Ensuring that students gain quality information from Education Publishers, Learning Grids and the internet, while avoiding harmful content

There is no doubt that there are many students who have grown so used to the internet that they see it as a prime source of information. For them books have ceased to be a central reference point for their studies.

Unfortunately, because of the range of material on the internet, this can be a particular problem. Indeed, as the January 2012 Ofsted framework says, it is vital for schools to minimise the risk to young people through having effective procedures for safeguarding.

So the question is, how can schools provide access to quality information without risk, and without a lot of extra work for you and your colleagues?

The answer many schools have discovered is Autology, an online service which needs no local software to install and maintain.

Autology is an educational search engine, within which all content is verified and mapped to the curriculum. It thus allows students to find the information they need, with the added guarantee that what they are finding is quality information.

It means that all students can access the very best and most informative materials online, either at home or in the school. The Autology resources include online versions of many Heinemann books, Letts text books, encyclopaedias and access to over 1000 web sources.

Through its “walled garden” approach to using the internet it is therefore possible for you to switch off access to Google and instead focus on highly reliable and, above all, safe resources.

However, that is not all. As we know, Ofsted also requires that schools narrow the gaps between the performance of different groups of students in the school.

The Autology approach assists in narrowing this gap by particularly aiding those students who find research and identifying appropriate resources difficult or unengaging.

In short, Autology meets the requirement of Ofsted by successfully engaging students in their learning. This enables them to develop the skills to learn for themselves, and enables the setting of appropriate homework to help develop these skills. This in turn helps to develop their understanding by providing equality of access to resources when they carry out their homework.

As a result students still use the same amount of time as before, but you will now know that time is focussed on retrieving and using information of the highest quality.

To see how Autology works a free trial is available by clicking here.

Alternatively, to talk through any aspect of our service please call 01244 560966 or email keithe@autology.org

You can also view the product at www.autology.org

Autology is provided by Autology World Ltd, Daresbury Innovation Centre, Science & Innovation Campus, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Cheshire, WA4 4FS

Help for SBMS in time management with TES

Now there’s help for school business managers who want to work more effectively.

PropertyPrefect from TES Foundation is already helping thousands of school users achieve better buildings management by taking the time, money and hassle out of premises maintenance and health and safety. Find out more.

Our new Suppliers and Connections module helps SBMs work together, sharing practical information on which local suppliers offer great service and value.

If you knew what other SBMs knew about local suppliers, wouldn’t you save time?

If you’re already working with other schools, in a cluster, federation, partnership or group of Academies, TES Foundation gives you the online tools to stay connected and share data effortlessly.

If you’re on your own, it’s the quick and simple way to make connections.

Set your supplier database up quickly and easily; you can even import your existing contacts from a spreadsheet.
Notify suppliers of issues with one click.
Invite other schools to connect and share your supplier list.
The more connections you have, the more shared information you will have access to.
Use our star rating system and comments from other school business managers to find the best person for the job.
Add reviews to your own suppliers and share them with other schools.
An excellent tool for clusters, federations, partnerships and groups of academies.
Book a free online demo now. You’ll know within 15 minutes whether TES Foundation can help you.

A potential Doctor in your class?

Deciding to study medicine is obviously a big commitment both for students and their families, and making this decision is even more difficult if the family has no background in medicine.

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 Africa, India, The Caribbean or Thailand to shadow experienced doctors and healthcare professionals.

Not only does this experience help students to make the right decision about their future career, it is also a useful addition for their UCAS forms.

Recognised by the majority of British medical schools, our hospital work experience is ideal for those students who are interested in medicine, nursing, dentistry or midwifery.

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, there are several ways of giving them the relevant information.

First, you can of course pass on this email.
Second you can direct the student to our website at www.gapmedics.co.uk to find out a lot of detailed information regarding the placements
Third you can click here to print out some information to pass to your prospective healthcare students.
Finally they can call us on 0191 269 6818 or email us at info@gapmedics.com and we’ll send a brochure in the post.
Regards
Mark Hinksman
Business Development Director

Gap Medics – Launching medical careers
Collingwood Buildings
38 Collingwood Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 1JF

T. +44 (0)191 269 6818
F. +44 (0)191 229 9501
E. mark@gapmedics.com
W. www.gapmedics.com

The Foundations of Wealth

Although it is rooted in the concrete realities of life, economics often appears to students as a series of abstract nouns – productivity, supply, demand, price, surplus, scarcity and so on… that inevitably create a barrier between the student and the economic principles of enterprise.

“The Foundations of Wealth” series of video episodes have been designed to help them over the barrier. In ten episodes, each approx. 10 minutes long, it tells the story of how a primitive community makes its way from a subsistence economy to prosperity by a succession of devices – division of labour, mechanisation, money, markets, price etc.

Absorbing and entertaining, “The Foundations of Wealth” keeps students’ attention whilst presenting economic principles through combining high quality animation and documentary film material as we follow two characters, and the community they live in, through a series of economic changes and developments that illustrate the foundations of basic economic principles and mechanisms, which are then presented at work in the real world.

Episode 1. How It All Began (11 mins) – Key concepts: subsistence level, subsistence economy, scarcity, surplus

Episode 2. Division of Labour – i. Product (9 mins) – Key concepts: organisation, specialisation, efficiency, investment, capital

Episode 3. Division of Labour – ii. Process (10 mins) – Key concepts: trade, productivity, exports and imports, production line

Episode 4. Mechanisation (10 mins) – Key concepts: mechanical device, energy source, harnessing

Episode 5. A Life Worth Living (11 mins) – Key concepts: cultivation, goods and services, natural resources, leisure

Episode 6. The Market (11 mins) – Key concepts: voluntary exchange, command economy, incentive

Episode 7. Money (11 mins) – Key concepts: token of value, store of value, measure of wealth

Episode 8. Supply, Demand and Price – i. Price and the consumer (13 mins) – Key concepts: prices as information, law of demand, relative value

Episode 9. Supply, Demand and Price – ii. Price and the producer (13 mins) – Key concepts: gluts and shortages, innovation, law of supply, equilibrium price

Episode 10.The Mixed Economy (11 mins) – Key concepts: planned economy, market economy, public goods.

All 10 episodes are available on 2 chaptered DVD’s and are accompanied by downloadable worksheets to reinforce the economic principles covered – FREE Sample Support Material

“The Foundations of Wealth” video series was devised by Sir Antony Jay, author of comedy series “Yes Minister” and “Yes Prime Minister”. He is also the founder, with John Cleese, of award winning training film producers Video Arts. Carefully researched and developed with teachers to provide a valuable tool for teaching economics in the classroom, “The Foundations of Wealth” episodes are also suitable for any course where the basics of economics need to be introduced or explained in a clear, memorable and entertaining way!

Order all 10 episodes on 2 chaptered DVDs + downloadable support material – quote promotional discount code: HHM110 at the checkout for a 10% discount!

For any further information or assistance please contact:

Viewtech Educational Media
7-8 Falcons Gate
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
————————————–

tel: 01454 858055
tel: 01454 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.

Light and shadows: free Y3 Science resources

OnBoard is the free email service that we’ve launched to provide great free stuff for your teaching, saving you hours of time.

Our first free resource this term is a PowerPoint presentation on light and shadows for your Y3 science classes, based on QCA Unit 3f.

In it, pupils will learn about the relationship between light, an object and the formation of shadows. Pupils will observe the apparent movement of the Sun and the associated changes in shadows.

Download the free light and shadow resources:

www.boardworks.co.uk/science-free-stuff_896

If your teachers would like to download free science, maths or literacy resources, why not forward them this link?

www.boardworks.co.uk/primary-onboard-_897

Regards,

The Boardworks Primary team

What is the most effective way of helping your students manage anger?

This step-by-step, straightforward programme of ten lesson plans provides all the information you need to run a successful Anger Management programme with your students. It will enable them to gain the essential skills they need to develop their emotional literacy, using real-life examples with which they will identify. During the course, participants will learn:

self-awareness
self-management
impulse control
active listening
empathy
understanding of non-verbal cues
conflict resolution and mediation.
Central to the programme is how to deal with angry outbursts – known as ‘emotional hijacks’ – both pre- and post-hijack. It will offer your students a way through their anger to a more optimistic outlook, a better focus and acceptance of other people.

The aim, required resources and methods are outlined at the beginning of each lesson and are all accompanied by user-friendly, reproducible student and teacher worksheets. The programme is available for either primary or secondary students and in each case is priced at £39.95 + VAT plus £3.50 Post and packing.

Anger Management – Secondary, Order code: 036HH
Anger Management – Primary, Order code: 043HH
Please quote the order code when ordering:

Phone 0845 605 0230
Fax 0844 3350776
E-mail Belinda@loggerheadfims.co.uk
Post Loggerhead Publishing, PO Box 928, Northampton, NN7 9AP

What is the simplest way to make major financial and efficiency savings in your school

It is a simple fact that few schools have access to anyone who is trained in the issue of contracts and Procurement.

