FREE basic calcs or compasses for the maths department ….but is there a catch?

It’s always nice to get something for nothing … that’s what I’ve always believed, but sometimes there’s a catch.

This time, however, there is no catch. The deal is simple. Order a minimum of 50 Casio or LOGIK scientific calcs and you’ll receive one metal compass or one basic calc for every two calcs you order…. strictly while stocks last.

With exams not too far away it might be a good time to stock up on maths department resources. Choose from Casio, Sharp, Logik, Aurora and Texet calcs as shown on the website www.signposteducational.co.uk

There’s also a promotion on the Trident geometry sets which have proved popular with schools & colleges over many years.

Only 95p (300+) 99p (200+) £1.10 (100+) £1.15 (1-99)

Or you may prefer the “Value Maths Set” containing a metal compass and half pencil, two black ink ballpens, HB pencil, 15 cm ruler, 180 degree protractor, eraser and metal sharpener. Designed for use in the classroom as well as in exams, all components are packed in a convenient “exam friendly,” clear plastic zip up wallet.

Only £1.10 (200+) £1.15 (100+) £1.20 (1-99)

And if you really want to do your students a favour, you could provide them with the “Student Essentials” set which contains three quality ballpens (black ink), two HB pencils, metal sharpener, eraser, 15 cm ruler, all packed in an “exam friendly” clear plastic zip up wallet.

Only 75p (400+) 79p (200+) 82p (1-199)

Prices are ex vat. Please check our website for images of these products or for more details of other products. All offers are subject to availability.

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

Tel: 020 7515 1797

Fax: 020 7515 4420

Email:signpost@talk21.com

www.signposteducational.co.uk

Date: Friday 28 March 2014
Venue: Shelter Training, Old Street, London EC1V 2PU
Trainer: Tracy Maylath (see below for profile)
Cost: £99 per delegate (no VAT charged)

This one day training event will give teachers and trainers an outline for delivering anger management sessions to young people.

Participants will develop an understanding of how anger is triggered and experienced by young people and use this understanding to feed into exercises and discussions for delivery in a group or one-to-one training context.

To book your place for just £99 click here

Course contains:

• Context: definition, stereotypes of anger
• Overview of non-assertive behaviours, their advantages and disadvantages
• Defining and delivering training in assertiveness to young people
• The ABC Model
• Challenging thinking errors
• Confusing fact and opinion: how it causes aggression
• Training exercise to assist with bullying
• Practical exercises and a template framework that can be used and adapted for training in various contexts.

Learning outcomes:

After this seminar, you will:

• Define anger as it pertains to young people
• Recognise triggers for anger specific to young people
• Apply a model for how beliefs affect behaviour
• Address and change thinking errors that lead to anger
• Assist young people in becoming more assertive
• Use at least 2 strategies for assisting young people in dealing with criticism and anger from others
• Deliver a training session to assist young people in dealing with bullying.

Suitable for:

Advisers, teachers and trainers working in both the statutory and voluntary sector with young people who may have issues with anger management.

We can also run this event for groups of six or more staff at a time and location to suit you. For more information regarding this option please call Amanda on 0344 515 1160 or email inhousetraining@shelter.org.uk

Trainer profile:

Tracy Maylath has been a trainer/facilitator since 1996 and a trainer for Shelter since 2002. She has delivered a wide variety of courses to clients ranging from people who are homeless, lone parents and young people, to managers and directors of large corporations.

Tracy has written programmes in management skills and personal development for both the public and private sector. She uses an array of innovative methods and techniques and engages clients with her humorous approach, passion and in-depth knowledge and experience of her topics.

EASE YOUR WORKLOAD
teaching the
ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE

USING THESE VIDEO CLIPS AND ON SCREEN AUTOMATICALLY MARKED ASSESSMENTS CAN DEVELOP ABILITIES IN ANALYSING PERFORMANCE BY IDENTIFYING SKILLS, STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND WAYS OF IMPROVING PERFORMANCE IN:

FOOTBALL, NETBALL, BASKETBALL AND SWIMMING

All video clips are under the direct control of the operator, allowing the closest possible examination of the finer points of performance.

FOR CLASS WORK OR INDIVIDUAL CATCH-UP AND REVISION

REVISION VERSIONS ARE INSTANTLY AND VISIBLY MARKED

PRACTICE TEST AND TEST VERSIONS REVEAL RESULTS ACCORDINGLY

CLICK HERE TO SEE SAMPLE ILLUSTRATION:

at http://felpress.co.uk/uploads/tx_mhbooks/Basketball_01.gif

ALL PRODUCTS COME WITH A SINGLE SITE LICENCE FOR UNLIMITED USE

(Number of video clips per sport shown in brackets)

BASKETBALL (41), NETBALL (42), FOOTBALL (47) SWIMMING (41)

EACH SPORT PRICE: £30

ALL FOUR SPORTS COMBINED PRICE: £90

Orders to: sales@felpress.co.uk

Visit: www.felpress.co.uk for all products and sample CDs

ANN BUCKLES
Customer Relations
Feltham Press

Established in London in 1991, Laurence King Publishing is now recognised as one of the world’s leading publishers of books on the creative arts.

Our books are acclaimed for their inventiveness, beautiful design and authoritative texts, as well as the care taken over their production.

Please see below for a carefully selected list of titles that we hope will appeal to education professionals teaching art across the school levels.

An Artist’s Handbook: Materials and Techniques 

The Craft and Art of Clay: A Complete Potter’s Handbook 

Colour: A Workshop for Artists and Designers 

Foundations of Art and Design 

Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials and Processes 

Working with Clay

For further information (including how to place an order) please do contact us at sales@laurenceking.com, or visit www.laurenceking.com

Is it possible to get 83% of students to enjoy
working unsupervised and raise GCSE
grades at the same time? 

By unsupervised work I mean such activities as homework, revision and independent learning. And I raise the point because where we can get students to enjoy such work, then the chances are that their levels of learning will increase. 

Sadly, however, the awareness that students who enjoy unsupervised work get better grades still leaves us with one problem. How on earth do we get students to enjoy unsupervised work? 

One of the very few approaches that works – indeed perhaps the only approach that works – involves fundamentally changing this view that students have of their work. 

When attitudes and approaches change, then so does the student’s behaviour, whether that relates to homework, course work, revision or any other part of the learning programme. 

And this is what SAM Learning does. It fundamentally changes each student’s view of school work. Indeed a recent survey of 35,000 students who use SAM Learning revealed that the vast majority enjoy using the service. 

And that figure is in addition to the key point that as the Fischer Family Trust research has shown, where it is in use, SAM Learning is instrumental in attaining better GCSE results and achieving year-on-year school improvement. 

So as a result of SAM Learning not only can you be sure that your students will enjoy using SAM Learning, you can also be certain that with their increased motivation students will work harder to meet both their own and the school’s targets. 

To find out how SAM Learning achieves these remarkable ends, and raises GCSE grades at the same time, please do take a look at our website. 

Alternatively, call us on 0845 130 4160. 

With the gap of knowledge and analysis skills between GSCE music and A level music so large, how do you help students learn lots of new words and vocabulary quickly? One main way is to illustrate vocabulary with short extracts of the score.

This is one of the key strengths of our revised resources for Edexcel AS & A2 music, which have revision notes and practice questions for all the set works. Alongside tables that break down each set work into its stylistic characteristics such as tonality and texture, every set work has a separate vocabulary sheet and several snapshots of the score illustrating key terms.

In addition, practice questions and mark schemes are included along with checklists to help you plan all your work including coursework, for the year. All files are word documents which mean they can be edited to suit your student’s needs. Use them as ready-made teaching notes, or edit them and get students to fill in the blank boxes during the lesson.

Please note these resources are not for the listening exam.

I have been using these A-level resources for 3 or 4 years now and I would highly recommend them to any other busy music teacher. Their major strengths are that they are versatile and succinct. Just what my students and I need!’

