“Came by Ship” Photographic and Essay Competitions:

Encourage your pupils to enter for their chance to win an Apple iPad,
Kindle, camera or
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom software

Two fun, exciting and free easy-to-enter competitions which aim to expand pupil’s knowledge of shipping and inspire them to think about career opportunities within the maritime sector.

The Photographic and Essay competitions provide a great opportunity for pupils to use a combination of their creativity and STEM skills, as well as their knowledge of Geography, History and English to create a unique story or photograph that encapsulates what ‘Came by SHIP’ means to them.

For the Essay Competition pupils are required to write about anything with a connection to ships or ports, perhaps relating to the movement of ‘goods’ or the story of something that has been shipped.

Essays from pupils aged 11 and under should be 250 words in length, and essays from pupils aged between 12 and 18 should be 500 words in length.

The Photographic Competition requires pupils to take a photo with a smartphone or camera to capture something that encapsulates ‘Came by Ship’. Again, there are two entry groups for this competition – pupils aged 11 and under and pupils aged between 12 and 18.

Both competitions are now officially open for entries and will close on 30 June 2016, with a formal award of prizes later on in the year.

You can find teacher notes and more information about the competitions for pupils aged 11 and under by clicking here. And for teacher notes and information about the competitions for pupils aged between 12 and 18, click here.

Seavision has also compiled a number of facts about shipping and other teaching material which can provide a great introduction to the topic, such as “Did you know a container ship travels the equivalent of three-quarters of the way to the moon and back in one year during its regular travel across the oceans.” and “Around 20 million containers are on the move at any one time.” Seavision also offers free educational short courses where pupils can sign up to learn about seafarers, amazing containers and naval dispatches. See here – http://www.seavision.org.uk/voyages/engineering

Please do pass this email onto your colleagues if you think they might be interested and you can find more information about how to enter your pupils into the “Came by Ship” photographic and essay competitions at http://www.seavision.org.uk/competitions/

Exceptional Primary Resources for Playtimes

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Play Therapy United Kingdom

Play and Creative Arts Therapies (APAC) – a complete information resource for therapeutic play, play therapy, filial play and creative arts therapies for anyone interested in helping children with emotional literacy, behaviour or mental health problems.

Email: ptukorg@aol.com
Telephone:
01825 761143
Postal address:
Play Therapy UK, The Coach House, Belmont Road, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1BP

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KIBLO

Coloured Building Blocks – Kiblo’s unique building choices stimulate logical and deductive thinking. Building skills are developed and then natural creativity released.

Email: sales@kiblo.com
Telephone:
01792 863331
Postal address:
NDA (Packaging Services) Ltd, P.O. Box 516, Swansea, SA8 3YN.

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MSL

Active Learning Place Mats – use a simple, self-checking method of learning and reinforcing Early Learning letter skills. They aim to speed up an automatic response to letter recognition, alphabetical order and rhyming patterns.

Email: msl@schools.co.uk
Telephone:
01536 399017
Postal address:
Multi-Sensory Learning, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, NN17 4HH.

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First and Best in Education

PSHE in the Playground – includes 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.

Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk
Telephone:
01536 399007
Postal address:
Hamilton House Mailings Ltd, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH

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You can find more Exceptional Teaching resources at exceptionalteaching.org.uk.

How can your school adopt a positive health and safety culture when there is a lack of time and resources to do so?

In accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999, all schools must recognise their responsibility for providing and maintaining safe and healthy conditions for pupils, personnel, and visitors – and so they do.

But this doesn’t mean that all schools have adopted a positive health and safety culture (which is fundamental to effective health and safety management).

Why? Because a positive health and safety culture requires constant attention, which also requires time that you and your colleagues are unlikely to have to spare. Which is why we’ve developed School Health and Safety (www.schoolhealthandsafety.co.uk).

School Health and Safety is a website providing practical, time-saving guidance and support materials covering: risk assessments, job descriptions, questionnaires, maintenance records, report forms and health and safety legislation, training, audits, inspections, checklists, action plans and development plans.

If you would like to see some of our guidance and support materials, just click here and you’ll be able to download a total of eight documents completely free of charge.

To subscribe to School Health and Safety, please do visit our sign up page: School Health and Safety Subscription

What’s more, if you sign up for a year’s subscription to School Health and Safety by the 31st May 2016 and enter the code healthsafety0516 at sign up, you will qualify for a massive discount of £45 on your yearly subscription fee.

For more information about School Health and Safety, you can either visit our website, call us on 01600 891506, or send an email to sales@schoolhealthandsafety.co.uk

What is the best way to take students from a predicted lower grade up to the achievement of an A* at GCSE?

As with the French version of this book the author has analysed the writing and the speaking criteria of various exam boards and has come up with a simple and clear summary of these criteria written in a student friendly language. These criteria have been divided into four sections; each section corresponding to a GCSE level while at the end of the booklet students can find a very useful list of recommended idioms and high level expressions.

Additionally the booklet includes the conjugation of the 50 most used Spanish verbs, including the modal verbs, into different tenses.

This is followed by different language structures which the students can use to develop their writing.

The use of this booklet is proven to improve students’ levels not only in writing and speaking, but also in listening and reading.

How to get A* in Spanish? is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues and your students as often as you want.

There are sample pages from the book at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1834samples.pdf and you can order it at  http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=814

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

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

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

Are you paying too much for your Postura Plus chairs …… ?

I recently saw an “e flyer” from a large and well established company who were advertising Postura Plus chairs in a summer term promotion …. (we’ll call them company A)

I noticed that far from seeming to be “promotional prices” they were higher than the normal prices charged by another, well-established company but one which probably doesn’t have such a high profile. (we’ll call them company B)

Yes, that’s right.  Same manufacturer, same chairs, same sizes, same colours, same quantities…… but significant differences in price.

Let me give you a couple of examples……(quantity of 30 chairs in both cases)

The 430mm and 460mm seat height Postura Plus chairs were listed in the “summer term promotion” from company A at £19.99 and £21.49 respectively (ex vat).

Exactly the same chairs were available for just £16.59 and £17.41 (ex vat) from company B.

Yes ……. same manufacturer, same chairs, same sizes, same colours, same quantities but a price difference of more than £3 and £4 per chair  (ex vat).

Let’s suppose that your school or college is planning a refit or refurbishment and has decided to replace its old classroom chairs.  Even if you need only 700 new Postura Plus chairs at 430mm seat height you could be paying £2,380 (ex vat) extra for the very same chairs.

Now I appreciate that both firms probably offer quantity discounts but it seems reasonable to assume that there will still be big savings to be made by ordering from the company in the example above, which offers the same chairs but at much lower prices.

If you’d like more information about Postura Plus chairs from company B then take a look at their website:
www.centraleducational.co.uk/classroom-postura%20plus.html

Central Educational Supplies Ltd can be contacted on: tel: 020 7515 1797 or email: info@centraleducational.co.uk  or fax:  020 7515 4420

PS.   If you need additional information or would like to discuss a possible order please ask for Martin Evans who will be pleased to assist.

One of my best friends is a teacher………….

I’ve known Ed since about 1976. Over the years, and in several inner city locations, he’s been a head of dep’t, head of year and head of sixth form.  Vastly experienced and with a bit of a reputation as a “hard man” when it comes to classroom discipline.

Every now and then he moans about the number of students who turn up for his lessons without a pen, pencil, ruler, rubber etc. He reckons it can waste up to ten minutes of teaching time while they try to borrow what they need for the lesson.

So what can be done to reduce the  wasted time and disruption caused by pupils who turn up to lessons without the proper equipment?

One helpful product which can make life easier for students and teachers alike is the “Student Essentials set.”

Consisting of three quality black ink pens, two full length HB pencils, a metal sharpener, eraser and a 15 cm ruler, all packed in a clear plastic “exam friendly” zip-up wallet, from just 75p ex vat.  They are ideal to give or maybe sell to students at the start of a school day or at the start of lessons.

The “Student Essentials set” can be a means of ensuring that lessons will be less of a hassle and more productive in the future than they may have been in the past.

The “Student Essentials set” can be obtained from Signpost Educational Ltd., (signpost@talk21.com) PO Box 999, London, E14 6SH or visit their website (www.signposteducational.co.uk)

PS. If you’d like more information please call 020 7515 1797 and ask to speak to Martin Evans who will be pleased to help.

PPS. If you need the “Student Essentials set” in a hurry, just specify 24 or 48 hour delivery.

How can you ensure that the vocabulary of some topics isn’t forgotten as quickly as it has been learned?

There’s a general consensus that the most effective way of teaching French vocabulary is to approach it one topic at a time – so that once the vocabulary of one topic is learnt, it can be used comprehensively and to good effect.

However, there is a problem. The vocabulary of some topics can be forgotten as quickly as they have been learnt if the opportunity doesn’t arise for your pupils to cement the knowledge shortly after learning it.

With this in mind and the 2016 Olympics looming, we thought what better time to introduce your pupils to vocabulary and grammar revolving around the topic of sport. This way, many of your pupils will be able to relate their newly learnt French vocabulary to a topic of conversation which is likely to dominate most households this summer.

Which is why we have produced Olympics 2016 – French Topic Book.

Furthermore, with the excitement that always surrounds the Olympics, your pupils will be enthused and looking forward to learning more complex concepts of French with which to express their views about the Games.

Indeed, the Olympics is not only a topic that offers a wide range of vocabulary revolving around sports, but it is also likely to enhance your pupils’ knowledge of other topic areas, such as countries around the world.

Olympics 2016 – French Topic Book is a comprehensive resource which will keep your pupils occupied and eager from now (or after their assessments) until the end of term.

It contains a wealth of activities which will enhance your pupils’ French speaking, reading, writing, and listening, including: activity sheets, sentence building activities, surveys, flash cards, match the words, word search, crossword puzzles, Loto Cards, and much more.