As a result, when major purchases are made in schools (such as printing systems, telephone systems, major equipment items for departments, book purchases, etc) it is generally the supplier who writes the contract and sets down the terms and conditions.

Of course, if these contracts were between companies and individuals then the Sale of Goods Act would apply. But with contracts between companies and schools this Act does not apply. While the terms and conditions of a purchase can’t be unfair, they certainly can be written to favour one party (usually the supplier) rather than the other (the school).

Most suppliers are perfectly reasonable people, but they need to make a profit, and the issue therefore is, are they making a reasonable profit or are they trying to exploit the school for their own benefit?

Corporate Contract Management runs the School Procurement and Contracts seminars to help senior managers in schools get to grips with the procurement process, reduce the risk to the school and ensure their school gets the best out of their purchases.

An overview of our training course and details of forthcoming presentations are given at http://www.admin.org.uk/CCMseminars.html

Full details of everything covered within the one day course are given at www.admin.org.uk/CCMoneday.html

If you have any questions about the course please do call 01536 399007 or email sam@admin.org.uk

These courses are promoted by the School of Educational Administration on behalf of Corporate Contract Management

Exciting and invaluable teaching resources for Business Studies

The History of Advertising Trust was set up in 1976 to rescue, collect and preserve the heritage of the UK advertising industry and to make it available to all for research and study.

It became a charity in 1978 and its archive has grown to become the most comprehensive collection of UK advertising and brand communications in the world.

Due to the richness and diversity of its collections, with access to thousands of authentic and accurate data sources and images, comprehensive e-learning resources, expert knowledge of the advertising sector and links with key institutions and leading advertising agencies within the industry, The History of Advertising Trust is well positioned to support your teaching needs.

We publish regular free bulletins for teachers, entitled ‘Advertising in Education’, which contain informative news stories and features from our advertising collections, articles relevant to curriculum topic areas, suggestions for use in the classroom as well as providing access to various resources.

Subscribers can suggest advertising topics, concepts or themes relevant to the curriculum, to feature in future bulletins and can ask questions in relation to the subject.

You can subscribe to our free bulletin by clicking here.

If you are already a subscriber there is no need to do anything further, except look out for our next bulletin!

www.hatads.org.uk

Historical Costumes Made Easy

One of the most exciting and stimulating ways of bringing a period of history to life is through getting the pupils to dress in the way that ordinary people (or the elite) dressed during the relevant era.

It might be the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings… whoever it was, all children love dressing up, and this is dressing up with a purpose.

But… quite reasonably many parents balk at the idea of making a costume from one of these periods.

Which is why we have produced a new and extended edition of “Roman, Anglo-Saxon and Viking Children’s Costumes.” This is a copiable book so that you can take the relevant section and either put it on the school website or learning platform, or print out sections and give them to parents.

In each section of the book there are details of what people wore at that time, full page line drawings of the costumes with close ups of specific parts of the costume, plus separate sections for male and female, adults and children, peasants and the upper class.

Then there are sections on hairstyle , caps and hats, jewellery, leggings and shoes, belts, cloaks, pouches, dresses, tunics, and (for the sake of completeness) under garments.

For each item mentioned there are patterns, sizing information, materials and so forth – and all of this data is repeated for the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings.

In over 150 pages of A4 there is everything anyone would ever want, giving you and the parents who make the costumes, a massive choice so that it is possible (should you wish it) to have every child in the class come in showing off a different type of costume.

Everything is here, you need no other volume.

There are sample pages from the photocopiable book at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/primary/T1763samplepages.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1763EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 784 5

Prices

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… please quote the order ref: T1763EMN

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=48_62&products_id=364

AQA Economics Model Answers for A2

I have written model answers to all AQA Economics 25 mark questions set at A2 since the start of the new specification. These answers cover both ECON3 and ECON4 and there are 50 answers in total.

I am wondering whether they might of help to you in working with your students to produce improved exam grades this summer.

The resource is available from www.economicsfactory.com or by e-mailing pete@economicsfactory.com Simply state your choice from the following options, along with your postal address, and I will send out a CD containing the resource, along with an invoice:

Single user: £40
Site licence for 10 users: £50
Site licence for 20 users: £60
Site licence for unlimited users: £70
Site licence for unlimited users with facility to edit the answers: £85
Kind regards,

Peter Cramp

Distinctive features of the resource include:

Each answer is annotated using the standard symbols of examiners such as ‘An’ for analysis and ‘E’ for evaluation in order that it can easily be seen where each skill is used and students learn better how to structure a good essay.

The answers include support for evaluative points using real world examples and data. It is useful to see how a small selection of real world knowledge can be tailored to the different questions set.

A relatively small number of key diagrams are used. Students can pick up which diagrams are most important from seeing those which are used in multiple essays.

The answers include a guide to exam technique for writing 25 mark answers.

The resource is comprehensive as it covers all 25 mark questions set to date. I am hopeful that teachers will find it valuable always to have an answer to hand when providing feedback on homework.

Purchase with a site licence will enable you to install the resource on your school’s VLE if you wish.

Giving history students the quality information they need in the format they like to use

There is no doubt that in every school there are students who have grown so used to the internet that they see it as a prime source of information and have ceased to see books as being a central reference point when studying history.

Unfortunately, because of the range of material on the internet, this can be a particular problem. Indeed, as the January 2012 Ofsted framework says, it is vital for schools to minimise the risk to young people through having effective procedures for safeguarding.

What today’s history students often want and need is the breadth and quality of information that they would, in an earlier generation, have found in text books and encyclopaedias, but within their preferred medium.

With this in mind we have developed Autology, an educational search engine, within which all content is verified and mapped to the curriculum. It thus allows students to find the information they need, with the added guarantee that what they are finding is quality information.

It means that history students from KS3 to Post 16 can access the very best and most informative materials on line, either at home or in the school. The Autology resources include on-line versions of many Heinemann books, Letts text books, encyclopaedias and access to over 1000 web sources.

Through its “walled garden” approach to using the internet it is possible for schools to switch off access to Google and instead focus on highly reliable and, above all. safe resources.

However, that is not all. As we know, Ofsted also requires that schools narrow the gaps between the performance of different groups of students in the school.

The Autology approach assists in narrowing this gap by particularly aiding those students who find research and identifying appropriate resources difficult or unengaging.

In short, Autology meets the requirement of Ofsted by successfully engaging students in their learning. This enables them to develop the skills to learn for themselves, and enables the setting of appropriate homework to help develop these skills. This in turn helps to develop their understanding by providing equality of access to resources when they carry out their homework.

As a result students still use the same amount of time as before, but you will now know that time is focussed on retrieving and using information of the highest quality.

To see how Autology works a free trial is available by clicking here.

Alternatively, to talk through any aspect of our service please call 01244 560966 or email keithe@autology.org

You can also view the product at www.autology.org

Autology is provided by Autology World Ltd, Daresbury Innovation Centre, Science & Innovation Campus, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Cheshire, WA4 4FS

What is the most effective way of promoting both programming and critical thinking within ICT?

From September, as we’ve all heard, the ICT curriculum in England is to be replaced by a flexible curriculum in computer science and programming. The aim, according to the Secretary of State, is to “create young people able to work at the forefront of technological change”.

So, what to do?

Say the word “Roamer®” and quite possibly you will recall one of the most defining moments in the history of ICT. But the question is, can this iconic product meet today’s challenges?

The answer is undoubtedly yes. The new Roamer is one robot, and by changing the keypad you can make it age appropriate which gives you a scaffolded approach to programming.

Early Years start with a simple keypad capable of moving the robot. Gradually new programming features are added until your top juniors are writing procedures and controlling inputs and outputs.

As the world’s only talking educational robot, the speaking helps to support pupils throughout this process.

As their programming skills grow, pupils develop their problem solving capabilities, learning to think sequentially, logically and creatively. These skills are developed through activities linked to mathematics, science, English and other curriculum areas.

This highly innovative programmable teaching aid is supported by a library full of free activities, which combined with free online training, provides an economical and practical resource capable of use throughout the whole school.

To find out more about how Roamer can be used in your classroom as a way of embracing the concepts within the government’s new model of ICT teaching, please visit http://www.roamer-robot.com/public

For more information you can also call 020 8673 2233 or email us at info@valiant-technology.com

The two ways to get a university place

For as long as any of us can remember, universities have demanded certain A level grades as the entry ticket to a course.

But in recent years a second requirement has been added, a requirement that has had less attention but which can in many cases have as much impact on the success or failure of an application as the student’s grades.

In fact each year we are seeing an increasing number of highly able and talented students failing to get to the university of their choice because their application does not make the most of their potential, their personality, their drive, and their ability to give something back to the university as well as be a good student.