Mike Skipper
Director of Music
Denstone College

View sample pages and order now at www.tempopublishing.co.uk

(Please quote code HH1)

Tel: 07564 291815

Purchase orders can be emailed to Sales@tempopublishing.co.uk

24 St. Andrews Road, Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex, TN40 2BQ

DVD Resources for MFL

(click on the title links below for further details and preview clips)

French Language DVD Resources

Quatre Amis – language students can’t wait to find out what happens next in this continuous 10-episode story filmed on location in Rouen! In ten short episodes viewers follow the daily life and relationships between four young friends and in the process are presented with everyday situational dialogue in an engaging way. All 10 episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (French) accompanied by a 96-page printed Teacher’s Guide including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

Me Voilà! – in six ten-minute episodes, Me Voilà! takes viewers on a tour through France, from Le Havre in the west to Strasbourg in the east, from Paris in the north to Toulouse in the south. Young native presenters invite us into their homes to meet their families, introduce us to their friends and show us where the area in which they live and aspects of their daily lives. All 6 episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (French) accompanied by a printed Teacher’s Guide including photocopiable transcripts, review questions and additional information.

À Table! – filmed to lively music and including mishaps and blunders to entertain, this series of six short episodes follow teenagers in their kitchens making their favourite snacks. Each episode introduces the home region of the teenager and ends with the recipe for the snack. So, apart from practicing the foreign language in a with-it way, viewers also gets a certain cultural knowledge and tasty tips for easy-to-make snacks! All six episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (French) and are accompanied by a printed teacher’s guide, including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

German Language DVD Resources

Neue Freunde – using a storyline format to captivate student’s interest, this soap opera style series follows the daily life and relationships between four teenagers, its objective is to present and introduce some everyday situations and to aid practice of elementary glossary and expressions. The series is produced on location in Germany and includes cultural and visual information from Berlin. All 10 episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (German) accompanied by a 108-page printed Teacher’s Guide, including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

Jung in Europa – an inspiring and stimulating series of 6 x 10-minute programmes presenting the daily lives of six young German-speaking people in Europe: Sandra from Hamburg; Björn from Vienna, Austria; Christiane from Berlin; Peter from Brixen, Italy; Nina from Luzern, Switzerland; Baris from Liechtenstein. All 6 episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (German) accompanied by a printed Teacher’s Guide including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, worksheet review questions and additional information.

Du bist was du isst! – filmed to lively music and including mishaps and blunders to entertain, this series of six short episodes follow teenagers in their kitchens making their favourite snacks. Each episode introduces the home region of the teenager and ends with the recipe for the snack. So, apart from practicing the foreign language in a with-it way, viewers also gets a certain cultural knowledge and tasty tips for easy-to-make snacks! All six episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (German) and are accompanied by a printed teacher’s guide, including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

Spanish Language DVD Resources

Mi querida familia – get to know a modern family in downtown Madrid, the ever-growing capital of Spain! In Mi querida familia, a soap opera style series for students of Spanish as a foreign language, viewers get a taste of friendship, romance and jealousy. We also get to know Madrid and its friendly inhabitants in the city’s terraces and avenues and in its typical neighbourhood restaurants. We visit a football match, go shopping and much more. Experience Madrid just as it truly is!. All 10 episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (Spanish) accompanied by a 95-page printed Teacher’s Guide, including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

¡La buena vida! – a documentary styled Spanish language education series, presenting real life of Spanish people and families from different areas of Spain. The series shows authentic portraits of interesting people in different environments (big city, small town, village, coast, the mountains etc) in clear Spanish dialogue. Each 10-minute episode starts with an introduction about the area we are in and the young presenters featured have exciting interests, work, hobbies, families, friends etc, to maintain viewer interest. All 6 episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (Spanish) accompanied by a printed Teacher’s Guide including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

¡Qué Rico! – filmed to lively music and including mishaps and blunders to entertain, this series of six short episodes follow teenagers in their kitchens making their favourite snacks. Each episode introduces the home region of the teenager and ends with the recipe for the snack. So, apart from practicing the foreign language in a with-it way, viewers also gets a certain cultural knowledge and tasty tips for easy-to-make snacks! All six episodes are featured on one chaptered DVD with optional subtitles (Spanish) and are accompanied by a printed teacher’s guide, including photocopiable transcripts, glossary, review questions and additional information.

…produced by Tellus Vision – learn with a smile!

Available on approval from Viewtech Educational Media.

To order online click on the title links above and then add to order – quote promotional discount code: HHM125 at the checkout for 25 discount!

Choose to Order Now and pay on approval against our invoice or Buy Now to pay by credit / debit card.

Orders can also be placed by phone, email, fax or post (see contact details below) and using your own official purchase order form.

Click here for a ready-made printable information sheet and discounted order form

For any further information and assistance please contact:

Viewtech Educational Media
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
—————————————
tel: 01454 313272 / 858055
fax: 01454 858056
email: info@viewtech.co.uk
http://www.viewtech.co.uk
—————————————
Viewtech Educational Media is the trading name of Viewtech Audio Visual Media Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under number 4205240. A member of the British Educational Suppliers Association. E.&O.E.

The Interview
How To Make The Most Out Of It
A DVD resource for years 10, 11 and 12
Prepare your students for…

Work Experience placement
Part-time job
Full-time job
University application

Sharpen up your students’ presentation skills using these seven short films. Designed to encourage critical self-assessment to build students confidence for the full range of interviews they are likely to face.

Issues Covered

* Self-presentation
* Being prepared
* Questions to ask
* Rights at work
* Avoiding pitfalls
* Dealing with the unethical interviewer

All seven films come with linked briefings and background information for students and co-ordinators, printable off the DVD and provide a wealth of advice and suggestions for preparing students for interviews.

The students presented are drawn from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds.

“If in your job you have anything to do with preparing students for interviews, then buy this DVD.”

Teaching Citizenship

The DVD includes

7 Separate Films indexed for immediate access
20 Linked Briefing sheets with clear advice and tips

Use These Links to Preview

Preview student briefing sheets
View Clip
More Information

To order or request a review copy

On line: www.team-video.co.uk

Email : admin@team-video.co.uk

Price £34.99 (exc. VAT) + £2.50 P&P postage is free if ordered online. 

TEAM VIDEO PO BOX 38194 London W10 5WZ TEL 020 8968 3732

A Message From Demawu Apeti –
Senior AV Project Manager:

‘We are just a phone call or email away, please feel free to talk to us about your school’s requirements. We have advised and installed specialist installation equipment ranging from: SMARTboards, projection systems and multi touch learning centres into hundreds of secondary schools – we can help guide you through your requirements!’

‘Please call us now on:01483 905 332

A wealth of innovative ideas to stimulate, develop and educate!

Classroom AV Solutions:

• Interactive Whiteboards: Single touch to multi touch / fixed to variable height systems !
• Projectors & Interactive Projectors: New Projectors & Replacement Projectors
• Multi Touch Learning Centres: Co-ordination, fine motor skills, team work & problem solving.
• Pupil Response Handsets: Easily devise question & answer topics across the curriculum subjects to monitor pupil progress & subject understanding.
• Wireless Slates & Graphics Tablets: Control the SMARTboard at a distance! Also a great tool to assist you in achieving your DDA requirements.
• Hall System Installations: Large format projection screen systems to help with parent open days, school plays, Christmas & Easter drama productions!
• Interactive Displays & LCD Screens: Displaying your school services to parents in your reception areas, halls, breakout areas & classrooms?
• SEN Education Needs Solutions: A wealth of solutions to assist your SEN needs.

Call to discuss your requirements at special education prices: 01483 905 332

Why you need to be at Language World…

Language World has been a key event for language teachers for many years and is organised by the national subject association ALL (Association for Language Learning). It’s your chance to keep informed, reflect on what you do and why, hone your skills and stay ahead of the game.

Our Language World theme this year is All Joined Up, focussing on the need for teachers across sectors to be talking to one another to make language learning from age 7 onwards exciting, meaningful and successful.

