With SAM Learning you can make sure your students are…

With moving grade boundaries, the shift towards exam testing over coursework and cuts to the number of resits available, the path towards taking GCSEs – the culmination of years of study – continues to be a journey that crosses a perilous landscape, both for students and teachers.

At SAM Learning we aim to make this landscape more inviting to everyone involved.

Enter the new SAM Learning World.

Students are immersed into a world that rewards their learning and gives them a sense of direction and fun whilst remaining firmly focused in the world of revision, ensuring that independent work is not lost to a world of gimmicks and games.

All the while a sense of community is instilled into them, encouraging both competition and a desire to develop. See the world and some of the activities for yourself.

It takes just 10 hours.

Independent research has shown that using SAM Learning for just ten hours over the course of a year can increase a student’s grades across two subjects.

Take that up to twenty hours and the report shows this can move to four subjects.

With 83% of students saying they enjoyed using SAM Learning, schools re-subscribing again and again, and a number of awards to our name, have a look at what SAM Learning can do for your school.

If you want to know more about SAM Learning or join the thousands of schools already using us, Say hello or call us on 0845 130 4160.

These 3d immersive experiments use games technology to give realistic laboratory experiences. They are based on years of research into teaching science on-screen. They are ideal where resources are limited or where you want to give your students a wider experience of experiments that they would not normally do, such as measuring the acceleration of gravity on the Moon, firing an AK47 at a ballistic balance, using an Airtrack to verify Newton’s Second Law.

The 3D immersive experiments can be used in a variety of ways:

• By the students directly to prepare for a laboratory experiment by familiarising them with the equipment to be used and the methodology of the experiment. ·
• To give experience of an additional experiment for which there would not normally be available laboratory time. ·
• To give experience of getting a particular result in a different way to what they have used in a practical laboratory lesson which allows the students to compare methods and better understand the essentials of an experiment. ·
• As a substitute for an experiment that might be too dangerous or impossible for a student to undertake. · As general supporting material for science theoretical work. ·
• As revision for an experiment that has previously been performed in the laboratory. ·
• As a personal experience of an experiment normally only performed by the teacher in front of the class.

Experiments include: Velocity, Acceleration and Newton’s 3nd Law using an Airtrack, Conservation of Momentum using a ballistic balance, Moments, Rutherford’s Gold Foil experiment, I/V Characteristics, Magnetic Field of a Coil, Specific Heat, Mechanical Equivalent of Heat, Diffraction, Hooke’s Law and Young’s Modulus, Capacitor Charge and Discharge, Planck’s Constant, Millikan’s Oil Drop. See www.keylinkcomputers.co.uk for latest list and more details including videos.

Email me at rob@keylinkcomputers.co.uk quoting code HH15 to receive our information pack.

A perpetual site licence costs £399 plus £2.50 pp + VAT at 20% (£481.80)Email to: orders@keylinkcomputers.co.uk or send to Keylink Computers Ltd, 2 Woodway House, Common Lane, Kenilworth CV8 2ES quoting order code HH15.

What is the most effective way of helping students come to terms with the key issues in psychology?

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.

Six separate areas are covered within this resource: memory, attachments, research methods, stress, individual differences, and social influence. The resource concludes with a set of wide-ranging revision activities.

By way of example, the memory section of the resource starts with a list of key authorities within the field so that students can gain a historical perspective. Second there is a review of models of memory and a link to the exam requirements in this area – plus a task to be completed.

We then move on to improving memory and finally there is a balloon debate activity which covers authoritative researchers in the field of cognitive psychology.

A similar level of depth is covered through each of the other topics, after which there is a set of revision activities.

There are sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1817samples.pdf

25 Activities for AQA (A) AS Psychology 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 25 Activities for AQA (A) AS Psychology by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=787

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

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

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

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

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

JEMDIRECT supplies inkjet, toner, laser toner, fax and photocopier cartridges to schools across the UK. Our claim is simple: that we offer the lowest prices and free next day delivery – and thus we are bound to save your school money.

If you find our prices attractive and you place an order for a set of toner cartridges (black, cyan, yellow and magenta) we will send you your free chocolates. Just quote ‘chocs100’ when you contact us; without this we cannot supply you with your goodies, and the offer runs only until the end of March 2015.

To obtain an immediate quote for the products you need, simply click on the link below or phone us and ask us for a quote.

• Here’s the link: www.jemdirect.co.uk/3.html
• Here’s the phone number: 01785 606034 (ask for quotes)
• Here’s our email address in case you prefer that: enquiries@jemdirect.co.uk
• Here’s the fax: 01785 814036
• And here’s where we are: JEMDIRECT, PO BOX 2339, Stone, Staffordshire, ST15 8ZD

Jonathan Monk

The requirement to teach dance, swimming and gymnastics is perhaps one of the most troublesome parts of the National Curriculum, for each is a specialist subject requiring both knowledge and confidence to deliver.

And yet strangely, although each of these subject areas does have a very particular agenda of its own, it is possible to deliver quality teaching and learning, even without a specialist teacher.

What’s more such teaching can be delivered without your colleagues having to go on an expensive course and without having previous experience of the subject area.

This is because all three areas – dance, swimming and gymnastics – have very clear and particular issues within them, that can be taught step-by-step, even by a non-specialist.

Once one knows the step-by-step approach, then the teaching can progress towards the most positive of outcomes that will enthral the children and impress both parents and inspectors.

This unique approach, aimed specifically at the non-specialist teacher with little or no experience of teaching the topic, is covered in three separate teacher manuals, each of which reveals a complete methodology for teaching the specific discipline.

The three volumes “The Complete Guide to Primary Dance,” “Primary Swimming” and “Primary Gymnastics” can be purchased separately or as one selection (in which case the price is significantly reduced.

You can order the volumes:

● On our website (where there are more details of the contents of the manuals) via the links above
● By phone on: 0113 255 5665
● By fax to: 0113 255 5885
● By post to: Human Kinetics, 107 Bradford Road, Stanningley, Leeds LS28 6AT
● By email to: hk@hkeurope.com

All volumes come with a 30-day guarantee and can be returned for a full refund if you are not completely satisfied.

I look forward to hearing from you. Please do call me on 0113 255 5665 or email me at hk@hkeurope.com if you have any questions about these three unique volumes.

Claire Davey

According to figures from the Dept for Education, the average secondary school teacher has about four working days off a year due to illness. Of course this incorporates teachers who have a long time out with a serious illness as well as the 44% of teachers who are fortunate enough to go a whole year not getting ill at all.

These numbers show why the need for ready-made materials for supply teachers who cover History classes is as vital as ever. For even when something has been left from the previous lesson, there are always going to be those who finish the work rapidly, and need something else to do.

Which is why the Absent History Teacher volume of worksheets was developed.

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 study of a discussion on the difference between the work of historians and archaeologists (and the issue of evidence) to an analysis of how the Cold War began.

Each article is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which (for example) the students have to explain an archaeological dig which reveals artefacts from different eras, and a homework in which the students have to write a letter from a Soviet general in 1945 explaining the likely reaction of the Americans to a Soviet occupation of eastern Europe.

The volume covers such topics as evidence, anachronisms, The Romans, The Normans, Elizabethan England, diaries, letters, documents, crime and punishment etc etc.

Each lesson in the volume is printed on a single page and is simple to photocopy instantly for any class that suddenly requires the lesson.

The Absent History Teacher Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced at £30.00 plus £2.95 delivery.

You can order the Absent History Teacher worksheets collection by filling in the order form and sending it by fax, email, or post (see contact details below). Alternatively, if you have a school order number, you can order by phone.

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

How to reduce parental anxiety

Imagine this scenario. An extremely agitated parent marches into school with her son or daughter trailing behind, on a day when the school is closed to students.

With the teaching staff involved in a training session the parent finds you and demands to know why she was not told that children should not be in the school this day.

Patiently you explain that she was sent a letter, but she claims she didn’t receive it. You tell her that the dates of school closures are on the website but she claims she doesn’t have internet connection.

You apologise, but she says that’s not good enough. So what next?

It’s a tough one because you know that the parent is quite possibly not giving you the full facts, but you can’t actually say so.

Although such confrontations are thankfully rare, and quite possibly you’ve never faced one at all, it can be worth creating a way around such a problem – not just because it deals with this particular parent but also because it has associated benefits.

Imagine that in this situation you were able to walk with the lady and her embarrassed son or daughter back to her car, parked at the school entrance – where you could indicate the notice on school closure dates on the entry point notice board.

