This episode considers effective parent/carer engagement and asks how we can create parent-friendly schools.

Our experts offer principles for effective parental engagement and discuss how schools can get parents/carers on board, how we can build positive relationships, and tips for headteachers new in post.

We talk school gates, bacon sandwiches, and ideas for how we can make our schools more "parent-friendly".

There are tips for getting parents to show an interest in learning at home and for handling difficult conversations and difficult parents.

Other topics include parent conferences, homework, websites, home communication, and working with the PTA.

This episode looks at supporting pupils as they make the transition from primary to secondary school.

We chat with two secondary schools and two feeder primaries about common transition challenges and solutions.

We look at when transition work should begin, what the process looks like, engaging with parents, identifying pupils who may struggle, and supporting vulnerable pupils.

We discuss tried and tested ideas for transition interventions, activities and taster days.

Other topics include curriculum consistency, academic support, year 7 transition activities, open evenings, year 7 pupil ambassadors working with year 6 pupils, and the impact of Covid on transition.

This episode takes a practical look at how primary schools can support vulnerable pupils, including looked after children and those living with trauma and adverse childhood experiences.

We ask what form ACEs and trauma can take, what impact they have, and what being a trauma-informed school involves.

We consider therapeutic approaches and how to create calming classroom environments.

We discuss: making behaviour management more effective and less reactive; the common mistakes schools make and how can we avoid them; responding to emotionally based school-based avoidance; and helping vulnerable children to successfully manage their emotions at key times of the day.

What is the best way to teach pupils to read and how can teachers ensure every child leaves primary school a fluent reader?

This episode considers the components of effective whole-school reading (and literacy) strategies.

The podcast is packed with teaching tips and techniques as well as whole-school ideas to engage pupils and boost reading skills.

We discuss: early years & early reading work, reading aloud, improving fluency, using the school library, fostering reading for pleasure, the kinds of books that will spark a love of reading for life, the DfE's 2021 Reading Framework, common challenges, and engaging reluctant readers.

This episode considers what outstanding governance looks like in the primary school, how to be a great governor, and how school leaders and governors can work together effectively.

We ask how headteachers can foster strong, professional relationships with governors, and vice-versa.

We advise new headteachers how they might begin to build working relationships with governors, including questions to ask during your first meeting, and we advise governors how to build relationships with new heads.

We consider governor workload, how heads can handle 'difficult' governors, what we can do when the relationship breaks down, and what lessons Covid has taught us.

In part two, we chat to three colleagues working in primary schools about their safeguarding work, examples of best practice, and useful ideas.

They discuss current trends, effective safeguarding principles, and how to ensure a culture of "it could happen here".

Themes include SEND, Covid, spotting the patterns, effective communication, empowering staff to question narratives, supporting volunteer staff, peer-on-peer abuse, online safety, attendance, domestic abuse, and referring to social care.

Part 1 featuring safeguarding expert Elizabeth Rose is still available via https://bit.ly/htu-podcastsafe

Themes include the consequences of Covid-19 for safeguarding, safety of children outside school, the growing trend of online safety challenges at primary level – including peer-on-peer incidents, social media, cyberbullying, online abuse & self-generated images, and online gaming.

Elizabeth advises on making successful referrals, applying thresholds of need, and information-sharing. Other topics include Early Help, parental communication, pupil voice, and staff training.

Don't miss part two of this podcast on February 16.

This episode asks what great school improvement practice and processes look like and how to ensure self-evaluation work in schools is effective.

We discuss the key tenets of school improvement, including change management, culture and ethos. We ask what a cycle of improvement should look like and how headteachers new in post might begin this work, including building relationships, winning hearts and minds, and listening to and involving all stakeholders.

We discuss common traits of effective improvement practice, key challenges or barriers (and how we might overcome them), and how we can ensure that improvement work is maintained.

This episode looks at how digital learning in schools is evolving in the wake of the pandemic and what it will look like in the months to come.

We discuss lessons learnt from Covid, how the pandemic experience has changed practice and use of technology – and where we go next.

We offer ideas for edtech practices that free-up teachers to teach, including pedagogy, homework, assessment, blended learning, flexible working and CPD. We look at what we can do to close the digital divide.

This podcast has been produced with Pearson and comes with a free guide to digital learning: https://bit.ly/htu-DL

This episode considers best practice for effective CPD programmes and performance management in schools, offering some really practical ideas, examples and advice.

Our expert panel reflect on their general tenets of good CPD, before discussing what an effective CPD programme or cycle looks like and giving examples from their respective schools.

Other themes include teachers leading their own CPD, research-driven CPD, how to ensure CPD is focused on pupil outcomes, getting buy-in from staff, evaluating the impact, including support staff, and more.

We consider professional, collegiate performance management and performance-related pay processes too.