Language World this year brings you:

• policy updates
• stimulating keynotes
• the best speakers
• a full programme of top-quality practical workshops for secondary teachers
• fantastic networking opportunities
• a large exhibition of the latest language teaching resources
• a chance to put your questions to national experts.

And because it’s run by your professional association, we keep prices as low as possible, with big discounts for members and for teachers new to the profession. In fact, NQTs and PGCE students can join us from only £30 a day!

Whether you come for one day or two, there’s no better opportunity to find out all you need to know in one time and at one place!

Click here for links to the full programme and how to book. 

Outstanding Maths is the inspiring one day course designed for everyone with responsibility for influencing learning and teaching in maths. The day is highly practical and interactive, offering a wide range of techniques for creating lessons that are exciting and effective and produce outstanding results. 

• discover how to deliver outstanding, successful, engaging lessons, time after time
• take away dozens of practical ideas to enrich learning in your school
• find out how to improve significantly your chances of getting a 1 in maths
• …….and lots more

“So much information to take in – great ideas and lots to use in the classroom”

“Fantastic! Thank you”

This course takes place in cities including Leeds, Birmingham, Oxford and London and may also be delivered as an INSET day within your school or federation.

Our range of highly acclaimed courses also includes:

Outstanding Teaching and Learning
Differentiation, Marking and Feedback
Developing Stretch and Challenge for the More Able

For more details please email office@smartees-learning.com, call 0118 9797 551 or visit our website

How can we help our students to learn in a way that is less dependent on their teachers? What can we do to help them to become successful life-long learners? Are we asking our students the right questions and are we teaching them great questioning strategies? What sort of leadership makes a school ‘outstanding’ … and how can we get a 1 for Teaching and Learning?!

Answer these questions and many more at one of our highly acclaimed courses including:

Outstanding Teaching and Learning
Differentiation, Marking and Feedback
Outstanding Maths: how to get a 1
Developing Stretch and Challenge for the More Able
Outstanding Leadership

The programmes take place in cities including Leeds, Birmingham, Oxford and London and may also be delivered as an INSET day within your school or federation.

“Very relevant. Exactly the course I needed. Thank you.”
“The best course I have been on in 11 years teaching.”

For more details please email office@smartees-learning.com, call 0118 9797 551 or visit our website

Bursaries: we do not want schools to miss out for financial reasons. A limited number of bursaries are available for schools whose financial status may otherwise preclude them from attending. Please contact us to find out more.

Geography fieldwork at the Medina Valley Centre
on the Isle of Wight!

• The Centre holds the Council for LOtC Quality Badge
• Experienced graduate teaching staff
• Three fully equipped classrooms
• GCSE Controlled Assessments for all exam boards
• AS and A2 fieldwork for each specification
• Fieldwork for KS2 and KS3: giving children a passion for the subject
• A beautiful riverside location offering easy access to all parts of the Island
• Highly acclaimed home-made food catering for special diets
• One of the UK’s great tourist destinations, with 60 miles of magnificent coast with saltmarshes and sand dunes

A recent comment from a Geography HOD at the end of an OCR A2 field trip:

“The fieldwork course was excellent. The content was stretching and challenging whilst matching to our course’s requirements”

For Geography programmes and availability in 2014, follow this link: http://www.medinavalleycentre.org.uk/secondary-schools-field-studies.php

We are taking bookings for the 2015 season!

The Medina Valley Centre will soon be launching an INTER-ACTIVE MAP of the Isle of Wight as an App., a great resource for all Geography Departments.

We shall be demonstrating the map in the Exhibition Hall at the G.A. Conference at the University of Surrey, Guildford,
14 – 16 April. We look forward to meeting you.

One of the great problems that teachers find when looking at new resources is the issue of quality. The advert might say that they are great, but the reality can occasionally be a little different.

For this reason I’d like to tell you about the enterprise lesson plans, worksheets and form time activities for Key Stage 3 and 4 from Teaching Resources UK.

Of course, we are going to say that ours are great too.

There are almost 100 resources available from our enterprise section (with many more across careers, citizenship, PSHE and work-related learning too). They include worksheets, activities, teacher guidance and PowerPoint presentations. In short, everything you need to teach enterprise from Enterprise in the Community through to The Stock Exchange!

And, because the lessons are ready made and available to download in an instant, you could be saving hundreds of hours of planning and preparing by becoming a member.

Now, back to the original issue of quality, our lessons have been written by subject experts and ASTs who have many years experience in this subject. But we don’t stop there – if you want to see a little more before deciding to subscribe, you can join our free membership service. This will give you access to a selection of lesson plans that you can download straight away and judge the quality for yourself. You will also receive regular emails with the latest enterprise news as well as lesson ideas.

To find out more join now at www.teaching-resources-uk.com/Join

This exciting series of 7 DVD resources examines the underlying causes and dramatic effects associated with revolutions throughout world history.

World Revolutions for Students will provide students with an understanding of the historic motivations for revolution, such as poverty, oppression and foreign domination, and relate how concepts such as human rights, popular sovereignty and nationalism combined with the power of dynamic and influential figures have inspired people to struggle for reform and seek a better way of life.

Join us as we explore the revolutionary philosophies and strategies of world leaders, and determine the social, political and economic conditions that helped spark popular uprisings.

World Revolutions for Students is available as individual titles a complete set:

• Gandhi & India’s Independence
• The French Revolution
• The Russian Revolution
• The South African Anti-Apartheid Movement
• Castro and the Cuban Revolution
• Revolutionary Mexico (1910-1940)
• The Chinese Revolution (1911-1989)

Each 23-minute chaptered DVD includes support material featuring Pre-viewing Discussion ideas, Focus Questions, Follow-up Discussion, Time-line, Vocabulary and Further Activities.

“This series could be used for introduction or review in world history classes or as a supplementary resource to help students understand how these revolutions influenced events… They are a very good choice for any middle or secondary collection.” – School Library Journal

Available on approval from Viewtech Educational Media

Discounted Price: £24* each or only £18* each when purchasing the Complete Set of World Revolutions for Students DVDs

*price including public performance rights for use within a single educational establishment, excluding P&P (standard UK delivery = £3.50 for 1 DVD, £5.50 for 2 DVDs, £7.50 for 3+ DVDs) & VAT.

To order online simply click on the title links above and add to order – quote promotional code: HHM403 at the checkout for discount.

For a printable information sheet & discounted order form click here

Orders and enquiries may also be made by phone, fax, email or post to:

Viewtech Educational Media
7-8 Falcons Gate
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
—————————————–
tel: 01454 858055 / 313272
fax: 01454 858056
email: info@viewtech.co.uk
http://www.viewtech.co.uk
—————————————–
Viewtech Educational Media is the trading name of Viewtech Audio Visual Media Limited, a company registered in England and Wales under number 4205240. A member of the British Educational Suppliers Association. E.&O.E.

From igloo to cough, we’ve covered every spelling choice and every phonic in the English language

It sometimes comes as a bit of a shock to realise that there are some 90 different spelling and phonic rules in the English language.

They range from troublesome similarities (such as words like “coin” and “toy” with the same sound but different spelling choices) to the six different ways of pronouncing “ough”, not to mention the bizarre collection of words which utilise silent letters.

There is only one way in which dyslexic students can learn the spelling choices for the many different phonics and homophones, and that is through a structured reading and spelling programme.

Which is exactly what MSL has devised: the complete reading and spelling rescue programme.

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

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

What we have then done is broken these 100 topics down into 20 modules, presented in an order which allows students to use the spelling rules as soon as they have learned them.

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

A copiable version of each module costs £29.99, or you can order five modules together for on a CD for £80 plus VAT. All 20 modules are available for £450.

