At a time when schools are experiencing staff shortages, pupil population increases, and frequent changes in governmental policies, it is proving to be increasingly difficult for headteachers to support staff in managing their workloads effectively (including their own).

As a result there is a high demand for readily available information documents that can be quickly and easily adapted to a schools’ unique vision, so that a considerable amount of time can be saved on the task of creating new school information documents.

Thus we have developed Resources for Headteachers – a new website containing ready-to-use, time-saving information which explores both well-established ideas and new approaches to school management.

Ready-made information documents include: school staff handbooks, action plans, audits, checklists of good practice, model letters, new school management techniques and tools, personal action plans, questionnaires for school improvement, reports, SWOT analyses, self-assessment surveys, and strategic plans.

To see some of the information documents that we have already produced for headteachers, you can download sample pages from three School Staff Handbooks at this link and also School Improvement Documents, School Staff Documents and School Management Documents.

On the same pages you can place an order online, and as soon as your payment is received you will have immediate access to download all the documents.

If you have any questions about the information documents, please do call us on 01600 891506, email sales@resourcesforheadteachers.co.uk or write to us at Teachers Resource Centre Ltd, Wyastone Business Park, Wyastone Leys, Monmouth, NP25 3SR.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can purchase the report…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=794

One of the things about inspectors is that they like to see proof that the school is doing what it claims to be doing.  Which, when it comes to parental engagement, can be a bit of a problem.

Unless, of course, you have an e-book collection of dual language books with videos which can be used at home by parents and children. You can also prove just how much uptake of the facility there is.

The e-books have audio content in English and the home language and links to pictures so that both children and parents can work together, irrespective of their English language capabilities. There are now over 425 books and 37 languages with English, and the list is growing.

As interactive e-books, which play back on computers, tablets and smartphones, distribution is quick and easy, with minimal administration effort – no problems of sending and managing returns, no problems of damage or loss. The e-books make reaching out to your parents very possible.

You can buy the e-books as collections – the Full collection, the Juniors collections, the Infants collection and the Nursery collection – with prices down to as little as 4p per book per year.

You can also buy the books individually for as little as £3.50 per year.

You can extend learning into the home by buying a licence for the e-book reader so that a parent can access all books in a collection free of charge. A parental licence costs only 50 pence per month and many schools either subsidise this or ask parents to contribute.

To see how these e-books work we have a short video presentation which includes “Billy Goats Gruff” in Polish and English, “Sports Day in the Jungle” in Bengali and English, and “Key Terms in Maths” in Turkish and English.
Please click here to watch the video.

Try for yourself how each book works along with the activities for building vocabulary and testing comprehension. Please take our free Trial Collection which provides a 7 day trial of 35 books in 9 languages with English. Write to brandon@mantralingua.com, quoting FREE Trial in the subject line

In addition to publishing stories from the BBC, various newspapers, specialist magazines and the government education departments, we like to publish other stories too.

Stories from schools, colleges and universities, and information from suppliers about products and services in the UK that will be of interest to teachers.

If you have a positive and interesting story about your school, that you feel might interest some of the teachers who read our site each week, (we’re currently getting over 300,000 visits a month) we’d love you to send it in.

Likewise if you have a product or service that could be of interest to teachers, please send information about that in too.

We do ask for a small (and it is small) contribution to our running costs from companies that are selling education products but information from educational institutions and information about free products and services is normally published without charge.

To submit a piece for inclusion on UK Education News just email Chris@hamilton-house.com and attach the story as a word file.  Please write, at the top of the file, the headline that you want to appear on the site.  Unfortunately we can’t include any pictures on this service, but you can include a link to your website in your text, and of course that can lead to a website containing as many illustrations as you like.

If we feel that a fee would be appropriate, we’ll email you back with details – we won’t publish it without your agreement.

If you would like to talk to us about any aspect of UK Education News please call 01536 399 000 and ask of the UK Education News team.

Tony Attwood

The Debate Chamber Summer Schools offer students 11-18 the opportunity to find out more about some fascinating subjects, prepare for university applications, meet like-minded peers and get to grips with some tough intellectual challenges.

The material will be challenging (for our older age-group, about the level of difficulty one might expect in the first year at university), but a relaxed atmosphere, with plenty of discussion, debate, and opportunities for students to shape the direction of classes creates the perfect environment for getting to grips with new ideas. Working in small groups (usually around 14 students per group) over several days means a real chance to get to know tutors and fellow students and to explore the topics or questions that particularly interest each individual.

Highlights of Summer 2016 for students interested in current affairs:

The Economics Summer School for students aged 15-18. Focusing on political economy and macro-economics, the five-day Economics Summer School will include seminars on a diverse range of topics, from financial and currency markets to an analysis of economic inequality and its potential remedies. We will also be looking in some detail at the causes and prognosis of the Eurozone crisis, and evaluating more generally the success of ‘austerity’ policies both in the UK and in the wider global context. The focus throughout will be on debate and discussion, and on encouraging and supporting students to engage critically and actively with the material.

The Politics Summer School for students aged 15-18. This five-day course will include seminars on key questions within political theory and philosophy, workshops on important policy areas, and analysis of changing voter behaviour (with a focus on the 2015 general election). The Summer School will conclude with a full day Mock Parliament, with participants taking the role of MPs, forming parties, making policy and debating legislation.

The Philosophy Summer School for students aged 15-18 offers two weeks of challenging material, covering a range of philosophical topics including meta and applied ethics, political philosophy, epistemology, metaphysics and logic. A great introduction to philosophy as a subject, as well as an opportunity to develop an all round academic skillset which will benefit students in any discipline.

Practical Details:

All the Summer School events will be held at University of London venues in Bloomsbury, Central London, and will take place in July and August 2016. Please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required.

You can find full details of schedules, dates, costs, student reviews and tutors at http://www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/. There is a limited amount of bursary funding available for students who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

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

Join our schools and together we can make sure you get solar power in your energy mix in 2016.

We have over 50 systems in schools nationwide.

“We are lucky to have the support of governors with the vision and confidence in the management team that allows us to embrace new initiatives, which are for the long-term good of the school,” Linda Davies, Parkside Academy 150kWp

Register with us. Discover how you can get solar panels even if you have no capital.  There is no commitment to registering.

Act before all subsidies disappear. Find out if you can:

• Get a free solar panel system and renewable power for at least 20 years
• Cut your energy bills in the medium to long term
• Cut your carbon emissions
• Have a teaching resource that demonstrates your commitment to being more sustainable as a school.

