Monthly Archives: November 2015

Behaviour / Motivation

Dyscalculia is one of the more problematic of special needs. So how can we best understand it?

It has taken a long time for dyscalculia to become recognised as a significant special need that should be considered as a possibility whenever a pupil or student is thought to be performing in maths at a level considerably below that which might otherwise be expected.

The growing understanding of dyscalculia has been hampered by an occasional lack of awareness of the varied ways in which dyscalculia can express itself within a pupil or student’s behaviour.

This is rather different from dyslexia where a recognition of the genetic disorder can on occasion be more readily spotted.

The specific problem with dyscalculia originates in the nature of maths itself.  Maths is, of course, the ultimate logical subject, with each element building on what has gone before.

At its simplest, if a child fails to grasp (for example) the essence of addition, then it is unlikely that the child will make much sense of multiplication. A child who doesn’t grasp division will have a hard time with fractions, and so on.

As a result of this, a pupil or student who fails to make progress in school in maths might not be making the progress because he/she has dyscalculia, but also might not be making progress because the child was absent for a prolonged period during the teaching of specific concepts in maths and has never had a chance to catch up.

Such an issue can be complicated by the attitude towards maths of the child’s parents. If the parents find maths hard going, or worse, if one of the parents takes the view that, “I was never any good at maths and it never harmed me” (or the variant – “what do you need maths for – you’ve got a computer haven’t you?”), then the child also starts to turn against maths and fails to apply him/herself.

But this is only the start of the problems with dyscalculia, because it turns out that issues such as problems with the transference between the short and long term memory can also cause dyscalculia-like difficulties.

In a recent article Tony Attwood, head of the Dyscalculia Centre which has undertaken diagnostic tests on over 1000 pupils and students suspected of carrying the gene variant that causes dyscalculia, outlined five different formulations of dyscalculia.

This article which originally appeared in SEN Magazine has now been updated and re-published on the Centre’s website here. It gives a clear indication of what the five types of dyscalculia are, and how they can be readily identified.

Behaviour / Motivation

How to develop positive behaviour and erase bullying at playtimes and lunchtimes

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development happens all the time. In the class, in the playground, in the home.

The problem is that when left to their own devices during playtimes and lunchtimes, some of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development that one sees is not necessarily what one wants to see.

In short, while some children will play in a very positive way, some use playtime and lunchtime to learn how to be bullies.  And sadly, because they find they like the feelings they get from bullying, they continue to do it.

Thus while others work together, mutually acknowledging the rules of their own games, helping and supporting each other and gaining much from the experience, for others the learning that happens is exactly what we don’t want to happen.

A straightforward way to enhance positive play in the school grounds is to teach the children one game a week which they can then work on together.  Some games will catch on and become continuing favourites. Others by the nature of things will fade after a few days.

If the games can then be revealed to parents either by being put on the school’s website, or with the details described on the website or in hand outs, the impact of the game can be extended further and further.

The initial playing of the playground game by a group of children is always a highly rewarding experience. The sorting out of the rules, agreeing the fundamentals and, above all, working together are all basic to the development of the social aspect of each child’s life.

What’s more, many children will become enthused by the game, leaving those on duty with a much smaller number of potentially problematic situations to deal with.

PSHE in the Playground is a photocopiable book (also available on CD so that it can be loaded onto the school’s network) which incorporates enough games to last a full school year and includes games that are suitable for both key stage 1 and key stage 2 children.  Most games can be taught to children in a matter of minutes.

Because the book is copiable only one copy needs to be purchased for the book to be used by all teachers in the school throughout the year.

An extract from PSHE in the Playground, ISBN 978 1 86083 726 5, order code T1691EMN is available at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/T1691.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…

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1791EMN.

 

Philosophy, PSHE and Citizenship

What is a meaningful argument (and how can I have one?)

Everyone has arguments. Some people seem to have them all the time, others back away from them quickly and do anything to avoid any form of confrontation.

But what enables one person to win lots of debates and arguments, while another seems never to win at all?

Of course, force of personality and an access to relevant facts can help, as can be being a confident natural speaker with a winning smile.

But even so there is more – and there is no doubt that when students actually understand the nature of debate and proof they tend not only to get better A level grades and be better prepared for university and/or employment, but they also win more arguments.

In short, for many students it is a grasp of critical thinking which takes them from a C to a B and a B to an A, which delivers a far more impressive UCAS application, and which enables them to be much more persuasive in interviews and presentations.

The problem for students is that the issue of argument and debate is not just common sense. Even if they get to grips with the difference between such concepts as “claims” and “arguments”, there still remain such puzzling issues as explanations, assumptions, counter-claims, evidence, examples, deduction, induction, generalisation…

It is for these reasons that the volume “Critical Thinking” has been written.

For “Critical Thinking” is about far more than just dismantling and evaluating other people’s arguments; it is also about putting together the student’s own explanations and arguments.

Through examples and activities the volume encourages students to develop their considered point of view in essays, reports, debates, etc, and helps them be prepared to stand back and assess their own reasoning.

Critical Thinking is available as a printed copiable volume or as a CD which can be put on the school’s learning platform for use by students and staff.

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

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Philosophy, Religious Education

What is the simplest way of making philosophical arguments accessible to students?

Understanding philosophical argument requires a knowledge of the fundamentals such as logic, argument, empiricism, rationalism, justification, scepticism…

But the study of these concepts can become rather dry and removed from the work of philosophers unless presented in a way that relates to the world of the student, taking them from their own world to these different approaches to that world.

This approach makes the concepts accessible and comprehensible to students before getting into the application of these concepts through the work of specific philosophers and their approaches.

Thus in this volume we look at moral philosophy which takes the student through utilitarianism, deontology and virtue ethics, to practical ethics looking at topics such as abortion and voluntary euthanasia, and to meta-ethics.

There is also a separate section on the philosophy of region covering ideas of God, cosmological ontological and teleological arguments, faith, reason and belief, and the implications of God’s existence.

After each argument there is an explanation – where necessary – of each part of the argument, followed by discussion of any problems or issues arising. Finally there are questions and points for discussion.

Some of the material on God and Moral Philosophy will also be useful to students of A level Religious Studies whose course includes some Philosophy of Religion and Ethics. Of particular relevance are sections on: arguments for the existence of God; faith, reason and belief; religious experience; God and morality; miracles.

There are sample pages from the photocopiable book at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/re/T1706.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1706EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 771 5

Prices 

  • Photocopiable book: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the book and the CD: £32.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.  Please quote the order ref: T1706EMN

You can purchase the book

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Music

Charanga wins MIA Award 2015

It is with great pride we can announce that Charanga won the Music Industries Association Music Maker Award 2015 at the MIA annual awards last week. This follows the Music Teacher Award for Excellence we received earlier this year and further confirms Charanga’s position as the UK’s leading provider of quality musical digital technology for music education.

“The first music scheme I’ve understood in 35 years!”
John O’Donahue, Teacher, East Riding school

Musical School trial

If your school doesn’t have a Musical School licence you can sign up now for a no-obligation, 30-day free trial. The most a Musical School programme will cost is £195 per calendar year, sometimes it’s less depending on whether your local music service is a Charanga premier partner. Why not download a quote?

“Charanga is the answer to my prayers! I am a non-musical class teacher who needs all the help I can get.”
Dawn Davidson, Teacher, Aberdeenshire school

Musical School app

Many schools can’t access performance music in halls or areas used for performances due to limited Wi-Fi access. This app allows teachers with Musical School licences (or trial licences) to access the audio tracks they need for performances, via their phone or tablet without the need for internet access. The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.

“I have already taught my class Mamma Mia and they are playing it in parts which sounds wonderful! It’s going down a storm with the staff! What a brilliant resource!”
Lucy Rose, Head of Year 4, Warwickshire school

Games Track

Charanga’s Games Track harnesses the idea that music is repetition and skills based. Game play is used to encourage teachers and students to explore and embed pulse, rhythm and pitch within the different songs in imaginative ways.

“We have been so pleased with just how empowering Charanga has been to our pupils and staff. Since implementing the Musical School programme within our school, we have seen a remarkable improvement in the children’s musical abilities and attitude towards music. All Staff now feel more knowledgeable and confident at teaching outstanding music lessons. The training and technical support has been friendly and professional and we feel very valued as a customer. We would recommend them to any school that wish to provide their pupils with high quality and interactive music lessons.”
Carmen Hopkins, Deputy Head, Essex school

So if you’re looking for a modern, exciting resource to help teach the primary music curriculum, look no further than Charanga Musical School.

“I eat the quavers and an expert plays the quavers but with Charanga Musical School I can really teach music and take risks, you can just dive in to the point where you can be Captain Von Trapp.”
Peter Harrison, Head, Cumbria school

With best wishes,

Marina Dussek
General Manager

info@charanga.com

01273 823900

Building, furniture, maintenance, energy etc, Exams

“It looks like we have a problem. We have 319 students entered for the exams, but only 248 exam desks. What can we do at such short notice ?”

Sometimes it’s only at the last moment that someone realises  there’s a shortfall. If this happens it’s panic all round and a desperate search  to find a supplier who can deliver more exam desks at short notice.

If you need exam desks in a hurry then Central Educational Supplies can probably help. They can be contacted on: 020 7515 1797 or email: signpost@talk21.com

For exam desks, folding chairs plus a wide range of classroom tables, chairs and storage you can check out the options on their website or give them a call on 020 7515 1797 or email your requirements.

Central Educational Supplies Ltd,
PO Box 999,
London
E14 6SH

www.centraleducational.co.uk
signpost@talk21.com
Tel: 020 7515 1797
Fax: 020 7515 4420

PS. Whatever you do, don’t throw your old furniture in the skip until the new stock arrives!

Behaviour / Motivation

Autism Spectrum – Next Steps (Level 3) Accredited At Level 3 through The Open College Network

Autism Spectrum – Next Steps (Level 3)
Accredited At Level 3 through The Open College Network
Why accreditation?
Although we appreciate that it is important to gain recognition of training from a nationally recognised accreditation body, our accredited courses are not just about “ticking boxes”. Our accredited courses are practical, using real life case studies and they give positive, practical strategies for immediate use.

The accreditation doesn’t require post-course study or the creation of portfolios as all evaluation is carried out by the tutor throughout the day. This means that anyone successfully completing the programme will gain the accreditation.

Who is this course suitable for?
Anyone who has completed the Concept Training “Autism Spectrum – An Introduction (Level 2)” or equivalent introductory training or who has “hands-on” experience in working with people on the autism spectrum.

What prior knowledge or experience is needed?
As above.

Summary of the course
An Intermediate Open College Network Level 3 course for anyone supporting children, young people or adults on the autism spectrum.

