Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks Issues 1-5

 

Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks Issues 1-5

Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks, from Holdsworth Associates, are effective, easy-to-use resources for teachers of GCSE and A level. They use films and case-studies to explain the meaning and advantages/ disadvantages of each type of business organisation, together with worksheets and PowerPoint templates to consolidate and test understanding. These flexible and lively resources are easy to adapt to suit your teaching style.

Each Workpack has been developed to provide a self-contained unit of work. They contain short explanations of the key points, questions to test understanding, notes for guidance and suggestions for extension work.

The materials can be used in the classroom but are also appropriate for homework, cover lessons, revision, and to help students who have missed lessons. Worksheets can be given to students electronically (and completed on-screen), printed or photocopied as needed.

Titles

Issue 1: Sole Traders – Garden Designer and Kitchen Fitter

Issue 2: Partnerships – Antonio Couture – wedding dresses

Issue 3: Private Limited Company – Paperfeel – manufacturers of plastic products

Issue 4: A Public Limited Company – Anglian Water plc.

Issue 5: Franchises – River Nene Vegetables

Great value at £35.50 each (plus VAT). P&P is included in the price. If you wish to put the resources on a school-wide network, you will need a site licence for each product priced at £30.50 (plus VAT).

Visit http://www.istudypacks.co.uk/for-teachers, telephone 01954 202789 or email info@istudypacks.co.uk for further information and to order.

www.istudypacks

Holdsworth Associates
Century House
Market Street
Swavesey
Cambs
CB24 4QG

Preparing for Ofsted’s new sports inspections, and ensuring an even bounce of the ball.

Ofsted is “strengthening” its coverage of PE and sport ahead of its detailed review and report back to government on primary school sport this time next year.

Which raises the question, what is the best way of using the ring-fenced PE and Sport Funding over the next two years to introduce more sport to the school?

Obviously there is a benefit if the school can focus on (among other things) a sport that is not always pursued in every primary school. And one such sport that has been somewhat overlooked in recent years is cricket.

Practising and playing cricket in the spring, summer and autumn is an attractive proposition for those children who are developing both their skills and an interest in the game.

Cricket in the primary school has been greatly enhanced by the ability to control the ball bounce performance via a ball bounce underlay. This material is minimally affected by moisture and so ensures that the climate does not affect consistency.

As a result the cricket wicket offers a safer and more even bounce at all times and in all weathers, perfect for junior cricket coaching and match play.

In fact, the development of all-weather synthetic pitches means that the game can be played and practised throughout much of the year as such facilities require a low amount of maintenance and are more resistant to wear. As a result the chances of cancelling sessions due to wet weather are greatly reduced.

The Notts Sport artificial cricket pitch incorporates a fast draining system so the wicket will rapidly return to perfect condition, even after a heavy rainfall. We are always happy to provide thoughts and advice on installing a new artificial cricket pitch in your school.

Refurbishments of existing facilities can also be carried out at a fraction of the cost of a new build facility, and free condition checks are available for any existing artificial turf cricket facilities.

For more information or to arrange a free review of your playing area, please call me on 01455 883 730 or email me at janets@nottssport.com

Alternatively, you can find further information on our website.

What is the best way to help re-take students to prepare for their GCSE maths exams?

Unfortunately sending a student who is soon to sit a re-take back to the material previously studied may fail to make an impact, simply because it will be skimmed on the basis that “I’ve done this before”.

Indeed, “going back” always feels just that: like “going back”. The student generally knows that he/she has a clear area of weakness which needs to be resolved, but re-reading past material often fails to inspire.

However, whether the problem resides with quadratic equations, the application of percentages, probability, vectors, scale factors or anything else that falls within the GCSE syllabus, there is another way.

This alternative route to re-visiting work that has not been fully grasped utilises a multi-sensory approach via demonstration videos (which can of course be re-run as often as required) and question sessions, with the student immediately able to check his/her answers.

This is the approach developed via I Need Maths. It is a programme that covers all GCSE and IGCSE topics at foundation and higher level up to A and A*. I Need Maths improves understanding, builds confidence in maths ability and maximises achievement.

There are in fact over 200 focussed and easy-to-follow video lessons with worked examples and clear explanations throughout.

Additionally there are over 400 original worksheets with answers, allowing the practice and building of skills and confidence.

There is also an individual dashboard for each student with a clear overview of all content and a record of progress made to organise and guide learning.

An individual student annual subscription costs £9.99 while bulk purchases of ten or more subscription cards are available at £6.99 each – or less for purchases of over 100 subscriptions at once.

Whole school purchase options are also available from £250 – details on request.

There is more information on http://www.ineedmaths.co.uk/

Alternatively, please call us on 020 3239 5747 or email us at inm4schools@4colourlearning.co.uk.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can purchase the report…

 

 

26 humorous limericks, one for each of the initial consonants and short vowel sounds

Zoë the zebra lives in the zoo,
With buzzing bees and a kangaroo,
She simply can’t stop,
Drinking fizzy pop,
But pizzas make her turn blue!

Phonic Limericks is a fun, practical way to enhance children’s phonic understanding and enable them to see phonic sounds in context.