Students now need to be well informed and focused in order to make the right choices and to give themselves the best possible chance of getting a place on the course and at the university that best suits their future aspirations.

They also need to know why they want to go to this university, to study this course, and they need to be aware that being at university is a two way process. The university gives the student opportunities – the student needs to show that he/she will seize those opportunities and give something back in return.

”How to Successfully Apply to University” seeks to clarify the process of applying for university and contains information and insights that will be useful for all students as they face the university application process. It outlines each step from the first thought to the completion of the application, and looks at all aspects of the process of selecting and applying for a university place.

The approach within the book includes carrying out research to find the best suited course/university, understanding the UCAS system, delivering the best possible personal statement, the actual application and the post-application process, funding, and student accommodation, etc.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/careers/T1779.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 810 1; Order code: T1779emn

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=47&products_id=753

Our very best price for an HP Core I3 laptop

Save £151 and get £150 worth of extras free

The HP 630 Intel Core I3 4gb 500gb HD (normally selling at £499) comes with:

Intel Core I3
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Windows 7 Premium Edition, with…
integrated webcam with microphone …

+ Extra Bonus worth £150 –
3 Years HP Warranty and 3 Years Norton Internet Security
We are currently able to offer this laptop to schools for the discounted price of £348.

What’s more, if you buy 10 or more that price comes down to £342 per machine.

You can also save up to £150 if you trade in your old computer. Click here for more details.

The full description of the machine is the HP 630 A6E89EA Intel Core I3 4GB 500GB DVDRW 15.6TFT HDMI BT CAM Win 7HP.

There are more details on our website at
http://www.technoworld.com/HP_630_A6E89EA_UK707A-NortonIS_3YR/62244/product.aspx

In order to receive this special discount for schools for any of the above products, all you need to do is call us on 08444 820 111 or email us at education@technoworld.com and quote “eshot offer 30”.

This offer for this computer is only available from Technoworld PLC which is an HP Gold Partner and established for 17 years. It comes with a 7 day no quibble money back guarantee.

What is the point of education?

The notion that we might have to help our students develop an understanding of the links between education and careers might seem strange. But there is a lot of evidence to suggest this is exactly what needs to be done.

Indeed, it could be said that we need to broaden student horizons by educating them about the wide range of opportunities that are available in the world of work.

Career Detectives – a board game for use in schools – aims to do just this by providing a range of stimulating information about careers across all sectors within the context of a set of activities that can be completed in the classroom.

Working within the format of the game it enhances and raises awareness of key skills including team work, communication, leadership, creativity and confidence and embeds other key learning outcomes including healthy eating and citizenship.

Career Detectives has within it enough material for an entire term’s work. It also works on a diverse range of issues from key skills to healthy eating, from personal attitudes to citizenship.

At the same time it helps students to discover all about the world of work and which careers may interest them.

What’s more, using Career Detectives can also enhance your outcomes when Ofsted inspect as it enables you to demonstrate spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in your school. It also helps in a number of other areas, details of which can be found on our website.

In a world in which many people are perceived to be successful irrespective of their education, Career Detectives offers a stimulating alternative vision.

There is more information available on Career Detectives here.

AQA GCSE Design Technology Practice Papers (2012 CONTEXTS)

Available for Resistant Materials Technology (4552) and Graphic Products (4562)

Essential exam practice for this summer and beyond

Exclusive to ZigZag Education are 2 original practice papers with supporting mark schemes – available separately for AQA GCSE Resistant Materials and Graphic Products.

The papers are based around the summer 2012 contexts set by AQA:

Resistant Materials: The storage of small items and the work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh
Graphic Products: Collecting money for charity
Written by a senior Design Technology examiner, the papers have been carefully tailored to mimic the format and style of the AQA examination to provide your students with the best possible exam preparation. The mark schemes contain clear guidance and example answers for hassle-free marking.

For a preview of the entire resource and to order, see: zigzag.at/AQA-DT-2012

The 2012 Practice Papers for AQA GCSE Resistant Materials and Graphic Products are available separately as available as Photocopy masters, PDF files and editable Word files.

You can order (please reference UP28 when placing your order for FREE POSTAGE)

By phone: 0117 950 3199
By post: ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
By fax: 0117 959 1695
By email: dt-UP28@zigzageducation.co.uk
Via the website: http://zigzag.at/UP28
View details and inspection copies of all DT resources at: http://zigzageducation.co.uk/order.asp?userid=DT&link=UP28

Maths Information and Services

FREE “TRIDENT” GEOMETRY SETS…. plus FREE “exam friendly” plastic zip up wallets !
Pupil reports made easy
Boardworks – free resources, lesson plans and teaching tips

——————————————————————————–

FREE “TRIDENT” GEOMETRY SETS…. plus FREE “exam friendly” plastic zip up wallets!

www.signposteducational.co.uk
Signpost Educational Ltd. PO Box 999, London E14 6SH

Email: signpost@talk21.com
Phone: 020 7515 1797
Fax: 020 7515 4420

For every CASIO scientific or graphic calc you order (min 50) we’ll give you a FREE “exam friendly” zip-up wallet with each one.

For every LK 830 or LK 531SH calculator (min 50) you order, we’ll give you a FREE “Trident” geometry set with each one. There’s no limit to the quantities you can order, subject to stock availability. (This really is a brilliant deal as the “Trident” sets normally sell @ 99p or £1.10 plus vat).

In addition to these deals you can choose from our range of basic, scientific and graphic calcs plus “Student Essentials” packs and exam kits.

——————————————————————————–

Pupil reports made easy

www.reportcommentbank.co.uk/?r=hamilton
Teach ICT Ltd, 1 Ffordd y Felin, Trefin, Haverfordwest, SA62 5AX

Email: info@reportcommentbank.co.uk
Phone: 0845 094 6427
Fax: 0700 349 7137

Our point and click report writer is FREE to join and will save you hours when it comes to writing pupil reports. You can use our comments, comments from other teachers or write your own.

——————————————————————————–

Boardworks – free resources, lesson plans and teaching tips

http://www.boardworks.co.uk/maths_602
Boardworks, Units 5–7 The Gallery, 54 Marston Street, Oxford, OX4 1LF

Email: enquiries@boardworks.co.uk
Phone: 0845 0 300 400
Fax: 0845 0 300 200

Boardworks maths blog contains free resources, lesson plans and teaching tips for KS3, KS4 and KS5 maths teachers. Follow the weblink to download the resources free of charge or follow us on Twitter @BoardworksLtd.

Does this pupil have dyscalculia – and if so what should we do about it?

Assessing a pupil or student who appears to be poor at maths to see if the child is suffering from dyscalculia is useful as means of helping assign limited resources.

This assessment can be done through an educational psychologist, of course, although this can be rather expensive – and of itself it doesn’t actually provide any resources that can be used to help the pupil or student after the assessment.

The Dyscalculia Centre has been looking into this problem for some time, and we have now come up with an on-line test which is much lower cost than a visit to an educational psychologist.

What is more, having marked the test we then provide a comprehensive set of copiable materials relevant to that student. These resources can then be used in school by an assistant teacher or SENCO working with the student.

The on-line Dyscalculia Test covers the individual’s attitude towards mathematical concepts and issues, plus specific questions on addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, shapes, percentages and time. It is intended for anyone aged over seven years, but obviously does imply that the individual would be expected to be able to answer some basic questions in each of these subject areas.

Testing costs £49.95 per pupil. This price includes taking the test, receiving a specific report in relation to the individual taking the test, and being provided with resources relevant to that individual which can be used to help them progress in maths.

To read more about the test please visit http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/testing.html

The test itself is set up for payment by credit card on-line, but if you wish to use a school order number you can do this by phoning 01536 399 011, or by fax to 01536 399 012. In each case we will need your email address so that we can email you a link to the on-line test. There are more details about payment for schools on http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html

Our very best price for an HP Core I3 laptop

Save £151 and get £150 worth of extras free

The HP 630 Intel Core I3 4gb 500gb HD (normally selling at £499) comes with:

Intel Core I3
500GB hard drive,
4GB RAM, and a…
15.6 inch anti-glare display, plus of course…
Windows 7 Premium Edition, with…
integrated webcam with microphone …

+ Extra Bonus worth £150 –
3 Years HP Warranty and 3 Years Norton Internet Security
We are currently able to offer this laptop to schools for the discounted price of £348.

What’s more, if you buy 10 or more that price comes down to £342 per machine.

You can also save up to £150 if you trade in your old computer. Click here for more details.

The full description of the machine is the HP 630 A6E89EA Intel Core I3 4GB 500GB DVDRW 15.6TFT HDMI BT CAM Win 7HP.

There are more details on our website at
http://www.technoworld.com/HP_630_A6E89EA_UK707A-NortonIS_3YR/62244/product.aspx

In order to receive this special discount for schools for any of the above products, all you need to do is call us on 08444 820 111 or email us at education@technoworld.com and quote “eshot offer 29”.

