Improving SMSC and literacy in form time

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

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

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

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

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

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

Joe Heppell

Fostering creativity within the curriculum – Key Stage 2 Composing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prices

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

Methods of ordering – please quote catalogue number T1752emn

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