There are all sorts of “difficult” topics that beset teenage lives: depression, alcohol abuse, personal hygiene, sex, bereavement, STDs, being overweight…

Talking to students about these issues can result in an increased awareness of the subject, but experience suggests that for many students the progress made after such encounters can be modest at best.

Where the greatest breakthroughs occur is in situations in which the students themselves will open up and engage in serious conversations themselves.

But the issue is, how does one motivate the silent student to speak? How does one ensure that the mocking or joking student who covers his/her inability to talk seriously about the subject will join in the discussion. How can we help these students put these vital topics into the context of their lives, and the world around them?

In short: how do we control the discussions?

The answer comes with setting the terms of the discussion in advance – and this is exactly what the Choice Discussion Cards achieve.

The students are given the topic to discuss such as “What does smoking do to you and your health?” They then can choose an answer card which they then have to use as the basis for their answer.

There are both positive and negative cards in the pack – in the case of smoking ranging from, “De-stresses you” to “Makes you want more all the time”, and the students then have to put forward arguments to support the card they have selected.

As a result the debate continues in a controlled way, with all possible answers being aired, as they students come to see the logic, or otherwise, of the answers that can be given.

The Choice Discussion Cards cover a wide range of topics incorporating not just the topics above, but also such issues as knife crime, anger, crime, vandalism, love, bullying etc etc.

There are details of all the topics available on the following link http://www.egar.co.uk/SHOPHH1

If you wish to place an order please you can use the check out on the above link (schools can be invoiced on account) or by contacting us via the following methods. Please quote HH1 on all correspondence.

Contact: Sue Scott-Horne
Email: talk@letsgettalking.org
http://www.egar.co.uk/SHOPHH1
Tel: 0207 226 4040
Canonbury Business Centre, Unit 10B, Shepperton House, 89 Shepperton Road
Islington, London, N1 3DF

Mind your Mind

DVD2012 47 Minutes

Demonstrates how our minds are much more susceptible to manipulation and suggestion than we think.

We feel we are free to make our own choices but we are not as free as we think. Neurologists and psychologists have discovered how vulnerable our minds are to manipulation and suggestion, and how easily our own psyche can be taken out of our control.

This documentary is a primer for psychological independence, teaching us to process more than our minds are comfortable with. From the glamorous, sex-obsessed world of advertising to the vacuous speeches of leading politicians, our responses are being silently but surely manipulated. Images of nude women appear hidden in Coca Cola adverts. Television channels flash up messages from their sponsors too fast for our conscious mind to catch. Lawyers twist the ambiguities of language to distract us and force us into a more suggestible mental state.
Our minds are constantly missing the obvious: “we don’t perceive what’s there, we change what we perceive, and we perceive what’s not there.” Though subliminal messaging is illegal in most countries, it is still used more often than we may ever know.

Neuro-linguistic programming can help us to protect ourselves against the manipulative forces that control consumers, pulling these forces apart so that we can see how they work. If we can open our eyes to the techniques used to control us, we can move these processes from our unconscious to our conscious mind. This film provides us with the psychological tools to fight them.

What do we mean by ‘attention’, or the lack of it? Are we quite as attentive as we think? Do we miss things that are right under our nose, blinded by suggestion, assumption and ‘common sense’? If so, how might this be used against us? Are the opportunities here to manipulate beliefs, alter behaviours? If so, who is doing the manipulating? Learn more about the Human Biocomputer, about Advertising, Ambiguities and Politics in this fast paced yet light-hearted film.

Now available to rent or buy via our Video on Demand service A video clip can be viewed from our website

GBP 56.35 plus postage. http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/mind-your-mind-2918/

Warning: The Media may be Hazardous to Your Health

DVD1991 36 Minutes

Media models glamorise violence, fear and hatred.

Exposes the dangers of media models that glamorise violence, fear and hatred between the sexes. This powerful video encourages the life-affirming tendencies in both genders. Images of commercials, Madonna, Pee Wee Herman, MTV and other media protesters are woven together to create a humorous yet sobering look at sexism in the media. Can be used to combat the problems of sexism and racism, while helping individuals to become more critical viewers of mass media.

GBP 23.00 plus postage. http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/warning-the-media-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health-1172/

Staying Real

DVD2011 25 Minutes

Young people discuss media stereotypes and their effects.

Young people discuss the adverse effects of the sexual stereotypes which bombard them. They talk about how hard it is to develop their own personality and to make friends when they don’t conform to media and advertising images. Directed by award-winning Sophie Bissonnette. National Film Board of Canada. Suitable for ages 11 – 13. A good discussion starter.

GBP 33.35 plus postage. http://www.concordmedia.org.uk/products/staying-real-2912/

“Do you find yourself giving George a higher grade than his homework really deserves, because you know he needs the encouragement? Does Emma end up with a higher grade than other pupils might, just because you know she’s capable of doing better?” Read more

You have a clear idea of how a student should be progressing – but your assessment data tells a slightly different story. Is the problem with your data, your appraisal of the student’s abilities – or neither?

In our latest blog, we look at how to marry together meaningful data and relevant, personalised analysis and feedback to students.

Read our blog here

Find out how Doddle can help you do more for your students with a free in-school demonstration with one of our Education Consultants.

Joe
Doddle

Why do some pupils perform below average in Numeracy but are above average in all other subject areas?

When pupils cannot understand the fundamental concepts of Numeracy they cannot be expected to achieve similar attainment levels in their SATS to that of other subjects where the fundamental concepts have been grasped.

The most fundamental concept of Numeracy is that of number and having the ability to understand what a number is.

And I’m not convinced that any of us really know what a number is. We might think we do, but what we have done is given numbers our own meaning.

For example, if any of us are asked to explain “three”, we can’t. What we do is talk about “three sheep” or “three cars” – talking about the essence of “three” is very difficult indeed. We give the value or concept a meaning which is in essence nearly impossible to define.

Without this meaning we would find it hard to manipulate (add, subtract, multiply, divide) two undefined things to achieve a logical outcome.

And it may be that those pupils who have not assigned a meaning to a number, and hence have not understood the fundamental concept of Numeracy, have dyscalculia.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty which results in a failure to be able to comprehend maths at the level one might expect for a person of the same age and mental ability.

The Dyscalculia Centre offers an online test for £49.95, on completion of which you will receive a report from one of the Centre’s educationalists on the pupil’s understanding of maths and whether it is likely that they have dyscalculia. The test can be paid for with a credit card or by forwarding a purchase order number

If dyscalculia is diagnosed you will receive a free copy of a set of materials that are appropriate to your pupil’s needs and which can be used to help overcome his/her mathematical problems.