This offer for this computer is only available from Technoworld PLC which is an HP Gold Partner and established for 17 years. It comes with a 7 day no quibble money back guarantee.

Question: What is the easiest way to run a hassle free school trip?

Answer: Don’t
It’s a very old joke. So old in fact it will barely raise a smile. But the fact is that something like 90% of schools still run school trips each year, and tens of thousands of us put ourselves through the hard work of organising and developing the trips, because of the good that we know it does for the pupils and students we teach.

Which is why, as a result of setting and running the School Visits news forum last year, I wanted to publish a book on school trips, covering everything that we had discussed.

And that’s what we have done. It is called Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers, and we’ve made it available as a download. In that way you can simply click on the link, and the file drops into the computer, ready for you to run off as many copies as you want for colleagues across the school.

The book covers all the basic points, from “loco parentis” to turning the idea into a trip, from transport issues to the letter to the parents, from staffing issues to kit lists.

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

There are sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1772samples.pdf

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

You can obtain Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers” by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=747

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

Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers” 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
NN17 4HH

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

Write original school reports in minutes

As teachers we all want the reports we write to be meaningful and constructive. But with all the goodwill in the world, sometimes the demand of report writing can be a huge drain on both time and energy.

So, in order to make the task easier and less time-consuming, a group of teachers came together and created a Report Writer. This easy-to-use, on-line tool allows teachers to retain their own creativity in report writing but reduces the amount of time it takes to write a report by over 80%.

Better still, the Report Writer is available free of charge so that you can try it out for as long as you like – and use it as often as you like.

You can start using the system now at www.reportcommentbank.co.uk/?r=hamilton

Teach ICT Ltd
1Ffordd y Felin
Trefin
SA62 5AX
01348 837241
info@reportcommentbank.co.uk

Martin Luther King Jr used church money to pay for prostitutes and subsequently beat them

When you search for Martin Luther King on Google the first page of the results of the search lists a website which contains this story. The site claims to give a true historic examination of Martin Luther King and provides material for students to download for use in their studies.

If you delve a little deeper into the origins of the site in question you find it is hosted by a white supremacist group and appears to be a veiled attack on King’s reputation and the Civil Rights Movement in general.

Whether or not you are covering Martin Luther King with your students at the moment is not really relevant, nor is the truth or otherwise of this story. What is relevant is that it illustrates the difficulty of ensuring that your students can be sure that what they are using in their research is factually correct and accurate.

A recent study found that 48% of teachers had regular discussions (arguments) with their students on the accuracy of information presented in work that had been based on material obtained via the internet.

It is with this issue in mind that we developed Autology. Autology is an educational search engine, but contains so much more. All content is verified and mapped to the curriculum allowing students to find the information they want, with the added guarantee that what they are finding is quality information.

Autology contains many resources for AS and A level from leading publishers. This includes 118 text books from Heinemann, 123 text books from Letts & Lonsdale, 9 Encyclopaedias from World Book, over 1,000 educational websites indexed to the curriculum, plus the content from regional learning grids.

As a result students still use the same amount of time as before, but now that time is focussed on retrieving and using high quality information.

To see how Autology works a free trial is available by clicking here.

Alternatively, to talk through any aspect of our service please call 01244 560966 or email keithe@autology.org

You can also view the product at www.autology.org

Autology is provided by Autology World Ltd, Daresbury Innovation Centre, Science & Innovation Campus, Keckwick Lane, Daresbury, Cheshire, WA4 4FS

Motivating students through a renewed sense of achievement

Bower Grove Special School in Kent recently undertook an experiment in which they introduced a number of their pupils to the world of sublimation printing.

The sublimation system was used by the students to design and manufacture fabric sun glasses cases which were sold at the summer fair (although this is only one of a number of products that can be designed and produced in this way. Bags, mugs, key rings and t-shirts are among the other products that can be produced on this equipment).

One can easily imagine the level of motivation that arose as a result of this activity – not least because the resultant cases were of industry standard quality.

Indeed all students can take a feeling of pride from their achievements, and this never more so than when the student produces something utterly different from the norm. The ‘wow’ factor hit the students big time and became a major part of their educational experience.

In order to do this, just one piece of equipment is needed – the sublimation printer.

To get started with sublimation you will need a Ricoh printer, sublimation paper, SubliJet-R dye sublimation high capacity ink cartridges and a heat press for flat material. And to make life easy we offer starter packs for schools that include all of the above, details of which can be found on our website.

Our full list of consumables is available by clicking here.

If you would like to know more about any specific approaches, please do call us on 01223 893900.

Site Managers Information and Services

Have you got enough exam desks
Efficiencies that save £1000s a year
Old Computer Equipment Recycling Service

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Have you got enough exam desks?

www.centraleducational.co.uk
Central Educational Supplies Ltd., PO Box 999, London E14 6SH

Tel: 020 7515 1797
Fax: 020 7515 4420
Email: signpost@talk21.com

It’s not too long before the exam season when sometimes there may be a bit of panic in the air …. and not just for students facing their GCSE or A level exams!

Judging by the comments we’ve had from staff over the years, it seems that “the powers that be” in their school or college suddenly decide they need some new exam desks…. and they want them yesterday!

If you’re faced with such a situation (or even if you don’t have such a tight deadline) then why not give us a call (tel: 020 7515 1797) or visit our website to see how we might be able to help.

We can supply folding , cantilever or “zimmer” style desks from only £15.95 ex vat, as well as transporters for folding desks. We can often supply exam desks at short notice although it’s always easier if we have a few weeks notice!

PS. If you’re also in the market for new classroom tables and chairs you may find what you need on our website…… or why not call us to discuss?

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Efficiencies that save £1000s a year.

www.admin.org.uk
School of Education Administration, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH

Email: prospectus@admin.org.uk
Phone: 01536 399 007
Fax: 01536 399 012

When the School of Education Administration launched its School Efficiency courses no one quite knew which efficiencies schools would report.

But now we’ve seen it in action, and the savings schools are making are really extraordinary.

Among the most dramatic savings being achieved through efficiencies are those made to school meals arrangements, the way photocopying is organised, IT provision, school cleaning contracts and the movement to an automated text system.

The next 10 week Certificate in School Efficiency course (taught by distance learning) closes its intake of students on 11th May. The course commences on 21st May. It costs £249 plus VAT.

The next one year Diploma in School Efficiency course will also close its intake of students on 11th May with the course commencing on 21st May 2012.

There are still some places available on both courses.

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Old Computer Equipment Recycling Service

www.prmgreentech.com
PRM Green Technologies Ltd, 19 Kimberley Business Park, Kimberley Way, Brereton, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 1RE

Email via form at www.prmgreentech.com/contact.htm
Phone: 0800 840 9195

We collect redundant computer equipment (PC base units, CRT monitors, TFT monitors, servers, laptops, server racks, switches, telecom switches and printers) for recycling, ensuring all data is removed and adherence to the WEEE directive by offering industry leading environmental practices.

Does this pupil have dyscalculia – and if so what should we do about it?

Assessing a pupil or student who appears to be poor at maths to see if the child is suffering from dyscalculia is useful as means of helping assign limited resources.

This assessment can be done through an educational psychologist, of course, although this can be rather expensive – and of itself it doesn’t actually provide any resources that can be used to help the pupil or student after the assessment.

The Dyscalculia Centre has been looking into this problem for some time, and we have now come up with an on-line test which is much lower cost than a visit to an educational psychologist.

What is more, having marked the test we then provide a comprehensive set of copiable materials relevant to that student. These resources can then be used in school by an assistant teacher or SENCO working with the student.

The on-line Dyscalculia Test covers the individual’s attitude towards mathematical concepts and issues, plus specific questions on addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions, shapes, percentages and time. It is intended for anyone aged over seven years, but obviously does imply that the individual would be expected to be able to answer some basic questions in each of these subject areas.

Testing costs £49.95 per pupil. This price includes taking the test, receiving a specific report in relation to the individual taking the test, and being provided with resources relevant to that individual which can be used to help them progress in maths.

To read more about the test please visit http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/testing.html

The test itself is set up for payment by credit card on-line, but if you wish to use a school order number you can do this by phoning 01536 399 011, or by fax to 01536 399 012. In each case we will need your email address so that we can email you a link to the on-line test. There are more details about payment for schools on http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html

Learning grids: A brilliant new idea in supporting weaker students

Learning grids: A brilliant new idea in supporting weaker students. Students have to read their textbook/notes to complete a grid of questions in exact spec and textbook order. The result is a set of comprehensive revision posters. Written to support major, exam-board endorsed textbooks.

A godsend for those students who find learning difficult and for the less willing. Leads to active learning, identification of key points & the structuring of information.

