Daily Archives: 16/06/2016

ICT

Choosing the best chair for the IT department can be easier than you might think …….

Postura+Plus+IT+chair-

The Postura Plus IT chair comes from the same “family” as the widely acclaimed Postura Plus four leg classroom chair…in fact the seat and back (usually known as the shell), is exactly the same. Designed to provide excellent lumbar support as well as comfort, the Postura Plus IT chair has a FIVE year warranty and is available with either castors or glides. Depending on which option you choose the seat height range is: 358-468 mm (glides) or 383-493 mm (castors).

There’s a great range of 15 different colours to choose from…..ideal if you are looking to match with new décor or for multiple rooms in your IT suite.

The Postura Plus IT chair is available from Central Educational Supplies at very competitive prices. Full details are on their website:

www.centraleducational.co.uk/it-postura.html

Should you need more information or wish to order please call 020 7515 1797 and ask to speak to Martin Evans who will be pleased to assist. email: info@centraleducational.co.uk

PS. As you are probably aware, delivery lead times are longer in the summer period so please consider ordering sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment at the start of the Autumn term.

Geography

Free sign up for a year to KS3 and GCSE Geography Education Quizzes

Our library of KS3 and GCSE Geography Education Quizzes is free for a whole year and covers an extensive range of topic areas including: Transport, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, International Aid, Trade and Development, Rainforests, Coastal Erosion, Deforestations, Climate Change, Flooding and more!

To see our full range of Geography Education Quizzes for KS3, click here.

And to see our full range of Geography Education Quizzes for GCSE, click here.

Would you like to be able to offer Education Quizzes as home revision or homework to your students? Our education quizzes can be accessed by students on their home computers, tablets and smartphones.

For free sign up for a year to our library of KS3 and GCSE Geography education quizzes, please visit https://www.educationquizzes.com/schools-uk-registrations/

If you would like to know more, please do email admin@educationquizzes.com or call 01406 371799.

Colin King

Music

Celebrate summer with music… Give pupils a lifetime of musical repertoire in weeks

IntroducingOcarinas

Ocarinas are the only musical instruments that can give pupils immediate musical success.

With most instruments, children play just a handful of notes after months of practice and tuition. With Ocarinas, children play a variety of recognisable (and easy-on-the-ear!) tunes after just a few lessons. Successful music-making becomes instantly achievable when whole classes play Ocarinas.

So if your class have had little opportunity to make music this year, now is the time. Play tunes in class, in assembly, at outdoor events. Play Skye boat song, Ode to Joy, Daisy Daisy and let your pupils entertain parents and friends to celebrate the end of the school year and a sunny summer.

As teachers ourselves, we have made sure Ocarina-playing can be taught by any teacher to any group of children. And this accessibility for both children and staff is the reason we received the Best Music Education Product award in 2015. Here’s what the expert panel of judges said…

 The Ocarina “combines creative potential, ease of use, affordability and practicality” Best Music Education Product WINNER in the Music Teacher Awards for Excellence

So if you’d like to give your children the chance to play, just go to www.ocarina.co.uk

Your class set of Ocarinas will last for years…

As a school investment, Ocarinas and Ocarina music books last for decades and can be played by each succeeding year group. Children love them so much that their parents may like to buy them to take away at the end of term. The four ‘p’s say it all…

   ✔ pleasant sound

   ✔ proper music

   ✔ playing for fun as well as achievement

   ✔ performing from the word ‘go’

Ocarina Rainbow Starter Boxes are just £10 per child and come with free teaching resources, or the Star Buy equips every child with an Ocarina and two books with over 50 proper tunes to play, for just £15 each – and of course the teacher is fully resourced with everything needed to teach whole class music. All orders are despatched immediately for delivery to your school within 2-3 days.

 

Ocarinas are Tuned, Durable, Musical, Accessible and Ready-to-play
for Boys, Girls and Teachers too

music@ocarina.co.uk | ocarina.co.uk | 01536 485 963
David Liggins B.Ed (Hons) | Christa Liggins BA (Hons), PGCE
Ocarina Workshop, PO Box 56 Kettering, NN15 5LX

School News

If everyone was fast we’d still never get anywhere

A natural tendency during international tournaments is to allocate each student to a country, often from where they came from. Polish kids will follow Poland, Spanish speakers may follow Spain, Argentina, Latvians to follow Latvia, etc.

An Indian friend of mine reminded me about the Los Angeles Olympics. His son was assigned to India. Others had Britain, Germany, Kenya, USA…. And every day he used to come back and say, India did not win anything, today or yesterday….

Luckily this year’s Olympics are not during School term but even though many parents and children will fail the Tebbit Test, we need to be sensitive. We have published a book about Sports and Sports Day which recognises that you do not have to be fast and showy; sometimes being slow and thoughtful can win the day.

It is called, “Sports Day in the Jungle” where the protagonists are Monkey and Sloth.

This is published both as a normal softback picture book and as an eBook in dual language.