The report may also suggest that the pupil should receive extra time in maths tests.

If you would like to know more please email admin@dyscalculia.me.uk or call 01536 399 000.

Our fax number for placing an order with a purchase order number is 01536 399 012.

You can order a test on-line at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=755

Samantha Bates

The Dyscalculia Centre

What is the most effective way of interesting your pupils in great artists and the development of art forms?

The new national curriculum for Art and Design at KS2 and KS3 requires students to produce creative work whilst exploring and recording experiences and developing their skills in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.

Pupils should also have the opportunity to evaluate and analyse their own and others’ work using art, craft and design language.

Arty Tasks is a new book of Art resources and in this regard is an ideal starting point. It incorporates step by step instructions for 35 separate projects each of which requires pupils to produce a piece of artwork based on the work of a selection of artists as diverse as Georgia 0’Keeffe and Joseph Cornell.

The pupils using the book are thus encouraged to use a wide variety of techniques and materials to create their artwork – and if desired each project can be used as a starting point for researching the historic content of the artists and art movements.

Each project comes on a single sheet of A4 and individual activities can thus easily be photocopied for your class to use as starter activities or homework tasks, either as one-off tasks or incorporated into longer projects. They can also be handed out for higher ability students to work more independently or used for extra-curricular activities.

Arty Tasks thus offers 35 creative projects which can be used simply as creative projects or as a way into research into a particular artist or art movement.

Arty Tasks, ISBN 978 1 86083 807 1, order code T1833EMN, is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom. An extract is available at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1833.pdf

Prices

• Photocopiable book, £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £19.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £26.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book…

• By post from First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On-line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=813
• By phone with a school order number or a credit card to 01536 399 011
• By email with a school order number to sales@firstandbest.co.uk

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1833EMN.

What is the most effective way of introducing early literacy skills in reception classes?

As a reception teacher you know that the children in your class learn when they are actively engaged in a play situation whilst interacting with other children or an adult

Clever Clogs use games and interaction with an adult and other children to provide the scaffold which allows each child to move forward and develop new competencies in early literacy

We have developed 2 boxes of games based on this principle, one for use in the classroom and one to engage parents at home.

The games also provide purposeful situations for dialogue and for the development of speaking, listening and thinking skills .

This box is for the classroom, there are 10 games for an adult to play with 3-4 children

scroll down on the link below for more information

http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/early_literacy.php

This box contains 15 games for children to take home or for parents workshops

http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/help_your_child.php

If you would like to place an order please click on the link http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/orders.php

If you would like to try a sample of our games look through the games listed at the bottom of this page http://www.cleverclogsgames.co.uk/early_literacy.php and we will send it to you for a special price of £10.
Usual RRP £18.50 + P&P.

Careers in Engineering

Tomorrow’s engineers can find career opportunities in the Energy Sector. DVD features young women working as engineers.
A career in engineering. What is it like?

The Energy Generation DVD + 30 page Career Activities
Thirteen Career Profiles on DVD, including…

They map out their career paths and they make the link between school, college, qualifications and the world of engineering.

The UK’s biggest engineering/energy companies cooperated in the production of this Careers DVD. Each career profile is presented in the workplace in the UK.

See what it is like: in a nuclear power station, in Europe’s biggest coal fired station, on the trading floor of a UK energy company and in the Centre for Alternative Technology.

Profile 1: Kirti
EDF Energy HQ Commercial Graduate Trainee

Profile 2: Rachael
EDF Energy European Technical Liaison Manager

Profile 3: Jo
RWE npower Fawley Oil Power Station Shift Process Leader

Profile 4: Rob
British Energy Dungeness B Nuclear Maintenance Engineer

Profile 5: Vicky
British Energy Dungeness B Nuclear Apprentice

Profile 6: Chris
E.ON UK Combined Heat & Power DivisionOperations Manager

Profile 7: Gurinderpal
British Energy Trading Room Energy Trader

Profile 8: Lou
RWE npower Aberthaw Coal Station Mechanical Engineer

Profile 9: Michelle
RWE npower Aberthaw Coal Station Mechanical Engineer

Profile 10: Bryan
B.J. Rendall Orkney Wind Energy Consultant

Profile 11: Ffion
MagnoxNorth Wylfa Nuclear Power StationSystems Engineer

Profile 12: Jan
Urenco (Uranium fuel enrichment plant) Safety Case Officer

Profile 13: Joe
Centre for Alternative Technology Education Manager

Sample the DVD – ☞ view clip ☞

More information – Download form

£29.99 ex Vat (£35.99) + £2.50 postage

TO ORDER

On line: http://www.team-video.co.uk/order.html (All ‘on line’ orders postage free)
By email: admin@team-video.co.uk
By post: TEAM VIDEO, PO Box 38194, London W10 5WZ. Tel 020 8968 3732

These 3d immersive experiments use games technology to give realistic laboratory experiences. They are based on years of research into teaching science on-screen. They are ideal where resources are limited or where you want to give your students a wider experience of experiments that they would not normally do, such as measuring the acceleration of gravity on the Moon, firing an AK47 at a ballistic balance, using an Airtrack to verify Newton’s Second Law.

The 3D immersive experiments can be used in a variety of ways:

• By the students directly to prepare for a laboratory experiment by familiarising them with the equipment to be used and the methodology of the experiment. ·
• To give experience of an additional experiment for which there would not normally be available laboratory time. ·
• To give experience of getting a particular result in a different way to what they have used in a practical laboratory lesson which allows the students to compare methods and better understand the essentials of an experiment. ·
• As a substitute for an experiment that might be too dangerous or impossible for a student to undertake. · As general supporting material for science theoretical work. ·
• As revision for an experiment that has previously been performed in the laboratory. ·
• As a personal experience of an experiment normally only performed by the teacher in front of the class.

Experiments include: Velocity, Acceleration and Newton’s 3nd Law using an Airtrack, Conservation of Momentum using a ballistic balance, Moments, Rutherford’s Gold Foil experiment, I/V Characteristics, Magnetic Field of a Coil, Specific Heat, Mechanical Equivalent of Heat, Diffraction, Hooke’s Law and Young’s Modulus, Capacitor Charge and Discharge, Planck’s Constant. See www.keylinkcomputers.co.uk for latest list and more details including videos.

A perpetual site licence costs £399 plus £2.50 pp + VAT at 20% (£481.80)Email to: orders@keylinkcomputers.co.uk or send to Keylink Computers Ltd, 2 Woodway House, Common Lane, Kenilworth CV8 2ES quoting order code HH15.

