What is the best way of being aware of the personal and social issues being faced by those we teach?

With many young people their behaviour tells us much of what we need to know about their lives.  Indeed it is their behaviour that makes us aware of any problems that they might be suffering.

But there is no doubt that observation alone won’t always alert us to the fact that some students may be lacking in their understanding of certain key issues of their personal lives and their social situations.

Do they really understand the dangers of sexting? Do they actually know the damage that can be caused by tobacco and alcohol? Is anyone engaging in self-abuse who has slipped beneath the radar? Are there neighbourhood issues that the school is not fully aware of?

A knowledge of these and related issues can make the work of the school much more effective, as you and your colleagues can learn more about the students’ lives and about the dynamics existing in each class.

We can, for example, begin to see if those attending the school are getting suitable breakfasts. We can see if all the students feel safe on their way to and from school. We can discover if there is an otherwise hidden sub-culture of extremism, racism, or intolerance evolving.

Of course, if your colleagues try to ask such questions in class, it can be hard to get answers from the very people whose answers might be the ones they most need to hear.  Which is why many schools are turning to an alternative way to get this information.

This alternative approach involves using questionnaires covering the well-being and health of pupils and students.  Such a questionnaire can identify the reasons for behaviours and provide a rich source of information that can be used to explore underlying influences.

In short, the professionally structured questionnaire allows us to learn far more about the behaviour and emotions of those we teach, than is possible in any other way.

Youcansay has worked with hundreds of schools across the UK in providing and analysing questionnaires which help Heads of PSHE and senior management in schools learn far more about those they teach than can otherwise be achieved.

To see more information on our Well-being and Health Questionnaire which could be run in your school please click here

If you would like to talk about the questionnaires, their benefits and how they work please do call us on 0118 978 1078. You can also contact us by email service@youcansay.co.uk 

Free KS3 interactive on changes in English!

Show your class how English has been influenced through the ages with our free interactive timeline!

From the Anglo-Saxon period right up to the present technological era, this timeline explores the key historical events which introduced new words into the English language.

What impact did the Viking invasion, the exploration of the New World, and colonization have on the English we speak today? Examples are provided of words we owe to these events and eras, and your students might come up with some of their own too!

Find the interactive on our English free stuff page.

Kind regards,

The Boardworks team

 

Where do you turn to when you need support?

Tackle key issues in a week

We understand that teachers want to keep developing and updating their professional knowledge, but we also appreciate that it is hard to fit this in alongside teaching, planning, marking and, ideally, enjoying some well-deserved down-time.
As busy professionals, when faced with a difficult problem, most teachers also prefer useful advice in the form of workable strategies they can try, rather than lengthy theoretical analyses of the issues.
Here at Critical Publishing we have been trying to get to grips with this problem and have talked to lots of teachers about the way you work and how we can help you to keep up to date in a manageable way. And we think we have come up with a solution!
We are delighted to announce a brand new series, Getting it Right in a Week, aimed at teachers in the classroom, and designed to help you and your colleagues to master key topics in 7 days.
These books are concise and accessible but still take a critical approach. They provide a straightforward, practical collection of suggestions and strategies that can be quickly studied, tried out and evaluated for their usefulness. Underpinning information is concisely presented as ‘A Spot of Theory’.
Designed to meet the immediate practical needs of experienced teachers and trainees alike, most titles in the series are suitable for all age phases and are available in paperback and Kindle editions. The first titles publish on 17 January 2017 and cover:
  • Behaviour Management
  • Lesson Planning
  • Mentoring
“I love the concept.  I think the ‘chapter-a-day’ approach is innovative and ideal – a manageable way for teachers to take charge of their own CPD.”
“these books will not only appeal to teachers buying them as individuals to develop their own practice, but also to those with responsibility for developing staff teams.”
You can learn more about this series on our website – just go to http://www.criticalpublishing.com/getting-it-right-in-a-week. If you click on the Behaviour Management title you will be able to download a free sample chapter.
And we are offering a special pre-publication offer of 3 books for the price of 2. Just add the discount code IAWL3F217 when you get to the checkout.
If you have any questions or queries about Getting it Right in a Week, or would like details of special bulk prices for orders of more than 5 copies please do call 01727 851 462 or email di@criticalpublishing.com
Di Page
Critical Publishing

Going from A to B on a budget

What is the single most effective way of reducing your school’s overall expenditure on school trips (without making cuts to school trips)?

