Who’s Running the Country?
by Kerrie Sharron

Who’s Running the Country? is a major cross-curricular ‘Democracy Project’ on politics, democracy and power, suitable for those teaching Citizenship, English, PSHE, Geography and/or Social Studies at Key Stage 3, but adaptable for use at both KS2 and KS4.

Real life events witnessed by the ‘Arab Spring’ and its aftermath, are an ideal opportunity to engage and start children thinking about power and democracy. Using debate, scenario-based role-play and problem solving, students are able to empathise with the experience of different types of government. This process helps them to develop the necessary tools to debate issues arising in the political sphere.

Who’s Running the Country? introduces students to:

• Different forms of government and the values underlying them
• The ‘big’ themes of politics through an experiential, talk-based approach

The project is based around the class initially creating its own country and through newspaper articles and leaflets, they live a story of events that happen to their country and find that they are part of an ever evolving story of change. Their country goes through a period of anarchy, a coup, and a dictatorship, the growth of a revolutionary movement, a revolution and ends in democracy and elections. Students need to use their imaginations to be a part of this world and to participate in the changes happening to them.

The final project involves students creating their own ‘ideal’ government and gives the opportunity for them to apply their learning about values, processes and concepts from previous lessons and develop their own beliefs. This pack is successful in its simplicity. By focusing on basic concepts students can take away firmer and deeper understandings of meanings.

Emphasis on talk is intended to increase confidence and the ability to use political language, developing a wide range of speaking skills including, explorative, collaborative, combative, and persuasive speaking as well as presentation skills. An assessment criteria for assessing speaking skills is also included.

Students write a weekly diary for homework, which is a great way of distilling often largely talk-based learning. It ties them into the experience and can form an excellent form of emotional continuity, when a diary entry is read out at the beginning of each lesson.

The pack comprises of:
Teacher’s Manual
Book of photocopiable resources and activity sheets
2 x A3 full colour posters
CD of Powerpoint slides to accompany the lesson plans detailed in the manual, plus other resources

Pack price: £60.00

To order click on the link below to go straight to our online Teaching Times Bookshop
http://teachingtimesbookshop.co.uk/product/whos-running-the-country/

or call Customer Service on 0121 224 7599 or email: enquiries@imaginativeminds.co.uk

What is an argument? What is a persuasive argument? What is a rational argument?

The fact is that no matter what subject a student studies at school, the ability to respond to any question with rational argument enhances that student’s chance of getting a higher grade.

Add to that the ability to see through illogical and irrational arguments and the student is heading towards an ability to construct arguments that are not only valid, but which impress any audience to which they are presented.

However, to achieve this the student needs to understand the difference between explanation and assumption, between evidence and example, between logic and appeals to “good old fashioned common sense”.

Which is why “Critical Thinking” has become a cornerstone of the teaching of thinking in so many schools across the UK as it helps students find their way through argument and debate and present their own ideas more succinctly and more persuasively.

In short, it explores what arguments are, what types of argument are valid, and what types of argument are anything but.

This new edition of “Critical thinking” 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 judgement all come under the microscope, followed by an analysis of the limits of persuasiveness.

From here the students are encouraged to produce their own arguments in essays, reports, debates and the like, helping them be prepared to analyse their own thinking and improve their thinking ability ahead of the next point to be debated.

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/T1821.pdf

Publisher’s reference:T1821EMN; ISBN: 978 1 86083 861 3

Prices:

• Photocopiable report in a book: £29.95
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95
• Both the book and the CD: £36.94

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1821EMN

• 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

‘Brighter Library’ 20 PDF posters

NEW: Instantly make your library bright, attractive & welcoming

You can make a big difference in minutes!

• For brighter, busier libraries

• Ideal for display and for whiteboards

• Saves you hours of work

• Print as many copies as you like from your own personal download page

‘Just Read!’20 PDF Posters

Do you need to promote reading more effectively?

This is a set of motivational posters about the power of books and reading.

• Instant display material

• Make a big impression

• Print as many copies as you like from your own personal download page

• Ideal for whiteboards too

See all the posters here http://www.carelpress.co.uk/HHLibraryBrighterRead

Ann Batey
Office Manager
Carel Press
(01228 538928)
www.carelpress.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/carelpress

A new selection of questions on microeconomics which force students to think, consider and then think again.

Imagine a collection of around 200 questions on microeconomics, all suitable for AS, A2 and IB students.

Now, imagine them gathered together into topics ranging from (for example) costs and revenues to contestable markets, from production possibility frontiers to market failure.

And finally imagine that each question is not only set out in such a way that it can be copied and supplied with space for the student to answer, but also that answer sheets are separately included so that having done each test, the students can see not just the questions they have got wrong, but also where they have gone wrong.

