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

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

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

Business and the Economy; Business and the Government; Business Basics; Finance; International Trade and the EU; Marketing and Production; Marketing Communication and Finance; People and Communication; People in Organisations; The Impact of ICT

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

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

To order your free trial please click here

What is the most effective way of helping students to higher grades at GCSE German?
In learning any language students we all go through two phases.

The first involves becoming familiar with the basic grammar and vocabulary of the language that allows the individual to engage in simple written and verbal communication – enough to ask the way to the shops and understand the answer.

That type of communication is expanded and developed through bringing in new situations and speeding up the exchanges while still keeping the subject matter very much in the every day.

That is part one. The second part then makes a conceptual leap from that position – a leap which takes the students up to a completely different level.

By this second stage the awareness of many everyday phrases is embedded in the brain and can be heard, understood and answered without translation. The language is understood as language.

And here students make the leap from a pass at GCSE to a higher grade and prepare themselves for A level, should they wish to take it.

Deutscher Wiederholungskurs will help this type of candidate make these steps forward. It provides material for revision for the GCSE speaking and writing tests and helps to bridge the gap between GCSE and A level.

The course is divided into 8 topics drawn from the GCSE syllabus, each containing the same tasks:

Oral questions to revise the topic briefly;
Suggestions for visual stimuli for further oral revision;
A passage of German entitled “Fritz erzählt” which contains gaps to fill in and practice for case endings, pronouns and verb endings;
Comprehension exercises on the passage to be answered in full German sentences;
A passage of English for translation into German; and a series of questions in German, the answers to which should form the basis for a short essay. Finally there are a series of related role-play situations.
The book is fully photocopiable for ease of use in the classroom and will prove an invaluable source of revision and consolidation for your GCSE students.

Sample pages from the book, order code T1616emn, can be found on http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/modlang/T1616.pdf

Prices
Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery

CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery

Both the Ring Binder and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the 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://tinyurl.com/mw79zv
By phone with a school order number or a credit card to 01536 399 011
When ordering the book please quote the reference T1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can see some sample pages at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1821.pdf

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

Prices:

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

Prices include VAT.

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

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=154

What is the simplest way to ensure that every locker has a key. No matter what

It is a sad, but inescapable fact of school life, that students occasionally lose the key to their locker. Or “forget” to hand their key back at the end of term.

It’s annoying, but it happens.

Which means you will almost certainly need replacement keys for some of the lockers in the school, and you may even quite possibly need them on a fairly regular basis.

The solution to this problem is simple. You simply call or email Keysplease, and tell us the code number for the lock in question, (normally stamped on the face of the lock) and we will supply you with keys for that locker.

We can even, if you wish, supply a new lock as well.

And the great benefit is that the locker keys can be supplied for as little as £1 each in some cases, which means that if you charge a deposit of £5.00 per locker, your costs of replacements and administration are covered. Locks are available from just £5*.

Ordering is simple, by phone, email or direct online. And there is a full list of the range of makes that we stock, on the web site. But don’t worry – 99% of the locks in use in UK schools are covered by the manufacturers whose keys we stock.

*Please quote promotional code HH2 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

The most effective way of ensuring that students and their parents can always see the homework set, and the marks given.

There is no doubt that the best way of enhancing parental involvement in their children’s education is to make it as easy as possible for the parent to see what homework has been set, when it was due in, what is expected, how long it should take, and what mark was given.

For, as every parent knows, although asking a teenager what homework is required each night may bring forth the right answer, this result is not guaranteed.

So, to ensure that everyone knows what homework has been set (and indeed to ensure that the student has the resources required), when it is due, what mark is given, and what comments are made, we have Show My Homework.

It is an online resource that offers benefits to parents, their children and to teachers. Using this online system homework can be set in minutes, homework tasks can be shared between colleagues, and revision tasks can readily be set and marked.

To-do lists are automatically populated, work can be submitted online (giving advance experience of the world of FE/HE and employment), and grades and comments can be left by teachers and are automatically entered onto relevant spreadsheets.

And there is one additional benefit – because not only can parents see if work is being done, but they can also appreciate teachers’ expectations and, most importantly, see where their child needs support at home.

They are able to judge equally when a child is not doing enough work and when a child is starting to worry about school work and is spending too long on it to the detriment of family life.

Thus we have three huge benefits from Show My Homework. There is a real time-saving aspect to this approach for the school, enhanced knowledge for the parents, and a massive saving in administrative time as homework can be set, monitored and marked online and reports can be instantly generated and broken down by year group, subjects and so on.

If you would like to know more about the product, or benefit from a free Senior Leader demonstration, click here to find out more or email louise@showmyhomework.co.uk

Sold to over 3,000 UK primary schools – a top selling classroom resource!

600 Problem Solving challenge cards covering all aspects of the Mathematics curriculum.100 Challenge Cards for each year level, with a separate storage box for each set of 100 cards.

Develop studentsʼ mathematical skills in all curriculum areas.

Answers online, durable materials, ready for immediate classroom use.

www.challengecards.com

£180 for the Full Primary School Maths set.

Email to place your order: archer@challengecards.com

Regards
Archer

With the Virtual Physics Laboratory they can fire an AK47 at a ballistic balance and calculate the muzzle velocity of the shell – without the possibility of causing any harm.

This is just one of a set of 20 virtual Physics experiments that include many of the AQA required activities. They are extremely realistic and really do give the look and feel of doing the actual experiments, but there’s no setting up, nothing to break, wear out or steal and the equipment always works!

These virtual experiments can really save you time and be a big factor in your students gaining much more experience of practical science.

Have a look at our website here: http://www.keylinkcomputers.co.uk/virtualscienceexperiments.html

Where you can watch a video of the experiments in action and find a complete list of all the experiments. You will also find a couple of experiments you can try.

If you have any questions or would like a demonstration please do let me know.

Dr Rob Lucas MBCS CITP Cert Phys (Open)
Director

“I thought that the controls were pretty easy to get used to and the detail in the apparatus was excellent being able to zoom in and see the set up of the multimeter and read scales, being careful of parallax. This type of software is most useful in experiments which can’t be done in the lab like the gravity on the moon or where the equipment is too expensive or difficult to use like the Millikan Oil drop.”
Physics Scholar Coordinator

Is it really possible that an art class can raise the self-esteem of every pupil?

Put another way, can art, where children’s innate abilities seem to vary so greatly, have a positive effect on the social and emotional development of all pupils?

We believe the answer to that question is a resounding “yes” – and the mechanism to achieve this is a skills-based approach.

The lesson activities in our Painting is a Class Act and Drawing is a Class Act Series Packs for Key Stage 1 and 2 have been designed to focus on developing children’s painting and drawing skills, whilst at the same time boosting pupils’ self-esteem and confidence which in turn will help promote high standards in other curriculum areas.

In using the resources pupils will learn to record their ideas and experiences through drawing and painting, develop the ability to use the language of art to analyse creative works, expand their knowledge of great artists, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.

The resources provide a structured, skills-based approach to the development of painting and drawing skills (and other skills that come with it) with easy-to-follow lesson plans, clear progression of skills to be taught, and examples of how these skills can be applied with examples of pupils’ artwork for every lesson.

Painting is a Class Act and Drawing is a Class Act Series Packs cover all the National Curriculum Programmes of Study relating to painting and drawing respectively, and have been designed to support non-specialist art teachers in teaching art and to inspire the experienced.

What’s more, the Drawing is a Class Act resources are winners of Best Curriculum Material in the Global Learning Initiative Awards at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2006.

