There are two very different ways of deciding who should use the school minibus and for what.

For most of us, the use of the minibus is obvious. A school team has an away fixture, and has to get to the ground where the match is played. The obvious solution is to use the school minibus.

The school doesn’t have its own swimming pool, but there is one that can be hired for school use just three miles away. On Mondays half the class go for their swimming lesson, on Thursday’s the other half goes. In each case the minibus can take the group.

But there is another way of using the minibus – an approach that creates journeys because the minibus is there – and which ultimately enhances the quality of education and experience offered by the school.

Take for example the school that has a lunchtime chess club. The club takes place in one classroom, there’s never any trouble, and a small group of enthusiasts turn up and play their games on allocated days.

No one has ever thought of running a school chess team – since that would mean arranging events away from the school. And yet with the minibus and either a parent or a member of staff who is keen on the game, this could be arranged. Suddenly the school has one more activity on offer, and the opportunity to extend the skills of the best players in the school.

Or, to give a different example, one school had struggled with its end of term plays, Christmas carol service, and so on, because the hall and the staging that it had available were quite inadequate and inappropriate for the sort of events that were wanted.

Although it was possible to put on the final events at a neighbouring school, getting the students to the final rehearsals was always problematic, and so the arrangement of sharing the facilities of the local school was ultimately dropped.

It was not until two years after a minibus was brought into the school that the idea arose that this policy could be re-thought, that the sharing of the nearby school’s facilities could resume. Now the students could be taken to the neighbouring school for rehearsals in the minibus. As before parents and relatives could be used to get the pupils to the actual performance.

There are a lot of reasons to see the minibus not just as a way to solve obvious issues, but as a way to expand the range of activities the school takes on.

Once the bus is there, all sorts of previously unthought of possibilities arise.

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

Are you and your colleagues constantly looking for exciting ways to inspire your students without compromising on educational content?

We are currently offering free lesson plans and a free curriculum pack to all primary schools who book a show in our summer 2013 tour of Carlo Collodi’s Classic children’s story of ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio’. In addition, there is a huge £40 discount and a free copy of the Puffins Classic version of Pinocchio if you book before the 15th March.

The performance, together with the free supporting resources, will enhance PSHE and support your SEAL objectives. With a strong moral storyline, which will teach students about the perils of succumbing to peer pressure and the consequences of being led astray, Pinocchio is the perfect classical story for all primary schools to explore.

Running between 15 April and 24 July, performances are available for as little as £1.80 a student (based on a full audience of 150 students).

Retaining much of Collodi’s original language and using soft toys and puppets, our 45-minute storytelling performance has a whole host of free resources to assist in the integration of the play into your everyday learning – after all, as a Theatre in Education company, we firmly believe that education should be at the heart of all our shows. To support the play, which is designed to inspire young minds in Foundation years, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, we offer:

A free structured curriculum pack with ‘themed’ ideas

• Free lesson plans linked to all compulsory subjects within the current national curriculum
• A free copy of the Puffin version of Pinocchio for the first 20 schools who book
• A free interactive Q&A session with the cast and characters
• Optional add on workshops to further enhance the educational benefits (would most benefit the older pupils watching our performance).

Don’t worry, we don’t need a stage – just an empty space large enough to perform in. We will transform your hall into a magical theatre environment.

You will find plenty of information on our website www.jmscreativetheatre.co.uk, but if you would like to receive a leaflet, we’d be more than happy to send you one. Just send us an email at theatre@jmscreative.co.uk or give us a call on 01908 418804 and we will pop one in the post quicker than Pinocchio can say ‘I want to be a real boy!’.

We would love the opportunity to come to your school and inspire your young minds. If you have any queries at all, we would be only too happy to answer them.

Best wishes

Mark Stratfull
JMS Creative Theatre

Listening to Music Revision Activities is one of those books that does what it says – it covers everything in the syllabus and does it in a way that starts from the premise that the lessons have already been taught but the memory has faded just a bit.

What is also nice is the way in which the sections follow a set pattern so that you know exactly what to find and where to find it. Being photocopiable means one can just find the page needed, run it off, and there it is, revision preparation done.

The main body of the book describes the history of western music from 1200 today, and world music, and for each category sets out the characteristics of the music and the instruments used. There is also a section on listening activities followed by page after page after page of revision quizzes – in fact over 100 pages of photocopiable worksheets in all.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/music/T1656.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 589 6; Order code: T1656emn

The volume is available as…

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book or CD…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=479

Think study trips, and the chances are you probably think of endless days (and nights) on coaches and ferries.

Yes, the school party will get there, but hardly in comfort, and much of the time allocated to the visit will be taken up in travelling.

But there is a way around this, and these days a growing number of schools choose to travel by air, rather than coach and ferry.

Not only does this ensure that the school party arrives much more rapidly and without all the discomfort of the coach and ferry trip, but the decision to go by air also impresses students and parents. Suddenly the whole event is seen as thoroughly up-market.