A study which was carried out in America revealed that that a massive 82% of pupils could recall information that they had learnt on a school trip a year later – proving the extent to which learning outside the classroom is beneficial to pupils’ academic attainment.

The problem, however, is that offering lots of learning outside the classroom experiences to your pupils can be expensive to the point of being unaffordable, not least due to the transport that is needed to get pupils from A to B.

Fortunately, there is a solution – a growing number of secondary schools are finding that by leasing a school minibus (meaning that there is no initial large payment required – just a monthly lease fee) rather than purchasing a minibus outright, costs are significantly reduced.

Better still, by leasing a school minibus with Benchmark, any repairs, servicing and the like are included in the arrangement with the costs conveniently built into the lease price.

Moreover, a growing number of secondary schools are also finding that by sharing their minibus with a nearby school that is in the same cluster, trust or council as they are, the transport costs are halved, and thus, their overall expenditure on school outings is reduced.

If you haven’t leased a minibus or thought about sharing one, please do give me a call on 01753 859944 and I can talk you through how it all works.

But if you want to take a look at who we are and what we do before you call, you’ll find more information about leasing at www.minibusleasing.co.uk

How to keep up with the World in STEM

Would you host more Specialist STEM Workshops if you knew parents would pay?

Research suggests that 75% of the fastest growing occupations require a skillset best developed in STEM subjects.  As a result, there has been a worldwide drive to include specialist STEM education in addition to the standard science curriculum.  The UK has been one of the leading nations in doing so in the past but we are starting to fall behind countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong as funding is becoming harder to find.

So, imagine being able to host leading enrichment and extension programmes without affecting the timetable or adding to teacher workloads.  More importantly, imagine hosting such workshops on a non-school day – knowing in advance that there was strong support from parents who would pay toward the costs in order to give their child that extra advantage for the future.

Now imagine being able to choose schemes with the added security that they have been proven to work and recommended by every host school for over a decade.

Thinkers in Education can offer you a way to do all of this with ease – in three simple steps:

  1. You request any of the available event dates in the year and we hold it for you on a provisional basis whilst we send you marketing materials to distribute. (Requesting a Saturday means the timetable is unaffected but term dates and holiday schools are also available)
  2. Your school distributes the materials to students/parents as you would details about a school trip.  You can choose from CSI Thrillers or Space Adventures.  This approach raises the profile of your STEM provision and makes it possible to gauge interest levels for your event.  We hold your date(s) for free for 21 days from the date you receive the materials.
  3. If student/parental interest proves to be high enough – your event costs will be covered and you confirm your date.  If not, we can cancel the event request or talk about alternatives.  Easy.  No Cost.  No Commitment.

Most schools are surprised by the number of parents eager for their son/daughter to be included in these extra-curricular programmes and minimum numbers are easily reached. Of course, Pupil Premium funding can be used too.

Every participant receives a certificate of achievement listing the STEM skills developed (a valuable addition to their portfolio when making applications for university and employment) whilst the school receives a performance report for every participant.

It is this level of detail combined with our ‘gamified’ learning style that helps to make our workshops an exceptional experience.  To find how to minimise the costs of your event please visit our website.

Alternatively, you can email info@thinkersineducation.co.uk or call us on 01603 520866

Matt Hackett

Thinkers in Education 

Reducing Unnecessary Teacher Stress

Dear  Headteacher

Many teachers suffer from stress caused by pupils’ disruptive behaviour.  How much does this cost your school each year?