The Debate Chamber Summer Schools, now in their eleventh year, offer students age 11-18 the opportunity to find out more about some fascinating subjects, prepare for university applications, meet like-minded peers and get to grips with some tough intellectual challenges.

The material will be challenging (for the older age-group, about the level of difficulty one might expect in the first year at university), but the atmosphere will be relaxed, with plenty of discussion, debate, and opportunities for students to shape the direction of classes. It is an environment conducive to getting to grips with new ideas.

Working in small groups (usually around 14 students per group) over several days offers participants a real chance to get to know tutors and fellow students and to explore the topics or questions that particularly interest them.

Highlights of Summer 2015:

The Medicine Summer School for students aged 15-18 or Young Doctors for those aged 11-14. The Medicine Summer School has some exciting new content this year, adding obstetrics, clinical pharmacology and gastroenterology in response to requests from last year’s medicine students.

The Summer Law School for 15-18s, now in three 5-day blocks to allow time for more cases, more analysis and more debate on some of the most intriguing legal questions, and the action-packed 4-day Young Lawyers Summer School, including Mock Crown Court Trial, for those aged 11-14.

For those interested in the Humanities, we have Summer Schools in Economics, International Relations, History, and Politics, while Arts enthusiasts should check out the English Literature, Classical Civilisations, Philosophy, or Critical Theory Summer Schools (all for students aged 15/16-18).

For younger students we have the Young Thinkers and Young Writers Summer Schools.

Last but not least, the Maths and Physics Summer Schools will offer some challenging and exciting further study for those who will have completed Maths AS level or equivalent by Summer 2015.

Practical Details:

All the Summer School events will be held at University of London venues in Bloomsbury, Central London, and will take place in July and August 2015. Please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required.

You can find full details of schedules, dates, costs, student reviews and tutors at http://www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/.

There is a limited amount of bursary funding available for students who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

To book a place please visit www.debatechamber.com/summerschools/, call us on 0845 519 4827, or email info@debatechamber.com. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

What is the most effective way of helping 16 to 18 year olds who are struggling with comprehension?

A very particular problem faces students who by the age of 16 experience difficulty in answering comprehension questions.

Their problem is not just that they cannot answer such questions very well. It is also the fact that they have got into the habit of reading comprehension pieces in a particular way which makes it hard for them to gain the information that will allow them to answer the questions posed.

As a result of this, a lot of the quality teaching which would normally help the students to improve their comprehension work fails to have the desired result. Their habitual style of responses dominate, and little improvement may be seen.

The key issue here is to get these students to focus not just on the text and its meaning, but also the techniques that the writer uses and the effectiveness of the writing.

“Higher Close Reading Examples and Activities” is a copiable volume that solves this problem by looking at the key topics in this field such as word choice, imagery, tone and structure.

The volume also incorporates sections which explore, in relation to the example texts within the book, language types such as figurative language, formal language and informal language.

After this the volume looks at the effectiveness of the ideas given within the sample texts, the effectiveness of the conclusions, and the comparisons which can be made between different sample passages.

“Higher Close Reading Examples and Activities” is available in copiable form (as a printed volume or on CD) so that it can be distributed to all interested members of staff.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 841 5 Order code: T1818emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1818.pdf

• 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…

• 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=21&products_id=788

What makes for a brilliant, memorable and, above all, highly beneficial school trip?

A recent survey of secondary schools by the School of Educational Administration and Management found that over 96% of schools run overseas school trips each year.

Indeed, that number just took into account overseas trips organised by the foreign languages departments. Additional visits were arranged by geography, science, history, music, art, sport, business studies… Plus of course all the trips that take place within the UK.

What makes the figure so interesting is that it came after years of argument and debate concerning legal requirements, risk assessment and liability, and a period when a reader of the national press might have assumed that school trips were a thing of the past.

But no. Every year tens of thousands of us put ourselves through the hard work of organising and running the trips because of the good that we know it does for the pupils and students we teach.

So, to help with the practicalities of setting up and running contemporary out of school trips and visits, a new edition of Organising Successful Trips and Visits: a practical guide for secondary school teachers has been published.

This aims to help with the arrangement of trips and visits by covering all the main points, from the “loco parentis” debate 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.

If you would like to see some pages from the book these are 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.

If you are unable to pay on-line with a credit card please send in a school order in the normal way. We’ll issue a pro-forma invoice and as soon as we receive payment we will email you a copy of the book. There is a handling charge of £2.50 for this service which does not apply if you are able to buy on-line with a credit or debit card.

Organising Successful Trips and Visits is published by First and Best in Education, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northampton NN17 4HH. Phone 01536 399 011. A full catalogue of our books and downloads set out by subject and topic can be found 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

Nearly every secondary school I have visited or worked in has an isolation room or isolation area.

In one sense there is nothing wrong with this for Section 42 of the government’s “Behaviour and Discipline in Schools Advice” allows the use of seclusion or isolation rooms. But it also insists that the time spent there must be used as constructively as possible.

Which is why the series of Detention and Exclusion Management System worksheets for Key Stage 3 were developed.

The worksheets within the volume cover a wide range of topics and range of ability – and are all designed so that they can be used as a one-off in an emergency, or as a series of highly varied tasks over a number of days.

Book 1 of the series, Exclusion Worksheets for Less Able Students, contain worksheets which cover subjects as English, Geography, History, Science, Religion, Mathematics, Technology and Food.

Activities range from changing the tense of an extract from the third person to the first person in English, to completing a wordsearch on light, electricity and sound in Science.

And Book 2 of the series, Exclusion Worksheets for More Able Students, contain worksheets covering subjects as History, Science, Religious Education, Mathematics, French, Spanish, English, and Geography.

Activities in this volume range from drawing and labelling a diagram of the breathing system in Science, to a History task, requiring pupils to answer comprehension questions on how black people were treated in America 90 years ago.

Each lesson in the volumes is printed on a single page and is simple to photocopy instantly for any pupils that require work.

The Exclusion Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced at £50 each plus £2.95 delivery.

If you buy both book 1 and book 2 of the series, you will receive Book3: Detention Worksheets for free, which is usually priced at £30. The Detention Worksheets include activities such as filling in the gaps, to spelling practice through repetition.

You can order by

• Email from the school’s email address to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• Fax to 01536 399 012
• By phone (with a school order number) to 01536 399 011

By post to First & Best in Education, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Rd., Corby, NN17 4HH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can purchase the report…

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

What is the most effective way of helping students to understand what happened in Germany from 1933 onwards?