Indeed, given that it is normally possible to fly from an airport near to the school to an airport close to the final destination, such arrangements can add up to three more days spent in the desired destination rather than on the road and at sea.

Additionally the school has the option of choosing the hotel that is right for you and your students, rather than one selected by the tour operator.

At German Travel Centre we understand that each group is unique, and we know the importance of finding out the exact needs of your individual group.

Better still, our reservation technology enables us to give you the most up-to-date travel options, all the time. We book and issue our own tickets enabling us to keep full control of your booking and ensure your journey meets your needs.

Furthermore, we are ABTA and ATOL holders you can be assured that you and your students are fully protected should the airline fail (as recommended by the Health and Safety Executive for schools).

Because we have so many locations to and from which we can fly, the best way to explore the possibilities is to either call one of our specialist group reservation advisors on 020 8429 2900 or email us at groups@germantravelcentre.co.uk with the details of your requirements.

You can also go to our website – www.germantravelcentre.co.uk/info/school-groups for more information.

Either way we’ll come back to you with our suggestions and prices. You’ll be surprised how much time can be saved and how low group air fares can be.

Listening is a skill that is often difficult to find resources for. Many of the materials you find online are too simple for A Level, and real French videos or podcasts can be too advanced. ZigZag Education has designed three Listening Exam Practice packs to solve these problems. Firstly, the content is fully relevant to the AS French specifications, covering the right topics at the right level. Secondly, all texts have been recorded by native speakers who have been careful to speak clearly and not too fast. This means that students will get an ear for real French accents but, at the same time, be able to understand what is being said.

Give your students lots of practice before the AS French listening exams.

Each of the three resource packs contains 45 texts, each with three exercises: one requiring non-verbal responses, one requiring verbal answers and one extension exercise. This will give you plenty of material to use throughout the AS course, all the way up to exam season. With so many texts to practise on and full coverage of all the topics, your students will be well prepared for whatever comes up in the exam.

The texts come on CD and can be used in many ways:

On a CD player or computer in the classroom

• On the VLE for students to access in private study time
• On students’ MP3 players so they can practise on the go!

With so many ways to access the material, your students will have no excuse!

The exercises all come as photocopiable worksheets with space for students to write on the sheets, in the style of the exam.

Available for AQA, Edexcel and WJEC AS French. View inspection copies at http://zigzag.at/ASFrenchListening

ZigZag resources are available as ‘copy masters’ or in editable format and come with a site licence, allowing you to pay once and copy as often as you need, or put on your server for multiple use.

The Listening Exam Practice for AS French packs are available as photocopy masters with site licence (£99). The photocopiable exercises are also available in:

 Easy-printing PDF files (add 30%+VAT), or

1. PDF with editable Word files (add 50%+VAT).

 Order now at http://zigzag.at/ASFrenchListening

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | MFL-UR98@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code UR98 to get free postage!

Four years ago Bryanston School in Dorset decided that something had to be done to allow the school to track and check its growing stock of IT equipment.

As a result they decided to label laptops on their site not just with the school’s postcode but also with the name of the student who owned the computer.

Over the subsequent period they have also labelled iPads, iPhones and hard drives, using ID SILVER MARK labels throughout.

Quite simply they order labels for the new September intakes each year, ordering enough labels for existing equipment plus two further labels per student in case the students get new laptops during the year.

A key issue, of course, was ensuring that no one simply removed the labels. ID SILVER MARK labels are ideal as if the label gets peeled off, the UV paint still show the schools postcode and pupil name. What’s more, it is also an ideal for tracking equipment if it goes missing.

In other words the ID SILVER MARK allows you to protect your valuable equipment with a permanent visual security marking.

Obviously it is nice for us when a school actively recommends our system of marking and tracking, but that’s not the only recommendation we get.

The Police and Insurance companies have noted that the ID MARK conforms to Home Office Guidelines – by using your school name and postcode as a way of identifying your property, this helps with item recovery in case of theft.

ID SILVER MARK is available in black or silver materials with permanent adhesive. All Dantech asset identification labels are personalised with your school name and logo as well as sequential numbering or bar codes.

There is more information on our website.

If you would like to know more please do get in touch – we are very happy to discuss your marking requirements throughout the school. Just call Dantech on 01354 688 488 or email us at sales@dantech.co.uk for free and unbiased help and advice.

If you want a parent to receive a message from you straightaway the best way to do it is to send them a text.

Unfortunately bulk messaging has been expensive – until now. Now you can communicate with parents instantly, and it won’t cost the school a penny.

This can have a major impact on your communication systems as well as your budget because until now you may well have restricted the number of messages you sent out to parents because of cost.

That is incredibly annoying if you want to remind parents of exam dates, special events and the like.

Now with a free system of communication to mobile phones you can even remind students of each and every assignment, with its due date.