Indeed, where installed such a board can have lists of all the forthcoming events of relevance to parents – sports matches, trips, visits, parent’s evenings, etc.

Not only is this an additional way of getting information to parents, but it also has other benefits. It actually can bring parents together as they gather around to read the notice. And it can reduce the number of parents who seem to find a regular excuse to pop into the school office.

Although the number of entry-point notice boards declined at the end of the 20^th century, they are now very much in use again with around two thirds of schools now having at least one – with most of them recently installed.

The major supplier behind this re-discovery of external notice boards is my company: Greenbarnes. And you can find more information on our website at: http://www.greenbarnes.co.uk/product-type/notice-boards/

Alternatively you can call us on 01280 701 093.

Michael Barnes

Individual Oral Commentary

The Individual Oral Commentary is assessed on four basic criteria. Now there are PowerPoint presentations and a workbook which includes activity sheets to address each of these. The digital presentation allows images, movement, internet links, colour and sound to be combined while the workbook complements with practical activities that illustrate the concepts being discussed. Students can now address the key concerns of assessors before they actually present.

Knowledge and Understanding

Depth of knowledge is achieved by establishing a context for the passage being discussed. An awareness of the excerpt’s position in the text is further enhanced by an understanding of when the text was written and how it fits and reflects the period, the style of the day and the author’s development. Our own knowledge is enhanced when we can establish how a passage is representative of an author’s canon of work, how it reflects the author’s style and how it complements, or challenges, the conventions of the period in which it was written.

Organization and Presentation

The key to a good presentation is a well structured and considered delivery that is clearly signposted. In this way, anyone listening can follow your ideas and better appreciate your understanding. A presentation is given shape and form though good organization and allows the content to be contained, compartmentalized and given due consideration.

Language

How you speak is best indicated by the language you chose to use. There is a repertoire of literary terms that can enhance and show your appreciation and understanding of the writer’s craft. There is also an appropriate language associated with the subject matter that should be at your command. The language chosen will be an indication of the command you have over the conventions of presentation and of the affinity you have with the chosen topic.

Writer’s Choices

An awareness of how an author has constructed a work shows that you, as a reader, have gone beyond simply retelling the story. You have reached a level of seeing how something is shaped and patterned. You are balancing the story, the writer’s style, and the writer’s use of literary devices which combine to generate the shape of the work in question. Your handling of these elements shows your command of the work as a whole.

Four Powerpoint Presentations and Workbook – £79.99 (£95.99 inc. VAT) Order code 19051

To see sample pages please email sales@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order code H19051

You can order the Individual Oral Commentary in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 0117 940 6409
• By email (quoting a school order number, if required) to sales@classroom-resources.co.uk
• By post to: Classroom Resources, PO Box 1489, Bristol, BS99 3QJ

Classroom Resources
PO Box 1489
Bristol
BS99 3QJwww.classroom-resources.co.uk
sales@classroom-resources.co.uk
Tel: 0117 940 6409

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

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

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

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

Prices

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

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

• By post from First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
  
• On-line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=499
• By phone with a school order number or a credit card to 01536 399 011

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1685EMN.

IS THERE A CATCH ?

No, there’s no catch. You’ll be pleased to know that it’s all completely above board. (No, they didn’t fall off the back of a lorry !)

Even in our digital age the use of a dictionary can help students by encouraging independent study and developing literacy skills, while a thesaurus is particularly useful in developing a wider range of vocabulary for essays, articles and reports etc than might otherwise be the case.

The Webster’s “Wordpower” dictionary has a clear, easy to read typeface, 384 pages and a database of approx. 15,000 words. It’s the usual paperback size and is an excellent choice for your KS3, 4 and GCSE students.

There are two particular benefits with these titles that are currently available to schools and colleges………

1. Although the cover price is £5.99 if you order on behalf of a school or college, the Webster’s dictionary may be obtained for just £1.99…. that’s a substantial saving on every copy.

What about the free copies ?

2. Simple. Just order 100 or more copies and you’ll get 50 % extra free.

e.g. Order 200 and you’ll get another 100 copies free….order 500 copies and get an extra 250 completely free. There’s no limit to the quantity you can order and you’ll always get 50% extra free with orders of 100 or more copies.

You can “mix and match” orders for dictionaries and thesauri and still get free copies, as long as your total order is for 100 or more copies. You are welcome to order fewer than 100 copies but the free offer only applies to orders of 100 or more copies.

What’s more you can get the same deal with the Webster’s thesaurus which is also £ 1.99 (cover price £ 5.99). In fact you can combine your orders and your free copies to include both dictionaries and thesauri.

You can view the Webster’s dictionaries and thesauri on the website of Signpost Educational Ltd. OK, it’s not a particularly earth shattering website but you can get a good idea of what we’re talking about here……

While we’re on the subject of helping students with their studies, you might also be interested in the “Student Essentials” sets. As the name suggests, each set comprises of pens, pencils, ruler, metal sharpener, eraser, all packed in a clear, “exam friendly” PVC wallet with a zip slider. From only 75p ex vat, they are not only useful for handing out to students who have forgotten their own equipment but particularly helpful for distribution before exams…. details on the website.

If you have any questions about dictionaries, thesauri or “Student Essentials” sets they’d be pleased to hear from you on: 020 7515 1797.

You can order direct from Signpost Educational Ltd and contact them via signpost@talk21.com or phone 020 7515 1797 or fax 020 7515 4420.

How by presenting a united front at sporting events it is possible to raise your school’s profile, no matter the end result

By encouraging parents and members of the local community to watch and support the sports’ teams, both at home and away, it is possible to strengthen your relations with the public.

Such sporting events offer you the opportunity to showcase the effort and achievements which help to communicate your school values.

Clearly, in the case of sporting events which occur at home, it is fairly easy to communicate these values as the environment in which they were founded is all around.

However, communicating these values at sporting events away from home can be more difficult, and it is therefore important that a united front is formed in order to continue promoting these values.

One way in which this can be achieved is by travelling to the event in a minibus.

The problem with this, however, is that minibuses are expensive, and many school budgets will not allow for a purchase as big as this.

It is for this reason that we offer leasing of minibuses to schools, an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month.

In some cases, where financial contributions are made by parents and the PTA, it is possible to allocate a part of those payments towards the cost of the minibus – reducing the funds being deducted from the school’s capital account.

In other cases the minibus can be funded through small monthly deductions from various departments’ income. So, if half a dozen departments agree to contribute towards funding the bus and the PTA agrees to put in a monthly amount as well, the funding problem is completely resolved.

Furthermore, when leasing a minibus with Benchmark, you don’t have to worry about taxing or maintaining the vehicle as we have this covered. We ensure that the vehicle is fully operational at all times.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses. If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

How can we exploit the demand for additional space to improve students’ learning outcomes?

Striking the right balance between supply and demand when the demand is for additional space to cope with increased numbers of students is often a lengthy, rather complex and occasionally costly process.

But it doesn’t have to be, especially if the space can be tailored to the very specific needs of the school, the students and the teachers.

At The Learning Escape we design and build additional spaces for schools which are of a bespoke design – a response to the local conditions, local needs and local specification.

Whether you need a classroom, staffroom, office space, school hall or library, we take your needs and wishes and create a stunning and sustainable building that fits into your existing space and budget.

We look after the build from planning permission to the final handover, and because of the way we work the cost of our buildings is invariably much lower than that of a traditional building.

And our leasing option also means that a permanent, architect-designed Learning Escape can actually cost less per month than hiring a temporary solution!

What’s more, our buildings are eco-friendly, full of natural light and the floor to ceiling doors and covered walkways encourage free flow outdoor learning.

We’ve put together an online portfolio of some of the school buildings we’ve constructed during the last couple of years to show you the kind of choice available. To see what we have built recently just click here.

To discuss any aspect of your project, or to book a free survey, just call us on 0800 917 7726.

You can find more information on the website.

Look out for us at The Education Show – NEC Hall 3, Stand B39-A40 19-21 March 2015

• See our latest release of myPenstripe (online artwork tool) in action
• Find out how myPenstripe saves hours of precious time in designing your planners
• Watch the journey of a planner
• Preview some of next season’s products
• Meet our sales team
• Book an appointment with your Personal Account Manager

From the Penstripe team.