It’s taken quite a while to put such a volume together and to cover a huge range of topics – but now we have it with “Microeconomics Assessment Tests”.

Let’s take one question by way of example:

“One main reason why the supply curve slopes positively upwards is because firms want to produce less when there are greater profit opportunities, due to higher prices.” True or False?

And here is the answer given:

“This is the right concept, but is stated the wrong way round. Firms will want to produce more, not less.”

In short, students getting the answer the wrong way round, now start to see why, and from this point on it is possible to discuss with them their misapprehension of the issue.

Here’s another one, this time from the section on “Market Equilibrium”

“The market clearing price comes about when demand and supply are stable.” True or False?

And the answer given:

“At first sight this statement seems plausible. However the market clearing price is the price at which all surpluses and shortages are eliminated and there is no further tendency for the market price to change.”

Given that students only see the questions at first, and given that the questions can be set in very short batches, the students will quickly come to understand the sort of questions being asked and will begin to question the issues and their understanding of them, more deeply.

In other words they will start looking for something beyond the simplicity of true or false, and will start to consider the issues behind the question in each case.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/economics/T1824

ISBN: 978 1 86083 871 2; Order code: T1824emn

The volume is available as…

• 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 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?products_id=793

The answer to that question comes in three parts. 

First, there is the pliability of the brain – introducing a second language is easier when the brain is more receptive to learning and comprehending language. 

Second, generally speaking KS1 children are far less inhibited and self-conscious than older children and thus are more willing to experiment with new sounds. 

Finally, young children love mimicry. 

Put those three concepts together and it is clear why KS1 children are ideally suited to learn a second language. 

To take advantage of this receptiveness in young children we have developed Petites Étoiles – a comprehensive set comprising 18 activity cards, an interactive DVD, and a photocopiable resource that teaches French to Reception and KS1 children in a way that is specifically designed to fit easily into the existing curriculum.

This user-friendly resource has been devised in line with the EYFS/KS1 curriculum and enables the teaching of French to be easily incorporated into lessons. The activities included are based on common topics along with lots of suggestions for cross-curricular links. 

And, as you might expect, the resource contains songs, oral language games, playing with puppets and parachutes, and activities based around toys, food, animals, celebrations and other engaging topics. 

Better still, the resource is incredibly supportive for the non-specialist teacher, with video and audio clips included so all the language introduced is modelled by native French speakers. 

There are sufficient lesson plans, activities and ideas to last you from Reception right through to Year 2. 

Cross-curricular links, extensions for older or more able children and opportunities for developing intercultural understanding make this a truly outstanding resource. 

What’s more, teaching French boosts childrens’ self-confidence in other subjects and sets them up for future language learning. 

A number of free sample teaching resources are available on our website. 

You can order Petites Étoiles in any of these ways: 

• On our website
• By phone on 01449 766629
• By fax on 01449 767122
• By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk

Brilliant Publications,
Mendlesham Industrial Estate,
Norwich Road,
Mendlesham,
Suffolk,
IP14 5ND. 

website: www.brilliantpublications.co.uk
email: orders@tradecounter.co.uk

phone: 01449 766629
fax: 01449 767122

A major part of any Media Studies course is learning how to analyse or deconstruct media texts. For students new to Media Studies, the most difficult aspects of this are the terminology and concepts of the subject, many of which will be new to them or will have a slightly different meaning in the world of media.

This 119 page, photocopiable book will explain the terminology and concepts of the media to your GCSE students in simple terms and will provide them with a logical structure for evaluating media texts. The content of the book is applicable to both the English GCSE courses and examinations and the Scottish Standard Grade. Each chapter of Media Studies deals with a specific area of analytical inquiry: categories, language, narrative structure and conventions, representations, audience, institutional influences.

The book includes practical and theoretical exercises and an exemplar of an essay response to each area of inquiry. Frequent references are made to well-known media texts in order to clarify meanings.

Media Studies: an Introduction to the Terminology and Concepts by James Rigg; ISBN 978 1 86083 780 7.
Order code: T1685EMN. Sample pages may be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/media/T1685.pdf

Prices

• Photocopiable book, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £37.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

• By post from First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, 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=52&products_id=499
• By phone with a school order number or a credit card to 01536 399 011

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1685EMN.

Learning Without Limits:
Using art to develop creative and critical thinking

By Tony Hurlin

Learning Without Limits explains how to challenge and involve children of all abilities by teaching the key skills of critical and creative thinking through paintings, pictures and prints.

How can art be used to enrich the basic curriculum for all children? Children have become used to looking at more and seeing less and inattention has become the norm for many of them. Visual enquiry is an essential part of the 21st century curriculum and the paintings chosen for each unit of Learning Without Limits provide a range of techniques enabling teachers and children to look at the spiritual, moral and emotional themes that arise, together

The components of Learning Without Limits have been designed as a practical coaching pack that helps teachers and children understand and apply the core principles of critical and creative thinking. It is most suitable for use in the Art, English, PSHE or Media Studies classroom.