A new approach has been developed to largely solve this problem – The Integrative Holistic model of Play Therapy.  This has been developed in the UK and is now being used in over 1500 primary schools in the UK and 45 other countries.

When therapy is delivered to the standards of Play Therapy UK, between 77% and 84% of the children show a positive change as observed by teachers and parents.

Training for SENCOs, Teachers and Teaching Assistants is available at 13 conveniently located venues in the UK.  Post Graduate awards by Leeds Beckett University.   The training meets the requirements of the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, an independent UK government funded agency.  www.playtherapyregister.org.uk

Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills – 15 days spread over 5 three day weekends to minimise time away from school.

Your investment in this training will soon be repaid by a reduction in the costs of teacher stress.

Find out more about the model, if it’s suitable for your school and our innovative training methods by attending a one day Introduction to Play Therapy Course.

For more information: Email me personally at  mokijep@aol.com

Kind regards

Monika Jephcott – Chief Executive Play Therapy UK

KS4 Quick Tests from Doddle Maths aid assessment and progress

Doddle KS4 Maths helps you to keep tabs on your students’ progress with a huge variety of targeted quick tests.

Self-marking, formative quizzes check your students are confident in their knowledge of fractional indices, using units, compound percentages, and much, much more.

Detailed recap slides instantly correct students and address any gaps in their understanding.

Score breakdowns automatically feed into your markbook, enabling you to diagnose weaknesses easily and personalise your feedback and support.

Book a visit
Find out more about Doddle’s interactive resources, homework quizzes and automatic online markbook by booking a free in-school visit with one of our Educational Consultants.

Philippa
Doddle

Summer Schools 2017 – Booking Now Open

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.

Highlights of Summer 2017:

The Medicine Summer School for students aged 15-18 offers a series of two-day events with specialist sessions on cardiology, paediatrics, oncology, emergency medicine and many other topics – enabling students to attend a wide-ranging introduction or select the sessions most relevant to their interests.

The Summer Law School for 15-18s, in three distinct five-day Parts to allow time for more cases, more analysis and more debate on some of the most intriguing legal questions. Students can choose to focus on Criminal Law, Civil Law or International Law, or to attend all three Parts for a comprehensive introduction to legal study.

The History Summer School for students aged 15-18 looks at some of the most significant and subtle historiographical questions – the possibility of historical truth, the methodology of its pursuit and the political and ethical responsibilities of historians to both the past and the future. With a variety of debates, seminars and activities, this is a lively and engaging introduction to some very challenging material.

Our Physics Summer School is now in two separate five-day events, with Part One being relatively maths-light and open to all students from 15 upwards, and Part Two more mathematically focused, and reserved for students who will have completed AS Level (or equivalent) Maths by Summer 2017. For keen Mathematicians we also have the Maths Summer School, which is a five-day course open to students who will have completed Maths AS level or equivalent by Summer 2017.

For those interested in the Humanities, we have Summer Schools in Economics, International Relations, History, and Politics, while Arts enthusiasts should take a look at the English Literature, Classical Civilisations, Art History, Critical and Cultural Theory, or Philosophy Summer Schools (all for students aged 15-18).

Last but not least, we also have a smaller number of courses available for younger students (ages 11-14) in Law, Medicine, Creative Writing and Science subjects.

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 2017. 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.

 

SoundField trial in all UK schools

Imagine every student hearing clearly every word their teacher says

Do your students hear all the teaching and instructions in their classroom?

There is a simple and free way to find out – and that involves having a free SoundField demonstration in your school – a demonstration which leaves you or your colleagues with nothing to do other than try the equipment out for a few weeks.

Set up in the classroom takes just 15 minutes and after that you can use it straight away. You’ll find that all the children become engaged immediately, the teacher will never have to raise or strain their voice, everyone (even the children with poorer hearing and attention) will hear perfectly, and the tendency of some children to make noise in the classroom will diminish.