You can order in any of these ways:

On our website using the links above
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

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

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

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

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

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

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

To order your free trial please click here

What is one of the most cost effective ways
of supporting your new teachers?

Since the introduction of the 2012 Teaching Standards, there has been a lack of guidance and support to ensure schools are delivering successful NQT induction programmes.

At ‘Teachers’ CPD Made Easy’ we have addressed this gap. As trainers, we have used our 12 years’ experience to produce a complete NQT Induction package, ready for you to personalise to your school context. We believe that you know your staff best which is why our sessions are written to be delivered fully or adapted and personalised, saving you valuable time to maximise your impact across the school.

Our NQT Programme incorporates 15 generic training sessions which encourage new teachers to use their classroom experiences to analyse, critique and move their practice forward whilst enhancing their subject passion and pre-empting their termly needs. Covering challenge, engagement, differentiation, planning and marking to name a few, our sessions are varied, relevant and purposeful.

If you would like to find out more about this programme or any of the other packages we have to offer, visit us at www.teacherscpd.co.uk to download a free training sample. The website offers detailed information about each individual session available and an opportunity to subscribe to receive our monthly blogs which share our good practice and ideas in staff training.

For more information about using any of our products or for bespoke training request contact: jo@teacherscpd.co.uk.

The notion of snacking is deeply embedded in our culture. But does it matter what children
eat when they snack?

When children have a snack between meals they mostly do it because everyone else does it. Their friends, their parents… everyone has a snack. It’s what we do in Britain.

Interestingly it is not something that is commonplace in every country, and even where it is, not every country takes snacking so seriously. Indeed the word “snack” comes from the middle English word snacken – “to bite”. It is just that we have extended the notion somewhat.

Children who snack are not necessarily hungry (although some will claim to be “starving”) but rather snacking is a habit. It is what they, their friends, and most likely their parents, do.

In the end there is nothing much wrong with snacking in itself, but there is everything wrong with snacking too much and with snacking on the wrong foods.

And this is where the problem arises because many children (along with many of their parents) simply don’t know which foods are healthy and which ones are not.

Which is why it is important that we help children to discover healthier food rather than the foods that may lead them into overeating and being overweight (now an issue for 64% of the UK population).

And this, in turn, is why we have set up the Tasty Tuck Shop – a simple-to-run school tuck shop based entirely on healthy food and drink.

You pick and choose the snacks you sell so that your Tuck Shop stays varied and appealing – and your teaching colleagues can help the children to understand more about the healthier options that the shop offers.

We make a Tuck Shop simple to set up, there are no set up forms, etc, and we supply posters, nutritional information, display stands, and an example letter to give to parents.

The snacks sell for as little as 35p, and our ‘Healthy Range’ fully complies with the new ‘National School Food Standards’ that were introduced January 2015.

You can find more information by clicking here and also on our website at www.tastytuck.co.uk

Alternatively please do call James on 01206 391179 or email me at james@tastytubs.co.uk

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

The Secret to Successful Revision
A practical guide for GCSE Geography teachers

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full range of First and Best books can be seen at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk
You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

What is the most effective way of ensuring that
everyone has work to do, even when in isolation or excluded?

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 book 1 and book 2 are available from Hamilton House priced at £50 each (£100 for both books) plus £2.95 delivery.

If you buy both book 1 and book 2 of the series together, you will receive Book 3: 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

It is a given fact that the overwhelming majority of professional actors in the UK were initially trained at Drama School.

It is also true that the top Drama Schools in the UK audition as many as 2500 candidates every year from across the world.

So clearly, any student who wishes to go to Drama School and take up acting as a career needs to be well-prepared and confident enough to showcase his or her talent to the very best of his/her ability simply to get past the first hurdle.

It was with this in mind that A Student’s Guide to Auditioning for Drama School was written to help your students work towards achieving that desired place at Drama School.

The author uses both drama and the actual experiences of students to illustrate how to get ready for the audition and what the interviewers are looking for. He also demonstrates what can go wrong and offers tools and techniques to avoid these pitfalls.

There is, among other things, a section on the importance of selecting the monologues which are best-suited for the student, plus a list of suggestions for sources of monologues that the interviewers would find acceptable.

Taking Shakespeare as an example of the classical monologue, the book also discusses how to approach the presentation of the monologue with huge emphasis on understanding the real meaning of what is being said – as well as on the need for practise, practise, and then more practise.

Following this there are chapters which help the student prepare for the interview and workshop, as well as ways of dealing with such issues as confidence, nerves and the need to prepare one’s mind for what can be a gruelling interview experience.

The book ends with useful tips for students and lesson plans, all of which are geared towards improving the student’s confidence and presentation.

A Student’s Guide to Auditioning for Drama School is available in photocopiable format so can be shared with your colleagues and students in your school.
ISBN: 978 1 86083 886 6; Order code: T1827emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/dramas/T1827.pdf

Photocopiable book, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
Both the bookr 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=28&products_id=800

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

What are the two fundamentals required for children to reach their potential in the 2016 Arithmetic Tests in KS1 and KS2?

For children to be able to reach their maximum potential in the 2016 KS1 and KS2 Arithmetic Tests they clearly need two things: to understand the relevant maths, and to be used to the format and style of the tests they will take.

Which is why we have produced the new photocopiable practice papers in Written Arithmetic prepared specifically for the 2016 syllabus.

Each book contains six photocopiable test papers, similar in style to the new government tests for 2016, and the volumes are available either as printed copies within a book, or as PDFs in an e-book, or as a download from the web site.

Answers are provided, along with assessment score indications at the levels of

Below National Standard
Towards the National Standard
At the National Standard
Above the National Standard
Mastery of the National Standard
The Practice Papers in Written Arithmetic books for Year 2 and Year 6 are available now. Books for Years 3, 4 and 5 will follow.

We have also produced the photocopiable book, Weekly Written Arithmetic Questions for Year 6, in support of the practice papers to develop pupils’ written arithmetic abilities in their final year of primary school. Books for Years 1 to 5 will follow.

This volume contains 30 pages of carefully graded arithmetic questions, each with their own full page answer sheet, and covers topics such as, number, calculations and fractions.

The price for the books depends on the format required:

Paper book in post £17.95
PDF e.book in post £15.95 + VAT
Download from website £13.95 + VAT
As always, you can order any of our resources in the following ways:

On our website
By phone on 01772 863158
By fax at 01772 866153
By email to sales@topical-resources.co.uk
By post to Topical Resources, P.O. Box329, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5LT

www.topical-resources.co.uk
sales@topical-resources.co.uk

CASIO, AURORA, LOGIK and SHARP calculators for the new term plus FREE PRODUCTS with your orders!

100 quality black ink ballpens FREE plus a FREE sample of our
“Survival Pack.” (details below).

Here’s the deal…..

When you order 100 or more Casio FX 83GT+, Casio FX 85GT+ or LK 183 scientific calculators we’ll give you a pack of 100 good quality black ink ballpens……completely FREE when you order. In addition you’ll get a FREE sample of the “Survival Pack,” (a useful set of pens, pencils etc, packed in a handy polyester zip up case). Offer ends 30 September 2015

Another product which can help your students be more productive is the Value Maths set, which can be useful to give (or sell!) to students and which has proved to be popular with many schools and colleges, especially just before exams.

The Value Maths set comprises a metal compass and half pencil, 180 degree protractor, two quality black ink pens, a full length HB pencil, eraser, metal sharpener and a 15 cm ruler, all packed in a convenient A5 size clear PVC “exam friendly” wallet with a zip slider. From just £1.10 ex vat it’s a handy (and cost effective) way of providing your students with the basics they need for maths lessons and exams.

