At Bosmere Junior School, our journey into executive functioning did not begin as a planned school improvement initiative. Instead, it emerged from what we were seeing every day in classrooms, on the playground, and through our nurture support and reporting systems. As a school committed to relational and trauma-informed practice, we wanted to understand why some children appeared capable, motivated and willing, yet still struggled to engage successfully with learning. We shared our findings and the impact it was having across our school and presented this through an ARC webinar.
Executive functioning refers to the mental processes that help us manage everyday tasks, organise ourselves, regulate emotions, maintain attention, start tasks and achieve goals. We found that these skills are often assumed rather than explicitly taught. However, we found that increasing numbers of pupils were arriving at school needing support to develop these foundational skills.
We noticed common patterns across year groups. Staff reported that pupils often struggled to get started on tasks, relied heavily on adult prompts, found it difficult to prioritise information and became overwhelmed when faced with multi-step activities. There were also increases in low-level disruption, friendship difficulties and dependency on adults. Importantly, these challenges were not confined to pupils with identified SEND needs; they were evident throughout the school.
Rather than viewing these difficulties as behaviour issues, we looked at them as potential executive functioning skill gaps. Instead of asking, “Why won’t this child do it?”, we began asking, “What skill might this child be missing?”
Our first step was developing staff understanding. Teachers, HLTAs and LSAs received training on executive functioning and were introduced to a shared language around key skills such as working memory, task initiation, organisation, flexible thinking, emotional regulation and impulse control. This helped staff recognise that many behaviours being interpreted as lack of effort were often linked to pupils’ difficulties with planning, prioritising or self-regulation.
We introduced opportunities for pupils to develop these skills explicitly. Through our HEARTS values mornings and wider curriculum, we embedded practical life skills that encouraged planning, problem-solving, reflection and social thinking. We also gathered pupil voice through a whole-school executive functioning survey, enabling children to reflect on their own strengths and areas for development. This ensured that our support was informed by both adult observations and pupils’ own experiences.
The survey results were analysed and used alongside teacher knowledge to create targeted intervention groups. These groups focused on developing skills to support executive functioning. LSAs worked collaboratively to design and deliver interventions, and observations were recorded to monitor progress and identify emerging needs.
A priority throughout the work has been increased pupil independence. Sessions focus on teaching the children how they can help themselves and exploring and discussing different strategies. We want pupils to develop methods they can apply successfully across different contexts, both in and beyond the classroom. Staff have already reported increased confidence, improved engagement and greater willingness from pupils to attempt challenging tasks independently.
Executive functioning continues to be an important area of development at Bosmere. Our future plans include a whole-school focus on executive functioning linked to Ordinarily Available Provision, further parental engagement and the continued embedding of relational approaches to promote emotional safety, belonging and regulation. By explicitly teaching these vital life skills, we hope to equip pupils not only for academic success but also for the wider demands of everyday life.
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