This resource contains 26 humorous limericks, one for each of the initial consonants and short vowel sounds, all of which have been extensively trialled in schools.

Each short, funny poem features a cute alliterative character and the children will soon become familiar with these characters.

For the children it is a very rewarding process when they pick up a picture book to enthusiastically point out a Hannah the Horse word or an Alfie the Ant word and so forth.

For the parents too, the process becomes one of great interest as the children quickly learn the poems and recite them to their parents at home.

Hence by showing phonemes in context in a funny little poem, rather than simply decoding a list of words, we are encouraging a love of reading from the very beginning – which is, of course, the reason we teach children to read in the first place!

The fun reproducible worksheets contain sorting activities to reinforce phonic knowledge and handwriting activities to promote correct letter formation.

The accompanying CD contains full-colour versions of the limericks (which can be displayed on an interactive whiteboard), copies of the reproducible worksheets to enable easy printing and Smartboard versions of the reproducible sheets which allow you to play the sorting games as a whole class and model correct letter formation.

There are sample pages on our website.

You can order Phonic Limericks with Zoë Zebra and Friends in any of these ways:

On our website

 

 

Introducing 2 New Anger Management Resources for professionals working with young people

Anger Management Programme
Beyond Anger Management

1 ) Anger Management Programme

Using strength based solutions
By E A Morris
This collection of session plans that cover every aspect of running an anger management programme with young people. By linking to emotional literacy students will learn the skills of self-awareness, self-management, impulse control, active listening, empathy, understanding of non-verbal cues, conflict resolution and mediation.

The ultimate aim is to elicit in participants an optimistic outlook, a better focus, and acceptance of other people and how they are.

Central to the programme is how to deal with angry outbursts – known as ‘emotional hijacks’ – both pre and post-hijack. Each lesson plan details the aim, resources required and method, and is accompanied by reproducible student and teacher sheets.

Contents:

Introduction • Suggested Ways in Which to Use the Lesson Plans • Feelings Focus • Different Kinds of Anger • What I Get Angry About • What I Can do When my Anger is Building up • When I Talk to Myself • Melt Down!• Melt Down 2! • After the Storm • Making ‘I’ Statements • Rules for Myself

ISBN 978-1-907370-24-3
Anger Management Programme 036HH £39.95
CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW


2 ) Beyond Anger Management

Session plans to improve communication and assertiveness skills
By E A Morris
Help young people learn better communication skills, particularly when to apply the assertive option, with this practical manual.

Areas covered include personal rights, body language, making requests and expressing feelings in an emotionally literate way. The exercises allow practice in being assertive including how to say “No!” confidently. An assertiveness questionnaire allows you to monitor progress. Particularly useful as a follow-up programme to any anger management course.

Contents:

• Assessment • Management Suggestions • Introducing Assertive Behaviour • Behaviour Options • More Behaviour Options! • What Do I Want and How Can I Get It? • How to Ask for What I Want • How to Say “No!” • Practice Makes Perfect • Kindly Speak Up! • How Assertive Are You Now?

ISBN 978-1-907370-75-5
Beyond Anger Management 045HH £39.95
CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW


GET BOTH AT A SAVING

 

VALUE SET containing Anger Management Programme and
Beyond Anger Management.

 

Now £69.95

CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW

Please quote ref 070HH

ORDER NOW:
Phone 01604 870828

Fax 01604 870986
Email orders@loggerheadpublishing.co.uk

Website www.loggerheadpublishing.co.uk
Post Loggerhead Publishing, PO Box 928, Northampton, NN7 9AP 

Raising grades every year will come to an end when everyone gets an A* in everything, but for the moment there is still room for improvement…

The problem is, of course, that if students do better in their exams, year on year, the press immediately suggest that the exams are getting easier. The notion that teaching is getting more effective seems to be beyond the ability of journalists to grasp.

And yet this is certainly what is happening – not least because of the growing use of systems in which the students learn in the most efficient manner possible.

We know this is being achieved because each year, for the past seven years, the Fischer Family Trust (FFT) has conducted independent studies investigating the effectiveness of eLearning through which the students work individually, building step by step on existing knowledge.

As Mike Treadaway, Head of Research at FFT, said recently, “The research we’ve done over the years has consistently shown that the level of use (of SAM Learning) does make a difference…

The results, Mike added, are very encouraging: “10 hours will typically get (students) a grade higher in two subjects, if it’s 20 hours, it may be four subjects.”

Of course, the journalists won’t appreciate the extra effectiveness of the teaching and learning techniques being introduced, but that remains their problem. What most people realise is that there is another explanation for improvement.

If you would like to see how SAM Learning increases the effectiveness of learning and thus raises exam grades, I’d be delighted to arrange a free demonstration of the service in your school.

To arrange a free demonstration please call us on 0845 130 4160 or email us at hello@samlearning.com.

You can also find more information on our website.

How to recreate industry-standard video effects for free

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

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

And if you go to http://www.serif.com/MX6R – Serif will send you a free copy of MoviePlus X6 to keep.

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

For your free copy of Serif MoviePlus X6 (worth €75), go to http://www.serif.com/MX6R

Offer is limited to one free copy per school, with licences available from just €16 a user – but we guarantee you’re under no commitment.