It can readily be argued that the pivotal period of the 20^th century was the seizure of power by Hitler in 1933 through to the war crimes tribunal of 1945.

And indeed there is no better way to understand this period in European history than to visit the rally grounds, concentration camps, ghettos and other key sites that have been preserved to ensure that we do not forget how readily civilization can be overthrown.

This is why StudyTrips has evolved its famous school visits of the key sites from this period – which can take in either one or two of the key locations in the rise and fall of Nazism or explore on a much wider scale across four days.

Students may be rightly apprehensive about visiting the concentration camp at Dachau – which is why a guided tour of the camp including the gas chamber, crematoria and huts where people slept is important to keep the context clear in everyone’s mind.

And they will quickly perceive that all this happened in a part of Europe, not that far from home. In many ways this is the most dramatic understanding that they get from the visit.

As with all StudyTrips tours, you can develop your own itinerary to suit a specific curriculum module. Thus we can build a trip for you around Hitler’s foreign policy or life in Nazi Germany, the development of nationalism, the Holocaust, censorship and the free press, or any other aspect of the era that you wish to consider in depth with your students.

The full tour, 10 days in length, includes visits to Nuremberg, Prague, Krakow and Berlin and incorporates the Third Reich Documentation Centre, the War Crimes courtroom, the scene of the Luitpoldhain rallies, the Lidice memorial and museum, the Ghetto Museum, Auschwitz and Kirkenua, the Holocaust Memorial and the Wannsee Conference House.

Or you can focus on one or two key locations and change the length of the visit to suit your particular requirements.

Indeed, whatever specific curriculum content you are following, the tour can be arranged to suit the requirements of the course.

You can find more information on our website by clicking here.

Alternatively please call us on 0845 130 6070 or email us at info@studytrips.co.uk

There are many possible reasons to arrange an art study trip to London, but here’s one reason I’d put forward. That whenever you look at what’s on, there is always something new and always such a choice.

Which is why Study Trips works directly with schools to plan their own unique school visit to London’s art galleries.

And what’s more, arranging a trip need not be a time-consuming, stressful task. Call us to discuss your ideas and we’ll make all the arrangements to your specific requirements

Here’s a small selection of current and forthcoming exhibitions:

The ‘must see’ Barbara Hepworth exhibition of the year opens at the Tate Britain from the 24^th June. The first major show dedicated to a prominent British sculptor for nearly 50 years.

Running at the moment there is “Inventing Impressionism” at the National, “Magnificent Obsessions (the artist as collector)” at the Barbican, and “Sculpture Victorious” at Tate Britain.

Meanwhile there is “Abstraction and the Sublime” at Tate Modern, and (from 15th March) the launch of the new Christina Mackie work at Tate Britain.

If you want something particularly different, the Saatchi Gallery has an exhibition of representational 1:1 scale bronze sculptures by Greg Forrest which includes his Stanley Cup Washing Machine, a Drum Kit and a piece replicating the instruments used by the late Keith Moon, former drummer of The Who.

Of course, London’s galleries have first-class learning resources to enrich the experience, from interactive workshops, guided tours and classroom activities led by gallery educators.

In short, everything is there for you to choose – you simply tell us what you want and we’ll organise the event for you.

And if you are staying for a night or two we can add a visit to a suitable West End show and a meal at Planet Hollywood.

You can find more information on our website by clicking here.

Alternatively please call us on 0845 026 4661 or email us at info@studytrips.co.uk

What is the most effective way of teaching pupils
all the phonics they need to know?

Keeping track of the phonics that pupils have learned can be something of a challenge.

Not just because there are so many phonics in the English language, but because a phonic that one pupil may have successfully learned is not necessarily the phonic that another pupil has understood.

Our Phonic Limerick Friends resource gives pupils the opportunity to see and hear the phonic sounds repeatedly and in context, helping them to internalise the link between the grapheme and the phoneme.

The resource contains 26 humorous limericks, one for each of the letters of the alphabet and features characters with which the children will become familiar, characters such as Alfie the Ant, Bella the Bat, Danny the Dog, Frankie the Frog, and so on…

Each limerick contains at least 8 words using the phonic sound that is being focused on. For example, for ‘j’, they will see and hear: Jenny, jet, jumbo, jumper, jams, jiggles, jump, juicy and jelly, eg:

Jenny the jet flies through the skies,
In a jumbo sized jumper that covers her eyes,
It jams her jets,
It jiggles her belly,
And makes her jump into juicy jelly!

The pack of 6 Phonic Limerick Friends books are suitable for reading independently, for 1:1 reading sessions and reading in small groups.

Our Phonic Limericks with Zoë Zebra and Friends resource provides the pupils not only with the 26 limericks which can be found in the Phonic Limerick Friends book but also with a number of supporting reproducible worksheets and activities to reinforce their phonic knowledge.

What’s more, there are also a number of 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.

Free sample teaching resources can be found on our website.

You can order in the following ways:

• On our website. Click here for Phonic Limerick Friends and here for Phonic Limericks with Zoë Zebra and Friends
• By phone on 01449 766629
• By fax on 01449 767122
• By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk

Brilliant Publications,
Mendlesham Industrial Estate,
Norwich Road,
Mendlesham,
Suffolk,
IP14 5ND.website: www.brilliantpublications.co.uk
email: orders@tradecounter.co.uk

phone: 01449 766629
fax: 01449 767122

What is the most effective thing a school can do to help students whose aim is to be an entrepreneur?

Traditionally we think of our students going on after education to be office workers, chemists, shop assistants, academics, engineers, accountants, solicitors, police officers…

And by and large we aim to give our students the skills that will allow them to get a job commensurate with their abilities which will enable them to do the job they want.

Yet it seems (at least from what politicians tell us) that what the country also needs besides the office workers, chemists etc, is lots of entrepreneurs. And yet these same politicians tend to be a little vague on just how we can help students who think this might be a good idea.

Indeed, the question that can arise is, what is an entrepreneur? What do they actually do that leads them to make significant amounts of money, often by a very young age? Is it all IT skills, or good luck, or drive and determination or is there something else?

Given that there is no school subject in, no exam in, and no inspection report on the training up of entrepreneurs, such thoughts can go by the wayside, perhaps associated with the notion than anyone with the ability to become an entrepreneur is going to become an entrepreneur, no matter what.

And yet the fact is that many students who could create their own businesses, create jobs for others, and make a considerable contribution to our nation’s economy, never get started on the road to entrepreneurial work. And often that is simply because no one has ever helped them understand how to start.

Indeed that is the issue. What can each and every teacher who wishes to help, do to enable students take their first steps towards being an entrepreneur?