275 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS4 2BX

Tel: +44 (0) 113 231 0995 | fax: +44 (0) 113 212 1000

Email: info@penstripe.co.uk | www.penstripe.co.uk

Registered Office and Service Address: 275 Kirkstall Road, Leeds, LS4 2BX

CN Anderson Ltd, CV Anderson Ltd, DS Anderson Ltd, RD Anderson Ltd, Anderson Nominees Ltd

What is the most effective way of helping children with literacy special needs?

And building group trust and self confidence, teaching self awareness, body awareness and self-expression.

Children with literacy special needs tend also to have problems in the areas of self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-expression.

Our view is that if one works to overcome the literacy problems without tackling these other issues, then the task is much harder than if one works with both the literacy issues and these other factors as the same time.

Which is all very well, but how does one use the limited time available to build group trust, self confidence, self awareness, body awareness and self-expression?

The volume “Drama for students with special needs” provides the answer.

This is a book of lesson plans across 180 A4 pages, each of which can be used as a one-off session or built into a comprehensive scheme of work to address all of these issues.

Included within the volume are lessons intended for students with moderate learning difficulties as well as those with disabilities who might participate in sessions with a support worker.

The book has been written with basic KS3 skills in mind, in particular through the development of literacy skills as well as basic drama skills.

However it can be equally be used towards other aims, for example, to build group trust or self confidence, to teach self awareness, body awareness and self-expression.

Drama for Students with Special Needs by Louise Tondeur is available as a photocopiable ringbinder or on CD Rom which can itself be copied or loaded onto the school’s learning platform or intranet.

Cat No: 978 1 86083 790 6 Order code: T1689emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/spneeds/T1689.pdf

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder 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 credit card or school order number at 01536 399 011
• By email with a school order number to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
  
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=501

Prague offers business students a rare insight into a
post-communist economy

Sometimes it is easy to forget the implications that a major political change has on the economy. But nothing brings this home more readily than a visit to the Prague Stock Exchange and the recognition that it was shut for fifty years during the Communist regime and was not re-opened until 1993.

Indeed the suspension and rebirth of the Prague Stock Exchange is the cornerstone of the story of the transition of the country from a centrally planned economy to a free market model.

The issue of the transition and rebirth of the market economy is one that can also be explored at the Cerge Institute – one of the world’s top research institutes and a joint venture of Charles University in Prague and the Economics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Its lectures on the current macroeconomic situation of the Czech Republic with a Q&A afterwards are very highly regarded by schools that have visited.

Meanwhile a visit to Skoda’s factory reveals, through an introductory film, the huge production facilities where cutting edge technology is used to achieve and enhance quality throughout the production lines.

For something totally different yet again there is… Tesco, not a name that is normally associated with the Czech Republic. But there is a really interesting tale here as in 2006 Tesco closed down five small distribution centres and replaced them with a new 67,000 square metre purpose-built facility in the north of Prague.

Two different forms of picking are deployed in the centre: selected slow moving items and high value products are picked by line, whereas fast movers are picked by store where staff use radio connected wearable computers to increase picking accuracy to 98.9%

Different again is a visit to the Pilsner Urquell brewery to explore the science behind the brewing process and logistics, while yet another alternative is the Czech Radio tour. This takes in the radio station and allows students to gain a detailed understanding of the way in which a major radio station works.

Moving on once again there is Bohemia Crystal. Here students can see the craftsmanship of the glasscutters and glassblowers in a low-tech, labour intensive production line. Students can also try glassblowing themselves and will appreciate how traditional industries can still play a vital part in the economic well-being of the country.

Of course, students will also welcome a break from tours directly related to their studies and Prague offers a multitude of distractions, including Prague Castle and St Vitus Cathedral, Historic Tram Sightseeing Tour, Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art, Veletrzní Palace and Barrandov Film Studios.

StudyTrips will work with you to create the itinerary you want, and you can see a typical school media studies visit to Prague by clicking here.

Alternatively for more information call us on 0845 026 4661 or email us at info@studytrips.co.uk

OFSTED is currently placing an emphasis on the promotion of British values such as tolerance and democracy. Helping students develop tolerance and learn about British society is of intrinsic worth but how can hard pressed tutors do this on top of all the other demands on their time?

Providing information on the development of democracy and the rule of law is part of the answer.

Having opportunities to learn about and reflect on those who have contributed to society also has a part to play.

Being able to work co-operatively to solve puzzles and challenges is also a method of developing team working and listening skills which help support tolerance and democratic methods.

Daily Tutor Time © provides all these in one easy to use package. Each week we supply (via email) a set of 5 power point presentations.

Each day has information on a person or event linked to that date in the past as well as set of 4 activities related to that topic.

Recent topics have included the Newport Chartist Uprising, William Hogarth and the first female peers. (We do regularly include Scottish & Welsh related people/events)

Daily activities are a mixture of observation, literacy, numeracy and knowledge/research puzzles and challenges. There is also a free word document each week with the activities –ideal for printing out or for adding to a shared area for student access.

For a free sample set of this week’s resources then please email michael at Wise Ark Ltd ; we will send you the power points and word document –there is no obligation and you will be free to use them across the whole school if wished.

Michael

Wise Ark Ltd Company no: 07630623

P.S We also offer Weekly Tutor Time © – an edited version of the above with information on one topic and 5 activities ( one from each day). For a free sample email michael at Wise Ark Ltd ; we will send you the power point and word version –there is no obligation and you will be free to use them across the whole school if wished.​

As you may know, AQA have now released their design contexts for GCSE Design Technology, which form the basis of Section A questions in the June 2015 exams.

Coinciding with their release are brand new Practice Papers – produced exclusively for ZigZag Education by past and present examiners for Design Technology.

AQA GCSE DT Practice Papers – 2015 Edition

For each subject there are two original and authentic papers with supporting mark schemes. Each paper includes questions based on the AQA design contexts that will appear in this summers’ exams.

Both the practice papers and the detailed mark schemes mimic the format and style of their real counterparts, providing effective exam practice for your students.

The 2015 AQA GCSE Practice Papers are available for the following specifications:

Pre-order now for dispatch on or before 25^th March.

Go to http://zzed.co.uk/AQA-DT-2015 to see the latest available inspection copies.

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

The AQA GCSE Design Technology practice papers are available as a photocopy master with site licence (£49 per pack). Also available in:

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

Preview and order now at http://zzed.co.uk/AQA-DT-2015

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | WN67@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WN67 to get free postage!

How can we best help students to understand the meaning and implications of the Holocaust?

Students may know that it starts with prejudice, discrimination and bullying and that it is countered by knowledge and thought.

But still, for almost every student it remains an absolute shock to realise how easily a civilised nation can slide from civilisation into bigotry and thence to mass murder.

Indeed, such was the enormity of the horror that the Jewish population experienced in Europe at the hands of the Nazis that the only way in which history students can begin the journey towards grasping these issues is by visiting the sites of the Holocaust.

It is an experience they will never forget.

Self-evidently a visit to Auschwitz will enhance an understanding of the physical side of the horrors. But it will also enhance the thinking processes that lay behind everything from the medical experiments of Dr Mengele to the dehumanisation process of converting people’s names into numbers.

Students can also visit the Jewish cultural area of Kazimierz in Kraków which includes an active synagogue and the Ghetto in the Podgorze district which incorporates Schindler’s factory.

There is also an exhibition documenting the remnants of Jewish culture and life in Galicia, which is divided into five sections, representing different ways of approaching the Jewish past: Jewish Life in Ruins, Jewish Culture as it Once Was, The Holocaust: Sites of Massacre and Destruction, How the Past is Being Remembered and People Making Memory Today.

Also in the region are the Wieliczka 13^th century salt mines, one of the original World Heritage Sites under the auspices of Unesco. During the Second World War the site was used by the occupying Germans as a facility for industries related to their war effort.

The mine features an underground lake as well as a 3.5 km tour that takes in the historic statues and mythical figures carved out of rock salt across the past 700 years.

There is more information on our website at www.key-stage.co.uk/krakow-and-auschwitz/

But do remember, we’ll work with you to create the tour that meets your school’s specific requirements, and we’ll look after you every step of the way, helping to bring your ideas to life.

To discuss your specific needs you can call us on 0845 130 6070 or email us at enquiries@key-stage.co.uk.

This resource will enable pupils to become familiar and competent at using ‘SolidWorks’ CAD software.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ofsted is getting concerned about low-level disruption. But what determines the behaviour of students in school?

Ofsted’s latest pronouncement about low-level disruption is one that will ring many a bell.