Claire Macdonald
Education Business Manager
Serif (Europe) Ltd

Phone: 1800 937 327
Email: edusales@serif.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Research Skills for Students

Throughout their lives, successful people use information to make decisions, solve problems and communicate more effectively.

The Research Skills For Students Series helps students learn to navigate our complex, information-rich world through the development of critical research skills and the ability to access, evaluate and use information.

This engaging and informational DVD series presents skills such as how to focus and refine a research question, how to access information on the invisible Web, how to synthesise information throughout the research process and how to communicate new knowledge most effectively.

Each programme encourages students to be critically aware of their sources, processes and products as they solve genuine research and information problems.

The Research Skills For Students Series consists of the following 6 chaptered DVD titles:

Avoiding Plagiarism

Evaluating Sources

Media Literacy

Organising Research

Presenting & Communicating Research

Searching the Internet

Each DVD includes additional support material, featuring Discussion Questions and Follow-up activities.

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

…features plenty of relevant terminology, and serves up clever examples of how to deconstruct seemingly “neutral” content, while also encouraging viewers to carefully develop their own opinions…Highly recommended.– Video Librarian

… a valuable aid to high school teachers and library media specialists involved in the research process.– School Library Journal

…comprehensive and complete…a must-buy…especially valuable for use in collaboration with classroom instructors.– Library Media Connection

For individual programme details, preview clips and online ordering click on the title links above.

Click here to order the complete series of 6 DVDs and SAVE 25% compared to purchasing at individual rates.

Quote promotional discount code: HHM403 for 25% discount or click here for a printable PDF information sheet and discounted order form

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

Viewtech Educational Media
7-8 Falcons Gate
Dean Road
Yate
Bristol
BS37 5NH
————————————-
tel: 01454 858055
fax: 01454 858056
tel/fax: 01454 313272
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.

Is it possible for stories from 400 years ago to offer parallels with the lives of teenagers today?

The answer is undoubtedly yes.

Take, for example, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and A Midsummer Night’s Dream – between them they offer extraordinary insights into the issues that that have been faced across time.

Unfortunately the language used in these masterpieces of literature is often a barrier when it comes to using the plays with pupils as part of our reference to the universality of the problems and issues that people face.

Overcome this problem and we have the perfect teaching resource through which the for-better-or-for-worse decisions that everyone has to face. Students can then explore the various courses of action that both they and characters can take.

In short the students watch the characters’ mistakes and learn from them, without having to interpret the language that Shakespeare used in writing the plays.

Working with Will is a scheme of work for PSHE teachers where the topics on the KS3 and KS4 curricula are explored.

Working with Will is also a scheme of work for English teachers and works as an introduction to text analysis in English literature lessons for key stages 3 and 4.

The 179 page volume contains three schemes of work – each of which can stand alone – with a series of lesson plans that can be used sequentially or can be dipped in and out of in any order. It also comes with a free CD containing the text of the book plus PowerPoints to use with the lessons.

The author offers workshops on Working with Will – please click here for more information.

You can see some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1796.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1796EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 890 3

Prices

  • Photocopiable ring bound book plus CD, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book… please quote the order ref: T1796EMN

Welcome to Grumpy Sheep Music

We create fun, easy to stage musicals, Christmas nativity plays and songs that are loved by primary school children – and their teachers!

* Our Christmas musicals and nativities have really catchy songs – they’re so easy to learn!

* They come with CDs which have great backing tracks – you don’t need to be a music 

specialist

* Our storylines are strong and appealing – they’re very memorable!

* Our musicals are quick to learn and straightforward to stage.

* They’re very adaptable – you can perform them with small or large groups of children!

* And, most importantly, they are great fun!

Teachers, children and parents love our musicals. They’re performed in thousands of schools across the UK and all over the world. Why not try one now?

Just visit www.grumpysheep.com/shop

or call us on

 0191 239 9229 quoting code PBR

Grumpy Sheep Music ~ Creating ‘Maaa’-vellous Musicals for Children and their Teachers!

Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks Issues 1-5

Business Studies Multimedia Workpacks, from Holdsworth Associates, are effective, easy-to-use resources for teachers of GCSE and A level. They use films and case-studies to explain the meaning and advantages/ disadvantages of each type of business organisation, together with worksheets and PowerPoint templates to consolidate and test understanding. These flexible and lively resources are easy to adapt to suit your teaching style.

Each Workpack has been developed to provide a self-contained unit of work. They contain short explanations of the key points, questions to test understanding, notes for guidance and suggestions for extension work.

The materials can be used in the classroom but are also appropriate for homework, cover lessons, revision, and to help students who have missed lessons. Worksheets can be given to students electronically (and completed on-screen), printed or photocopied as needed.

Titles

Issue 1: Sole Traders – Garden Designer and Kitchen Fitter

Issue 2: Partnerships – Antonio Couture – wedding dresses

Issue 3: Private Limited Company – Paperfeel – manufacturers of plastic products

Issue 4: A Public Limited Company – Anglian Water plc.