We have also included ideas for incorporating French into PE lessons – why not have a French themed sports day this year?

To see the complete contents of Olympics 2016 – French Topic Book, click here.

All the activities are photocopiable, although if you’d prefer to print the activities out (rather than photocopy them) the resource can instead be supplied as an eBook.

Furthermore, the resource also contains answer pages so is great for teachers who have limited knowledge of French (or the Olympics).

You can order the Olympic 2016 – French Topic Book in a variety of ways, including:

  • By visiting the 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

What is the best way to ensure that your A level English pupils know enough basic grammar to be exam ready?

This handbook covers every aspect of grammar and its application to the analysis of text that is necessary for success in A level Language and combined Language and Literature courses, regardless of exam board.

The book assists grammatical acquisition from word class, to phrase then clause level, finally showing students how to analyse sentences in text. Sentence analysis is a stand alone requirement for students of the new linear OCR A Level Language course from 2015. Each section of this book is accompanied by clear and useful tasks which are designed to allow students to demonstrate their understanding and apply and consolidate  their knowledge.

The final section of the book is devoted to punctuation and terminology used to describe patterning in text, such as syntactical parallelism, tricolon use and antithesis, all of which are High Grade rhetorical features necessary for success at A level. Direct speech punctuation and apostrophe use are also covered in detail with useful examples of how to apply both.

This grammar handbook has often been cited by students as invaluable in assisting their learning, application and revision of grammar for A level Language and Language and Literature and is a resource created, developed and modified through many years of successful teaching.

“An A Level Language and Combined Language and Literature Grammar Booklet” is published as a photocopiable volume or on CD Rom, and individual sections can thus be readily copied and distributed to students as required. The copies can also be shared with colleagues or given to supply teachers, without any fear of the original book being misplaced.

You can see a full list of the topics and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1835.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1835EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 896 5

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: T1831EMN

Inclusive Access and Emergency Evacuation Made Simple

As a SENCo, ensuring your institution provides inclusive access provisions and emergency evacuation for students with special needs is a key priority. It can be daunting prospect, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. At Aspire GB, we understand that when it comes to inclusive access and evacuation it’s vital to consider safety and practicality while ensuring all students feel a sense of independence and dignity.

As experts in inclusive access and evacuation strategies, Aspire GB offers a range of innovative and flexible solutions, including stair climbers, evacuation chairs, lifts and ramps. Our devices not only make life easier for students, they also provide stress free solutions for coordinators and evacuation buddies by reducing manual handling and lifting requirements.

Aspire Success Story

In June last year, a secondary school with an electric wheelchair user joining in September got in touch. They needed help providing a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP) for the student. Within a few days, we arranged an onsite meeting to assess the premises and discuss how stair travel technology could be implemented. Our experienced team recommended the MaxiMajor200 as the most suitable fit, its high loading capacity making it perfect for an electric chair user. Like all our products, the MaxiMajor200 is easy to use and allows the student to remain comfortable throughout evacuation thanks to its hydraulically tilting platform.

Full training was carried out for staff members before term began and the equipment now provides peace of mind that evacuation will be a manageable process. Most importantly, it ensures that the student feels safe, secure and as cared for as any other pupil at the school.

Need advice on inclusive access and evacuation? Give Aspire GB a call today on: 01707 44 33 00, or make an enquiry via our website. Our dedicated team will get back to you to arrange a consultation as soon as possible.

Click here to watch the MaxiMajor200 in action or click here to see product videos of all our remarkable solutions.

Aspire GB is an official sponsor of Special Needs Week.

SRE for Post 16 – we have a responsibility to get it right.

“For both men and women, school is now the most commonly reported main source of information about sexual matters” (Medical Research Council, 5.3.15)

Current research suggests that more and more the responsibility for delivering good and correct sex and relationship education is falling to schools and teachers as opposed to parents or families.

For post 16 students especially it is more important than ever for SRE to counteract the mass promotion of sexuality, love and relationships that undermines self esteem and encourages unrealistic aspirations of who we should be and what we should be doing from technology, the media and the pornography industry.

The final years at school are the last chance for young people to gain the knowledge and understanding that will help them make informed future decisions, support them on to independence and see them lead contented, healthy and safe lives.

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

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 this combination of need and lack of outside companies provision that inspired Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company to develop an SRE project aimed specifically at the 16+ age group that tackles these difficult topics in an involving, inspiring and informing way.

It is now more important than ever to create sex and relationship education that can be as compelling, as exciting and as influential as the media campaigns and products it is battling. Lisa Schulberg (Creative Director, Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company)

Having worked directly with over 100,000 young people on SRE topics Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company strongly believe, from their experience of covering sensitive and hard hitting issues, that sex and relationship education must 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.  

From March 2016 Tip of the Iceberg Theatre Company will be touring the following project for years 12 & 13:

“SEXPOSED” – A 40 minute live performance followed by a range of interactive workshop options.

The project 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 story unfolds as part of a police investigation and the play follows a year in the life of three 18 year olds to uncover the truth behind an incident that connects them all.  Everyone has a different perspective, they all have a motive, and none of them can be objective when it comes to their relationships. The storyline includes scenes around control, sexual pressure, consent, abuse, sexting, pornography, communicating feelings, self-esteem, respect, and sexuality.

Using the performance as a springboard the follow on workshops allow students to examine their own attitudes, ideas and behaviours in relation to the difficult, contentious and sensitive topics.  The aims are for students to learn something new about themselves that will make a positive difference to the rest of their lives.

There are different delivery formats available from assemblies to full day projects.

Prices start at £575 + travel + vat

For further information and an exact quote please contact Hazel:

Email: admin@tipoftheiceberg.biz

Tel: 07519593711

Not every chair reduces neck pain, won’t tip over, is built of the strongest materials, and looks good.

But there is one.

The way children and students sit in the classroom has long been one of debate, not least because studies reported in 2013 showed that the vast majority of school children suffer from back and/or neck pain as a result of sitting in school chairs.

There is clearly a need for chairs that enhance wellbeing, comfort, and concentration. They also have to be durable and able to withstand even the toughest of environments.

One point often overlooked, particularly within the SEN sector, is the need to design furniture that inspires a positive environment. What is needed is not a chair which looks like a relic from a 1960s asylum but a chair fit for the most contemporary of environments such as a high-end design office. This fresh approach to learning spaces has an immediate impact on the expectations of all stakeholders within a school.

This is why we have worked so incredibly hard to create the Max 2 chair. It reduces the incidence of back and neck pain, it will not rock back, and is built of the sort of materials that will ensure a long life (they come with a ten year guarantee).

Plus, the pupils and students love the look and style.

Of course, there are other positives as well, such as the zero environmental impact of the chairs (they are 100% recyclable) and delivery in just 7-10 days from order.  You can see the chairs (and all the colour options) and find out more here along with details on how to buy.

If you want any further information or if I can help in any way, please do call us on 0345 257 8850 or email info@dlb.co.uk

Tom Wates

Are you gaining maximum value from your Teaching Assistants?

Since 2003, teaching assistants have developed to become key professionals within the education workforce. Their flexibility and ability to take on a variety of roles and responsibilities enable you, as a headteacher, to provide targeted support to learners.

As time has passed the role has developed, and support staff are increasingly involved in direct support of the teacher, assisting the learning of individuals and groups as well as being responsible for a range of specific, targeted interventions, including supporting children with special educational needs.

The role of the TA is therefore vital to your school’s provision and success.

In order to succeed, it is imperative that TAs know what is expected of them, that they are trained in the relevant interventions, and are prepared to self-study regarding such things as school practice, behaviour management, the curriculum, and SEN. Ofsted are increasingly interested in the deployment of TAs, so it is vital they feel confident and clear about what they do.

So how to achieve this within a limited budget? This is where our title Supporting Primary Teaching and Learning by Fiona Hall et al can really help.

Written in an accessible style with a focus on work-based professional development, it encourages critical reflection throughout. Each chapter focuses on a key topic in education, learning, and development, considers any relevant policies and legislation, examines educational theories in relation to professional practice, and provides concise case studies to contextualise the learning. It provides up-to-date and relevant material on supporting the new national curriculum, safeguarding, SEN and inclusion issues, and schools as organisations.

You can learn more about this book on our website – just click here http://criticalpublishing.com/titles/teacher-training/supporting-primary-teaching-and-learning.html

And if you have any questions or queries about Supporting Primary Teaching and Learning by Fiona Hall et al, or would like details of special bulk prices for orders of more than 5 copies, please do call 01727 851 462 or email di@criticalpublishing.com

Di Page
Critical Publishing

Exceptional History Teaching Resources

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The Historical Association

Join us at the Historical Association Annual Conference in Harrogate on Friday 20 to 21 May 2016.  With over 50 educational workshops as well as lectures and local visits, the HA conference deals with a host of current education issues. There’s something of value for everyone, whether you are a secondary history teacher or a primary practitioner.  Harness tools to innovate in the classroom and support your whole department with subject knowledge updates. The conference is a great place to learn new approaches and enables you to return to school with useful tools and ideas to share with your colleagues.  View the full programme at www.haconference.com

Email: info@history.org.uk
Telephone:
0207 735 3901
Postal address:
The Historical Association, 59a Kennington Park Road, London SE11 4JH

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MSL

Medieval Realms – this resource is for students with significant special educational needs and who are required to access Key Stage 3 History curriculum, within the mainstream setting.

Email: msl@schools.co.uk
Telephone: 01536 399017
Postal address: Multi-Sensory Learning, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, NN17 4HH.

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SSS

Interactive History Software – 2 titles packed with stunning curriculum 3D animations describing difficult to understand concepts for History. There are texts, voice-overs, quiz zones, drag and drops, multiple choice quizzes and more. Request your 14-day free trial of History Educational Software Solution.

