in your school

Of the more than 126,500 Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in the UK since the war began, a third are children. How can schools welcome and support them? Sheila Hopkins advises and signposts to resources to help

How your school library can help pupils and staff

An effective school library can support the whole school. Clare Brumpton and Elizabeth Hutchinson look at how libraries – and librarians – can play a key role in raising standards and improving outcomes

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Hand-washing and hygiene: Improving primary school toilets

Toilet areas in schools can sometimes be neglected, resulting in poor hand hygiene and pupils reluctant to use the spaces. Dr Catherine Stones has been looking into how we can change this using some very simple ideas

Planning and integrating outdoor lessons and learning

Outdoor learning can present many challenges for curriculum and lesson-planning, but it can be worth the effort. Headteacher Matthew Leach talks about his school’s focus on taking teaching outdoors and how it has helped improve outcomes

Discovery and discussion: Running university seminars for primary pupils

The Griffin University initiative sees primary pupils at schools across the Griffin Schools Trust experiencing university-style seminars every week. Sue-Ellen Lamb explains how it works at Race Leys Junior School

Recovering handwriting: Five tips for the classroom

One of the consequences of the shift to remote learning at the height of the pandemic has been a subsequent loss in handwriting skills. Year 3 teacher Sophie Lamb offers some helpful tips for recovery

Cooperative learning: Using CLIPs in the primary classroom

The cooperative learning approach allows pupils to practise their knowledge and skills and is guided by ‘CLIPs’. In this article, Drew Howard explains how to introduce this approach to your primary school

Climate change and hope: Getting children outside

Getting children outside to enjoy nature and outdoor learning could be a key element in the fight against climate change, say Jacqui McDermid and Jo Gordon from the Natural Thinkers initiative

Vocabulary development for EAL students

Vocabulary development is vital for those using English as an additional language. Sheila Hopkins considers how teachers can identify key vocabulary during lesson planning and outlines strategies for teaching these key words to EAL learners

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In the classroom: Planning your learning spaces

How can we transform traditional classroom spaces to achieve more personalised learning? Headteacher Mel Shute describes her school’s involvement in the Planning Learning Spaces in Practice project

The chronicles of a therapeutic classroom: The pupils arrive...

After months of planning and a hectic half-term makeover, Shahana Knight‘s vision for a therapeutic classroom environment is about to be unveiled and put to the test by excited year 3 children...

After COP26: What and where next for climate work in primary schools?

From eco-anxiety to the curriculum, from school travel to buildings, there is much to do if we are to truly prioritise climate change education and carbon reduction in schools. Dr Verity Jones advises and signposts to a range of resources to help

EAL: Adaptive teaching in language-heavy subjects

History, geography, English literature and religious studies are undeniably language-heavy subjects, making them particularly challenging for learners who have English as an additional language. Caroline Bruce offers some advice, ideas and resources to support your teaching of EAL pupils

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