Clearly, if both student and parent know the due date for a homework assignment and are reminded of it at the appropriate moment, then there is more chance that the assignment will be done… on time.

Likewise, information about absences, reminders of rehearsals, etc, can all be sent out. All free of charge.

To run this service all that is required is that the parents download a smartphone app. This then allows parents to download assessment dates, calendar events, etc. The system also sends the parent regular reminder alerts as and when required.

The great bonus of this system is that the sole cost is a charge to parents of £1.49 per year. (This is the price for family, irrespective of the number of people in the family receiving the alerts.)

Experience shows that most parents opt to sign up for the system which then makes existing text messaging systems redundant – thus saving you a considerable amount each year.

There is more information on the Assessment Alert website at www.assessmentalert.co.uk

Or you can email info@assessmentalert.com for more information or call us on 01536 509826.

It is probably not often that you might consider introducing into the playground a form of exercise prevalent in 5^th century Greece.

And yet, this activity is one of the most popular activities in British school playgrounds today, although we no longer make the requisite item out of dried up willow, rattan, grapevines, and stiff grasses.

I write, as you may have guessed, of the Hula Hoop – a form of exercise and entertainment the history of which has been largely, and rather sadly, ignored.

Thus you may not know that in 13th century Scotland Hula Hoops were extremely popular within religious ceremonies, while doctors encouraged those who suffered a heart attack to exercise with the Hula Hoop as a form of recovery (a recommendation which has somewhat fallen out of fashion in the intervening centuries however).

The plastic version that we are now familiar with was introduced in the 1950s, and has been popular ever since. World Hoop Day was introduced on 7th July 2007 and continued each year until 12 December last year. I think the committee is still out on what happens in 2013.

The most Hula Hoops twirled at once is said to be 132, although that may be something of an exaggeration. But many children can get up to five or more. Keeping the Hula Hoop twirling around the body is an excellent form of exercise, which uses up a fairly small amount of space.

It is even possible to have Hula Hoop running races, and Hula Hoop dancing – but most children are perfectly happy with beating their own records for the time that they can keep one or more Hula Hoops in circulation.

Our strong Hula Hoops are specifically designed to withstand constant use in a school environment. The 75cm Infant Hoops are just £2.25 each when you buy a pack of 8, while the 85cm Junior Hoops are £2.75 each (again, when you buy a pack of 8).

Edventure Ltd
Hargreaves Business Park
Hargreaves Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN23 6QW

Tel: 01323 50 10 40

Email: sales@edventure.co.uk

A course in assertiveness training for students, aged 15 plus

The ability to be assertive, to express themselves and their rights without violating the rights of others, will enhance your students confidence in themselves and their conduct in everyday situations, and improve their relationships with both peers and adults.

This course will give your students an understanding of assertion and the benefits it can bring. The skills they acquire will stand them in good stead in home, school, social and professional situations and will make them more likely to be successful candidates for jobs and/or university places.

The course consists of fourteen lessons each of which requires some class discussion and role play. Topics covered include: communicating feelings, resolving conflict, self-esteem, your rights, giving and receiving criticism, body language and saying ‘no’.

Sample pages are available here http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1294.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1294EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 381 6

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £15.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £15.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £22.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1294EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=247

The School Minibus: frustrating annoyance or brilliant solution

For some schools the minibus is little more than an annoyance.  Over five years old, often breaking down, never properly repaired, and always accompanied by pesky questions about annoying government regulations on who can and can’t drive, and endlessly the subject of tiresome maintenance issues.

For others, the minibus is new, there are no concerns about maintenance as it is automatically done by an outside agency, everything works, and there is no thought about trying to save up enough to get the next one when this vehicle gets too old.

But it can be difficult to see how one school can find such a vehicle so annoying while another finds it such a benefit.

Fortunately there is a blog now that keeps minibus owners, and those who would like to have a minibus, fully up to date with the latest thinking and helpful hints, in relation to school minibuses.

A run down on some of the recent articles on the blog show what is included…

• What is the easiest way to enhance the speed and depth of learning?
• School minibus risk assessment throws up a warning
• Survey reveals minibus time-bomb
• Should you be encouraging your colleagues to use the school minibus or glad when it stays in its parking bay?
• Keeping the school minibus on the road. Sharing the responsibility?

You can click through to any of these stories of course – but if you want to see the whole list of articles it is probably best to go to the home page at http://www.minibusleasingblog.co.uk/

The new updated (November 2012) version of this resource will enable pupils to become familiar and competent at using ‘SolidWorks’ CAD software.

They will use CAD (Solidworks) to develop their designs solution and be aware of the many advantages and dis-advantages that such software has in the real world.

This book contains a number of projects suitable for Key Stage 3 and as a revision guide for pupils in Key stage 4. It allows pupils to quickly get up to speed with using such a complex piece of software and, most importantly, allows them to become competent in designing better products.