Ordering is easy. Just call 020 7515 1797, or fax to: 020 7515 4420 or email signpost@talk21.com. Why not visit our website where you will find details of these and other helpful products.

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

PS. If you need more information please call Martin Evans on 020 7515 1797 and he’ll be pleased to help.

Support material for the written questions in units 2 & 4 prepared by teachers and examiners of Music Technology

This revised and updated resource will provide you with helpful information for teaching the history of popular music and jazz, as well as the development of music technology.

The CD-ROM contains several PowerPoint’s and revision material including:

AS:

1 – Nine PowerPoint’s giving a brief outline of the development of popular music and Jazz (Including
interactive video links illustrating key artists and styles)

2 – Two detailed PowerPoint’s for this year’s special focus styles (Electronic Dance / Punk & New
Wave)

3 – Homework sheets and revision material

A2:

1 – Eleven PowerPoint’s giving detailed information on various topics including effects and
processors; digital and analogue recording; synthesis and microphones

2 – Revision material associated with each of the topics above

This resource is only available from Tempo Publishing at a cost of £39, and once purchased may
be used throughout the purchasing establishment.

To view sample pages and to order online please visit www.tempopublishing.co.uk. Alternatively purchase orders can be emailed to sales@tempopublishing.co.uk.

If you have any questions or want to order over the phone then by all means give me a ring on 07564 291815.

Kind regards

Jason Boyd – Tempo Publishing

What is the most effective way to encourage independence among your pupils now, so that they will be prepared for the primary to secondary transition ahead?

Naturally, for some pupils the transition to secondary school can be overwhelming – bigger buildings, bigger people, more people, more classrooms, more information to remember, and indeed, a lot more homework.

Which is why it makes it so important that each and every pupil looking forward to the transition is as prepared as they can be, so that they will thrive academically, emotionally, and socially in their new, bigger, and more complex environment and routine.

This can be achieved by making slight adjustments to their school routine towards the end of their primary education which will mimic the routine and additional responsibilities they will encounter when they start secondary school.

Just as one example, by issuing your older pupils with a homework diary, anything to do with their homework becomes their complete responsibility (as it will be at secondary school).

Everything from writing in their homework – including what it is and the date it is due in by, looking at their diary when they get home, completing the homework and returning it by the due date.

A homework diary also brings the added benefit of increased communication between the pupil, their parents and other teachers as comments about the difficulty of the homework and the pupil’s progress (for example) can be written in for the necessary people to see.

Image Logo UK has designed a Desk Mate Homework Diary which is suitable for such an ‘independence-encouraging’ exercise and which is also used in a number of UK secondary schools across the country.

And to make the exercise more authentic we will print a personalised cover on each of the homework diaries to represent your school.

Such branding of the homework diaries will not only encourage parents to get on board with the exercise, but will also reassure them that the school is doing everything to help their son or daughter with the transition ahead, which can be overwhelming for the parents too.

And, given that you can have the school name and phone number on the homework diary, then if anything is lost there is a reasonable chance that it will be returned to the school.

You can find more information about our Desk Mate Homework Diary on our website. If you require any other information or have any questions please do email sales@image-logo.co.uk or call 0845 758 9536.

Delivery normally takes 15-20 working days from artwork approval, but just in case time is tight we do have a wide range of Express items which could be turned around in 5 days (from artwork approval).

What’s more, if you are considering getting any other branded items for your school, Image Logo UK Ltd has a wide range of different products available, all of which can be marked up with any details of the school that you wish. You can see the whole range on our e-book.

Nicole Carter
www.image-logo.co.uk

How can we encourage our younger pupils to engage in meaningful conversation with their classmates at break times and lunchtimes?

It is important that at break times and lunchtimes children are given not only the opportunity to socialise through play but also the opportunity to socialise through meaningful conversation in order to develop vital social skills, such as empathy and sympathy.

But, as with most things, in order to encourage something (particularly of this nature) the environment has to be just right. And in the case of encouraging meaningful conversation among young children, any distractions and interference from adults needs to be limited.

We have taken this notion into consideration and as a result have supplied many primary schools with our multi-coloured junior picnic table. It creates just such an environment through its small square design and smaller dimensions.

The multi-coloured junior picnic table invites children into conversation and maintains their attention due to the direction that the seats face and the number of conversations that can be had with the other (different) children sitting at the bench.

We also supply a number of benches designed for older children (bigger dimensions) with each portraying a different benefit of use so that you can create a playground environment that is best suited to your school and your pupils.

What’s more, the benches that we supply are often available in an array of colours (sometimes multi-coloured), so it is possible to create the environment that you want, perhaps by matching the colour of the benches to your school’s colours.

To see our wide range of outdoor seating for schools, please visit our website, or if you would like to talk about what might be suitable for your school, please do call 01280 701093.

Michael Barnes

What is the simplest way for a left handed person to
achieve perfect handwriting?

Many left handed pupils and students find handwriting difficult. Some reverse d’s and b’s, some smudge their work, some report physical discomfort, such as backache and hand ache as they write.

Yet although many left handed people battle on with this problem, the solution to the issue left handed people face in writing is quite simple: it is to provide them with pens that are designed specifically for those who write with their left hand.

This is the issue we have approached, and after considerable experimentation and research we evolved the ideal solution – a pen with an S bend neck and grip area.
Such a pen enables left-handed writers to hold the pen comfortably at a balanced angle and easily view all letters and words as they are written. In other words the left handed writer and the right handed writer are now set up on an equal footing.

Indeed so successful was the experimentation that led to the production of this solution, the resultant Swan Neck Pens have passed all the requisite British Standards approvals including EN71 part 1, 2, 3 and BS7272 2008.

You can see a video of the pen being used by a left handed writer here.

Obviously these pens are now being sold to left-handed adults for their own use and for use by their children, but we are also currently offering a special 20% educational discount. This is available to schools if you quote the reference “Learning 0124” and where we are delivering to the school address.

For more information please…

● Call 01454 325873.
● Email: Schools@swanneckpen.com
● See our website at www.swanneckpen.com
● Write to us at Swanneck, 151 Sydney Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 6NT

Percussion is perfect for teaching KS1 and KS2 music. As playing music is fun for children, it makes teaching rhythm, structure and ensemble skills easy and when you book a free CD recording with us, you’ll receive this superb 30-player percussion set, worth £249, for free! To find out what is included in this amazing set, click here.

There is no catch, you just need to register your interest over the next week and book a free CD recording with us at any time during 2015.
Our professional recording engineers come to your school with studio recording equipment, and spend a day recording your CD with you, for free. Our Interactive Recording Guide shows the huge educational benefit in the project for the children, and makes planning the project really simple with everything set out for you.

All you need to do is decide what you’d like to include on your CD – a performance or event, instrumental groups, the whole school singing, each class singing their favourite song or even your drumming. The CD is a treasured memento to be proud of, a great showcase for the school’s talents, and the recording is an amazing day for the children. You can even raise funds for your school from the sales of your CD.

To get the free CD recording for your school and your free 30-player percussion set, all you need to do is send me an email to the address below, or give me a call with your school details and when approximately you might like to record your CD.

To qualify for the free percussion set, you have a week to register your interest to complete your recording at any time during 2015.