Issue 5: Franchises – River Nene Vegetables

Great value at £35.50 each (plus VAT). P&P is included in the price. If you wish to put the resources on a school-wide network, you will need a site licence for each product priced at £30.50 (plus VAT).

Visit http://www.istudypacks.co.uk/for-teachers, telephone 01954 202789 or email info@istudypacks.co.uk for further information and to order.

www.istudypacks

Holdsworth Associates
Century House
Market Street
Swavesey
Cambs
CB24 4QG

Student grades always go up when the students engage in serious independent study. The only question is, how do we get them to do it?

There’s no doubt that the students who achieve the highest grades are those who undertake serious and effective independent study.

Thus questions about raising students’ grades at GCSE are in fact questions about how one can get students who are not very good at independent study to become focussed and engage in serious work on their own.

Plus, of course, they have to be studying in the right area so that the student is never attempting to learn something without first having the necessary pre-requisite knowledge.

As a result of such focussed and directed work these students are encouraged by their success and consequently overcome any predisposition to claim that the subject matter is boring or is one at which they are simply no good.

Our aim in approaching this issue, however, was not only to produce a system that meets all these needs and requirements, but also to produce an approach to learning that the students can use at home and at school.

In fact research shows that 60% of all work done on our approach is completed outside of school hours – so we know that that part of the programme has indeed been successful.

Naturally we’ve commissioned independent research to show that this approach not only engages students who need to be taken up a grade, but also does result in higher grades.

We’ve even asked the students (again through independent research) if they enjoyed their work with our system, and 83% said yes they did.

You can read more about this remarkable approach to raising grades at GCSE on www.samlearning.com/independentlearning. Alternatively you can call us on 0845 130 4160 for more information.

Did you know that you can get FREE dictionaries and thesauri for your students or your department ?

The New Choice Dictionary and the New Choice Thesaurus are the normal paperback size, (130 x 196 mm) with 384 pages and approx 15,000 words. Suitable for ages 11 – 16.

They are ideal for use in lessons, for homework or as prizes or incentives.

Signpost Educational Ltd are making these dictionaries available at only £1.99 each (RRP = £2.99) but that’s not all.

When you order 100 or more copies then you’ll receive an extra 50% completely free.
eg. order 200 copies and they will send you an extra 100 copies free of charge.

What’s more, you can choose your free copies in any combination, eg order 300 dictionaries and 100 thesauri and you could choose 200 free dictionaries, OR 150 dictionaries and 50 thesauri. You decide what free copies you want.

If you would like more information you can check their website at: www.signposteducational.co.uk or give them a call if you need more information.

You can order direct from Signpost Educational Ltd on:
tel. 020 7515 1797
fax 020 7515 4420
by email: signpost@talk21.com
or by post to:

Signpost Educational Ltd
PO Box 999
London
E14 6SH

English Basics posters

 

 

It’s essential that all pupils and students have a sound grasp of the basics of English.

Give your teaching of the basics a real impact by using these pdf posters.

These colourful, snappy posters will have an immediate impact but can also be a continued point of reference.

At less than £20 for the set this is brilliant value. You can print as many copies of these as you like – have them in every classroom!

The posters cover: Nouns; Verbs; Adjectives; Adverbs; Pronouns; Direct speech; Reported speech; First person; Third person; Superlatives; Connectives; Rhetorical question; the Infinitive; Vary your verbs; You’re; Your; Their; They’re; There; It’s; Personification; Alliteration; Simile; Metaphor; Onomatopoeia

There are 25 A4 pdf posters in all. The set is an ideal classroom resource. A PowerPoint version is also available for whiteboards and large display screens.

You can see all the posters here
http://carelpress.co.uk/hh_englishbasics/

Ann Batey
Office Manager
Carel Press
(01228 538928)
www.carelpress.co.uk
Follow us on Twitter:
http://twitter.com/carelpress

What is the most effective way of ensuring that parents and carers keep using your Sure Start facilities?

In the simplest of terms, parents and carers can over time drift away. They might like what you do, but there are distractions, family issues, etc. And before you know it Sure Start has slipped out of their consciousness.

Of course, communicating with parents and carers on a regular basis can overcome this, but even so the method of communication you choose can make a huge difference.

Email can help but, as some parents and carers may not have access to the internet, sending emails can be a bit hit and miss as you cannot be sure that they have received the information.

Another option is to telephone them all but obviously this is both time-consuming and costly.

However, what many Children’s Centres are now finding increasingly effective is to contact parents through text messaging.

Text messaging offers an instant, cheap and effective way to communicate whether it is regarding reminders about play sessions or changes of times. It is also a great way to market your centre (workshops, courses, etc).

What’s more, it has been proven to increase the number of parents and carers who attend these sessions and, as funding is partly based on the uptake of such sessions, contacting your target market directly can have a huge impact.

And this is where the TextMine text messaging system can help.

TextMine allows you to send bulk text messages to selected groups of people.

To get started, all you need to do is to log on to the TextMine website, type your message as you would an email, choose your contacts and send. Your message is sent directly to the phones of the people you want, whether they have an ‘old brick’ or the newest Smart Phone.

For more information about the TextMine system please visit www.textmine.co.uk or alternatively email catherine.keeling@textmine.com or telephone 020 8150 6024.