It is to answer this question that the magazine Fresh Young Millionaire was launched. Backed by the Social Venturing Fund set up by The Big Issue Invests the magazine comes with a range of learning activities which can stand alone or be integrated into Business Studies, English,. PSHE, Maths, History, ICT and citizenship lessons.

The magazine exists to engage, equip and inspire young people and to make a real difference, so that those students who want to move into entrepreneurial activities know what entrepreneurial activity is, how to proceed, what questions to ask, and where to find the information they need.

Everyone can make a contribution, and indeed if there is one way to impress Ofsted it is by going this extra mile to ensure that this element of education, along with all items they are there to inspect, is covered by the school.

You can read more about Fresh Young Millionaire at www.freshyoungmillionaire.com and you can also subscribe to the magazine on line

If you quote HH5 when you order you will receive two extra copies free, a saving of 33% off the total cost.

If you have any questions please do email info@freshyoungmillionaire.com We’ll be very happy to help.

David Stoll’s KEY STAGE 2 COMPOSING is designed to reference, use and fulfil the requirements of the curriculum in a new 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

Over half a million KS3 students have seen The Flying Theatre Company. So what benefit did they get?

Since The Flying Theatre Company started to visit secondary schools in the UK over fifteen years ago we’ve been developing, improving and refining our show.

We’ve listened to comments from teachers and students. We’ve analysed the responses, and asked teachers questions about the effect on learning that a visit from the company produces.

Throughout this period our aim has been the same. To give the students the confidence that they can understand French and that they can enjoy working in the French language.

Which takes us back to the question: what did the students and members of staff think of the performance?

Perhaps the best answer comes from the fact that over 80% of the schools that ask The Flying Theatre Company to visit them, subsequently rebook the company for a further visit. Which tends to suggest that the performance was deemed to have a positive effect.

What’s more, because this is a professional production we use radio mics – which in turn means that there is no limit on the number of students who attend the performance. They’ll hear us, even at the very back.

The average cost for a school is approximately £3 per student – which is generally considered a very modest sum to pay in return for the enthusiasm and drive that students take away from the performance.

As for the production itself, this is totally in French – but at a level that all students will understand. It is funny, attention grabbing, motivating and memorable.

To read more about the production and to make a booking please click here.

Indeed if you scroll down that web page you can also see what French teachers say about this performance.

For more information please call 01287 669156 or for any other enquiries please email us at info@flyingtheatre.com

STUDENT LOCKER KEYS FROM JUST £1, LOCKS FROM JUST £5*

Ordering is simple, by phone, email or direct online.

Please quote promotional code HH1 to gain these special rates.

*Terms and conditions apply. Please call 0208 343 2943 for details, email us at sales@keysplease.co.uk or visit our website www.keysplease.co.uk

According to figures from the Dept for Education, the average secondary school teacher has about four working days off a year due to illness. Of course this incorporates teachers who have a long time out with a serious illness as well as the 44% of teachers who are fortunate enough to go a whole year not getting ill at all.

These numbers show why the need for ready-made materials for supply teachers who cover Geography classes is as vital as ever. For even when something has been left from the previous lesson, there are always going to be those who finish the work rapidly, and need something else to do.

Which is why the Absent Geography Teacher volume of worksheets was developed.

The worksheets within the volume cover a wide range of topics and range of ability – and are all designed so that they can be used as a one-off in an emergency, or as a series of highly varied tasks over a number of days, should the absence be unexpectedly protracted.

Activities range from a discussion on how the increasing human population in developing countries can be managed, to comprehension questions on tectonic activity.

Each article is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which (for example) the students have to explain how volcanic mountains are formed, and a homework task in which the students design and draw a poster warning people about the dangers of nuclear power stations.

The volume covers such topics as the structure of the earth, continental drifts, volcanic activity, pollution, etc, etc.

Each lesson in the volume is printed on a single page and is simple to photocopy instantly for any class that suddenly requires the lesson.

The Absent Geography Teacher Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced at £30 plus £2.95 delivery.

You can order the Absent Geography Teacher worksheets collection by filling in the order form and sending it by fax, email, or post (see contact details below). Alternatively, if you have a school order number, you can order by phone.

First and Best in Education, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH
Telephone: 01536 399 011 Fax: 01536 399 01 Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk

Alternative approaches to delivering arts and crafts
lessons at Easter

Thinking of new and inspiring arts and crafts lesson ideas each year is the ideal to which we all aspire, and of course most of the time it is possible to come up with something different to add to the best activities that were done last year.

But thinking of new and inspiring arts and crafts ideas is a time-consuming challenge – and time is often the key factor. We could all work through and prepare more new ideas if only there was more time.

Which is why S&S Services exists. To offer a range of new and different materials which can be added to the regular approaches to arts and crafts that always engage and encourage children each year.

This year our Easter themed arts and crafts ideas and materials include:

• Wooden egg cups
• A3 Yellow card
• Easter painting sponges
• Yellow feathers
• Easter picture rollers

You can order in any of the following ways:

• On our website at the web links above
• By email to info@ss-services.co.uk
• By phone on 01789 765323
• By fax to 01789 765469
• By post to S & S Services, Units 4-8 Tything Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EP.

Delivery

We offer free delivery on orders over £35 and charge only £2.99 delivery for orders which come to less than this across the majority of the UK.

For those requesting delivery from Northern Ireland, the Isles of Scilly, the Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, delivery is £7 and for those lucky enough to be living in the Channel Islands the delivery charge is £12.45 irrespective of the size of the order.

Help your students find their way around an OS map with our free presentation on map skills!

From symbols and path types to scale and contour lines, this presentation covers all the important features of an OS map. Complete with match-up exercises, this is a perfect way to cement understanding of map notation and interpretation.

Try out the free resources on our Doddle Geography page!

Want to see more of what Doddle can do for your department? Book an in-school visit!

One of our Educational Consultants will give you a free and flexible tour of the various Doddle resources and features that help you engage your students, test their understanding and track their progress.

Alice
Doddle

Safety over cost, a practical example of the problems faced by mathematicians, engineers and businesses.

So that students can see how important maths is to our businesses and to our building industry we have put together a practical problem solving exercise called The Oil Rig Platform. It is designed to simulate the workings of a team of engineers, trying to find a solution to a problem by building an oil rig platform.

The students are divided into small teams and challenged to build a model of an oil rig platform and work out how much it costs to build using only set materials. To test for safety the platform must be able to support the weight of a brick! Will your students design it so cheaply that it collapses or will they spend more money to make it strong and sturdy?