The eBook is part of our Kitabu range of e-picture books, but with a difference. All text is narrated in English and, in the dual language versions, also in the child’s home language. The Olympics are a family affair and the eBooks can be an effective way to bring what is happening in school into the drawing room!

There are activities to build vocabulary and comprehension and a video using pictures and text from the book. The emphasis is on repetition, story-telling, oracy and there are plenty of discussion points in the accompanying teacher’s notes.

Sports Day in the Jungle comes in English and English with 16 language editions, English with Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Hungarian, Italian, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Turkish, Urdu and in English only.

We want you to try these exciting books for yourself and therefore we are offering you a FREE eBook of Sports Day in English and Spanish.

Please click here to get your FREE book.

The eBook library has been very popular and there are over 450 book and 35 languages. These eBooks are not just PDF versions of print books, but each is accompanied with activities and videos.

They can be used on your iPads, Android, Whiteboard or laptop. If you want to see other editions and titles, please click here.

Best wishes

Robene Dutta

Managing Director

uk.mantralingua.com

Maths, School News

Last chance to buy the Mental Arithmetic Series for just £30

As part of our 2016 Summer Sale (which is well underway) we are selling our titles for just £5 a book as we aim to be selling downloads and downloads only from September 2016 (or whilst book stocks last).

Indeed, some of our book stock is now running low, including those in our Mental Arithmetic Series, so now may be your last chance to buy the Mental Arithmetic Series for just £30.

The Mental Arithmetic Series includes:

Mental Arithmetic Questions for Year 2 (£5)

  • Covers National Curriculum Levels 1-2
  • Numbers to 200
  • Key Numeracy Strategy Objectives for Year 2
  • 30 sets of teacher questions with answers plus 30 photocopiable pupil answer sheets with prompts
  • 3 easy questions to start each test giving each pupil confidence
  • Repetitive questions which steadily get harder through each book
  • A wide mathematical vocabulary as advocated in the National Numeracy Strategy

Mental Arithmetic Questions for Year 3 (£5)

  • Covers National Curriculum Levels 2-3
  • Numbers to 500
  • Key Numeracy Strategy Objectives for Year 3
  • 30 sets of teacher questions with answers plus 30 photocopiable pupil answer sheets with prompts
  • 3 easy questions to start each test giving each pupil confidence
  • Repetitive questions which steadily get harder through each book
  • A wide mathematical vocabulary as advocated in the National Numeracy Strategy

Mental Arithmetic Questions for Year 4 (£5)

  • Covers National Curriculum Levels 2-4
  • Numbers to 1,000
  • Key Numeracy Strategy Objectives for Year 4
  • 30 sets of teacher questions with answers plus 30 photocopiable pupil answer sheets with prompts
  • 3 easy questions to start each test giving each pupil confidence
  • Repetitive questions which steadily get harder through each book
  • A wide mathematical vocabulary as advocated in the National Numeracy Strategy

Mental Arithmetic Questions for Year 5 (£5)

  • Covers National Curriculum Levels 3-4
  • Numbers to 10,000
  • Key Numeracy Strategy Objectives for Year 5
  • 30 sets of teacher questions with answers plus 30 photocopiable pupil answer sheets with prompts
  • 3 easy questions to start each test giving each pupil confidence
  • Repetitive questions which steadily get harder through each book
  • A wide mathematical vocabulary as advocated in the National Numeracy Strategy

Mental Arithmetic Questions for Year 6 (£5)

  • Covers National Curriculum Levels 3-5
  • Numbers to 1,000,000
  • Key Numeracy Strategy Objectives for Year 6
  • 30 sets of teacher questions with answers plus 30 photocopiable pupil answer sheets with prompts
  • 3 easy questions to start each test giving each pupil confidence
  • Repetitive questions which steadily get harder through each book
  • A wide mathematical vocabulary as advocated in the National Numeracy Strategy

Mental Arithmetic Questions for Year 7 (£5)

  • Ideal for Primary School Gifted and Talented Pupils.
  • Covers National Curriculum Levels 4 to 5+
  • Numbers to 10,000,000
  • Key Numeracy Strategy Objectives for Year 6/7
  • 30 sets of teacher questions with answers plus 30 photocopiable pupil answer sheets with prompts
  • A wide mathematical vocabulary as advocated in the National Numeracy Strategy

As always, you can order any of our resources by:

  • visiting our website
  • calling 01772 863158
  • faxing 01772 866153
  • emailing sales@topical-resources.co.uk            
  • or by sending your order in the post to Topical Resources, P.O. Box329, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5LT

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

English, School News

Pupils love poetry and song.

To help schools enjoy and promote the reciting and learning of poetry, the Performance Poetry Society is offering Primary Schools the opportunity of having Jim MacCool’s Interactive Poetry and Song Shows to visit this Autumn.

Jim MacCool’s Shows have proved to be suitable for all ages and abilities of primary school pupils and will enrich and entertain your pupils and staff alike.