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First and Best in Education

Cleopatra Textbook – for GCSE students studying Cleopatra as part of OCR Ancient History.

Primary Sources in Russian History – provides a sufficient range of sources to allow students to consider in some depth the key events and themes in the reigns of the last 5 Russian tsars without feeling totally swamped by a too large choice of sources.

The Reign of Henry VII 1485 – 1509 – enables students to analyse, explain and make judgements about events, developments and interpretations relating to Henry VII’s reign.

Thomas Wolsey – The King’s Cardinal – this guide provides a synthesis of the historical writing on Wolsey and his ministry, along with guidance on how to approach key questions.

Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk
Telephone: 01536 399007
Postal address: Hamilton House Mailings Ltd, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH

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You can find more Exceptional Teaching resources at exceptionalteaching.org.uk.

A GCSE Drama Course Book

This second edition of this core text covers the practical options common to all the current examination boards at GCSE level. Guided by the teacher, pupils can work their way through improvised and scripted work that will allow clear opportunities for assessment and monitoring progress throughout the course. Activities are all clearly described and are supported by guidelines for successful performance.

There is a section which helps students find the right approach to the different written elements included in the current GCSE courses. The book provides guidance on the use of terminology in written work and a glossary of theatrical words and phrases. There are extracts from scripts with comments on language, character and technical considerations. Each section is self-contained and students are given guidance on how to achieve their true potential.

Cat No: 978 1 86083 835 4  Order code: T1785emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1785.pdf

  • Photocopiable book, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the book and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

The simple solution to ensuring a hassle free start to lessons and exams……..

Every now and again I get to chat with current or former teachers and one of the topics that often crops up is why many students don’t seem to be able (or willing) to bring a pen, pencil, ruler etc to their lessons.

Apparently this causes a fair bit of disruption while some students try to beg, steal or borrow the basic kit they need to benefit from their lesson.

In an attempt to solve this problem there’s a product called the Student Essentials set,” which, as the name suggests, contains all the basics that students need for most  lessons.

Consisting of  three quality black ink ballpens, two full length HB pencils, eraser, 15 cm ruler and a metal sharpener, all packed in a A5 size, clear PVC “exam friendly” wallet with a zip slider.

From just 75p each (ex vat) the “Student Essentials set”  is a convenient and cost effective solution to the problem of students who don’t have the correct kit for lessons. It’s particularly useful at exam time……

Full details at: www.signposteducational.co.uk

You can order by email: signpost@talk21.com, phone, fax or post
Tel: 020 7515 1797 or fax: 020 7515 4420

Signpost Educational Ltd.,  PO Box 999, London, E14 6SH

Do you sometimes wish you had that little bit extra towards that all important project?

ABC Fundraising is a charitable fundraising company specialising in helping charities and schools secure grants towards their work.

Over the past few years we have helped dozens of schools and educational charities raise well over £500,000 towards their projects, via successful grant applications to various local authorities, lotteries, trusts and foundations.

We are currently offering our assistance to schools around the country – projects we can help you achieve funding towards include:

– School playground development, or new play equipment
– New surfacing or playground markings
– Outdoor classrooms, shelters, or furniture
– Gardens, planting, or forest areas
– Before or after school clubs
– Holiday clubs, extra-curricular, and community activities
– Any other projects potentially beneficial to the development of your pupils or community

Working with us will cost the school no money up front – we will only charge a fee if your bid is successful, and you receive a grant towards the project. Everything we do is completely transparent, and you have complete control over your project direction and content of applications. However, we can of course provide experienced advice upon how to give your grant application the best chance of success.

Please get in touch if you are interested in our services – we will be happy to discuss your project and how we can help.

Contact details

Call Andy Bond at ABC Fundraising on 07598722722 or 0131 308 0687

Or email us at: andy@abcfundraising.co.uk

Want more information? Visit our website at www.abcfundraising.co.uk

It doesn’t matter where you are based. Although ABC Fundraising is based in Edinburgh, we are experienced at working with schools and charities around the UK.

How can the hall in which students take examinations affect the results they achieve?

Almost every institution that runs examinations acknowledges that some students can underachieve because of a feeling of nerves as they enter and sit down in the exam room.

However, it is only recently that schools and universities have started to consider the impact on students that the room in which the examinations take place can have.

But when it comes down to it, the room certainly can have an impact. For example, if you are using a room that has no sound-absorbing material, then every chair movement, every pen drop, is going to be heard by many of the students.

For those students who are readily able to focus on their exam this will hardly matter, but for those who are suffering from exam nerves, such extraneous sounds can totally disrupt their already shaky thought patterns.

Which is why schools are now investigating the Smartsquare carpet system. It is made up of 2m x 1m tiles designed temporarily to transform a large hall into a carpeted venue so it can be used for examinations and indeed other events.

Smartsquare carpet systems come with a purpose-built Smartcart trolley designed to hold approximately 200m² flooring. The trolley is built with non-marking wheels, and the average school hall will only require between 4m² and 7m² of floor space for storage.

It is these trolleys that are the key to the efficiency of the system as they can be moved around as the tiles are being laid, enabling quick and efficient installation.

When not in use Smartsquare carpets pack neatly away into the Smartcart.

And best of all, the carpet tiles are very easy to maintain. To clean a badly soiled tile you simply take it outside, hose it down, and leave to dry.

Smartsquare can be purchased outright or bought on a lease over a period of time.  It is also available on a two-week free trial – along with a Smartcart – so you can see for yourself.

Furthermore it is not only possible to transform a sports hall or other large area into an exam hall, but such rooms can also be transformed into areas suitable for end of year awards ceremonies, conferences, etc.

You can read more about Smartsquare on our website.    Or if you would like to talk about these possibilities please do call us on 01302 836 777 or email jon@smart-square.co.uk.

Jonathan Layton

Challenge Supply Co .
Unity House, 14 Durham Lane, Armthorpe, Doncaster, DN3 3FE

Are you ready to tackle life after levels this year?

No matter what stage you are at with your assessment plans, our free implementation meetings are a great opportunity to see how Doddle Progress could bolster your assessment strategies.

Our next morning meetings will be held in Nottingham on Thursday 9th June and Cambridge on Monday 13th June.

The meeting will cover questions such as:

  • how to adapt and bring together your assessment across different subjects;
  • how to demonstrate student progress, from KS3 through to KS4;
  • how and what to report to students, parents, and Ofsted.

To ensure your free place, use the links below to sign up:

Nottingham meeting
Location: St James Hotel, Rutland Street, NG1 6EB, Nottingham
Date
: Thursday 9th June
Time
: 9.30-12.00
Registration and refreshments from 9.00

Cambridge meeting
Location: Churchill College, Storey’s Way, CB3 0DS, Cambridge
Date
: Monday 13th June
Time
: 10.00 – 12.30
Registration and refreshments from 9.30

You can find details of all our upcoming events on our events page.

We hope to see you there!

Kind regards,

Alice
Doddle

Training lifesavers and inspiring future doctors

A major part of medicine involves learning and applying knowledge, in order to save lives. An increasing amount of medical school applicants are choosing to learn first aid, which comes as no surprise, given their desire to save lives. Completing a first aid course can also help demonstrate enthusiasm and dedication for a career in medicine.

The MEDICS (Medical Emergencies, Defibrillation and Introduction to Clinical Skills) Simulation course has been specifically designed as a first aid course, for those hoping to study medicine or considering medicine as a potential career, by Saltworth Health.

Saltworth Health is a niche purpose-driven training organization – founded by doctors – which delivers a range of unique first aid courses. Saltworth Health brings a breath of fresh air to first aid training, revolutionising the way courses are delivered. We have thought up innovative and different ways to incorporate the hobbies and interests of students into our courses – as a result, our courses are more tailored towards students and therefore more engaging, making the information learnt memorable and easier to recall in a real emergency.

The MEDICS Simulation course is a one-day course delivered on a simulated ward (SaIL Centre) at Guy’s Hospital, London on Saturday 4th of June, 2016 and due to the size of the simulated ward, numbers are restricted to a maximum of 20 students.

The morning session covers first aid training and basic life support for medical emergencies such as asthma attack, choking, anaphylaxis and cardiac arrest, including defibrillation.

The afternoon session introduces students to relevant clinical skills used in resuscitation by paramedics, nurses or doctors such as cannulation (accessing blood vessels), venipuncture (taking bloods), injections, using an inhaler or epipen etc.

The MEDICS Sim course is stimulating, engaging and practical for all future medics. It is taught by doctors and delivered with a young audience in mind, ideal for students applying to medical schools by October 2016 (current Year 12 students). Further information can be found on our downloadable flyer (please feel free to circulate).

Fundamentally, students will learn important lifesaving skills but also get firsthand experience of being a ‘hospital medic’, as they are tested with real-time, high-pressure simulated scenarios, in a safe and supportive environment, offering a fantastic insight into medicine as a career.

Participants will be awarded an Emergency Life Support (ELS) certificate based on the Resuscitation Council UK guidelines.

Our courses are not simply a tick box exercise to support a student’s university application; they are designed to teach students how to respond correctly in emergencies.

If you would like a copy of our courses e-brochure or would like to be informed of future courses, visit the contact us page on our website and select the ‘Early bird notification’ option.

You can also write to us at Saltworth Health, 71 – 75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ or give us a call on 02080048060.

Dr Dami Oyedele MBChB (Warwick) BSc (Hons) Cardiovascular Sciences

Medical Director

A school noticeboard is usually bought for one reason. But that is not all a noticeboard is good for.

A school noticeboard is usually bought to communicate messages to parents where previous methods of communication have been problematic, or failed. But that is not all a noticeboard is good for. Indeed, the noticeboard might just be the hub of your school.

It provides parents with a topic of conversation and school staff with what can loosely be described as a teamwork activity – something which became apparent to Greenbarnes following the analyses of the results of a questionnaire distributed to schools.