Tucasi Limited – School Payments Made Easy

Total Income Management: Trips, Dinner Money, Extended Day, Communications, Lettings and Online Payments – a fully integrated solution for your School, Academy or College

Tucasi have been providing innovative software to the Education sector for the last 8 years.  Our Company was formed to address the problems of the income collection process in schools and we now have over 3000 schools across 145 Local Authorities Nationwide, using our systems.  165,000 parents are also registered to pay online using our secure online payment system.

We have combined knowledge of School Governance/Finance (two of our Founders were School Governors) with technical expertise (we have built income systems for Disney Theme Parks and Homebase amongst others), and have created an organisation that is entirely focused on helping schools.

We listen to schools to find out what they want from us and we also understand that software products must be backed up by good service.  We invest significant resources in creating an operations team that focuses not only on selling the system but also training schools, supporting them and making time to listen to what they have to say.

SCO Software :

  • Records/stores details of income/expenditure quickly and efficiently
  • Generates receipts
  • Creates a complete audit trail
  • Generates Debt letters/invitations
  • Provides comprehensive reports to support finance managers
  • Accepts multiple payment methods including online payments
  • Generates Gift Aid reports

This software was designed specifically to help administrative staff with the collecting, administration, banking and audit of all non-grant income.   The system works equally well in both Primary and  Secondary Schools and in areas where SCO has been used for some time, auditors recommend it.  

For schools that collect dinner money in advance SCO dramatically reduces administration workload, keeping track of who has paid what and instantly showing who is in arrears and by how much.

The software integrates very quickly with existing school processes and creates a platform that enables schools to offer parents a flexible range of payment options including the ability for parents to pay online.

Systems include :            

Trips, events, uniform management

Dinners management

Extended day management (After School, Holiday and Breakfast clubs)

Online payments

Communications (text/email)

Lettings management

“We have been using the Tucasi system to manage our school trips, charity collections, school events and dinner money for 2 years. We absolutely love it! It meets all of our needs and it saves us administration time; it’s obvious that it’s been designed specifically for schools.

What we also find refreshing about Tucasi is that customer service doesn’t stop with the sale, the ongoing support and training are brilliant and there is always a friendly voice on the end of the phone should we need help.” Primary School in Nottinghamshire

 “Just paid Beth and Dylan’s dinner money for this half term using Tucasi – so easy, and no more lost money….   A great system!”  Parent from Primary School in Hampshire

If you would like a free demonstration of the system or just to find out a little bit more about us, please do not hesitate to contact :

 Annette Mckeown

Head of Sales

0844 800 4016   am@tucasi.com

Careers Education Workshops

InspireEducation is a specialist provider of Careers Education and Information Advice and Guidance.

In collaboration with our employer network we have developed a range of workshops that provide world of work CE/IAG information to students in a fun and interactive way.

The workshops support a schools existing CE/IAG provision whilst demonstrating that the duty to provide impartial advice has been met in the production of a detailed Case Study for the school.

Our workshops have proven to:

  • Inspire Learners
  • Remove barriers to learning and progression
  • Re-engage students
  • Raise attainment
  • Increase student transitional success
  • Motivate learners to independently manage their own education and career choices
  • Train key employability skills needed for the world of work

The workshops are 2 hours in length, can be delivered to up to a 100 students and involve a highly skilled trainer delivering our interactive and creative content. Workshops are available for students from Key Stage 3 to 5 and include:

(NB Please click on any of the course titles to download the course details)

The cost of each workshop is £500.00

If you would like to book one of the workshops please click here
to send us an email with your contact details and a member of staff will call you.

www.i2e-education.co.uk
Inspiring students about their future

Inspire2Exceed Ltd
Group 7577313
Inspire House
28 Buttercup Close
Corby
NN18 8LB

The behaviour of pupils and students is not just a matter of social class and educational achievement. There’s always more to it than that.

There is a classic experiment in the history of managing the behaviour of school pupils and schools in which a school in a high poverty low-expectation area of Maryland USA, adopted the syllabus and teaching methods of an extremely conservative nearby private school.

The experiment proved once and for all that a key factor in determining the behaviour of pupils was not so much the syllabus or the background of the students, but rather the unification of the view of the staff.

In short, where different staff hold, implement (or indeed fail to implement) different approaches to behaviour then behavioural issues arise. Where there is a true unification of purpose via one selected approach, then matters progress quickly.

The book, Improving attitudes, managing behaviour and reducing exclusions, builds from this finding, a finding which puts the power to change pupil and student behaviour totally back in the hands of the school and its teachers.

The view of the book is very clear: schools improve when those in the school decide to improve the school, not because of government initiatives, curricula, inspectors, naming and shaming or anything else imposed from without.

For, once a school has its own unified policy, it is able to project that policy to parents and students alike and thus extend the unity of purpose to all members of the school.

Through this unified approach everyone within the school is able to be proud of the school through knowing exactly what its approach to behaviour is, as much as everyone will know what its approach to teaching and learning is.

Within such an approach, everything is covered. A parental complaint about behaviour, for example, is immediately seen by everyone involved within the context of the school’s policy to which everyone has signed up. Through this approach the issues of teaching and learning, motivation and behaviour all start to exist in a unified concept. Each issue is related to the others, and everyone knows where they stand.