You can order the Reading and Spelling Rescue Programme in any of these ways:

• On our website (where you can also see full details of the programme)
• By phone on 01604 505000
• By fax to 01604 505001
• By email to info@msl-online.net
• By post to Multi-Sensory Learning, Highgate House, Creaton, Northants, NN6 8NN 

Deutscher Wiederholungskurs will help Higher Tier candidates achieve better grades at GCSE. 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 presumes the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary that a proprietary course will have covered and then builds on that knowledge to take the student to a higher grade.

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

At Gap Medics we offer students (aged 16 and over) the opportunity to see what the world of medicine is really like. Through our facilities they travel to Tanzania, The Czech Republic or Thailand to shadow experienced doctors and healthcare professionals.

Not only does this hospital work experience help students to make the right decision about their future career as a doctor, midwife, dentist or nurse, but it is also a useful addition later on for their applications to medical school.

In terms of the practicalities, students are met at the airport by one of our specialist staff team members and are looked after by an extensive staff team throughout their stay.

If you have any students who are interested in a career in medicine, please ask them to take a look at www.gapmedics.com. Alternatively they can call us on 0044 191 230 8080 or email us at info@gapmedics.com and we’ll send a brochure in the post.

Regards

Samantha Bennett
Student Placement Team Leader

“The most powerful, user-friendly IWB suitable and educationally focussed graphical software for maths”

This is typical of the feedback we receive from teachers who are using the latest Autograph maths software. It’s well worth upgrading to version 3.3 for classroom-ready activities and features.

Autograph enables you to visualise maths in 2D and 3D with ease, on your interactive whiteboard, PC or Mac. There are no difficult commands to learn; you just point and click.

It’s an interactive and visual resource which can be controlled from an iPad or Tablet wirelessly, leaving you free to move around the classroom.

All secondary and college maths topics can be brought to life with Autograph 3.3. Tessellate geometrical shapes over imported Islamic art, for example. Import a sports or architectural photo, fit a curve and find its equation. Bring in any data, analyse statistics with ease. Rotate volumes of revolution with ease to awesome effect.

By incorporating Autograph into maths lessons, schools have found that student engagement and motivation has considerably increased.

What’s more, it gives students a deeper understanding of the material compared to using more traditional teaching methods.

Autograph is easy to use. You will be proficient in only 60 minutes.

For further information and to see examples of Autograph being used in the classroom, take a look at our website.

Alternatively, please do give us a call on 01204 811001.

No Problem, just tell us the number on the lock and we will send you out a replacement.

Replacement keys for your lockers or cabinets are normally despatched within 24 hours of order.

Keys from as low £1 each *

*Please quote HH1 for this special rate or call for bulk discounts on locks and other key series

Tel: 0208 343 2943

Email: sales@keysplease.co.uk

www.keysplease.co.uk to order online direct.

One of the biggest frustrations we hear from Schools is how inflexible and unresponsive their current website hosting provider is. The causes can be because your web designer has left you with limited access to your website back-end or learning grid bureaucracy putting unnecessary barriers in-between simple requests.

Hosting your School websites with WebsContent.com gives you full access to your website content and the flexibility to make changes when you need to. We specialise in web services for education and so we ensure our high quality and reliable servers cater for the variable high traffic nature of school websites and learning platforms. We pride ourselves on our dedicated support helpdesk team who provide efficient support when you need it most.

All our packages come with a Cpanel control panel enabling you to instantly install over 200 open-source applications and easily manage your domains, files and databases. If you need any help we’ll quickly provide all the support you need.

We have just upgraded our UK servers to high-performance instantly scalable virtualized configurations and we would love you to see for yourself just how powerful and flexible our new service is. We are currently offering a free no-obligation 15 day trial of any of our hosting solutions. Just call 020 711 28 733 or email info@webscontent.com for more information and you’ll be up and running in no time.

Webs Content Ltd
Unit 34 New House / 67-68 Hatton Garden / London / EC1N 8JY / UK

Improving SMSC and literacy in form time

Whether you have five minutes or 30, form time is a great opportunity to provide thought-provoking activities that get your students engaged with the world around them, while developing critical thinking skills.

The Dayis an online news resource that can be used to make the most of form time. It is IWB friendly, with balanced stories that explain the issues, stimulate debate and provide glossaries of difficult terms. All of the activities will help you develop your whole school SMSC and literacy agenda.

Register for your free, three-week trial of The Day and join the thousands of teachers saving valuable time spent on planning and researching every day.

You’ll create a login that can be used across the school for staff and pupils to access 2,000 articles and activities – written specially for classroom use and organised around the curriculum. This includes our ready-made schedule of themed activities for form time and assemblies, all contained in The Week’s Agenda.

‘A fantastic resource for supporting all areas of the curriculum and keeping staff and students in touch with current issues and debates.’ Laura Taylor, Teacher, City of London Academy

For more information please contact Education Director, Joe Heppell on 020 7727 6959 or joe@theday.co.uk

Joe Heppell

Fostering creativity within the curriculum – Key Stage 2 Composing

All teachers want to give their pupils the best education. Currently there is a debate about whether it is better to follow a strict curriculum or foster a freer creativity.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prices

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

Methods of ordering – please quote catalogue number T1752emn

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

Summer seems like a long way away, but it’s never too soon to think about holidays with our free poster on holiday activities!

Featuring important phrases with accompanying photos, the poster is a great revision aid. Why not use it in class to make sure your students remember their holiday vocab?

Download the poster on our Doddle French page!

Did you know that Doddle French, German and Spanish include self-marking vocab quizzes designed to help your students learn and remember key words and phrases?

Book an in-school visit to see them in action!

Lauren
Doddle

How to recreate industry standard 

video effects for free

Teaching professional video editing techniques is an exciting way to encourage creativity. But as we all know, some students always pick it up faster than others.

Serif MoviePlus X6 makes high-end video editing accessible to every student – by combining exciting, professional tools used in industry with an easy interface.

And if you email internationalschools@serif.com – Serif will send you a free copy of MoviePlus X6 to keep.

From tools to quickly remove camera shake, to high-end Green Screening and Colour Pass effects, MoviePlus X6 is the ideal package to create exciting, fit for purpose videos.  Easy to use, every student can create a professional layered video to communicate ideas, while more able students can learn the key skills used in industry.

For your free copy of Serif MoviePlus X6 (worth £69 GBP), email internationalschools@serif.com with your schools details, quoting code ‘MXNT2’.

Offer is limited to one free copy per school, with licences available from just £13 GBP a user – but we guarantee you’re under no commitment. 

Claire Macdonald
Education Business Manager
Serif (Europe) Ltd
 e: internationalschools@serif.com

There are four ways in which secondary schools can increase the amount of money that they have to spend each year: by gaining additional support from parents, through donations from businesses, through income from sponsorship projects, and through efficiency savings.

Raising Money for Secondary Schools considers each of these approaches in turn and considers not only approaches that work, but also popular fund-raising methodologies that are often witnessed but are rarely successful.

Indeed, one of the big problems that schools can have with fund-raising is that many of the time-honoured methods of raising or saving money no longer work at all effectively.

When a school comes up against this issue and sees that the amount of money being raised or saved is in decline, there is sometimes a tendency simply to say, “fund-raising doesn’t work any more”. However, this explanation is generally not correct. Rather it is the case that the ways in which businesses and individuals respond to appeals for support have changed.

Further it is also true that what appears to be the common sense approach to gaining efficiency savings simply don’t work. Efficiency savings are possible, but for most schools this is only true when the school follows a particular approach.

This volume also asks the reader to focus on the position of the donor, and consider what sort of appeal will work. The reader is also encouraged to approach different types of organisations in different ways, rather than sending out identical emails and letters to all local companies, large and small.

There are also details of how the school should point out the benefits that will accrue to the donor, as well as to the school.

The volume concludes with a review of 22 separate sponsorship plans and a review of how efficiency savings can be made – often with savings that can be in excess of the amount of money that can be brought in through fund-raising.

Raising Money for Secondary School by Tony Attwood is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom which can itself be copied or loaded onto the school’s learning platform or intranet.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 801 9 Order code: T1801emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1801.pdf

• 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 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=31&products_id=387

The government is in no doubt. Teachers, they suggest, learn best from observing other professionals.

