This week, Teacher has been sharing reader stories on their school’s response to the pandemic. This final instalment is written by Michael Rosenbrock, Assistant Principal at Wodonga Senior Secondary College, on the border of Victoria and New South Wales.

‘While schools will be gradually re-opening in China by mid-April, they’re closing around much of the rest of the world. How well are we prepared? OECD’s TALIS survey offers some insights,’ Andreas Schleicher, the organisation’s Director for Education and Skills, writes in his latest Teacher column.

Improving educational opportunities has a far greater reach than just the benefits for that individual child. ‘This is particularly the case for educating girls and young women,’ Julia Gillard writes in her latest Teacher column.

ACER researchers Dr Amy Berry, Kellie Picker and Rachel Parker discuss some of the characteristics of playful learning at school, share examples of classroom practice, and explain how Australian teachers can contribute to our understanding of learning through play in the classroom.

Melanie Macmillan, Principal of Warwick Farm Public School, shares how her experience in The Principals’ Centre in Australia: Leadership for School Excellence program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education strengthened her professionally as a school leader, but it also helped her to understand how she could better support the needs of families at her school.

If we are to scale and sustain good practices to benefit more students, then we want to know whether these practices work so schools and systems can use the results to inform decisions to improve, further expand, or cut the program.

A school in Australia’s Northern Territory has partnered with a local refugee centre to support young people from a refugee background transition to school and life in Australia. Here, we speak to St John’s Catholic College’s Principal Cameron Hughes about the partnership.

A new report that analyses the Australian results of the latest Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) has been released today. Here, we explore some of the main findings.

How can schools best work with parents to support students and improve their learning? Dr Tanya Vaughan and Susannah Schoeffel explore two evidence-based recommendations from a new guidance report for Australian practitioners, and share practical examples of action.

Nigel Brito decided to embark on the journey to become a Certified Practising Principal because he recognised the importance of formally demonstrating his skills and experience as a school leader.