The structured method of learning grids are of great value to students, especially if they find it difficult to absorb all the information in class.
An easy-to-set, yet valuable homework option.
Requires minimal preparation and interaction from the teacher — great for cover lessons!

As with all ZigZag resources, you can be confident of the highest standards. All resources go through a rigorous process of teacher reviews, proofreading and professional styling before reaching you. ZigZag resources can be purchased as ‘copy masters’ or in digital 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.

For previews of the entire range and to order, see: zigzag.at/LearningGrids

Learning Grids are available as Photocopy masters, PDF files and editable Word files.

Currently available for: Science, ICT+Computing, Government and Politics, PE and Law

You can order (reference UN22 when placing your order for FREE postage)

By phone: 0117 950 3199
By post: ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol
BS10 5PY
By fax: 0117 959 1695
By email: UN22@zigzageducation.co.uk
Via the website: zigzag.at/UN22
Details of all Learning Grids resources are given at zigzag.at/LearningGrids

Primary Information and Services

What is the most effective way to inspire children to creativity?
Pupil reports made easy
Microsoft – and just one of those FREE Software Assurance Benefits
Free IT equipment recycle service

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What is the most effective way to inspire children to creativity?

www.wolly.co.uk
John Wainwright (“Wolly”)

Email: wolly@live.co.uk
Phone No: 07817576306

It is naturally important for children to explore the world through the creative arts,

giving them opportunities to express themselves. To do this successfully, it is essential to give them engaging, inspiring stimuli, making learning fun. MIME is an example of a creative, unique, and stimulating art form. Children being profoundly aware of there own bodies, are fascinated by the magic of MIME.

‘AN ISSUE OF GRAVITY’ is an interactive, fun and inspiring, MIME based Circus Show, the children will love and remember fondly. FROM ONLY £99. For more details or to book, please see; www.wolly.co.uk/schools.html or phone John Wainwright on 07817576306

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Pupil reports made easy

www.reportcommentbank.co.uk/?r=hamilton
Teach ICT Ltd, 1 Ffordd y Felin, Trefin, Haverfordwest, SA62 5AX

Email: info@reportcommentbank.co.uk
Phone: 0845 094 6427
Fax: 0700 349 7137

Our point and click report writer is FREE to join and will save you hours when it comes to writing pupil reports. You can use our comments, comments from other teachers or write your own.

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Microsoft – and just one of those FREE Software Assurance Benefits

http://www.computerbox.net/?p=913
Computer Box Ltd, Eaton Place, 114 Washway Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 7RF

Phone: 0845 658 2552
Email: peter@computerbox.net

Data Encryption – on Drives & USB sticks with Windows 7 Enterprise BitLocker secure encryption.

It seems everyone is looking for a data encryption solution.

But did you know that potentially there is one already built in to your operating system!

For more information on data encryption can be used in your school please contact Peter on 0845 658 2552, or email him at peter@computerbox.net.

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Free IT equipment recycle service

www.prmgreentech.com
PRM Green Technologies Ltd, 19 Kimberley Business Park, Kimberley Way, Brereton, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 1RE

Email via form at http://www.prmgreentech.com/contact.htm
Phone: 0800 840 9195

We collect redundant IT equipment (PC base units, CRT monitors, TFT monitors, servers, laptops, server racks, switches, telecom switches and printers) for recycling, ensuring all data is removed and adherence to the WEEE directive by offering industry leading environmental practices.

What is the most effective way of transforming the lives of students in a short space of time?

Quite possibly the most dramatic and effective way to transform a student’s outlook and attitude within a very short space of time is the creative workshop.

Whether the day is on Music Production, Street Dance, Boxercise, Zumba Dance, African/Brazilian Drumming, Mask Making, Digital Photography, Story Telling or Song Writing, the impact is the same.

Of course, students can gain an even bigger benefit when the workshop fits around what they have been studying or the specific interests they have.

So if the students have worked on Street and Zumba Dance it makes sense to have both workshops together. If some students want to do mask making, but others want to explore drumming, it is really helpful if you can organise both activities at once.

And this is exactly what we offer.

Because our work not only relates to the students interest and the school’s specific arrangements, the students become even more engrossed in the workshop than might otherwise have been the case. They experience a world they have never experienced before – but in a way that is related to their starting point. They become part of this new experience and they are transformed.

We place great emphasis on participation and through this the students learn and use the skills they experience in the workshops, leaving them feeling invigorated and enthused.

We can work with groups of up to 30 students per session, and sessions can be any length from 30 minutes upwards.

And as a final bonus we are, for a short period only, offering discounts on our courses. Here are a few examples of the current discounts on offer:

Save £50 off any half day workshop – was £260 now £210
Any 5 workshops for £1500 – was £1925 save £425
£100 off any full day workshop – was £385 now £285
Free performance/assembly with any workshop – save £125
Any 3 workshops for 2 was £1155, now £770 – save £385
Free 30 piece Djembe drum set with any 3 African arts workshops booked – save £300
There are more details on all of our workshops on our website at http://www.trapmedia.com/workshops.htm

You can book the workshops by:

By email at info@trapmedia.com
By calling 0800 689 9909
By fax to 0208 711 2564

Art and Design at Key Stage 3

Art and Design at Key Stage 3 provides students with support, advice and information about their course and the subject and the skills, methods and materials that they will use. The book contains details of the requirements of the course, followed by a large number of projects which will build knowledge, understanding and skills.

The projects require students to look critically at other artists’ and designers’ work and then show evidence of a clear line of visual enquiry in art work. All projects cover the areas of exploring and developing ideas, investigating and making, reviewing, adapting and researching into the work of others, and making critical analyses of the work they review. Hand drawn illustrations are included.

The projects in Art and Design at Key Stage Three are divided into section by year group which are intended to be given as handouts to students. For example Year 7 covers Texture and Mark-making, Colour theory, Portraits, Mixed Media, and Ancient Egypt. There is also a comprehensive selection of extra lessons.

It is available as a copiable book (also available on CD Rom so that it can be loaded onto the school’s learning platform).

You can see a full list of the topics at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1711.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1711EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 791 3

Prices

Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
Prices include VAT.
You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1711EMN

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=23&products_id=539

Guy Claxton: A transformative course for leaders

Guy Claxton will be leading the in-depth course What’s the Point of School? Cultivating Minds for Turbulent Times, May 7-11, 2012 at Schumacher College, Devon. Mention this email (code: HH01) when you book before the end of March and receive £50 off fully residential course fees.

http://www.schumachercollege.org.uk/courses/what-s-the-point-of-school-cultivating-minds-for-turbulent-times

How do we support learners as creatively as possible and meet our targets?

As part of the course, you will be able to review the evidence that shows that if you engage with this approach your school results go up. So not only can creative learning be engaging for both teachers and learners, it also has a positive effect on your statistics.

“Guy Claxton’s work gave us a framework which allowed us to really concentrate on what makes for good learning and crucially we found that it worked.” Stephen Jones, former Principal of King Edward VI Community College

Guy Claxton’s bestseller What’s the Point of School? was highly praised by Professor Howard Gardner, Sir Ken Robinson and Baroness Susan Greenfield. His practical Building Learning Power approach to creating learning cultures in schools has influenced youngsters’ lives throughout the UK as well as around the world. This course will also draw deeply on Guy’s ground-breaking new book The Learning Powered School: Pioneering 21st Century Education.

How can we build independence, resilience and imagination in our young people?

As teachers, we want young people to be confident and happy learners. As leaders, it is our challenge to ensure there is an education system and learning environment within schools to support this essential goal.

Guy Claxton is a world renowned authority on expandable intelligence; what it is, why it matters, and how to grow it. In May he comes to Schumacher College, an international college of transformative learning, to run a course for senior teachers and leaders in education.

How do we help young people understand the joys and frustrations of learning, preparing them for uncertainty in the world at large?

Guy will work with you to explore the philosophy, the learning science and the detailed practicalities behind the business of creating the learners and leaders of tomorrow.

Schumacher College focuses on interactive, experiential and participatory learning. Based on the creative and dynamic Dartington Estate, the College gives professionals the chance to reflect, engage and work with the challenges of the 21st century in a strategic and practical way.

What is the most effective way for a teacher to get a book published?

For many years, a significant number of teachers and managers in the UK have enhanced both their income and their reputation by publishing one or more books.

Some have found this an interesting side-line while teaching, some have developed their writing during retirement, and some have had such success that they have moved from a successful career in teaching into a successful career in writing.

For many, the starting point is often to take one’s own teaching notes, worksheets, PowerPoint Presentations, managerial techniques, etc, and turn these into a book.

However, over the last 10 years this has become more difficult, simply because few literary agents and publishers seem to have any interest on taking on new authors.

Indeed, even writers who have had a number of books published in the past now find themselves struggling to find a traditional publisher.