Kind regards,

Ann-Marie Lawrence
My School CD

Tel: 01925 321 800
Email: Ann-Marie.Lawrence@MySchoolCD.co.uk

What is the most effective way of coping with the continual change that is now an inevitable part of school administration?

If ever a job has changed in the last 10 years it is that of the bursar and school business manager.

Even the title of the job has been varied, for as one correspondent to the School of Education Administration and Management put it recently, “My pay slip calls me the ‘Administrator’, it says ‘Bursar’ on the door to my room and the head introduces me to visitors as the School Business Manager.”

In a world where even the job title can be variable throughout the day, what chance is there for the bursar (or SBM or Chief Administrator) to cope with the ever changing nature of the school?

The fact is that change is everywhere. The government makes change its watch-word. Independence from LA control puts more pressure on school administrations, and quite often the boundaries as to who actually has the final sign off on new procedures becomes rather confused.

As a result, stress rises and a sense of progressive improvement is replaced by a sense of making do. With few people seeming to know how schools are supposed to react to something as huge as the raising of the compulsory education leaving age over the next few years, it is not surprising that there is often a sense of the school not quite knowing what is coming next.

However, it is only by recognising change as an inevitable part of running the school’s administrative systems and by accepting that the drive towards efficiency and effectiveness is part of the bursar’s job that these various parts of the school process can be brought back into balance.

Hence the new edition of the Bursar’s Survival Guide.

The aim of this comprehensive report is to develop school improvements and efficiencies through changes in administrative procedures. Such action inevitably enhances the personal standing of the bursar and those in the bursar’s department and reduces stress levels throughout the school’s administration.

The report opens with a single example idea, one idea that takes only a few minutes to implement but which could reduce the school’s non-salary expenditure by 10% at a stroke, without changing the quality of the goods and services provided.

After that the volume considers 57 separate topics that affect the role of the bursar and the bursar’s department in the school, and analyses each one in a way that is (in most cases, if not all) different from the way in which standard text books on bursaring and financial control approach the topic.

Quite simply The Bursar’s Survival Guide will help to ensure a smoothly run bursar’s office generating excellent results in all aspects of its work in the years to come.

You can see some sample pages at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/bursar/T1795.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1795EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 885 9

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: T1795EMN
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=26&products_id=416

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

It is one thing to pass a law saying we must counter extremism in the classroom. It is another thing to achieve this.

It is quite likely that when you and your colleagues first entered the profession, the notion of our government making it compulsory for schools to use the classroom as a location for countering extremist views was not in the offing.

Indeed most likely there wasn’t even a debate about the possibility of such an issue.

But now we have the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act which makes anti-radicalisation teaching compulsory.

And there is more to the issue than that, for radicalisation in schools is a subject that the media has been seen to leap upon at every opportunity.

Thus helping young people avoid radicalisation is of prime importance.

But there is another issue beyond this, for the level of unwelcome media attention that will follow even a false suggestion that radicalisation has happened in one’s own school can be considerably harmful to the school’s image over a long period of time.

In short one needs to be able to show to everyone at a moment’s notice evidence that the anti-radicalisation programme is fully operational in the school.

For these reasons we have produced a practical handbook which provides an objective resource, full of classroom activities, to enable lower secondary school teachers to tackle the complex subjects of terrorism and radicalisation.

Our approach is to set political violence within a wider context, using familiar emotions of anger and disappointment to introduce the notion of grievance, a precursor of all forms of terrorism.

From here we are able to link the topic to issues of citizenship, human rights and respect, civil and political engagement, how we identify with others and indeed the issue of bullying.

And of course we bring in the historical contexts – from the Suffragettes to Northern Ireland and South Africa as examples – to consider not just the origin of terrorism but also the subsequent process of reconciliation.

There is more detailed information on Radicalisation and Terrorism: A Teacher’s handbook for Addressing Extremism on our web site.

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

On our website
By phone on 01449 766629
By fax on 01449 767122
By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
Or By post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

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

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

phone: 01449 766629
fax: 01449 767122

The second School Minibus Survey reveals that the way in which schools are paying for and using their minibuses has changed.

The second Benchmark Leasing survey of school minibus use has revealed a considerable change in the way schools are paying for and using their vehicles in recent years.

As might well be expected the survey shows a considerable growth in the number of minibuses being operated by schools, and this growth has been accompanied by a change in the way in which the vehicles are financed.

Whereas in the past schools were more likely to buy a minibus outright, perhaps with a donation from the PTA to help matters along, leasing is now becoming the norm.

As a result schools are able to ensure that their vehicles do not become increasingly liable to breakdown, but can instead be replaced at regular intervals as one lease ends and a new one is taken out.

In addition schools find that they are covered against any sudden extra costs for repairs and maintenance as everything is included in the lease.

Over 20% of schools now report that they only have leased minibuses – a figure that appears to be rising very rapidly. Likewise the number of schools that are reporting that they will lease their next minibus (rather than buy it) is higher than ever before. Buying secondhand is virtually disappearing as an option.

For a free copy of the second School Minibus Survey, which also incorporates details of the current legal responsibility and requirements, please like our Facebook page and email jenny@hamilton-house.com to receive the report.

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

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.
You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Request an independent university talk for your
students from UniTasterDays.com, the award
winning university events resource.

Staff from UniTasterDays come in and talk to your students about key university topics including:

– University applications and personal statements for Years 12 and 13
– Key facts about student finance
– An introduction to university (for Year 9, 10 or 11)

All talks will be delivered by staff with over ten years’ experience of working in higher education, and a wealth of experience delivering school and college talks.

The talks are independent and bespoke based on your requirements and start at just £300 + VAT for a standard one hour session.

Find out more about all the events HERE

Or for more information, please contact Jon Cheek at UniTasterDays by email: jon@unitasterdays.com

“A successful and very informative presentation to our Year 11 students, with lots of useful advice for them to act on now and going forward.”
Julia Martin – Highworth Warneford School

“An informative and provoking workshop which motivated the students to really think about the possibility of going to university in the future. “
Colin Morris MAT coordinator Ebbw Fawr Learning Community

“An engaging session which kept the students interested and increased awareness of a number of issues. Well organised and thoroughly professional”
Paula Leclerc. St Andrew’s CE High School for Boys, Worthing.

According to Therese Hoyle, a leading expert in children’s play, there are three main types of behaviour that can be observed at play time and during lunch breaks…

Bullying and bad behaviour
Bored behaviour
Positive behaviour
Self-evidently what we want is as much positive behaviour as possible, plus an arsenal of speedy and effective ways of rapidly turning bullying, bad behaviour and bored behaviour into positive behaviour.

For not only is bullying, bad behaviour and bored behaviour disruptive and negative in itself, but it takes up everyone’s time in dealing with it. Time that could be much better spent in encouraging and developing positive behaviour.

Sadly, as we all know, simply telling children who tend to engage in the negative forms of behaviour not to do so, has little effect.

Instead we need two approaches – and it is noticeable that schools which adopt these approaches dramatically and rapidly reduce the level of negative behaviour.

Indeed they also reduce the pressure put upon teachers and lunchtime assistants in dealing with the problems that such negative behaviour brings.

Autumn catalogue
Therese Hoyle has evolved six approaches within her Positive Playtime Behaviour Management Programme to overcoming negative behaviour, and these are outlined in her latest article, “Helping your school flourish”, which is published within the new Edventure catalogue.

A copy of the catalogue, complete with the article, has been posted to your school. If this hasn’t arrived for any reason please do click here, complete your details, and we’ll get another in the post to you right away.