Pupils will become familiar with the range of sketch tools and features available. They will be shown step by step how to build a Frisbee, Lego Block, Memory pen, IPOD Nano and a Digital camera. They will also be shown how to assemble parts step-by-step.

The new version of this resource also includes two further projects to extend your pupils’ skills – building a Die and a Child’s Stacking Toy. After completing all seven projects they should be able to create something by themselves using the skills they have learnt from the book.

Solidworks Projects for KS3 and KS4 is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues as often as you want. You can also put it on your school learning platform so all members of your department can access the document. YOu can view sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1781samples.pdf

You can obtain Solidworks Projects for KS3 and KS4 by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=76_114&products_id=754

The price is £10 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

Solidworks Projects for KS3 and KS4 is published by First and Best in Education, part of the Hamilton House group. If you have any enquiries you can call 01536 399 011, or email sales@firstandbest.co.uk or write to us at First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH.

The full range of First and Best books can be seen at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk

First and Best in Education
Earlstrees Road
Corby
UK
NN17 4HH

Website: www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk
Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk

Two of the UK’s largest providers of tools and information to school leaders are joining together this Spring to offer a one-off series of free school business management workshops.

Our original morning sessions are almost fully booked, so we’ve added twilight sessions in some cities.

This is your chance to gather in a few hours the most up-to-date guidance, templates, tools and information that will make a difference to your ability to save money for your school.

We’ve also added an additional presentation on the future of school business management. We’ll be looking at the impact on the SBM role of the rise of the academies, the changing role of LAs, the role of technology, the rise of group buying and collaboration. What are the skills needed by the SBMs of the future and what help is there out there for professional development and support.

The Key is the UK’s fastest and most up-to-date support service for leaders of schools and colleges in England and Wales. It currently supports more than 26,000 school leaders nationwide.

Their presentation will cover routes to support.

TES Foundation work with over 1,000 schools, providing online tools, templates and guidance to helps schools manage premises, contracts, procurement, compliance and suppliers.

Their presentation will cover how to be more effective in role by tapping into best practice already present in the education system.

Delegates will receive comprehensive support packs covering time management, priority setting, as well as a host of operational management tools.

A buffet lunch / evening buffet is provided.

Workshops will be held at:

• Bristol, February 26^th
• Manchester, February 28^th
• Sevenoaks, March 8^th
• Burton upon Trent, March 14^th
• London, March 19^th

You can book your place here.

The Creative Industries – entertainment media, fashion and textiles, publishing and advertising and marketing communications – have a wide variety of career opportunities where there is a need for talented and committed young people.

Jobs in the Creative Industries are rewarding and motivating but getting in can be a competitive process, making it more essential than ever that young people are given the right advice on the best ways to start their creative careers and fulfil their aspirations.

Creative Skillset helps young people make informed choices about routes into the Creative Industries – whether that’s continuing into HE or taking an Apprenticeship. Whether the young person is interested in studying screenwriting, animation or graphics, or is inspired to take up an apprenticeship in photography, fashion design or web design (to name just a few options), there are many different pathways available.

There are also those who have a combination of creative and technical skills who may not have considered a career in the Creative Industries as a possibility but who could find that their future lies somewhere unexpected, such as a computer games programmer or as a TV production manager.

But how does a school leaver find their way into one of the dazzling aray of creative careers available?

It’s really important that any training or futher study that young people take is up-to-date and relevant. One of the ways learners can be assured of this is to look out for the Creative Skillset Tick – it is the quality mark for HE courses and apprenticeship programmes that have earned employer approval for providing the most industry-relevant education and training available.

The courses that have been awarded the Creative Skillset Tick teach the skills needed to work in the industry. They have tutors with strong industry connections and they use up-to-date equipment.

The Creative Skillset Tick also kitemarks the best apprenticeship programmes in the Creative Industries. Apprenticeships that carry the Tick have been evaluated by panels of experts who ensure that each programme meets the requirements of the industry and provides clear progression routes for new entrants.

So for the courses and apprenticeships that are best suited to provide  young people with the skills, knowledge and experience they need to get into the Creative Industries, Pick the Tick. View the full list of courses and apprenticeships that have received the Creative Skillset Tick on our website.

Some young people may have their heart set on going to university but for those who don’t feel that higher education is the right route for them, doing an apprenticeship could be the key  to open doors into the industry and gain the skills and experience to put them ahead of the competition.

With National Apprenticeship Week taking place on 11-15 March (#NAW2013), now is a great time to engage your learners about apprenticeships and to help them to make decisions about their career options. Apprenticeships are a unique way for learners to have a real experience of employment and invaluable access to industry networks whilst gaining a nationally recognised qualification.

Creative Skillset has worked closely with industry and major trade associations to develop apprenticeships in creative and digital media, fashion and textiles, advertising and marketing communications, photo imaging and set crafts.  These will meet the current and future needs of the Creative Industries and  equip learners with the knowledge, skills and experience they need to work in the industry.