All you have to do is simply tell us when it is convenient to visit, and we will bring it to you and show the relevant teacher how to use it.

There is more information about our most popular SoundField system, the Swift Digital, on our website here: www.connevans.co.uk/product/3109896/

The Swift Digital SoundField system is designed by Connevans, the UK’s leading manufacturer of Classroom SoundField systems used all over the UK.

To arrange a free three-week trial simply call or email and leave the rest to us!

You only pay the invoice if you decide to keep the equipment, and as a special trial offer there is a 10% discount on the Swift Digital if you keep it after the trial.

In addition, if you would like us to have a look at your school hall or offer advice regarding simple equipment to help ensure the school is complying with the Equalities Act for visitors who are hard of hearing, we will be pleased to help.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Phil Boswell
Director

As of 2016 we are very proud to be … by Appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Manufacturer and Supplier of Audio Equipment  https://www.royalwarrant.org/directory?query=connevans

 

What lies beneath?

What is the best way of ensuring that we are aware of the personal and social issues being faced by those we teach?

In the case of many young people their behaviour tells us much of what we need to know about their lives. Indeed it is their behaviour that makes us aware of any problems that they might be suffering.

But there is no doubt that observation alone won’t always alert us to the fact that some pupils and students are lacking in understanding of certain key issues.

Do they really understand the dangers of sexting? Do they actually know the damage that can be caused by tobacco and alcohol?  Is anyone engaging in self-abuse who has slipped beneath the radar?  Are there neighbourhood issues that we are not aware of?

A knowledge of these and related issues can make the work of the PSHE department and the school much more effective, not just in terms of each student’s life but also in terms of the class’ own dynamics.

We can, for example, begin to see if those attending the school are getting suitable breakfasts.  We can see if the pupils and students feel safe on their way to and from school.  We can discover if there is a sub-culture of extremism, racism or intolerance evolving.

However, the problem is that if we try to ask such questions in class, it is hard to get answers from the very people whose answers might be the ones we most want to hear.  Which is why many schools are turning to an alternative way to get this information.

This alternative approach involves using questionnaires covering the Well-being and Health of pupils and students. Such a questionnaire can identify the reasons for behaviours and provide a rich source of information that can be used to explore underlying influences.

In short, the professionally structured questionnaire allows us to learn far more about the behaviour and emotions of those we teach, than is possible in any other way.

You can say has worked with hundreds of schools across the UK in providing and analysing questionnaires which help Heads of PSHE and senior management in schools learn far more about those they teach, than can otherwise be achieved.

To see more information on our Well Being and Health Questionnaire which could be run in your school please click here

If you would like to talk about the questionnaires, their benefits and how they work please do call us on 0118 978 1078, you can also contact us by email service@youcansay.co.uk

Engaging animations in Doddle ICT and Computing

Use the animations in Doddle ICT and Computing to simplify complex computing processes such as heuristic algorithms, print spooling, and subroutines.

Our interactive animations are perfect to talk through with your whole class to reinforce key principles. They could equally be assigned to students to aid their individual study, and to make sure they feel entirely confident with the topic.

Book a visit
Find out more about Doddle’s interactive resources, self-marking homework quizzes and automatic online markbook by booking a free in-school visit with one of our Educational Consultants.

Philippa
Doddle

 

What is the most effective way of increasing the effectiveness of your school’s noticeboard?

Once upon a time the noticeboard was one of the few ways that a school could effectively communicate with parents. Whilst today there are numerous other possible channels of communication, there are some simple measures that you can take to ensure that the school notice board captures the attention of parents while waiting at the school gates or, indeed, passing by.

Firstly, to ensure that your notices don’t get missed by parents, pin them no higher than approx. a third down from the top of the board because (it has been proven) that the eye never seems to start at the top.

Secondly, ask an interesting open question that might genuinely interest the parent. For example, let’s say that the notice is about the implementation of a new homework policy. By heading the notice with a question, such as, How can you ensure that homework time is a stress-free time?, parents’ interest will be piqued, encouraging them to read on.