But the key issue is not just the development of a new policy to which everyone agrees. It is the implementation and maintenance of the policy every day of the school year.

And it is this issue of seeing both the introduction and the maintenance of the policy as being of equal importance that marks out this approach from so many others. For whatever changes are introduced to the school, there will be objections, which as often as not are simply objections to change rather than objections in principle as they are so often expressed.

It is the overcoming of such objections and the insistence on the maintenance of the new approach that ensures that in the end the school is operating in the way that everyone wants.

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

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

Price £20.00, approx A$35.00. The price will be determined by the exchange rate on the day on which the transaction is processed.

The book is available in digital format – we will send it as a pdf email attachment when payment has been received.

How to Pay

Payment may be made by any of the following means.

  • By credit card (please send your order with card details by fax to +44 1536 399 012)
  • By Pay Pal to Jane@hamilton-house.com
  • By Bank transfer – we’ll send you details of the account upon receipt of your email order – please email sales@firstandbest.co.uk.

First and Best
Hamilton House
Earlstrees Court
Earlstrees Road
Corby
UK, NN17 4H

Fifty Health & Lifestyle-based Group Activities for PSHE Key Stages 3 & 4

Trying to convince teenagers of the need to engage in a healthy lifestyle can on occasion seem a difficult task.

Which is why one PSHE teacher thought about turning the issue into a series of “Life Games” – all based around the curriculum requirements for the health and lifestyle topics in PSHE Key Stages 3 and 4.

These games enable you to inform and engage your students on topics which are notoriously sensitive including relationships, reproduction, substance misuse, sunshine and travel, mental health and depression.

Each game is a stand-alone activity which can be delivered to a range of groups. Most of the games are accompanied by separate student notes. Clear learning objectives, based on the national curriculum, together with session plans, are provided.

The games can be used in any order and are suited to the classroom, although they could be used in other contexts. They are intended for groups of about eight to forty participants and are generally appropriate for teenagers and young adults. Each activity should last about thirty minutes, although they can be adapted for longer sessions. There are also suggestions for extending the activity and “talking points”, useful as fillers.

Life Games is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom, and individual activities can thus be readily copied and distributed to students as required. The copies can also be shared with colleagues or given to supply teachers, without any fear of the original book being misplaced.

An extract from Life Games, ISBN 978 1 86083 718 0, order code T1730EMN
is available at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1730.pdf

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…

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1730EMN.

What is the benefit of encouraging pupils to develop a fully cursive style of writing?

The most obvious answer to this question is that, for as long as most test and exam papers still require handwritten answers, good handwriting is always going to make an impact and help deliver extra marks.

But there is more. For there is also the issue of the relationship between the brain and handwriting.

Handwriting requires a greater level of hand/eye co-ordination than typing on a keyboard, and thus, as well as helping with exam scores, good handwriting gives pupils the chance to develop their essential fine motor skills.

Unfortunately, there is no doubt that many young people today are brought up in homes where handwriting is limited to little more than the production of shopping lists – and indeed many people are now even typing these into their mobile phones.

It is for all of these reasons that MSL produced the Handwriting Rescue Scheme for fully cursive handwriting.

The scheme, which is available as a photocopiable program supplied on CD or as printed sheets, contains over 300 structured exercises designed to establish complete cursive letter formation.

And there is a particular bonus here, for tests have shown that the use of such material encourages the development of an automatic response to frequently used spelling choices. In other words, by practising their handwriting pupils also learn their spellings.

You can order The Handwriting Rescue Scheme in any of these ways:

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

The Kaiserreich

This 150 page book will be invaluable to any student of the Second Reich at Advanced level. It provides a comprehensive, narrative chronological structure which is a prerequisite of any study of the period. Personalities and events are recounted in considerable detail and are clearly set in context.

However the book goes beyond most standard textbooks in the way it prepares students to produce competent essay responses to exam questions and provides practice in handling documentary source.

  • Students are given key questions to consider and are encouraged to test continuously the theories of historians against their own findings.
  • Essay style questions are set at each stage in the book, all drawn from past exam papers.
  • Documentary criticism skills are continuously tested.
  • Frequent historiographical references remind students to read beyond this text to gain a greater understanding of the subject.

What’s more, the materials are available as a photocopiable book and as a CD which can be put onto the school’s network and shared among all students for whom it is relevant. Thus all students may use the material with the purchase of just one copy.

ISBN No: 978 1 86083 564 3 Order code: T1649EMN

Sample pages are available to download free of charge from http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/history/T1649.pdf

  • Photocopiable book: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
  • CD plus photocopiable book: £36.94 plus £3.95 delivery

You can order… Please quote the order code T1649EMN

  • By post: Write to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, Northants NN17 4HH
  • By fax: To 01536 399 012
  • By phone: quoting a credit card number or a school order reference number: 01536 399 018
  • On line: Go to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=22&products_id=473 – you will need a credit card to complete the order

What is the key area that students struggle with within AS Psychology, and what can be done to resolve the problem?