Our commitment to you is that despite huge government cutbacks in supporting solar for 2016, we will find a solar panel solution for you, ideally at no cost to yourself.  Make sure you are all signed up before the summer so you can enjoy solar power.

Do the right thing to reduce your impact on the environment. Put renewable power into your energy mix and show your students that the school is acting in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Kind regards,

Helen and Ann
Solar for Schools Team

Government warning: Government has once again cut its support of solar power in 2016 by over half. If your school is serious about getting renewable power into your energy mix, you need to act now before the support disappears completely.

According to one of my customers at Admiral Storage, there is a money-making scheme run by some particularly disreputable people that is currently doing the rounds.

He’s not part of it, of course, but over a coffee he told me a most disturbing story that calls the moral fibre of one or two people in the academic community into question.

The tale involves offering a conference for which delegates have to register in advance.  Anyone who then actually does turn up to the conference finds that, not only is it not taking place, but that the address for the conference that is given is in fact not a conference venue at all.  Generally speaking it is a pub. And not even an upper class pub at that.

These conferences can be on anything – “Climate Change” conferences (normally with the name “International” in the title) are particularly popular in this regard.  But choose an academic subject and you’ll find a conference on it going on somewhere this week.

The unsuspecting recipient of the promotional emails is invariably invited to submit a paper to be delivered at the conference, and when this is paper is accepted (as it always is) there is the request for an “administrative fee” to be paid by the speaker.

On the other hand delegates from developing countries can attend for free – a nice touch since it suggests there will be a big audience.

Of course, the address of the conference office is a fake, as is the address of the conference itself (pubs in north London seem to be nominated quite often – although I am not quite sure why.  Maybe addresses in south London don’t have the right ring).

So, I wondered, why would serious scientists be taken in by such a scam?  Wouldn’t they go a-checking before they submit their payment for delivering a speech or simply attending to listen to speeches?

Indeed I wondered that even more when I started to look at some of the email adverts for these scamferences as they have become known, because even without having any knowledge of or interest in some of the subjects that they deal with I could tell that the events were likely to be fraudulent.

The use of repeated exclamation marks (as in “delegates from developing countries can attend for free!!!!”) is normally quite a giveaway. As are the misspellings, the misuse of scientific jargon, and the complete misunderstanding of scientific measurement.

For example, in one advert I saw, a description of the space available in the “Main Conference Hall West” was accompanied by a statement that this is 300² m x 300² m – which would actually give us a room with four dimensions.  This, of course, could be fun and would presumably involve time travel, but doesn’t actually give one a sense that the organisers actually know about any science whatsoever.

However, as I discussed these matters with my colleagues at Admiral while contemplating the writing of this little note, I had it pointed out to me that the august “Central Hall Westminster” which is advertised as “Central London’s Largest Conference Venue” and most assuredly does exist, and does host some important conferences, has (according to its website) a “space” of “292sq”.  Square what, we are not told. Just square.

But, as I say, Central Hall Westminster is real and not involved in anything untoward. However the scamferences are completely unreal. So how is it that people sign up to go to them even when to me, as a total non-scientist, and indeed non-academic, I can see that this is not real?

I spoke to a few friends who are more in touch with the academic world than I am, and was told something rather alarming.

Obviously what I am going to reveal here relates to just a tiny, tiny, tiny number of people in the academic world, and not the overwhelming majority who are dedicated, hard-working people, who would never do anything amiss.

But it seems that there are a couple of reasons why a handful of scurrilous people could get involved.

The first is that participation in an international conference can look really good on a CV, and once the conference is over there may well be very few ways in which one can check that the conference actually took place.

However in this regard the scammers are themselves being scammed it seems, because in reality there is no need for the would-be academic even to register for the conference.  Just saying that he/she had been there could be enough.

The second is that some scurrilous academics are so certain that the administration of their august institutions is not all that it ought to be.  They are in fact simply looking for their institution to pay airfares and hotel bills and are certain that no one in admin is going to check that the event they are attending is actually taking place.

Indeed some (so I am told) even offer to pay for the admission to the conference themselves if the university will pay for the travel and residency costs.  “We’ll have to see receipts” says the administrator, attempting to appear efficient. And for this there is no problem.

It is indeed becoming a most murky world.

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

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

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

www.archive-document-storage.co.uk

It is becoming more and more competitive in the real world and after years of study how can we give students an advantage to help with the next chapter of their lives?

Flooglebinder offer structured placements that give students the opportunity to build a range of wider key skills which employers look for, such as: planning, preparation, communication skills, critical thinking, leaderships, adaptability and cultural awareness.

These programmes are also integrated into the curriculum and can incorporate a range of subjects including Science, Maths, Geography, History and Art, as well as higher more specialist subjects such as, Marine Biology, Anthropology, Zoology, Animal Behaviour, Animal Management and Ecology.

Whether students know what they would like to study or would like experience in these subject areas we can customise these trips to meet their objectives from basic field experience to data collection and research. Our study tour programmes are written to cater for the needs of the student outcomes and learning module objectives. We also offer x1 free teachers place for every 10 participating students.

We offer programmes in Borneo, Greece, India, Nepal, Thailand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, all of which have been tried and tested by us to offer students a secure and safe way to travel, develop and explore, whilst promoting the importance of sustainable travel.

The Flooglebinder team is made up of travel specialists, Marine Biologists, Animal Behaviour and Conservation Lecturers, Field Guides and Dive Masters. We would like to meet with you, and your students, to present Flooglebinder and discuss our amazing projects.

We looking forward to hearing from you.

Brad and Ian

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clare Martin

Newset Training

We all know that the students who are able to focus for the longest periods of time on what we’re saying without their attention wandering are the ones most likely to retain the information.

Conversely the students with short attention spans are also the ones most likely to be disruptive in class. No news there.

We would all dearly love to be teaching classes full of students who behaved well and hung onto our every word. Realistically, a totally perfect teaching/learning scenario is unlikely, but can we improve the situation?

We believe we can! We’ve developed extremely quiet background music designed specifically to enhance information retention and improve concentration. Also, as a bonus, disruptive behaviour is reduced.

If you’d like to know more, go to: Further information and media

Where you’ll be able to see a Teacher’s TV programme explaining why and how it works, listen to samples and purchase downloads of 12 hours of Calmer Classrooms Music for £79.99.

Calmer Classrooms music can be used and is effective across all age ranges, nursery, primary and secondary schools.