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To summarise, a school notice board is not just the responsibility of one, but the responsibility of many, and it not only creates a sense of cohesion among staff, but also among parents at the school gates.

We have a range of styles of outdoor noticeboards which you can see on our website. Alternatively, please do call us on 01280 701093 and we’ll be pleased to discuss our boards, send you a brochure, and give any advice and guidance that you may require.

Professional Yearbooks Delivered In 10 Working Days

Get your yearbooks in a flash and make sure your students never forget their time at your school!

It’s not too late to get your yearbooks before term ends and with Leavers’ Books it’s super quick and super easy.

With a huge range of designs and layouts to choose from, you can tailor your yearbook to suit your school. From traditional, formal layouts to fun, quirky designs like our new Superhero theme, there’s something for everyone.

  • Great value starting from just £7.99 with no deposit or pre-payment.
  • Professionally finished and printed in just 10 working days.
  • Service you can trust from your sidekicks at Leavers’ Books.
  • Create your yearbook using our easy online creator.

Request a sample pack and start your yearbook today!

A free set of policies and briefing papers on engagement, play for all, wet playtimes, and behaviour.

3Children who engage positively with each other are the ones who are most likely to go through their lives being able to make the most of the social world.

As a result they are likely to be happier and more fulfilled, and more able to take up the opportunities that an ever-changing world offers, than those who don’t have this social aptitude.

Which is why my colleagues and I decided to call this week Positive Play Week – a Week when we can invite schools to focus on positive play, engagement, and behaviour.

As part of this we have created four free briefing papers and policy documents relating to positive play.  These, we believe, will be helpful to you and your colleagues in considering the range of potential that there is within positive play.

Specifically – the potential to enhance enjoyment and fun throughout one’s life, and to offer each child the chance of a greater level of personal fulfilment.

On our website you will find, freely available for download, policies and briefing documents for:

  • Engagement
  • Play for All
  • Wet Playtimes
  • Behaviour

There is no charge at all for these documents – we hope you will find them helpful.  If you do and you know of colleagues who might find these documents helpful, please do pass the details on.

The website contains a huge amount of information about positive play, including policies and briefing documents, ideas for activities, and a detailed review of why positive play is so beneficial for children.

Also on the website is information on how positive play transforms lives, ten things you can do to encourage positive play, and thoughts on how schools are making positive play a central part of the school day.

We also have information on how positive play stops bullying before it starts, plus a wide range of resources which are available from Edventure, who have kindly sponsored Positive Play Week.

I do hope you will have a moment to look at and explore the Positive Play Week website.

If you would like to send us photographs of your positive play activities that would be wonderful. And if you have any questions or thoughts you can get in touch with us:

Finally, I must return to our sponsor, Edventure, without whom Positive Play Week would never have come to be. You can find more details of the equipment they supply which supports positive play on their website www.edventure.co.uk. You can also request a copy of their catalogue by clicking here.

Jenny Burrows

Positive Play Week Coordinator

Stress free Primary Maths Assessment throughout 2016 & 2017

Since 2003 NSI Publishing has helped over 5000 Primary Schools with Maths Assessment. Our Assessments are designed to be totally flexible. They can be used to monitor pupil knowledge according to the teacher’s schedule.

All Assessments have graded scores and the option, if desired, to convert the scores to levels to give a clearer picture of performance.

Have a look at our website – www.nsip.co.uk or contact me at sales@nsip.co.uk

Best wishes

Nicholas Smith

NSI Publishing Ltd
4 South Western Business Park
Sherborne
Dorset
DT9 3PS

Tel: 01300 345515
Fax:  01300 345556

Exceptional English Teaching Resources

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MSL

Rhyming Spells – provides a wide selection of ingenious rhyming spells for improving spelling.

Dyslexia Games Manual – packed full with enjoyable games and activities for developing literacy skills, increasing visual and auditory recall, as well as strengthening sequencing and organisational ability.

Email: msl@schools.co.uk
Telephone:
01536 399017
Postal address:
Multi-Sensory Learning, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, NN17 4HH.

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Carel Press

‘Just Read!’ PDF Poster Set – motivational posters about the power of books.

‘Learn about your library’ Posters – explain library terms successfully.

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Dysgraphia Help

The Online Dysgraphia Test – consists of 50 questions. After completion of the test and submitting a handwriting sample you will receive a dysgraphia test report. If we believe dysgraphia to be present you will also receive supporting activity materials free of charge.

Overcoming dysgraphia workbook – contains 100+ A4 sides of activities, worksheets and games that aim to improve language processing, visual spacing, fine motor skills, pen/pencil grip, handwriting posture and memory retrieval.

Email: admin@dysgraphiahelp.co.uk
Postal address: Dysgraphia Help, 1 Oathill Close, Brixworth, Northamptonshire, NN6 9BE.

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SSS

Interactive English Software – 13 titles packed with hundreds of stunning curriculum 3D animations describing difficult to understand concepts for English. There are texts, voice-overs, quiz zones, drag and drops, multiple choice quizzes and more. Request your 14-day free trial of English Educational Software Solution.

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First and Best in Education

Plays into Shakespeare (KS3) – This book provides an active, dramatic launch pad for the study of Shakespeare, avoiding the distancing factors with which pupils struggle – the language, the history, the period costumes.

Higher Close Reading Examples and Activities – focussing on understanding the main concerns of the text, analysing the techniques the writer uses, and evaluating the effectiveness of the writing.  

Monologues with Duologue Activity (KS4) – covers the requirements for speaking monologues in Drama at KS4 and KS5 and provides useful material for pupils working towards entry into drama college. English teachers will also find it useful in respect of the speaking and listening requirements at KS4 and the study of Shakespeare.

Monologues/Duologues (KS3) – A book of short, self-contained and original monologues/duologues which will be an ideal introduction to drama within English or for use within a drama group.

Working with Will – a scheme of work for English teachers and works as an introduction to text analysis in English literature lessons for key stages 3 and 4.

Write Well – a book of writing skills aimed at helping students acquire the necessary skills for each situation.

Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk
Telephone:
01536 399007
Postal address:
Hamilton House Mailings Ltd, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH

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You can find more Exceptional Teaching resources at exceptionalteaching.org.uk.

“Gengis Khan” returns to schools in east London……..

The word on the street is that a group of east London teachers are taking the law into their own hands in an effort to deal with pupils who turn up to their lessons without a pen, pencil or ruler etc.

According to “The Walthamstow and Leytonstone Guardian” (established in 1897) a group of teachers dressed in black cloaks and carrying mock Gengis Khan swords has been threatening to put certain pupils in makeshift stocks on Leytonstone High road.

Indeed, so effective were their efforts that the incidence of pupils failing to bring pens, pencils etc to their lessons has fallen dramatically.

There is an easier way…………

The “Students Essentials set” contains three quality ballpens (black ink), two full length HB pencils, 15 cm ruler, eraser, metal sharpener, all contained in a convenient “exam friendly” clear PVC wallet with a zip slider.

Designed for students who tend to turn up for lessons and exams without the basics, “Student Essentials sets” are a simple, effective and low cost solution. From only 75p each, ex vat. Whether you sell them or give them away they should make life easier for both pupils and teachers… and reduce wasted time and hassle at the start of lessons or exams.

More details at: www.signposteducational.co.uk or call 020 7515 1797 or email: signpost@talk21.com.  If you’d like more information give Martin Evans a call on 020 7515 1797 and he’d be pleased to assist.

PS.  You can order by phone, email, fax or post.  Delivery is usually within two working days….sometimes sooner.

Phew! It’s taken us a while, but we’ve finally put the finishing touches to our brand new end-of-year and leavers shows – yippee!

We hope you’ll agree that they were worth the wait – a review in Teach Primary Magazine has given them a standing ovation, hailing them as “fun, easy to use, hugely entertaining, and excellent value.” (You can read the full review here.)

Easy Peasy Plays provide songs and musical plays for children of all ages. We make our resources as easy to use as possible, even if you’re not musical! The review in Teach Primary agrees: “The easy-to-learn songs are written with children’s vocal ranges in mind… I can think of few better resources for staging a special show, and you needn’t be a music specialist or a drama queen to pull them off!”

Isn’t that nice?! So, to celebrate, we’re offering you a special discount of £5.00 off any play! All you need to do is enter the magic code save1 at checkout by 30 June. Hurrah!

“I like resources that KISS – ‘keeping it simple and straightforward’” says the Teach Primary review. “The aptly named Easy Peasy Plays makes a very lemon-squeezy job of producing professional productions.”

So, can’t wait to get started? Click right here!

With our very best wishes for an easy peasy day!Simon and the team at

Easy Peasy

PS: Read the full Teach Primary review here. And don’t forget to use the code save1 for your special discount!

For, and on behalf of, Popcorn School Ltd.
Registered address: 9 Yelverton Close, Walsall, WS3 3XE.
Company number: 08534985.

Special Needs – Considering the Parents

Play Therapy UK (PTUK)’s 800+ registrants have 15 years’ experience of working in 1500+ primary schools with pupils who have a variety of special needs.  They recognise that parents are a major agent of change and that most of them are very concerned about the emotional well-being of their children and the impact that this has on their educational attainments.

Our registrants relieve the school staff of some of their work relating to parents.  If the teaching staff are concerned about a pupil’s behaviour, absences or emotional well-being the Play Therapist is available to discuss how these issues might be improved through Play Therapy.  The therapist will also inform the parent of their child’s progress and the outcome at the end of the therapy.

Parents may also be offered the opportunity of coaching on how to use non-directive play at home to provide further support at home after the therapy has finished.

What do the parents think? Based on a study of 10,130 cases, parents observed that in 77% there was a positive change following therapy delivered to PTUK standards. This is the same percentage as that of Teachers’ observations.

