Any kind of change can be exciting and sometimes daunting, and moving from primary to secondary school is no different. So, what are the worries and challenges for students, and what would help to make the process easier? In this episode we’re discussing the research behind Life Ed’s Guide to Thrive transition program and how student voice has informed the resources.

In today’s article Janie Thompson – Manager and Nurse Continence Specialist at the Continence Foundation of Australia's National Continence Helpline – shares some of the real-life situations faced by K-12 educators who ring the helpline, along with strategies and advice.

‘It's one of those things that people don't feel comfortable talking about. Why is it so difficult to have that conversation when it is absolutely critical for our social wellbeing as well as our health?’ Bronwyn Robinson, Education Manager at the Continence Foundation of Australia, explains not all students start school toilet trained, others need ongoing support, and some who have previously had no problems can start to have difficulties.

The latest winners of the annual Prime Minister’s Prizes for Excellence in Science teaching are George Pantazis from Marble Bar Primary School in Western Australia, and Veena Nair from Viewbank College in Victoria. They both join us in this episode to discuss the work they’ve been recognised for.

In your school, what initiatives do you have in place to engage students in learning about sustainability? At one school in Victoria, sustainability is embedded across the school, and in this episode, their sustainability coordinator joins us to discuss their journey to prioritising sustainability as a school community.

A new research study is currently being undertaken to investigate the factors that help or stop young female students participating in digital technologies at school. In this article, the research team share their findings so far, and resources for teachers and students.

In this year’s Teacher survey, lots of you wanted more information on how best to support students targeted by cyberbullying. Dr Roberta Thompson is a Research Fellow at the Griffith Institute for Educational Research. Here, she discusses strategies to help teachers feel more confident in dealing with cyberbullying, related research findings, and helpful resources.

Many of you will be familiar with the concept of buddy programs, designed to support children who are navigating the intimidating step of starting a new school. However, it’s not only students who experience these challenges. For over 5 years, Beaumaris North Primary School have been running a buddy program for new Prep parents to help them find their feet in a new environment.

We know that, overall, female participation in STEM is lower than that of males, and that schools can play an important part in encouraging girls to pursue education and careers in this area. In this podcast, we’re joined by Jessica Huynh, Managing Director of Go Girl, Go for IT, a free one-day technology conference for girls, and teachers from a school that participated this year.

When students experience prolonged absences from school due to serious illness, it can bring up unique emotional, social and educational challenges for the student, their teacher and classmates. In this article, Year 5 teacher at Waverly College, Jennifer Hoare, shares some strategies the school uses to support students experiencing illness.