Homepage

First use the home page to see if we've already got the information you want. We have a large knowledge base of articles written in response to questions from leaders like you. They are organised into categories so you can find them by browsing our home page, or you can simply do a keyword search.

Hot topics, questions and polls

'Hot topics' are brief descriptions of popular issues, with links to relevant articles in our knowledge base.

'Your questions' displays the top five questions we have been asked recently. Click on a question to see how we responded.

You can also vote in our latest poll to tell us what else we can offer you and to see the results of previous polls.

Search

A keyword search highlights categories that match your search terms, and lists articles that are relevant.

It will also highlight 'personal' results that may be particularly relevant to your role, or your type of school.

If the search terms you use directly match the name of a category or an article, you will be directed straight to the page.

If you happen to know the reference number of an article, you can search by number.

Site tools

If you find a page you like, you can bookmark it and find it again on your personalised toolbar - the grey bar at the side of the page. The toolbar will also show the last four links to articles you have visited or commented on. Your 'print cart' holds articles you have marked to be printed later in a batch. If you find the toolbar distracting, you can hide it and then show it again at any time.

Articles

Our articles are designed to be read by busy people. They pull together information from a variety of sources and show you where you can find out more.

Article tools

You can print a useful article, email it to a colleague, give feedback on it or bookmark it for future reference. You can also 'subscribe' to it, which means we will inform you by email when it is updated.

Have a look beside each article for a 'See also' that links to other categories or articles that might be useful. Some articles are also part of a family, or guide, that provides a range of information on a common theme.

Feedback

We are dedicated to acting on your feedback to improve the service. Every time you read an article, please click a rating button, and ideally give us a quick comment, to let us know what you thought. We will incorporate your feedback into new versions of the article, and are keen to acknowledge our contributors by name, with their permission.

Contacting us

If you can't find what you need, contact us to ask your question and our research team will get back to you with the information within three working days. The article we write for you will then be added to our knowledge base for the benefit of all school leaders.

Profile

We keep your contact details, contact preferences and information about your school (based on your DCSF number) in your profile. If you need to change this at any time, just click on the link.