Education articles

Inclusion Development Programme

Deborah Michel investigates a new web-based staff-development resource to support children and young people with behavioural, social and emotional difficulties

Child abuse images: the need for vigilance

The sight of child abuse images can shock and staff who report them need support. Jenni Whitehead discusses a new report and the relevance of its findings for schools

Encouraging parental engagement

Birchensale Middle School’s Family Learning programme targets the parents of low-ability children, offering them the chance to improve key skills and participate more fully in their children’s learning. Carrie Saint Freedman visited the school to find out more

Improving school efficiency: valuable lessons from the Audit Commission

The Audit Commission’s report Valuable Lessons questions whether taxpayers are getting value for money from the education system. The Commission has also issued guidance on how schools can improve economy and efficiency while still optimising outcomes for children. Gill O’Donnell looks at the recommendations

Teaching primary schools MFL

Teaching languages in primary school will become compulsory in 2010. So what support and resources are available to teachers dealing with primary modern foreign languages?

Learning from home with ICT

Learning from home and using online education can provide a safe haven for children who are bullied at school. Special Children talked to one mother about the solutions she found for her autistic son

Supporting disabled children in sport

Want to encourage your disabled students in sport? Godfrey Hall has a number of ideas and sources of support for schools in doing so

Classroom ideas: studying Darwin

Brian Asbury looks at Darwin's life and work and suggests classroom ideas for studying the man and his theories in a primary science context

Good SEN practice: Golden Rules for adults

Lots of schools have rules for children's behaviour, but Grangewood Special School in Hillingdon has rules for adults too, and is a great example of good SEN practice. Michael Jones paid a visit

Linking sport to positive behaviour

Teachers are becoming increasingly convinced that that taking part in regular physical activity can have a significant impact on children's behaviour. Crispin Andrews discusses

Enriching primary maths

Teachers are now expected to enrich their maths lessons, but how easy is this to do in the classroom? Caroline Clissold offers advice and ideas for key stage 2

How to tackle truancy using ICT

Why does truancy remain a problem for some schools, and how far can hi-tech solutions help? Special Children looks at how e-registration might help

Integrating sports psychology into PE

Integrating sports psychology into the PE curriculum can increase motivation and improve performance, with benefits for students and the wider community. Lisa Symonds discusses and outlines ready-to-use motivation exercises

Audit commission: SEN budgets

The Audit Commission wants schools, including SENCOs, to show that they are getting value for money from their SEN and AEN budgets, and has produced the tools they need

Teaching primary literacy with ICT

Can technology help or hinder in the classroom? Rebecca Jenkin looks at how ICT resources can support different areas of learning at primary level, and how they can benefit you the teacher

Helping students who want to work in sport

For students interested in sport, playing for or coaching a famous team are not the only ways to work in a vocational sport position. Lisa Symonds has advice on supporting students who want to work in the the sport industry

Improving school-home contact

There are many occasions when speedy school-home contact is important. Gerald Haigh looks at the software available to help schools make effective links with parents

School trips: challenging pupils

School trips can help students meet their full potential by taking them out of their comfort zone. Crispin Andrews describes how Redbridge Community College in Southampton did exactly this

Strengthening transition and transfer between schools with classroom dialogue

The transition between schools can be hard. Julie Roberts describes how an action research project on classroom dialogue has been used to explore and overcome some of the barriers to learning across the transition from KS2-3

On being a school improvement partner

David White shares his school improvement partner (SIP) experiences from both sides, concerning the school improvement partner's role and a hidden agenda at work within schools

Baby P: lessons to be learned

What can schools learn from the Baby P case? Jenni Whitehead examines the report on Haringey children’s services and gives advice on how to prepare for unannounced inspections

Supporting parents support their children

Roger Smith considers the important role that parents play in supporting their children and asks what more schools can do to support them

Know, Want to know, Learned: G&T classroom strategies

Mike O'Neill looks at the 'KWL approach' - a classroom strategy for G&T coordinators and leading teachers to share with colleagues

Child initiated learning

Jenni Clarke, early years consultant and author, looks at the importance of practitioners' planning to support young children's self-initiated learning