Course contents
The autism spectrum – myths and facts
Understand the function of certain behaviours
The triad of impairment as a profiling tool
The diagnostic criteria
Language support strategies
Developing social skills
Inflexibility of thought and ways to help
Reviewing the environment
Course ref: OCN3-GB6-124

Price:

Venues excluding London: £245+VAT for the 1st place,
£225+VAT for 2nd and subsequent places on the same course.

London Venues: £270+VAT for the 1st place, £250+VAT for
2nd and subsequent places on the same course.

Course cost includes lunch, refreshments, certificate and supporting notes.

Course times 9:30 am – 3:30 pm

We can come to you! This course can also be delivered IN HOUSE.
“Sally is a very inspirational speaker who held my full
attention throughout. Her passion for her work and her
empathy & understanding of the problems facing
children on the autism spectrum and their
parents/carers/teachers was fantastic. Her humour
and ability to relate the topics discussed to her own
experience made for an informative and very
interesting course and I feel that I have learned loads.”

Bernadette Fahy, Children’s OT

Course Location
Course Dates
Glasgow, Adelphi Centre
25/11/2015
Chorley, Woodlands
Conference Centre
05/02/2016
London, The Ibis Hotel,
Euston Station
03/03/2016

15/06/2016
To receive a 25% discount (for any of our courses) please quote HH when
booking by phone and booking online
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Drama, EAL, English

Simplifying Shakespeare

These delightful adaptations written in modern English are an excellent way of introducing young people to Shakespeare – they are readable, they bring out the humour of the originals and they are surprisingly true to the feeling of Shakespeare’s plays.

A very useful resource both in the classroom, as the school play and useful preparation for a visit to the theatre. Also an excellent text for students of English as a foreign Language.

MACBETH                        978 0 993185 50 2

HAMLET                            978 0 948662 05 8

ROMEO & JULIET        978 0 948662 07 2

TWELFTH NIGHT       978 0 948662 09 6

A MIDSUMMER
NIGHT’S DREAM        978 0 948662 08 9

HENRY V                          978 0 948662 01 0

JULIUS CAESAR          978 0 948662 06 5
£4.80 each

order on line at

www.startingshakespeare.co.uk

The Kabet Press

johnandleela@startingshakespeare.co.uk

“Shakespeare made entertaining
and simple, faithful to the
characters and scenes and capturing
the essence of the originals.”

THE TIMES EDUCATIONAL
SUPPLEMENT

PSHE and Citizenship, Special Needs, Workshops

Disability awareness workshops for pupils

A day of workshops for groups of pupils throughout your school
Engaging and thought-provoking workshops for pupils
Essential for schools that want to challenge prejudice and promote disability equality
Price: £800+vat

Delivered by a dedicated ally of disabled people, these workshops will help pupils to:
learn more about disability and human rights
be clear on law and policy for disabled children’s education
hear disabled people’s perspectives
identify common stereotypes and some of the prejudices disabled people face
explore a range of views of what disability is, who is disabled and what disables them
reflect on a range of disability labels
review language and terminology used and the effect this can have on disabled people’s identities
ask sensitive questions anonymously
understand, and respond to, society’s “culture of indifference”
learn about disabled people who have made a difference
become advocates for disability equality

Pupils and staff who attended a similar workshop said:
“Excellent and informative”
“Brilliant”
“Inspirational”
“It certainly made me consider the way I think.”
How long is each workshop?

Ideally 40 minutes, but workshops can be made shorter or longer to fit in with the structure of your school day.

How many workshops will you deliver?

We can deliver up to six workshops in a day; this, too, can be adapted to fit in with the structure of your school day.

How many pupils should there be in each group?

The workshops are interactive and will be more effective if there are 15-20 pupils in each group.

What year groups are these workshops for?

We offer these workshops to primary and secondary schools and adapt the content and presentation according to the age of pupils we work with.

Does a member of staff need to stay with the group?

Yes, we ask that a member of staff is present at each workshop.

Will you need any equipment?

A computer and projector would be helpful.
To request a booking, please email the following information to admin@csie.org.uk

Priority order code DAW2014
Disability awareness workshops for pupils

£800+vat
Preferred date(s) for workshops:

Age of pupils at workshops

Your Name:

Contact telephone no:

Email address:

School Name:

School Address :

Invoice Address:

(if different from above)

Purchase order no:

(if applicable)

Building, furniture, maintenance, energy etc

Does your school or college have classroom chairs with a warranty which lasts until 2025?

One obvious advantage of such a TEN year warranty is that you’ll have no maintenance or replacement costs for a decade or more.

This could mean significant financial savings compared with alternative products.

But that’s not all……….

The Postura Plus range of chairs has been designed  not only to be extremely durable  but also to encourage good posture for your students, as well as being easy to stack and move from room to room.

Postura Plus chairs are used successfully in thousands of UK schools, often just as a trial in one classroom and then being “rolled out” throughout the school as funds allow.

Postura Plus chairs are available in a range of 15 attractive colours.  The TEN year warranty (and its associated benefits) means that these chairs are likely to be one of the best investments that a school or college could ever make.

Further information about Postura Plus chairs including very competitive pricing and how to obtain a sample for evaluation, may be obtained from Central Educational Supplies Ltd, PO Box 999, London E14 6SH

Tel: 020 7515 1797 to speak to Martin Evans or email: signpost@talk21.com.

More details are also available on their website: http://centraleducational.co.uk

PS.  In addition to the Postura Plus chairs described above you’ll also find details of desks, tables, storage units, cupboards etc.

Science

An Interactive SCIENCE Software Free Trial Offer, At An Unmissable Price. No School Should Miss Out On This. It Is Simply Unbelievable!

This offer for ALL 44 titles is packed with hundreds of stunning curriculum 3D animations describing difficult to understand concepts for SCIENCE, text, voice-overs, quiz zones, drag and drops, multiple choice quizzes and more.

Includes a full school site PC and network licence, nothing more to pay EVER! Free 14-day trial , so if you don’t like it you can just send it back. All 44 of these individual great titles are included in the pack for just £249 for everything:

Chemistry: Classifying Materials KS3; Patterns Of Behaviour KS3; Crude Oil Organic Chemistry KS4; The Earth’s Structure KS4; Extraction & Uses Of Metals KS4; The Periodic Table – An Introduction KS4; The Periodic Table – Atomic Structure & Physical Properties KS4 The Periodic Table- Bonding & Chemical Properties KS4; Rates Of Reaction KS4; Reversible Reactions KS4; Smart Materials & Nanotechnology KS4; Structure & Bonding KS4; Quantitative Chemistry KS4; The Mole & Stoichiometry A’Level Biology: Circulation KS3; Digestion KS3; Plant Biology KS3; Respiration KS3; Circulation KS4; Digestion KS4; Genetics KS4; Healthy Living KS4; Hormones KS4; Kidneys and Homeostasis KS4; Living Things & Their Environments KS4; Micro-organisms and Biotechnology KS4; Nervous System KS4; Plant Biology KS4; Respiration KS4, Cellular Respiration A’level; Nucleic Acids & Genetic Engineering AS Level Physics: Electricity and Magnetism KS3; Forces, Motion, Energy Changes KS3; Light and Sound KS3; Circuits KS4; Forces and Motion KS4; Energy Resources, Moments and Pressure KS4; Work Energy and Power KS4; Waves KS4; Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum KS4; Magnetism and Electromagnetism KS4; Household Electricity KS4; The Earth and Beyond; KS4 Radioactivity

It’s just £249 for all 44 of these software titles in
one pack!

Now isn’t that truly staggering value for money for all these titles from the UK’s leading curriculum software supplier? Let’s beat the cuts!

To order your free trial please click here
Early Years, Lunch times, playtimes and school clubs, Special Needs

Facilitating learning with more than one sense

Multi-sensory learning is a highly effective notion that is habitually adopted to support the development of young children. Yet it is a technique which often gets phased out as children age and progress, despite childhood (in its entirety) being a vital stage for development.

It is a teaching and learning technique which should be used routinely to support children’s academic development throughout their educational careers – particularly for children with SEN or for children who are falling behind in their learning.

It is for this reason that Edventure has produced a Multi Sensory Pack which can be used to support the multi-sensory learning approach which has proven time and time again to be highly beneficial to children’s academic progress and thus overall attainment levels.

By incorporating the content of the Multi Sensory Pack into your pupils’ learning, not only will you achieve higher levels of engagement among your pupils, but your pupils will also gain a greater understanding of the areas of learning where this approach is imposed.

Our Multi Sensory Pack comes in a drawstring bag consists of the following:

  • 2 x Bean Bag
  • 2 x Bean Ball
  • 2 x Bump Ball
  • 2 x Coated Foam Ball 7cm
  • 2 x Easy Grip Ball 16cm
  • 2 x Koosh Ball 7cm
  • 2 x Rainbow Ball
  • 2 x Ring Quoits
  • 2 x Soft Small Football

You can order the Multi Sensory Pack in a variety of ways, including:

  • on our website – www.edventure.co.uk
  • by fax to 01323 50 10 41
  • by phone on 01323 50 10 40
  • by email at sales@edventure.co.uk
  • or by post to Edventure Ltd, Hargreaves Business Park, Hargreaves Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QW.

And if you quote HH0515 on your order delivery will be free. Without quoting the code the charge is £3.95 if ordered online or £6.95 if ordered by fax, phone or post.

Careers

Deciding what to do after 16 is the first big decision most 16 year olds will make, and both they and their parents need information

If the decision as to what a 16 year old does after year 11 is to be successful it must not only involve the student and his/her wishes, but also the student’s parents and the organisation/s that the student will use in the coming year.

Unfortunately there have already been many suggestions to the effect that a considerable number of parents are not particularly well informed on the options available.

Worse, many students seem to be ready to make only short-term decisions which do little to take into account what the student wishes to do in the longer term.

As for the notion of having a back-up plan if the first choice options don’t come to fruition – the number of students and parents who don’t even consider this seems to be frighteningly high.

Of course, in many ways this is all very understandable. For the past 11 years all the student’s educational needs, and most of the decisions that have been made, have been in the hands of the school. Both parents and students have become used to this, but suddenly there are questions to be answered and plans to be made.

Which is why “Making the Next Transition” exists. It is a copiable volume (available both on CD and in printed format) that can be used by both students and parents to help them to make the right decisions for now and to understand the long term implications of those decisions.

It is a publication that is ideal for placing on the school’s learning platform so that parents can access it and take an ever greater role in helping their sons and daughters make a successful transition to the next phase of their lives.

“Making the Next Transition” shows both parent and student what the options are and gives advice and support to the student who is preparing for the next stage in life.

Most importantly it is an activity based volume so that the student actually has to engage with the materials, answer questions, and consider where the issues raised by the book lead, rather than just reading through more text on the topic of “what next?”