School staff can be trained as Certified Practitioners in Therapeutic Play as well as Filial Play Coaching. This enables parents to be actively involved in alleviating their child’s special needs using the principles of non-directive play.

These services help to enhance relationships with parents, the image of the school and add positive points to an Ofsted inspection.

More information:

The register: www.playtherapyregister.org.uk

Training:  http://www.playtherapy.org.uk/TrainingCourses/TrainResourcesAccCourses1.htm

SENCO Week special consultation on introducing play therapy services into primary schools: email mokijep@aol.com

Perfect the Past Tense for GCSE French

Perfect the Past Tense for GCSE French is a resource which will give your students structured practice in a complex grammatical area which is vital to their success at GCSE.

It comprises a pack of photocopiable worksheets which will guide them step by step through the rules and uses of the perfect tense and help them to gain a ‘C’ or above at GCSE level. Explanations are clearly illustrated with plenty of examples to work through, and answers are included at the back of the book. Most of the exercises are designed to be worked through on an individual basis but there are also a couple of games which can be played in small groups.

Perfect the Past Tense has been designed and written by French teachers and tested in class where it proved to be immensely beneficial.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/modlang/T1675.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 730 2; Order code: T1675emn

The volume is available as…

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

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book or CD…

What is a highly effective way of communicating with parents when you’re just too busy?

Building a rapport with parents is important, not least if you want them to embrace rather than oppose any changes that you implement during your post as the school’s head teacher.

However such a task can seem near impossible, particularly when we consider that how very little time you have in your working day to communicate with parents in person.

Making effective use of the school’s noticeboard is one way in which the school can build up good communication with parents. And yet the results of a survey conducted by Greenbarnes suggest that as few as 25% of head teachers take a personal interest in the school’s noticeboard.

Other findings of the survey were that school noticeboards aren’t typically the responsibility of just one member of staff, but are seen as a shared enterprise, thus creating a sense of cohesion not only between the school and the parents, but also between members of staff within the school.

It found that:

  • Noticeboards are the province of the SBM or an administrator.
  • As for deciding on the position of the noticeboard, this was mutually assumed – two thirds of schools have positioned it at the entrance of the school.
  • The member of staff who wishes to communicate a message is responsible for putting their message on the noticeboard.
  • Expired messages are removed by office staff.
  • An administrator is just as likely to take responsibility for keeping the noticeboard clean as the school cleaners.
  • The responsibility to fix a broken noticeboard falls with the school’s caretaker.

If you are thinking of acquiring a new noticeboard for your school, we have a range of styles of outdoor noticeboards which you can see on our website.

Alternatively, please do call us on 01280 701093 and we’ll be pleased to discuss our boards, send you a brochure, and give any advice and guidance that you may require.

One of my best friends is a teacher………….

I’ve known Ed for many years.  He’s been a class teacher, head of dep’t, and head of year. Vastly experienced and with a bit of a reputation as a “hard man” when it comes to classroom discipline.

Every now and again he moans about the number of students who turn up for lessons or exams without a pen, pencil, ruler, rubber etc. He  reckons it can waste up to ten minutes of teaching time while they try to borrow what they need for the lesson.

So what can be done to reduce the wasted time and disruption caused by pupils who turn up to lessons or exams without the proper equipment?

One helpful product which can make life easier for students and teachers alike is the “Student Essentials set.”

Consisting of three quality black ink pens, two full length HB pencils, a metal sharpener, eraser and a 15cm ruler, all packed in a clear PVC “exam friendly” zip-up wallet, from just 75p each ex vat. They are ideal to give or maybe sell to students at the start of a school day or just before exams.

More details can be found on: www.signposteducational.co.uk

The “Student Essentials set” can help reduce hassle at the start of lessons and exams and help students be more productive in the future than they may have been in the past.

The “Student Essentials set” can be obtained from
Signpost Educational Ltd., PO Box 999, London, E14 6SH
(signpost@talk21.com)  Fax:  020 7515 4420

PS. If you’d like more information please call 020 7515 1797 and ask to speak to Martin Evans who will be pleased to help.

The perfect complement to Shakespeare: plays by Jonson, Marlowe, Webster and…erm… Sheridan

While all Stage on Screen plays feature regularly on school and higher/further education curriculums in the UK and across the world, you don’t have to be studying our specially staged and filmed productions to benefit from them. Anyone who loves or who is learning Shakespeare will profit from seeing plays by his good friend Ben Jonson, later contemporary John Webster, plus major influencer – and ‘real’ Shakespeare candidate – Christopher Marlowe.

Our current titles are as follows:

Dr Faustus – themes from this Marlowe classic are echoed in Macbeth in particular, but also Othello, Timon of Athens and other plays. Marlowe heavily influenced Shakespeare, and with this, probably his finest play, it’s easy to see why.

Volpone – another play that has echoes in Othello, but which is also interesting for comparison of Jonson’s more classical approach to drama when compared to Shakespeare, his contemporary and great friend.

The Duchess of Malfi – this dark masterpiece by John Webster finds many echoes in Shakespeare with its themes of corruption, cruelty and class, while the use of madness makes an interesting comparison with its treatment in Hamlet.

The School for Scandal – this Richard Brinsley Sheridan comedy of manners was written much later of course, and we can’t by any stretch describe it (let alone him) as a Shakespearean companion. However, we mention it here as it makes up the fourth of our current available titles and, like the others, it’s on many curriculums in its own right. As we currently offer all four titles for a special price, you may wish to consider it.

Approved texts – and all round approval

Each play uses full approved texts (other filmed productions are often heavily cut or adapted), and each is staged and recorded live in front of an audience at London’s Greenwich Theatre.

They’ve all received excellent reviews from students, teachers and academic journals plus mainstream and specialist press.

Here are just a couple:

‘Pitched perfectly to suit both casual and academic audiences, Stage on Screen offers an unparalleled array of material on these productions that will be a welcome addition to those who wish to study early modern dramatists.’ (The Shakespeare Bulletin)  

‘..Unlike many modern productions of the classics, Stage on Screen productions are rarely cut, putting pupils who see them at a distinct advantage.’  (Times Education Supplement)

You can see clips from each play at https://www.youtube.com/user/StageOnScreen/

Buy all four titles and enjoy big savings

Each play is available in special Education Packs, which include three DVDs: the play (with optional subtitles); extensive interviews with the theatre company; and a master-shot recording, invaluable for teaching stagecraft, lighting and blocking. Our DVDs play on any system worldwide.

Available for £35.98 for each 3-disc title on Amazon, this special offer gets you the box set of all four titles for just £100 plus P&P, and VAT (if applicable). To order, just email stephen@hamilton-house.com with your completed order form. Alternatively, call us on +44 (0) 20 3174 3249.

If ordering from outside the UK, we’ll automatically convert the cost to your currency at that day’s exchange rate. (Currently, £100 is around US$145 or €130.)

Best wishes,

 

Phil Rees

Director, Stage on Screen

Exceptional Library Resources

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Carel Press

‘Just Read!’ PDF Poster Set – motivational posters about the power of books

‘Learn about your library’ Posters – explain library terms successfully

Great Library Ideas – tried and tested ideas for school libraries by school librarians

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You can find more Exceptional Teaching resources at exceptionalteaching.org.uk

“He enthused, motivated and inspired every child in the school.”

The above comment from a Cambridgeshire school is just one example Dr Matt Pritchard has received after a visit. Would you like this experience for your pupils?

Matt’s shows bring gasps of amazement, thought provoking ideas and memorable teaching. He is an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle and world class creative communicator who loves to inspire children in their studies and create a sense of wonder.

“A glorious blend of showmanship and science.”
FringeGuru.com

Bookings are now being taken for the 2015/16 academic year. Grab a slot now before the diary gets filled up.

Secondary School and College shows

  • “Superhero Science” – Are superpowers fact or fiction? Explore invisibility, superstrength, body armour, levitation, mind control and find out what they do (or don’t) have to do with real science.
  • “Surprising Science” – Can you discover the sneaky scientific secrets behind the surprising illusions? The show will challenge the audience to think creatively like both a scientist and a magician. Superb for Critical Thinking skills.
  • “Magical Maths” – Predicting the future, reading minds, sending secret messages and making objects vanish are easy when you’re a maths magician. With shapes, symmetry, patterns and numbers forming the basis of the maths behind the magic.

Visit the website www.sciencemagicshows.co.uk or email hello@sciencemagicshows.co.uk to make a booking before the spaces have vanished. The cost for a day visit (for up to 3 performances) is only £500 plus travel.

Classical Civilisations Summer School 2016

The Classical Civilisations Summer School offers an exciting opportunity for students to explore the history, literature, material culture, philosophy, and international relations of ancient Greece and Rome.

The thinkers, fighters, rulers and poets of the classical period have all had a profound and transformative impact on Western culture – many of their names and ideas are commonplace and familiar even today, but the reality of their worldviews and their day-to-day lives is often surprisingly alien. For over 2000 years of Western history, each generation has rediscovered, reinterpreted, and made its own use of the classical legacy, which has proved an endlessly fertile source of inspiration and intellectual challenge.

On this course we will sample a wide variety of areas of study, all the time considering the strong links between the ancient and the contemporary. We will always look for ways in which we can engage actively with the ideas and institutions of the past – with a mock Roman senatorial session, for instance, to discuss the fate of Carthage, or a practical workshop on the art of rhetoric in the ancient courts of law.

See a full schedule, details of tutors, student feedback from related courses and available dates at http://www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/classical-civilisations-summer-school/ 

Our approach to tuition is varied – offering interactive discussions, formal debates, lectures, group presentations, and close individual reading of primary and secondary source material. Special emphasis is given to developing students skills as critical readers at an undergraduate level, by analysing extracts and quotations, as well as images, material sources, and oral accounts.

Please note that students do not need to have studied any Greek or Latin to take part in this Summer School – all sources will be studied in translation.