How to teach boys through play

Boys and girls learn differently, as Steve Mynard discovered first hand when teaching five-year-old children. Here he explains how equal opportunities in school can be achieved by acknowledging gender differences in school

Gender differences in school: implications for education

Steve Mynard considers gender differences in schools by looking at the social, emotional, intellectual and physical contrasts to bear in mind when teaching boys and girls. He explains we may need to treat them differently in order to give equal opportunities in school to both sexes

Partisan political view in the classroom

Where do schools stand legally on teachers airing their political views in the classroom? Michael Segal explores this sensitive issue

Emotional literacy in teenage boys: raising achievement

Fostering emotional literacy in teenage boys is that aim of the programme developed by educational psychologist Tina Rae and SENCo Lisa Pedersen. Here they describe it

Raising boys' achievement: starting at early years

What are the social, emotional, intellectual and physical differences between early years boys and girls, and how does this affect their attainment in school? Reception teacher Steve Mynard discusses boys' attainment and SEAL

Early Years PiP Cards: 3.2 Supporting every child

Supporting every child is an important concept in EYFS effective practice, and is explored within a range of practical ideas which underpin the information in the Early Years Foundation Stage Principles into Practice cards

CPD trip: visiting NASA

Increase teacher motivation at your school by organising a CPD trip. Here, several participants recount one particularly worthwhile CPD visit, with one participant describing it as 'the most effective training I have had in over 20 years of teaching'

Managing cases of students' emotional abuse

Cases of student emotional abuse can all too frequently go unnoticed believes Jenni Whitehead. Here she suggests an exercise for staff-room discussion

Motivating students to take responsibility

Motivating students with a positive learning environment can inspire staff as well as pupils to aim high, achieving more progress than they had imagined possible and achieving student responsibility

A day in the life of a child and family support worker in school

As a child and family support worker at Kingfisher Primary School in Smiths Wood, Solihull, Debbie Todd explains what her role involves

The future of CPD

What should the next step for your CPD policy be? Now that the central role of CPD is recognised in schools, Philippa Cordingley looks at how professional learning can progress even more in the future

Sexual relations with pupils over 16

Teachers should not face prosecution for sexual relations with pupils above the age of 16 (the age of consent) − this is what Chris Whitehead, the general secretary of the NASUWT said in October 2008. Jenni Whitehead discusses

Developing an enquiry-based curriculum

Two teachers involved in a project to develop an enquiry-based curriculum in their school share their thoughts about the process. Victoria Bonner and Kerry Lane are both English teachers at Bedlingtonshire Community High School in Northumberland

Focusing on student and family health

A holistic approach to supporting young people's health is led by the school-based health adviser at Newall Green School, Manchester, who embraces the whole child and the family. Neil Wilson, headteacher, discusses

How to make CPD integral to your whole school

Create a culture of CPD at your school using an approach based on CPD for all staff. Julia Upton gives advice on whole-school reviews, micro-skills — including tips on how to be an effective teacher — training for support staff and the development of networks

The 21st century SENCo

How has the role of SENCo evolved in education? Gareth Morewood argues the importance of having a clear philosophy and acting as an advocate for students with special educational needs (SEN)

Multi-agency child protection: a case study

This story of a 14-year-old who was being groomed and in danger of sexual exploitation illustrates the importance of multi-agency child protection

Collaborative professional enquiry in schools

How can participating in collaborative professional enquiry foster pupil learning and professional learning in teachers? Alison Fox from the University of Stirling and chartered teacher Jan Brophy describe how

Youth café at Springfield School, Portsmouth

The development of a youth café led by young people from Springfield School in Drayton, Portsmouth is outlined here by Jo Derham, manager of the North East Community Improvement Partnership in Portsmouth

Achieving global dimension: a case study

Sir John Lawes School in Harpenden, Hertfordshire shares how it has taken an all-encompassing approach to incorporating the global dimension both within and beyond the whole-school curriculum

Making global learning central to your curriculum

It is essential that schools help equip young people to live and work in the 21st century. Increase your understanding of when and where global learning can be included in your curriculum and how to deliver it to achieve maximum benefit, with in-depth advice from Douglas Bourn

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