The only problem is that for many teachers it can be a bit daunting to have one’s own lessons videoed for colleagues to see. And thus many teachers find that the best way to start this process is to have oneself videoed specifically for oneself to view.

In this way one begins with self-observation, and then moves on to being open to observation by one’s peers – although that does not mean that all or even the majority of one’s lessons should be seen by colleagues, at least in the early stages.

What should happen is that really effective lessons can be shared with colleagues. In this way the question, “why did this lesson work so well?” can be asked and teased out from the evidence.

Now we do have to admit that one reason why “observation by one’s peers” is favoured by inspectors is because it makes their life easy by giving them something to measure.

They can look and see if teacher observation is going on, and if it is they tick the box. If it is going on a lot, then they can tick a lot of boxes, and everyone is happy.

Recognising this, Classwatch has produced a video system whereby the lesson can be reviewed by the teacher who taught it and then, when desirable, shared and discussed with colleagues.

The system comprises two cameras (allowing excellent room coverage), a Classbox recorder and high definition audio. All images and audio are recorded to the Classbox and access is strictly password protected.

And there’s a bonus too. We are currently offering the next 50 schools who contact us a free lesson recording so you can see how Classwatch can work for your school.

To book a free lesson recording or to find out more, click here or email us at info@classwatch.co.uk. Alternatively, for more information call us on 0800 043 9510.

IS IT REALLY TRUE?

Well yes, it really is true!

With 612 pages and a clear, typeface, the “Collins English Dictionary” is an excellent choice for your KS 3, 4 and GCSE students. It’s the normal paperback size (176 x 110 mm) and has an RRP of £ 6.99. However when you order from Signpost Educational Ltd you can buy these dictionaries for only £2.99…..that’s a saving of £4 on each copy. ! But that’s not all…..

I like the £4 saving, but where do the free copies come in?

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

Order 200 and you’ll get another 100 copies free. There’s no limit to the quantity you can order and you’ll always get an extra 50% free with orders over 100 copies.

You can order direct from Signpost Educational Ltd and contact them at
signpost@talk21.com or phone 020 7515 1797 or visit their website:
www.signposteducational.co.uk If you prefer to fax your order then the number to use is 020 7515 4420.

This study guide to Spain under Ferdinand and Isabella and Charles I provides invaluable information and guidance for GCE students looking at this period of history. It gives a comprehensive description and explanation of events setting them in the context of the prevailing political, social, religious and economic influences. It looks in particular at the religious policy of the crown and the effect this had on the Church.

As well as an insight into the dynamics of the period, Spain 1469 to 1522 gives advice on how to structure essay questions in order to achieve better grades.

The book is available in photocopiable format so you only need only buy one copy which you can then share with colleagues and pupils as you wish. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/history/T1673.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 715 9; Order code: T1673emn

The volume is available as…

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

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book or CD…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=490

The interactive quizzes on the Education Quizzes website have become extremely popular with students – they pay £5.00 per month to access hundreds of teacher-written quizzes.

Education Quizzes would now like to prove their worth to teachers. You can sign-up as many classes as you like, free of charge for a year. Your students will be able to use their computers and iPads to play all the quizzes in your chosen subject and you will have access to an online report showing which quizzes have been played and the scores achieved.

Think of it as “Self-marking homework”!

You have nothing to lose. Education Quizzes will not produce a single invoice for teachers in 2014. Take a look at http://www.educationquizzes.com/teachers/ks3-science/ for further details.

Alternatively contact Colin King (01406 371799 or colin@educationquizzes.com) for an informal chat and walkthrough of the system.

WJEC’s selection of the Superhero Film genre for its GCSE Film Studies exam topic turned out to be an excellent and clairvoyant choice. Since centres around the UK began teaching it, some very popular films have developed the genre significantly.

Looking at the list of the biggest opening weekends in North America, 5 out of the top 10 are superhero films. The other 5 are various of the Harry Potter, Twilight and Hunger Games series.

Marvel’s continuing success and consistent story arc leads the way, with Iron Man 3 proving an immense success at the box office, following on from the record-breaking Avengers Assemble.

But what’s behind all this? What’s the appeal of superhero films? Is it an accessible version of science fiction, with its correlating fulfilment and exploration of technological developments? The ideal escapism for a society living in fear of terrorism and the militarisation of its youth and poor through humanitarian adventures in the Middle East?

Or is it the just the cinematic appeal of great SFX combined with the accessible narrative and clear character roles straight from Propp? You can help your students explore these questions – and many more exam-relevant ones – with a range of resources available from ZigZag Education:

1. Teaching Pack: Packed full of activities and detailed notes on the genre, this resource provides the ideal starting point for teachers of this topic. Written with enthusiasm and clarity, the aim is to provide fully-formed resources as well as inspire your teaching of the topic. Independent reviewer and Head of Film Studies, Sara Sylvester, found that it provided a ‘comprehensive and accessible introduction… cover the key areas to prepare pupils for Paper 1’. (UY77/4497, £49)
2. Revision Guide: If you are familiar with ZigZag’s annual Media Studies Revision Guide, you’ll recognise the same unique style here – it’s a comprehensive workbook featuring analysis tasks and exam questions (a whole paper’s worth) with sample answers. I sent it to independent reviewer and department head Stacey Derrick:

   ‘I’m finding it hard to find faults!! Really good… I like the match-up of camera angles and shots on pages 23/24 and the following activity where shots are analysed and justified. The exam at the end is brilliant with sample answers and the quality of the pages and examples is impressive… the mark schemes are excellent and allow students to self- and peer-assess their work. The revision tips are also a great feature; having the 20 pages of preamble about the exam and what you need to know is really effective for the ones I teach that panic!& rsquo; – Stacey Derrick, Head of Department & Independent Reviewer (UY77/5060, £69)

3. Practice Papers: The final piece of the puzzle – original papers in the style of the WJEC exam. These two papers provide a range of practice questions in exam format, with a realistic mark scheme. Plus, one paper has model answers too, great Assessment for Learning! Film Studies teacher and author Sara Mills said the papers ‘seemed very genuine and would be really useful to use in class’. (UY77/4390, £34)

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

Each resource is available as a photocopy master with site licence. Also available in:

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

Order now at http://zzed.co.uk/UY77

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | UY77@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code UY77 to get free postage!

Outstanding Leadership with Lindy Barclay

Having overseen 4 outstanding Ofsteds at her challenging comprehensive, Lindy Barclay knows something about great leadership.

This practical, inspiring day provides sound coping strategies and ‘top tips’ to help school leaders survive and prosper.

• What sort of leadership makes a school ‘outstanding’?
• How can you balance your operational duties with the need for strategic leadership?
• Building winning teams and the role of leadership in developing staff
• Sustaining outstanding: analysing past success and understanding how to build on it
• Manage relationships with confidence to maximise outcomes

…….and lots more

“Lindy really is inspirational and her no jargon approach to education makes everything seem ‘doable’ and possible.”

London: 31st January 2014
Oxford: 21st March 2014
Birmingham: 20th June 2014

More information

Ask us about our other highly acclaimed courses including:

Differentiation, Marking and Feedback
How to get a 1 for Teaching and Learning
Outstanding Maths
Developing Stretch and Challenge for the More Able Student
Outstanding Teaching and Learning

For more details please email office@smartees-learning.com, call 0118 9797 551 or visit our website

Bursaries: we do not want schools to miss out for financial reasons. A limited number of bursaries are available for schools whose financial status may otherwise preclude them from attending. Please contact us to find out more.

When it comes to giving the inspectorate what they want,
there is one process that always delivers

One of the patterns that has emerged in terms of school inspections in recent years is the focus on issues which are deemed to have a significant influence on every student in the school.

And of all the issues that fall into this category, homework is the one that has got the inspectors the most energised.

Homework has become a central focus because it affects every subject area, it relates directly to learning, and much of the time is the part of the school’s process which is most readily visible to parents.