The pack contains seven full colour laminated A4 images, a 94 page teacher’s handbook and a CD with step by step approaches, suggestions and guidance for studying these images with children in the classroom. The images are also available on the CD, and can be viewed and presented to the class on a whiteboard for group discussion. Each image has its own range of Teachers’ Questions. Images include:

A Street in Clitheroe by L S Lowry
My Parents by David Hockney
Soft Watch by Savadore Dali
The Woodsman’s Daughter by Sir John Everett Millais
Moi et le Village by Marc Chagall
Les Desmoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso

And for comparison exercises:
Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden by Jane Ray
Adam and Eve by Lucas I Cranach

Suitable for children at Key Stage 3-4, but adaptable for Key Stage 2, the materials in this pack will help teachers to:

• Connect children directly with a picture or painting
• Give them a personalised starting point for learning
• Get them asking authentic questions (the questions they really want to ask and answer)
• Encourage exploratory talking and thinking
• Start the processes of critical and creative thinking
• Build confidence in making judgements, taking decisions and making choices
• Refine and adapt the techniques to meet the needs of specific groups of children including able learners

Apply the core principles of critical and creative thinking to lessons you have already planned, within and beyond the National Curriculum. Open your children’s eyes to a whole new way of thinking and seeing. Look, look and look again!

Learning Without Limits – Price: £55.00
Includes a whole school licence so you can place it on your virtual learning environment!

To order click on the link below to go straight to our online Teaching Times Bookshop
http://teachingtimesbookshop.co.uk/product/240/

or call Customer Service on 0121 224 7599 or email: enquiries@imaginativeminds.co.uk

No matter how bad that decision looks in retrospect, it takes a very confident and self-possessed individual to say, “yes I got that one wrong.”

Instead the blame is put elsewhere. It was “not my fault”. It “couldn’t be helped”. “Events conspired against me.” We blame the environment, the individuals around us, and society, but rarely do we blame ourselves and the decisions we took.

Yet the fact is that it is quite possible to improve our reaction to the society in which we live, and through that our decision making – if only we can practice.

Which is why the copiable volume, “Life Games” exists.

The volume contains 50 different decision-based games that can be played in the classroom with anything from eight to 40 players from Key Stage 3 to the sixth form.

Each game is presented in the form of a single page of copiable teaching notes – normally with a separate set of student notes also provided. Each also focuses on a theme, ranging from the working of the media to lifestyle balances, from government decisions and consequences to healthy eating, from stress to addiction.

In short, there are enough activities in this volume to provide more than a year’s worth of citizenship and PSHE education, taught and explored in a way that the students will find refreshing, engaging and meaningful.

Life Games is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom, and individual activities can thus be readily copied and distributed to students as required. The copies can also be shared with colleagues or given to supply teachers, without any fear of the original book being misplaced.

An extract from Life Games, ISBN 978 1 86083 718 0, order code T1730EMN, is available at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1730.pdf

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 report…

• By post from First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, 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=558
• By phone with a school order number or a credit card to 01536 399 011

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1730EMN.

Free lesson recording in order to present evidence of teacher observations to Ofsted

According to the Department for Education, the key factor in improving the quality of teaching is teacher observation, both through observation of one’s own teaching and also the observation of one’s colleagues.

As the DfE put it, “Teachers learn best from other professionals.”

Or, put another way, no matter what the school is like at the moment it can always be made better through teacher observation.

Of course, this approach is favoured by inspectors because it makes their life easy by giving them something to measure. They can look and see if teacher observation is going on, and if it is they tick the box. If it is going on a lot, then they can tick a lot of boxes, and everyone is happy.

The idea behind such systems is simple. Once the lesson has been recorded it can then be reviewed and discussed with the teacher involved, so that really effective lessons can be shared with colleagues. In this way the question, “why did this lesson work so well?” can be asked and teased out from the evidence.

The Classwatch system produces a video system whereby colleagues can observe a lesson remotely and which gives all teachers an opportunity for self-evaluation. The lesson can then be reviewed and discussed with the teacher so that great lessons can be shared with other teachers.

The system is self-contained and is operated locally by the teacher. Systems comprise two cameras (allowing excellent room coverage), a Classbox recorder and high definition audio. All images and audio are recorded to the Classbox and access is strictly password protected.

So, what is this about the free lesson recording, mentioned in the headline?

We are currently offering the next 50 schools who contact us a free lesson recording so you can see how Classwatch can work for your school.

To book a free demonstration or to find out more click here or email us at info@classwatch.co.uk. Alternatively, for more information call us on 0800 043 9510.