In short it helps with decision-making, application forms and interview techniques, all directly in relation to the requirements that the law lays down for what students may do after the end of year 11.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 876 7;  Order code: T1825emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/careers/T1825.pdf

  • Photocopiable book, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the bookr and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Careers

What is the best way to teach students about culture, community and conservation?

I would like to introduce Flooglebinder, an educational travel specialist who offer students community and conservation programmes in Borneo, India, Nepal, Malaysia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. 

Our aim is to offer students a secure and safe way to travel, develop and explore, whilst promoting the importance of sustainable travel.

The Flooglebinder team is made up of travel specialists, marine biologists, animal behaviour and conservation lecturers, field guides and dive masters. 

We accommodate for individuals and school groups and only work with partners which we have personally visited ourselves – keeping in line with our Tried, Tested, Trusted ethos.  

We are linked to a number of conservation groups around the world and can assist if students chose to explore a potential career path that requires specific field experience with leaders in the industry. 

Our study tour programmes are written to cater for the needs of the student outcomes and learning module objectives. We also offer x1 free teachers place for every 10 participating students. 

I would like to meet with you, and your students, to present Flooglebinder and discuss our amazing projects. Please feel free to provide a number of convenient dates and times, and we will do our best to accommodate.

I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Ian Taylor
Founder and Lecturer
Flooglebinder
Travel I Develop I Explore                                             
Mobile: +44 (0) 7772689811                         
Email ian@flooglebinder.co.uk
Web: www.flooglebinder.co.uk

 

Music

Take a world that is completely different from ours – and those creatures completely different from ordinary people like us

David Stoll  (SEALSONGS, DICK OTTINGTON) has a new song collection for Primary Schools available for download from First & Best. The package also contains a specially written story script for a narrator which weaves all the songs together.

Thus THE CUCKOO ROCK SONGBOOK can be used as a basis for individual songs to be sung in assembly or simply within the class, or it can be a complete production for presentation to parents and the rest of the school – without any need for complex staging, special lighting or any other effects that may or may not be available.

The collection includes twelve settings of poems by Phil Bowen. These magical poems are full of unusual characters, colourful scenes and surprising wordplay; the original book was short-listed for the CLPE prize.

The music has echoes of 60’s rock as well as various contemporary styles. The SONGBOOK includes both printed piano accompaniment and pre-recorded full backing tracks with permissions for use.

You can see an extract from the songbook here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/CUCKOOROCKsample.pdf and you can hear the backing track here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/01 cuckoo rock.mp3

A copy of the complete collection of songs and the narrator’s script is available as a download from http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=820

The price is £16.95 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

THE CUCKOO ROCK SONGBOOK is distributed 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 

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

 

Drama

Christmas themed Magic Shows for Whole School

Celebrate Christmas with style this year with Christmas themed Magic Shows that include comedy capers, pantomime calling out and jaw-dropping magic (including the production of a live white rabbit!).

Performed by one of the few women to pass the arduous Magic Circle Exams, with clients that range from celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Geri Halliwell to schools such as Wold Primary academy and Merton Court, the shows are guaranteed to dazzle.

Please email back title CHRISTMAS MAGIC for £50 discount.

www.jasminesmagicparties.co.uk
jasmine@jasminesmagicparties.co.uk
07870 215675

PSHE and Citizenship

We live in a fast-moving world and anxiety levels are high, particularly in our young people.

All About Anxiety Discussion Cards

We live in a fast-moving world and anxiety levels are high, particularly in our young people.

These cards give the users an opportunity to consider what they believe to be some of the causes of anxiety, to think about possible sources of help and to learn that worry can sometimes be positive.

▪ Discuss possible causes of anxiety
▪ Understand that different things worry different people
▪ Identify who can help when we feel anxious
▪ Maintain a healthy mental attitude
▪ Discover the effects of anxiety on eating patterns, socialising and personality

The cards introduce a more in-depth discussion and allow users to explore their feelings in a structured way.

They can be used with individual students as a diagnostic tool, or they can be used in small groups to promote discussion and enable the participants to challenge their own beliefs or they can be used with class groups to start discussions.

Includes 36 cards. Ages 8+

ALL ABOUT ANXIETY DISCUSSION CARDS Ref: 621HH £24.00 +VAT

TO ORDER:

Post: Small World, 9 Burnham Place, Syresham, Northants, NN13 5HT

Tel: 01280 850 305
Fax: 01280 830022

Email: orders@smlworld.co.uk

Website: http://www.smlworld.co.uk/store/p184/All_About_Anxiety_Discussion_Cards_%28All_ages%29_.html

To obtain a 5% discount on your order, please quote HH14 on your purchase order form or add the discount code whilst purchasing online.

 

Building, furniture, maintenance, energy etc, Learning Outside the Classroom

Learning-outside-the-classroom: providing real-life applications of concepts learnt in the classroom

Without a clear vision of what it is exactly that your colleagues want to achieve by taking their students on a school trip, it is unlikely that the LOtC experience will be as beneficial to students’ learning and development as they might have hoped.

Therefore, before your colleagues go any further with their planning, it is important that they ask the question, “What do I want to achieve?”

Of course, if your colleague in the English department plans to take his or her students on a trip to the Globe Theatre, it is clear that the purpose of this visit is to cement the learning that they have done in the classroom for their upcoming exams and beyond.

In other instances, it might be that your colleagues wish to use learning-outside-the-classroom to provoke an emotional response among students, as opposed to using the visit as a revision tool or for learning new knowledge.

Where your students are encouraged to engage on an emotional level with a subject or topic area, they will be able to remember information about it more readily. So your colleague in the history department might plan to take his or her students to a WW1 memorial site.

However, not every school trip has to be focused on learning. Sometimes, if there is time left at the end of term and the budget allows for it (or parents are willing to pay for it), your colleagues might plan a school trip as a reward, to boost morale, or perhaps to re-ignite students’ passion for a subject.

But it doesn’t end there – school trips, or learning-outside-the-classroom, can also be highly beneficial to secondary school students when it comes to deciding which career they would like to pursue.

School trips enable students to experience activities and events that they don’t have the opportunity to experience in the classroom, thus giving them a better understanding of where, in society, they (could) fit in.

Benchmark has created a Facebook and Twitter page especially for teachers where we post and tweet a constant stream of activity and location ideas for whatever it is you or your colleagues wish to achieve by undertaking learning-outside-the-classroom.

To get notifications of school trip activity and location ideas and how LOtC can be used to benefit your students’ learning and development, follow us on Twitter @MinibusLeasing or like our Facebook page – Benchmark Minibus.

For more information about Benchmark Leasing you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944, or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk .

Behaviour / Motivation

Severe behaviour problems

What is the most effective way of dealing with acute and severe behaviour problems?

One-off high-level incidents may occur very infrequently in your school, but as and when they do, their consequences can be considerable.

In the worst case scenarios such events can be deeply disturbing to any teacher involved, causing significant mental strain resulting in even the most experienced teacher questioning his/her own professional competence.

Additionally these are the incidents that can lead to a high risk of damage to property and also a risk to personal safety.

Indeed although few teachers raise the issue, school managers and governors do have a legal duty to provide their staff with working conditions that are safe, and therefore the school does need to show that it has taken all reasonable steps to ensure this is so.

It is to help with this essential work that we have produced the Acute & Severe Behaviour Problems DVD by Dave Stott.

This DVD deals with acute behaviour situations, and explores effective systems for gaining help, and protecting teachers from physical and psychological attack.

It also considers the effects on both the individual pupil and the whole group and, specifically, on the teacher, including emotional upset, interruptions to learning, and the resultant anger and frustration.

Additionally the DVD highlights early warning signs, disruptive ‘off-task’ behaviour, physical threats, arguments, anger and violence, direct verbal threats, damage to property, defiance and refusal to apply instruction and leaving the teaching area without permission.

The DVD is packed with specific help, advice and guidance for teachers and incorporates a large number of practical scenarios and is available for school wide use for £55.00 + VAT.

You can place an order by..

Please quote the order code 007HH  when ordering.  

Geography

Free Trial Offer – Interactive Geography Software

An Interactive GEOGRAPHY Software Free Trial Offer, At An Unmissable Price. No School Should Miss Out On This. It Is Simply Unbelievable!

This offer for ALL 10 titles is packed with hundreds of stunning curriculum 3D animations describing difficult to understand concepts for GEOGRAPHY, text, voice-overs, quiz zones, drag and drops, multiple choice quizzes and more.

Includes a full school site PC and network licence, nothing more to pay EVER! Free 14-day trial , so if you don’t like it you can just send it back. All 10 of these individual great titles are included in the pack for just £150 for everything:

Acid Rain; Deforestation; Desertification; Global Warming; The Work Of Ice; The Work Of Rivers; The Work Of The Sea; Urban Geography; Weather and Climate 1; Weather and Climate 2

It’s just £150 for all 10 of these software titles in one pack!

Now isn’t that truly staggering value for money for all these titles from the UK’s leading curriculum software supplier? Let’s beat the cuts!

To order your free trial please click here
Health

Motivate your students with eight simple activities

Developing your students’ mental resilience

The pressure for students to perform well during the exam years can become stressful for both students and staff. Managing this stress and supporting students to stay motivated throughout the year ahead and focus on their goals is essential.

Some students will need more support than others but everybody can benefit from exercises that challenge them to think differently about their situation, strive for more in life and align their goals with their values.

The earlier students are encouraged to develop their mindset and focus on resilience for the challenges they face ahead, the better. Raising motivation and ultimately grades does not happen overnight, you need a structured programme that can be used from the outset all the way to the start of the exams.

Our solution comes in the form of eight worksheets in a ready-made booklet – ‘Greatest Strength Workbook for Students’. It comes with a free teacher’s guide and is available as an instant download. A sample can be downloaded for free to give you an idea of what you get. The licenses to print the workbook then start from only £49.99.

Helping students learn to overcome stress, teaching them to motivate themselves, encouraging them to plan for the future and develop confidence to try new things are essential skills

To develop these skills, students must explore them. Finding time in the school day to focus on these areas can be challenging but could you find ten minutes to introduce an activity that was already prepared and ready to use?

The full details are available at: http://newset-training.com/students.html

Thanks and I wish you and your students the best during the year.