If you have any questions or queries about Calmer Classrooms Music please do call me on 07801 067386 or email: vo.fletcher@btinternet.com

Vo Fletcher

For anyone who has never previously presented a case study or undertaken their own research, the whole notion of what they are being asked to undertake can be completely overwhelming and daunting.

Indeed, if there is one question on their lips at that moment when the issue is first raised, it is most likely to be “What am I supposed to do?”

The problem is, of course, that they find themselves not just coming to terms with the issue of what GCSE art is all about, but simultaneously with the question of what research is and how it can be presented.

A lack of understanding can lead to a lack of confidence in what one is doing, and as a result some students can dither, unable to start for fear of doing the wrong thing or present work that is inappropriate or way below the standard that you know they could achieve.

To help overcome this problem Pam Bradshaw has produced Presenting Research in Art and Design.

It starts by examining what a case study is and how to research, structure and present a comprehensive and successful piece of work.

It goes on to work through four separate examples with workpacks on a painter (Van Gogh), a designer (Vivienne Westwood), an art discipline (African masks) and an art movement (Pop Art).

Each workpack contains sections on contextual studies, objective description and subjective response, with worksheets on the compilation and ordering of information and its presentation.

There is also a section on both solo and group oral presentations – an area which is often a source of extreme anxiety for students. This section includes tips and exercises on research, structuring and the presentation skills required.

Presenting Research: Art and Design GCSE
Publisher’s reference: T1598emn       ISBN: 978 1 86083 637 4
Sample pages can be viewed on www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1598.pdf

Prices

• 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…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=439

All organisations have a duty of care to keep their entrances and exits safe – which for schools means having them well lit for pupils, students, and staff, and for adult education classes coming and going in the evening.

And the thought of additional lighting to meet modern safety requirements might sound like an expensive operation – except for one thing.   For it is now possible to install external lighting that has zero energy costs.

Now to be clear, that is not “next to nothing” (meaning it costs you something but it may not be as much as you are paying now) but is in fact zero.  Not a penny.

This can be achieved by installing solar bollards that are charged by solar energy and which retain their energy especially well by giving off a low level light until someone approaches.  At this point the level of light is increased before dying away once the individual has moved on.

Better still, installation is very easy – there are no trenches to be dug, no cabling needed, and thus no resurfacing after installation.

There are pictures and summary details on our website and there is a complete set of information about installation and technical specifications here.

If you have any questions about the use of zero energy cost solar bollards for walkways, please do call us on 01280 701 093 or email sales@greenbarnes.co.uk

Michael Barnes

Learning-outside-the-classroom raises your school’s profile

Schools that regularly undertake learning-outside-the-classroom in their local area are able to form stronger links with groups and individuals in their community. And schools that regularly undertake learning-outside-the-classroom further afield are visible within the community through the school’s branding (uniforms, logos on the school minibus, etc.)

Your school thus has the opportunity to showcase its efforts and achievements and to communicate the school values which could lead to positive media coverage, impressing Ofsted and encouraging prospective parents to send their child to your school.

Reward, motivation and to boost morale

Not every school trip has to be based around learning. Sometimes, if there is time left at the end of term and the budget permits (or parents are willing to pay for it), the school might decide to plan a school trip as a reward for the work pupils have done, or to boost morale and further motivate them to future learning.

To ignite or re-ignite a passion for a subject

Benefit two links in nicely with benefit three. Learning-outside-the-classroom can be beneficial for pupils who are new to the school as it can ignite a passion for a subject which they may not have been introduced to before.

It can also be beneficial to existing pupils to re-ignite a passion for a subject, particularly after a period of exams, for example.

Improves pupils’ understanding of the world and where they (could) fit in

Learning-outside-the-classroom can also be highly beneficial to students when it comes to deciding which career they would like to pursue. School trips enable students to experience activities and events that they don’t have the opportunity to experience in the classroom, thus giving them a better understanding of where, in society, they (could) fit in.

Trust, independence and responsibility

With learning-outside-the-classroom comes an element of trust in terms of pupils’ behaviour as many school rules aren’t applicable when pupils are outside the school’s grounds. This thus devolves increased responsibility on to your pupils and encourages increased independence, which is of course a vital life skill.

Learning-outside-the-classroom can encourage diversity

Given that the demographics of pupils in a school are representative of the demographics of the people in the local area, schools located in an area where ethnic and cultural diversity is lacking naturally find it more difficult to fulfil Ofsted’s diversity requirements.

Therefore, by undertaking regular learning-outside-the-classroom activities (depending on where your pupils go, what your pupils do, and whom your pupils encounter) the school can offer good evidence to Ofsted that your school is encouraging diversity.

To cement the learning that they have done in the classroom

This is perhaps the most beneficial outcome of learning-outside-the-classroom. And there is not just one reason, but three that we can think of, for learning-outside-the-classroom being remembered more readily by pupils than learning-inside-the-classroom.

Firstly, learning-outside-the-classroom provides real-life applications of concepts learnt in the classroom which not only provides a greater understanding of these concepts, but also highlights to pupils why what they are learning matters.

Secondly, learning-outside-the-classroom often takes on a different type of learning style, steering more towards kinaesthetic learning than visual and auditory learning – styles which are used most commonly in the classroom. This therefore gives pupils, who learn best through movements and experience, the opportunity to learn in their preferred style.

Thirdly, some learning-outside-the-classroom can provoke an emotional response from your pupils which cannot be provoked in the classroom. Connecting their learning with emotion will ensure that the information they have learnt will be remembered more readily. This type of learning-outside-the-classroom might be a visit to a WW1 memorial or to a theatre production, for example.

Of course, as school minibus leasing is our area of specialty, if your school requires a (new) school minibus in order to undertake learning-outside-the-classroom, you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk for more information.

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

How is it possible for a dedicated student to fail to get the grades s/he wants despite long hours of revision?

All too often, the answer is simple.  The type of revision that has been done at home by this promising student has been ineffective, focusing on knowledge acquisition rather than understanding.

It is this observation that leads to the thought that the knowledge one needs to give to students is that knowledge is not quite as important as they think.

The typical weighting for knowledge in a GCSE Geography exam is only between 30 and 40% of the marks.  But, despite this fact, left to their own devices some of my students would happily devote near to 100% of their geography revision time to the retention of knowledge.

Some, in pursuit of the magical A* grade, will recreate their notes into beautifully colour co-ordinated works of Post-It note art or elaborate mind maps. But still, despite all the work, these students will ignore the other 60-70% of the marks that are not knowledge based.

