As a Primary School Headteacher, Deputy or Assistant Head choosing a PSHE Scheme for your primary school can be a daunting task. There are many platforms out there - however what works for your primary school may not be the same as what works for another. You need to ensure that whatever solution you choose is one that the staff can implement easily and the children and parents will engage with.

There are a plethora of resources out there from online platforms, to soft toys to journals that are all part of PSHE for primary schools. Wellbeing can also fall under this umbrella and when we live in a world where mental health issues cause so much heartache for so many schools due to families and children suffering this can be seen by some as an all important part of PSHE.

Character education is an increasingly talked about topic and there are some wonderful companies out there focussing on teaching primary schools how to embed character education in to their learning.  Equally primary school assemblies can be seen as a great way to help embed values - and some see as playing a part in PSHE at the primary level. 

Ultimately choosing a PSHE platform for your school is a difficult task. Here at BlueCow we work with several market leading PSHE solutions who provide primary schools on a daily basis with resources for lessons and tasks - from lesson plans to worksheets. Some also have the ability to track the child's learning and tools to engage parents in the learning and teaching of PSHE.  

If you would like to come along to one of our sessions and learn from leading educational suppliers to the primary sector - please do have a look at our events page - there is also the chance to earn £40 as a thank you if you choose to complete feedback. We also offer some 1-1 opportunities so if you are looking for a PSHE solution for your primary school, or indeed a literacy, maths, coding, PE, you name it - its likely we've got it so please do register your interest on our events page and we can make sure we send you relevant information.  We pride ourselves on helping headteachers save time by sharing our expertise of the market - we aren't in the classroom so we have the time to wander the boards at BETT and learn what is out there, we also benefit from feedback from schools so can share with you products we think might work for you. 

We never take commission and are completely inpartial so if you are looking for a solution for your primary school please do get in touch. 

The new DfE Reading Framework came out in July 2023 and reading remains top of the agenda for many primary schools. Thankfully due to edtech there are now a myriad of solutions that can help improve reading in KS1 and KS2. It is no longer just about picking a reading scheme.  Whether you are a Biff and Chip fan or long for the days of Roger Red Hat and Billy Blue Hat a reading scheme is just one part of improving reading for primary school aged children.  A good list of all the reading schemes that are available can be seen here. 

The DfE Reading Framework identifies several factors that can impact on reading attainment levels for primary aged children.  It look at the use of language; if children are struggling with their vocabulary, that in turn will make it difficult for them to read words. It also looks at the importance of reading out loud to help children develop their reading skills.  Another key area it considers is that children should be reading for pleasure. In an increasingly technological environment with the omnipresence of screens this can be difficult. Fortunately there are now companies out there who have books online and have designed interfaces to encourage children to read more. 

I you are looking for ways to improve reading in your primary school please do get in touch. We work with a number of edtech suppliers who have innovative products to help children improve their reading at a primary school age. These companies often showcase at our popular supplier showcases. So if you are a Headteacher, Deputy or Assistant Head in a primary school please head over to our events page to sign up to a session - what's more you will also get a £40 Amazon voucher for giving feedback. 

If you would like us to recommend companies that might be able to help with your literacy please do let us know. We take NO COMMISSION and only recommend products that have been recommended to us by other primary school Heads, whether it be literacy, maths, PE, wellbeing or other curriculum resources.  We also hold some bespoke sessions with companies where we deep dive into their product. If you are interested in learning more about how your school could improve reading amongst KS1 and KS2 children please do drop us an email and we would be happy to recommend relevant products. We may also have a market research opportunity where by we pay you for feeding back on certain products.  

In the current day and age choosing the right way to increase reading amongst your children is difficult as there is so much choice. We work with 100s of edtech resources so can signpost you to a useful resource for you to peruse at your leisure. For free impartial advice please do drop us an email - we'd love to help. Or sign up to one of our events to get some inspiration as to how we can help your primary school.

Finding the right product for your school, whether primary or secondary is incredibly difficult. Gone are the days of people turning up in reception asking to see you and showcasing you their offering. Gone too, is the need to have a set of books or a scheme that is only replenished once every five/ten years. 

Whilst this enables schools and Heads to adjust to the changing demographic and needs of their particular children it also makes it incredibly time consuming and challenging. How do you choose the right product for the right school? The choice out there of, for example, curriculum materials for KS1 and KS2 is large- which is great - however it does make it difficult for you as a school leader. 

Word of mouth recommendations from fellow Heads and School leaders in other schools can help - as of course can internet research. Visiting exhibitions such as BETT are also a great way to see what is out there. However this takes time and money - which schools are short of. In boxes can often be over run with emails about the new latest product - and even if you've identified an educational resource that will work for your school - how do you find out the price, and crucially the onboarding process.   

We speak to many school leaders who say they are reticent to learn more about education resources and solutions as they don't want, after asking one question, to be bombarded with emails and calls. This is where our supplier showcases can really help. Each presentation lasts only 13 minutes - long enough to learn more than you would from internet research - and not so long to give you the detail you don't need if its not right for your school! Plus the other added bonus is your details are not shared with any of the companies unless you give permission at the end of the evening. 

This is a great way to source education resources for your primary school as a school leader, whether you are looking for KS1, KS2 or KS3 or indeed EYFS  - we showcase a range of products - from maths to literacy to PSHE to specific subject resources. Why not sign up to one of our events - or if you are looking for a specific solution please do drop us an email. We take no commission from companies - and only signpost you to companies that we know, as our Heads have told us, that offer high quality solutions to your school problems. So if you are looking for a primary school resource, whether it be a maths solution, Literacy, IT or something completely different please do drop us an email and we will do our best to put you directly in touch with someone who can help.