Clare Martin

Newset Training

Policies

Practical guide on developing an equality policy

Developing a single equality policy for your school: a CSIE guide

Written by CSIE staff and associates

  • Practical and accessible resource for schools
  • Essential for schools that want to challenge prejudice and stereotypes
  • Encourages whole school community to work together
  • User-friendly materials, organised around specific equality strands
  • Step-by-step guide on writing and reviewing an equality policy
  • Includes two examples of existing policies
  • Written in collaboration with school leaders
  • Published in March 2010, still relevant today
  • Offer price: £15.00 + £3.50 p&p (RRP £28.00)
  • November 2015 offer: buy one get one half price

This guide can help schools to:

  • demonstrate to Ofsted inspectors a well thought-out response to equality and diversity
  • meet statutory equality duties
  • ensure that promoting equality becomes an integral part of the school improvement process
  • clarify their own values and make sure they are reflected in everyday school life
  • sustain the changes that are made
  • make sure that everyone is safe, included and learning
  • Improve the school for staff as well as for children and families
 Order now to take advantage of this offer:

To order your copies, please email the following information to admin@csie.org.uk

Priority order code NOVEMBER2015
 Developing a single equality policy for your school: a CSIE guide
Offer price: £15.00 + £3.50 p&p (RRP £28.00)
Number of copies required:
Your Name:
Contact telephone no:
Email address:
School Name:
School Address:

 
Invoice Address:

(if different from above)
Purchase order no:

(if applicable)
Total cost:
ICT

Online keyboard skills development from the UK’s leading specialists

Online keyboard skills development from the UK’s leading specialists

What provision is your school making for improving your pupils’ keyboard skills?

I expect that, if your school is like most others, you now require your pupils to use a computer for their school work more than ever before.  By learning fast and accurate keyboard skills, pupils work quicker, more confidently and are able to focus more on learning than on text production.  And if pupils are able to type their assignments, their work is more legible for teachers who have to mark them.

Meanwhile, Ofqual has already been making noises about the future computerisation of exams.  When the inevitable happens, and all or most exams are computer based, will your pupils be ready?

As a leading specialist in online keyboard skills training in schools, we can help you.  We have a range of schemes for schools to meet every requirement and every budget – even if you don’t have one!

Our courseware resides in the cloud (i.e., it is Internet based) which means that there is no software to install.  Pupils can use it on any computer with a broadband connection, 24/7, so there is no need to steal time from the school timetable.

All pupils’ progress is tracked, so you can monitor success rates as and when you wish.  And our online service is completely secure – there are no distracting pop-up advertisements and no cookies or other incursions to infiltrate your computers.

Our options include:-

  • A ‘Pay-by-User’ scheme for small numbers of pupils from £6 per head;
  • Annual licence schemes for larger numbers of pupils from just £195 per year;
  • An income generation scheme, ideal if a budget is not available;
  • Electronic typing assessments with customised and personalised certificate;
  • Our ‘total’ service, where we manage and deliver everything for you remotely, from just £595 per year.

We even have a professional course for teachers with the option of online personal tutoring.

Would you like to know more?  If so, please email us with a very brief description of your interest and we will send you a link to our electronic Schools’ Brochure and our Price List.  We would be very glad to hear from you, whether you need keyboard skills training for 1 pupil, or 1001!

Type&Test Ltd
PO Box 479
Huntingdon
PE28 0LJ
01480 861867

www.typeandtest.com

Uncategorized

Strange Stories

Is it time to think carefully about the
spaghetti monster?

My recent articles on the issue of strange stories that people collect have opened a can of  floodgates or perhaps a tidal barrier of worms – I am not sure which.   Not only are several of my clients in the Admiral storage facility collecting tales of the weird and unexpected (not to say downright ludicrous) but it seems from my inbox that lots of other people have an interest in this.

I’ve had several emails from readers pointing out that if I really want weird, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, also known as Pastafariansm, might be worthy of my attention.

This church certainly came to the attention of the Committee on Culture, Science and Education of the Council of Europe who noted that Pastafarianism celebrates an invisible all-powerful being called the Flying Spaghetti Monster which created the universe in one day.  

Supporters of the idea then demanded a place on the school curriculum in the United States alongside evolution on the one hand and intelligent design on the other hand, on the basis that their notion was a third variety – singularly unintelligent design.

It seems that despite the absolute oddness of such a vision, in recent times the followers of Pastafarianism has flourished, for they now have their own very colourful website in which they report many sightings of the spaghetti monster.  

Apparently one can buy the t-shirt to show unity with the monster for $25 or one can alternatively send exactly the same amount of money for a certificate that makes one a certified minister of the cult.  

The website, incidentally, has a section to which people can write (and be published) if they wish to argue against Pastafarianism or even be abusive towards the believers, which seems fairly democratic.  

It certainly raises a new notion for websites.  One has the usual drop down menus at the top with such headings as “News”, “Products”, “Offers”, “Contact us” and then comes “Abuse”.  I am not sure many other websites have added this option, but certainly reading the abuse column on the Pastafarians website is quite, err, educational.  Or at least vocabulary expanding.

Incidentally, through writing this piece on Google Drive I have just discovered that the spell checker accepts the word “Pastafarian” as perfectly correct spelling.  

I therefore tested this discovery out by going into Google itself and typing Define:Pastafarian, and low and behold up popped a definition.  How fast notions can grow!

Of course, believing in a Deity or not is an intensely personal affair, and our society does indeed allow us the freedom to believe or not believe, and to argue for our own beliefs and against the beliefs of others.

But I wonder if we haven’t gone too far in believing in giving information technology the same rights.   I particularly wondered that this week when I got an email from my bank which said, “If you cannot see this email click here”.  Isn’t it time to start seeing IT not as a blessing but actually the work of some universal nasty-being which exists possibly in the anti-universe or whatever the latest proposition of physicists is as they attempt to explain what’s what and what’s not in the entirety of space and time?

I was still contemplating that rather overwhelming point when my attention was then drawn (for no reason that will become apparent at this time) to the notion of nominative determinism – the tendency of people to go into areas of work which fit their surname.

You may well have seen, for example, that the last Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales was Judge Judge (actual real name Igor Judge) until he was replaced by John Thomas – on which, of course, I make no comment.

Now there is a report that the population of dentists in the UK has many more men named Dennis, and women called Denise, than one might expect.  On the other hand I did come across Dr Burns at my local hospital recently, which caused me a certain amount of concern.

But I must leave you with a notice from the Driving Standards Agency which helpfully told me that I could “normally book a theory test online 24 hours a day, every day.   Outside these hours you can make a pending booking.”

So time beyond 24/7 really does exist, at least within government departments.  I always thought that might be the case.

You can find more information about our facilities on our website at www.archive-document-storage.co.uk.  Alternatively you can call us on 0800 810 1125.

Admiral Document Storage
Bloxwich Lane
Walsall
WS2 8TF
Tel: 0800 810 1125

Email: info@archive-document-storage.co.uk

www.archive-document-storage.co.uk

Drama, Learning Outside the Classroom, Lunch times, playtimes and school clubs, Play

The stage re-used

How staging can be used as part of an outdoor carol concert, and then indoors as the students serenade while the parents taste their mince pies.

When we first talked about our staging being used outdoors (as well as indoors for assemblies, drama, speech days, and presentations), there were, I must admit, some eyebrows raised.

But my impression is that the idea is catching on, and I’ve heard of a number of schools using our staging so that pupils and students can sing carols as parents approach the school hall for their indoor festivity.  Some have experimented with short outdoor nativity plays – which really mean the lanterns have an impact.

Outdoor events always intrigue students and impress parents, and with staging that is suitable for outside events it means it can be moved around easily.  You can even dismantle the outdoor rig and reset inside during the interval for the second half of the event.

It is because of new ideas like these that have developed in recent years that we ask schools that use our staging to take photographs of the results. 

If you take a look at our website I think you’ll agree that some of these represent really impressive examples of how our staging can be used in a very creative way. 

But many teachers and site managers have reminded us that the flexibility of the staging is not the only consideration when choosing what to buy.  You will also be considering how you are going to store it when its normal location is required for other uses.

Which is why we developed a stage system that can be compacted into such a tiny space that even Dr Who would start to wonder if someone involved in teaching hadn’t cracked the secret of using his famous “relative dimensions in space”.

In fact, in our latest designs we’ve now arranged matters so that a complete stage of up to 40m² can be stored in just 2m² of floor space.

Then there’s the lifetime guarantee. It is hard to imagine what might go wrong with staging, but if somehow in some unexpected way it does go wrong, the guarantee is there.

I do hope you will visit our website and take a look at what other schools have done with our staging. Just click on any of the pictures to enlarge it.  Click on the arrow at the end of the picture, and you’ll see more. And more.

There’s still time to order staging for your Christmas play and events – don’t hit the panic button just yet! A free, no obligation, professional demonstration is readily available, and we’ll show you how to maximise the space in your school hall.

If you would like to know more please do email me at sales@seatingandstaging.co.uk  or call me on 01302 741888.

Tim Gilson

Uncategorized

What is a meaningful argument (and how can I have one?)

Everyone has arguments. Some people seem to have them all the time, others back away from them quickly and do anything to avoid any form of confrontation.

But what enables one person to win lots of debates and arguments, while another seems never to win at all?

Of course, force of personality and an access to relevant facts can help, as can be being a confident natural speaker with a winning smile.

But even so there is more – and there is no doubt that when students actually understand the nature of debate and proof they tend not only to get better A level grades and be better prepared for university and/or employment, but they also win more arguments.

In short, for many students it is a grasp of critical thinking which takes them from a C to a B and a B to an A, which delivers a far more impressive UCAS application, and which enables them to be much more persuasive in interviews and presentations.

The problem for students is that the issue of argument and debate is not just common sense. Even if they get to grips with the difference between such concepts as “claims” and “arguments”, there still remain such puzzling issues as explanations, assumptions, counter-claims, evidence, examples, deduction, induction, generalisation…

It is for these reasons that the volume “Critical Thinking” has been written.

For “Critical Thinking” is about far more than just dismantling and evaluating other people’s arguments; it is also about putting together the student’s own explanations and arguments.

Through examples and activities the volume encourages students to develop their considered point of view in essays, reports, debates, etc, and helps them be prepared to stand back and assess their own reasoning.

Critical Thinking is available as a printed copiable volume or as a CD which can be put on the school’s learning platform for use by students and staff.

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

Sixth form, Workshops

The problem with a good problem is…

The problem with a good problem is…
everybody wants to be the one to solve them!

Lets face it things can (and often do) go pear shaped at work.  There is no perfect way to run a business.  Lessons unfortunately are often learnt and understood the hard way – when something goes wrong.  For some people this is a nightmare whilst some people will relish the thought of being the hero and saving the day.

In order that students might see how things can go wrong, and how they can be put right, we have put together a business exercise called The Safe Delivery Exercise which is designed to put the theory of solving problems into practice.

The exercise is suitable for KS4 and Sixth Form students. Students are divided into teams of six who each act as a manager in the business. They are given an individual brief which has information exclusive to that person. 

The Scenario – A fire resistant storage cabinet has been ordered that will house a new ‘server’ on which the essential financial information for the business will be stored.  It is now Friday afternoon and the cabinet is being delivered Saturday morning.  It must be installed in the General Office by Monday morning.  A detailed office floor plan of the building has been provided.  A meeting has been called so that the managers can sit down and work out how this job will be undertaken.