Not surprisingly, given this mode of thinking by Ofsted and other inspection bodies, many schools are using homework as the key leverage point when focussing on improving the report the inspectors deliver.

Of course, getting everyone to put in the maximum effort to complete their homework, while ensuring that all the parents who want to know what homework has been set can see it immediately, is complex.

Which is why the online homework calendar “Show My Homework” exists and is used across all subjects in many schools throughout the UK.

It allows teachers to record homework, it provides translations for parents whose first language is not English, it records the marks, and it is instantly available to the inspectors to show them what has been done day by day in all subjects.

Naturally we don’t expect you just to take our word for this. So, we have a without obligation free trial of our online homework calendar.

You can find more information on our online homework system on our website.

Alternatively click here for a free demonstration or call us on 020 3397 7546 for more information.

WHO ARE YOUR GARDENING STARS?
Win £500 or a Keder Greenhouse for your school

Applications for RHS Young School Gardener of the Year 2014 are now open!

If you know a young person, aged 5-16, who has a passion for gardening and has made an outstanding contribution to their school and community, then nominate them today.

The winner will receive £500 worth of National Garden Gift vouchers, a selection of gardening tools and more.

Two new categories have also been added for 2014:

RHS School Gardening Champion of the Year – a chance to nominate an inspirational adult within your school who has a passion for encouraging gardening in your school. The winner will receive £500 worth of National Garden Gift vouchers, RHS membership for a year and a free place on a training course. Nominate here.

RHS School Gardening Team of the Year – showcase your entire gardening team and the difference they have made to their school environment. The winning team will receive a fantastic Keder Greenhouse and £500 worth of National Garden Gift vouchers. Nominate here.

Nominate your gardening champions today! Entries close 2 May 2014.

For further information please visit www.rhs.org.uk/ysg.

Help us harness the power of gardening to do good
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening supports more than 4 million childr en to discover the joys of gardening. This amazing programme is just one of several charitable initiatives supported by our RHS member community. By joining the RHS you can help support the gardens of tomorrow as well as enjoy days out the whole family will love at more than 150 gardens, improve your skills and transform your own green space with personalised advice and The Garden monthly magazine. This is yours from just £40.50. Visit rhs.org.uk/join/3648.

T&C’s: See website for full T&Cs. Introductory membership offer from £40.50 is 12 months’ membership for the price of 9 by Direct Debi t for new members. Price and offer are valid until 31.12.2014. 

So fundamental is the notion of Enterprise to our society that it is rather sad to think that many young people leave school – and indeed many leave university – without much of an idea as to what enterprise is all about.

One way or another they earn money, and generally speaking they spend it. But the whole basis of the system, and their part within it, can often remain a mystery.

It was because of the utterly fundamental nature of enterprise within our society, and the fact that so many young people don’t seem to grasp what it is all about, that we commissioned “Enterprise Education: The Course Book”.

Written by a teacher who went on to set up his own successful business this copiable volume starts from a detailed review of what Enterprise Education is, and then helps the students come to terms with what the world of business is all about.

The volume explores the notion of Enterprise and how it can be applied throughout the school, as well as examining the career implications of enterprise.

The volume then covers the setting up of a work-related programme before going into examples of enterprise opportunities including simulations, school generated projects and engagement with business.

At the end of the book there is a set of forms that can be used in terms of an agreement with companies over work experience, report forms, placement letters, etc etc.

Enterprise Education: The Complete Coursebook includes everything that is required for the successful implementation of the Key Stage 4 Enterprise Education programme, from classroom teaching materials to an in-service training programme, from work-based learning modules to simulations and live enterprise projects.

Enterprise Education: The Complete Coursebook is available as a book or on CD and includes:

• INSET activities – as a result of which staff will feel confident in their knowledge and understanding of the enterprise culture within industry and how it will impact on pupils who are exposed to it.
• Champions of Enterprise: Pupils can evaluate local business enterprises and draw their own conclusions as to which firms are truly involved in enterprise culture.
• Simulations: Mini-enterprises in which pupils can engage in an enterprise activity in a controlled environment.
• School generated projects: Pupils organise an actual event or act in the local environment in a planned and organised way.
• Real life situations: The Coursebook sets out programmes which ensure that the organisation, the school and the pupil all work together to generate a true understanding of enterprise.

The copyright licence allows the copying from either the book or the CD, so that all students can have pages relevant to their study at any time. It is also possible to place the CD on the school’s learning platform, so that students may access it at any time.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 8606

Price:

• £25.95 for the book or CD, plus £3.95 postage.
• £32.94 for the book plus CD, plus £3.95 postage.

You can order in four different ways. In each case please quote our reference T1790emn. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed prior to ordering on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/business/T1790.pdf

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House Mailings plc, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH
• By fax on 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or with an official school order number on 01536 399 011
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=51&products_id=552

We tend to think of the school as being a fixed entity with
established buildings, and designated teaching areas. But…

Teaching and learning can and does happen anywhere; in the classroom, the hall, the playground… Indeed the only thing that ever limits the use of any space is our ability to imagine the possibilities.

So if you have a playground, and it is raining, or there is strong direct sunlight, or it is very windy, the area’s use as a teaching and learning environment might be thought to be restricted.

But if you were to put up a canopy, you could, for a very modest sum, give yourself an extended classroom, an al fresco dining area, an adventure play area…

This is the route down which numerous schools have recently gone, in developing ever more varied use of their facilities. And there really is no limit to the ways in which an area could be used.

True, there’s no telling what the British weather is going to do next, but the fact that canopies can be used in so many ways, means that there are virtually no days at all in the school year when such a facility cannot be used in some way or other.

There are over 150 different designs of canopies available. Some of course are designed for very specific purposes, such as the bicycle shed, but many others do have multiple uses.

Which is why before we do anything else, we always offer to come to your school, without cost and without any obligation, to see the site and discuss the ways in which a canopy could be added to your existing buildings.

To get an idea of the huge range of options available we’ve collected together photographs of over 30 different installations that we’ve undertaken recently. They are on

http://www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk/canopies.php – just click on any photograph that looks interesting and you will see it enlarged.

We’ve also got a separate page for cycle shelters http://www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk/cycle-shelters.php

If you’d like to discuss how a canopy could be used in your school, or have us come to look at your site and advise on the options, please either

Phone: 01353 699009
Email: cambridgestyle@aol.com
Or write to: Cambridge Style Canopies, 62 Main Street, Pymoor, Ely, Cambs CB6 2DY

The government is in no doubt. Teachers, they suggest, learn best from observing other professionals.

The only problem is that for many teachers it can be a bit daunting to have one’s own lessons videoed for colleagues to see. And thus many teachers find that the best way to start this process is to have oneself videoed specifically for oneself to view.

In this way one begins with self-observation, and then moves on to being open to observation by one’s peers – although that does not mean that all or even the majority of one’s lessons should be seen by colleagues, at least in the early stages.

What should happen is that really effective lessons can be shared with colleagues. In this way the question, “why did this lesson work so well?” can be asked and teased out from the evidence.

Now we do have to admit that one reason why “observation by one’s peers” is favoured by inspectors is because it makes their life easy by giving them something to measure.

They can look and see if teacher observation is going on, and if it is they tick the box. If it is going on a lot, then they can tick a lot of boxes, and everyone is happy.

Recognising this, Classwatch has produced a video system whereby the lesson can be reviewed by the teacher who taught it and then, when desirable, shared and discussed with colleagues.

The system comprises two cameras (allowing excellent room coverage), a Classbox recorder and high definition audio. All images and audio are recorded to the Classbox and access is strictly password protected.

And there’s a bonus too. We are currently offering the next 50 schools who contact us a free lesson recording so you can see how Classwatch can work for your school.

To book a free lesson recording or to find out more, click here or email us at info@classwatch.co.uk. Alternatively, for more information call us on 0800 043 9510.

No Problem, just tell us the number on the lock and we will send you out a replacement.