Not because it focuses on something new, but rather because we’ve been here before – not least in the Ofsted Report of March 2005, “Managing Challenging Behaviour”, which again focussed on low-level disruption.

So the question is, why is a problem that Ofsted worried about nine years back still a matter for press releases, news headlines and arguments?

It can be argued that one of the great problems with approaches to discipline is that they are based on ideas and beliefs rather than practical experimentation which might establish whether a theory works in terms of reducing disruption and enhancing learning.

Indeed, even when such experimentation does exist, it can sometimes be the case that those who determine educational policy may set it aside when the experiment’s results don’t quite match their established political beliefs.

When it comes to behaviour and discipline there is research, the findings of which have never been countered, which shows that the key factor in determining the behaviour of pupils is not the syllabus of the school, parental expectations, or indeed the socio-economic background of the students.

Rather it is the view of the staff within the school. In fact, where different staff hold different views on the issue of behaviour and discipline, then behavioural issues increase.

In short, when the staff genuinely agree to, and subsequently adopt, a unified policy then the problems vanish.

What makes this finding so important is that first, it puts the power to change pupil and student behaviour totally in the hands of the school and its managers, and second, it assures us all that change is possible.

This is the starting point for the volume, Improving attitudes, managing behaviour and reducing exclusions, a book that builds from the original research which proved this finding and which applies it to contemporary schooling.

The findings of the original research reviewed in the book are very clear: schools improve when all those in the school decide to improve the school, not because of government initiatives, Ofsted, or what anyone else tells us to do.

For, once a school has its own unified policy, and is able to project that policy to parents and students as an approach to which all staff agree, the unity of purpose of the school is established.

The key issue thus becomes the implementation and maintenance of the policy every day of the school year. And it is the implementation of this approach that “Improving attitudes” describes.

You can see some sample pages at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1813.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1813EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 821 7

Prices

• Photocopiable book £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Book plus CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
  

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1813EMN

• 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=31&products_id=287

Share your self-made lesson resources with other teachers in your field and generate significant financial reward and the plaudits of colleagues.

There is nothing quite like making one piece of work meet two separate ends.

You’ve written some course materials for use in your classroom because they are needed, and there was nothing else available.

So you have met one need. And the second?

If that set of materials can then be published, you can receive a significant amount of money in return. Especially if your publisher pays you 50% commission on each and every sale he makes.

This is most certainly possible because Classroom Resources is constantly looking for ready-made materials – materials that cover a topic or subject area that others have not covered – that can be published and advertised to teachers.

Indeed we are interested in materials that approach any school topic in a new, vibrant and interesting manner.

We undertake the proofreading, editing, publishing, production, ISBN registration, VAT, postage and packaging, handling and despatch, and marketing of your resource on your behalf.

What’s more, as noted above you will receive 50% commission (excluding VAT) and printed statements of your resource sales every 6 months. And the copyright remains with you at all times.

Further to this, we guarantee the regular promotion of your materials to colleagues in relevant schools across the UK.

Give us call on 0117 940 6409 or email us at info@classroom-resources.co.uk if you would like to join our list of authors.

To see a full list of our Corporate Clients as well as samples of materials which our teacher authors have produced for them, go to: www.classroom-resources.co.uk
Classroom Resources
PO Box 1489
Bristol
BS99 3QJwww.classroom-resources.co.uk
sales@classroom-resources.co.uk
Tel: 0117 940 6409

From pronouns to syntactical parallelism: the complete grammar for AS Language and Literature students

From the student who enters year 12 with very little formal grammatical knowledge to the student at the end of AS or A2 in English Language or English Language and Literature who needs a top up, everyone has a need for support with grammar at one time or another.

Of course, there are many such volumes around – but the complex detailed tomes can be daunting and difficult for many students.

What they often need is a volume that covers the basics and is there so that they can look up (or be directed to) any specific point that is seen to be causing a problem.

And so this is what we have aimed to provide here.

When the issue of the “noun phrase” comes up, and the student needs to understand how they are different from nouns and what they look like, there’s a page answering that exact point.

The same goes for the apostrophe. There’s the possession apostrophe, not to be confused with the elliptical apostrophe and the inevitable question, “Where’s the apostrophe?”

Or to focus on another area we next have the issue of modal verbs.

But that is nothing compared with adverbs which can (fairly obviously) modify verbs. However they can also modify adjectives – which can seem slightly odd to some students who recognise that the adjective has been used to modify the noun in the first place.

In fact, when we come to think of adverbs, we can see what an extraordinarily complicated grammar we are talking about.

Which is why we’ve published this book to cover the fundamentals of grammar for AS students.

“An AS 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/T1831.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1831EMN 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

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399011
• By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=806

And change the landscape of independent study…

Fifteen years of leading the online education market have meant that SAM Learning has continued to evolve.

As the world around both you and your students becomes much more connected, so too does SAM Learning.

Last year, we brought you the ability to create your own resources using our award-winning platform.

Now we’re giving you the chance to go further.

We want you to Share.

Share not only allows you to create resources but to share them with other teachers across the UK, opening up the landscape of independent study and vastly increasing the already wide-ranging resources available to your school.

In the short time since launching Share, we’ve seen dozens of new, high-quality resources added each week and that’s only going to grow.

Best of all, it’s FREE to SAM Learning subscribers.

So if your school is one of the thousands already subscribing to SAM Learning and you want to discover Share, log in here.

If you’re yet to subscribe and want to find out how SAM Learning could benefit the students at your school, then Say hello or call us on 0845 130 4160.

What is the simplest way of making art and crafts lessons ever more relevant to the children?

Relevance comes from a link between what happens in the classroom and what is happening beyond the classroom’s window.

Which is why making art and crafts lessons relevant to the time of year not only enthuses children but also helps them carry home their enthusiasm and interest.

S&S Services offer a range of art and crafts lesson ideas and materials relevant to the different seasons, themes, events and celebrations that occur throughout the year.

Our springtime art and crafts lesson ideas and materials include (among many more):

• Spring Daffodils
• Paint Your Own Windmill – Flower
• Paint Your Own Windmill – Butterfly
• Frog Life Cycle
• Flowers (Wooden Sticks)
• Rabbits (Wooden Sticks)

You can order in any of the following ways:

• On our website at the web links above
• By email to info@ss-services.co.uk
• By phone on 01789 765323
• By fax to 01789 765469
• By post to S & S Services, Units 4-8 Tything Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EP.

Delivery

We offer free delivery on orders over £35 and charge only £2.99 delivery for orders which come to less than this across the majority of the UK.

For those requesting delivery from Northern Ireland, the Isles of Scilly, the Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, delivery is £7 and for those lucky enough to be living in the Channel Islands the delivery charge is £12.45 irrespective of the size of the order.

When it comes to teaching not all methods are equally effective. The same is true of learning. But which methods are best?

Recently the focus in terms of methods of teaching has been on the technology used to deliver the lesson.

And yet there is a huge amount of evidence to suggest that it is not the technology that makes one method of teaching better than another.

Rather, it is the method of teaching itself. Technology can make a difference, but it is not the prime difference.

What’s more, while a change in the method of teaching used to teach any specific subject or topic can have a benefit – that benefit won’t be maximised unless the students also get some help in understanding the best methods of learning that they ought to be using.

To put this another way, it is possible to deliver a lecture to a class using your voice on its own or your voice plus a diagram drawn on a chalkboard, displays on a whiteboard, a video, or anything else.

But the fact remains that whatever technical additions are used it is still a lecture.

Which is fine as long as the lecture is the best method of teaching the subject that you have in mind. If it isn’t, then the effectiveness of the lesson will still be dependent on the effectiveness of the lecture as a method of teaching.

Now, of course, most of the time we don’t lecture in class because we all know that lectures are fairly ineffective ways of teaching. But that still raises the question: what are the most effective ways of teaching?

And as we ask that question, we also have to ask, what implication does this have for the various methods of learning that the students then adopt?

These are the questions posed and answered by “Methods of Teaching”. The book has articles which can be shared with teaching colleagues, policy statements on methods of teaching, a review of methods of learning, and 22 articles on methods of learning that can, over time, be provided to students to help them organise their own learning.

There are also eight active learning assignments for the students plus a series of articles on memory which will explain how teaching and learning can be organised in such a way that the topics and issues under consideration will be retained in the memory for years to come.

The latest edition of “Methods of Teaching” is probably the most powerful book on teaching and learning available today. It is available both as a photocopy master and on CD (so that it can be put on the school’s learning platform or printed out from the disk).