Teamwork, clear communication, problem solving skills and good maths are the key to success. A verbal jigsaw that needs to be solved!

This resource contains:
– clear teachers’ guidance notes that explain how to run the exercise
– a teachers crucial information chart
– a memo that sets out the task for the students
– detailed briefs for five managers and one scribe
– a detailed floor plan of the office building showing the obstacles that need to be overcome
– the solution and a power point presentation showing each step of the solution

This super resource is available for only £50 and can be used again and again.

There are more details at…

http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/safe-delivery-exercise/

You can pay and download the exercise direct from our website using Paypal or you may wish to pay with a purchase order number. Please e-mail your purchase order number to:
Julie@c-l-e.co.uk. Your order will be dealt with within 24 hours.

Julie O’Brien
Creative Learning Events
07977 489779
www.c-l-e.co.uk

Efficiency, Homework

How 140,000 teachers saved time this week

What is the quickest way of setting, tracking, collecting, and providing feedback for homework?

The key word here is “quickest” – for there are many homework systems around that might well keep the overall homework process organised, but still demand the same amount of time and attention as before.

The most effective and quickest approach involves running an online homework calendar where you and your colleagues can enter homework details on the system, and your students (and their parents) can access the details at any time from any location.

What’s more, in running an online homework calendar with Show My Homework, relevant attachments and documents can be added for your students to download – so that they can have everything at their fingertips no matter where they are.

Instead of scribbling homework down in a diary, your students can log on to a website via any mobile device and view the homework, including the due dates for the assignments that their teachers have posted.

Over 140,000 teachers use it on a weekly basis to set, track, collect, and provide feedback for homework, meaning that Show My Homework has become the definitive product for homework management – helping teachers to save time and improve teaching and learning.

Show My Homework has also been made available to schools in Ireland and other English speaking countries across the world and is now used in over 1000 schools globally by more than 1.3 million students.

The founder of Show My Homework recently commented: “The idea is simple – As homework setting and completing so often eats into family time, we want to provide teachers with the right tools to ensure that it’s always worthwhile. Done the right way, homework has a huge impact on learning outcomes, but it’s not about the quantity, it’s about making it easier for teachers to focus on quality.”

For further information about how to track homework and save time, you can book your free Senior Leader school demo here.

Alternatively you can call us on 020 7197 9550 for more information or email louise@showmyhomework.co.uk

Languages

SPEND AN ACADEMIC YEAR IN SPAIN

Please pass this information to your Spanish students
SPEND AN ACADEMIC YEAR IN SPAIN

Do you study Spanish and want an experience which will set you above the rest? Are you resilient and motivated? Do you want to become fluent in Spanish? Do you want to learn about Spain from first-hand experience?

If you answered yes to one or more of the questions above then you need to navigate to www.academicyearabroad.co.uk to find out more about how you could secure yourself a place on an academic year in Spain. The course is available for all students of Spanish, whether you are still in secondary school or leaving school and wish to take a year to perfect your Spanish before embarking on your college education.

You would be placed with a friendly family in Spain and attend a local school, taking part in normal lessons with other pupils of your age. Your family and AYA will support you to develop your linguistic skills throughout the year and the experience of being immersed in the language and culture will mean that when you return home you will have a life-long skill. This experience will make you stand out from other students when it comes to applying for college and university and you will develop independence and resilience.

So what are you waiting for? We can’t wait to hear from you!

The AYA Team

Maths

GCSE Maths For Schools

“I used this program on two of my students and they boosted their results by one whole letter grade…”

Dear head of department,

This is what Miss Moult, head of maths at Chipping Sodbury School, said after she trialled my GCSE maths program:

“I used this program on two of my students and they boosted their results by one whole letter grade. I’ve now decided to roll-this-out to 12 of my resit students…”

My GCSE maths revision program is being used by dozens of schools across the UK and they’re reaping the benefits. To find out more about my revision program and how you can use it in your school, please visit my website: www.gcsemathsforschools.co.uk

Kind regards

Jeevan Singh

GCSE Maths For Schools

Behaviour / Motivation, Policies, PSHE

A handbook for preventing Radicalisation and Terrorism

Your students may well know what terrorists do,
but do they know why they do it?

Anyone with access to a media outlet will know that the UK has a fundamental problem with its teenagers and young adults becoming radicalised by the various terrorist groups acting against the ways of the western world.

So much has this radicalisation of our young become a problem in recent years that, as part of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act, schools must now implement anti-radicalisation measures to help prevent young people from being drawn into terrorism.

However, there is a problem with this, which John Horgan of Georgia State University and author of The Psychology of Terrorism expresses:

“At a time when teachers are expected to do their part in preventing and reporting radicalization in their communities, there are virtually no resources to help understand and teach the complexity of terrorism in a way that is objective, balanced and accessible.”

In response to this, Alison Jamieson and Jane Flint have produced a masterful handbook which provides teachers with the means to support their pupils in recognising, debating, and disrupting extremist narratives within the context of the classroom.

Radicalisation and Terrorism is a reliable and objective resource that covers issues of citizenship, human rights and respect, civil and political engagement, the nature of identity, and how we identify with others.

It examines different forms of violence from bullying to the most recent examples of 21st century terrorism and explores what terrorists do and why they do it; how to differentiate between the reasons, goals and methods of terrorists; why the media and terrorism are inextricably linked; what makes terrorism start and what factors bring terrorism to an end.

You can order the Radicalisation and Terrorism resource in any of these ways:

  • On our website
  • By phone on 01449 766629
  • By fax on 01449 768047
  • By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
  • Or By post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

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 768047

Homework, Ofsted

Pleasing Ofsted with homework

What is the simplest way of improving
the school’s Ofsted report?

If there is an issue that every Ofsted inspector is almost certain to look at in detail, it is homework.

This means they do not just check the homework set, but also how many children completed it, when it was marked, the engagement with parents, the way in which the marks given were used to direct further teaching…

As a result, a growing number of schools have decided to use homework as the key leverage point when focussing on raising their Ofsted report.

But of course, getting everyone to put in the maximum effort to complete their homework every time can be complex and difficult. And that is why our online program, Show My Homework, exists.

And indeed it is fair to say that a large number of schools have used Show My Homework as a prime mechanism for raising their Ofsted report to Outstanding.  This has been managed in two ways:

First, Show My Homework allows all colleagues to set and monitor homework quickly and effectively in a way that all children and parents can see.

Second, the service presents the record of all the homework set and gathers the marks and comments generated in one place.  This makes it easy for the inspector to see the homework set, the work done, the marks obtained, and the resultant analysis.

In both cases everyone (children, inspectors, you, your colleagues, and the parents) can see exactly what has been set. There are no more excuses for not knowing what the homework was.

Another reason that the program works so well is that the online system comes complete with a translation module ensuring that all homework is replicated in the students’ (and their parents’) own language.

Of course, we know that changing the way homework is set, recorded, and marked is a big decision.  So what most schools do is start with a totally free, without obligation, school demonstration or visit.

For more information please visit our website or if you would like to book in a free demo where you can benefit from Show My Homework free for KS1, please click here.

Alternatively you can email us at louise@showmyhomework.co.uk.

Languages

Watch MFL Lessons with OFSTED feedback

MFL LESSON OBSERVATION PACK
Mediamerge have released a pack of four professionally filmed modern foreign language lessons that might be of interest to you.

These professionally filmed lessons allow you to:

  • See other teachers in action
  • Understand what Ofsted are looking for
  • Deliver staff training

Lesson packs include:

  • Professionally filmed and edited lessons
  • Filmed teacher introduction and reflective feedback
  • Lesson plans
  • Written feedback and judgement based on Ofsted criteria
  • Evaluation forms and question prompts to use in INSET sessions

In a recent survey, over 90% of schools said that they would recommend Mediamerge observation training resources to colleagues.

This pack can be purchased from just £179

Lessons in this pack are:

Year 7 French
Topic: Using à accurately
In this lesson students learn to be able to use à accurately. The context of the lesson is talking about places in town. The lesson is made up of listening, speaking and reading activities. Finally, students assess each other’s learning using flash cards.

Year 7 Spanish
Topic: Activities and percentages
In this lesson students learn to say how often they do an activity, understand sentences about free time and produce sentences of their own.

Year 9 French
Topic: Names for body parts
In this lesson students revise the verb ‘avoir’ and learn parts of the body in order to say if they hurt. Behaviour in this lower ability group is carefully managed by the teacher and all students are encouraged to participate and work together. Finally pupils complete a match up exercise of newly learnt vocabulary.

Year 10 Spanish 
Topic: Talking about going on holiday
In this fast-paced lesson, students learn how to talk about going on holiday. This is the first lesson of a new unit of work. Vocabulary for questioning is being revisited using a combination of activities. Students will be able to say/write about where they normally go on holiday.

How to Order

Product information
MFL Observation Pack HH
DVD Version: £179 / Network Version: £279

Online: Order by requesting an invoice or credit card via our website

Fax/Email: Email info@mediamerge.co.uk or fax 01223 750706 with purchase orders

By post: Mediamerge Ltd, Orwell House, Cowley Road, Cambridge, CB4 0PP

Over the phone: Call us on 01223 750 705

If you have any questions please contact us.

Kind regards,

Andrej Dethlefsen
Director
Mediamerge Limited

p.s. Have a look at our news page for free articles and our latest resources.
Languages

Le Tour De France in Your school 2016

Enjoy   Listen   Speak    Learn
LE TOUR DE FRANCE
French Theatre in Your School in 2016.


Enjoy
Positive French for Year 7, 8 and 9 French students. A live French theatre performance in your school will encourage students to enjoy learning French. They will love the humour while watching the energetic and visual tale of the trials and tribulations of George and Chantalle on their quest for their dreams.

Listen
Listening becomes easy when the actions are linked to the words. Students can recognise similar words in the English language and French words they have been taught in the classroom. Repetition of keywords and actions results in a selection of mental triggers that help move the phrases from their short term into their long term memory.

Speak
When students are encouraged to interact with the characters in French, students can overcome their shyness, actively joining in with the performance and feeling more confident when returning to the classroom.

Learn
The performance GRABS the attention of the students’ minds so much that they are more willing to learn French and are amazed how cool French is (even the Year 9’s!).

This is achieved via the highly visual nature of the performance, involving mime, music and circus skills.

(Inspired by discussion and comments from two students, aged 10 and 15, in two different North Yorkshire schools , one year after a performance of Bon Voyage.)