Practical Details:

The cost of the five-day course is £465, and it will be held at the University of London Union in Bloomsbury on the 22nd-26th August 2016 – please check the website for current availability. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

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/classical-civilisations-summer-school/.  

 

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

This offer for ALL 8 titles is packed with hundreds of stunning curriculum 3D animations describing difficult to understand concepts for FOOD TECHNOLOGY, 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 8 of these individual great titles are included in the pack for just £100 for everything:

Contamination of Food; Functional Properties Of Food; Keeping Food Safe 1; Keeping Food Safe 2; Labelling; Packaging; Safe Working Environment 1; Safe Working Environment 2

It’s just £100 for all 8 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

 

What is the most effective way of helping all students become effective writers?

One of the most curious things about learning to write in one’s native tongue is that at the same time as learning to use the language one is actually using the language.

Which is why the learning tends to be twofold. On the one hand one learns the rules and logic of the language in a systematic way, but on the other hand issues suddenly arise that show that further explanation is needed.

For example, we might take the old favourite of homographs and homophones. They can cause endless confusion, so what should one do?

The answer, of course, is to have a lesson or a part of the lesson on this particular topic – quite possibly throwing in some homograph and homophone puns along the way just to make it more lighthearted.

The same is true with every other part of the language. From the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive mood to the use of a comma with adverbials of frequency.

This is what the 200 page copiable volume “Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4″ covers. Over 170 different items and topics, each dealt with, along with examples.  It offers teachers invaluable assistance in familiarising their pupils with those grammatical and punctuation principles relevant to Key Stages 3 and 4 and rooted in national literacy strategies.

In this way Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4 performs a dual function: it is both a grammar book and an editing handbook, utilising authentic examples collected from a variety of written sources.

It pays particular attention to those areas with which authors of all ages tend to have difficulties and offers an abundance of examples of current usage highlighting these areas.

Such examples are then followed by suggested improvements and by explanations justifying those improvements. Finally the relevant principles are practised through activities designed for pupils.

Anna Nolan, the author of Grammar and Punctuation for Key Stages 3 and 4, has spent many years running public examinations, developing national qualification, carrying out linguistic research and writing books on English grammar, punctuation and usage.

This copiable book is available both in spiral bound printed form and on CD.  It is a revised and updated second edition of the book Grammar and Punctuation at Key Stage 3.

There is a sample chapter available on-line at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1844.pdf

Cat No: 978 1 86083 867 5;  Publisher reference no: T1844emn

Prices

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

You can purchase the book…

Our mission to relieve the pressure from teachers that illness exerts

Theoretically, as a teacher you are more likely to be off work for illness than employees of most other professions due to the high number of children that you encounter on a daily basis.

Yet the DfE reports that teachers take an average of just 7.9 days off each year – similar to the average number of days taken by employees from across all sectors, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

It is thought that the presence of a culture of fear in schools often prevents teachers from taking the time off that they need when they are ill, but perhaps greater than this is the pressure that teachers put on themselves to get back to teaching before they’re ready.

With this in mind we’ve produced The Absent German Teacher Worksheet Series.

So if you are ill, at least you know that your students will always have work to do – which will hopefully relieve the pressure a little bit.

The worksheets within the volume cover a wide range of topics and range of ability – and are all designed so that they can be used as a one-off in an emergency, or as a series of highly varied tasks over a number of days, should the absence be unexpectedly protracted.

Activities range from a discussion about what happened to Berlin after the Second World War, to completing a Wordsearch revolving around the topic of Oktoberfest (for example).

Each topic area is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which the students are required to translate a passage into German, and a homework task in which they have to write ten short sentences in English and translate as much of each sentence as they can into German using a dictionary.

The volume aims to increase your students’ knowledge of Germany, covering topics such as, Oktoberfest, Albert Einstein, Munich, the Berlin wall, Volkswagen Beetle, facts about Germany, etc. etc.

You can order The Absent German Teacher Worksheet Series online as a download for £10 by visiting http://www.absent-teacher.com/eworkbooks.html

If you quote HH10% into the message box when you make your purchase on PayPal, you will receive a 10% refund on your order.

What makes a play suitable for use in GCSE Drama?

The English language is full of plays – which is not surprising really since people have been writing them for around 1000 years.

The trouble is that many have cast requirements or subject matter that mean they are not at all suitable for the classroom or theatre with the right amount of engagement per candidate and the right number of students involved within the cast.

What’s more, given the need to find scenes and settings which are not just extracts from published plays and the need for the play to have a unified sense, finding suitable plays gets even more difficult – especially if one wishes to avoid using the same plays as last year.

This is the problem that “Here comes Godot now!” by Lindsay Jones solves. It contains 12 plays that engage with themes not often found in other sources, such as dark comedy, fantasy, horror, humour and urban myths.

Thus the themes in this volume avoid some of the social topics such as drug taking which other volumes (and indeed assemblies and PSHE lessons) will already have covered extensively and looks instead at more difficult topics such as FMG, death, child sexual abuse, and social class.

As for performances, the plays are written for a variety of combinations of participants from two boys or two girls up to four boys and four girls.

Because the volume is photocopiable (or printable from a CD rom) only one copy of the book need be bought, and it can be used among the class without further cost.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 856 9 Order code: T1820emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages incorporating one complete play can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1820.pdf

  • Photocopiable book, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the book and the CD £36.94 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

How easy is it to recognise the symptoms of anorexia or bulimia?

How would you help a child who develops one of these illnesses? Would you be sympathetic to a mental illness or would you take the view that the child was being silly and irresponsible.

Today’s children are far more obsessed with body image than previous generations. Many of their role models are excessively thin, and for some being thin becomes equated with success and popularity. Dieting is not unusual among teenagers and it is terribly easy to carry it too far. It is not so easy to recover without a lot of support and understanding. Anorexia and bulimia are addictive illnesses in which the sufferer lies and conceals to attempt to cover up the addiction. There is a large amount of self-deception as the sufferer may see a fat person in the mirror even although those around him/her see an emaciated one. The sufferer does not want help as he/she is terrified of becoming fat.

This book was written by someone who herself suffered both anorexia and bulimia for sixteen years. It describes in detail how she damaged her health and jeopardised her family relationships and friendships through an illness to which she was not willing to admit. It also describes her struggle back to normal healthy eating. The latter sections of the book give practical advice for normal healthy eating and describe the physical side effects of not having a healthy diet.

If you would like to see sample pages please email sales@firstandbest.co.uk

Publisher’s reference: T1564EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 655 8

Prices

  • Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £15.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD with school-wide rights: £15.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • Both the Ring Binder and the CD £21.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1564EMN

Five steps to providing support for your midday supervisor/s

Following conversations with midday supervisors, playtime expert Therese Hoyle identified that they don’t feel as valued and supported within their school’s community as they would like. In response to this she has devised a list of ways that you can provide support for your midday supervisors.

Firstly, by including photos of the lunchtime team and articles about playtime initiatives in the school’s newsletter, parents will see that your midday supervisors are highly influential in their child’s development, and you will give them greater status within the school and community.

Secondly, and similarly, these same outcomes can be achieved by including the names and photos of your lunchtime team, together with the rest of the school staff, on the welcome board and/or school website.

Another way that you can provide support for your midday supervisors is by providing them with the means to reward children in the playground when they are behaving well. This makes playtimes a positive experience for children and supervisors alike, as well as helping supervisors gain the respect from pupils that they deserve.

To implement this, Therese Hoyle recommends using reward stickers, pads, tokens, and certificates from Edventure. These can be found at www.edventure.co.uk/search/reward.

Additionally, implementing the PLACE model will ensure that midday supervisors can build positive relationships with your pupils through positive encounters. PLACE stands for Playful, Loving, Accepting, Curious and Empathetic.

Lastly, by ensuring that you communicate any changes to incentive and sanction systems with your midday supervisors, they will be able to carry out their roles and responsibilities more effectively, particularly with regard to behaviour management in the playground.

You can find the full article, and other similar articles, in the Edventure catalogue. If the catalogue hasn’t arrived in your school yet, please do click here, enter your details, and we’ll get (another) one in the post to you right away.

What’s more, if you are interested in joining in with Positive Play Week (9 -13 May 2016), you can find more information, including what it entails and how your school can get involved, by visiting www.positiveplayweek.co.uk.

And as always, you can place an order with Edventure in a variety of ways, including:

  • on the website www.edventure.co.uk
  • by faxing us to 01323 50 10 41
  • by calling us on 01323 50 10 40
  • by emailing us at sales@edventure.co.uk      
  • by post to Edventure Ltd, Hargreaves Business Park, Hargreaves Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QW.

If you quote HH0515 on your order delivery will be free. Without quoting the code the charge is £3.95.

How can you overcome the overwhelming number of obstacles to LOtC?

Because LOtC offers so many benefits, most educators would like to spend more time teaching their students outside the typical classroom setting. However, many can’t offer LOtC to their students as often as they would like because of the various obstacles in the way.

Just one of these obstacles is the issue of school transport – and, more specifically, the bureaucracy, legalities, paperwork, and costs that come with acquiring a school minibus (reported to be the most desired LOtC transport option).

Which is why, as a company which supplies school minibuses, we are sponsoring LOtC Week – to support schools in overcoming at least one of the obstacles to offering regular LOtC, in the hope that your students will be able to enjoy more LOtC in the future.

As sponsors of LOtC Week we have put together a wealth of information on acquiring a school minibus (including information about the practicalities, legalities, paperwork, and costs involved) which is easy to navigate and even easier to understand:

  1. Who can drive
  2. Operator’s Licence – what types are there and do you need one?
  3. Seatbelts – the rules
  4. Taking a minibus abroad
  5. Towing with a minibus
  6. Tachographs – what are they and do you need one?
  7. Signage for School minibuses
  8. Safety inspections and MOT’s – what are the rules and recommendations?
  9. Driver training
  10. Additional reading and information sources

To see this information all in one place, please do visit www.learningoutside.info.