The exercise is suitable for both KS3 and KS4 students and runs over one lesson. Each team is given the student brief, a set of resources and a deadline. The winning team is the one who can build the oil rig, support the weight of a brick and is the cheapest to build. A great learning experience and good fun for everyone.

What’s more – we have made it really easy for the teacher to deliver too!

This resource contains: clear teachers’ guidance notes that explain how to run the exercise, the students exercise brief, resources checklist and the assessment criteria.

How much does this all cost? Only £20.00 and can be re-used over and over again!

There are more details at…

http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/oil-rig-platform/

You can pay and download the exercise direct from our website using PayPal or you may wish to pay with either a cheque or a purchase order number. Simply e-mail your purchase order number to us and we will send the exercise to you along with the invoice for payment within 14 days.

Julie O’Brien
Creative Learning Events
0113 3909814
07977 489779
www.c-l-e.co.uk

What is the most effective way of allowing teenagers to discover their true potential?

There’s no point in saying that the teenage years are years of uncertainty and turmoil. We all know that.

The issue increasingly is, how can we help teenagers to make the most of their potential without losing valuable time to the emotional upsets of the teenage years?

Of course in some quarters this is not considered to be a schooling issue, but rather is a parental issue. And there is a lot of merit in that argument, for schools can’t do everything.

But students who are able to explore and resolve their own issues are invariably the students who tend to do better academically than might have been expected at the start of their secondary school years.

So what can we do to help?

One particularly interesting route is through encouraging the exploration of character analyses and interpretations via drama. In this way teenagers not only exceed their own expectations, but they can often reveal a talent and insight which neither they, nor those around them, ever knew that they had.

Of course, many students are reluctant to get involved in theatre games and improvisations, but through the use of the right approach and the right materials it turns out to be possible to get everyone involved.

As a result, the benefit to themselves, their families and indeed the school, can be enormous.

It is with this thought in mind that The Tip of the Iceberg has been produced, a book which takes teenagers on the journey to unlock their true potential.

Each chapter of the book provides a one hour lesson, and each lesson is designed so that it can be used either as a lesson that supplements an existing syllabus or as a part of an entire syllabus that spans a year and ends in a performance.

The lessons can be used to complement any GCSE syllabus and as a foundation for A level Drama or Theatre Studies. It also fits with Text and Performance within the International Baccalaureate.

The book is supplied on CD with a printed version, so that copies of the text can be shared within the department and relevant extracts made available to the students as they work on the projects.

It can also be bought as a download at a reduced price.

You can see some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1791.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1791EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 870 5

Prices

• Photocopiable book plus CD £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Download £19.95
  

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1791EMN

• 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=28&products_id=763 for the book and at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=764 for the download.

The rejection of austerity by the voters in Greece and the rise of Podemos in Spain suggest a groundswell of change in Europe.

What better way to help your students understand what this means for the EU and its institutions than a visit to the heart of the E.U., Brussels?

The starter for many such trips is the home of the National Bank of Belgium in Brussels with its unique museum which is totally targeted to secondary school students.

It offers insights not just into business but money as a cultural and economic phenomenon. The museum also provides a range of materials that students can study before travelling – and we can most certainly help you access these ahead of your visit.

Your students will also love the chance to step into the shoes of a Member of the European Parliament and take a fast-track course on how Europe’s democratically elected body works.

They can then work together in a Role Play Game seeking compromises in order to push through the desired legislation at the Parlamentarium in Brussels. (And one benefit for the school here is that there is no additional charge for this activity.)

Of course, there is more to see when at the Parliament, including the plenary chamber tour information briefing and a visit to the plenary chamber led by a Parliament official.

Beyond this you can also consider the Audi Car Plant tour and tours of a Belgium brewery and/or a chocolate factory: all major parts of the Belgian economy.

Of course, it is not just Business Studies students that find the visit to Brussels helpful and stimulating. Teaming up with the economics and politics departments can help cut the cost per student – and we can build a suitable cross-curricular itinerary.

Indeed, whether you are looking for a Brussels only visit or one that also takes in Strasbourg, StudyTrips can provide tailor-made tours to meet all your specific curriculum and cost requirements.

To see an example tour on our website please click here.

Alternatively please call us on 0845 026 4661 or email us at info@studytrips.co.uk

It is a fact of life that most people who work in schools believe that their school is both effective and efficient.

And, of course, in many cases they are right. The school is indeed effective in doing what it wants to do and efficient in the way it goes about it.

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

The problem is that the more efficient one gets, the more difficult it is to see where extra efficiencies can be made. But when these efficiencies are found and made, they can save the school thousands or tens of thousands of pounds a year.

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

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

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

These can often come as a surprise to the school – and they invariably save either time or money. Sometimes both – and quite often the savings are significant.

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

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

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

The Efficient School is available in copiable form (as a printed volume or on CD) so that it can be distributed to all interested members of staff.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 811 8 Order code: T1803emn – please quote with order.

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

• Photocopiable book, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the book and the CD: £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery
• Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk with a school order number
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=784

What is the most effective way of teaching teenagers about sex in the classroom?

When a photograph of a breastfeeding baby appeared on the cover of an American parenting magazine in 2008 there were complaints from readers.

This point is interesting and indeed relevant to the whole issue of sex education as it raises one specific element in debating sex and sexuality: the issue of context. In this case most of the readers of the magazine were mothers of young babies, and yet many of them were shocked to the point of complaining upon seeing this picture.

Which raises a multiplicity of questions. Is context everything? Are nudity and sex the same thing? What determines the appropriateness or otherwise of any picture or behaviour? What makes some contexts more or less appropriate than others?

Considering this topic helps to lead us towards the most effective ways of dealing with sex education – for it reveals that by focussing on a very specific topic or issue, it is possible to lead into much more productive and insightful discussion and reflection, than through the use of less focussed activity.

In fact the issue of the cover of a parenting magazine, accompanied as it is by a range of activities and discussion points, comes in the chapter “Nudity and the Media” within the copiable volume “Sex and Sensibility”, the sex and relationships course for secondary schools.

It is one of 60 such topics gathered together in 12 modules, ranging from the opening section on “Being human” through to modules on “The Right Pace”, “Peer Pressure”, “Sexual Orientation”, “Sex and Language” and “Sex in the Media”.

Each topic contains a whole series of activities for the students to participate in, which can be used as either whole class or small group discussion topics, as research topics and for written assignments.

Each area within the volume is itself used to explore wider connotations – and thus includes such areas as following fashion, one’s own look, influences, being oneself, how we see ourselves and so forth.

There are around 100 pages of activities and materials for the students, as well as over 20 pages of teaching notes and further information.