For more information contact:
 education@flyingtheatre.com                www.flyingtheatre.com

The Flying Theatre Company,   The Old Vicarage ,  Ainthorpe, Whitby, North Yorkshire, YO21 2LB.  Tel:  01287 669156

 

Science, Sustainability

Get involved in Shell’s new schools competition and festival of innovation

The Bright Ideas Challenge

The answers to tomorrow’s energy challenges lie in your students’ ingenuity.

That’s why we’re launching an exciting new schools challenge that will see students aged 11-14 use their creativity to devise innovative solutions to the energy challenges faced by cities of the future.

With prizes for students and funded trips to the festival, one school will
be crowned national winner and will receive £5,000 to super-size its STEM lessons.

Register now to be the first to receive our curriculum-linked toolkit. It will help you support your class or STEM Club to push the limits and take on this challenge.

Teams will have until late April 2016 to submit their entries.

     Visit Make the Future

Join us with students aged 11-14 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, on Thursday 30 June or Friday 1 July 2016. It’ll be a great way to round off the summer term.

At the festival, you’ll take a journey into the future of energy. Students will have the opportunity to explore how people use and create energy in everyday life. They can take part in hands-on activities, interactive science shows, competitions and engaging careers experiences.

They’ll also be able to watch student teams from across Europe who’ve designed and built hyper-efficient vehicles. The teams will be competing in Shell Eco-marathon to see how far they can travel on one litre of fuel.

Please note that your school might be eligible for a travel bursary.

English, Special Needs

A lesson to learn from Einstein

 Why do some of your seemingly bright pupils perform below average in tests that require them to handwrite the answer?

The infamous Albert Einstein clearly excelled at school in Physics and Maths, yet it appears he did not do so well in many other subject areas, including History, Geography and Languages.

Although there are a number of suggested reasons for this, including the rigidity of the German education system in the 19th century, it has also been suggested by researchers that Einstein had dysgraphia – a disorder in written expression.

The examinations for the subjects in which Einstein did not excel would have required lengthy handwritten answers (just as some subjects do today), unlike with examinations in Maths and Physics. Causing Einstein somewhat of a problem.

Therefore, even if Einstein knew the answers to the questions in his examinations, it is unlikely that the examiner would have been able to decipher his illegible handwriting and as a result could not award him the marks.

To see if your pupils, who may have a similar story to Einstein, have dysgraphia, Dysgraphia Help offer an online dysgraphia test for pupils over the age of 8 for £32.

After completing the test and sending us a sample of the pupil’s handwriting, you will receive a detailed report on whether or not we believe the pupil to have dysgraphia.

If we do believe that dysgraphia is present, you will also receive some supporting information on dysgraphia and a number of activity materials for the pupil to work through.

You can find more information on testing for dysgraphia by visiting www.dysgraphiahelp.co.uk/testing-for-dysgraphia/. Alternatively you can email admin@dysgraphiahelp.co.uk.

Building, furniture, maintenance, energy etc, Drama

Inventiveness unleashed

Revealed: some of the amazing things that schools have done with modern flexible staging

When schools show us what they have done with the staging we have supplied, my colleagues and I are always totally stunned.

Of course we shouldn’t be – for we supplied the staging and know its potential; but the creativity and inventiveness that exists in schools never fails to astound us.

And that’s why we have put on our website some of these really impressive examples of how our staging has been put to use.

But, of course, we also know (because many Head Teachers have reminded us) that the flexibility of the staging is not the only consideration when choosing what to buy.  You also need to consider how you are going to store it when the hall or room is required for other uses.

Which is why we developed a stage system that can be compacted into such a tiny space that even Dr Who would be proud of the effect.

In fact in our latest designs we’ve now arranged matters so that a complete stage of up to 40m² can be stored in just 2m² of floor space.

Another issue to consider is whether you wish to be able to use the staging both inside and outside the school (be it for tiered seating for guests at sports day, the school fete, or any other event).  Not all staging is suitable for outdoor use – although many schools have never considered using staging outside prior to purchasing from us.

Then there’s the lifetime guarantee.  It is hard to imagine what might go wrong with staging, but if it does go wrong, the guarantee is there.

I do hope you will visit our website and take a look at what other schools have done with our staging. Just click on any of the pictures to enlarge it.  Click on the arrow at the end of the pictures, and you’ll see more. And more.

There’s still time to order staging for your Christmas play and events – don’t hit the panic button just yet! A free, no obligation, professional demonstration is readily available, and we’ll show you how to maximise the space in your school hall.

If you would like to know more please do email me at sales@seatingandstaging.co.uk or call me on 01302 741888.

Tim Gilson

ICT, Safety and Security, Universities

Improving the safety and security of your university’s devices

What is the most effective way of improving the safety and security of the laptops, Chromebooks, iPads,
or tablets in your university?

An increasing number of ICT Technicians are finding that by using a plastic charging trolley to house their university’s laptops, Chromebooks, iPads, or tablets, they are better able to guarantee that they are safe and secure.

The ABS charging trolley supplied by NUWCO has a secure locking system, making it difficult for anyone to access it to steal the devices stored inside.

Therefore the difficulty of breaking into the trolley, or even attempting to steal the trolley itself, is a strong deterrent for any potential thief.

In terms of safety, the trolley’s plastic shell (which is, of course, non-conductive) will ensure that electrical faults are isolated at once, so reducing the risk of a student or colleague coming to any harm.

And the plastic construction means that the trolley is 70% lighter than a traditional metal charging trolley, making it much easier to move around and less likely to cause any injury when it is being wheeled from one location to another.

Furthermore, it is also better for the environment as the built-in Power Management system features an energy-saving timer module which will help to reduce your university’s carbon footprint.

Not to mention that the trolley is 100% recyclable.

To review all the details and see the pictures please visit our site at www.nuwco.com

Just choose the device that you think is right for your university, click on that trolley, and you will be able to see a full description, including the dimensions. You will also be able to download the product specification and device compatibility sheet – in fact, everything you need to know.

But if you do have any questions, please do call 01628 666 775 or email me at sales@nuwco.com  

Ashley Hutton

Building, furniture, maintenance, energy etc, Efficiency, ICT, Procurement, Sustainability

Schools are saving money by using eco-friendly technology

Eco-friendly technology that will reduce your school’s carbon footprint and running costs.

The attitude that “for something to be eco-friendly it must be expensive” has become somewhat out-dated – particularly when we consider the advances in eco-friendly technologies over the last decade or so.

In fact, in the modern world eco-friendly technologies are typically much more cost-effective. And eco-friendly charging trolleys for the laptops, Chromebooks, iPads or tablets in your school are no exception to this.

The Power Management system, which is built in to the ABS charging trolleys supplied by NUWCO, features an energy-saving timer module which will help to reduce both your school’s carbon footprint and your school’s running costs.

And to further save your school money, the timer can be set to charge your school’s devices at the time when electricity is at its cheapest, including in the evenings and at the weekends.

What’s more, in the event of a computer or the mains having an electrical fault, the Power Management System and the charging trolley’s plastic shell will ensure that the fault is isolated at once.

Our plastic charging trolley, which is 100% recyclable, also has the added benefit of it being 70% lighter than a traditional metal charging trolley which will of course make the process of moving the trolley around much easier.

To review all the details and see the pictures please visit our site at www.nuwco.com.

Just choose the device that you think is right for you, click on that trolley, and you will be able to see a full description, including the dimensions. You will also be able to download the product specification and device compatibility sheet – in fact, everything you need to know.

If you have any questions please do call 01628 666 775 or email me at sales@nuwco.com

Ashley Hutton

Languages, Travel

Easier Student Trips to Germany

Exclusively prepared for teachers who organize
student trips to Germany

Dear Teacher,

For easier 2015 and 2015 Student Trips to Germany’s Rhineland:
Your partner Go2City – DJH’s all-in-one travel agency!

The incoming agency partner you’ve been looking for!  We help you with all aspects of your stay, so that you don’t have to spend your time and money planning the best travel for your students. Our in-house meeting planning agency creates the best itineraries at no cost and helps you book tours and tickets, often at huge discounts.  You safe money and time.

We own the accommodation and the in-house agency.  No middle men, no extra fees, no miscommunications or wasted time.  Just tell us what your group wants to do, and we’ll put the whole package together!

What do you want your students to experience in Germany?

  • Music? – We know the right festivals, concerts and local choirs and music groups for your performance
  • Performances? – We find local theaters, rehearsal spaces, audiences and stage time.
  • Sports? – We connect you to local teams, competitions, and stadiums
  • Education? – We have loads of contacts at local schools, universities, and programs.
  • Other programs also available, including drama, languages, etc.

Choose your customized itineraries and activity modules

  • Museum and theater visits
  • Sports and tournaments
  • Specialized city tours and looks behind the scenes
  • Excursions beyond city limits
  • Transfers and coach trips (free coach parking at our hostels!)
  • Local contacts for activity-centered trips (sports, theater, music, education)
  • And much more

Packages also available:

  • 3-day programs starting at 79 € per person
  • 5-day programs starting at 161 € per person

For more information, visit: www.go2city.travel

Free Unlimited Overnight Stays for 2 Chaperones with any Student Group Bookings!

Teachers and chaperones stay free with a group of 10 students or more, no matter how long the stay.  Ask us for details!

Budget accommodations – high quality hotel alternatives for student groups

You’ve heard amazing things about modern hostels in Germany. They are true at DJH City-Hostels in Bonn, Cologne, and Düsseldorf.  You get amazing 3-star hotel-quality accommodations in Germany at hostel prices, and they are perfect for student groups.  Our hostels are still among the best kept secrets of the budget-conscious traveler, but more and more foreign groups are catching on to the amazing value and quality:

  • Some of the best hostels in the world.  3-star hotel level at hostel prices!
  • Pristine, modern single & multi-bed rooms, all with private baths
  • Amazing rates: starting at € 22.90 per night per person, including breakfast, lunch or dinner, and all taxes

Who we are:

DJH GO2City is the new in-house travel agency by non-profit DJH (German Youth Hostel Association).   Operating 6 hostels in 4 cities in Germany’s Rhine Ruhr Region, DJH GO2CITY also plans and executes customised itineraries and programmes for groups and individuals.

Here a list of all our hostels:

City-Hostel Bonn
City Hostel Cologne-Deutz
City-Hostel Cologne-Riehl
City-Hostel Duisburg Sportpark
City-Hostel Duisburg Landschaftspark
City-Hostel Düsseldorf

Additional Ideas for Rhineland Trips:

Discover Duisburg

This city of almost 500,000 is one of Germany’s largest university towns, has the largest inland harbor, and is an important city for commerce, steel production, architecture, history, and culture.   Only about 20 miles from Düsseldorf Airport, Duisburg is the perfect city to include in a Rhineland itinerary filled with the region’s exotic and unique attractions. 

