Education articles - Teaching Expertise

The continuing professional development training implications of the gifted and talented (G&T) agenda are highlighted here by Sophie Craven and Brin Best, explaining all that CPD has to offer in the area of G&T

Inspire your primary pupils with these science lesson ideas that combine essential scientific theory with magic tricks

What does the future hold for primary mathematics following the Williams review? Caroline Slissolf looks at the review of framework in detail and asks how recommendations on primary maths training and specialism will translate into reality

How do pupils with dyslexia, or specific learning difficulties, learn best? Rebecca Jenkin offers active strategies to support dyslexic pupils and make a difference to their experience and outcomes at school

Close working between primary school staff and parents is vital for the identification of children's learning needs, making an effective home-school partnership essential

The targeting of misconceptions is seen as a critical skill in the teaching of science, but how can these pupil misconceptions be effectively targeted? Hazel Bennett offers some essential advice to teachers of science

Teaching mathematics to children with English as an additional language (EAL) can be a difficult task. EAL pupils will often struggle with maths and teachers may find it a struggle to overcome the language barrier, but Lorraine Barber has some helpful tips

The importance of teaching spelling, and its affect on literacy, was highlighted in recent interim reports from the Primary Review; so what should schools be doing to teach the core skill of spelling? Debbie Hepplewhite looks at current thinking, requirements and problems

Improvement in PE and sport can have cross curricular benefits across a pupil's school career. Lisa Symonds looks at how a rejuvenated look at sport had a positive impact on SEN and G&T students, as well as on PSHE and self-confidence, at three schools across the UK

PE lesson plans are offered here by Crispin Andrews, who believes that striking and fielding activities can develop children's thinking skills. The lesson plans for sport (cricket) are aimed at primary students in years 3 to 6

Safety is an important part of any school sports programme. Risk from unstable goalposts might seem remote, but can unfortunately present more problems than you might think, as Chris Green reports

Lessons in orienteering at school could provide cross curricular benefits to children of all ages. Lisa Symonds explores

The government plans to spend £235m on improving playground provision, but what can be done to make sure all children enjoy the new facilities? Crispin Andrews invesigates

Girls are increasingly disengaged in PE. In order to combat this, Gerald Greggs explores an alternative curriculum for girls' physical education

Children with little or no speech (augmentative and alternative communication) can now be supported by a wide range of communication aids, but much still depends on funding

Justin Irwin talks to Britain's most famous table tennis player, Desmond Douglas, about his history with table tennis and its place in schools

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has published a guideline on the diagnosis and management of ADHD in children, young people and adults. But what are its implications for schools?

You can use the Olympic Games as inspiration for a number of activities across the primary curriculum, focusing on subjects such as sport, drama, literacy and design. Primary Know-How from PE & Sport Today offers loads of Olympic lesson plans and activities to get you started

Last year Ofsted expressed increasing concern about the educational outcomes of white boys from low-income backgrounds. This year it has highlighted good practice in 20 schools which are meeting boys' needs

Mini-basketball — basketball for young children — is a school sport played by millions of primary PE pupils across the world, under the age of 12. It was was introduced internationally in 1964

Chessington Community College in the first Building Schools for the Future one-school pathfinder (OSP) to open in the UK. But what does the transformation actually mean for the school and the local community?

What could your school achieve in the area of sustainability? Pupils must be encouraged to embrace this concept, says Anne Clarke, who describes her school's successes

Development changes in your workforce which make flexible use of vital support staff teams will do much to encourage school improvement in general, believes Brian Rossiter, headteacher of Valley School in Worksop

The ASDAN curriculum offers pupils a unique opportunity to achieve recognition for personal and social development skills. Chief Executive Roger White charts the development and benefits of this curriculum framework and explains why it is as relevant today as when it started

Jim Donnelly looks at where schools can make a start on curriculum planning, in the light of the new Secondary National Curriculum which gives teachers a more flexible framework in order to raise standards

School leadership teams have become increasingly complex, with two roles sometimes being created where there was once one. The sole deputy model has advantages, challenges and potential pitfalls however, say deputy heads Paul Ainsworth and Josephine Smith

Michael Segal discusses a case where religious dress was thought to interfere with teaching, clarifying a school's legal position in this situation somewhat

Introducing learning logs can help pupils to reflect on their learning by identifying their attainment and progress says Steve Gibson, director of music and public performance at Carmel RC College, Darlington

The emphasis of school trips is now on risk-aversion, with priority being placed on experience and adventure. But schools should remember that the threat of litigation has not diminished, warns Susie Roome

Upholding a school's uniform policy can be difficult legally, in terms of religion and race discrimination of pupils. Richard Gold looks at some example cases, in order to explain the relevant legislation

How can you create an exciting series of citizenship lessons that will develop knowledge and understanding amongst your key stage 3 students? Catherine Johnson discusses her successes

Timely fee payments at independent schools can be achieved through a clear fee policy and a watertight contract, but if this fails you may need to go to court. Maggie Moodie explains

How does your school approach 'learning to learn'? A bit of 'accelerated learning', a few 'thinking skills', some 'emotional intelligence' and a commitment to 'assessment for learning' for good measure? The QCA has acknowledged that schools need a coherent, consistent approach to learning - Graham Powell examines how to do it

Are your pupils thinking? Lynn Cousins looks at practical ways headteachers can encourage thinking skills in the classroom

Manga is a Japanese style of print cartoon or graphic novel. Angela Youngman looks at how Manga novels might be used to inspire children in school towards an interest in literature

How do you organise a smooth handover? Having just left headship after 11 years, Suzanne O'Connell discusses why she did it and offers advice to others doing the same

Roger Smith considers ways to make the role of headteacher more straightforward, and says the best way to achieve this is without additional involvement

A new school year offers a number of opportunities for headteachers. David White gives tips on how to take advantage, and keep things manageable

Working with SEAL we try to value people for who they are, not what they've done. That means we need to focus on internal validation, not just on external achievements says Julie Leoni

Paying attention to pupils' insecurities and social anxieties is very important, argues Robin Banerjee, lecturer at the University of Sussex

Schools need to be redesigned with a focus on relationships in order to raise achievement, says policy adviser Charles Leadbeater

There are a range of anxiety and depressive disorders. Michael Farrell examines what schools can do, including therapy and support options

Michael Segal summarises a case of alleged sexual abuse within a family, and the difficulty involved in a related welfare hearing

Alison Williams has an extended role as SENCO and head of inclusion at Danetre School, an 11-16 technology college in Northamptonshire. She talks about her duties to Crispin Andrews

What powers do teachers actually have when it comes to disruptive pupils at school? Dai Durbridge discusses with reference to the use of force and confiscation

There are important issues to consider regarding the children of parents who are in prison. This article gives advice as to what educational support can be put in place and the role that some SENCOs might play in coordinating this

What can and should schools do when they learn about cases of self-flagellation, as part of religious ceremonies like Ashura in the Shi'a Muslim community?

The Bercow Review has made its recommendations on the steps needed to transform provision for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs, after 10 months of investigation and analysis

20,000 girls may be at risk of female genital mutilation in the UK. The charity Forward urges schools to watch out for the signs