So, it may be argued that in the classroom the teacher no longer has to emphasise knowledge.  As creatures of habit, students will still spend plenty of time on knowledge acquisition, leaving the teacher free to fill their revision sessions with activities that enable them to practise applying that knowledge and honing their skills.

“The Secret to Successful Revision” makes clear that students retain more by actively re-working their knowledge in different ways than by reading revision guides or following revision lessons.  It deals with methods of revising geography which take into account the way exams are marked.  It covers “command words” and “maximising marks on terms and definitions”, simplifying case studies, using data from graphs and maps, and much more.

The Secret to Successful Revision is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues as often as you want.

There are sample pages from the book at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1808samples.pdf and you can order it at  http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=76_112&products_id=776

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

The Secret to Successful Revision 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

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 the social topics such as drug taking which other volumes (and indeed assemblies and PSHE lessons) will already have covered extensively.

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…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=790

As a proactive primary school leader, you’ll know that one of the cornerstones of effective leadership is having the support of a strong, motivated and passionate team.

But even with a close-knit team, it’s possible to miss areas where you can build on existing skills or spot opportunities to develop new skills that will help you fill gaps in your team’s practice.

Two former primary heads – Ann O’Hara and Heather Clements – have created a system that helps your team find and fix these gaps.

Their answer – called What is Good Leadership (WIGL for short) – has been developed over five years, working with primary leadership teams in a wide range of contexts and drawing on national and international research.

Written to meet the specific needs of primary schools, the WIGL tool kit is already helping leadership teams like yours to:

• Clarify expectations of leadership
• Systemise judgements on effectiveness
• Pinpoint areas for development
• Promote strategic leadership
• Support appraisal, development and effectiveness of middle leaders
• Help with job descriptions and appraisal targets
• Promote self-evaluation and 360 degree review of an individual or whole school team

So, What is Good Leadership?

What is Good Leadership is an in-depth, self review toolkit that provides clear descriptions of the expectations of middle leaders, specific to the roles found in most primary schools.

It is progressive – enabling future leaders to develop and improve their skills at each level and translate those skills into a more senior role over time. In fact, it helps teachers progress from early subject leadership through to senior leadership and headship.

Fully matched to Ofsted

It is also fully matched to Ofsted expectations, so schools using it can be confident that their judgements are soundly based.

Each tool kit comes fully loaded with a USB stick with guidance on using WIGL in a number of different contexts – from peer review to supporting mentoring, developing CPD and performance management.

The pack is priced at £175 + VAT and contains everything you need to start understanding and improving your team’s practice.

You can purchase What is Good Leadership directly from our bookshop.

Or if you would like to see some sample pages from the kit, or order directly from me, my email address is james@imaginativeminds.co.uk. My direct line is 0121 224 7584.

I look forward to hearing from you.

James Mason
Marketing
Teaching Times

Tel: 0121 224 7584 | Fax: 0121 224 7598

PS Paying by invoice? You can order from the bookshop and select the ‘Pay by invoice’ option at the checkout.

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…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=492

We all know that the students who are able to focus for the longest periods of time on what we’re saying without their attention wandering are the ones most likely to retain the information.

Conversely the students with short attention spans are also the ones most likely to be disruptive in class. No news there.

We would all dearly love to be teaching classes full of students who behaved well and hung onto our every word. Realistically, a totally perfect teaching/learning scenario is unlikely, but can we improve the situation?

We believe we can! We’ve developed extremely quiet background music designed specifically to enhance information retention and improve concentration. Also, as a bonus, disruptive behaviour is reduced.

If you’d like to know more, go to: Further information and media

Where you’ll be able to see a Teacher’s TV programme explaining why and how it works, listen to samples and purchase downloads of 12 hours of Calmer Classrooms Music for £79.99.

Calmer Classrooms music can be used and is effective across all age ranges, nursery, primary and secondary schools.

If you have any questions or queries about Calmer Classrooms Music please do call me on 07801 067386 or email: vo.fletcher@btinternet.com

Vo Fletcher

Postura one piece classroom chairs have been in use in UK schools and colleges for over 15 years. Every chair carries a TEN year warranty against manufacturing defects…so no maintenance or replacement costs for a decade or more.

This could mean significant financial benefits compared with alternative products.

But that’s not all……….

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

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

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

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

Why not visit their website: www.centraleducational.co.uk or phone 020 7515 1797 and ask to speak to Martin Evans who will do his best to help. You can also email: signpost@talk21.com

PS. In addition to the Postura Plus chairs described above you can also order classroom tables, exam desks, stools etc.

Teaching Times has reported on research carried out by Merlin Learning Experiences aimed at finding out how both primary and secondary school teachers would assess the perfect school trip.

In interviews with teachers, Merlin Learning Experiences was able to identify the priority that teachers placed on the various aspects and outcomes of school trips, including:

Out of these, teachers cited “links to the curriculum”, “organisation” and “cost” as the least important aspects of schools trips, with many reporting that they saw “enjoyment” and “forming relationship” as core aspects.

However, teachers clearly cited “safety” on school trips as the highest priority of all, both in terms of securing sign-off for the trip and undertaking a risk assessment.

Which naturally means that the job of maintaining the school’s minibus in top condition (for example) has to be of the highest priority.

But there is a problem. Because not only is this an issue of the utmost importance, but it can also take up a significant amount of time. And it is not a job that can be put off until tomorrow.

Of course, if the person nominated to be in charge of the School’s Transport Policy always has time at the moment when the maintenance is due, then there is no problem. But if this is not the case, it can mean that the vehicle is either being used outside its safety parameters or has to be taken off the road.

However there is a solution.

For if you lease a minibus with Benchmark we will arrange for the vehicle to receive regular maintenance and servicing checks by qualified engineers, giving you the comfort of knowing that the school minibus is fully operational and safe.

What’s more, our leasing option means that you can benefit from improved budgeting and cash flow, as there will be no unexpected bills suddenly to be paid.

It is an arrangement which very often makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month. And in some cases, where trips are paid for by contributions from parents and the PTA, it is possible to allocate a part of those payments towards the cost of the minibus.

You can find more information on our website or give us a call on 01753 859944.

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

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

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

Many UK schools are providing new outdoor covered facilities and CambridgeStyle Canopies is at the forefront of providing the solutions.

Working within schools everyday we have a thorough knowledge of the exacting requirements demanded

New facilities for staff & students alike include new outdoor covered walkways and areas for learning/play/parents waiting areas and new modern cycle storage solutions.