On the LOtC Week website (www.learningoutside.info) you will also find information on the benefits of LOtC, as well as how your school can get involved with LOtC Week which is set to take place between 27th June and 1st July 2016.

Furthermore, the team here at Benchmark Leasing have for some time been working hard to create the most convenient minibus leasing packages especially for schools – evolving the arrangement through feedback, primarily from administrators and school managers.

To see these minibus leasing packages, please do visit www.minibusleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859944.

Methods of Teaching Maths to Pupils with Dyscalculia

Research in recent years has shown that children with dyscalculia can be taught maths if certain specific points in their understanding of maths are addressed. If this approach can be followed by the adoption of particular methods of teaching by the teacher and methods of learning by the pupils, then these children can readily reach the average standard of the class.

What’s more the techniques that are known to work well with dyscalculic pupils also work well with pupils who have an average ability at maths.

The book outlines a series of individual methods of teaching maths, which is followed by a series of methods of learning which will benefit all pupils, irrespective of their levels of mathematical achievement. It also contains information on enhancing pupil memory and pupil ability to handle sequences. The methods can be adapted and used with all age groups. The approaches can be used by special needs teachers in small group or individual sessions, and can also be used within full class lessons.

Methods of Teaching Maths to Pupils with Dyscalculia also contains information for parents as well as information on how homework can be structured to the maximum benefit of dyscalculic pupils.

Methods of Teaching Maths to Pupils with Dyscalculia: ISBN: 978 1 86083 688 6; Order code: T1630emn

Sample pages can be found on http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/dyscalculia/T1630.pdf

The volume is available as:

  • A photocopiable book, price £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery inclusive of VAT.
  • On CD, price £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery inclusive of VAT.
  • Both book and CD at special price of £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery inclusive of VAT.

You can purchase the book:

The Dyscalculia Centre
Hamilton House Mailings
Earlstrees Road
Corby
UK
NN17 4HH

Website: www.dyscalculia.me.uk
Email: admin@dyscalculia.me.uk

Save hours of your valuable time, boost your productivity and reduce stress.

These days you probably find yourself spending more and more time at the computer, answering emails, producing typed documents for various purposes and exploring the internet.  It seems that most teachers now use a keyboard more often than a pen.

Yet, like many UK employees, the majority of teachers have never learned to type properly.  Do you struggle along, prodding away with just two fingers and with your head down?  If so, you will be typing at only about half your potential speed and probably with low levels of accuracy.

With such heavy workloads, wasting valuable time through poor typing skills is inefficient and costly and increases stress.

Type&Test are the UK’s leading specialists in touch-typing training and assessment.  Our online learning programmes are the only ones recommended by Awarding Bodies such as the BCS and the SQA, having been used over the past nine years to prepare learners of all ages for national typing qualifications.

Our unique ‘Type Faster, Work Smarter’ course is guaranteed to significantly increase your typing speed whilst maintaining or improving your accuracy.  The outcome will be that you will increase your output, gain more time, work more productively and reduce your levels of work-related pressure.

Involving a structured interactive online programme, with support from an experienced Type&Test tutor who will communicate with you regularly via email, messaging and skype, you will gain invaluable touch-typing skills through short regular practice sessions which you will complete at times that fit around your busy working day.  After just a few weeks – around the length of a school term – we guarantee that your typing skills will improve significantly or we will refund your course fee in full.

For more information please email enquiries@typeandtest.com with the subject line ‘Type Faster, Work Smarter’ and we will email you our programme flier.  Click here for information from our website.  Or if you want to have a chat about it with no obligation then call Andy Stevenson on 01480 861867.

Free activity on Henry VIII’s children!

>Challenge your students’ knowledge of Henry VIII’s children using our free activity!

Which of Henry VIII’s children reigned from 1553 – 1558? Was Elizabeth a Catholic or a Protestant? The activity asks students to match each of Henry’s children to their correct religion, length of reign and birth order.

Fun and engaging, this quick activity is perfect as a starter or recap activity – try it on our History free stuff page!

Regards,

The Boardworks team

Exceptional Drama Teaching Resources

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UniTasterDays

Search Taster Day Events – helps Drama teachers to discover an array of events to book students on to, such as university and college taster days, workshops, residentials, open days, outreach events and widening participation opportunities.

Email: info@unitasterdays.com
Telephone:
+44(0)208 798 0982

……………………………………………………………………………

ZigZag Education

Drama & Theatre Studies Teaching Resources – Shine a spotlight on key practitioners, place devised performance centre stage, raise the curtain on live theatre evaluation and get behind the scenes on the exam. Written by teachers, examiners and Drama experts who are keen to share their knowledge, the full range of Drama resources will take your students from the green room to standing ovation.

Email: sales@ZigZagEducation.com
Telephone:
0117 950 3199
Postal address:
ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol, BS10 5PY

……………………………………………………………………………

First and Best in Education

New Essential Drama Skills – a compendium of creative drama lessons and scripts for teachers. The scripts have been used for public performances and as examination pieces over the years. Two of the duologues have been included in the LAMDA Examinations Acting Anthology Volume 3.

A Student’s Guide to Auditioning for Drama School – written to help your students work towards achieving that desired place at Drama School.

Drama Depot Practical Activities (KS3) – Forty new lessons with warm ups to develop the creativity and expressive talents of the individual in the context of the whole group.

Here comes Godot now! 12 plays (GCSE) – contains 12 plays each containing multi-roling and the variety of theatrical techniques that exam boards now seem to love.

Into Action! A Modular Approach to Drama – This book of structured drama lessons will be invaluable to the drama teacher working with students on exam courses in Drama, Performing Arts or Expressive Arts. All lessons are complete with recommendations for warming up, preparation notes, objectives and suggestions for debriefing and discussion at the end of the lesson.

Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk
Telephone:
01536 399007
Postal address:
Hamilton House Mailings Ltd, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH

……………………………………………………………………………

You can find more Exceptional Teaching resources at exceptionalteaching.org.uk.

What is the most effective way of supporting pupils who aren’t progressing at the same rate as their peers in reading and spelling?

One area where the government’s micromanagement couldn’t be more evident is the way in which literacy teachers are required to teach children how to read and how to spell.

Indeed, most children can achieve the desired outcome using the very specific teaching-learning methods outlined by the government, but others, quite simply, cannot – they need to take an alternative route which is tailored to their learning needs in order to get the same outcome.

Fortunately, this is something which isn’t impossible to implement and can, in most cases, be conveniently described as a ‘provision’.

The Complete Reading and Spelling Programme is just one ‘provision’ or method that your colleagues can use to support pupils who aren’t progressing at the same rate as their peers in reading and spelling using current teaching-learning methods.

It covers all the 90 different spelling and sound rules and adds in ten sections on issues such as word patterns, suffixes, prefixes, homophones, and irregular final syllables, making 100 topics in all.

These 100 topics are broken down into 20 modules, presented in an order which allows students to use the spelling rules as soon as they have learned them.

As a result of this structured approach, which includes placement & progress tests, you can introduce a student to the sequence from the very start. You can also begin work at a point where the individual will be revising key points, before moving on to areas of weakness, where his/her knowledge becomes erratic.

A copiable printed version of each module costs £29.99, or you can order five modules together on a CD for £80 plus VAT. All 20 modules (including the 4 CD’s) are available for £450.

You can order the Complete Reading and Spelling Programme in a variety of 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

Four films offering a professional insight into Equality and Diversity, Addiction, Drugs and alcohol, Stress and suicide.

Just Listen – Race, Religion, Disability, Sexuality and Gender

35 Minutes

Stories about equality and diversity.

Interviews with people who come from groups which are prejudiced against. They talk frankly about their experiences and the problems they encounter.

1. Race and Religion: Ibraham and Clair: Tragic story of a refugee; a British Muslim describes her religion. Ibraham’s story of personal tragedy dispels many of the myths that exist about refugees and asylum seekers. Clair is a Muslim and tells how lack of understanding leads to prejudice towards other religions, particularly Islam. Running time: 12 mins

2. Disability: Linda: How other people regard those with a disability. Linda is a wheelchair user and talks about how people treat her and other disabled people differently. We see examples from her perspective, giving viewers an insight into Linda’s world and the difficulties disabled people have to face. Running time: 13 mins

3. Gender and Sexuality: Alice and Mick” A transvestite and a gay man talk about prejudice they have encountered. Alice is a transvestite. She describes how transgendered people have to live with abuse and ridicule. Mick is gay and has been attacked because of “what he is”. He talks about the stress that hiding your true identity brings. Running time: 10 mins

£43.80 plus postage

You can easily order by going to our website http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/just-listen-race-religion-disability-sexuality-and-gender-495/  or you can order by e-mailing us at sales@concordmedia.org.uk Please put ref HH1 in your order.

Addiction and the Human Brain

25 Minutes

How drug addiction affects the human brain, particularly relating to teenagers.

How drug addiction affects the human brain. Teenagers are at the highest risk of drug addiction. This programme combines factual information and interviews with recovering teenage addicts, counsellors and brain experts to help viewers understand the effects of drugs on the brain how the brain responds to drugs and why the brains of teenagers make them more vulnerable to the effects of drugs; developing tolerance how drug use actually changes the brain, leading to a reduction in the response to the drug after prolonged use and the need to take higher doses to get the same effect; dependence and addiction how continued voluntary drug use can eventually become involuntary sand compulsive, as the brain becomes accustomed to the drug and can’t function without it; treatment and recovery how recovering addicts have to overcome the power of cravings, resist triggers that cause cravings, and change their behaviour in order to quit successfully, and preventing addiction is better than treating it. USA.