Creative Skillset has launched the first Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) in the Creative Industries covering areas in advertising and marketing communications, creative and digital media and fashion and textiles. These apprenticeships will provide training at a level equivalent to the first year of university, opening up a new pathway into previously graduate-entry job roles, and will build the skills identified by creative employers as being critical to driving growth in the industry.

You can find the latest apprenticeship vacancies and job roles on Creative Skillset’s Apprenticeship Facebook pages:

For Apprenticeships in the Fashion and Textiles sector www.facebook.com/skillset.apprenticeshipFT  

To find out more about the Advertising and Marketing Communications Apprenticeship www.facebook.com/apprenticeship.advertisingmarketing

For Creative and Digital Media Apprenticeships

www.facebook.com/skillset.apprenticeshipCDM

Or visit the Creative Skillset website for information about the different creative apprenticeship routes and to read more about the new higher level apprenticeships in creative and digital media, fashion and textile and advertising and marketing communications.

Creative Skillset has produced a series of short video clips about apprenticeships and why employers recommend this route into the industry. You can view the videos on our YouTube channel. The National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) has also launched a new film as part of a ‘Spotlight on sectors’ to encourage young people to take up an apprenticeship in the creative sector. Take a look at the video and share it with your young people.

Creative Skillset provides specialist careers information for the Creative Industries. On our website you will find a library of over 400 job profiles, and up-to-date research and Labour Market Information (LMI). Keep in touch with Creative Skillset by following us on Twitter @SkillsetSSC or to receive news and information by email, sign up to our careers e-newsletter

81% of secondary school pupils aged 14-18 claim that most of their understanding about sex comes from the internet, television and friends.

Worse, in studies by the young person’s sexual advice service, Brook, almost half of the country’s secondary pupils stated that they felt the sex education provided at school was poor with a lack of relevant information. Shockingly, 5% citied pornography as their main source of information.

The key point here of course is not whether the approach being used in the schools is “poor” or not – but rather that the youngsters perceive it as poor.

In such a situation it is often helpful to have a complete re-think as to how the subject can be taught, and this is what we have done with a series of four lessons that tackle questions related to young people, the media and sexual identities.

Of course all approaches must teach reproduction in the biological sense and provide sex education as part of sex and relationship education.

But as you will know, there is no set SRE policy and this can make things incredibly difficult in the classroom as you are placed in the invidious position of having to provide better sex education without the support to do so.

One way to face the findings of the Brook study is to place a greater emphasis placed on real life situations, emotions and the impact of media such as Facebook, Twitter and ‘sexting’.

iTeachingResources have worked with Dawn Clark, a practicing trainee psychologist, psychotherapist and researcher with special interest in young people and sexually risky or harmful behaviours to produce just such materials.

The new package of sex education lesson plans from iTeachingResources priced at £49.95 is split into a series of four sessions and full details of the lessons can be found at http://www.iteachingresources.com/lessons/secondary-school/pshe-resources/sre-resources where they can be purchases and downloaded straight away. If you quote reference HH12SRE when you buy you will gain a 5% discount on the order.

For further information, contact info@iteachingresources.com or telephone 0113 2660880

It may seem obvious that playing with footballs is a wonderful way to encourage minimal supervision free play.

And yet for most of our country’s history attempts have been made to ban football games.

Indeed between 1314 and 1667 for example, football was officially banned in over 30 royal and local laws. Edward II was so troubled that he issued a proclamation banning the game because it stopped citizens from practicing archery.

And it wasn’t just England. Phillippe V banned it in France in 1319. In Scotland James I banned it in 1424. Henry VIII issued several banning orders, not least because some of the matches were played with around 500 men and women aside.

Surprisingly the tradition of trying to stop football continued well into the 20^th century with many parks containing “No ball games” notices.

Fortunately in these more enlightened times we do see the enormous benefit of letting children play with footballs. Doing so enhances fitness, encourages team play, develops physical skills, and brings huge enjoyment.

Thus it is indeed not surprising that the number of people who play five-a-side and other variations of the game as a way of having enjoyment and staying fit, can now be measured in the hundreds of thousands.

The average school child spends, during his/her primary school years, the equivalent of 260 full school days in the playground. So it is not surprising that the best selling item of play equipment across the UK is… the football.

 And that’s why we sell everyday footballs from £3.58, training footballs from £4.58 and match footballs from £4.75. We also have felt balls (suitable for indoor training), mini footballs (for the busy playground), and lightweight inflatable balls.

If you would like help in choosing the right footballs for your pupils in various situations you can call us today on 01323 501040 or email sales@edventure.co.uk for more information.

Edventure Ltd
Hargreaves Business Park
Hargreaves Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN23 6QW

Tel: 01323 50 10 40

Email: sales@edventure.co.uk

The answer that many drama teachers have given us, when we have posed this question is, “short plays for the students to perform”.