Extremely proud of our reputation for highest quality of both products & service at very competitive costs to our clients, why not see how we can help you with new facilities.

Don’t delay. Call or email us today to book your site survey. Please quote HH1

Brian Taylor
Managing Director
CambridgeStyle Canopies
01353 699009
SEE OUR VAST RANGE OF OUTDOOR COVERED AREA SOLUTIONS
www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk
“WE’VE GOT IT COVERED   NOBODY DOES IT BETTER”
 ESPO CONTRACT 615     BUY WITH CONFIDENCE
  office@cambridgestyle.org

Putting a dictionary in the hands of a student can not only help them develop their writing skills and make them a more confident speller but in some cases a few extra words spelt correctly can tip the balance between getting a grade D or a grade C at GCSE English..(and quite possibly in other subjects as well).

Collins English dictionaries are used in many UK schools and are widely respected for their accuracy and content.  They are ideal for prizes or incentives as well as for day to day use in lessons, homework and revision.

But did you know that it is now possible for schools to obtain FREE copies of Collins English dictionaries?

The Collins English dictionary lists approx. 15,000 words on 615 pages and is a normal paperback size (176 x 110 mm).  Suitable for students from KS3 up to A level, it has an RRP of £6.99 but schools and colleges can order @ £2.99 each, a saving of £4 per copy.

So what about the free dictionaries …..?

Orders of 100 or more copies will receive 50% extra copies free of charge, eg order 100 dictionaries and you’ll receive 50 extra copies free,  order 300 copies and get an extra 150 free…. and so on, pro-rata.  Schools can order any quantity but the FREE offer only applies to orders of 100 or more.

Further details of the dictionaries and this offer may be obtained from Signpost Educational Ltd., PO Box 999, London E14 6SH.  Tel: 020 7515 1797 or email: signpost@talk21.com.  Information may  also be found on their website: www.signposteducational.co.uk

PS. In addition to the dictionary offer, schools can also obtain “Student Essentials” sets, designed to meet the basic needs of students in most lessons.  Comprising three black ink ballpens, two full size HB pencils, metal sharpener, eraser and a 15 cm ruler…all packed in a clear “exam friendly” zip-up wallet from only 75p each ex vat.  Ideal for handing out in lessons or selling to pupils for everyday use as well as for exams.  Details on the website as above.

Working in a school has side effects – one of which is becoming an expert in fields which you never even knew existed. From an expert chair and workbook fixer to an expert product reviewer, particularly where stationery is concerned.

Not to mention when it comes to looking after the school’s minibus, because well… you may have noticed (if this is in your jurisdiction) that you are also an expert mechanic (at least in terms of topping up the screen wash and checking the tyre pressure), an expert driver, and an expert at shopping around for the best deals on motor insurance.

And whilst expanding your skillset is always a good thing (and can be enjoyable), sometimes there just isn’t the time in the day, term, year, or career to do everything and be everyone.

Thus the team here at Benchmark Leasing has for some time been working hard to create the most convenient minibus leasing packages for schools in order to reduce your workload – an arrangement whihc has evolved through feedback from school managers and site managers.

So here goes…

The maintenance

By leasing with Benchmark you will get a brand new minibus which means that there is a reduced chance of anything going wrong. Better yet, a full maintenance programme is included in the arrangement in which our professional engineers will undertake all the standard maintenance and servicing for you.

So no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

This effectively reduces the onus that is put on the person who is nominated in the school’s transport policy to look after the minibus. Indeed, it was to overcome issues and difficulties such as this that we introduced full maintenance as part of our minibus leasing.

The funding

By leasing a minibus with us the cost is spread over time with fixed monthly costs, and can be accounted for in the budget. The PTA can still contribute by raising money to pay for the monthly payments, but there is no longer that long wait for a large capital sum to be accumulated.

Additionally, where trips are paid for by contributions from parents and the PTA, it is possible to allocate a part of those payments towards the cost of the minibus. In other cases the minibus can be funded through a small monthly deduction from the school’s income.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply of school minibuses and because of this we are able to offer very competitive prices.

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

Ideal for STEM and re-usable at only £39.95

So how do you give young people the opportunity to solve problems and develop creative thinking skills whilst they are still at school?

STEM resources have been developed to provide teachers with a way of giving students experience of solving problems and gaining confidence in how to respond to challenges. Good maths based problem solving exercises are hard to come by.

So in order that students might see how things can easily go wrong and how, by working together and sharing information they can go right, we’ve put together a business exercise called Safe Delivery which is designed to give students experience of solving a difficult maths based problem and to develop creative thinking skills.

The exercise is suitable for small teams of KS4 and 6^th form students who will each act as managers in a business.  Each manager will have individual briefing notes which they must read carefully and then communicate to the rest of their team.

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

This resource contains: For the students:
A memo that sets out the task
5 detailed briefs for different managers in the business and one scribe
A floor plan of the office building showing all the obstacles that need to be overcome

For the teacher:
Clear teachers’ guidance notes that explain how to run the exercise
A snapshot crucial information chart
The written solution
The solution on a power point presentation

There are more details at…
http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/safe-delivery-exercise/

You can pay and download the exercise direct from our website using Paypal or you may wish to pay with a purchase order number. Simply e-mail your purchase order number to us and we will send the exercise to you along with the invoice for payment.  For more information e-mail Julie@c-l-e.co.uk

A common problem that comes with teaching secondary school pupils who require additional support in literacy is that there is often a lack of interesting, informative and age-appropriate, ready-made material available.

Fortunately, Ark Educational has produced the “Literacy Through…”  Worksheets Series, which is a resource containing an extensive range of activity worksheets designed to support your pupils on their journey to becoming confident in their literacy abilities.

The worksheets within the volume are all designed so that they can be used either as a one-off or as a series of highly varied tasks. Activities range from comprehension questions and fill in the gap exercises, to filling in forms and completing a Wordsearch (for example).

Throughout, the volume encourages the development of fundamental literacy skills, such as: comprehension, vocabulary, descriptive writing, grammar, tenses, definitions, phonics, word-building, vowels, compound words and punctuation, among just a few.

What’s more, the resource is divided up into eight sections, each of which is based on a different subject area: Literacy Through… English, Literacy Through… Geography, Literacy Through… History, Literacy Through… ICT, Literacy Through… PE, Literacy Through… RE, Literacy Through… Science and Literacy Through… Technology.

To order the “Literacy Through…” Worksheets Series, simply fill in the order form and send it by fax, email, or post (see contact details below). If you have a school order number, you can also order by phone.