Stay at these two DJH City Hostels in Duisburg:
DJH Hostel Sportpark

An amazing hostel – brand-new, and with a look and a list of features that equal many top sports hotels:

  • In-house sports center, gym and sauna
  • Ball field on-premises
  • 2 volley ball fields
  • 7 conference rooms
  • All rooms with private bath

The hostel is located right in the enormous Sportpark Duisburg, one of Germany’s largest and most modern sports parks, with over 500 acres of land and 150 acres of water facilities. It supports 40 different sports and is home to 30 local clubs and teams.  Perfect for your sports-related trips!  Find information and pictures at:  http://www.duisburg.de/fa/sportpark/.

DJH Hostel Landschaftspark

The hostel is named after the Landscape Park Duisburg, a public park built in 1991 on a former industrial site and a stunning example of how the industrial past of a region can be healed by transforming industrial elements into objects of beauty and recreation.  Our modern hostel is right in the park, and it’s the perfect location for your Rhineland adventure.

Bonn & Cologne Christmas Market

A Magical Germany Christmas Experience for Your Groups

A visit to the enchanting Christmas markets in Cologne and Bonn is a spectacular occasion for all ages.  Each city’s market is unique, and Cologne’s has seven different markets all over the city waiting to be discovered by your student and group travelers.   Stay at our hostels in Bonn and/or Cologne.  Optional: additional activities, e.g. a trip to the Odysseum Adventure Museum in Cologne, the Cologne Cathedral, the Chocolate Museum, and much more – for a fascinating itinerary.

Rates: starting at € 22.90 per night per person, including breakfast, lunch or dinner, and all taxes.

Contact us for a free proposal for rooms and activities!

For more information, contact Rainer Perry – Marketing & Sales Manager North America, UK & Ireland; email:  rainer@go2city.travel

Full contact info below

Christmas Markets are just one of many reasons for a school trip to Germany.  Germany is becoming a trendier and more popular travel destination all the time, especially for student groups from the UK.   You know why:  whether by train, coach, car or plane, Germany is an easy reach from most places in the UK, often in just a few hours.  The country offers great values in accommodations, restaurants, and many other attractions – and the options keep growing from year to year. 

We at DJH GO2CITY want to help you get the latest about traveling to one of Germany’s most fascinating – and most accessible – areas: the Rhine Ruhr Region. 

For more information about DJH, to request a customised proposal or to book your group reservations, please contact:

Rainer Perry – Marketing & Sales Manager North America, UK & Ireland
DJH Go2City
934 8th Avenue 2b; New York, NY 10019; USA
phone: +1 646 207 6406
email: rainer@go2city.travel
www.go2city.travel
www.city-hostel.de
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djhgo2city

click here for our online ebooks:

DJH City-Hostels in Cologne & Düsseldorf

New in-house agency Go2City

Maths

Making Maths Magical

What is the one classroom activity that will enhance your pupils’ confidence in, and enjoyment of maths more than any other?

There are only a limited number of activities around that are designed specifically to increase children’s enjoyment of maths.  And yet the more children do see maths as an enjoyable subject the more confidence they will have in the subject – and the more rapidly their studies will progress.

Which is why we created Magical Maths.

Magical Maths is a school based workshop aimed at either KS1 or KS2 students.  It is taught on a class-by-class basis with up to five classes being taught during the course of the day, with each class session lasting 45 minutes to an hour.

The sessions are based around the notion of magic, and indeed the practitioner who leads the sessions is a member of the Magic Circle.  Children practice and perform the magic tricks that are taught during the workshop – magic which is all based on National Curriculum maths.

As a result the children gain new mathematical insights and revel in their new-found positive relationship with mathematics.

To enquire about a possible booking please call me on 07870 215675 or email Jasmine@Jasminesmagicparties.co.uk with the words MAGIC MATHS in the subject line.

 

Careers, PSHE, Sixth form

FAO the Head of Sixth Form

Exams, relationships, driving tests, independence, money … It’s just the Tip of the Iceberg.

Are our 16-18 year olds being left out when it comes to supporting
their mental health and well being in school?
The national curriculum does not cover key stage 5 and there are no suggested PSHE guidelines, so this could mean that finding a budget or a gap in the timetable for such provision is near on impossible.  Also this situation means that there are few organisations out there offering projects for the complex needs of 16–18 year olds.

The PSHE Association’s Subject Advisor Nick Boddington says:

“I guess the bottom line is that PSHE education in Key stage 5 is your last chance to provide that learning that everyone needs but lies outside of the academic curriculum.  Not a bad way of planning is to look back on all the PSHE work you have done in years 7-11 and ask yourself by the time they walk out of our school gates for the last time what more do we need to provided or reinforce to ensure that they have the knowledge understanding, feelings about themselves and others, are able to say and do, and understand their responsibilities to lead productive, independent, fulfilling and safe lives?”

The topics that are relevant and important to key stage 5 pupils can also be difficult to address within school and especially in the classroom. There are endless projects on career opportunities, university and finance, but it’s much harder to find sessions exploring more personal topics like sexuality, pornography and relationships, or effective delivery at that age on risky behaviours and health – yet according to research done with older students, this is what they are asking for.  According to Ofsted research, when asked what would make PSHE education lessons more useful, pupils said;

 ‘Rape culture. What to look for in a healthy relationship.’ Female student

“The influence of the media such as porn on people’s views of sex and the human body.” Male student

It is the combination of need and lack of provision that inspired Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company to develop two projects specifically aimed at the 16+ age group that tackle difficult topics in an involving, entertaining and informing way.

Having worked directly with over 100,000 young people Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company strongly believe, from their experience working with sensitive and hard hitting issues, that the way to approach PSHE education should include a much broader look at our world – the internet, technology, the whole sex industry, and attitudes to risk – you cannot separate topics into small boxes or educate on these complex subjects in a 20 minute PowerPoint presentation. It is now more important than ever to create relationship, sex, internet and safety education projects that can be as compelling, as exciting and as influential as the media campaigns and products it is battling against.

“If you’re too ashamed to speak to children about sex, exploitative free porn will fill the gaps” Grace Dent, The Independent, Sept 8th 2015

From september 2015 Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company will be touring the following projects for years 12 & 13.

“Sexposed Britain” A 30 minute performance followed by an interactive workshop.

Based on our imaginary fly-on-the wall documentary “Beyond the Surface” the play is made up of clips from the programme, the reactions of different people watching it, as well as parodies of other T.V shows and adverts.  The format allows students to consider many aspects of a topic in a quick, recognisable and engaging format.  The play shows a vast range of people in varying situations, from university students to grandparents, the pub to the school playground, the ideas of the young to doctors and psychologists.

The “Sexposed Britain” episode takes a mature approach to the many attitudes, ideas and pressures experienced by all ages in regards to sex and relationships in Britain today.  The storylines include scenes around teenage pregnancy, sexual pressure, sexting, pornography, communicating feelings, self-esteem and self respect, marriage and sexuality.

In our workshops we use our performances as a springboard for pupils to examine their own attitudes, ideas and behaviours in relation to difficult, contentious and sensitive topics. We strive for students to learn something about themselves that will make a positive difference to the rest of their lives.

“What’s driving you?”An interactive project with performed scenes that explore personality types and road safety.   

The format and content of the workshop utilise corporate training techniques and aspects of personality assessment used in the world of management and staff development, which are then combined with live performances, videos and debates.

This experience has been designed to empower students to be successful, healthy achievers and as they are asked to examine their ideas, attitudes and concepts of self, the project can influence many areas of their life – and not just the journey in a car.  The workshop explores:

–          Confidence
–          Communication styles
–          Attitudes to risk
–          Decision making.

There are different delivery formats available from assemblies to full day projects.
Prices start at £550 + VAT

Please contact us for further information and an exact quote.

Hazel Ward
Schools and Performances

Email: admin@tipoftheiceberg.biz
Tel: 07519593711

Geography

Geography Starters

As we all know, the first five minutes of any lesson tends to determine how the rest of the lesson will go.  If the lesson gets going on the wrong track, it is generally very hard to pull it back.

Therefore what we aim to do is engage the pupils and students as soon as they enter the room, preventing instances of boredom that can lead to poor behaviour, while at the same time setting the tone for the rest of the lesson. The pupils have engaged in work right from the start.

Geography Starters is a set of starter activities – crosswords, puzzles, wordsearches – which aim to get each lesson going in a manner which is interesting and invigorating for the students while at the same time setting the scene for serious study.

The volume contains some 40 activities in two groups – mental starters and worksheet starters (which can be copied and handed out to each student).

The mental starters include anagrams, what if? questions, odd one out, etc.  The photocopiable worksheets focus on specific areas of geography such as tectonics, oceans and seas, coasts, development, guess the country, natural hazards, the weather, population, and so on.

The volume, of course, comes with a complete set of answers, so that you can check answers in a full-class session or hand out the answers to the students at the end of the lesson

You can see a full list of the topics and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/geography/T1717.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1717EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 722 7

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… please quote the order ref: T1717EMN

 

English

English Literature Summer School 2016 – Booking Now Open

A wonderful opportunity for students with a passion for literature to discover a range of new authors and texts, explore fresh approaches to familiar works and to prepare for undergraduate study of English Literature.

The English Summer School – Part 1 will cover literature dating from 650AD to 1790AD, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, The Renaissance, Shakespeare, Restoration Literature and the Rise of the Novel. In addition we will also be covering Historicist and Feminist critical approaches as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 1 will be held on 25th – 29th July 2016.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will cover literature dating from 1790AD to the present day, including Romanticism and the Gothic Movement, Victorian Sensation Novels, Literature and the British Empire, Modernism, Postmoderism and Contemporary Literature. We will be covering the ‘Death of the Author’ and Postcolonial criticism as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will be held on 1st – 5th August 2016.

The English Summer School – Part 3 is new for summer 2016, and will cover Contemporary English Literature, including prose fiction, poetry and drama. We will be covering Psychoanalytic criticism and ‘Theories of the Canon’ as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 3 will be held on 22nd – 26th August 2016.

Please note that students can attend all Parts of the Summer School, or just one or two, depending on their literary interests. Although the courses complement one another, they can also be treated as stand alone events and there is no requirement to have attended Part 1 in order to register for other Parts.

Thematic coverage by period, combining close study of texts with lectures on historical and cultural context, and setting major authors side-by-side with less familiar works, will help students to appreciate the development of prose, verse and drama in English from the middle ages to the present day. We will not only engage in close textual analysis of Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, Nineteenth Century, Modernist and Contemporary writers, but also evaluate these movements in light of the authors’ own critical writing.

As well as looking at the purely written word, we will also cover literature in performance, comparing playscripts to film adaptations and reading through sections of the works using different performance theories. As an integral part of Part 1 of the Summer School we will attend a performance at the Globe Theatre on the Southbank. Literary theory and criticism will play an important role in the Summer School and students will be invited to examine texts they have studied in the light of competing theories of the nature and value of literature and the role of the critic.