Also within the catalogue are hundreds of ways of enhancing positive behaviour while reducing the level of bullying, bad behaviour and bored behaviour in the playground.

I do hope you will find the article and the range of ideas within the catalogue to be of interest. You can place an order in a variety of different ways including:

on the website www.edventure.co.uk
by faxing us to 01323 50 10 41
by calling us on 01323 50 10 40
by emailing us at sales@edventure.co.uk
by post to Edventure Ltd, Hargreaves Business Park, Hargreaves Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QW.
What’s more, if you quote HH0314 on your order delivery will be free.

Without quoting the code the charge is £3.95 if ordered online or £6.95 if ordered by fax, phone or post.

Getting students to understand the relationship between the earth and sun and it’s impact on our daily lives can at times be a challenge.

How to explain that what we see in the sky and what we live and breath has a direct effect on why we have Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

Why is it that half the world is in darkness while the other is not? How is possible to tell the time without a watch using just a shadow?
All this and many other aspects of the science and maths curriculum can be enhanced by installing an interactive and hands on human sundial.

What’s more, the installation can be made into a fundraising activity and you can enlist the help of not just students, but parents and other community members into the project.

Join the many schools in Australia and New Zealand who have installed a Human Sundial.

Please visit our websites to learn more and to view pictures of Human Sundials.

www.sunclocksaustralia.com or www.sunclocks.co.nz

As of last year 35,420 Human Sundials have been installed throughout the world.
Call us today on 07 4124 8196 or 0410 243 540
and discover how inexpensive this great interactive learning tool really is!

If you walked into an incredibly efficient school, how would you know it was efficient?

The trouble with efficiency is that it is often very hard to measure.

Sometimes, of course, we can see inefficiency, as for example at my local council offices where I have to stand in a long queue to get a ticket which allocates me to another queue where my query can be answered. A notice on the wall telling us which window deals with which enquiries would cut the queuing time considerably.

But when things seem to be working ok, it is hard to tell if they are running at maximum efficiency or not.

As a result, if we look at an organisation such as a school and don’t see any glaring inefficiencies we tend to believe that the organisation is both effective and efficient.

And, of course, this might be a valid analysis. The school is indeed effective in doing what it wants to do and efficient in the way it goes about it.

But, as with most other things in life, there are grades of efficiency. Indeed, most people who have studied efficiency would argue that no organisation is ever totally efficient. There is always some wastage of physical resources, time and energy.

Indeed in one school a simple change to the way timetabling was arranged saved £50,000 a year. In another, the installation of a false ceiling in a Victorian building reduced the heating bill by £10,000 a year.

In yet another a change to the way in-school printing was arranged and paid for reduced that bill by an amazing £30,000 a year.

And all of this was done without changing the way teaching and learning took place.

Of course, the route each school chooses is always different. For some it involves changing school meal providers. In others it involves checking the way leasing contracts are being handled. Some simply change their email system so that the time taken to check the school’s emails each morning is reduced by half.

The key issue in all this is that of how the school goes about looking for efficiencies.

Staff who are asked in general terms to come up with ideas for efficiency tend not to find many such ideas. But where a very particular four-step approach to efficiency is followed, efficiencies are always found.

The four-step approach to efficiency was evolved by the School of Educational Administration and Management which was founded in 2005 with support from the Department of Trade and Industry and the University of Northampton Faculty of Education.

Since then the SEAM has worked with thousands of schools to establish which processes work in saving schools money, and now many of our findings are reported in one volume: “The Efficient School.”

This book reveals not only many of the projects that schools have introduced in recent years in order to achieve efficiencies but also explores areas in which savings can be made. It also reviews the way in which the whole issue of changing well-established processes and habits can be built into the school’s ethos.

The Efficient School 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 811 8 Order code: T1803emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1803.pdf

Photocopiable book, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
Both the book and the CD: £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
Prices include VAT.
You can purchase the report…

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
By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk with a school order number
On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=784

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Students who can touch-type will deliver more accurate, better presented and easier to read work. That will save you and your teaching colleagues’ considerable time in deciphering and marking badly written scripts.

Meanwhile, Ofqual has publicly stated that online exams should replace pen and paper for today’s students. The major awarding bodies have already welcomed this view. When the inevitable happens, students who can type accurately at speed will perform better in tests.

So to improve the keyboard skills of your pupils so that they can type quickly, accurately, effortlessly and safely, then look no further than Type&Test Ltd, the UK’s leading specialists in online touch-typing training and assessment.

Whatever your budget for this activity – or even if you don’t have one – we have a solution for you! Our range of options even includes an income generation scheme.

Simply click here to reply to this email using the subject line ‘Improved typing skills’ and we will email you a link to our Schools Brochure.

Kind regards

Andy Stevenson
Director
Type&Test Ltd
01480 861867
www.typeandtest.com

Activities, puzzles and games for
International Literacy Day
(8th September 2015)

International Literacy Day comes around every year, so facts such as “1 in 5 adults can’t read”, “two thirds of the illiterate population are women”, and “a child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of 5” are well-known by many adults in the UK.

Yet it is often surprising how unaware many pupils are of the global problems regarding illiteracy and the impact that being illiterate can have on individuals, families, communities, and indeed, whole countries.

With the celebration of International Literacy Day in schools pupils’ eyes are opened to the fact that where there are high rates of unemployment, poor health, crime, and dependence on social welfare or charity (if available) illiteracy can be found.

If your school is looking to support International Literacy Day (8th September 2015), we offer Bumper Books of Literacy Fun (levels 1 to 4) that pupils can readily work through, together with other awareness-raising activities.

Each book is packed full of creative, structured puzzles and games that have been designed to provide extra fun activities to reinforce reading and spelling.

Topic areas include rhyming, auditory and visual discrimination, memory, proofreading, syllable awareness, high frequency ‘irregular’ words, basic grammar, and language enrichment and extension.

For more information about International Literacy Day including event ideas, how to register, and how to donate, please visit: http://internationalliteracyday.org/

You can order Bumper Books of Literacy Fun in any of these ways:

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

Why a pantomime does not have to be just a pantomime but can also be a learning experienceDick Ottington

Because children tend to understand acting and storytelling intuitively, it is easy to assume that they actually understand what pantomime is and why it is there. But, in fact, what generally happens is that they just accept it.

Now that is ok as far as it goes, but there is a benefit from working with children not only for the sake of performing in a panto, but also to understand the context of what they are doing.

Which is why sometimes it is rather good to put on a panto in which the panto becomes not just a performance, but also a learning experience in relation to a significant element in our cultural history.

If we are going down this route, one of the most obvious places to start is with Dick Whittington which as a story has the benefit of being based on a real person, although not necessarily a real cat.

Thus we have a historical plot and the possibility of examining everything that is inherent within the panto. The tradition, the staging, the scenery, the props, the lighting, the use of the provided music against new songs, or new lyrics, dance, movement, acting… all can then become topics for study.

Of course, each topic is an option – it is possible to present Dick Whittington as a pantomime with the normal rehearsals and production to the parents and no further explanation. Or you can take one or more of the issues inherent within the panto and look more deeply at that.

This then is the way that we have approached the publication of Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy, by David Stoll and Michael Hinton.

The package includes:

a Director’s Script, with detailed page-by-page production notes
a Pupils’ Script
a Vocal Score containing thirteen new songs with piano accompaniment, as well as an overture and incidental music
a complete set of high-quality fully orchestrated backing tracks and sound effects.
The Director’s Script also has an extensive introduction to pantomime itself as a topic for study, including the traditions and conventions of this type of theatre.