But publication is still possible, if one understands that the world of publishing and the expectation of publishers have both changed. One simply has to approach the whole matter of writing and publishing in a different way.

To help make sense of this new world of publishing, the School of Professional Writing runs an on-line course which guides you through writing books and articles within this much changed world of writing and publishing. It covers both the development of books that an audience will buy (and therefore which publishers will want) and getting books published in the conditions that apply in this radically different market.

Through the course, which is taught on-line, you will have access to a tutor who worked as a head of department in a large comprehensive school before becoming a full-time professional writer.

The course covers many different types of writing – not just writing for the educational market. But if your prime interest is in writing books for the schools’ market you will also be able to receive, free of charge, an additional supplement to the course which focuses on writing and selling educational books and also offers you the chance to submit your work to an educational publisher that has helped develop this course.

This supplement is not advertised on the course’s website and is only available to those who specifically request it of their tutor once signed up.

The Diploma in Professional Writing is offered by the same team that has developed the courses in school administration and school efficiency that are offered by the School of Education Administration and who also run the Dyscalculia Centre which provides information and support on this subject to special needs teachers.

There are more details of this course on www.exceptional.org.uk – where you can also sign up on-line. If you have any questions about the course please contact us at Enquiries@exceptional.org.uk

You can also phone us on 01536 399 010 or write to The School of Professional Writing, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH

The challenge for ICT and a new curriculum

While schools will have greater flexibility in how ICT is taught in the curriculum from September, it also presents a major challenge: finding the time and resources to successfully implement new pedagogical changes.

Serif can help. They’re offering a completely free copy of Serif graphics software and teacher resources, so ICT will be easy to put into practice and exciting to learn.

Powerful, yet easy to use, Serif’s creative software inspires every pupil to produce professional-quality work while learning industry-relevant skills. And you can save time planning lessons with Serif’s flexible resources, which you can easily adapt into your own schemes of work.

Serif will send you free software and resources for:

Vector drawing
Digital video editing
Flash® animations
Web design
Desktop publishing
Photo editing
Serif’s resources are currently being updated to help support you with future changes in the curriculum and technology. These materials will be free of charge – even if you don’t hold a Serif software licence.

For your free, full copy of Serif software (worth £300) email edusales@serif.co.uk quoting reference ‘GVCHM’.

There’s no catch – it’s yours to keep under no commitment.

Claire Macdonald
Education Business Manager
Serif (Europe) Ltd
t: 0800 376 6868 e: edusales@serif.co.uk

Put a new boiler into your school and the chances are it will still be working perfectly well in 10 years time. School websites, however, are not like that.

If there is one factor that is common to many primary school websites it is that once the site has been put up, it is generally forgotten by many people who work in the school.

In a sense this is quite reasonable. In your position in the school you expect to know what’s going on. If one of your colleagues institutes a change you expect to be sent a note or an email to that effect.

So you don’t really need to go to the website, but that can also be dangerous – for two reasons.

First, situations within your school can change, and so what is on the website can go out-of-date. Second, the way in which people look at your website will change.

Of course, if your school is in the process of a significant transition, for example, opening up a new nursery unit or introducing a new “learning in the environment” scheme, you will be thinking about changing the whole website to reflect these developments.

But you might forget that whereas five years ago very few parents would look at your site via a mobile device, now around half of parents do exactly this. And what they find is that many school websites do not look good when seen on a mobile device.

Therefore, we can also design a mobile app version of your website which parents can add to their mobile phones.

If you would like to talk about how your school can respond to these challenges of constant change via its website please do get in touch. You can find out more about us on http://www.inco-education.co.uk/article-what-makes-a-brilliant-school-website.php or, if you prefer, email us the details of your website, and your phone number (and let us know a convenient time to call) and we will come back to you with our thoughts on what changes we might suggest to your website.

You can reach us on info@inco-education.co.uk

Listening to Music Revision Activities

Listening to Music Revision Activities is one of those books that does what it says – it covers everything in the syllabus and does it in a way that starts from the premise that the lessons have already been taught but the memory has faded just a bit.

What is also nice is the way in which the sections follow a set pattern so that you know exactly what to find and where to find it. Being photocopiable means one can just find the page needed, run it off, and there it is, revision preparation done.

The main body of the book describes the history of western music from 1200 today, and world music, and for each category sets out the characteristics of the music and the instruments used. There is also a section on listening activities followed by page after page after page of revision quizzes – in fact over 100 pages of photocopiable worksheets in all.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/music/T1656.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 589 6; Order code: T1656emn

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=36&products_id=479

A2 Geography Revision Guide: unit 3 Contested Planet

This 110 page revision guide is one of a series of low-cost downloads that has been produced for A level students. The guides are written for the Edexcel syllabus, but are usable by students following other courses too.

The booklet, which may be printed out and copied for all student to have, or which can be put onto the school learning platform, costs just £10 plus VAT. It includes revision notes and activities on energy insecurity, water conflict, biodiversity under threat, superpower geographies, bridging the development gap and technological fixes.

Throughout there are summaries of what the student needs to know, the key terms (supply shock, renewable resources, carbon credit etc etc), and numerous illustrations to help the student understand key points.

The aim throughout is to help the student get to the core of the matter and grasp the basic elements of the subject, building up his/her knowledge and certainty around the subject.

A typical page centres of the California Case Study which looks at why the USA has an energy crisis, and then from there, why California is suffering an energy crisis.

There are sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1771samples.pdf

A2 Geography Revision Guide: unit 3 Contested Planet is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues as often as you want. You can also put it on your school learning platform so all staff can access the document – and indeed you can make it part of the induction documentation for new members of staff.

You can obtain A2 Geography Revision Guide: unit 3 Contested Planet by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=746

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

A2 Geography Revision Guide: unit 3 Contested Planet 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

To see other downloadable geography resources please go to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/index.php?cPath=76_112

First and Best in Education
Earlstrees Road
Corby
NN17 4HH

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

There are always some pupils and students in school for whom maths is a struggle.

Indeed they sometimes struggle so much that it is possible to believe that these young people might be suffering from dyscalculia.

And yet at the same time it is obvious that they are not totally lacking in the field of mathematical concepts.

A typical case might involve someone who understands the concept of number, addition and subtraction, but is utterly lost when it comes to multiplication. Another student may have grasped most of the fundamentals but needs to go back over some points of detail.

It is to help such pupils and students that we have produced Dyscalculia Practice Activities– a copiable volume that brings together elements of our earlier three Dyscalculia Activities volumes.

While some pupils and students clearly need the in-depth help of a volume in the Dyscalculia Activities series, Dyscalculia Practice Activities is intended for those pupils and students who show dyscalculic tendencies but who are able to grasp some of the fundamental elements of basic maths.

Dyscalculia Practice Activities includes a huge range of projects for pupils and students who can benefit by working through the fundamentals for maths (the four functions, shapes, fractions, percentages and time) step-by-step in a multi-sensory manner.

The aim of the book is to encourage activity that puts the whole of the basic maths curriculum into a context that can then be used as the student progresses to more advanced work.

The volume consists of sessions in which a teacher or assistant teacher works with an individual or small group of individuals on the projects in a multi-sensory manner using coloured counters, cut-out shapes, memory cards and the like.

Please note that the coloured counters and memory cards are not provided with the copiable book, but can be ordered separately. Details are at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/index.php?cPath=29

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/dyscalculia/T1782.pdf

ISBN: 978 1 86083 820 0; Order code: T1782emn

The volume is available as…

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 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?products_id=757

Beware the hidden add-ons

One of the great problems with low price laptops is that behind the headline price there can be some very annoying add-on prices.

For example, you’ll almost certainly want a three year warranty. But that can be expensive – especially when buying a whole set of machines. The recommended retail price is often over £70, while even the discounted price from some sources can be over £40 per machine.

Which is why we have focused on not only the lowest possible prices for the HP laptops that we sell but also the lowest price for all the add-ons. That means £12 for a three year warranty. That not only keeps your price down, but also reflects on just how good and reliable we think these machines are.

Or take the offer on HP/Symantec Norton Internet Security. A 3 Year License is £18 per user. Again a discount on the normal price of £90.

At the moment our best offer is for the HP 630 Intel Core I3 2gb or 6gb 320gb HD (see below for the full name of the machine).

It normally costs £499 but is currently on offer for £318. And in fact if you buy 10 or more that price comes down to £312 per machine.

The full description of the machine is the HP 630 A6G34ES Intel Core I3-370M 2GB 320GB DVDRW 15.6TFT HDMI BT CAM Win 7HP with option for extra 4gb RAM at only £18.

In order to receive this special discount for schools for any of the above products, all you need to do is call us on 08444 820 111 or email us at education@technoworld.com and quote “eshot offer 28”.

There are more details at http://www.technoworld.com/HP_630_A6G34ES/63912/product.aspx

If you have any questions please call 08444 820 111.