We tend to think of the school as being a fixed entity with
established buildings, and designated teaching areas. But…

Teaching and learning can and does happen anywhere; in the classroom, the hall, the playground… Indeed the only thing that ever limits the use of any space is our ability to imagine the possibilities.

So if you have a playground, and it is raining, or there is strong direct sunlight, or it is very windy, the area’s use as a teaching and learning environment might be thought to be restricted.

But if you were to put up a canopy, you could, for a very modest sum, give yourself an extended classroom, an al fresco dining area, an adventure play area…

This is the route down which numerous schools have recently gone, in developing ever more varied use of their facilities. And there really is no limit to the ways in which an area could be used.

True, there’s no telling what the British weather is going to do next, but the fact that canopies can be used in so many ways, means that there are virtually no days at all in the school year when such a facility cannot be used in some way or other.

There are over 150 different designs of canopies available. Some of course are designed for very specific purposes, such as the bicycle shed, but many others do have multiple uses.

Which is why before we do anything else, we always offer to come to your school, without cost and without any obligation, to see the site and discuss the ways in which a canopy could be added to your existing buildings.

To get an idea of the huge range of options available we’ve collected together photographs of over 30 different installations that we’ve undertaken recently. They are on

http://www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk/canopies.php – just click on any photograph that looks interesting and you will see it enlarged.

We’ve also got a separate page for cycle shelters http://www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk/cycle-shelters.php

If you’d like to discuss how a canopy could be used in your school, or have us come to look at your site and advise on the options, please either

Phone: 01353 699009
Email: cambridgestyle@aol.com
Or write to: Cambridge Style Canopies, 62 Main Street, Pymoor, Ely, Cambs CB6 2DY

Do you need to promote reading more effectively?

This is a set of motivational posters about the power of books and reading.

• 20 colourful pdf posters from our Reading & Library series

• Instant display material

• Ideal for whiteboards too

• Make a big impression

• Print as many copies as you like from your own personal download page

• Saves you hours of work

See all the posters here http://www.carelpress.co.uk/HHEnglishJustRead

Ann Batey
Office Manager
Carel Press
(01228 538928)
www.carelpress.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/carelpress

So fundamental is the notion of Enterprise to our society that it is rather sad to think that many young people leave school – and indeed many leave university – without much of an idea as to what enterprise is all about.

One way or another they earn money, and generally speaking they spend it. But the whole basis of the system, and their part within it, can often remain a mystery.

It was because of the utterly fundamental nature of enterprise within our society, and the fact that so many young people don’t seem to grasp what it is all about, that we commissioned “Enterprise Education: The Course Book”.

Written by a teacher who went on to set up his own successful business this copiable volume starts from a detailed review of what Enterprise Education is, and then helps the students come to terms with what the world of business is all about.

The volume explores the notion of Enterprise and how it can be applied throughout the school, as well as examining the career implications of enterprise.

The volume then covers the setting up of a work-related programme before going into examples of enterprise opportunities including simulations, school generated projects and engagement with business.

At the end of the book there is a set of forms that can be used in terms of an agreement with companies over work experience, report forms, placement letters, etc etc.

Enterprise Education: The Complete Coursebook includes everything that is required for the successful implementation of the Key Stage 4 Enterprise Education programme, from classroom teaching materials to an in-service training programme, from work-based learning modules to simulations and live enterprise projects.

Enterprise Education: The Complete Coursebook is available as a book or on CD and includes:

• INSET activities – as a result of which staff will feel confident in their knowledge and understanding of the enterprise culture within industry and how it will impact on pupils who are exposed to it.
• Champions of Enterprise: Pupils can evaluate local business enterprises and draw their own conclusions as to which firms are truly involved in enterprise culture.
• Simulations: Mini-enterprises in which pupils can engage in an enterprise activity in a controlled environment.
• School generated projects: Pupils organise an actual event or act in the local environment in a planned and organised way.
• Real life situations: The Coursebook sets out programmes which ensure that the organisation, the school and the pupil all work together to generate a true understanding of enterprise.

The copyright licence allows the copying from either the book or the CD, so that all students can have pages relevant to their study at any time. It is also possible to place the CD on the school’s learning platform, so that students may access it at any time.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 8606

Price:

• £25.95 for the book or CD, plus £3.95 postage.
• £32.94 for the book plus CD, plus £3.95 postage.

You can order in four different ways. In each case please quote our reference T1790emn. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed prior to ordering on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/business/T1790.pdf

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House Mailings plc, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH
• By fax on 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or with an official school order number on 01536 399 011
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=51&products_id=552

ARKHAM1982

What is the most effective way of saving money while at the same time giving the inspectorate something new to get excited about?

Ofsted inspectors currently seem to be particularly enthused by schools that use technology to save money while resolving well-known long term issues.