There are also helpful notes on all aspects of putting on a school production from casting, organising rehearsals, writing new lyrics, making props and sound effects through to involving the audience. The material, therefore, can be used for a term’s study as well as forming the basis of the end of term production.

David Stoll is a well-known composer and songwriter who has also worked extensively with primary school teachers and pupils on creative projects. His SEALSONGS are favourite assembly material, and his book on how to teach composing at KS2 is acknowledged for its helpful notes and suggestions. To go to his website please click here.

Michael Hinton is a teacher, writer and musician with many years’ experience of writing educational materials for schools abroad and in the UK. He works as Music Director with amateur dramatic societies and children’s theatre groups, helping them to stage musicals and pantomimes, and is the composer of hundreds of educational songs.

There are sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/Dick Ottington samples.rar

Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can share with colleagues as often as you want. You can also put it on your school learning platform so all staff can access it.

You can obtain Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=804

The price for the full package is £24.95 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

Dick Ottington and his famous cat Tommy is published by Novello & Co Ltd and distributed by First and Best, 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

What is the most effective way of working with pupils who have English as an additional language?

Students who have English as an additional language now form a majority in one in nine schools in the UK; the number has risen by 20% during the last five years.

Many schools estimate that it takes about a half term for the average EAL pupil to gain sufficient working knowledge of English for them to move into the mainstream classroom, while spending time with the intervention teacher each day.

However, although this seems a simple process there are many issues that arise, ranging from the exact legal requirements in terms of dealing with these pupils through to the best approach for induction and admission of these new arrivals.

There are also issues of engaging with the parents, the question of which teaching and learning strategies are the most effective, and the support and encouragement that should be given to more advanced EAL learners.

Indeed, many schools are now asking what a good induction programme looks like. Indeed when it comes to EAL is one approach as good as another?

This matter was highlighted by the publication of the New Arrivals Excellence Programme which was issued in 2007 and represents a summary of best practice in EAL in the country. It includes case studies and does give a clear source of information on what schools can do in relation to EAL students.

This is not to say that there is a single process and approach which every school should follow, but it is often felt that it is helpful for schools to consider a range of approaches when thinking about their EAL students.

From the sort of approach adopted come the appropriate teaching and learning strategies, and indeed the role of the EAL Coordinator who can ensure that the plan that the school has developed is being followed at each turn, and that any gaps in learning and performance between EAL language pupils and students and those who have English as their first language are narrowed and ultimately removed.

These are the issues examined in the new extensive volume The EAL Coordinator’s Manual. The 170 page volume comes in copiable form so that it can shared with any members of staff in the school who work with EAL students.

You can see a full contents list and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/EAL/T1832.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1832EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 802 6

Prices

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… please quote the order ref: T1832EMN

By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
By fax to 01536 399 012
On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=810

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

The new GCSE curriculum brings many changes to Maths teaching
this September. Our mobile resources for GCSE Maths have been updated
to match the new curriculum, offering support for both you and your
students. We’ve also used your feedback to improve the resources,
making them even more engaging and useful for your students.

Available resources:

– GCSE Maths: Higher Tier

– GCSE Maths: Foundation Tier

See the link below for details:

www.pearsonpublishing.co.uk/info/maths_2015.pdf

GCSE Maths for 2016 is also still available.

To pre-order your new GCSE resources for September, simply complete
and return the order form provided, or get in touch on 01223 350555 or
email mobile@pearson.co.uk to find out more.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards

Jacquie Cox
National Programme Coordinator

Pearson Publishing, Chesterton Mill, French’s Road,
Cambridge CB4 3NP
tel: 01223 350555
fax: 01223 356484
mobile@pearson.co.uk

What is the benefit of giving students a department branded calculator?

Today it seems that most young people use the calculator on their mobile phone rather than a calculator that they carry in their pockets.

There are two issues here: one is that the calculators on most phones are rather basic; and the other is that using the phone calculator is an excuse to have the phone switched on.

The alternative is to give one or more groups of students a branded calculator which has the benefit of making a statement that, as a student of this school, you are being treated as an adult and are expected to have a more adult approach to your work.

Such an approach can be initiated with any group at any time. It can be used with sixth formers or it can be used with year 10 students for the start of GCSE maths, or indeed with year 7 students as a statement that maths is about a more serious and adult approach to the subject than at primary school – which can again help to engender a new attitude to studies.

What’s more, parents will see the branded calculator and realise that the school is doing everything to help their son or daughter undertake these new and more advanced courses with contemporary techniques and approaches.

Additionally, given that you can have the school name and phone number on the calculator, then if it is lost there is a fairly good chance that it will be returned to the school.

Image Logo UK Ltd specialises in calculators for school students and has a wide range of different calculators available, all of which can be marked up with any details of the school that you wish.

There is a wide range shown on our website here incorporating not just standard calculators but also calculators built into rulers. Or, if you wish to talk through the different options, please do call us on 0845 758 9536.

Delivery normally takes 15-20 working days from artwork approval, so if you order now we should have the calculators ready for you at the start of the new term for your new intake. But just in case time is tight we do have a wide range of Express items which could be turned around in 5 days (from artwork approval).

If you require any other information or have any questions please do email sales@image-logo.co.uk or call 0845 758 9536.

Nicole Carter
www.image-logo.co.uk

We know you’ve just returned from your holiday, but we also know that you’ll have had some thinking time

We’ve used the summer to think as well, so that when everyone returns to school in August, we’ll be ready and able to deliver the training and consultancy you really need.

Behaviour is always top of the list, whether its low level disruption or challenging and Autism is obviously something every teacher and learning support assistant should be familiar with.

But this year, we’ll also be focusing on areas such as Auditory Processing Difficulties, Working Memory, Attachment Disorder and Mental Health issues – we’ve brilliant trainers to cover these areas.

As you know its always best to have In House training where staff are all trained together and the programme is completely customised. Why not join with other local schools to share cost?

We also have lots of open courses all around the UK which you can check out on our website www.concept-training.co.uk. Book them now for the Early Bird Discount – you can gives us names nearer the time.

I hope you did manage to get a rest.

Kind Regards

Janet Price

Tel: 01524-832-828
Fax: 01524-832-852
web: www.concept-training.co.uk

Do you use and waste lots of paper in your lessons?

Our new A5 and A4 ruled with reusable whiteboard notebooks are wipeable and reusable (http://www.magicwhiteboard.co.uk/product/a5-ruled-margin-reusable-whiteboard-notebook-8-pages/).

We also have reusable whiteboard handwriting notebooks that helps students with letter formation.

They are long lasting and they don’t smudge.

Write on with any dry marker, it’s quick and easy to erase your work and you don’t waste paper.

Only £1.99 each, next day delivery or a class pack of 30 reusable whiteboard notebooks for £1.38 ex vat each (£41.40)

Order at http://www.magicwhiteboard.co.uk/product/a5-ruled-margin-reusable-whiteboard-notebook-8-pages/

or email purchase orders to sales@magicwhiteboard.co.uk

Neil Westwood

Managing Director

Magic Whiteboard Limited

Create a whiteboard from a roll anywhere, in seconds!

tel: 01905 451552

www.magicwhiteboard.co.uk

@magicwhiteboard

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

When we brought out How to get A* in French we were asked if it was also available for Spanish – so now here it is.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full range of First and Best books can be seen at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk
First and Best in Education
Earlstrees Road
Corby
UK
NN17 4HH

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

You can now follow us on Twitter and Facebook

What is the most effective and time efficient way of meeting Ofsted’s requirements regarding the Common Inspection Framework?