These are just two ways to resurrect the school’s noticeboard so that parents take notice, and I’m sure that quick Google search will reveal many more.

Indeed, if your school is thinking about buying a new school noticeboard, Greenbarnes has a range of styles which you can see on our website.

Alternatively, please do call us on 01280 701093 and we’ll be pleased to discuss our boards, send you a brochure, and give any advice and guidance that you may require.

Raising boys’ achievement – what can schools do?

A three hour workshop exploring:

  • ‘The Boy Problem’ – boy’s participation in education
  • Male learning styles
  • Misreading males?
  • The importance of addressing literacy concerns
  • The male-inclusive classroom
  • A whole-school strategy?
  • Practical solutions (including the hard-to-reach).

This is an evidence-based, experiential workshop; participants will be informed of useful methods to engage and maintain boys’ interest in education and will be encouraged to consider a whole-school strategy to improve boys’ achievement.

£895 – we come to your school.

Please quote EC1116 when replying to this promotion.

Liam Kernan

liam@mengage.co.uk
♦ 07788725318

Students who regularly test their literacy and numeracy skills with web-based games progress fastest overall across the subjects

According to recent research carried out by Andrew Gallacher (an education coordinator at the University of Glasgow) students who regularly test their numeracy and literacy skills with web-based games progress fastest overall across the subjects.

Which is exactly why Education Quizzes exists – and why we are offering free sign up for schools to Education Quizzes for a whole year.

Our library of KS3 History Education Quizzes covers an extensive range of topic areas, making them ideal for revising the knowledge that your students have learnt in their History lessons, past and present.

Education Quizzes are also ideal to set as homework tasks as they involve little to no PPA time – giving you more time to focus on planning and preparing future lessons and assessing the work of your students from lessons which have gone before.

To see the KS3 History Education Quizzes that we have produced thus far, toggle through the Topic area links below. Alternatively, you can email admin@educationquizzes.com to request more information.

And if you would like to sign up free to Education Quizzes for a year, simply visit our schools’ registration page – www.educationquizzes.com/schools-uk-registrations/.

Education Quizzes image

Topic area

Abolition of Slavery in the USA 

Queen Mary Tudor 

The Black Death 

The Cold War 

The First World War

The French Revolution

The Industrial Revolution

Women and the Vote

See more

 

Join ATM and bring New Ideas to your Mathematics Classroom

ATM welcomes everyone, from all levels, with an interest in mathematics education.  Join and become part of a community of mathematics educators which access to stimulating activities, thought provoking research and genuine good practice in the classroom.   As a member of ATM you will gain access to a wealth of support, information and ideas.

You can join now by Direct Debit in 10 instalments for a full years membership, and instantly access the full library of journal articles, plus all the other benefits that membership brings.

That is just ten monthly payments of between £2.50 and £7.00 (depending of the membership type selected.

ATM Member Benefits

ATM membership is for anyone who has an interest in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Personal members receive their own individual copy of the *MT journal (five per year) in addition to access to the extensive library of electronic journals dating back to issue one, containing thousands of interesting and useful articles to use in your teaching.  Members also have access to the member-only resources, a 25% discount on publications and considerable further discounts on events and conferences.

*e-membership provides a greener alternative for our members by operating on a purely electronic basis.

Sign-up today and receive instant online access to all ATM member-only benefits.

ATM also has a full range of high quality publications that are written by teachers, for teachers.

www.atm.org.uk/Shop

Karen Foster – Commercial Officer
Association of Teachers of Mathematics
Tel:01332 346599  Fax 01332 204357

Classroom collaboration like you have never seen before

How can Nureva™ Span™ improve learning in the classroom?
With the Nureva™ Span™ “all-in-one” platform, pupils can capture their thoughts on a tablet and then share these thoughts on the interactive board – creating an immersive learning environment that will foster group discussion and group learning, and classroom collaboration like you have never seen before.