What is the best way to ensure students get top marks in French speaking and listening exams?

Experience suggests that success in French speaking and listening exams comes in three ways. Obviously a well-grounded knowledge of the language is needed. But also the student needs confidence and the ability to use the knowledge of the language that he/she possesses.

Unlike most books that deal with speaking and listening, the copiable volume “How to get top marks for my French speaking and listening exams” deals with all three issues: knowledge, confidence and the application of knowledge in relation to Foundation and Higher Tiers GCSE and Core and Extended IGCSE French.

As the book stresses to students on the first page, “Success is deliberate.” In these exams, the author says, intonation, exam skills, and vocabulary are the key. Along with a real motivation to get better at speaking French.

And because motivation is considered so important, the book starts with exercises in motivational techniques. It may seem unusual that in the opening few phrases there is no French, but the fact is that without motivation and a sincere desire to pass the exam the student will not improve.

When the focus does move to the language, there is a constant focus on the nature of the task in hand. Listening is made a central part of the task in hand, and from here the work in French begins to flow.

In all there are 100 copiable pages, provided either as a copiable text or on CD Rom so that they can be loaded onto the school’s learning platform for all students to access.

The sheer variety and down to earth honesty of the book will enthuse the students, and they will particularly appreciate the section on “bluffing and improvising” which shows them how to deal with unknown words and phrases.

Indeed it is sections such as that, that enthuse the students to work in much greater depth and with much greater focus when they work through the dialogues.

This is a truly remarkable book.

How to get top marks for my French speaking and listening exams is available as a book or CD and comes with a full photocopy license for use of the book within your school so yiou can share it with colleagues. You can see a sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/modlang/T1780.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1780EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 815 6

Prices

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… please quote the order ref: T1780EMN

By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
By phone to 01536 399011

By fax to 01536 399 012
On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=34&products_id=756

How to make every KS3 student enthusiastic about maths

Enthusiasm is not always the first thing we think of when looking at the faces of KS3 pupils as they enter the room for a maths lesson.

And yet it is an easy emotion to achieve.

It happens like this. On the whiteboard waiting for the students is a “Cloud Starter picture”. This is effectively a game through which the students work in small groups and use any of the four operators to create a given number out of nine given numbers.

Then the students take it in turns to come to the board to share one of their ‘sums’. If a student gets ‘stuck’ showing their sum at the board, the others are encouraged to offer them ideas enhancing the co-operative ethos of these classes.

However this activity should not be thought of as just a simple introduction to the lesson. Using Cloud Starter leads to the students confidently using brackets, square and cube numbers, to arrive at the target. An example from one year eight class was 3 (4+5) + 2 (8-6) = 31.

This resource contains 16 powerpoint slides and is £29.99 + VAT.

Once purchased the CD can be freely copied and networked throughout the school.

To see sample pages please email sales@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order code 10130.

You can order the Cloud Starters CD in any of these ways:

On our website
By phone on 0117 940 6409
By fax on 0117 940 6408
By email (quoting a school order number) to sales@classroom-resources.co.uk
By post to: Classroom Resources, PO Box 1489, Bristol, BS99 3QJ

The more signs you have, the more likely it is that everyone will be in the right place at the right time.

You can print your own school signs up to A3 size using your laser printer
Everyone knows that some students don’t read signs. But the fact is that signs that look professional and are easily readable and in the right place do help visitors, staff and students to find their way around.

Whether they are signs telling visitors where the reception desk is, signs pointing to particular rooms, signs on toilets, or indeed any other type of signs, the fact is that signs help everyone get to the right place more quickly than would otherwise be the case.

The main reasons why some schools don’t put up enough signs are cost and time.

Until now not only did you have to get quotes and then place the order (which may take a while to arrive), but you may even have the pleasure of paying a delivery charge on top of everything else.

Thankfully, this is no longer the case. Delivery time has come down to zero, and the cost has dropped beyond belief (and all while the quality has not been affected).

This is all achieved because it is now possible to print signs on your laser printer within school. The Quick-Mark Digital is a unique product that allows you to produce self-adhesive signs, panels and labels up to A3 size, on a standard office laser printer at an extremely low cost and with the highest quality.

All you need is some Quick-Mark Laser Film and Base Sheets and you can then print self-laminating, high quality self-adhesive labels, panels or signs. The signs are highly durable, the laser toner is always sub-surface, and you can work on metal or plastic Base Sheets producing a polycarbonate finish if needed.

There is more information on this unique printing system on our website – http://www.megauk.com/qmd_signs/

Alternatively, call us on 01223 893900 or email us at sales@megauk.com.

Worried about your modular exam results?

Many of the science teachers I have spoken to recently are surprised by the low grades their students have been receiving. With examinations just around the corner and time at a premium, teachers need a tried and tested method of school improvement.

Many schools are finding that SAM Learning has really helped with their exam results:

“SAM Learning does help with exam results; last year we gave it a massive push and we had one of the best years we’ve ever had!”
Liz Davy, Head of Science, Norden High School

In fact, new research conducted by the Fischer Family Trust over the past six years shows SAM Learning is independently proven to raise GCSE grades:

Overall students achieve 2 GCSE grades better, on average, than expected with as little as 10 hours’ or more use.
Free School Meal students gain 3.5 GCSE grades better, on average, than expected with as little as 10 hours’ or more use!
Contact me directly on 0845 130 4160 or simply fill in this order form and fax it back to me to find out how we can make a measurable difference to your department.

SAM Learning Science offers 270 hours of Science revision for just £595

I look forward to hearing from you very soon.

Yours sincerely,

Daniel Girling
School Liaison Officer
SAM Learning Limited
5th Floor, 150 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5AL
phone +44 (0)845 130 4160
fax +44 (0)845 130 4170
web www.samlearning.com

Most schools recognise the need to be ready for a crisis. But…

One of the great problems with preparing for a crisis within a school is that the preparation can just seem to involve too much time.

Most of us recognise the fact that at some time or other our school could face an event that requires us to act quickly and assuredly when dealing with pupils, staff and parents, and of course the media.

Most schools recognise that to be able to do this they really need to undertake some training to ensure that all members of staff have the capacity to handle the situation well, in a controlled, sympathetic and confident manner.

But aren’t all the courses that offer such training long, complex and held elsewhere?

To help ensure that the school is equipped as and when a crisis situation arises, and to offer suitable training with a minimal amount of disruption to the school, we’ve introduced a new approach to crisis training which takes place on your schools premises.

It starts with an audit of the school’s existing crisis management systems (to ensure that they are legally compliant) and is followed by the training of the key members of staff so that they will know exactly what to do if something unfortunate occurs.

Thus, if and when something awful does happen the key members of staff can take control and work through the process, helping those involved, helping the children’s parents if need be, and helping the school manage the most difficult of circumstances.

If you would like to see how your school could be prepared and ready to cope with anything that should happen, with a minimum of fuss and disruption, please take a look at http://www.pharos-safety.co.uk/#/school-crisis-management/4561352634 or call us on 01183 800 140.

For World Poetry Day the copiable book “How to be Brilliant at Writing Poetry” is being offered to schools free of charge

World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March, and to coincide with that we are offering free copies of our e-book, “How to be Brilliant at Writing Poetry”, which normally sells for £10.99.

How to be Brilliant at Writing Poetry is written for Key Stage 2 classes and contains self-explanatory, ready-to-use photocopiable sheets that will inspire your pupils to create some fantastic poems. Each sheet is a self-contained activity, so it is easy to integrate them into your planning.

Whether your pupils are struggling to put pen to paper, lack inspiration or need practical help with developing a particular skill, such as making the poem scan or using similes and alliteration, you will find this book invaluable. Forms of poetry covered include limericks, haiku, riddles, cinquains and many more.

The open-ended activities provide pupils with a purpose for writing and help them to develop a clear sense of whom they are writing for. In this way, children will feel ownership of their poems and will want to share them with a wide audience, both in written and spoken form.

There are more details on the book and samples pages to download on our website at: https://www.brilliantpublications.co.uk/book/how-to-be-brilliant-at-writing-poetry-160.

You can obtain your free copy simply by joining the Brilliant Club! Not only will club membership entitle you to your free copy of this fantastic poetry resource, but you will also receive other free e-books and resources, news and special offers. Best of all, you don’t ever have to buy anything and you can leave any time you like.

To join the Club and get your free copy of How to be “Brilliant at Writing Poetry”, go to https://www.brilliantpublications.co.uk/the-brilliant-club, complete the form, and send it off. Sign up before World Book Day and your book of ideas will be with you in time for the event.

Choices for Teenagers: Smoking, Drinking, Taking Drugs and Experimenting with Sex

No matter how much we might wish it were otherwise, the four great social concerns about teenage behaviour (smoking, drinking, drug taking and experimentation with sex) ultimately come down to the matter of the individual’s choice.