For many students the answer to this question is that students do find it hard to foster evaluation and application skills within the AS level Psychology syllabus. This appears to be true across all levels of ability.

Which is why we have published a downloadable resource which teaches different ideas of how to explore specific key topic areas.

Through these activities the resource promotes independent learning and encourages application skills. At the same time the resource helps students further develop their evaluation skills while helping them to gauge their progress using the success criteria linked to past examiner comments and skills needed at each level.

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

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

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

25 Activities for AQA (A) AS Psychology is only available as a download – not as a printed book.

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

25 Activities for AQA (A) AS Psychology is published as a download so that you can 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 25 Activities for AQA (A) AS Psychology by going to http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=787

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

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

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

 

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

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

Join us for Outstanding Teaching and Learning

with Hywel Roberts
author of Oops! Helping children learn accidentally

This day is interactive, inspiring and packed with practical input. Hywel practises what he preaches! So while he will address what you need to do to be outstanding, he will do so with enthusiasm, humour and with a realistic grasp of what is happening in schools right now.

  • What does ‘outstanding’ really mean?
  • What is Ofsted looking for?
  • How to engage your students without them even knowing they are learning
  • AfL and differentiation strategies
  • Effective questioning
  • How to make learning relevant
  • Creating a climate for adventurous learning

Take home numerous classroom strategies that really do switch on all children to learn, to think, to participate, to take responsibility and to enjoy the whole wonderful process of learning

Venues and dates:

Manchester: 20th September 2013
Leeds: 8th November 2013
London: 31st January 2014
Oxford: 21st March 2014

Please visit our website to find out more about our other programmes:
Developing Stretch and Challenge for the More Able
Outstanding Leadership for Outstanding Schools
Differentiation, Marking and Feedback
Outstanding Maths Mindset

To book please:

email bookings@smartees-learning.com

call 0118 9797 551 or

visit www.smartees-learning.com

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

NDD remedy for year 5/6 students

Children do not experience nature enough; they’re not building dens, exploring new landscapes, hunting for bugs or creating wild art. That’s the view of a number of different research projects. Lack of contact with the outdoors has even been diagnosed as Nature Deficit Disorder. There’s no need to worry though, Field Studies Council (FSC) can help with our environmental education courses.

FSC believes the more we know about and take inspiration from the world around us the more we can appreciate its needs and protect its diversity and beauty for future generations. FSC is the only environmental education charity dedicated solely to helping people of all ages to experience the environment at first hand; to discover, explore and by inspired by the natural world.

As part of its mission FSC welcomes nearly 3,000 schools to its centres on science, geography and cross-curricular courses each year. At key stage 2 FSC provides opportunities for children to see, explore and learn in a fun, engaging manner, by immersing themselves in the natural world, taking in its sights, sounds and smells.

For more information on our environmental education courses for schools, please visit: http://www.field-studies-council.org/outdoorclassroom

Free equipment for the maths department!

Did you know that you can get free compasses when you order scientific calcs?

With every two scientific or graphic calcs you order (min order 50 calcs) we’ll give you a FREE metal safety compass (normal selling price is around 45p each).

EG. Order 100 calcs and we’ll give you 50 compasses, order 200 calcs and you’ll get 100 compasses completely FREE!
Offer ends October 15 or when our stock of compasses is used up.

Choose from the calcs on our website or from our “back to school” brochure which you should receive at your school.

CASIO FX 83GT+ from £5.49
CASIO FX 85GT+ from £6.65
CASIO FX 991ES from £11.65
CASIO FX 9750GT+ from £43.95
LOGIK LK 183 from £3.49
SHARP EL 531 from £4.10
AURORA AX 595 from £4.25
TEXET Albert
2 from £3.45

All prices are ex vat

Please check our website for more details:
www.signposteducational.co.uk

or contact us on: signpost@talk21.com

Signpost Educational Ltd.
PO Box 999
London

E14 6SHTel: 020 7515 1797
Fax: 020 7515 4420

Relationships are tough. Teaching students about relationships is even tougher.

Being human means being aware of attraction, beauty and social norms. It also means that we have to realise that to a large degree beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

These issues, plus such factors as the multi-facetedness of beauty and the vast range of ways there are of being attractive, requires that we approach each issue from a variety of different angles.

Unfortunately this in turn can give us the problem of each of us having differing (and even contradictory) points of view. There are no set answers – but there are possible answers.

And it gets tougher. When we get to the field of social influences and social relationships there are so many different approaches and so many different views that it can get to the stage that the whole topic seems impossible.

Being yourself, having good positive relationships, acknowledging both rights and responsibilities, avoiding a life dominated by peer pressure, understanding different sexual orientations… these are all vital but complex issues.

So, to make the teaching of social relationship issues throughout the school a simpler and more consistent process, we have produced a course book on social relationships which can be used throughout the school with the assurance of continuity of message at each stage.

The book, Sex and Sensibility: a Sex and Relationships Course for Secondary Schools, is available both in photocopiable form and as a volume that can be loaded onto the school network, so that only one copy is needed.

The volume is intended for use by teachers not only of PSHE, but also biology, sociology, art, science and literature, incorporating as it does everything from key discussion points on the social effects of sexual behaviour to sex in the media, from sex and biology to Shakespeare’s “True Face of Beauty” sonnet and a mystery love letter.