• Telephone: 01536 399 011
• Fax: 01536 399 01
• Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• Postal address: First and Best in Education, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH

Alternatively, you can order the “Literacy Through…” Worksheets Series online as a download for £20 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.

To accompany one of our brand new KS4 Problem Solving presentations, we’ve created a free classroom poster!

Nazir and Chloe share 72 sweets. Chloe has 18 more sweets than Nazir. In what ratio do Nazir and Chloe share the sweets?

Ask your students to work through the problem on the poster, then open up the accompanying presentation to find the worked solution and the answer!

Download the poster from our Doddle Maths page!

Doddle Maths provides teaching, homework and assessment resources for KS3 and KS4 which are fully updated for the new curriculum, and includes resources with a specific focus on problem solving skills. For a free tour of how Doddle can help support your teaching, book a free in-school visit!

Alice
Doddle

With reports suggesting that one fifth of children are failing to meet the expected Level 4 standard in at least one of the “three Rs”, it highlights the importance of having a comprehensive literacy programme, not only in each school, but across the UK.

Which is why MSL has devised The Complete Reading and Spelling Programme

This programme covers all 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.

The 90 rules and associated topics can be seen on our website where you can see the structured order of teaching that we have introduced.

What we have then done is broken these 100 topics 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 pupil 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.

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 & 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

People who find themselves undertaking interviews of students who are seeking a job or who are looking for a place on a course love to share horror stories.

They talk of the young women who don’t turn their mobile off, or worse, actually check their phone while in the interview.

They share stories about school leavers who write outrageous comments on social media about their school, college or current employer, and then can’t believe that their potential employer or course organiser has actually looked them up.

Such tales of course tell us what we already know: that many young people are very naïve when it comes to applications and interviews.

Which is why we produced “101 Ways to be Successful at Job and College Interviews.”

Like all good manuals this one starts with a premise, and here the premise is that an interview is a two way process, allowing the candidate to get an idea of what the company or college is like as well as being a chance to impress potential employers and lecturers.

Thus we ask the most obvious question: “Why do you want this job/course?” and moves onto the variations, such as thinking about “Why do you want to work for this company”, “Why do you want to study here?” and so on.

Each of the 101 Ways is an exercise or an activity as well as providing information on what to do in different situations. Thus 101 Ways will enable your students to prepare thoroughly for first job or college interviews and help them to manage any nerves.

Students can dip into chapters that will help them brush up on specific bits of preparation or use it as a workbook from start to finish as a complete guide to being successful at interviews.

This book has been written by an experienced recruiter who both trains recruiters and helps inexperienced interviewees of all ages. Each chapter covers a different aspect of the interview process with 101 practical and thought provoking tips that have been proven to work.

Teachers may also use this book as a class resource in Careers, English, Drama, PSHE, Citizenship or other lessons to prepare pupils for interview practices or the real thing. Each chapter is followed by a series of suggested exercises, mostly working in pairs or small groups, which develop the key themes of that chapter.

You can see some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/careers/T1633.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1633EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 683 1

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £9.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £9.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £16.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1633EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=461

The answer to the question is simple: for the students to undertake activities relating to the topics that they are studying. Topics which they may have touched on in everyday life, but which they have never considered in terms of academic study.

Through such activities the students can engage in independent learning, develop their application skills and evaluation skills, and judge their own progress using the success criteria linked to examiner comments and the skills needed at each level.

Seven separate areas are covered within this resource: Social Influence, Memory, Attachments, Research Methods, Approaches in Psychology, Biopsychology, and Psychopathology

By way of example, the memory section of the resource starts with a sorting activity so that the students can clarify the difference between the multi-store model of memory and the working model of memory.  This is followed by a number of tasks to reinforce understanding of long-term memory types by relating them to real life examples.   And finally there is a section with activities on types of forgetting, looking at factors affecting the accuracy of eyewitness testimony and analysing and assessing cognitive interview techniques.

A similar level of depth is covered through each of the other topics.

There are sample pages at  http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1839sample.pdf

AQA Psychology Teaching Resources – AS and Yr1 Level is published as a download so that you can immediately receive a copy onto your computer, from which you can print out pages for colleagues and students as often as you want.  You can also put it on your school learning platform so all staff can access the document – and indeed you can make it part of the induction documentation for new members of staff.

You can obtain AQA Psychology Teaching Resources – AS and Yr1 Level by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=73&products_id=787

The price is £12 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

AQA Psychology Teaching Resources – AS and Yr1 Level is published by First and Best in Education, part of the Hamilton House group.  If you have any enquiries you can call 01536 399 011, or email sales@firstandbest.co.uk or write to us at First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH.

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

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

DVD 30 Minutes

With the debate about Trident and the pros and cons offered by both sides taking place,  Concord have released a DVD which looks at the effects a 1 Megaton bomb would have if detonated over St Paul’s in London.

A single missile fired from a trident submarine carries three nuclear bombs with a total strength stated to be the equivalent of a 1 Megaton bomb. This is pretty big when you consider 1 Megaton equals 1000 kilotons and the Hiroshima bomb totalled 15 kilotons.

Using U.S. Congress and British Home Office official data, this programme shows what would actually happen if a one megaton warhead burst a mile above St Paul’s cathedral in the centre of London

Within 30 seconds houses six miles away would be reduced to rubble, winds of 80 – 90 miles per hour would toss objects pell-mell, and shatter windows, sending shards of glass through the air at 120 feet per second, slicing skin.

Paper and other light material would ignite spontaneously. Those in sight of the light would suffer severe third degree burns, charring skin to black carbon and causing permanent retinal burns.

Two couples carried out civil defence measures to see how effective these measures would be. For ten days they lived in temporary constructions following government guidelines. The film looks at how they fared, but suggests that after an actual explosion it is highly unlikely they would emerge at all.

This programme which is ideal as an introduction to a number of subjects can be rented on our Video on Demand system for £1.63. For this you can view as often as you like within a 48 hour period of your own choosing.

Cost of a DVD  £16.30 plus postage

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

How does one get every pupil involved in a discussion?

Obviously if one tries to do this with 30+ children in the class one can end up with such short contributions that “discussion” is hardly the word for it.

Besides which, some children love to talk – others, not so much. Some can write amazing stories at the drop of a hat, but will hardly say a word in class.

The solution involves giving children a voice in collaborative learning in a new way. One starts by posing an interesting question, before allowing the children to document (by writing or drawing) their ideas on their tablets or similar devices.

