Special Needs

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What is Cultural Capital in The Early Years?

It’s critical, but hard to pin down. Maureen Hunt, Head of Early Years at Achievement for All explains what it is, why it's so important and some strategies to endow children with it.

25 Mar
Maureen Hunt

Special Needs

Language Is Critical To Deep Understanding in Maths

A Mathematics Mastery approach can have a profound impact on language and mathematical thinking for children, especially those with special educational needs, explains Helen Drury

24 Mar 2020
24mins
Helen Drury

Special Needs

Engaging Parents and Capturing Success

Supporting parents and carers to engage in their child’s learning is an important part of providing a rounded education for children. This Child File develops your thinking around parent engagement, and through the reflection at the end, it helps you to consider your current practice in this area and how you could do it better.

16 Jul 2019
24mins

Learning Spaces

Liberating Learning in Lithuania – Renkuosi mokyti!

Empowering every pupil to create a better future is the aim of a teaching programme dedicated to bringing change to Lithuania. Roberta Žižien and Coleen Jackson report on its activities.

16 Jul 2019
24mins
Coleen Jackson, Roberta Žižien

Most recent

Special Needs

What is Cultural Capital in The Early Years?

It’s critical, but hard to pin down. Maureen Hunt, Head of Early Years at Achievement for All explains what it is, why it's so important and some strategies to endow children with it.

25 Mar

Special Needs

Language Is Critical To Deep Understanding in Maths

A Mathematics Mastery approach can have a profound impact on language and mathematical thinking for children, especially those with special educational needs, explains Helen Drury

24 Mar

Special Needs

Leveraging the Power of Educational Psychologists

Educational psychologists can find solutions for children who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. Jo Suchy and Kirsty Newbury look at ways schools can benefit from consultations.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Skills for Success Can Be Taught… But Often Aren’t!

Making eye contact, projecting confidence and managing emotions are skills that are important for success in all areas of life, and are crucial for social mobility. Emma Sutherland shows how a new initiative by Nesta is supporting the development of these skills for students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to develop them.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Is Your Peer Mentoring Programme Having a Negative Impact?

Without a proper framework in place, many peer mentoring programmes are at risk of retraumatising students or reinforcing bullying and behaviours which the programme is trying to prevent. Kim Reuter looks at some of the most important factors for implementing effective, high-quality peer mentoring.

28 Feb

Special Needs

‘Playing it Safe’ is the Wrong Approach to the New RSE Curriculum

With the increasing complexity of issues surrounding gender, sexuality, technology and wellbeing, RSE is becoming more necessary…and more complicated. The new DfE guidance is a step in the right direction, but Sarah Culvert thinks that teachers should be prepared to go beyond the mandatory RSE requirements in order to meet the needs of children today.

28 Feb

Special Needs

How You Can Empower Parents to Help Close the Achievement Gap

Schools can help ‘close the gap’ by nurturing strong relationships with parents. Mary Taylor looks at where the dots need to be connected between policy and practice for the most effective outcomes.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Building a Sensory Room on a Shoestring Budget

A sensory room doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Adam Gordon shows us how to meet children’s sensory needs while dealing with a shoestring budget.

28 Feb

Special Needs

How to Increase Access to Extra-Curricular Activities

Participation in non-academic activities can be profoundly important to young people’s lives, yet many young people still don’t have access to programs that inspire them. Helen O’Donnell explains how a new initiative is helping communities and schools overcome the barriers to accessing extra-curricular activities.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Great Schools Optimise Lunchtime Play: Do You?

Primary headteacher Carol Baron shows how her school has brought play and independence to lunchtime, improving children’s wellbeing, behaviour and enjoyment of school along the way.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Are Your Interventions Working?: Measuring Motivation and Other Non-Cognitive Skills

We know that development of social and emotional skills underpins achievement and social mobility, but how can we know if what we’re doing is actually working? Rebecca Martin outlines some approaches to evaluating non-cognitive skills, making sure the support gets to the pupils who need it most.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Can You Spot the Signs of Child Exploitation?

Safeguarding specialist Dawn Jotham identifies the three key stages of child exploitation and offers advice for teachers to spot the warning signs and to support students who are at risk.

28 Feb

Special Needs

It’s Time to Give Credence to Non-Academic Career Routes

Professor Sonia Blandford is Founder and CEO of Achievement for All and one of the UK’s leading practitioners of education. Sonia is passionate about raising the aspirations and improving the attainment of all children and young people regardless of their background or needs. In 2016, she was named on Debrett’s list of the Top 500 Most Influential People in the UK.

28 Feb

Special Needs

Preventing Exclusions for Students on the Autism Spectrum

Children who have autism often exhibit behaviours that are considered unacceptable in a classroom, leading to higher levels of exclusions within this group. Catriona Moore offers ways for schools to reassess their behaviour policies to make sure they meet the needs for this vulnerable group.

20 Nov

Special Needs

Being Brave with Relationships Education in Primary Settings

Relationships Education will become mandatory in primary school in England from September 2020. Richard Woolley and Sacha Mason look at how to approach teaching the new material with bravery and sensitivity.

20 Nov

Special Needs

Strengthening the Role of Non-Academic Competencies

Children learn so much more from school than academics, so a school in California has decided to harness this reality and deliberately expand their curriculum. Randi Kearney, Katelyn Patterson and Tressa Wyner explain how they are developing self-efficacy skills with their students.

20 Nov

Special Needs

Engaging Youth With Social Action

Ella Cohen shows how providing opportunities for disenchanted youth to find meaning and purpose in their learning is part of a new social action initiative.

20 Nov

Special Needs

Why Your Alternative Provision Programme Needs Updating

Alternative Provision is a way of ensuring that the educational needs of the most vulnerable children are met, but its bad reputation has made it hard for schools to know how to best support students who need it. Jacqueline Daniel outlines recent improvements to the AP programmes and explores some recent recommendations to government.

20 Nov

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