£48.80 plus postage

You can easily order by going to our website  http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/addiction-and-the-human-brain-1044/  or  you can order by e-mailing us at sales@concordmedia.org.uk Please put ref HH1 in your order.

Drugs and Alcohol series

74 Minutes

Four short programmes which are available together on one DVD: Have a Good Time, Learning Together, Alcohol in the Dock and Drugs: a Simple Choice.

Have a Good Time: Leigh Conroy and John Evans, two recovering alcoholics, were alarmed to see youngsters making the same mistakes they had made. They gave talks in schools, formed ‘High & Dry’, and made this film, which looks at the problems associated with young people and alcohol, in a series of linked sketches involving a group of a young people going to a disco and drinking too much. Good discussion starter. For ages 10-18. 23 mins “When we explained the underage figures to parents they were shocked. They didn’t think it was their children” Schools Health Education Unit.

Learning Together: Introducing drug education in primary schools at Key Stage one and two, involving parents going into the schools. For Primary/Middle School Teachers. 13 mins.

Alcohol in the Dock: Young people made this programme themselves, looking at the Health Angle, the Legal Angle, and the Business Angle, as well as Your Angle – their own stories and opinions. For ages 12 +. “A very refreshing film that allows youngsters to have their say…never fails to get them talking” Eden Youth Project. 20 mins.

Drugs – a Simple Choice?: Three young drug users tell their stories. A discussion starter particularly for young people. Three young drug users are interviewed, and the sections examine why take drugs? What in addition to addiction, are they risking? What problems do they now have because of drugs? and what does the future hold for them? They tell their own stories and comment on what could happen next. Reconstruction based on real people. For ages 10-18. 18 mins.

Programmes developed in conjunction with Suffolk Drugs Action Team

£31.30 plus postage

You can easily order by going to our website  http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/drugs-and-alcohol-series-209/  or you can order by e-mailing us at sales@concordmedia.org.uk Please put ref HH1 in your order.

Breaking Point

53 Minutes

Three short programmes together on suicide and stress: In the Same Breath, Friday 21.03 and the Stress Case Studies

In the Same Breath: Quentin’s wife took her own life. He talks about the impact this had, and the periods of guilt and feelings of helplessness, depression and self-pity. It shows how one man has survived the tragedy, learnt to embrace a new life and live with the past.  “Very sensitive, the difficult words are eased  by  good photography ..;.eloquently describes his grief journey…a hopeful message” Norwich Cruse bereavement Care.    11 mins.

Friday ..21.03: Teenage suicide. Why do young people commit suicide? What signs should we look out for? What can we do to help?. Tells the story of Sarah’s last day and, through her thoughts, we get an insight into her state of mind. The film covers a range of issues that will be readily identifiable by young people and is supported by discussion notes.  ” I have watched many films on this subject  but this one really hit the nail on the head” Doreen, Outreach Director Ipswich Samaritans.   12 mins

Stress Case Studies:

A series of four case studies showing how stress can affect people’s lives, particularly in relation to work. Psychologist Peter Holden introduces each study with an explanation of stress and its causes, and concludes with advice on coping with it.
1. Peter Rogers – Successful Accountant Peter Rogers is 38, a successful accountant who recently received promotion. This meant added responsibility and a move. He and his family moved into a large comfortable house and everything seemed fine.. but was it ?
2. Pauline Marshall – Catering Supervisor Pauline Marshall, married with two teenage children, worked for the last six years for a local company as a canteen assistant. She enjoyed the work and the atmosphere, but when she was appointed supervisor things started going wrong.
3. Robert Fraser, Retired Robert Fraser had worked for the same company for over 30 years. He and his wife had looked forward to his retirement, and had planned to enjoy the extra time together. But it didn’t work out like that.
4. Sandra Taylor – Head f Personnel Sandra Taylor is 26 and recently divorced. She had worked for a successful public relations company since leaving school, and she seemed very efficient and level headed. She was appointed head of personnel. But all was not well.

£43.80 plus postage

You can easily order by going to our website http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/breaking-point-85/  or you can order by e-mailing us at sales@concordmedia.org.uk Please put ref HH1 in your order.

Disability awareness workshops for pupils

A whole 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
  • Adjusted to suit primary and secondary schools
  • Delivered by award-winning charity CSIE, working since 1982 to promote equality and eliminate discrimination in education (www.csie.org.uk).
  • Offer price: £500+vat plus expenses (normal CSIE price: £800+vat)
  • Follow-up at no extra charge: a) written responses to pupils’ questions and b) transcript of pupils’ feedback as evidence of impact
  • Book before the end of May 2016 to secure discounted rate.

Delivered by a dedicated ally of disabled people, these workshops enable pupils to:

  • learn more about disability and human rights
  • hear disabled people’s perspectives
  • identify common stereotypes and some of the prejudices disabled people face
  • consider what disability is and how it arises
  • understand the difference between impairment and disability
  • review language and terminology used and the effect this can have on disabled people’s identities
  • learn about disabled people who have made a difference
  • ask sensitive questions anonymously
  • become advocates for disability equality

 

 

95-100% of participants say that they found our workshop helpful. 

Some of the reasons pupils have given for finding the workshop helpful are:

  • “I now respect people with disabilities.  I wasn’t bothered before but now I care.”
  • “It helped me see disability from a new perspective.”
  • “It helps people know that disabled people are equal to us.”
  • “It helped me understand that you shouldn’t judge people by the way they look.”
  • “Now I know that people can do different things in a different way.”
How long is each workshop?
Around 45 minutes, but this can be adjusted 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 your school day.

How many pupils should there be in each group?
The workshops are interactive, therefore more effective with smaller groups (20 pupils or so), but here too the choice is yours.

What year groups are these workshops for?
The workshops are suitable to all year groups in primary and secondary schools; we 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?
In most workshops we ask for a computer, projector and access to the internet.

Book now to take advantage of this offer:
To request a booking, please email the following information to admin@csie.org.uk

Special offer code DAW2016 Disability awareness workshops for pupils
  Offer price: £500+vat plus expenses (normal CSIE price: £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)

 

Get a free inspirational teaching resource

Welcome to Solar for Schools : a centre for inspirational learning . . . . that gives schools a great teaching resource, installed and maintained for free.

Discover what’s possible . . .improve your school as a centre for teaching and learning.  Join us. (No commitment, no cost to the school to register).

http://www.solarforschools.co.uk/track/hamilton/submit

We offer:

1.     A FREE teaching point that is relevant, practical and of value – free solar panels to the school that are maintained by us for free.

2.     FREE ideas that help you enhance learning – we are developing practical tools and ways to make learning for primary and secondary students more meaningful.

3.     FREE data downloads from your system so you can use real-time information to create graphs and explore and interrogate data.

With no capital your school

  • Gets a free solar panel system and renewable power for at least 20 years.
  • Cuts your energy bills in the medium to long term by fixing your electricity price.  Prices go up by RPI, never energy price inflation.
  • Cuts your carbon emissions, reduce your environmental impact.
  • Has a teaching resource that demonstrates your commitment to being more sustainable as a school.

Link your campus to your curriculum for free!

“It makes an excellent teaching point for the children who have a wonderful capacity to take on board new ideas.” Jackie Moss, Headteacher Trent Value Infant and Nursery School.

“Solar PV helps to frame discussions about sustainability and the statistics about generation and consumption will enable us to look at energy use, generation, security and conservation in a much more practical way giving relevance to our students.” Clair Wilkins, Weald of Kent Grammar

Discover if your school is eligible for a free solar panel system.  No obligation to register.

http://www.solarforschools.co.uk/track/hamilton/submit

Best wishes
Helen and Ann
Solar for Schools Team

PS – We manage over 50 systems in schools nationwide.  Get free solar panels and let’s create a better world.

Outstanding assemblies that pupils love and remember

Over 300 fully scripted assemblies available now with new assemblies added monthly saving you time and effort in the mornings.

AssemblyBox provides schools with a fast, easy and high-quality solution that delivers assemblies throughout the school year.

We are a subscription-based service for schools, providing access to an exciting online portfolio of assemblies. All of our assemblies are prepared by practicing teachers, industry leaders and specialist consultants.

Our assemblies are ready to use, simply download your chosen assembly and deliver it to your pupils.
•     Assemblies available to download in one click at www.assemblybox.co.uk
•     All assemblies come with a PowerPoint presentation
•     All assemblies are complete with ready-to-use key word cards
•     Ready to use certificates are available for reward assemblies based around the A-Z of Emotions
•     Each assembly is designed to be read aloud, just simply download and print your assembly then deliver it minutes later

AssemblyBox create fully scripted Primary School assemblies for all your School assembly needs.

Our assemblies are available in the following categories:

  • A-Z of Social and Emotional Stories
  • SEAL
  • Black History
  • Community and Citizenship
  • Famous People
  • Foundation Stage
  • World Religions
  • Saint Days
  • International Days
  • Around the World

But wait – there’s more! We want to give you a year’s membership to our great service for free. You can get another 12 month subscription to our great service for free simply by inviting others to join us. Ask the joining school to quote ‘Word of Mouth’ on their application and we’ll do the rest. Once three schools have signed up under your name, your next subscription is free. It’s that simple. Not only do you get great assemblies for every day of the year, you can get them for free!

From religious festivals to international days, social and emotional stories to countries and their national days, class assembly scripts to famous people, we have already done the hard work for you!

Your primary school assemblies are ready to pick up and use, incorporating an introduction, main story, reflection, prayer and personal promise; fitting perfectly into a fifteen minute school assembly session. School Assemblies at the click of a button – download as many assemblies as you need when you need them.

Our assemblies are available in the following categories:

  • World Religion and Festivals
  • A-Z of Emotions
  • Black History Month
  • Saint’s Days
  • Famous People
  • Countries and National Days
  • SEAL
  • Foundation Stage

Order your package today at www.assemblybox.co.uk