In short, schools which innovate and find new ways to maximise the outcomes of school systems will always impress. Put another way, Ofsted seems to love anything that looks like increased efficiency.

One way that a number of schools are now achieving this is by reducing the amount of money spent on designing and printing homework diaries. For many schools the annual spend in this area can be up to £9,000.

This is obviously a substantial cost and one where it is difficult to measure the impact on homework for learners. Yet, as we know, homework is a really important aspect of the Ofsted framework and is something that will be inspected.

So, the introduction of a new approach which costs less and which generates a higher level of homework completion, along with greater parental interaction, is bound to impress – and, of course, results in greater learning.

It was from this starting point that Show My Homework was introduced three years ago as a method of saving money while making it easier for teachers to set, track and monitor homework.

As a result you can reduce your current costs by more than 50% each year and show Ofsted that students, their parents, your colleagues and SLT all know what homework is set day by day, the deadlines for each homework, and the details of each piece of work.

You can find more information on our online homework system on our website.

Alternatively click here for a free demonstration or call us on 020 3397 7546 for more information. 

Talk to most employers who take on young people just out of school (either for permanent jobs or for temporary employment) and the chances are you will hear some complaints.

These complaints tend to focus around the fact that “these youngsters simply don’t know what being in a job means”.

They might give as examples the fact that some teenagers think that they know everything (when from the employers point of view they know nothing), that when they have finished a job they just sit around either doing nothing or using their mobile.

Indeed one employer that we spoke to commented on a school leaver who actually checked his mobile for messages during an interview!

What Employers Want and Expect deals with the attitude of employers to employees and with the new demands that employers are placing on staff.

The book recognises that under current legislation, employers have an almost total right to dismiss employees during the early days of employment for any reason and notes that the average time people now spend in a job is only two years and four months.

The book takes the view that in order to stay in work the vast majority of young employees must help themselves by being aware of the current needs and attitudes of employers.

It is quite probably the only book which examines the attitude of employers towards young employees and advises teenagers how they can make a good impression.

The volume, which is fully copiable and so can be put on the school’s learning platform, copied to disk or photocopied, covers such issues as reliability, accuracy, punctuality, honesty, smoking, communication, written work, swearing, etc.

This edition, new for 2013, also includes warnings concerning what one can write on Facebook. As the book points out, many employers will check the Facebook pages of their employees to ensure that no one is saying anything amiss about the company that pays the wages.

It is, in fact, essential reading for everyone going into a job for the first time.

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

You can see some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/careers/T1798.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1799EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 895 8

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: T1798EMN

• 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=47&products_id=198

A number of changes in provision have been outlined in The Draft SEN Code of Practice including the need for provision for children and young people from 0-25 years of age. This will have an impact on all providers of education in this age range. There is a greater focus on support that enables those with SEN to succeed in their education and make a successful transition to adulthood.

The draft code has introduced a new category of Social, Mental and Emotional Health (SMEH) which identifies specific syndromes and conditions including anxiety, depression, conduct disorders, self-harming, substance abuse, eating disorders, ADHD, attachment disorder, autism and bipolar disorder.

Keeping staff up to date with these changes can be challenging but these syndromes and conditions, together with others, are included in the three volumes of Behaviour Solutions: A Guide to Syndromes and Conditions.

Each volume gives a guide to a wide range of conditions (64 in all, over 3 editions) and looks at definitions, symptoms and characteristics, causes, treatments, strategies to use in the classroom and a list of useful references including websites.

One particular benefit is that the books come in a photocopiable format so that if you wish to circulate details of a condition to several colleagues, or indeed to provide information to concerned parents, this is easily achieved.

Further details of the volumes and their contents are to be found on www.behaviourmatters.com/syndromesoffer.

Cost of the 3 volumes is £60 (a saving of £15 on normal price) plus £6 postage and packaging.

To order please contact us at:

Behaviour Solutions Limited
15 St. Marys Close
Abbotskerswell
Newton Abbot
Devon
TQ12 5QF

Phone / Fax 01626 366161
Email: dave@behaviourmatters.com

Underlying all appraisal and professional development programmes is a fundamental problem.

How can all the evidence that is recorded and gathered be collated so that it can be used not only as a portfolio of evidence of current practice, but also as a way of showing how practice is developing and improving?

As we know, to be recorded fully so that evidence is available for the inspectors, professional development programmes generate large numbers of documents, reports, videos recordings, and pictures.

Trying to collate them and arrange them can be as complex and time consuming as actually gaining the evidence in the first place.

Which is why, as schools take on board the new appraisal and professional development requirements related to the pay and conditions regulations, storing and retrieving evidence has become a key issue.

What is particularly useful in solving this problem is a purpose-built approach which not only handles all the data but also fits in exactly with DfE and teaching union guidance.