Cat No: 978 1 86083 830 9 Order code: T1784emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1784.pdf

• Photocopiable book, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £29.95 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 Road, 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=31&products_id=313

What is the best way to teach your students how to express themselves firmly without becoming aggressive?

A course in assertiveness training for students, aged 15 plus.

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

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

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

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

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

Prices

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

Prices include VAT.

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

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax with a school order number to 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399011
• By email with a school order number to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=247

There are all sorts of “difficult” topics that beset teenage lives: depression, alcohol abuse, personal hygiene, sex, bereavement, STDs, being overweight…

Talking to students about these issues can result in an increased awareness of the subject, but experience suggests that for many students the progress made after such encounters can be modest at best.

Where the greatest breakthroughs occur is in situations in which the students themselves will open up and engage in serious conversations themselves.

But the issue is, how does one motivate the silent student to speak? How does one ensure that the mocking or joking student who covers his/her inability to talk seriously about the subject will join in the discussion. How can we help these students put these vital topics into the context of their lives, and the world around them?

In short: how do we control the discussions?

The answer comes with setting the terms of the discussion in advance – and this is exactly what the Choice Discussion Cards achieve.

The students are given the topic to discuss such as “What does smoking do to you and your health?” They then can choose an answer card which they then have to use as the basis for their answer.

There are both positive and negative cards in the pack – in the case of smoking ranging from, “De-stresses you” to “Makes you want more all the time”, and the students then have to put forward arguments to support the card they have selected.

As a result the debate continues in a controlled way, with all possible answers being aired, as they students come to see the logic, or otherwise, of the answers that can be given.

The Choice Discussion Cards cover a wide range of topics incorporating not just the topics above, but also such issues as knife crime, anger, crime, vandalism, love, bullying etc etc.

There are details of all the topics available on the following link http://www.egar.co.uk/SHOPHH1

If you wish to place an order please you can use the check out on the above link (schools can be invoiced on account) or by contacting us via the following methods. Please quote HH1 on all correspondence.

Contact: Sue Scott-Horne
Email: talk@letsgettalking.org
http://www.egar.co.uk/SHOPHH1
Tel: 0207 226 4040
Canonbury Business Centre, Unit 10B, Shepperton House, 89 Shepperton Road
Islington, London, N1 3DF

Mind your Mind

DVD2012 47 Minutes

Demonstrates how our minds are much more susceptible to manipulation and suggestion than we think.

We feel we are free to make our own choices but we are not as free as we think. Neurologists and psychologists have discovered how vulnerable our minds are to manipulation and suggestion, and how easily our own psyche can be taken out of our control.

This documentary is a primer for psychological independence, teaching us to process more than our minds are comfortable with. From the glamorous, sex-obsessed world of advertising to the vacuous speeches of leading politicians, our responses are being silently but surely manipulated. Images of nude women appear hidden in Coca Cola adverts. Television channels flash up messages from their sponsors too fast for our conscious mind to catch. Lawyers twist the ambiguities of language to distract us and force us into a more suggestible mental state.
Our minds are constantly missing the obvious: “we don’t perceive what’s there, we change what we perceive, and we perceive what’s not there.” Though subliminal messaging is illegal in most countries, it is still used more often than we may ever know.

Neuro-linguistic programming can help us to protect ourselves against the manipulative forces that control consumers, pulling these forces apart so that we can see how they work. If we can open our eyes to the techniques used to control us, we can move these processes from our unconscious to our conscious mind. This film provides us with the psychological tools to fight them.

What do we mean by ‘attention’, or the lack of it? Are we quite as attentive as we think? Do we miss things that are right under our nose, blinded by suggestion, assumption and ‘common sense’? If so, how might this be used against us? Are the opportunities here to manipulate beliefs, alter behaviours? If so, who is doing the manipulating? Learn more about the Human Biocomputer, about Advertising, Ambiguities and Politics in this fast paced yet light-hearted film.

Now available to rent or buy via our Video on Demand service A video clip can be viewed from our website

GBP 56.35 plus postage. http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/mind-your-mind-2918/

Warning: The Media may be Hazardous to Your Health

DVD1991 36 Minutes

Media models glamorise violence, fear and hatred.

Exposes the dangers of media models that glamorise violence, fear and hatred between the sexes. This powerful video encourages the life-affirming tendencies in both genders. Images of commercials, Madonna, Pee Wee Herman, MTV and other media protesters are woven together to create a humorous yet sobering look at sexism in the media. Can be used to combat the problems of sexism and racism, while helping individuals to become more critical viewers of mass media.

GBP 23.00 plus postage. http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/warning-the-media-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health-1172/

Staying Real

DVD2011 25 Minutes

Young people discuss media stereotypes and their effects.

Young people discuss the adverse effects of the sexual stereotypes which bombard them. They talk about how hard it is to develop their own personality and to make friends when they don’t conform to media and advertising images. Directed by award-winning Sophie Bissonnette. National Film Board of Canada. Suitable for ages 11 – 13. A good discussion starter.

GBP 33.35 plus postage. http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/staying-real-2912/

“Do you find yourself giving George a higher grade than his homework really deserves, because you know he needs the encouragement? Does Emma end up with a higher grade than other pupils might, just because you know she’s capable of doing better?” Read more

You have a clear idea of how a student should be progressing – but your assessment data tells a slightly different story. Is the problem with your data, your appraisal of the student’s abilities – or neither?

In our latest blog, we look at how to marry together meaningful data and relevant, personalised analysis and feedback to students.

Read our blog here

Find out how Doddle can help you do more for your students with a free in-school demonstration with one of our Education Consultants.

Joe
Doddle

Why do some pupils perform below average in Numeracy but are above average in all other subject areas?

When pupils cannot understand the fundamental concepts of Numeracy they cannot be expected to achieve similar attainment levels in their SATS to that of other subjects where the fundamental concepts have been grasped.

The most fundamental concept of Numeracy is that of number and having the ability to understand what a number is.

And I’m not convinced that any of us really know what a number is. We might think we do, but what we have done is given numbers our own meaning.

For example, if any of us are asked to explain “three”, we can’t. What we do is talk about “three sheep” or “three cars” – talking about the essence of “three” is very difficult indeed. We give the value or concept a meaning which is in essence nearly impossible to define.

Without this meaning we would find it hard to manipulate (add, subtract, multiply, divide) two undefined things to achieve a logical outcome.

And it may be that those pupils who have not assigned a meaning to a number, and hence have not understood the fundamental concept of Numeracy, have dyscalculia.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty which results in a failure to be able to comprehend maths at the level one might expect for a person of the same age and mental ability.

The Dyscalculia Centre offers an online test for £49.95, on completion of which you will receive a report from one of the Centre’s educationalists on the pupil’s understanding of maths and whether it is likely that they have dyscalculia. The test can be paid for with a credit card or by forwarding a purchase order number

If dyscalculia is diagnosed you will receive a free copy of a set of materials that are appropriate to your pupil’s needs and which can be used to help overcome his/her mathematical problems.

The report may also suggest that the pupil should receive extra time in maths tests.

If you would like to know more please email admin@dyscalculia.me.uk or call 01536 399 000.

Our fax number for placing an order with a purchase order number is 01536 399 012.

You can order a test on-line at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=755

Samantha Bates

The Dyscalculia Centre

What is the most effective way of interesting your pupils in great artists and the development of art forms?

The new national curriculum for Art and Design at KS2 and KS3 requires students to produce creative work whilst exploring and recording experiences and developing their skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

Pupils should also have the opportunity to evaluate and analyse their own and others’ work using art, craft and design language.

Arty Tasks is a new book of Art resources and in this regard is an ideal starting point. It incorporates step by step instructions for 35 separate projects each of which requires pupils to produce a piece of artwork based on the work of a selection of artists as diverse as Georgia 0’Keeffe and Joseph Cornell.

The pupils using the book are thus encouraged to use a wide variety of techniques and materials to create their artwork – and if desired each project can be used as a starting point for researching the historic content of the artists and art movements.

Each project comes on a single sheet of A4 and individual activities can thus easily be photocopied for your class to use as starter activities or homework tasks, either as one-off tasks or incorporated into longer projects. They can also be handed out for higher ability students to work more independently or used for extra-curricular activities.

Arty Tasks thus offers 35 creative projects which can be used simply as creative projects or as a way into research into a particular artist or art movement.