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

• 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=40&products_id=734

Diagnosing dyscalculia is just the start.
It is also necessary to identify the type of dyscalculia the student has got.

Research by the Dyscalculia Centre, which has been published in SEN Magazine, has shown that there are five different types of dyscalculia – although inevitably many young people suffer from a combination of the types listed below.

Type 1 dyscalculics report significant worries about maths. As a result they feel themselves living in an alien world in which everyone else can grasp maths, but they can’t. Self-doubt becomes so strong that it gets increasingly difficult to persuade the individual that with proper support they might well be able to undertake and understand mathematical calculations.

Type 2 dyscalculics also experience this deep concern but have found strategies for understanding and coping with basic maths – yet they feel that they don’t have the automatic grasp that others have and often take twice as much time (or more) to do a maths problem as a non-dyscalculic person.

Type 3 students have a profound difficulty in comprehending and dealing with the concept of time. Sometimes this issue appears on its own, sometimes in combination with types 1 or 2 dyscalculia. For such people time itself makes no sense and they are quite unable to estimate “five minutes” or any other time length while questions about timetables and the like are also quite meaningless.

Type 4 dyscalculics may not always be dyscalculic in the genetic sense, although they display many of the symptoms of dyscalculic people because they have short-term and long-term memory problems. These students generally have a problem with all sequences – and this, of course, affects their ability to handle maths perhaps more than any other subject.

Type 5 dyscalculics tend not to see numbers as in any way related to the real world. In one sense most of us have this problem; after all, what is “six”? We know what six sheep are. But “six” on its own is close to meaningless. For such people, maths can be learned automatically, but when it gets to issues such as fractions, decimals, and percentages then life gets difficult.

Fortunately all these types of dyscalculics can be helped through different types of multi-sensory learning of maths, and this is the approach we have set out in our series: “Dyscalculia Activities”

Each volume contains a vast array of activities which a teacher or assistant teacher can undertake with a small group of pupils, and involves turning the abstract concepts of maths into physical experiences. No special equipment is needed, apart from paper, scissors, small cards and some ludo type counters. (We can supply the cards and counters if you don’t already have them).

Each printed volume is copiable, and so only one copy is needed per school.

There are details here including sample pages

• Dyscalculia Activities 1: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html#5
• Dyscalculia Activities 2: Shapes, fractions, percentages. http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html#9
• Dyscalculia Activities 3: Time and Timetables: http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html#8
• Cards and counters for use with above books: http://www.dyscalculia.me.uk/teacher.html#6

If you have any enquiries please do call 01536 399 000 or email Tony@schools.co.uk

You can place orders on line (there is a link from each of the above resource pages) or you can go straight to the on-line shop here http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/index.php?cPath=29 You can also order by post and fax:

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012

A magical password formula: teaching
and using logical reasoning skills
in real life

When was the last time you struggled to remember your password? Frustrated as each attempt is met with red lettering and failed counts, let alone the dreaded ‘You’ve entered the wrong password too many times’. We all do from time to time. So, as students enter KS2 and use technology more and more, they will too.

What if there was an easy way for them to learn how to create memorable, unique and safe passwords at the same time as covering the new computing curriculum topic ‘use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work’?

Arguably, being able to create (and recall!) efficient passwords is a skill for life, but it’s also an ideal way to cover algorithms at the same time in an engaging way.

Here, we introduce Bob, Barbara, Ben and Bella – the family who keep forgetting their passwords, or using the same one for all websites/apps/games, jeopardising their digital safety.

Bob has an idea to solve everyone’s problems – he can create a simple, easy-to-follow algorithm (a set of instructions which don’t need a computer) for the whole family to use.

The story comes in the form of a digital mystery – students work in small groups reading, grouping and ordering little slips of illustrated information. While they go through them together, not only are they becoming more efficient digital citizens, they’re developing an understanding of what algorithms are.

It is all part of a Windows tool called Digital Mysteries – you only need it on 10 computers to have a class of 30 engaged working in groups of three, as each student can have their own mouse and cursor on the screen. Along with the Bob’s Password mystery, there are lots more included such as more tasks on the computing curriculum plus Maths, History and English.

It costs £400 for a one year subscription for 10 computers, but quote ‘HH20off’ for 20% off. Just click here for more details on how to sign up. You can also email info@reflectivethinking.com or call 0191 603 1960.

BENEFITS of Magical Maths

• All children will have the opportunity to practice and develop maths
skills in a fun way

• Develop children’s confidence and enjoyment of maths

• Practice and perform magic taught during the workshop

• Magical Maths = Fun Maths. This means an exciting day – and children
will remember and learn better when having fun.

• Work according to the National Curriculum.

• Performed by one of the few women to pass the exacting Magic Circle
Membership Exam

• I am dynamic, fun and love maths, magic and enthusing children.

• 15 years of performing to children.

SUITABILITY of Magical Maths For Your School

• For KS1, KS2 and KS3 (Workshop tailored to audience)

• Depending on your class timetable 5 or 6 classes can be taught.

Each class will be able to enjoy the mini-show and interactive activities regardless of age, experience, background or ability.

Please contact Jasmine on 07870 215675 or Jasmine@Jasminesmagicparties.co.uk quoting MagicMaths with any queries or take a look at our website www.jasminesmagicparties.co.uk

How can we improve, progress and develop pupils’ reading comprehension skills to the next level?

When learning a new skill, using just one method of practice rarely results in us accomplishing the skill to a high standard. Our skill can improve, but only so far.

To develop and progress the skill further we must, quite simply, change the method of practice.

It therefore follows that for pupils to progress their reading comprehension skills to a higher standard they need to be exposed to an extensive range of challenging and diverse reading comprehension activities.

And this is what we have developed with our series of reading comprehension resources for Years 1 to Year 7 (the Year 7 resource can also be for gifted and talented Year 6 pupils) that offer an impressive range of diverse practice materials.

These are enjoyable for the children to tackle and lead to them attaining a higher level of performance in reading.

The activities in the series range from missing word questions and interrogation of the facts to inference and deduction style questions.

Most question pages are split into three sections. Section A gives an overview of the text with missing words or phrases for pupils to find. Section B contains open-ended questions requiring inference and deduction. Section C is a relevant written challenge for more able pupils or those who work quickly.

The “Comprehension” resources are available as photocopiable books or as full colour ebooks via downloads or on a CD. They also include landscape pages which allow you to make maximum use of space on the interactive white board.

All books in the series include answer sheets at the end of each section.

If you’d like to see exactly how we have tackled this issue there are free sample pages for each resource available from our website.