An approach which links lesson observation with objectives and standards frameworks and allows you to collect evidence using one unified system throughout the school.

A system that gives you and your colleagues in the leadership team up-to-date observation reports and data for the whole school, all for a very modest cost of £975.

This not only enables you to make decisions and focus attention on issues as they emerge, but also means that when Ofsted comes calling you can show at once what you have been doing to abide by the new regulations.

Such is the thinking behind Filio – an approach to the 2013 pay and conditions regulations that works across the whole school, allows everyone to understand that they are all being treated in the same way and fits perfectly in both primary and secondary schools, with both teaching and non teaching staff.

If you would like to see a demo please email me at Sarah.Ridgway@filio.co.uk or call 07966 338059.

You can read more about it at http://www.filio.co.uk/

Consider the school trip to an overseas destination. 

• Hours on the coach
• Hours on the ferry
• Hours on the coach 

A few days away and then… 

• Hours on the coach
• Hours on the ferry
• Hours on the coach 

Which is why some students tend to remember more about the travel than they do about the purpose of the trip. 

Thus anything that cuts down travel time, and indeed anything that adds to travel comfort, is a really good idea. 

It puts the emphasis fairly and squarely back on the purpose of the visit, by reducing the hassle of the journey and increasing the time spent in the desired destination. 

The solution of course is to fly – a solution which in the past few years has become ever cheaper as airlines seek to utilise their fleets more comprehensively outside of the peak demand period of the school holidays. 

This is the area in which we specialise – finding flights that will offer you great convenience at a low cost. 

What’s more, at GTC Travel Group one person will process everything from the initial enquiry through to the production of tickets, making this a singularly smooth and stress free transaction. 

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. 

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

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

You can also go to our website 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. 

Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks Issues 1-5

Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks, from Holdsworth Associates, are effective, easy-to-use resources for teachers of GCSE and A level. They use films and case-studies to explain the meaning and advantages/ disadvantages of each type of business organisation, together with worksheets and PowerPoint templates to consolidate and test understanding. These flexible and lively resources are easy to adapt to suit your teaching style.

Each Workpack has been developed to provide a self-contained unit of work. They contain short explanations of the key points, questions to test understanding, notes for guidance and suggestions for extension work.

The materials can be used in the classroom but are also appropriate for homework, cover lessons, revision, and to help students who have missed lessons. Worksheets can be given to students electronically (and completed on-screen), printed or photocopied as needed.

Titles

Issue 1: Sole Traders – Garden Designer and Kitchen Fitter

Issue 2: Partnerships – Antonio Couture – wedding dresses

Issue 3: Private Limited Company – Paperfeel – manufacturers of plastic products

Issue 4: A Public Limited Company – Anglian Water plc.

Issue 5: Franchises – River Nene Vegetables

Great value at £35.50 each (plus VAT). P&P is included in the price. If you wish to put the resources on a school-wide network, you will need a site licence for each product priced at £30.50 (plus VAT).

Visit http://www.istudypacks.co.uk/for-teachers, telephone 01954 202789 or email info@istudypacks.co.uk for further information and to order.

www.istudypacks

Holdsworth Associates
Century House
Market Street
Swavesey
Cambs
CB24 4QG

SEALSONGS is a collection of assembly songs which aims to get children engaged through the experience of making and creating music. The lyrics were written with considerable input from Year 4 and 5 pupils, so speak from children to children, and the musical backing tracks were professionally recorded.

But the resource goes further and offers teachers detailed advice on writing new lyrics, leading singing and other ways that SEALSONGS may be used in the classroom. Thus it enables teachers to give young children the positive experience of working with others in creating new songs within the SEAL framework. There is also guidance for non-specialists in how to teach songs.

The SEAL themes are:

Song 1: New beginnings
Song 2: Getting on and falling out
Song 3: Say no to bullying
Song 4: Going for goals!
Song 5: Good to be me
Song 6: Relationships
Song 7: Changes

Two further general songs – one about writing songs and one providing a Rhyme Game – are also included in the pack.

JENNY MOSLEY (Founder of Quality Circle Time) said “SEALSONGS is a wonderful gift to any adult who wants to truly help their class or school embed SEAL as a way of ‘being’ with ourselves and others. We all know that song can lift you to a different spiritual dimension – David Stoll has given us the perfect package to help even the most music-shy amongst us to engage young people in the process of creating heart-warming songs as part of a creative team….. This is an excellent resource.”

HOWARD GOODALL (National Ambassador for Singing) said “These SEALSONGS have the authentic ring of children’s ideas and feelings in every line. This, for me, makes it a valuable and empowering set of musical tools….. with excellent supporting materials and explanations.”