And so that is what we have produced under the (rather precise) title: “Short Scripts for the Stage”. This copiable volume contains eight “Modern Fairy Tales”, six “Shorts with a Twist” and three “Stand Alones”.

Each of these plays is written specifically for school performance and are all designed to appeal and be used all the way from Year 7 through to Year 11. Of course in each case the outcome will be different depending on the age and experience of the students, but all are accessible and usable by all Key Stage 3 and 4 students.

All the plays are short, and together they allow a number of plays to be put on as a production in one night, as well as giving the students something which they can attempt and get a feeling of completion once the play is completed.

Throughout, the characters are a little larger than life, and there is a sense of humour in every play. But at the same time, some of the topics are very serious, including war, violence, family break up and death. Thus within the complete selection of 17 plays, there is great variety not only of subject matter but also underlying emotion.

As a result self-esteem, confidence, collaboration and team work, movement and spatial awareness are all incorporated in the range of advantages offer by rehearsing these plays within the school and then (if desired) acting the plays out in public.

The volume is available in photocopiable form or on CD, so that only one copy is needed by the school. Each student will thus be able to have his/her own copy of the script of the play that is being developed.

There are sample pages from the photocopiable book at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1802.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1802EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 806 4

Prices

• Photocopiable book: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD: £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1802EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=774

This year’s BUSS4 research theme has just been released – and it’s Organisational Culture! Teachers I’ve talked to so far think this will be a tricky one for students – in terms of finding good case studies and relevant information. So, how are you going to handle it?

Luckily, to help your students prepare for the exam, two unique resources are being written now, specifically for the 2013 research theme!

• The Resource Pack will guide your students through the research theme from the start, supporting their independent research of each of the five bullet points. Three practice exam papers are included.
• The Comparative Case Studies provide a wealth of information for students to analyse. Plenty of comprehension and discussion questions ensure students get the most out of the case studies. Model A-Grade Essays show students how to compete in the exam!

We will be working hard to dispatch these resources to you by 28^th February and 8^th March respectively, giving you time to fully prepare your students for the exam.

Here’s what teachers have said about ZigZag Education’s previous resources:

• ‘Our results exceeded expectations: one-third of our students achieved A* grades!’ – Gill Kenny, Head of Business Studies & Very Satisfied Customer (2010 Resource Pack)

• ‘Brilliant. I purchased two others but ZigZag’s was the best – it was much more manageable and not too detailed… Worth every penny!’ – Elaine Parfitt, Head of Business Studies & Customer (2010 & 2011 Resource Packs)

• ‘An extremely thorough group of case studies, with excellent coverage of the Research Theme… asked questions that allow students to carry out thorough research… the material is so relevant.’ – Gerard Nocher, Head of Business & Independent Reviewer (2012 Case Studies)

ZigZag resources are available as ‘copy masters’ or in editable format and come with a site licence, allowing you to pay once and copy as often as you need, or put on your server for multiple use.

• BUSS4 Research Theme Resource Pack (UR43/5000,£49)
• BUSS4 Comparative Case Studies (UR43/5068, £59)

Both are available as photocopy masters with site licences:

1. Easy-printing PDF files (add 30%+VAT), or
2. PDF with editable Word files (add 50%+VAT).

Order now at http://zigzag.at/UR43

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY

t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | UR43@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code UR43 to get free postage!

If you want someone to receive a message from you straight away, the best way to do it is to send them a text.

Unfortunately bulk messaging has been expensive – until now. Now you can communicate with parents, and it won’t cost the school a penny.

This can have a major impact on your communication systems as well as your budget, because until now you may well have restricted the number of messages you send out because of cost.

Although obviously you would never want to overdo the number of messages you can send out, you can despatch any message to any group of parents without judging the message financially. A reminder of exam dates, assignment due dates as well as school closures can all be accommodated.

Clearly, if both student and parent know the due date for a homework assignment and are reminded of it at the appropriate moment, then there is more chance that the homework will be done.

Likewise, information about absences, reminders of rehearsals, etc, can all be sent out. That’s why so many schools pay for the service.

To run this service, all that is required is that the parents download a smartphone app. This then allows parents to download assessment dates, calendar events, etc. The system also sends the parent regular reminder alerts as and when required.

The great bonus of this system is that the sole cost is a charge to parents of £1.49 per year. (This is the price for family, irrespective of the number of people in the family receiving the alerts.)

Experience shows that most parents opt to sign up for the system, which then makes existing text messaging systems redundant – thus saving you a considerable amount each year.

There is more information on the Assessment Alert website at www.assessmentalert.co.uk

Or you can email info@assessmentalert.com for more information or call us on 01536 509826.

Imagine a company that goes into schools and removes unwanted IT equipment free of charge.

Now imagine a company that does more, such as data wiping and making sure the disposal is environmentally friendly.