This Summer School is suitable for all students aged 15-18 with a passion for literature, and will be particularly useful for those looking for a taste of undergraduate level engagement with texts and theory.

Practical Details:

The cost of booking any single Part of the English Literature Summer School £465, the cost of any two Parts is £850, and the cost for all three Parts of the Summer School is £1200. The Summer School will be held at a University of London venue in Bloomsbury (please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required).

There will be a limited number of bursary spaces available for those who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

To book a place please visit http://www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/english-summer-school/ call us on 0845 519 4827, or email info@debatechamber.com. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

 

Special Needs

ADHD – the debate rages on

In 20 years ADHD has moved from an American myth to a recognised issue but the debate still rages as to what to do.

According to the Care Quality Commission last year, there has been a 50% rise in England in the use of drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in six years. The watchdog warned health workers to “carefully monitor” their use as they have the potential to be “abused”.

As the consultant psychiatrist Professor Tim Kendall, said, “I think it’s a real trend. I think it’s too big to be ignored.”

Tim Kendall is certainly someone whose comments are worth considering since he compiled the national guidelines on treating ADHD, and he was one of the first people who pointed out that that there are real dangers to people who take ADHD drugs over a long period.

As he said, “I think there’s also increasing evidence that it precipitates self-harming behaviour in children and in the long term we have absolutely no evidence that the use of of Ritalin reduces the long-term problems associated with ADHD.”

Helping ADHD pupils and students through school is a volume that sets out in great detail exactly how ADHD students can be helped and supported in their day to day activities within the school without the use of drugs.

A fundamental view of the book is that the best approach for any ADHD child is one in which the parents and school can work together with a common purpose to help the young person – and with this in mind there is a substantial section of material at the end of the book that can be copied and passed on to parents.

This parental section contains both explanations and practical approaches to dealing with the ADHD child at home.

Of course, we all recognise that not every ADHD child’s parents will be able to work in the organised and controlled manner that will help ADHD students, and therefore we work within the school-based sections from the basis that although parental support is ideal it doesn’t always happen.

The book looks at individual behaviour, plus issues such as rewards, punishments, handling special days when behaviour may be exacerbated, overcoming impulsiveness, homework, where ADHD people can succeed and do well, ADHD and responsibility, and sport, the arts and other activities.

Helping ADHD pupils and students through school by Tony Attwood is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom which can itself be copied or loaded onto the school’s learning platform or intranet.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 855 2 Order code: T1789emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/attentiondeficit/T1789.pdf

  • 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…

History

20th Century European History

This pack is specifically aimed at EAL/SEN students who are studying history at Key Stage 3 as it allows the teacher to provide differentiated work in a self-contained worksheet containing clear and concise step by step instructions. The worksheets are both accessible and challenging, but also designed to provide a secure basis of knowledge of the subject matter with definitions of subject specific key words.

The time period begins in 1914 with the origins of World War One, and goes on to cover all aspects of WWI and its aftermath. It continues with the inter-war years including the Russian Revolution and the rise of the dictators and concludes with all aspects of WWII including technology, the home front and the holocaust. The drawings, photos, diagrams and cartoons illustrate a variety of key points in a visually exciting and imaginative way providing a wealth of information on the period for students with a limited knowledge of the English language.

The activities range from tried and tested techniques which include closed exercises, heads & tails matching, sentence starters, newspaper templates, flow diagrams, drawing and labelling. There are also novel ways for lower ability students to search and synthesise information such as highlighted reading for meaning exercises.

Decades of mixed ability teaching in inner city schools and a keen understanding of pedagogy have shaped the design of this flexible resource which is devised to make the day to day teaching easier by being simple to photocopy, modify and deploy.

51 Photocopiable Masters on CD – Price: £34.99 (£41.99 incl VAT)

Once purchased, the CD can be freely copied and networked throughout the school!

To see sample pages please email info@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order code H7161.

You can order the 20th Century European History EAL CD-ROM in any of these ways: 

  • On our website
  • By phone on 0117 940 6409
  • By fax on 0117 940 6408
  • By email (quoting a school order number) to info@classroom-resources.co.uk
  • By post to: Classroom Resources, 9 Logan Road, Bristol, BS7 8DU

Classroom Resources Ltd
9 Logan Road,
Bristol,
BS7 8DU

www.classroom-resources.co.uk
info@classroom-resources.co.uk
Tel: 0117 940 6409

Primary

Films for primary school teachers

Selected from the catalogue of films under the Concord umbrella here are some interesting and thought provoking films aimed at those involved in teaching or leading schools with primary aged children.

Valentines Day
DVD  5 Minutes

For teachers working with challenging children.

Six year old Jason is kicking, screaming and biting his way through school. Mr Valentine, his new class teacher, can’t cope at all, but one day Jason paints a picture that begins to reveal secrets that show a different side to this ‘wild child’. This resource pack is for use in training teachers and other professionals working with primary school children. It was created through drama workshops with hundreds of children and young people. It is designed to provoke debate among professionals about how to work most effectively with challenging children who may be at risk, using fictional characters.

£37.50 plus postage

Bellybuttons are Navels
DVD 12 Minutes

A simple and natural introduction to sex education for very young children.

A woman is reading at bedtime to her grandchildren, Jonathan and Megan, from a book which shows parts of the human body. As she turns the pages, she asks the two little children to identify the parts of the body……. A simple and natural introduction to sex education for very young children. USA.   

£25.00 plus postage

Constructing the Future
DVD 45 Minutes

This film studies the use of constructional toys in a primary school in East Sussex, where they are used for fostering visual-spatial experience, language development, social and personal development and play opportunities, early maths and design skills and the exploration of social issues. In this school there is a very positive equal opportunities policy, whereby the girls are encouraged in this learning as much as the boys, with rewarding results. 

£37.50 plus postage

Don’t stop at the door
DVD  27 Minutes

Parental involvement in an infants’ school.

Looks at parental involvement in one infants’ school in the Newcastle area. It highlights the underlying principles and practice which have to be considered in the process of parent-teacher collaboration in any school. 

£25.00 plus postage

In the light of Tradition
DVD  34 Minutes

This film portrays the successes and problems of an innovative community primary school in its first year. The content is a reflection of the time and commitment of a wide range of people, not least the staff, pupils and community of the school. 

Made in 1986 this film reflects the cultural attitudes and language of the time it was made. The issues raised however are timeless. 

£25.00 plus postage

Language Development
DVD 1983 20 Minutes

The study of language acquisition.

Based on studies of language acquisition, this film notes that children world wide progress through the same sequence of language stages at about the same rate. Through animation, we see how an infant proceeds in the first few months from crying through cooing, early babbling. Dr Merilee Oakes of USC describes over-generalization, resulting from a child’s novel creation of her or his own primitive grammar and finally, filmed sequences show Dr Premack’s laboratory of UCSB where chimpanzees use plastic word symbols to perform such basic language functions as word identification and answering questions. USA. 

This film is of historical interest and reflects the cultural attitudes of the country in which it was made. But the issues raised are timeless.

£25.00 plus postage

Audience  = Nursery and Primary School Teachers 

Rainbow Days
DVD  20 Minutes

A colourful multicultural festival in a London school

Nine schools in Thamesmead take part in a colourful multicultural festival. The Thamesmead Race Equality Forum was set up after racist murders of two black teenagers, and the aim is to do something constructive to overcome fear, and to celebrate the diversity of different cultures. Professional people work alongside the children and community groups in workshops and performances. Although made some years ago, the issues are still relevant today. 1997.
This programme can be rented on our Video on Demand system for £1.00. For this you can view as often as you like within a 48 hour period of your own choosing.

£24.40 plus postage

You can easily order by going to our website www.concordmedia.org.uk or you can order by e-mailing us at sales@concordmedia.org.uk Please put

Maths, Numeracy, Special Needs

Teaching maths to pupils with dyslexia

What is the most surprising finding from research in teaching maths to pupils who have dyslexia?

“Maths and Dyslexia”, first published in 1998, is probably the most ground-breaking maths volume ever produced.

It is ground-breaking because it faced up to the biggest mathematical conundrums of all time.

It has long been known that the most effective way of helping pupils who are poor at maths is through a multi-sensory method of teaching. 

But research has also revealed that self-esteem enhancement programmes will often raise maths achievement more than remedial maths teaching.

In its introductory pages “Maths and Dyslexia” asks how this can be the case and, for the first time ever, not only provides an answer, but also provides a way of combining the teaching of maths through multi-sensory means and a way of raising maths ability through enhancing self-esteem.

Indeed, it is not too much of an exaggeration to say that the opening six page section of “Maths and Dyslexia”, which reviews the research relating to maths teaching and self-esteem, is one of the most important reviews of remedial maths teaching written.

After this the volume offers a wide range of information on methods of teaching maths, methods of learning maths, and associated study skills.

It then goes on to provide a wide array of placement and progress tests and worksheets for pupils who experience difficulties with the four basic functions of maths, plus decimals, fractions and percentages.

There are also sections on motivation, memory, and ways of working with parents.

This publication also comes with 400 blank cards in various colours to be used with the activities given.

The resource is available as a set of copiable pages so that the pages which detail the research findings can be shared with colleagues and the worksheets can be copied and given to pupils.

The price, including full copying rights for use within the school, is £29.99.

You can find more information on our website.

You can order Maths and Dyslexia in any of these ways:

  • On our website
  • By phone on 01536 399017
  • By fax to 01536 399012
  • By email to msl@schools.co.uk  
  • By post to Multi-Sensory Learning, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, NN17 4HH

Music

A different world – The Cuckoo Rock Songbook

David Stoll  (SEALSONGS, DICK OTTINGTON) has a new song collection for Primary Schools available for download from First & Best. The package also contains a specially written story script for a narrator which weaves all the songs together.

Thus THE CUCKOO ROCK SONGBOOK can be used as a basis for individual songs to be sung in assembly or simply within the class, or it can be a complete production for presentation to parents and the rest of the school – without any need for complex staging, special lighting or any other effects that may or may not be available.

The collection includes twelve settings of poems by Phil Bowen. These magical poems are full of unusual characters, colourful scenes and surprising wordplay; the original book was short-listed for the CLPE prize.

The music has echoes of 60’s rock as well as various contemporary styles. The SONGBOOK includes both printed piano accompaniment and pre-recorded full backing tracks with permissions for use.

You can see an extract from the songbook here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/CUCKOOROCKsample.pdf and you can hear the backing track here http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/01 cuckoo rock.mp3

A copy of the complete collection of songs and the narrator’s script is available as a download from http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=820

The price is £16.95 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

THE CUCKOO ROCK SONGBOOK is distributed 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
NN17 4HH

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