Replacement keys for your lockers or cabinets are normally despatched within 24 hours of order.

Keys from as low £1 each *

*Please quote HH1 for this special rate or call for bulk discounts on locks and other key series

Tel: 0208 343 2943

Email: sales@keysplease.co.uk

www.keysplease.co.uk to order online direct.

A study by Alison K Banikowski on ‘Strategies to Enhance Memory Based on Brain Research’ found that ‘Information that is meaningful to students and contains an emotional “hook” is more likely to be attended to and remembered’. Among these strategies of emotional learning is the role play. This technique gives students the opportunity to engage in real life experiences and provide for hands-on learning tool. You can read the full study here: http://sc-boces.org/english/IMC/Focus/Memory_strategies2.pdf

With that in mind, we have developed a photocopiable resource to support your teaching of A Level OCR Law. It includes 10 carefully crafted role plays covering each step of the legal process and one ‘ultimate role play’ following a single case from stop & search to sentencing. With full instructions for each participant, and supporting material (e.g. mock bail forms, charge sheets, etc.). Perfect for helping students retain knowledge and deepen their understanding about Law.

Independent reviewers are saying:

“This resource is fantastic; it includes a wide variety of material and is a good
way of bringing often dry subjects to life. I particularly like the well-thought out
scenarios and clear directions for all the people that are going to be involved.”
E Skinner, Subject Leader for Law

“The role plays would require very little extra by way of resources. All the work is done by
the author. Role play exercises can help make the learning activity more enjoyable for the
student as well as for the teacher. The author obviously uses such exercises quite a lot.”
A Padfield, Law Lecturer

For more information, to preview the full resource and to order, please visit: http://zzed.co.uk/WD42

Available as a photocopy master with site licence (£89): also available as a printable PDF file (£89+30%^+vat each) and an editable Word file (£89+50%^+vat each).

Please reference WD42 when placing your order to receive free postage & packaging.

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY | Tel: 0117 950 3199 | Fax: 0117 959 1695

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

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

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

What’s more, given the restriction that some exam boards now impose on the taking of scenes from published plays and the need for the play to have a unified sense, finding suitable plays is getting more difficult – especially if one wishes to avoid using the same plays as last year.

This is the problem that “Here comes Godot now!” by Lindsay Jones solves. It contains 12 plays each containing multi-roling and the variety of theatrical techniques that exam boards now seem to love.

The plays particularly engage with themes not often found in other sources, such as dark comedy, fantasy, horror, humour and urban myths. Thus the themes in this volume avoid the social topics such as drug taking which other volumes (and indeed assemblies and PSHE lessons) will already have covered extensively.

As for performances, the plays are written for a variety of combinations of participants from two boys or two girls up to four boys and four girls. Because the volume is photocopiable (or printable from a CD rom) only one copy of the book need be bought, and it can be used among the class without further cost.

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

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

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

You can purchase the report…

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

There are many different ways of approaching creative writing, and no one way suits everyone. 

There are many different ways in which children approach the writing of a story, a poem, a review… 

Some just start writing, confident that the result will be reasonable, and that one can go back and improve. 

Others need preparation and planning before the writing starts, while a third group will freeze, unable to do anything at all. 

But then, even when the writing has begun, again different approaches can be seen. Some are able to follow the story and make a coherent whole. Others can lose the plot (literally) and wander into completely new areas. And some will freeze. 

Which is why the Boost Creative Writing Skills series of books exists. 

The planning sheets within the series help with the gathering of ideas, and there is coverage of a range of different genres such as stories, poems, book reviews and newspaper reports. 

Each sheet generates discussion within a defined framework and then aids pupils to write more descriptive stories and compose longer pieces of writing.

There are also techniques included which assist with both narrative and descriptive writing and which cater for different learning styles. 

The Boost Creative Writing Skills series of books address the Programmes of Study for writing composition in the new (2014) National Curriculum for England. 

They have been shown to boost children’s writing skills, give pupils confidence and make them believe that they can write. 

There are 3 books in the series: 

Boost Creative Writing Skills for 5-7 year olds 

Boost Creative Writing Skills for 7-9 year olds 

Boost Creative Writing Skills for 9-11 year olds 

You can also purchase all 3 resources for the special offer price of £40.00. 

This book is available from 31^st January but may be pre-ordered. The e-book version will be available to buy once the book is published. 

You can order Boost Creative Writing in any of these ways: 

• On our website at the web 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

What is the most effective way of using creative music to explore the interdisciplinary teaching of themes and topics in the classroom?

There is a method of teaching which helps to deliver the national curriculum both for music and also a number of other subject areas.

What’s more, it can be used by you or your colleagues irrespective of whether you have had any musical training or experience in the past.

The approach incorporates lesson plans written in simple language with a clear layout, teacher’s guides, and a website that incorporates everything you need to teach the lessons.

As a result the approach allows all children to compose and perform their own rhythms from Year 2 onwards.

Better still, it is possible to use these materials free of charge for a month so that you can experience in detail the process that focuses around the performance of music which the children in your class create themselves.

For most primary school children this is one of the most exciting activities that they can imagine. Very quickly they develop a great sense of pride in the fact that the music is “their” music. They wrote it, they created it, they perform it.

The approach – which can be experienced via the free trial – is achieved through using the multiple possibilities of the interactive whiteboard.

From the start children learn about the basic building blocks of music by creating with them and performing the results using age appropriate notation that is easy for non-musical teachers to understand and use.

This develops general musical skills in rhythm, pitch, singing, and using instruments, and as a result children begin to explore both creativity and personal performance skills, all within the context of team work.

There are clear links to literacy and numeracy from the very beginning of the project, and later on the children are encouraged to make up music and lyrics in relation to other subject areas.

You can find more information about this resource by clicking here.

Sign up for a free trial course at http://www.abcmusic.org.uk/trial.php

Alternatively, please do email me at tom@abccreativemusic.com

Tom Bancroft

The 10^th International Conference on Practice Teaching and Field Education, Glasgow, 7^th-8^th April.

As a trainer or educator of professionals in health and social work, you will find a wealth of stimulating new ideas to take away and apply in your own workplace.

• Over 70 workshops and papers accepted!
• Truly interdisciplinary with offerings from health, medicine, social work and care.
• International – presenters from 14 countries!
• Practical! Take away new useable ideas from workshops and papers by trainers in the workplace, as well as academics.

We’ve held most prices to the level of the last event in 2011, and places are limited, so book soon to ensure your place.

The booking form is now available here : http://www.whitingbirch.net/cgi-bin/scribe?showinfo=ip005.

The detailed programme will be on the website in 10 days time. In the meantime, the full list of workshops and papers accepted, together with abstracts is also available at: http://www.whitingbirch.net/cgi-bin/scribe?showinfo=ip005

If you have any questions, please email:
jm4whitingbirch@aol.co.uk.

David Whiting
Publisher
Whiting & Birch Ltd
90 Dartmouth Road 
London 
SE23 3HZ
davidwhiting@whitingbirch.net
+44(0)20-8244-2421

To help you and your team get even more sparkling maths results in 2014, we’d like to offer you the following.

1. Visualise maths clearly with Autograph 3.3. There’s no better tool to easily portray mathematical ideas and show how they work. See www.chartwellyorke.com/autograph

2. Communicate maths quickly and precisely, on screen or in print with MathType. No more Doctor’s Handwriting and searching for maths symbols. See www.chartwellyorke.com/mathtype

3. No more marking! Use MathsNet or Mathster to set online tests and get them marked and reported automatically. See the highly popular www.mathsnetgcse.com, www.mathsnetalevel.com, or www.mathster.com (Mathster is particularly good on iPads, iPhones, smart phones and tablets and for creating printed tests too).

Take a free trial for your whole school if you haven’t already got these. Just call us on 01204 811001 or email us at info@chartwellyorke.com and we’ll arrange it.