Nureva™ Span™ classroom collaboration system, for example, lets children capture their thoughts in a variety of ways – words don’t have to be the focus. Even those who are always first to raise their hands can benefit from the time to think and reflect before sharing.

Of course, one also wants to help the children order and control their ideas, and this is where the sharing comes in: by letting all the children see what  others have produced and then weaving other people’s ideas into their own.

This of course also helps teach children that to some questions there is no right answer, and that quite often one answer is as valid as any other.

On an interactive surface like the Nureva Span system, ideas can be moved around, regrouped and adjusted by the teacher or the child. It’s another way of inviting children to take an active role in the collaboration process.

After this the work can be saved and then children can go back online and add a few more notes and ideas.  Because everything is recorded it’s easy for the notes from one session to become the starting point for a makerspace project or for a small group to take a closer look at one aspect of a bigger topic.

The Nureva Span classroom collaboration system is available from Smarter Interactive – approved suppliers of the software for the UK.  We provide both pre- and post-sale training, helping schools make the right choices in terms of the products they buy and also making sure the equipment we supply is implemented and used effectively.

To see Nureva Span in action, please click here.

If you would like any further information, please do call 0118 336 0010, email enquiries@smarterinteractive.co.uk or fill in in our contact form by clicking here.

Ofsted’s recent report ‘Key Stage 3: The Wasted Years?’ calls into question the lack of priority that is placed on KS3 after 1,600 inspections judged that “pupils’ progress and achievement were not good enough”, with schools often placing greater focus on KS4.

So how do we bring the focus back to KS3 to ensure our assessment systems are robust and rigorous, and those ever important foundations are laid? [Read more]

In our latest blog, Gemma, one of our Senior Education Advisers, reflects on how we can balance attention between KS3 and KS4 by using a consistent, all-through assessment system.
Read the full text here:  www.doddlelearn.co.uk/blog/KS3-KS4-Balance

To discuss your school’s assessment requirements in person, book an in-school visit from a Doddle Educational Consultant for your next SLT meeting: www.doddlelearn.co.uk/bookavisit

Alice
Doddle

To be of real use, lessons that are recorded need to be real lessons – not lessons that look and feel as if they have been staged for the camera.

Both pupils and teachers need to be relaxed, and that means that there should be nothing in the classroom (such as a large camera, a tripod or a technician) that reminds everyone that, “This lesson is being recorded”.

When such a lesson takes place, the reactions (both from teachers and pupils) are remarkable.  They are impressed that was all so easy to do, that there was no complex set up, no stranger in the room.

And the teacher, now more relaxed about the procedure, often says, “I can already see what I could do better.”

What’s more, the Lessonbox Mobile recording equipment is portable and can be used by any teacher in any room or building. There’s nothing to stop it being used to record a number of lessons by different teachers each day even in different schools.  In effect, the recording of lessons quickly becomes the norm.

Once recording is complete, schools can use the Lessonbox Cloud platform to save it securely, share, add comments, and attach related documents.

You can even use the Cloud’s desktop recorder to record your own screen and add video and commentary to PowerPoint presentations.

Recorded lessons can be kept for CPD, self-evaluation, and examples of excellent teaching and learning.  In addition, the Cloud can be used to deliver lessons to students away from the classroom, if required, using the flipped classroom model. And if you have any concerns about having enough space to store all the resultant content, we can solve that too.

In fact, it has never been easier to share good practice.

If you would like to know more you can watch a teacher set up the equipment and prepare to record here, and see just how extraordinarily easy the whole process is. If you would like to know about our Lessonbox Cloud options click here.

To discuss how Lessonbox can work in your school please call 0845 519 3660 or if you have any specific questions please do email info@lessonbox.co.uk

Andrew Jenkins

Primary schools across the UK have refused to take part in a series of tests because they are making children tearful. Unfortunately, this is not an option for secondary schools, even though older students can experience these same overwhelming emotions when it comes to exams.

So what is the most effective way of supporting your students in dealing with the pressure of exams?

One way which has proven to be highly effective comes from looking at how new recruits in the army prepare for combat. Many of the skills that new recruits have to acquire would be beneficial to students who are struggling to deal with the pressures of exams.

This is because everyone involved in a mission knows that success is not a possibility; it is essential. There are no second chances. This gives them the motivation and determination that students need in order to perform well in their exams and achieve their desired results.

Such skills include application, attention to detail and focus, the avoidance of excuses, and, above all, a determination to succeed, no matter what.

It is for this reason that upon leaving the army I formed Major Motivator – to share these invaluable skills (which are central to army training) with young people through a range of fun, inspiring, and motivational seminars.

Your pupils will be shown a wide range of innovative strategies to help them tackle the array of challenges that they face between now and their exams – from being overwhelmed by the sudden increase in their workload, to coming to terms with the greater onus placed on them to manage their own revision.

Whatever challenges your students are facing with regard to their upcoming exams, our team of dedicated ex-military staff will equip them with effective revision strategies that we have acquired (and adapted) from schools across the UK.

It is essential that young people today realise that their future success is under their control.

If they want it enough, if they are determined enough, they can succeed.

You can find more information about the different ways that we work with schools by visiting www.majormotivator.co.uk. Alternatively, you can call us on 01536 399010 or email us at info@majormotivator.co.uk.

SMSC is a big feature of the New Ofsted Common Inspection Framework.  Given that you are probably already providing your pupils with an abundance of SMSC education in a less formal way, this should make meeting the requirements of the CIF fairly straightforward.

The difficult bit, of course, is proving to Ofsted that you are actively providing SMSC learning.

So the first step to ensuring that you are meeting the requirements of the CIF is to analyse each and every aspect of your pupils’ education to identify exactly where and when SMSC learning is taking place.

The second step is as simple as logging this SMSC. And the third step is to evaluate the effectiveness of these SMSC provisions so that they can be developed and ultimately meet Ofsted’s demands – which can be slightly more challenging.

To ensure that this three-step process doesn’t take up too much of your time we have developed SMSC Gridmaker – a time-efficient way of auditing SMSC across the whole school.

Thus, SMSC Gridmaker allows you and your colleagues to focus more attention on implementing SMSC learning itself, rather than the bureaucracy and paperwork that comes with it.

It is an online tool which makes it possible to log SMSC activities in a matter of seconds, analyse whole-school SMSC at the click of a button, and share evidence of SMSC in the form of dynamic bar charts and PDF reports with others.

