Concern that children are not engaging in enough physical activity (PA) to bring about health benefits is a crisis globally. This paper aims to examine primary school-based PA initiatives from within an English context. A qualitative inquiry was adopted and underpinned by the socio-ecological model. The study was presented through a realist case…

The impact of academically selective schools on children's learning achievement has received global attention for decades. Despite the persistence of early-age selection in many countries, evidence of its impacts is mixed. This study analysed national achievement data covering 149,072 secondary school students and examined whether academically…

This paper explores the enactment of government policy during the COVID pandemic in primary schools in England. Based on interviews with school leaders and teachers across the period 2020-21 (n = 66), drawn from two major studies of primary schools' priorities during the crisis, we argue that school leaders' responses can be understood as a…

This paper considers the implications for teachers and teaching of the Ofsted Curriculum Research Review for Languages [Ofsted. 2021. OCRR Series: Languages. Published 7 June 2021. Available online OCRR series: languages -- GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Accessed 8 June 2021.] (OCRR) and the content of 24 Languages Subject Inspections (LSI) in primary…

This article examines the teaching of creation in a year six and a year three Religious Education (RE) class in schools in the south of England with a focus on the type and role of teacher questioning in relation to classroom discussions. The nature of knowledge, curriculum content and the relationship between RE and other subjects is currently…

The worrying decline in the status of primary school science in schools in England has been linked to low teacher confidence in teaching science and to schools being heavily focused on achievement in English and mathematics. This article reports on a novel professional learning strategy that was provided for 23 primary science leaders over five…

Purpose: This study evaluated the feasibility of the "Start to Move" (S2M) digital assessment of children's fundamental movement skills being implemented by primary school teachers within PE lessons. Methods: Nine primary school teachers in the United Kingdom trialed S2M weekly over a 6-week period. Posttrial surveys and interviews were…

Spatial thinking predicts Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics achievement, yet is often absent from educational "policy." We provide benchmarks of teachers' usage and perceptions of spatial activities "in practice" in the reception classroom (first year of primary school). In this questionnaire study of…

This study focuses on the current situation regarding children working creatively in schools. With two colleagues, I used a form of action research called Appreciative Inquiry, working in collaboration with teachers. Though it took courage for the teachers to plan and implement activities in which children worked creatively, they valued this work…

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic life events experienced in childhood that can have negative and long-lasting effects throughout life. This qualitative exploratory study investigates the implementation of a novel programme aimed at supporting children experiencing adversity and trauma across primary schools in one…

The notion of cultural capital, defined in its Arnoldian sense, of "the best that has been thought and said", has been at the centre of the Conservative government's education policy for the last few years in England. While it is clear that this version of cultural capital--different from the sense in which it was used by Pierre…

In this article, we present some practical tips primary teachers might use to help their students understand adaptations. We also aim to raise awareness of the learning progression towards understanding one of the big ideas of science. A key message is the role that language plays in presenting scientifically accurate ideas about adaptations.

This case study of one primary school's inspection journey over 20 years highlights serious concerns about Ofsted's education inspection framework and modus operandi in relation to safeguarding. Ofsted's proposed changes to inspection practice following school inspections are also discussed.

The prevalence of mental health problems in school children has grown, especially during the pandemic, detrimentally impacting the lives of those affected. In the UK, primary school teachers and schools are well-placed to spot and support pupil mental health. This preliminary research completed during the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic,…

The development of technology affects the use of learning media in primary schools. This research applies the method of a systematic review literature with the favored revealing things for orderly audits and meta-examination (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA)) protocol. The research stages include…