Arty Tasks, ISBN 978 1 86083 807 1, order code T1833EMN, is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom. An extract is available at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1833.pdf

Prices

• Photocopiable book, £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 from First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On-line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=813
• By phone with a school order number or a credit card to 01536 399 011
• By email with a school order number to sales@firstandbest.co.uk

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1833EMN.

What is the most effective way of introducing early literacy skills in reception classes?

As a reception teacher you know that the children in your class learn when they are actively engaged in a play situation whilst interacting with other children or an adult

Clever Clogs use games and interaction with an adult and other children to provide the scaffold which allows each child to move forward and develop new competencies in early literacy

We have developed 2 boxes of games based on this principle, one for use in the classroom and one to engage parents at home.

The games also provide purposeful situations for dialogue and for the development of speaking, listening and thinking skills .

This box is for the classroom, there are 10 games for an adult to play with 3-4 children

scroll down on the link below for more information

http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/early_literacy.php

This box contains 15 games for children to take home or for parents workshops

http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/help_your_child.php

If you would like to place an order please click on the link http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/orders.php

If you would like to try a sample of our games look through the games listed at the bottom of this page http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/early_literacy.php and we will send it to you for a special price of £10.
Usual RRP £18.50 + P&P.

Careers in Engineering

Tomorrow’s engineers can find career opportunities in the Energy Sector. DVD features young women working as engineers.
A career in engineering. What is it like?

The Energy Generation DVD + 30 page Career Activities
Thirteen Career Profiles on DVD, including…

They map out their career paths and they make the link between school, college, qualifications and the world of engineering.

The UK’s biggest engineering/energy companies cooperated in the production of this Careers DVD. Each career profile is presented in the workplace in the UK.

See what it is like: in a nuclear power station, in Europe’s biggest coal fired station, on the trading floor of a UK energy company and in the Centre for Alternative Technology.

Profile 1: Kirti
EDF Energy HQ Commercial Graduate Trainee

Profile 2: Rachael
EDF Energy European Technical Liaison Manager

Profile 3: Jo
RWE npower Fawley Oil Power Station Shift Process Leader

Profile 4: Rob
British Energy Dungeness B Nuclear Maintenance Engineer

Profile 5: Vicky
British Energy Dungeness B Nuclear Apprentice

Profile 6: Chris
E.ON UK Combined Heat & Power DivisionOperations Manager

Profile 7: Gurinderpal
British Energy Trading Room Energy Trader

Profile 8: Lou
RWE npower Aberthaw Coal Station Mechanical Engineer

Profile 9: Michelle
RWE npower Aberthaw Coal Station Mechanical Engineer

Profile 10: Bryan
B.J. Rendall Orkney Wind Energy Consultant

Profile 11: Ffion
MagnoxNorth Wylfa Nuclear Power StationSystems Engineer

Profile 12: Jan
Urenco (Uranium fuel enrichment plant) Safety Case Officer

Profile 13: Joe
Centre for Alternative Technology Education Manager

Sample the DVD – ☞ view clip ☞

More information – Download form

£29.99 ex Vat (£35.99) + £2.50 postage

TO ORDER

On line: http://www.team-video.co.uk/order.html (All ‘on line’ orders postage free)
By email: admin@team-video.co.uk
By post: TEAM VIDEO, PO Box 38194, London W10 5WZ. Tel 020 8968 3732

These 3d immersive experiments use games technology to give realistic laboratory experiences. They are based on years of research into teaching science on-screen. They are ideal where resources are limited or where you want to give your students a wider experience of experiments that they would not normally do, such as measuring the acceleration of gravity on the Moon, firing an AK47 at a ballistic balance, using an Airtrack to verify Newton’s Second Law.

The 3D immersive experiments can be used in a variety of ways:

• By the students directly to prepare for a laboratory experiment by familiarising them with the equipment to be used and the methodology of the experiment. ·
• To give experience of an additional experiment for which there would not normally be available laboratory time. ·
• To give experience of getting a particular result in a different way to what they have used in a practical laboratory lesson which allows the students to compare methods and better understand the essentials of an experiment. ·
• As a substitute for an experiment that might be too dangerous or impossible for a student to undertake. · As general supporting material for science theoretical work. ·
• As revision for an experiment that has previously been performed in the laboratory. ·
• As a personal experience of an experiment normally only performed by the teacher in front of the class.

Experiments include: Velocity, Acceleration and Newton’s 3nd Law using an Airtrack, Conservation of Momentum using a ballistic balance, Moments, Rutherford’s Gold Foil experiment, I/V Characteristics, Magnetic Field of a Coil, Specific Heat, Mechanical Equivalent of Heat, Diffraction, Hooke’s Law and Young’s Modulus, Capacitor Charge and Discharge, Planck’s Constant. See www.keylinkcomputers.co.uk for latest list and more details including videos.

A perpetual site licence costs £399 plus £2.50 pp + VAT at 20% (£481.80)Email to: orders@keylinkcomputers.co.uk or send to Keylink Computers Ltd, 2 Woodway House, Common Lane, Kenilworth CV8 2ES quoting order code HH15.

The Debate Chamber Summer Schools, now in their eleventh year, offer students age 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 the older age-group, about the level of difficulty one might expect in the first year at university), but the atmosphere will be relaxed, with plenty of discussion, debate, and opportunities for students to shape the direction of classes. It is an environment conducive to getting to grips with new ideas.

Working in small groups (usually around 14 students per group) over several days offers participants a real chance to get to know tutors and fellow students and to explore the topics or questions that particularly interest them.

Highlights of Summer 2015:

The Medicine Summer School for students aged 15-18 or Young Doctors for those aged 11-14. The Medicine Summer School has some exciting new content this year, adding obstetrics, clinical pharmacology and gastroenterology in response to requests from last year’s medicine students.

The Summer Law School for 15-18s, now in three 5-day blocks to allow time for more cases, more analysis and more debate on some of the most intriguing legal questions, and the action-packed 4-day Young Lawyers Summer School, including Mock Crown Court Trial, for those aged 11-14.

For those interested in the Humanities, we have Summer Schools in Economics, International Relations, History, and Politics, while Arts enthusiasts should check out the English Literature, Classical Civilisations, Philosophy, or Critical Theory Summer Schools (all for students aged 15/16-18).

For younger students we have the Young Thinkers and Young Writers Summer Schools.

Last but not least, the Maths and Physics Summer Schools will offer some challenging and exciting further study for those who will have completed Maths AS level or equivalent by Summer 2015.

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 2015. 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.

What is the most effective way of helping 16 to 18 year olds who are struggling with comprehension?

A very particular problem faces students who by the age of 16 experience difficulty in answering comprehension questions.

Their problem is not just that they cannot answer such questions very well. It is also the fact that they have got into the habit of reading comprehension pieces in a particular way which makes it hard for them to gain the information that will allow them to answer the questions posed.

As a result of this, a lot of the quality teaching which would normally help the students to improve their comprehension work fails to have the desired result. Their habitual style of responses dominate, and little improvement may be seen.

The key issue here is to get these students to focus not just on the text and its meaning, but also the techniques that the writer uses and the effectiveness of the writing.

“Higher Close Reading Examples and Activities” is a copiable volume that solves this problem by looking at the key topics in this field such as word choice, imagery, tone and structure.

The volume also incorporates sections which explore, in relation to the example texts within the book, language types such as figurative language, formal language and informal language.

After this the volume looks at the effectiveness of the ideas given within the sample texts, the effectiveness of the conclusions, and the comparisons which can be made between different sample passages.

“Higher Close Reading Examples and Activities” is available in copiable form (as a printed volume or on CD) so that it can be distributed to all interested members of staff.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 841 5 Order code: T1818emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1818.pdf

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

You can purchase the report…

• 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=21&products_id=788

What makes for a brilliant, memorable and, above all, highly beneficial school trip?

A recent survey of secondary schools by the School of Educational Administration and Management found that over 96% of schools run overseas school trips each year.

Indeed, that number just took into account overseas trips organised by the foreign languages departments. Additional visits were arranged by geography, science, history, music, art, sport, business studies… Plus of course all the trips that take place within the UK.

What makes the figure so interesting is that it came after years of argument and debate concerning legal requirements, risk assessment and liability, and a period when a reader of the national press might have assumed that school trips were a thing of the past.

But no. Every year tens of thousands of us put ourselves through the hard work of organising and running the trips because of the good that we know it does for the pupils and students we teach.