Furthermore, SMSC Gridmaker can be tailored to your school’s areas of SMSC priority to include criteria such as British values, PSHE, Citizenship, and so on.

To see how SMSC GridMaker can help your school to collect evidence of your SMSC provisions and evaluate these provisions to create an SMSC improvement

When we consider that 65% of the population are visual learners, it is clear that the use of visual materials in lessons is going to be highly beneficial for teaching and learning.

For not only will the use of such materials ensure that your pupils can identify relationships and distinctions between one concept and another, but it will also ensure that they will remember and recall the knowledge that they have learnt more readily in the future.

And so it is for this reason that we have developed the Graphic Organisers Set of 3 books, each containing 60 open-ended graphic organiser sheets.

Our Graphic Organisers encourage learners to organise their ideas visually, which in turn enables them to process, analyse, and synthesise ideas in a wholly different way. As a result, your pupils’ understanding and critical thinking skills will be enhanced, leading to greater attainment in assessments.

Graphic Organisers for Any Subject contains 60 open-ended graphic organisers to support your pupils’ learning in an array of subject areas.

The subject-specific graphic organisers for Reading and Writing support your visual learners in remembering and recalling the various concepts in literacy more readily.

Graphic Organisers for Reading contains 60 graphic organisers for fiction and non-fiction, literary elements and genre, and reading in any content area. The organisers can be used to reinforce important reading strategies.

And Graphic Organisers for Writing contains 60 graphic organisers for writing fiction and non-fiction and integrating explicit elements of good writing. The organisers can be used to produce excellent writing.

You can order the Graphic Organisers Set 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

It is almost inevitable that things will go wrong on school trips because, as you will know if you have ever had the pleasure to organise one, there are some things over which you have little or no control.

A couple of weeks ago TES set out five things that are expected to go wrong on school trips, some of which you may be able to relate to. Here they are in TES’ own words:

“1) Permission slips – You told them they would need one numerous times, you told their parents they would need one numerous times, and you emailed/texted/posted a letter saying exactly the same thing. And yet, here they are: excited, grinning with enthusiasm, all their kit ready and not a single permission slip in sight.

“2) The packed lunches – You’ve spent 30 minutes travelling in a 1970s living room (complete with curtains) masquerading as a coach, and for some reason every child has already eaten their lunch. Quite why school trips cause insatiable hunger, no one knows, but what you do know is that your carefully prepared meal is going to be shared into 30 equal parts.

“3) The lost items – Yes, they’ve had the spiel about the school not being responsible for lost or stolen items, but guess who is running back through every exhibition room searching for a missing iPod? Wide-eyed and frantic, you interrogate anyone who looks vaguely official, only to eventually get a call from another teacher to say that the iPod has been found. At the bottom of the child’s bag…

“4) The vomit – Excessive excitement, excessive sugar, excessive tiredness and excessively aggressive driving by the coach driver. There is no combination more accomplished at causing vomit than that. You reach for the sick bag, but you know it’s too late. The children in the seats behind scramble for safety as the stream of sick winds slowly towards the back of the coach.

“5) Missing parents – You begin to think that, this time, things are going to be different. But then you spot them: the one student stood on their own. A phone call, some swearing, and then a screech into the car park. The frantic parent loads the student into the car with profuse apologies and protests that they are “sure it said 5pm not 4pm”. And with that, you finally head home, vowing never to do this again but knowing full well you’ll be repeating the process next term.”

However there is one thing that has to be every teacher’s nightmare scenario but which is one thing over which they do actually have some control:  and that is the possibility of the minibus breaking down.

For you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a breakdown by ensuring that the school’s minibus is enrolled on a full maintenance programme – just one of the services that Benchmark offers as part of the leasing arrangements they have with schools.

And another benefit of leasing a minibus with Benchmark is that it can often work out to be cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value of a school bus at the end of its working life), or hiring a coach each time.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month, which benefits both the budget and cash flow.

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

Link to TES article: https://www.tes.com/news/school-news/breaking-views/friday-five-things-always-go-wrong-school-trips

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

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

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

Ideal for STEM and re-usable at only £39.95
So how do you give young people the opportunity to solve problems and develop creative thinking skills whilst they are still at school?

STEM resources have been developed to provide teachers with a way of giving students experience of solving problems and gaining confidence in how to respond to challenges. Good maths based problem solving exercises are hard to come by.

So in order that students might see how things can easily go wrong and how, by working together and sharing information they can go right, we’ve put together a business exercise called Safe Delivery which is designed to give students experience of solving a difficult maths based problem and to develop creative thinking skills.

The exercise is suitable for small teams of KS4 and 6th form students who will each act as managers in a business.  Each manager will have individual briefing notes which they must read carefully and then communicate to the rest of their team.

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

This resource contains: For the students:
A memo that sets out the task
5 detailed briefs for different managers in the business and one scribe
A floor plan of the office building showing all the obstacles that need to be overcome

For the teacher:
Clear teachers’ guidance notes that explain how to run the exercise
A snapshot crucial information chart
The written solution
The solution on a power point presentation

There are more details at…
http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/safe-delivery-exercise/

You can pay and download the exercise direct from our website using Paypal or you may wish to pay with a purchase order number. Simply e-mail your purchase order number to us and we will send the exercise to you along with the invoice for payment.  For more information e-mail Julie@c-l-e.co.uk

Join our schools and together we can make sure you get solar power in your energy mix in 2016.

We have over 50 systems in schools nationwide.

“We are lucky to have the support of governors with the vision and confidence in the management team that allows us to embrace new initiatives, which are for the long-term good of the school,” Linda Davies, Parkside Academy 150kWp

Register with us. Discover how you can get solar panels even if you have no capital.  There is no commitment to registering.

Act before all subsidies disappear. Find out if you can:

• Get a free solar panel system and renewable power for at least 20 years
• Cut your energy bills in the medium to long term
• Cut your carbon emissions
• Have a teaching resource that demonstrates your commitment to being more sustainable as a school.

Our commitment to you is that despite huge government cutbacks in supporting solar for 2016, we will find a solar panel solution for you, ideally at no cost to yourself.  Make sure you are all signed up before the summer so you can enjoy solar power.

Do the right thing to reduce your impact on the environment. Put renewable power into your energy mix and show your students that the school is acting in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.

Kind regards,

Helen and Ann
Solar for Schools Team

Government warning: Government has once again cut its support of solar power in 2016 by over half. If your school is serious about getting renewable power into your energy mix, you need to act now before the support disappears completely.