You can order the Year 1 to Year 7 Comprehension books in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 01772 863158
• By fax to 01772 866153
• By email to sales@topical-resources.co.uk
• By post: Topical Resources, P.O. Box 329, 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
You can follow us on Twitter @topicalr

What every student needs to know…
36 Cyberspace Issues Discussion Cards

Cyberspace Issues will help to engage young people in meaningful discussions and debate about the use and misuse of the Internet, social media and mobile phones, in a range of contexts in and out of the school environment.

The 36 discussion cards cover a wide range of topics which can be used in a number of ways with whole classes, small groups, paired discussion or individual use for research activities.

Topics for discussion include: · Texting in lessons · Cyber bullying · Sexting · Taking pictures then posting them on social media · Online dating · Texting or talking · Misuse of social networking sites · Social chat rooms · Banning electronic devices · Online gambling · Texting in company · Online shopping · Job interviews · Phubbing · Grooming · Plagiarism · Cyber blackmail · Gaming · Cyber evidence in court.

The cards also provide an opportunity to establish a considered and agreed set of ground rules to ensure appropriate behaviour is adopted in a consensual way throughout the school.

36 cards All ages

Cyberspace Issues Discussion Cards Ref: 2-265-HH £27.50 + VAT
TO ORDER CLICK HERE

TO ORDER:

By phone: (01604) 870 828
By fax: (01604) 870 986
By email: orders@loggerheadpublishing.co.uk
By post: Loggerhead Publishing,P O Box 928, Northampton, NN7 9AP
By the website: www.loggerheadpublishing.net

The 2015 GCSE AQA PE scenario was released on the 1^st February, and the topic for Section B of this year’s exam is ‘Ben the gymnast’. Effective exam preparation will be essential to help students get to grips with this complex scenario.

How well prepared will your GCSE PE class be? Will they be ready to answer questions on ‘Ben the gymnast’?

Give them the best possible opportunity with the ZigZag Education AQA PE Pre-Release Scenario Exam Preparation Pack. A unique resource, totally focused on maximising exam performance, it contains the material that students need to prepare for the scenario and includes:

1. An introduction to the scenario – what is there and what does it mean? With key terms
highlighted and explained.
2. Clear and concise revision notes, related specifically to ‘Ben the gymnast’ and in spec
order. Activities for every section to develop exam skills and consolidate learning.
3. Section B mock exam questions on the scenario, with useful ‘what is the question asking
you to do’ sections, model student answers and marking tips.
4. Teaching PowerPoints.
5. Structured revision cards.

“Extremely useful. A must for AQA GCSE PE!”
T Williams, HoD & Customer of the 2014 Edition

The GCSE AQA PE Pre-Release Scenario Exam Preparation Pack is available as a photocopy master with site licence (£54). Also available in:

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

Pre-order this year’s pack for dispatch 2^nd March at http://zzed.co.uk/WJ99
(you can also view previews of last year’s resource here)

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | PE-WJ99@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WJ99 to get free postage!

Dr Alan Stokers MindMaths series is a comprehensive photocopiable resource of classroom materials for developing problem-solving skills with able students aged 9-14. The resource is very versatile and both primary and secondary schools have found the resource complements their scheme of work and curriculum.

‘This is a useful resource for departments…….a great type of investigational work’ –
N Macleod Mathematical association and teacher Lomond school.

The CD-ROM contains 10 units containing hundreds of tried & tested activities in worksheet format with comprehensive teaching notes and advice on preparation, planning, plenaries & extension work from well-known education advisor and author Dr. Alan Stoker.

Units include:

1: Number logic
2: Rules
3: Combinations
4: Sequences

We are pleased to be able to offer this resource at the new price of just £79. Once purchased this resource (over 400 pages) may be used throughout the school.

View sample pages and order now at www.tempopublishing.co.uk
Alternatively ring me on 07564 291815. Purchase orders can also been emailed to sales@tempopublishing.co.uk or sent to:

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

Thank you for your time, and please do take a look at the resource.

Jason
Tempo Publishing

Online Student Options Selection – FOR FREE

1. Set-up the subject option choices – Takes less than half hour per year level.

2. If required can apply study streams, restrictions, pre-requisites, subject handbooks etc – Great
for IB programs.

3. Invite students to select their option choices – Mass emails can be sent directly from the
software.

4. Students enter their subject options online – From home, school or anywhere with internet
access.

5. Selection data feeds into our Student Options Module to calculate and build option blocks in
seconds – Or export to Microsoft Excel to use with other programs.
And that’s it. Your subject selections sorted – No printing or postage costs, no admin time and fool proof data entry.

New Version includes Voting Manager – Online voting for Head Boy/Girl, House Captains and school play or trip attendance.

Fully hosted, FREE and unlimited use for 12 months with no obligation to purchase – No software to install and no catch.

Visit our website and create your Free Web Preferences Account – No commitment and no card details required.

Timetabling Solutions

T: 01524 220066

E: dale@timetablingsolutions.co.uk

W: www.timetablingsolutions.co.uk

According to figures from the Dept for Education, the average secondary school teacher has about four working days off a year due to illness. Of course this incorporates teachers who have a long time out with a serious illness as well as the 44% of teachers who are fortunate enough to go a whole year not getting ill at all.

These numbers show why the need for ready-made materials for supply teachers who cover Food Technology classes is as vital as ever. For even when something has been left from the previous lesson, there are always going to be those who finish the work rapidly, and need something else to do.

Which is why the Absent Food Technology Teacher volume of worksheets was developed.

The worksheets within the volume cover a wide range of topics and range of ability – and are all designed so that they can be used as a one-off in an emergency, or as a series of highly varied tasks over a number of days, should the absence be unexpectedly protracted.

Activities range from a discussion on how to prevent the spread of bacteria in the kitchen, to comprehension questions on the methods of food preservation.

Each topic area is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which (for example) the students are required to write a three course menu using only healthy, natural ingredients, and a homework task in which the students have to create an information poster explaining how pasteurisation preserves milk.

The volume covers such topics as diet, vitamins and minerals, safety in the kitchen, food availability, human nutrition, food and religion, food preservation etc. etc.

Each lesson in the volume is printed on a single page and is simple to photocopy instantly for any class that suddenly requires the lesson.

The Absent Food Technology Teacher Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced £30 plus £2.95 delivery.

You can order the Absent Food Technology Teacher worksheets collection by filling in the order form and sending it by fax, email, or post (see contact details below). Alternatively, if you have a school order number, you can order by phone.

First and Best in Education, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH
Telephone: 01536 399 011 Fax: 01536 399 01 Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk