When students arrive at school hungry it can impact their ability to learn. Your school might be running a breakfast club or snack program to tackle the problem, but new research has found there’s more to it than simply providing food.

School Assembly is the podcast that explores what it takes to build a new school from the ground up. In Episode 8 of Season 2 we catch up with Bemin Secondary College Principal Jo Camozzato to talk about meeting student needs – including differentiation, subject choices and external partnerships to bolster staff expertise.

How well do you know the issues facing your students? Beyond Blue asked Australian teachers to name the top 3 health issues facing people under 18. In today’s infographic, we look at the 10 most common responses.

Offensive behaviour against school leaders in Australia is at record levels, and of those who have been subject to physical violence at work in the last 12 months students were the perpetrators in 96% of cases. In this 5-minute read we look at the results of the latest Australian Principal Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Survey.

In Australia, 12% of girls will have their first period between the ages of 8 and 11 years, but formal education on menstruation is not included in the curriculum until age 10 at the earliest. A new study has interviewed school staff to explore how teachers are supporting younger students experiencing menstruation, and ways to overcome any barriers.

In this Q&A, we speak to Rob Walker, Deputy President of the New South Wales Primary Principal’s Association, about how its statewide initiative is responding to the needs of school leaders by helping staff and parents to recognise and respond to anxiety in children.

School absence has an impact on student outcomes, so being aware of attendance rates for your class, year group, or whole school, and understanding the reasons behind the absence is important. With this information to hand, what will make a difference? That’s the topic of Dr Kirsten Hancock’s research.

We’re right at the beginning of a new school year here in Australia. That means most of you are busy setting up your classrooms, meeting new students and establishing relationships with them and their families. In today’s podcast special, we’ve spoken with several winners from last year’s Teacher Awards to ask them their most valuable tips, strategies and priorities for starting the school year off right.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect public perceptions of teachers and the teaching profession, and how were their views and beliefs influenced by media coverage? Researchers in the UK have been exploring these questions, and their findings offer some interesting insights into how society values the profession, and the impact this has on teacher mental health and wellbeing.

In this expert Q&A, Lisa De Bortoli – ACER Senior Research Fellow and National Project Manager for Australia for PISA – explains what the latest test results tell us about students’ skills and knowledge, and how schools can use the data to inform teaching and learning. She also shares early findings from PISA’s student and principal questionnaires.