Self-evaluation has always been a problematic affair, ensuring that one’s own valuations can be fully justified as and when Ofsted requires. But with the new Ofsted CIF it doesn’t need to be time-consuming. Even Ofsted has asked heads to provide only “routine” information.

Now there is a simple and sophisticated solution – you can use iAbacus to update or indeed re-create your school self-evaluation and development plan in line with these latest Ofsted requirements.

For we have built a self-evaluation system which is quick, which makes collaboration easy, without leading to long discussions, and which results in statements that can be presented to inspectors with a certainty that they are completely accurate.

And the system is built so that you can start using iAbacus within five minutes of turning it on – which means no manual, no complex logging-in procedure, etc. Just instant access and instant use.

This means you can immediately start to provide your self-evaluation for such topics as the overall effectiveness of the school, the effectiveness of leadership and management, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, the outcomes and the effectiveness of the school.

Then you can consider your initial judgements and see them in terms of Ofsted’s very latest criteria. You can check that you could defend your judgements to Ofsted in their own terms, and you can ensure that you haven’t overplayed or underplayed your hand.

In no time you have a school improvement plan which takes account of where you are now and how you are going to move forward.

This type of self-evaluation can have a huge impact on your school – especially if several people get involved in the process. For it forces everyone to analyse what is going on and to justify their statements – and that is the most valuable step of all.

It is a process that incorporates evidence from various sources, including other systems and procedures, and allows the compilation of reports for governors/stakeholders and briefings for internal monitoring or evaluation.

iAbacus also includes FREE templates for performance management, school governance, literacy, numeracy, and SMSC.

iAbacus costs just £100 for a one year, one-person licence. Our suggestion is that you try it out yourself and then show it to a couple of colleagues. If they like it too, just call us back for another licence.

You can find out more at https://www.iabacus.co.uk/leadership/

For a free trial please visit www.iabacus.co.uk/trial
Or if you want to know more call us on 0115 929 3419 or email us at info@iabacus.co.uk
Daniel O’Brien

How can we give pupils earworms in order to ensure that the French they learn will be remembered forever?

Before we look at how, it’s probably better to look at what. What is an earworm? And how can they possibly ensure that the French our pupils learn will be remembered forever?

Well the good news is that it is not a parasite or a disease, or any other medical condition for that matter, although scientists do appear to be to blame for inventing the term.

So let us define…

Earworms (revealed by Dr Williamson, a memory expert at Goldsmith’s College in London) is the term scientists commonly use to describe, quite simply, a song that gets stuck in our head. Other phrases used to describe an earworm include stuck-song syndrome, sticky music and cognitive itch.

So again, I ask the question: How can we give pupils earworms in order to ensure that the French they learn will be remembered forever?

Now the answer seems to be fairly obvious – learning French through song. And not just any song but songs that are relevant to the learning agenda and as catchy as they can possibly be.

With this in mind we have developed Chantez Plus Fort! (Book & CDs) which contains 20 easy-to-learn French songs written specifically to help children to learn French.

They are linked to some of the KS2 programmes of study for modern foreign languages, introducing and reinforcing key vocabulary for popular topics, from greetings and days of the week to family and classroom items, whilst honing listening skills and pronunciation.

All 20 songs on CD 1 are sung by French children, and the CD also contains mini-dialogues which can be readily used for listening comprehension. CD 2 contains instrumental tracks for 16 of the original songs so pupils can really put their memory to the test.

The accompanying book contains teachers’ notes, illustrated song sheets, music sheets (including guitar chords), scripts for the mini dialogues, and English translations of all the songs.

You can order the Chantez Plus Fort! resource in any of these ways:

On our website
By phone on 01449 766629
By fax on 01449 767122
By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
Or By post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

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

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

phone: 01449 766629
fax: 01449 767122

Established in 1983, the company has been supplying schools in Worcestershire and the West Midlands with all-types of partitioning, suspended ceilings, floor covering, shelving, indoor and outdoor lockers, classroom furniture and changing room equipment. The Redditch Partitions & Storage Co. Ltd., has built an enviable reputation for quality and outstanding service and is dedicated to six key qualities – design, quality, cost, dependability, workmanship and timing.

We will visit your school and give you realistic advice to make sure you get exactly what you are expecting.

We believe you should insist on the best products and service from your suppliers and we take the issues of product quality, integrity and safety in use very seriously. So, we only use reputable manufacturers and we are a SEMA Distributor Group member – the nationwide Storage Equipment Manufacturers’ Association and has achieved Safe Contractor accreditation.

We want our clients to know that there is a clear distinction between SDG members and the rest of the storage distributor industry. SDG accredited members are investing both financially and with their time to promote and adhere to the best levels of service and quality.

The Redditch Partitions & Storage Co. Ltd. takes the issue of Health & Safety within the business and on our client’s premises very seriously. To reinforce our commitment we have been continuously awarded ‘Accredited Contractor’ status with safecontractor since 2007.

Safecontractor is a leading third party accreditation scheme that assesses the health and safety competency of contractors and service providers, with more than 170 clients and over 18,000 contractor members.

What this means to you, our client:

• safecontractor accreditation demonstrates health and safety competency. Our own internal systems have been independently audited, but more importantly, our systems and processes, when we are on your premises, have been scrutinised and approved.

• Taking health and safety issues seriously will help in the overall reduction of risk within a business and on our client’s premises. We are dedicated to raising our own standards for the benefit of our clients.

• Using a single competency scheme eases our client’s administrative burden of carrying out numerous assessments.

Charter Standards

The safecontractor Charter Standards set down the benchmark against which we, the contractor, are assessed and approved.

Due to the vast variation in contractor work activities, size and nature, the Standards are deliberately non-prescriptive which allows the auditors to use their best judgment and experience as to the specific level of evidence required to demonstrate compliance.

What is covered?

The Standards cover core elements including health and safety policies, risk assessment and first aid, but also include specific requirements relating to the activity for which accreditation is being sought for example, working at height.

How is it covered?

The overall performance and operation of the Audit Team is governed by the Professional Guidance Note (PGN) which outlines the overall aims of the audit process and other non-technical issues including file handling, call handling and customer service. 

The Redditch Partitions & Storage Co. Ltd
Unit 1 Little Forge Road
Park Farm North
Redditch
Worcestershire
B98 7SF          

Telephone:      01527 517055
Web:                www.redditch-partitions.co.uk
Email:              info@redditch-partitions.co.uk
Contact:          Mr. Luke Egan – Managing Director

The second School Minibus Survey reveals that the way in which schools are paying for and using their minibuses has changed.

The second Benchmark Leasing survey of school minibus use has revealed a considerable change in the way schools are paying for and using their vehicles in recent years.

As might well be expected the survey shows a considerable growth in the number of minibuses being operated by schools, and this growth has been accompanied by a change in the way in which the vehicles are financed.

Whereas in the past the norm was to buy a minibus outright, perhaps with a donation from the PTA to help matters along, leasing is now becoming the norm.

As a result schools are able to ensure that their vehicles do not become increasingly liable to breakdown, but can instead be replaced at regular intervals as one lease ends and a new one is taken out.

In addition schools find that they are covered against any sudden extra costs for repairs and maintenance with everything included in the lease.

The most common number of minibuses per secondary school is now two or three, but for the first time over a quarter of secondary schools report that they have four or more minibuses.