So, to help with the practicalities of setting up and running contemporary out of school trips and visits, a new edition of Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers has been published.

This aims to help with the arrangement of trips and visits by covering all the main points, from the “loco parentis” debate to turning the idea into a trip, from transport issues to the letter to the parents, from staffing issues to kit lists.

In just over 50 pages it gives you all the basics – not least so that if a colleague in the school is looking to organise a trip for the first time he/she will be able to read up on all the key issues presented in a straightforward way.

If you would like to see some pages from the book these are at:

http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1772samples.pdf

Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues as often as you want. You can also put it on your school learning platform so all staff can access the document – and indeed you can make it part of the induction documentation for new members of staff.

You can obtain Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers by going to

http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=747

The price is £10 plus VAT.

If you are unable to pay on-line with a credit card please send in a school order in the normal way. We’ll issue a pro-forma invoice and as soon as we receive payment we will email you a copy of the book. There is a handling charge of £2.50 for this service which does not apply if you are able to buy on-line with a credit or debit card.

Organising Successful Trips and Visits is published by First and Best in Education, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northampton NN17 4HH. Phone 01536 399 011. A full catalogue of our books and downloads set out by subject and topic can be found at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk

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

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

Nearly every secondary school I have visited or worked in has an isolation room or isolation area.

In one sense there is nothing wrong with this for Section 42 of the government’s “Behaviour and Discipline in Schools Advice” allows the use of seclusion or isolation rooms. But it also insists that the time spent there must be used as constructively as possible.

Which is why the series of Detention and Exclusion Management System worksheets for Key Stage 3 were developed.

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.

Book 1 of the series, Exclusion Worksheets for Less Able Students, contain worksheets which cover subjects as English, Geography, History, Science, Religion, Mathematics, Technology and Food.

Activities range from changing the tense of an extract from the third person to the first person in English, to completing a wordsearch on light, electricity and sound in Science.

And Book 2 of the series, Exclusion Worksheets for More Able Students, contain worksheets covering subjects as History, Science, Religious Education, Mathematics, French, Spanish, English, and Geography.

Activities in this volume range from drawing and labelling a diagram of the breathing system in Science, to a History task, requiring pupils to answer comprehension questions on how black people were treated in America 90 years ago.

Each lesson in the volumes is printed on a single page and is simple to photocopy instantly for any pupils that require work.

The Exclusion Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced at £50 each plus £2.95 delivery.

If you buy both book 1 and book 2 of the series, you will receive Book3: Detention Worksheets for free, which is usually priced at £30. The Detention Worksheets include activities such as filling in the gaps, to spelling practice through repetition.

You can order by

• Email from the school’s email address to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• Fax to 01536 399 012
• By phone (with a school order number) to 01536 399 011

By post to First & Best in Education, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, NN17 4HH

Solving the problem of finding suitable plays that meet GCSE Drama exam board criteria

One of the most frustrating and time consuming problems associated with GCSE drama classes is the seeking out of suitable plays for the students to perform.

There are, of course, many plays around, but not so many that have the right amount of engagement per candidate and the right number of pupils involved within the cast.

What’s more, given the restriction that some exam boards now impose on the taking of scenes from published plays and the need for the play to have a unified sense, finding suitable plays is getting 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 each containing multi-roling and the variety of theatrical techniques that exam boards now seem to love.

The plays particularly 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

What is the most effective way of helping students to understand what happened in Germany from 1933 onwards?

It can readily be argued that the pivotal period of the 20^th century was the seizure of power by Hitler in 1933 through to the war crimes tribunal of 1945.

And indeed there is no better way to understand this period in European history than to visit the rally grounds, concentration camps, ghettos and other key sites that have been preserved to ensure that we do not forget how readily civilization can be overthrown.

This is why StudyTrips has evolved its famous school visits of the key sites from this period – which can take in either one or two of the key locations in the rise and fall of Nazism or explore on a much wider scale across four days.

Students may be rightly apprehensive about visiting the concentration camp at Dachau – which is why a guided tour of the camp including the gas chamber, crematoria and huts where people slept is important to keep the context clear in everyone’s mind.

And they will quickly perceive that all this happened in a part of Europe, not that far from home. In many ways this is the most dramatic understanding that they get from the visit.

As with all StudyTrips tours, you can develop your own itinerary to suit a specific curriculum module. Thus we can build a trip for you around Hitler’s foreign policy or life in Nazi Germany, the development of nationalism, the Holocaust, censorship and the free press, or any other aspect of the era that you wish to consider in depth with your students.

The full tour, 10 days in length, includes visits to Nuremberg, Prague, Krakow and Berlin and incorporates the Third Reich Documentation Centre, the War Crimes courtroom, the scene of the Luitpoldhain rallies, the Lidice memorial and museum, the Ghetto Museum, Auschwitz and Kirkenua, the Holocaust Memorial and the Wannsee Conference House.

Or you can focus on one or two key locations and change the length of the visit to suit your particular requirements.

Indeed, whatever specific curriculum content you are following, the tour can be arranged to suit the requirements of the course.

You can find more information on our website by clicking here.

Alternatively please call us on 0845 130 6070 or email us at info@studytrips.co.uk

There are many possible reasons to arrange an art study trip to London, but here’s one reason I’d put forward. That whenever you look at what’s on, there is always something new and always such a choice.

Which is why Study Trips works directly with schools to plan their own unique school visit to London’s art galleries.

And what’s more, arranging a trip need not be a time-consuming, stressful task. Call us to discuss your ideas and we’ll make all the arrangements to your specific requirements

Here’s a small selection of current and forthcoming exhibitions:

The ‘must see’ Barbara Hepworth exhibition of the year opens at the Tate Britain from the 24^th June. The first major show dedicated to a prominent British sculptor for nearly 50 years.

Running at the moment there is “Inventing Impressionism” at the National, “Magnificent Obsessions (the artist as collector)” at the Barbican, and “Sculpture Victorious” at Tate Britain.

Meanwhile there is “Abstraction and the Sublime” at Tate Modern, and (from 15th March) the launch of the new Christina Mackie work at Tate Britain.

If you want something particularly different, the Saatchi Gallery has an exhibition of representational 1:1 scale bronze sculptures by Greg Forrest which includes his Stanley Cup Washing Machine, a Drum Kit and a piece replicating the instruments used by the late Keith Moon, former drummer of The Who.

Of course, London’s galleries have first-class learning resources to enrich the experience, from interactive workshops, guided tours and classroom activities led by gallery educators.

In short, everything is there for you to choose – you simply tell us what you want and we’ll organise the event for you.

And if you are staying for a night or two we can add a visit to a suitable West End show and a meal at Planet Hollywood.

You can find more information on our website by clicking here.

Alternatively please call us on 0845 026 4661 or email us at info@studytrips.co.uk

What is the most effective way of teaching pupils
all the phonics they need to know?

Keeping track of the phonics that pupils have learned can be something of a challenge.

Not just because there are so many phonics in the English language, but because a phonic that one pupil may have successfully learned is not necessarily the phonic that another pupil has understood.

Our Phonic Limerick Friends resource gives pupils the opportunity to see and hear the phonic sounds repeatedly and in context, helping them to internalise the link between the grapheme and the phoneme.

The resource contains 26 humorous limericks, one for each of the letters of the alphabet and features characters with which the children will become familiar, characters such as Alfie the Ant, Bella the Bat, Danny the Dog, Frankie the Frog, and so on…

Each limerick contains at least 8 words using the phonic sound that is being focused on. For example, for ‘j’, they will see and hear: Jenny, jet, jumbo, jumper, jams, jiggles, jump, juicy and jelly, eg:

Jenny the jet flies through the skies,
In a jumbo sized jumper that covers her eyes,
It jams her jets,
It jiggles her belly,
And makes her jump into juicy jelly!

The pack of 6 Phonic Limerick Friends books are suitable for reading independently, for 1:1 reading sessions and reading in small groups.

Our Phonic Limericks with Zoë Zebra and Friends resource provides the pupils not only with the 26 limericks which can be found in the Phonic Limerick Friends book but also with a number of supporting reproducible worksheets and activities to reinforce their phonic knowledge.

What’s more, there are also a number of handwriting activities to promote correct letter formation.

The accompanying CD contains full-colour versions of the limericks which can be displayed on an interactive whiteboard, copies of the reproducible worksheets to enable easy printing, and Smartboard versions of the reproducible sheets.

