School playgroups benefit children, their families, schools and communities. New Australian research has identified six key features of high-performing school playgroups.

The Connection is a network of high-performing school leaders working in some of Australia’s most challenged communities. They’ve been reflecting on successful practices in their own schools since the start of the pandemic. Today’s article shares their top five recommendations for learning through COVID.

In this episode of Teaching Methods we’ll be looking at how PE teachers adapted to online learning during the pandemic. My guest is Dr Vaughan Cruickshank and we’ll be discussing in this ‘emergency mode’ of teaching and learning, did PE happen at all? If it did, it more Physical Activity than Physical Education? And what lessons can we learn from this experience for the future?

In this episode of School Improvement, we’re taking you to Ireland where research has been conducted looking at engaging students in the school self-evaluation process in a meaningful way. Shivaun O’Brien from Dublin City University joins us to unpack the impetus for the research and to talk us through some of the findings.

Effective teacher-parent relationships and parent engagement in their child’s learning improves student outcomes. Researchers in the United States have surveyed parents and carers of preschoolers about their role in their child’s learning, and the support they’d like from teachers.

Which factors determine the effectiveness of school boards? A new study by academics from Monash University’s Business School has found that board diversity, board practices, and principal influence over board decisions, all impact board effectiveness. They also have a sizeable bearing on the school’s financial and academic wellbeing.

Today is RUOK? Day, a national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone to check in on their loved ones and ask ‘Are you OK?’ In today’s Behaviour Management episode, we’re joined by Professor Fiona Brooks from the University of Technology Sydney to discuss the relationship between mental health, wellbeing and student behaviour at school.

‘In a digital society threatened by various disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic, lifelong learning attitudes have become even more crucial in fostering the resilience and adaptation of youngsters.’ In his latest Teacher column, Andreas Schleicher discusses how teachers, schools, education systems and parents can influence the development of lifelong learning attitudes.

After an unprecedented one-year postponement, the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics are scheduled to begin on 23 July and 24 August. While billions of fans around the world tune in to their favourite sporting moments from home, the question remains – Does elite sport performance act as a catalyst to increased mass sport participation?

For many schools, the shift to remote learning during the pandemic has led to new conversations about the possibilities of Blended Learning as a more integral aspect of regular learning and teaching programs. Today’s article looks at how a research-practice partnership is supporting four schools in Queensland to investigate this further.