all You and your child's teacher articles
Safeguarding in primary schools explained
What do schools have to do to keep children safe from abuse and neglect? What should you do if you suspect a child is at risk? And what will happen...
What is a social story?
Social stories can help children with special needs understand situations that might crop up at school or at home. Primary school SEN Inclusion Lead...
Transition to secondary school during the coronavirus pandemic
With schools still largely closed due to coronavirus, how can we prepare our Year 6 children for the big move to secondary school? We explore how Y7...
Supporting your child’s return to school
If your child is going back to school after a long six months at home, it’s natural for you both to be nervous. Read our top tips for easing the...
Your lockdown homeschooling worries sorted
'Why won’t my child listen to me?' 'Am I doing a good enough job?' We asked teachers to tackle your homeschooling worries and put...
Helping your child learn during coronavirus school closures
The latest updates on how coronavirus could affect your child’s learning, plus advice on establishing work and study routines at home.
Teachers’ tips for parents’ evening
How do teachers approach their own children’s parent consultations? What do they wish we would and wouldn’t do? We asked them to share their insider...
6 reasons children are excluded from school – and what you can do about it
Every year, thousands of pupils are excluded temporarily or permanently from primary schools. We look at the facts behind the figures.
Discipline in primary schools: restorative practices
More and more schools are adopting a behaviour model that encourages kids to take responsibility for their actions. So how do restorative practices...
21 things your child’s Reception teacher wants you to know
Your child isn’t the only one who has a lot to learn in their first year of school. Here’s what their teacher wishes you’d do – and not do.
19 questions to ask at the Reception starters’ meeting
The Reception starters' meeting is your chance to ask your burning questions about what happens when your child starts school. Our ideas will...
Setting and streaming explained
Teaching children by ability happens in many primary schools in the UK, but how do setting and streaming work in practice?
How to help out at your child's school
Helping out at your child’s school is a great way to find out what they’re getting up to. We explain how to get your foot in the door.
School social media policies explained
With cyber safety and online bullying becoming increasingly problematic, many schools are adopting social media policies. But what do these documents...
What is a teaching assistant?
Far from being just an extra person to buy an end-of-term gift for, teaching assistants (TAs) can play an important part in your child’s learning. We...
What is an NQT?
All Newly Qualified Teachers have to do on-the-job training to be able to teach in state schools, but what does it actually mean for your child to be...
Ofsted inspections explained for parents
Reading Ofsted reports is likely to be one of the first things you do when you’re choosing a school for your child, but what do the inspections...
What is PPA time?
All teachers are entitled to time out of the classroom to prepare and mark lessons. We explain how it works and how it affects your child.
Making a complaint about your child’s school
Who should you approach if you’re unhappy with something that has happened at school, and what if they don’t take you seriously? We explain how to...
Should you take your child to parents’ evening?
Does bringing your child to a parent-teacher meeting give them valuable input or get in the way of frank conversation? We discuss the pros, cons and...
How to handle a disappointing parents' evening
No one likes to hear bad news at a parent-teacher meeting, but knowing how to respond could help your child turn the issue around. By Lucy Dimbylow.
How being bilingual affects your child’s education
One in five primary school children speaks a language other than English at home. We find out how this affects their learning, and what schools (and...
Best teachers' gifts
A teacher can change a child's life – and attitude to learning – forever. We've found some of the most original (and delicious) ways to say...
School exclusions: everything primary-school parents need to know
Parents faced with their child being excluded from school are often very upset and confused. Moira Holden looks at the regulations that surround the...
How to work with your child’s SENCO
Having a healthy working relationship with your child’s SENCO can help ensure he gets the support he needs. Here’s how to ensure you make a good team...
How a SENCO could help your child
If your child has a special educational need, the school’s SENCO is likely to play a big part in his day-to-day life and learning. Lucy Dimbylow...
7 common school life problems solved
Every parent wants their child to be happy at school, but what if there’s a problem? Here’s our step-by-step guide to tackling and resolving some of...
Teachers’ top 10 classroom discipline tricks
Does every homework session end in tears and tantrums? Or are you losing sleep over getting your child to learn his spellings? Lucy Dimbylow asked...
‘My teacher hates me!’
There are some things you never want to hear your child say, and when it comes to his education, “Mummy, my teacher doesn’t like me!” tops the list....
The beginner's guide to parent-teacher meetings
There’s a lot you can do to make sure you get the most out of meeting with your child’s teacher. Here’s TheSchoolRun’s guide to handling your first...
Parent teacher meeting tips from real parents
Whether you’re preparing for your first meeting, or want to improve on past experience, these top tips will help you know what to get out of your...
12 ways to build a great relationship with your child’s teacher
We all want the teacher to love our child (and us too!) so Lucy Dimbylow asked them to share their top parenting peeves, along with the things that...
What to do if your child is excluded from school
Exclusion can be a very distressing experience for all involved and disrupts a child's education. Gerry German, Director of the Communities...
Truancy: why it’s risky for parents and children
Although you may not realise it, truancy can not only affect your child's attitude towards school and their ability to learn, it can also affect...
What are home-school agreements?
Your guide to how home-school agreements work and how they can improve communication between schools and parents.
Great gift ideas for teachers
Chocolates or smellies are typically the gifts of choice but if you fancying giving something more original try one of these ideas.
7 ways to get the best out of parents' evening
Does your mind go blank as soon as you sit down with your child’s teacher? Lucy Dimbylow offers expert tips on making the most of parents’ evening.
8 questions you must ask your child's teacher
No one understands your child's academic development better than their teacher. Lucy Dimbylow explains how to get the best out of parent-teacher...
Teachers' best and worst gifts ever
Yes, it’s the thought that counts, but what would teachers really like as a thank-you gift at the end of term? Lucy Dimbylow asked them to reveal...