All the best
Philip Yorke

Chartwell-Yorke (Mathematics Software and Books)
114 High Street, Belmont Village, Bolton, Lancashire, BL7 8AL
info@chartwellyorke.com, www.chartwellyorke.com
Tel +44 (0)1204 811001, Fax 01204 811008

Half of this summer’s Unit 3 exam (full course) and Unit 1 exam (short course) AQA GCSE PE is based on AQA’s pre-release scenario, this year featuring ‘Westshore Netball Club’. The team-based scenario is tougher than previous years, so effective exam preparation will be essential.

How well will your GCSE PE class know ‘Westshore Netball Club’?

This unique resource, totally focused on maximising exam performance, contains all the preparation material that students need for Section B of the pre-release scenario:

• An introduction to the scenario – what is there and what does it mean? With key terms highlighted and explained.
• Clear and concise revision notes, related specifically to ‘Westshore Netball Club’ and in spec order. Activities for every section to develop exam skills and consolidate learning.
• Section B mock exam questions, with useful ‘what is the question asking you to do’ sections, model student answers and marking tips.
• Teaching PowerPoints for delivery of the scenario material.

Plus, brand new for 2014: structured revision cards

Pre-order this year’s pack for 10^th February at: http://zzed.co.uk/Westshore

As with all ZigZag resources, you can be confident of the highest standards. All resources go through a rigorous process of checking, proofreading and professional styling before reaching you. ZigZag resources are available as ‘copy masters’ or in editable format and come with a site licence, allowing you to pay once and copy as often as you need, or put on your server for multiple use.

The ‘Summer 2014 – Westshore Netball Club’ Pre-Release Resource Pack is available as:

1. Black and white photocopy master with site licence (£54)
2. PDF for easy printing in full colour (add 30%+VAT)
3. PDF with editable Word files (add 50%+VAT)

Order now at http://zzed.co.uk/Westshore

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | PE-WE25@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WE25 to get free postage!

Many geography departments entered their students for the January sitting of the GEO4B exam, with the back-up plan of entering at least some students for the summer exam as a resit. With that option gone, how are you preparing your students for this challenging exam, to help them to ace it first time?

One superb way of doing this is to make use of past Advance Information Booklets, and to do a complete mock exam. Choose an AIB that links in with the topics your students are studying for GEOG3. For example, the Brazil AIB touched on ‘Weather and Climate’ and ‘Contemporary Conflicts and Challenges’, and the Christchurch Earthquake pack was an excellent case study for ‘Plate Tectonics and Associated Hazards’.

Here’s one approach:

• January: Issue AIB from a previous year, along with the corresponding Pre-Release Resource Pack (from ZigZag Education, see below). Tell students that we will study this booklet in preparation for a mock exam in February.
• January–February: Dedicate some class time to studying aspects of the booklet, using the student workbook, PowerPoints and activities in the ZigZag Resource Pack to structure the work. Emphasise to students that this work will not be ‘wasted’ – it both covers their GEOG3 topics and prepares them for the real AIB in June.
• Last week before February half term holiday: Give students the final tasks in the Pre-Release Resource Pack. Tell them to revise for a mock exam that they will sit next half term.
• February half term: Set a mock paper in exam conditions, using one of the two papers provided in the ZigZag Resource Pack, or the actual past paper from AQA. Have the students mark each other’s work and discuss and reflect on common errors and what they have learnt. Encourage students to share pre-release techniques.
• 24^th March 2014: Issue the real AIB (from AQA) to your confident and well-prepared students. Perhaps compare it with the one they have already studied, highlighting similarities and differences.
• 31^st March 2014: Issue the ‘Getting to Know…’ initial activities as a homework for Easter.*
• 21^th April 2014: Straight after Easter, get to work on the AIB properly with the Pre-Release Resource Pack from ZigZag Education (dispatched by 15^th April).

To facilitate this approach, ZigZag Education have discounted Pre-Release Resource Packs from previous years. You can also pre-order the June 2014 resource below. Order now at http://zzed.co.uk/WE24

The GEO4B Resource Packs are available as a photocopy master with site licence (£22 each for extra practice packs; £59 to pre-order the 2014 resource). Also available in:

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

* We will send you the preliminary ‘getting to know’ activities to support you in getting started with your students for whatever the topic turns out to be! Pre-order and register to receive the activities via email as soon as they are available (within a few days of the AIB release).

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY

t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | WE24@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WE24 to get free postage!

The brain and the hand are closely linked together,
which is why handwriting is so important.

If there is danger, the hand moves to provide defence. If there is a delicate task, the hand is called upon. If contact is required with an unknown object, the hand goes first.

Which helps us to understand why handwriting is so important. For not only does good handwriting make it easier for exam markers to read the student’s script, but it also develops hand, eye and brain co-ordination.

This means that as well as helping with exam scores, good handwriting gives students the chance to develop their essential fine motor skills.

This is why we have produced not just the Handwriting Rescue Scheme for fully cursive handwriting, but also two books of follow-on-exercises.

First, the Handwriting Rescue scheme: it contains over 300 copiable structured exercises designed to establish complete cursive letter formation. Tests have shown that the use of such material encourages the development of an automatic response to frequently used spelling choices.

Second, moving beyond Handwriting Rescue we have the follow-on-exercises.

Each of these two books contains 65 copiable activities which help with the embedding of cursive letter formation across every letter combination in the language.

As such, the volumes cover both key words and irregular words. Additionally, they cover the writing of speech marks, handwriting practice with useful word lists, and exercises writing of frequently misspelt words.

In effect, through the profound brain-hand connection the students can learn to improve their handwriting while simultaneously improving their grasp of the written language.

There are more details of Handwriting Rescue follow-on-exercises Book 1 on our website.

You can also find information on Handwriting Rescue follow-on-exercises Book 2 by clicking here.

If you already have the Handwriting Rescue Scheme and purchase both follow-on books they will be supplied at a 10% discount.

The Handwriting Rescue course itself should be used before the follow-on books. You can find more information on the course on our website.

If you have not purchased the Rescue Scheme already you can buy the Scheme and the follow-on books for the special price of £85.

You can order The Handwriting Rescue Scheme and follow-on materials in any of these ways:

• On our website at the above links
• By phone on 01604 505000
• By fax to 01604 505001
• By email to info@msl-online.net
• By post to Multi-Sensory Learning, Highgate House, Creaton, Northants, NN6 8NN 

There are a large number of mandatory issues, essential facts and highly desirable details that should be on every school website.

In 2012 the government laid down details through legislation, which have to be on every school website, from admission arrangements to details regarding the pupil premium.

Beyond that there are a few issues which evidence shows are the key facts that parents will look for on the site, beyond the basic issues the government lays down. These range from copies of letters to parents (in case they never arrive!) to term dates for the next two years.

And then there are further issues that are so highly desirable that if any were to be omitted parents (and those considering applying for admission for their children), might well wonder what was going on.

Which means there are a large number of different points which each school ought to include.

And yet a quick review of school websites selected at random, suggests that something like half of all schools either don’t cover all these issues, or, if they do, make it so hard to find some of them that the average parent is likely to give up the search.

Which really takes us on to the key point: if parents can’t find an answer that they are looking for on your website, they will do one of two things. They will either stop looking and (if a prospective parent) go elsewhere, or they will telephone the school.

Of course the phoning solution might seem perfectly acceptable – except that each phone call which is asking for information that is (or should be) on the website takes up the time of school administrators.

Now given that a survey by the School of Education Administration and Management last year found that over two thirds of school administrators said that they regularly had to undertake unpaid overtime to complete their work each week, any reduction in the phone calls they handle, will be welcomed in the office.

So it really does make sense to have these topics, issues and details not only covered on your website, but also set out in such a way that everyone can find them.

If you would like to discuss the list of topics together with a brief overview of your website (free of charge) and its effectiveness in leading to these topics, then email us at info@inco-eduction.co.uk

Alternatively if you woul d like to talk to us first, please call us on 01902 784 800.

You can also find out more about how we work with schools on our website at www.inco-education.co.uk