At the same time over 20% of schools now report that they only have leased minibuses in the school fleet – a figure that appears to be rising very rapidly. Likewise the number of schools that are reporting that they will lease their next minibus (rather than buy it) is higher than ever before. Buying second hand is virtually disappearing as an option.

For a free copy of the second School Minibus Survey, which also incorporates details of the current legal responsibility and requirements, please like our Facebook page and email jenny@hamilton-house.com to receive the report.

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

How can we encourage our GCSE maths students
to carry on studying at A-level?

Although a change in syllabus is rarely popular, it cannot be ignored that this new Higher Tier GCSE maths syllabus is potentially more motivating than before.

With increased motivation comes greater learning efficiency, improved grades and, more than likely, an inspiration to study the subject at A-level.

In response to the change in syllabus, Educationalist/Teacher Barbara Young at The ‘Maths is…’ Jugglers has worked hard to develop two new GCSE maths texts that respond to the demands of the new syllabus, in order to support fellow maths teachers with the transition.

These texts have a different approach to most maths texts. They are full of mathematics problems that students love to work with. Motivation results in higher grades. Y10 and Y11 Sureshot are based on earlier texts developed with Barbara’s students in the classroom, which have produced outstanding grades in many schools, including her own.

Activities within these texts range from those that offer a structured approach to strengthening the fundamental concepts of maths, to extension problems that are interesting, and often unusual, to develop students’ skills to a much higher level.

The Y10 Sureshot Guide, contains the following topics:

Below (S) indicates that the whole of this topic is available as a sample on the website.

Topic 1: Number Techniques (S)
Topic 2: Functions, Sequences and Proof (S)
Topic 3: Transformations, Shapes, Areas and Volumes
Topic 4: Pythagoras and Trigonometry (S)
Topic 5: Expressions and Equations
Topic 6: Measuring Likelihood (S)
Topic 7: Fractions, Decimals, Percentages and Ratios (S)
Topic 8: Graphs
Topic 9: Arcs, Areas, Volumes and Formulae (S)
Topic 10: Analysing Statistics (S)

To see the full list of Y10 & Y11 topics, please click here.
To see all seven sample topics, visit www.mathsisjugglers.com/gcse-text-samples

The Y11 Sureshot Guide will be available in early 2016.
It contains topics 9-16.

To order the Y10 Sureshot Guide at £16 each, you can do it via the website or by post.

If you have any questions, please email Barbara at barbara.young@mathsisjugglers.com or call her on 01428 717113.

If you wish to order ONE SAMPLE COPY of Y10 Sureshot, please send a cheque for £5, made out to The ‘Maths is…’ Jugglers, (The Stables, Verner Close, Headley, BORDON, GU35 8LW). The sample copy cannot be ordered through the website.
Please state the name of your school. Only one copy can be ordered per school.

What’s more, if you decide to order 30 or more copies, you will receive a free copy of the Teachers’ Resource and Assessment CD.

What is the most effective way to increase literacy skills, visual and auditory recall, sequencing,
and organisational ability for dyslexic students?

Part of the task of helping dyslexic students to overcome their difficulties involves stimulating recall ability while at the same time developing organisational and sequencing skills.

And fortunately, both for those of us who teach dyslexic students and for the students themselves, this stimulation and development can be enhanced enormously through the playing of a range of games specifically selected for this purpose.

The games that particularly help in this regard are ones that consist of memory activities involving both visual and auditory recall and those that involve organising items into groups.

What’s more, if the games can relate to the background reasons behind the dyslexic student’s problems then the games become more personal and more productive for those taking part.

This is the object of the games in the Dyslexia Games Manual: to encourage activity in that part of the brain that is developed by using and stretching the different memory functions of the brain.

Not every game in this resource will be relevant to every student. If the individual can do a game straight off then one can give praise and indeed return to it when the individual is struggling with a different aspect of dyslexia.

Indeed, given that each dyslexic student is different, their successes and failures will point to their different strengths and weaknesses.

The games are divided into six groups – memory games (visual and auditory – recall and discrimination), organisational skills (sequencing, orientation and categorisation), key words practice, word building, story building, and literacy skills revision.

To see a sample of this resource please email us at msl@schools.co.uk

You can also find more information on our website.

The resource is available as a download for £24.99 (NZD 58.23).

Payment is required in Pounds Sterling and can be made through the website by clicking here.

If you then click on the International option you can pay by credit card, debit card or Paypal.

Trees play an important part in our everyday lives, providing us with the air we breathe, the furniture we sit on and the pencils we write with. Trees also feature in the stories we read, see and enjoy, from the Enchanted Forest to Wind in the Willows and in folk lore we have Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, the list goes on…..

Trees now form an element of the primary national curriculum and Upson Downs have developed a range of signs which really help children learn and identify the trees and plants around us.

To see the full range of signs in the tree and plants range https://www.upsondowns.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=classroom

What’s more some schools are using these signs to completely change the identity of their schools by giving classrooms their own tree names, which enables the children to visually understand the differences from one tree to another.If you would like to place an order for these signs before the end of August we will give a 10% discount if you quote code MCHH1.

To order call 01423 521654 or fax us 0844 443 2455
Email info@upsondowns.co.ukUpson Downs Ltd
13 Claro Court Business Centre
Claro Road, Harrogate
North Yorkshire, HG1 4BA

How being a published author can have a significant impact on your career development

Being a published author of a book that is used in schools has always been a matter of pride for those who have achieved the status. But there is more to it than that.

For one of the problems with job applications in recent years is that quite a few applicants for a post might well have CVs that look similar to each other. The suitable qualifications, experience appropriate to the post, some interesting background on out of school activities… such applications do tend to look a little similar at times.

But the applicant who has written materials that are now in use in a number of schools around the country immediately stands out. It is not just that the individual has written the book or teaching materials, but rather that other teachers are using it. That really does make the CV look different.

First and Best in Education has been publishing school texts for over 20 years, and has been involved in producing some highly innovative works in a variety of areas throughout secondary education.

From the start we have focussed on producing books that can be copied by teachers, either being put on the school’s learning platform or printed out and copied for individual classes or specific students.

Our range covers a multiplicity of topics from volumes that deal with troublesome topics in an A level syllabus through to volumes on specific special needs, from manuals on school improvement which can be copied and shared with colleagues throughout the school to starter texts for year seven pupils.

If you have an idea for a book that will appeal to teachers in secondary school we’d love to hear from you. Please email your details to: anne@firstandbest.co.uk and attach:

1. A brief outline of the book
2. Who the book is intended for
3. A short extract – preferably not the opening chapter
4. A table of contents.

We’ll take a look and let you know what we think.

I do hope you’ll get in touch.

Anne Cockburn
Senior Editor

AN EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR DRAMA TEACHERS
FROM HAMILTON HOUSE

From September Stage on Screen are joining the Drama Online Consortium run by the Bloomsbury Group.

Other members include Arden publishing, Methuen publishing, Faber & Faber, Nick Hern Books and The Globe.

Stage on Screen and The Globe will now be offering schools and Universities around the world the chance to stream their recordings into the classroom and around the campus. Visit www.dramaonlinelibrary.com to find out more.

If your school or University would like to purchase the full box set of Stage on Screen recordings (RRP £120 plus VAT plus P&P), e-mail Hamilton House claiming the special offer price of £100 plus VAT (if applicable) with FREE postage anywhere in the world…

This offer runs for a limited time only, must end Sept 30th.

To order email stephen@hamilton-house.com giving your name, school postal address, and if possible a purchase order number. A box set, together with an invoice from Stage on Screen ltd will be despatched to your school within 5 working days, or sooner if requested.