Sexual abuse and harassment: Harnessing pupil voice 5 July 2021 When considering the Everyone’s Invited revelations and Ofsted’s review, it is clear that we may not be asking young people the right questions. One immediate action for schools must be to listen to our pupils. Elizabeth Rose looks at putting pupil voice at the heart of our response
Safeguarding: Preventing peer-on-peer abuse 5 July 2021 Following Ofsted’s review of sexual harassment and abuse in schools – and the subsequent updates to the inspection framework from September – what should schools be doing to address peer-in-peer abuse? Jenny Moore advises and signposts to some useful resources
RSHE: Teaching sensitive topics 28 June 2021 Consent, misogyny, sexual harassment, healthy relationships and much more – the list of sensitive topics within RSHE is long and tackling these issues can be daunting for unprepared staff. Rachel Coathup offers some tips
Rebuilding hope: Attitudes and values 28 June 2021 People who have hope generally have better developmental outcomes. In this four-part series, psychologist Dr Stephanie Thornton looks at building back hope as we emerge from the pandemic. Part four looks at how we can foster hope, ‘flourishing’ and positivity
Sexual harassment & abuse: How are schools responding? 23 June 2021 Schools have been quick to respond to the disturbing findings of Ofsted’s review into sexual harassment and abuse, but what immediate and practical actions should we be taking? Pete Henshaw reports
Rebuilding hope post-Covid: Understanding risk 20 June 2021 People who have hope generally have better developmental outcomes. In this four-part series, psychologist Dr Stephanie Thornton looks at building back hope as we emerge from the pandemic. Part three looks at how we can help young people to consider, handle and manage risk
Rebuilding hope post-Covid: Helping students to overcome despair 15 June 2021 People who have hope generally have better developmental outcomes. In this four-part series, psychologist Dr Stephanie Thornton looks at building back hope as we emerge from the pandemic. Part two considers how we might support those teenagers waylaid by despair
Senior Mental Health Lead: How to have an impact 11 June 2021 If you are new to the role of mental health lead, or you would like to make sure that your role really makes a difference next year, Dr Pooky Knightsmith offers a few simple ideas to help you to maximise your impact
Rebuilding hope post-Covid: The signs of depression and despair 8 June 2021 What our young people need right now is hope. In this four-part series, psychologist Dr Stephanie Thornton looks at building back hope as we emerge from the pandemic. Part one considers the signs of despair we may see in some students – and how we can respond
Free school meals uptake: Removing the barriers 8 June 2021 There are still a number of barriers that put children and families off applying for and taking up free school meals. Georgina Burt advises on how schools can remove some of these barriers
The features of effective, high-quality RSE 7 June 2021 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 secondary schools
Information-sharing: Effective safeguarding practice 1 June 2021 The Child Safeguarding Review Panel has identified timely and appropriate information-sharing as a key area of safeguarding that often needs to be improved. Elizabeth Rose offers best practice advice for schools
Wellbeing in schools: Common questions from parents 31 May 2021 The Schools Wellbeing Partnership works with parents to help them choose a school based on their record on mental health. Parent champion Michelle West considers some of the common questions that schools can expect from parents
Five steps to school staff wellbeing 31 May 2021 After the year we have had, schools must be placing staff wellbeing at the top of the agenda – and it is not hard to do. Sophie Howells offers five easy approaches to get you started
Tackling racism in schools: Three starting points 25 May 2021 How is your school tackling racism? Is it working? How do you know? Ahead of September’s inaugural National Schools’ Human Rights Conference, Peter Radford looks at three principles that should underpin your school’s anti-racism work
Doorstep disadvantage: Beyond the Pupil Premium 24 May 2021 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
Emotionally based school avoidance: How can we respond? 19 May 2021 Emotionally based school avoidance occurs when a student feels genuinely unable to attend school because of stress or other wellbeing barriers. How should we respond? Darren Martindale offers some practical steps that schools can take
Why ‘letting go’ is the secret to transforming student outcomes 18 May 2021 There is so much that teachers try to control but in doing so they risk creating adversarial choices which push at-risk young people further away. Mark Goodwin advocates letting go. It’s scary and uncomfortable, but it can be transformational too
Safeguarding the safeguarders: How are you supporting your DSL? 17 May 2021 Designated safeguarding leads will need further support if they are to meet the challenge of looking after pupils in the wake of the pandemic, says Hannah Glossop
The senior mental health lead: What does this new role entail? 17 May 2021 The government wants every school to have a designated mental health lead in place by 2025 and has begun to fund training to support this goal. In light of the pandemic’s impact, the role could well be a crucial part of recovery. Sam Preston looks at what it will entail
Behaviour conversations: Your unconscious bias... 4 May 2021 When holding crucial behaviour conversations with pupils, we need to be aware of our unconscious bias and the negative impact it may have on our responses – and the young people we teach. Fiona Aubrey-Smith and Marva Rollins explain how, why, and what you can do about it...
Safeguarding & Everyone's Invited: Have I done enough to keep children safe? 28 April 2021 The Everyone’s Invited revelations and Ofsted’s subsequent review of sexual harassment and abuse in schools and colleges has clear implications for safeguarding practice. Elizabeth Rose advises on conducting an internal review of safeguarding structures around sexual harassment, violence and abuse
At risk of dropping out? How to turnaround a disconnected young person 28 April 2021 We all understand the importance of re-engaging with disaffected students and those at risk of dropping out, but this is often easier said than done. Mark Goodwin – who does this for a living – offers his advice and a ‘turnaround checklist’
Racism: Helping schools to lead a legacy of change 26 April 2021 Stephen Lawrence loved school and he wanted to be an architect. Twenty-eight years since his senseless and racist murder, schools can help to create a legacy for change by focusing on classrooms, community and careers. Deborah Lawson explains
When September comes: 12 tips for a smooth year 6 to 7 transition 20 April 2021 Transition from year 6 to 7 is always a challenging time for students, but during a pandemic the potential difficulties have been heightened for both young people and schools. Matt Bromley offers 12 strategies to help our new year7s thrive when they arrive this September 1 comment
28 June 2021