Free sample teaching resources can be found on our website.

You can order in the following ways:

• On our website. Click here for Phonic Limerick Friends and here for Phonic Limericks with Zoë Zebra and Friends
• By phone on 01449 766629
• By fax on 01449 767122
• By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk

Brilliant Publications,
Mendlesham Industrial Estate,
Norwich Road,
Mendlesham,
Suffolk,
IP14 5ND.website: www.brilliantpublications.co.uk
email: orders@tradecounter.co.uk

phone: 01449 766629
fax: 01449 767122

What is the most effective thing a school can do to help students whose aim is to be an entrepreneur?

Traditionally we think of our students going on after education to be office workers, chemists, shop assistants, academics, engineers, accountants, solicitors, police officers…

And by and large we aim to give our students the skills that will allow them to get a job commensurate with their abilities which will enable them to do the job they want.

Yet it seems (at least from what politicians tell us) that what the country also needs besides the office workers, chemists etc, is lots of entrepreneurs. And yet these same politicians tend to be a little vague on just how we can help students who think this might be a good idea.

Indeed, the question that can arise is, what is an entrepreneur? What do they actually do that leads them to make significant amounts of money, often by a very young age? Is it all IT skills, or good luck, or drive and determination or is there something else?

Given that there is no school subject in, no exam in, and no inspection report on the training up of entrepreneurs, such thoughts can go by the wayside, perhaps associated with the notion than anyone with the ability to become an entrepreneur is going to become an entrepreneur, no matter what.

And yet the fact is that many students who could create their own businesses, create jobs for others, and make a considerable contribution to our nation’s economy, never get started on the road to entrepreneurial work. And often that is simply because no one has ever helped them understand how to start.

Indeed that is the issue. What can each and every teacher who wishes to help, do to enable students take their first steps towards being an entrepreneur?

It is to answer this question that the magazine Fresh Young Millionaire was launched. Backed by the Social Venturing Fund set up by The Big Issue Invests the magazine comes with a range of learning activities which can stand alone or be integrated into Business Studies, English,. PSHE, Maths, History, ICT and citizenship lessons.

The magazine exists to engage, equip and inspire young people and to make a real difference, so that those students who want to move into entrepreneurial activities know what entrepreneurial activity is, how to proceed, what questions to ask, and where to find the information they need.

Everyone can make a contribution, and indeed if there is one way to impress Ofsted it is by going this extra mile to ensure that this element of education, along with all items they are there to inspect, is covered by the school.

You can read more about Fresh Young Millionaire at www.freshyoungmillionaire.com and you can also subscribe to the magazine on line

If you quote HH5 when you order you will receive two extra copies free, a saving of 33% off the total cost.

If you have any questions please do email info@freshyoungmillionaire.com We’ll be very happy to help.

David Stoll’s KEY STAGE 2 COMPOSING is designed to reference, use and fulfil the requirements of the curriculum in a new way which allows all primary school teachers – not just music specialists – to encourage and develop creativity in their pupils. The lessons and projects, carefully described and with full practical notes and explanations, are fun and rewarding. Based on listening and analysing sounds, and then making patterns and stories out of them, they are, in fact, an excellent back-up for lessons in all subjects.

KEY STAGE 2 COMPOSING covers every aspect of primary school creative music making. Each lesson in the book is broken down into five and ten minute blocks, with each step fully detailed and accompanied by explanatory notes for the teacher. As well as a complete set of lessons there are several short- and long-term composing projects for the pupils to work.

Though full of strategies and tips for teachers with a music background, KEY STAGE 2 COMPOSING is specifically written for teachers who have no knowledge of music theory at all and little confidence in teaching music. The book is copiable throughout which means it can be shared by KS2 teachers throughout the school.

David Stoll is the well-known composer of SEALSONGS as well as concert, theatre and television music. He was commissioned by the DfES to run a project investigating how composers may work with teachers in primary schools, and to write a handbook for schools and composers: Building music (DfES 2005). David regularly runs composing workshops and delivers INSETs in schools and for LEAs around the country.

Sample pages of the book may be downloaded from http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/T1752.pdf

Publisher’s catalogue number T1752emn; ISBN: 978 1 86083 714 2

Prices

• Book or CD: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Book plus CD: £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Download from the on-line shop: £16.95

Methods of ordering – please quote catalogue number T1752emn

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House Mailings plc, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH
• By fax on 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or with an official school order number on 01536 399 011
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=48_98&products_id=666

Over half a million KS3 students have seen The Flying Theatre Company. So what benefit did they get?

Since The Flying Theatre Company started to visit secondary schools in the UK over fifteen years ago we’ve been developing, improving and refining our show.

We’ve listened to comments from teachers and students. We’ve analysed the responses, and asked teachers questions about the effect on learning that a visit from the company produces.

Throughout this period our aim has been the same. To give the students the confidence that they can understand French and that they can enjoy working in the French language.

Which takes us back to the question: what did the students and members of staff think of the performance?

Perhaps the best answer comes from the fact that over 80% of the schools that ask The Flying Theatre Company to visit them, subsequently rebook the company for a further visit. Which tends to suggest that the performance was deemed to have a positive effect.

What’s more, because this is a professional production we use radio mics – which in turn means that there is no limit on the number of students who attend the performance. They’ll hear us, even at the very back.

The average cost for a school is approximately £3 per student – which is generally considered a very modest sum to pay in return for the enthusiasm and drive that students take away from the performance.

As for the production itself, this is totally in French – but at a level that all students will understand. It is funny, attention grabbing, motivating and memorable.

To read more about the production and to make a booking please click here.

Indeed if you scroll down that web page you can also see what French teachers say about this performance.

For more information please call 01287 669156 or for any other enquiries please email us at info@flyingtheatre.com

STUDENT LOCKER KEYS FROM JUST £1, LOCKS FROM JUST £5*

Ordering is simple, by phone, email or direct online.

Please quote promotional code HH1 to gain these special rates.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please call 0208 343 2943 for details, email us at sales@keysplease.co.uk or visit our website www.keysplease.co.uk

According to figures from the Dept for Education, the average secondary school teacher has about four working days off a year due to illness. Of course this incorporates teachers who have a long time out with a serious illness as well as the 44% of teachers who are fortunate enough to go a whole year not getting ill at all.

These numbers show why the need for ready-made materials for supply teachers who cover Geography classes is as vital as ever. For even when something has been left from the previous lesson, there are always going to be those who finish the work rapidly, and need something else to do.

Which is why the Absent Geography Teacher volume of worksheets was developed.

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 on how the increasing human population in developing countries can be managed, to comprehension questions on tectonic activity.

Each article is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which (for example) the students have to explain how volcanic mountains are formed, and a homework task in which the students design and draw a poster warning people about the dangers of nuclear power stations.

The volume covers such topics as the structure of the earth, continental drifts, volcanic activity, pollution, etc, etc.

Each lesson in the volume is printed on a single page and is simple to photocopy instantly for any class that suddenly requires the lesson.

The Absent Geography Teacher Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced at £30 plus £2.95 delivery.

You can order the Absent Geography Teacher worksheets collection by filling in the order form and sending it by fax, email, or post (see contact details below). Alternatively, if you have a school order number, you can order by phone.

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

Alternative approaches to delivering arts and crafts
lessons at Easter

Thinking of new and inspiring arts and crafts lesson ideas each year is the ideal to which we all aspire, and of course most of the time it is possible to come up with something different to add to the best activities that were done last year.

But thinking of new and inspiring arts and crafts ideas is a time-consuming challenge – and time is often the key factor. We could all work through and prepare more new ideas if only there was more time.

Which is why S&S Services exists. To offer a range of new and different materials which can be added to the regular approaches to arts and crafts that always engage and encourage children each year.

This year our Easter themed arts and crafts ideas and materials include:

• Wooden egg cups
• A3 Yellow card
• Easter painting sponges
• Yellow feathers
• Easter picture rollers

You can order in any of the following ways:

• On our website at the web links above
• By email to info@ss-services.co.uk
• By phone on 01789 765323
• By fax to 01789 765469
• By post to S & S Services, Units 4-8 Tything Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EP.

Delivery

We offer free delivery on orders over £35 and charge only £2.99 delivery for orders which come to less than this across the majority of the UK.

For those requesting delivery from Northern Ireland, the Isles of Scilly, the Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, delivery is £7 and for those lucky enough to be living in the Channel Islands the delivery charge is £12.45 irrespective of the size of the order.