Indeed whether one wishes to look at branding, personality, the law, health or any other matter in this field, it is covered here.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/pshe/T1760.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1760EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 754 8

Prices

  • Photocopiable report: £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: T1760emn

JAN LEVER EDUCATION CONSULTANCY

Jan Lever Education Consultancy are a team of dedicated professionals who specialize in Curriculum Development, Education Consultancy, PSHE, Religious Education and Sex Education. Jan Lever Education consultancy offer the new Discovery Scheme of Work for Religious Education in primary schools. Which is a comprehensive enquiry-based, teaching programme for Religious Education for Years 1-6. Also the new Jigsaw PSHE Scheme of Work, which is a comprehensive resource that integrates the national PSHE Education Framework, emotional literacy and social skills development into a one lesson a week programme of study for every year group from Reception to Y6.

Website: www.janlevereducationconsultancy.com

JIGSAW PSHE

Jigsaw PSHE is a comprehensive PSHE Scheme of Work for the whole Primary School. This complete resource contains PSHE Lesson Plans, PSHE teaching resources, original songs, assemblies, Weekly Behaviour Focus and more. SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) development opportunities are mapped throughout Jigsaw. Its mission is to support very busy teachers to deliver high-quality Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (as well as all the other things Jigsaw aims to convey) to the children in their schools; to bring fun and creativity into PSHE Education whilst ensuring a developmental and progressive curriculum. Jigsaw offers the mindful approach to PSHE.

Website: www.jigsawpshe.com

DISCOVERY RE

DISCOVERY RE

Discovery RE is a comprehensive and original set of medium-term lesson plans for Religious Education for the whole Primary School. It fulfils statutory RE requirements and follows Ofsted recommendations. SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) development opportunities are mapped throughout and enhances children’s learning, whilst encouraging the celebration of diversity.

Discovery RE provides the overall structure, medium-term planning and approach for RE for the whole school and also gives an assessment framework with levelled marking criteria. Teachers have the flexibility to choose which religions to teach when and supports teachers by cutting planning time.

Website: www.discoveryschemeofwork.com

 

 

 

Is Shakespeare in a comic still Shakespeare?

Shakespeare is full of paradoxes. He wrote for a mass public but has become high culture, didn’t keep his manuscripts yet First Folios are now priceless, was a glove maker’s son but understood kings and courtiers, was a social outsider who became part of the establishment.

Genius leaps boundaries and it is surely Shakespeare’s ability to mix the high with the low that is one of the reasons his work has lasted through four centuries and is still able to find new audiences and fresh interpretation. He was at root a popular entertainer. He wrote as much to please the groundlings as the nobility and in late Tudor times a third of all Londoners visited the theatre every month. People flocked to see his plays in the same numbers they hustled to see bear baiting, cock fights and duels – often in the same theatres and on the same bill.

So the idea of presenting his work in comic book format wouldn’t have seemed that strange to him. If it were merely the etiolated expression of a long ago elite culture, it wouldn’t have survived. His plays are full of the fizz, crudity and knockabout associated with traditional comic art – and much of his work balances the austere and grand with humour. Lear has his fool, Macbeth’s murder of Duncan is followed by the drunken Porter and Juliet’s expressions of love are offset by Mercutio’s obscene raillery.

The comic book format isn’t just another medium through which to present Shakespeare’s work. It happens to be a particularly good one precisely because inherently visual. A live performance is always the best way to understand Shakespeare’s genius, but an illustrated presentation gives some sense of theatrical performance. This is a point appreciated by award winning writer Naomi Alderman when on BBC Radio 4 she said of the Shakespeare Comic Book Series, ‘Amazing… It’s really like a staging of Shakespeare… You can take it at your own pace… for things like Shakespeare where you really want to be focusing on the words but at the same time seeing the staging – it’s just the perfect form for that.’

Being in a comic doesn’t suddenly make Shakespeare’s text less profound or meaningful, though it might make it more accessible to many students. It’s true the original has been edited, but almost any stage production will edit in places – a full length production of Hamlet would last more than five hours and few these days would have the endurance for that. It is doubtful that even Tudor or Jacobean audiences ever saw the play in its entirety. Editing can be helpful, especially when key scenes and speeches have been preserved.

As well as the edited Shakespeare text, Shakespeare Comic Books also offer a modern English translation. This is important. Much of Shakespeare remains easy to understand. Quite a lot of it is challenging but becomes comprehensible after much scratching of head, chewing of lip and consultation of dictionary. Some of it is utterly unintelligible and about which academic experts fail to agree.

It’s not fair to expect school students to tackle that sort of linguistic demand. It’s also not sense. Students baffled and off-put by the seeming complexity of Shakespeare’s language may turn away from it altogether. Students supported in their understanding by a modern English translation may begin to discover the wonder of his verse.

The Shakespeare Comic Books Series is helping to bring Shakespeare alive for the next generation. It’s not definitive, but it’s a brilliant place to start – or as teacher Helen Reynolds put it, an ‘ideal introduction to Shakespeare.’

More information at www.shakespearecomics.com or on 01691 770165