Here are some comments on schools’ Web pages and newsletters, after Jim’s visit.
A Poet Visiting Kings Avenue School
On Tuesday the 26th April a fantastic poet named Jim MacCool came to Kings Avenue to tell us about his job. The assembly was so upbeat it was like a concert. We did loads of singing; everyone was having so much fun. He did riddles and was very inspirational. He inspired me to write more poems. Jim brought some fabulous instruments; I want to give Jim special thanks for being so inspiring.
By Lattisha – 5S
Jim MacCool at Cragside School
We were so pleased to have Jim MacCool from the Performance Poetry Society today.
He performed for reception to year 6, including parents and grandparents, and had everyone clapping, stomping and joining in with a variety of Scottish and Irish verse.
It was fabulous to see the children sharing such an exciting experience with their families.
We’re all now looking forward to the children writing and presenting their own performance poetry in the classroom. Thanks so much to everyone who came and joined in the fun; sharing the experience with parents and grandparents was very special and exciting for the children.

To find out how your school  can take advantage of this opportunity and join in, please telephone me, Sandra Dennis on 0208 688 6951 or email performancepoetry@yahoo.com for further details.

THE PERFORMANCE POETRY SOCIETY

Working In Universities, Colleges, Schools, Arts Centres, Libraries And Prisons

www.octoberisnationalpoetrymonth.co.uk

The Performance Poetry Society is the longest-serving provider of quality Poetry Services to Schools.

Performance Poetry Society
Tigh a Bhaird
7 Harepit Close
Croydon
CR2 6PN

Tel. 0208 688 6951
performancepoetry@yahoo.com

October is National Poetry Month
We operate throughout the year.

www.octoberisnationalpoetrymonth.co.uk

Courses, Workshops

Academic Summer Schools 2016 – Additional Places Now Available

The Debate Chamber Summer Schools 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.

We now have additional dates and/or places for the following events:

The English Literature Summer School for 15-18s, now in three 5-day blocks to allow time for greater discussion of contemporary literature, and a more in-depth look at various literary critical perspectives. Students can come to Part 1 for literature up to 1790, including Chaucer, Shakespeare and Milton, to Part 2 for literature of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, or to the brand new Part 3 which covers contemporary poetry, prose and drama. Additional places now available for Part 3 (Contemporary Literature) on the 22nd-26th August.

The Physics Summer School, for students who have completed AS Maths at the time of the course, covers a range of topics including thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, astrophysics and relativity. This course offers a chance to explore some challenging undergraduate level material selected to engage and inspire bright students keen to push themselves beyond the school curriculum. Additional places now available for this course on the 18th-22nd July.

The History Summer School, for students aged 15-18, is an intensive five-day course which looks at historiographical questions and historical methods, using seminars, lectures, activities and informal discussions. Topics are selected to challenge and broaden the historical outlook of participants, and give a taste of what the subject is like at undergraduate level. Additional places now available for this course on the 1st-5th August and 22nd-26th August.

There is also some limited availability remaining on other courses, including the Civil and International Law Summer Schools, the Philosophy Summer School, and the Young Doctors Summer School (for students aged 11-14).

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 2016. 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

Drama

Exceptional Drama Teaching Resources

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UniTasterDays

Search Taster Day Events – helps Drama teachers to discover an array of events to book students on to, such as university and college taster days, workshops, residentials, open days, outreach events and widening participation opportunities.

Email: info@unitasterdays.com
Telephone: +44(0)208 798 0982

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ZigZag Education

Drama & Theatre Studies Teaching Resources – Shine a spotlight on key practitioners, place devised performance centre stage, raise the curtain on live theatre evaluation and get behind the scenes on the exam. Written by teachers, examiners and Drama experts who are keen to share their knowledge, the full range of Drama resources will take your students from the green room to standing ovation.

Email: sales@ZigZagEducation.com
Telephone: 0117 950 3199
Postal address: ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol, BS10 5PY

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First and Best in Education

New Essential Drama Skills – a compendium of creative drama lessons and scripts for teachers. The scripts have been used for public performances and as examination pieces over the years. Two of the duologues have been included in the LAMDA Examinations Acting Anthology Volume 3.

A Student’s Guide to Auditioning for Drama School – written to help your students work towards achieving that desired place at Drama School.

Drama Depot Practical Activities (KS3) – Forty new lessons with warm ups to develop the creativity and expressive talents of the individual in the context of the whole group.

Here comes Godot now! 12 plays (GCSE) – contains 12 plays each containing multi-roling and the variety of theatrical techniques that exam boards now seem to love.

Into Action! A Modular Approach to Drama – This book of structured drama lessons will be invaluable to the drama teacher working with students on exam courses in Drama, Performing Arts or Expressive Arts. All lessons are complete with recommendations for warming up, preparation notes, objectives and suggestions for debriefing and discussion at the end of the lesson.

Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk
Telephone: 01536 399007
Postal address: Hamilton House Mailings Ltd, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants, NN17 4HH

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You can find more Exceptional Teaching resources at exceptionalteaching.org.uk