Sarah Gallagher, former headteacher and runs Lighting Creative Fires and Story Shack sessions
Reading time: One of the subjects close to my heart is immersing children in literature. In the last school I worked as a headteacher, Rendlesham Primary school, every class stopped to read a novel together each day at 3pm. Many positive things came from this initiative. Children looked out for more books by that author, ideas in novels evolved into class projects, children had a sense of calm at the end of the day and, crucially, reading pressure was removed. The teacher was reading for enjoyment – there was no marking and children didn't have to worry about a test at the end. Reading together had so many benefits, and for many children, listening to a story at the end of the school day was the only time they get to experience that special moment.
'Family' lunchtimes: Using plates and bowls instead of airline trays at lunchtime has also proved successful. It sounds a bit trivial, but it's made a real difference to our eating environment. Some of the children didn't sit down at the table to have a meal at home. If school is the only place where that's happening, then I feel we should provide an experience that is as close to eating together as a family as possible. I faced a bit of a battle with this at the beginning, but the children proved to be good at carrying trays, with the older pupils helping the little ones to manage while they got used to it.
Hot drinks for staff: Staff morale was is at the forefront of my mind and providing free tea and coffee was an important part of staff wellbeing. If it wasn't put on, some poor staff member had to organise payments and it created resentment. Having a staff room with hot drinks recognises the comfort and social aspect of a having a cuppa and a chat.
Anna Kern, principal, Göteborg School in Sweden
Support hours: For a long time, our school, which caters for 10 to 15 year olds, has had declining results. It's located in a very segregated area where the vast majority of families do not have Swedish as their first language. One of the changes I've introduced is support-hours, when an extra teacher joins a class. Every teacher dedicates two hours a week to this. They might help a small group struggling with maths or help resolve conflicts that arise.
Sharing lesson plans: I've also asked teachers to share their lesson plans on a web-platform. People have so many good lesson ideas that it seems a shame not to share them. I like to know what's going on in the classroom so I can prepare for lesson observations and it makes life much easier when staff are off sick.
Sarah Paddock, head of assessment and ICT, Prior Park Preparatory School in Cricklade
Online calendars: At our school the ICT room is a busy place. I used to pin up a printed timetable in the staffroom every term and people booked the room by writing their initials in a slot. The problem was, if you decided you wanted to book a slot at the weekend you would have to wait until Monday morning and hope you got there first, or be very organised and pre-book slots with me before I put the calendar up. Google calendars has proved to be a fantastic alternative.