Purchase of SEALSONGS includes a licence for full use of all the material within the school, including recording new versions of the songs. The complete package is split into different files so that schools may choose which elements they wish to record or print.

Sample music can be downloaded from www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/music/SEALSONGSSamples.rar

You can purchase SEALSONGS in the following ways:

1. As a download, price £10 plus VAT

• By credit card from our on-line shop:
  http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=739

2. As a copiable book plus CD, price £19.99 plus £3.95 delivery

• 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=48_98_109&products_id=777

Of all the special needs that you and your colleagues will come across, autism can be one of the most troubling.

Indeed, many would agree that without some form of specialist training it is very difficult to provide the help and support which children with autism need in school.

It is for this reason that we are offering three training programmes.

A three day TEACCH (Treatment & Education of Autistic & related Communication handicapped Children/adults) ‘structured teaching’ approach, developed at the University of North Carolina,.

A two day Social Stories™ (Social Learning & Understanding) from The Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding, Michigan USA,

also a two day SCERTS Introduction & Application to the SCERTS Model; Using the SCERTS curriculum and practice principles to design programming for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Led By: Emily Rubin, MS, CCC-SLP Director, Communication Crossroads, Carmel, CA. USA

These courses are recognised throughout the world as important and effective ways of working with children and adults with autism. The 3 day TEACCH classroom-style induction programme and the two day Social Learning and Understanding and SCERTS work-shops allow participants to leave with a vast range of information and practical activities that can be used in school straight away.

What’s more, these courses are structured in such a way that you will be able to pass on to your colleagues information and help that will allow them to work increasingly effectively with children with autism in your school.

I do hope that you or one of your colleagues will be able to join me in working with either Professor Mesibov, Carol Gray or Emily Rubin on these courses which takes place in Kettering Northant’s this coming year.

Yours truly,

Keith Lovett

PS: You can book using the application form or see more details on line at http://www.autismuk.com/?page_id=8 If you have any questions about these courses, content or outcomes, please do give me a call on 01536 523274. I’ll be most pleased to help in any way I can.

Students who are interested in training for a career in medicine are invited to apply for places on a one week shadowing opportunity in Tanzania.

The week will involve staying in a Gap Medics house which has its own staff who will ensure that everything on the placement runs smoothly.

Apart from shadowing medical staff, attending ward rounds and observing operations, there is the opportunity to experience a new culture, different customs, and, of course, different food.

And above all, the chance to see if medicine really is the right choice for the students involved.

As such the one week programme is ideal for Sixth Form students who are interested in a career as a doctor, midwife, dentist or nurse. Not only will the week help them ensure that they are making the right decision, it will also be a valuable extra to put on the university application documentation.

If you have any students who are interested in a career in medicine please ask them to take a look at our website.

Alternatively they can call us on 0191 230 8080 or email info@gapmedics.com for more information

Regards

Samantha Bennett
Student Placement Team Leader

First and Best in Education is looking for authors to write new materials that can be used in secondary schools, FE colleges and as introductory texts for university courses. Please do note that we are not currently accepting materials aimed at nursery or primary schools (except as in the note on “Management and Administration” below.)

We publish the materials in three forms: as downloads, as books which can be supplied as photocopiable masters and as materials on CD Rom. If the book contains illustrations these are also supplied by the author.

In the case of printed books our authors receive a 10% royalty on the sales and will have copies of the book lodged in the British Library and other national repositories of books.

In the case of downloads a different process is followed, and because there is no printed copy available the author receives 50% royalty.

Management and Administration

In addition to books which are aimed to support taught subject areas, we also publish a range of materials relating to school administration and management. These books cover topics ranging from making schools more efficient to running the school office, from behaviour and discipline to fund raising.

What to do

If you have a book or a download ready to be published, or indeed have an idea for a book or a download that you could write in the coming months, please do email our senior editor (address below) with the following information.

1. Proposed book title and approximate length
2. A guide to the contents
3. Details of who the book is for and any specific features that make the book different from other books covering the same subject area.
4. The level at which the book is set. For example you might say, “GCSE, aimed at weaker students to ensure they get a C rather than a D”. Or “An introduction to historical research, suitable for A level students and as an introduction for undergraduates just starting their course.”
5. Any specific course or exam board that this book relates to.
6. Five to ten pages of text to give us a feel for your style and approach
7. A note about yourself in terms of qualifications and experience in education

About the publisher

First and Best was formed in 1993 and has published over 1000 books over the last 20 years. You can see a full catalogue of our current books on http://www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk/ Our books are sold via direct advertising to teachers and are not normally distributed via bookshops.

If your book is accepted for publication you will be offered a contract to sign and a date will be agreed for the supplying of the final text.