The problem is of course that quite often the one person whom we would prefer not to have a choice in these matters is the teenager in question.

But choice it is in each case.

That’s the starting premise of ‘Choices for Teenagers’ a photocopiable book (which also comes on CD) which sets out a series of articles for pupils and students aged 10 to 16 in each of these topic areas.

Each article is followed by a set of case studies, and then there’s a set of classroom activities. Overall the aim is to have pupils look seriously at the potential consequences and to give them information on the help and support which is available and on where it can be found if needed. These topics are included in the curriculum requirements for PSHE at Key Stage 3.

There’s one other point to highlight about this book. Choices for Teenagers contains a wealth of facts and statistics, many of which may surprise students. And when youngsters think they know it all, surprise is sometimes a very good tactic to introduce.

Choices for Teenagers is available as a book or CD and comes with a full photocopy license for use of the book within your school so yiou can share it with colleagues. You can see a sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1681.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1681EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 750 0

Prices

Photocopiable book: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
Both the Book and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery
Prices include VAT.
You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1681EMN

By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
By phone to 01536 399011

By fax to 01536 399 012
On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=40&products_id=496

Follow SAFE, there’s an iPad up for grabs!

Safeguarding specialist, SAFE CIC, has some exciting free apps, training courses, new services and news bulletins planned for the next two quarters and we would hate for you to miss out. News of these will be circulated by Twitter and Facebook and we would like you to follow us and in return you will be entered into our free prize draw where one lucky follower will win an iPad tablet.

All you need to do is one of the following:

Join our mailing list by filling out the box at www.safecic.co.uk or
Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/safecic or
Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SAFEchildUK
Of course if you want to do more than one of the above we would really appreciate it.

Please feel free to forward this to anyone you feel might be interested in safeguarding.

Terms & Conditions

Opening/closing date & time: Competition opens on Monday 12th March 2012 and closes on Friday 30th March 2012 at 5.30 p.m.
Competition draw date: Tuesday 10th April 2012.
Method of entry: Go to http://www.twitter.com/safecic and/or http://www.facebook.com/SAFEchildUK and click ‘Follow Us’ for Twitter and ‘Like Us’ for Facebook.Entrants may enter the competition only once for each social media mechanism.
Prize: The prize is a brand new Apple iPad. The winner will be notified by email and details will also published on the website at www.safecic.co.uk either on the homepage or under the news section. The iPad will be delivered to the winner as soon as it becomes available. No cash alternative is available. E&OE
Winners of last month’s online training places were Donna Cousins, CARE UK; Paul, Vision Homes; and Riajna Begum, Wednesbury Oak Sandwell School.

The most effective way of developing skills for writing

In our experience, when it comes to getting children to be more creative it’s not always as simple as just asking them to “be creative”.

One of the main problems with this approach is that while it may result in children writing stories that are unusual, it does not, however, result in them taking a step forwards in terms of their creative writing. Originality alone is not the key to bringing writing to life and improving the quality of the story.

In order for children to bring their writing to life, there are a number of skills they need to master.

To help with this we have produced a set of books that explore these skills and offer activities and exercises that children can use to improve their creative writing – ‘Developing Skills for Writing’ covers levels 2, 3 and 4.

The books contain sentence and text level activities which explore exactly how ‘powerful verbs’ can be used effectively, how ‘connectives’ can be used to signal time, how to compose ‘complex sentences’, how to use adjectives to create detail etc. In fact there’s a whole range of skills to move children’s writing on from National Curriculum Level 2 to Level 4.

Developing Skills for Writing uses, throughout the series, a multisensory approach to teaching, including word games, role play and oral activities covering all frequently used punctuation and grammar skills. Clear lesson plans explain every activity. A ‘Helping Hand’ is used to remember key facts and where possible, optional worksheets focus on boys’ interests.

Free sample pages are available from our website. Click here for level 2, here for level 3 and here for level 4.

If you would like to know more please call 01772 863158
Or email us at enquiries@topical-resources.co.uk
You can order in any of these ways:

Online at the above web links
By phone on 01772 863158
By fax on 01772 866153
By email to Sales@topical-resources.co.uk
By post to Topical Resources, P.O. Box329, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5LT

Topical Resources
P.O. Box329
Broughton
Preston
Lancashire
PR3 5LT

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

Tel: 01772 863158

Field trips: what if something goes wrong?

The educational benefit of school visits far outweighs the risk but you do need to think about and prepare for the worst.

Of course visits are excellent, interesting, exciting and memorable events.

But occasionally, just occasionally, something can go wrong – and if that does happen then you and the school will need to act quickly and assuredly when dealing with pupils, staff and parents, and of course the media.

Most Heads of Department and school management recognise that to be able to do this they really do need some training to ensure that everyone handles the situation well, appearing controlled, sympathetic and confident – all at the same time.

To help ensure that the school is equipped as and when the situation arises, and to offer suitable training with a minimal amount of disruption to the school, we’ve introduced a new approach to crisis training.

It starts with an audit of the school’s existing crisis management systems (to ensure that they are legally compliant) and is followed by the training of the key members of staff so that they will know exactly what to do if something unfortunate occurs.

Thus if and when something awful does happen the key members of staff can take control and work through the process, helping those involved, helping the children’s parents if need be, and helping the school manage the most difficult of circumstances.

If you would like to see how your department, and indeed your school, could be prepared and organised ready for anything that happens, with a minimum of fuss and disruption, please take a look at http://www.pharos-safety.co.uk/#/school-crisis-management/4561352634 or call us on 01183 800 140.

Improving early years development in line with the EYFS framework

Research has shown that by giving children support, encouragement and help with their communication and language at the foundation stage, their communication skills are much better than those of children who have not experienced this.

With the inevitable focus on increasing children’s achievement and the new payment by results, it is crucial that you have resources that can help you to develop and improve children’s communication and language.

Furthermore, the funding regime in England for two year olds means that your staff must have the skills and knowledge to develop communication skills with these children and to work with their parents so that the progress continues at home.

To help with this important area of communication and language we have developed a major collection of accessible resources for Sure Start Children’s Centres.

These materials ensure that practitioners have the knowledge and skills necessary to support communication and language and to cultivate collaborative relationships with parents.

The resources describe the different elements of communication and language and outline what good practice looks like. They also show how Sure Start Children’s Centres can empower parents so they can interact with their children to develop communication and language skills.

There is also a pack to help teams of early years practitioners to understand, reinforce and enable the development of speech, communication and language in their group or setting.

I CAN’s resources include progress checks that can be shared with parents for early identification of difficulties and also can be to support the reporting to parents of children aged between 24 and 36 months. They also show the way in which everyday activities can be used as opportunities for enhancing communication skills.

I do hope you will consider introducing these techniques and approaches in your centre.

You can read details of all these early years resources and the benefits they bring on https://shop.ican.org.uk/catalog/2 or place an order, via our order form here http://www.schools.co.uk/ICANorderform.pdf.

Solidworks Projects for KS3 and KS4

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

This book contains a number of projects suitable for Key Stage 3 and as a revision guide for pupils in Key stage 4. They will use CAD (Solidworks) to develop their designs solution and be aware of the many advantages and dis-advantages that such software has in the real world. It enables them to quickly get up to speed with using such a complex piece of software and, most importantly, allows them to become competent in designing better products.

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

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

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

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

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

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

First and Best in Education
Earlstrees Road
Corby
NN17 4HH

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

Drama Information and Services

Stage Lighting and Sound made easy

www.centraltheatresupplies.co.uk
Central Theatre Supplies, 1186 Stratford Road, Birmingham B28 8AB

Email: enquiries@centraltheatresupplies.co.uk
Phone: 0121 778 6400
Fax: 0121 702 2046

For over thirty years we have been offering all aspects of Sound, Stage Lighting, Curtains and Staging for any size performance space, from primary school halls through to large drama studios in secondary schools and colleges.

Visit our website for a wealth of information and buy online, with most orders delivered next day.

Use these codes for discounts on purchases from our online shop:

HLAM10 for 10% off theatre lamps
HFILT10 for 10% off coloured filter
HMAKE10 for 10% off stage makeup

Stage Lighting and Sound made easy – Phone or email for free advice.

——————————————————————————–

Authors Wanted

www.firstandbest.co.uk
First and Best in Education, Earlstrees Court, Corby, NN17 4HH

Email: anne@firstandbest.co.uk
Phone: 01536 399004
Fax: 01536 399012

If you have a book that you have written or are about to write and which is aimed at schools, we’d like to hear from you.

We recently launched a new series of school books which are sold as downloads – meaning that teachers who are interested come on-line and download the book onto their computer. They are then free to print off as many copies as they like.

If you have a book and would like us to consider it please email the book, or an extract of it, in either Word or as a PDF file, to Anne@firstandbest.co.uk For more information please click here