And finally imagine a company that will pick up virtually everything unwanted in IT, from computers to telecoms, from monitors to cables.

First, to make it clear, PRM really does offer a free service. There are no charges.

Second, we treat everything in the most environmentally friendly way possible in keeping with school sustainable education programmes.

Third, all the data on the drives is wiped to the highest standards possible. In fact, on this issue we go further, for we clean out all the data from the drives, and then all the equipment is then recycled within the UK – all without any charge.

The only requirement we have is that you have at least 30 items for collection and that they are all gathered together in one easily accessible place for our driver to pick up.

We can take PC base units, CRT monitors, TFT monitors, servers, laptops, server racks, switches, telecom switches and printers. Indeed as long as you have 30 of these items we will take away other IT equipment at the same time, such as keyboards, cabling and telecoms.

At the end of the process we issue you with free certification evidence so you can see that the correct procedures were complied with.

For more information please call our freephone number: 0800 840 9195 or fill in the form by clicking here www.prmgreentech.com/contact.htm

Radio is an exciting and accessible area of Media Studies which is now receiving greater attention in the educational field. Radio production can be more attainable for students than video or film production as most students can construct some type of script and the equipment can be easier and cheaper to assemble. Higher education institutions are increasingly offering options in radio and there is increased interest with the take-up of digital technology in sound editing and production. Radio can be an exciting and useful learning process where all abilities can achieve, often drawing on areas of media consumption which are taken for granted.

This textbook covers the construction of four areas of radio production: bulletins, programmes, phone-ins and documentaries. It is a guide to teachers working in the field of media studies at sixth-form level who have considered developing a radio strand because of the medium’s flexibility and accessibility . It looks at the make up of radio audiences, some legal issues, the use of jingles and the construction of the various types of news programmes. A number of worksheets and a glossary are included.

Teaching Radio News comes with a photocopiable license so that you can copy sections to give to your students as required. It is also available as a Word document on CD Rom allowing you to amend and personalise the text to suit your students.

You can see some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/media/T1720.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1720EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 732 6

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book… please quote the order ref: T1720EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• Email sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=546

Examination questions on Thomas Wolsey and his ministry are set by OCR, Edexcel and AQA. The questions set by the examination boards require students to explain events and attitudes relating to Wolsey’s rise and ministry or to give their own view on a historical debate or interpretation.

This 40 page study guide provides a synthesis of the historical writing on Wolsey and his ministry suitable for GCE students, along with guidance on how to approach key questions. It gives a comprehensive description and explanation of events as well as introducing the various interpretations of Wolsey and his career given by both contemporaries and modern historians. Questions are posed to the students throughout the book to help them to focus on the underlying motives and reasons and draw their own conclusions rather than just memorise the bare facts.

Thomas Wolsey – The King’s Cardinal by John Goode. Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/history/T1636.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1636EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 707 4

Prices

• Photocopiable report: £15.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £15.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £22.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1636emn

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=463

Oh to work in a profession where one can take one’s holiday at any time – and thus avoid paying top prices because you have to take your break during the school holidays.

Fortunately this problem can now be resolved. Not by taking your holidays any time you want, of course, but because there is a way of getting a discount during the school holidays.

We offer a range of tours and excursions during the school breaks which are specially designed for teachers.

And because of the success of our recent promotions we are now able to offer a further 10% discount for teachers on all our holidays.

You can see all the holidays that we offer on the link given below. Then, to claim a 10% saving, you will need to call us on 0844 324 8557, quoting the reference ‘TEACH’.

All you will need to do is provide us with the name and address of the school that you work for and your position within it.

So should you fancy Austria at Easter, Bruges during half-term, Rome in July or Christmas on Lake Como, these are all available, and all without any price hikes because you are going during the school holidays.

Our luxury coaches (with extra legroom and rear lounge) run from almost 500 regional pick up points and include all the extras that you could desire.

To see all the holiday options please visit our website – www.leger.co.uk/SchoolHolidays.aspx#holiday

Creating a successful print ad involves a dynamic mix of visual theory, consumer psychology, and nuts-and-bolts tinkering.

“Advertising Layout” is a new two-part DVD resource which provides a thorough grounding in all of the above, familiarising students with the terminology and working concepts that successful graphic designers and advertising creatives make use of on a daily basis.

Advertising Layout Part I: Space Allocations

This programme helps students understand the proper space allocation for the main elements of a two-dimensional advertisement, including the illustration, headline, copy, and logo. [more…]

Advertising Layout Part II: Visual Direction

This programme shows how to attract a reader’s attention with the layout concepts commonly known as picture window, silhouette, square zero, Mondrian, closure, over-sizing, juxtaposition, surrealism, and shock. [more…]

Although both episodes are rich in detailed guidance, their class-friendly run times make them ideal for coursework in marketing, advertising, design, and commercial art.

Available on approval from Viewtech Educational Media. To order online click on the title links above and then add to order – quote promotional discount code: HHM110 at the checkout for a 10% discount!

If you’d like any further information or assistance please contact:

Viewtech Educational Media
7-8 Falcons Gate
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
————————————–

tel: 01454 858055
fax: 01454 858056
email: info@viewtech.co.uk
http://www.viewtech.co.uk

————————————–
Viewtech Educational Media is the trading name of Viewtech Audio Visual Media Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under number 4205240. A member of the British Educational Suppliers Association. E.&O.E.

Parents’ evenings are parents’ evenings. Most schools organise them each year exactly as they organised them last year.

And the year before.

But… there can be queues, delays, no-shows… It is indeed rare to hear of a parents’ evening in which everything has run as smoothly as we would all like and actually finished on time, with no parent being delayed beyond his/her appointment time.

However, there is a way around this.

And that is to use a system whereby parents log in from any computer and make their appointments. The system then keeps a record of the appointments, to which parents can refer at any time.

In using this system schools normally find that parent participation can increase by at least 20%.

Such an improvement comes from using Parent Teacher Online: a versatile program that isn’t just limited to parents’ evenings but can be used for any activity that involves bringing people into the school.

Thus Parent Teacher Online can also be used for admission interviews, form tutor evenings, parents’ consultation meetings and the booking of after school activities.

You can read more, see how the program works, and book a free trial or demonstration at www.parentteacheronline.co.uk

Alternatively for more information please either email us at enquiries@parentteacheronline.co.uk or call us on 01524 22 00 66.

Parent Teacher Online Ltd
InfoLab 21
Lancaster University
Lancaster
LA1 4WA

Imagine a world in which you could not read books. Not because there were no books but because you had such a disability that reading was impossible.

Chances are that this would mean a major part of your life would be lost to you forever – unless you found an alternative way of accessing books.

The most obvious way around the problem would be for you to think about books in audio formats such as MP3s and CDs. Given that huge numbers of books are now available in these formats you would now have a solution to the problem.

Many of these books are read by top actors, covering much of the National Curriculum and many areas beyond.

Thus audio books can be used to give students an alternative means of accessing information. And experience shows that many such people then go on to choose audio books as part of their preferred leisure activities.

In short, audio books provide an entry into the world of books that might otherwise never be found by many individuals. In fact, such books have become one of the most dynamic and exciting areas of the book world.

The cost of downloading and streaming audio books is incredibly low. Indeed, for as little as £50 per year you can have access to a choice of thousands of titles.

The Listening Books library ranges from best-selling fiction to titles related to the National Curriculum – and, of course, they can be accessed at any time, day or night.

I do hope you will give it a try.

For more information…

• Please visit our website
• Call Listening Books on 020 7407 9417
• Email us at info@listening-books.org.uk

Surf Safe Posters

A vital resource for today’s internet society, this set of posters outlines and reinforce 8 basic rules for the safe use of chat rooms and social networking sites.

The pack includes 5 copies of the Surf Safe poster in A3 size.

Post them around the school in classrooms and strategic spots.

SURF SAFE POSTERS – Multi Pack of 5 Ref 1-100-6 £25.00 + VAT CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW

SURF SAFE POSTERS – Multi Pack of 10 Ref 1-100-2-6 £45.00 + VAT CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW

SURF SAFE POSTERS – Multi Pack of 15 Ref 1-100-3-6 £65.00 + VAT CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW

ORDER NOW

Loggerhead Publishing

P O Box 928, Northampton, UK NN7 9AP

Tel: 0845 605 0230

Fax: 0808 280 0937

Email: orders@loggerheadpublishing.co.uk

www.loggerheadpublishing.co.uk

It has become commonplace to point out that the students in class today will spend their working lives undertaking tasks that do not yet exist using technology that has not yet been imagined.

But meanwhile they need to pass exams – and so our exam-focussed secondary curriculum continues.

And it is clear that, no matter what subject is to be studied, the ability to respond to any question with rational argument and the ability to see through false arguments is fundamental.

“Critical Thinking” by Roy van den Brink-Budgen looks at arguments and analyses what arguments are, which types of argument are valid, and which not.

It analyses, in a manner that every sixth former can fully grasp, the way in which arguments are structured and the assumptions that are made in putting forward arguments. Evidence and the truth, facts and judgements all come under the microscope, followed by an analysis of the limits of persuasiveness.

But Critical Thinking is more than just dismantling and evaluating other people’s arguments. It is also involved in the production of the student’s own arguments. It encourages students to develop their arguments in essays, reports, debates, etc, and helps them be prepared to stand back and assess their own reasoning.

Working through this book students will grasp that point, they will look at arguments afresh and understand the way in which arguments can be erected and dismantled.

In short this is a book that is essential in the classroom; it will change the way students think, change the way they study, and change the way in which they approach their exams.

The volume can be bought as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom.

You can see some sample pages at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1792.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1792EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 875 0

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a book, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1792EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=154