It’s always nice to get something for nothing and until July 31 you can get 50 FREE (black ink) pens and 50 FREE metal compasses with your orders (details below).

Every year about this time we try to offer our customers a little extra, partly to say “thanks for your business during the year” and also to see if we can tempt schools which have never ordered from us before.

So here’s the deal…..

When you order 100 or more Casio FX 83GT+, Casio FX 85GT+ or the LK 183 scientific calculators we’ll give you a pack of 50 good quality black ink pens……completely FREE…. and if you can stretch to ordering 120 of the calcs then in addition to the FREE pens we’ll also give you 50 metal compasses and half pencils completely FREE.

But wait, that’s not all…….

We (fairly) recently introduced a new product, the Value Maths set, which has proved to be popular with many schools, especially just before exams.

The Value Maths set comprises a 180 degree protractor, metal compass and half pencil, two quality black ink pens, a full length HB pencil, eraser, metal sharpener and a 15 cm ruler, all packed in a convenient A5 size clear PVC “exam friendly” wallet with a zip slider. From just £1.10 ex vat it’s a handy (and cost effective) way of providing your students with the basics they need for maths lessons and exams.

Ordering is easy. Just call 020 7515 1797, or fax to: 020 7515 4420 or email signpost@talk21.com
or post to: Signpost Educational Ltd., PO Box 999, London E14 6SH

Details of our products can be found at: http://signposteducational.co.uk/student-packs/

PS. If you need more information call Martin Evans on 020 7515 1797 and he’ll be pleased to help.

Mental resilience for the year ahead. Develop your students’ motivation, engagement and attainment.

Mental resilience and well-being are concepts that are gaining recognition within schools because of the growing evidence that happier individuals perform better both academically and socially (Seligman, 1991; Lyubomirsky, King & Diener, 2005).

The pressure for students to perform well during the exam years can become stressful for both students and staff. Managing this stress and supporting students to stay motivated throughout the year ahead and focus on their goals is essential. Some students will need more support than others but everybody can benefit from exercises that challenge them to think differently about their situation, strive for more in life and align their goals with their values.

The earlier students are encouraged to develop their mindset and focus on resilience for the year ahead the better. Raising grades does not happen overnight, you need a structured programme that can be used from the outset all the way to the start of the exams.

Our solution comes in the form of eight worksheets in a ready-made booklet – ‘Greatest Strength Workbook for Students’. It comes with a free teacher’s guide and is available as an instant download. The teacher’s guide and a sample can be downloaded for free to get you started. The full license to print for use with your whole school is only £49.99.

Helping students learn to overcome stress, teaching them to motivate themselves, encouraging them to plan for the future and develop confidence to try new things are essential skills. They help to build mental resilience and enhance overall mental well-being.

To develop these skills, students must explore them. Finding time in the school day to focus on these areas can be challenging and you may not have the resources or ideas to hand to achieve the desired result. But could you find ten minutes to introduce an activity that was already prepared?

The full details are available at: http://newset-training.com/students.html

Thanks and I wish your students the best for their up-coming exams.

Clare Martin

Newset Training

What is the best way to ensure that art and design students present a good case study?

For anyone who has never previously presented a case study or undertaken their own research, the whole notion of what they are being asked to undertake can be completely overwhelming and daunting.

Indeed, if there is one question on their lips at that moment when the issue is first raised, it is most likely to be “What am I supposed to do?”

The problem is, of course, that they find themselves not just coming to terms with the issue of what GCSE art is all about, but simultaneously with the question of what research is and how it can be presented.

A lack of understanding can lead to a lack of confidence in what one is doing, and as a result some students can dither, unable to start for fear of doing the wrong thing or present work that is inappropriate or way below the standard that you know they could achieve.

To help overcome this problem Pam Bradshaw has produced Presenting Research in Art and Design.

It starts by examining what a case study is and how to research, structure and present a comprehensive and successful piece of work.

It goes on to work through four separate examples with workpacks on a painter (Van Gogh), a designer (Vivienne Westwood), an art discipline (African masks) and an art movement (Pop Art).

Each workpack contains sections on contextual studies, objective description and subjective response, with worksheets on the compilation and ordering of information and its presentation.

There is also a section on both solo and group oral presentations – an area which is often a source of extreme anxiety for students. This section includes tips and exercises on research, structuring and the presentation skills required.

Presenting Research: Art and Design GCSE
Publisher’s reference: T1598emn ISBN: 978 1 86083 637 4
Sample pages can be viewed on www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/T1598.pdf

Prices

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

You can purchase the book…

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399 011
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=439