If you have an idea for a book or a book already written, please email Anne@firstandbest.co.uk

‘Ready-made, detailed and specification-specific case studies’ – R Bircher, Independent Reviewer (GCSE AQA A Case Study Toolkit)

Help your students build up a bank of useful case studies to use in their exam answers with brand new Case Study Toolkits, specifically written for GCSE AQA A and Edexcel B.

Each case study is presented in detail and then summarised in a key learning review. Activities, key terms defined, and innovative ‘springboards’ all help further students’ learning and promote class discussion. Then the student’s ability to use case studies in an exam is put to the test with differentiated practice exam questions. Full mark schemes are provided so students can self-assess their work to ensure the best results.

‘This is a resource I would recommend to every school and student doing geography’ – I Dambudzo, Teacher and Independent reviewer. (GCSE AQA A Case Study Toolkit)

Detailed and informative, original case studies that match the specification perfectly. Here’s how they work:
1 Break down the information with case study fact sheets.
2 Consolidate learning with classroom activity sheets and discussion questions.
3 Get students using case studies with exam-style questions. Full mark schemes included.

• Brought to life with stimulating photographs, maps, diagrams and video links.
• Complete mark schemes allow self and peer assessment – students become the examiner!
• Specific guidance on how to use case studies to access higher grades.

‘The resource was very well written, and covered the specification content very well…clear, up-to-date case studies have been provided. The information provided is detailed and would allow students to work towards an A* grade if they apply themselves correctly in examination’ – P Hunt, Head of Department and Independent Reviewer
(GCSE AQA A Case Study Toolkit)

See for yourself – view full inspection copies right now at http://zzed.co.uk/GCSE-CaseStudyToolkits

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 GCSE AQA A & Edexcel Case Study Toolkits are available as a photocopy master with site licence (£39-£49). Also available in:

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

Order now at http://zzed.co.uk/UY68

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | Geography-UY68@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code UY68 to get free postage!

Covers:

1. Realising that people you have met online are strangers
2. Meeting people you have met online in person
3. Handing out or uploading personal details
4. Uploading or sending pictures
5. Threatening messages
6. Sharing passwords
7. Downloading spyware or viruses

The pack includes: 5 copies of A3 laminated Cyber Safety Statement poster and a FREE CD Rom which contains printable A4 copies of the poster which can be handed out to each student to sign and keep.

Suitable for all ages.

CYBER SAFETY STATEMENT Ref:505HH Pack of 5 £25.00+VAT

CYBER SAFETY STATEMENT Ref:505-1HH Pack of 10 £45.00+VAT

CYBER SAFETY STATEMENT Ref:505-2HH Pack of 15 £65.00+VAT

To order and see a sample of the poster please visit the link below;
http://www.smlworld.co.uk/cyber-safety-statement-posters1.html

Post: Small World, 9 Burnham Place, Syresham, Northants, NN13 5HT
Tel: 01280 850 305
Fax: 01280 850 718

Email: orders@smlworld.co.uk

If there is one unchallengeable fact about school life it is that each year many students will misplace equipment and possessions.

A recent survey of the parents of teenagers confirmed what most of us have long suspected: that around 80% of school students lose at least one valuable item a year.

While all losses are annoying this may not be too much of a problem when the item lost or misplaced is of limited value. But when it is something as valuable as a tablet or other IT device, then matters become a lot more serious.

What makes this even more of an issue is the fact that between the spring of 2011 and the spring of 2013 tablet ownership among school students more than quadrupled.

Thus we have a bit of a problematic combination: a rapidly growing number of expensive pieces of IT equipment and the propensity for students to lose things.

Fortunately, the most common cause of the “lost” machine is not that it has been removed with criminal intent but rather that a person in the school legitimately takes a tablet to use but then leaves it somewhere, and it is then forgotten about. (It is only a tiny minority of tablets and other such items of equipment that are actually stolen.)

To help with this most schools mark all their portable IT equipment, and this is where our ID Silver Mark labels can help. These labels are precision cut stencils which can include your school name.

The labels are then painted with UV ink to show up should the label be removed. There’s more information on these on our website – www.idmark.com.

Alternatively, for smaller items our ID Mini Mark Labels can help to identify and track each item. These are suitable for all small electronic equipment including microphones, earphones as well as cables, cameras and similar equipment.

Each ID Mini Mark Label can incorporate a serial number and/or bar code thus making it possible to include a lot of data in a small space.

Should anybody attempt to remove the asset label or switch the label onto some other equipment the material will break into small pieces, thus announcing the fact that the label has been tampered with.

Furthermore, because the data is engraved into the surface of the label it cannot be removed with chemicals and cleaning materials.

The Mini Mark labels can be provided with white text on black or silver material with black text. There is more information on our website – www.idassetlabels.co.uk.

Alternatively, please call us on 01354 688 488 or email us sales@dantech.co.uk for free and unbiased help and advice.