To see how the Nureva™ Span™ “all-in-one” platform works in a classroom environment, Smarter Interactive has made a video which you can view at www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTlyqQMtxYg&feature=youtu.be.

Can we try Nureva™ Span™ before we buy?
You and your colleagues can visit Smarter Interactive where you will be given an extensive demo of the Nureva software. We will also answer any questions that you might have about Nureva™ Span™.

Where can I find more information about the specifications of Nureva™ Span™?
The unique ultra short throw 16:6 projector creates an image of up to 3m wide (you can combine more than one projector to create a 6m wide image) and has an estimated life of 25,000 hours. The Laser Touch module can support up to 10 points of touch (20 points on a dual screen system) and the Span Software stores each “canvas” in the cloud making it accessible from any internet enabled device. To view Nureva™ Span™‘s full specifications, visit www.smarterinteractive.co.uk/nureva-span/nureva-span-in-education/.

Will Smarter Interactive support the school after its installation?
Smarter interactive will contact you to see how things are progressing. We are on hand with any questions you may have and you will be given extensive training with the software so that you and your colleagues feel confident going forward.

Do you have feedback from schools who already use Nureva™ Span™?
Yes….             “Smarter interactive ensured that the installations did not impact the staff or children, as it was installed at a time that suited us. Any issues were dealt with effectively and swiftly. They were available consistently to support us as we needed them.  They have organized a maintenance schedule and have followed through with it.

“I would definitely recommend Smarter Interactive and am aware that our Headteacher has already shared the experiences with other Headteachers in UK and Ireland as well as with teachers from Singapore on recent training.” – St Vincent’s Primary School

Can I contact Smarter Interactive to discuss Nureva™ Span™ and/or to find out how much Nureva™ Span™ costs and whether there is a finance option available?
To discuss Nureva™ Span™ with an expert, you can call us on 0118 366 0010, email us at enquiries@smarterinteractive.co.uk or visit our website and scroll down to use our online enquiry form where you can organise a call back, web meeting, a product demo

Why tell tales?

What is the one cultural activity that all children love, and which is also fundamental to our survival?

Storytelling is as old as homo sapiens, and is our most profound way of learning about ourselves and those around us. About what is, what was, and what might be.

As such it is the heart and soul of our imaginations, our creativity and our civilisation, and it is our principle survival tool. It is in fact the mechanism that has allowed us to survive, flourish, and create civilisations.

Because of this we still need stories as a way of uniting ourselves in families and societies, which is why novels and dramas continue to be at the very heart of our existence.

Indeed even a single sentence can get us going. Try this for example….

Sam went to the end of her garden, and ran her hand through the flowers that grew there.

We are at once transported, and so the story begins.

There are many ways of bringing more and more stories to the children you teach.  But there is one in particular that I would like to bring to your attention: The Snail Tales Storytelling Bonanza.

This involves you working with the local nurseries and playgroups that feed into your school, and/or other primaries in your area, so all their children and yours can enjoy the show and some accompanying workshops in your school’s hall.

The price of the session is fixed irrespective of the number of pupils involved. So invite as many other schools and playgroups as you can, each need only make a very modest financial contribution – while you, as the host, pay nothing.

You can even host a public performance in your hall after school for parents and families to attend too, making it even more likely that your school won’t have to pay a penny.

Of course, it is entirely up to you how you arrange it – but certainly using storytelling as the heart of the introduction to your school can not only stimulate imagination and break down boundaries, but also reduce the worry that some children have on attending school for the first time.

To begin organising your Storytelling Bonanza you can call us on 020 328 76245 to discuss the details, or visit our online booking form.

Or, if you have an immediate question, please do either call 020 328 SNAIL (020 328 76245) or visit our Contact Us page

 

“A problem shared is a problem halved”, but how exactly does this relate to your school’s minibus?

The school minibus poses something of a problem: for your Finance Manager in respect of cashflow forecasting and bureaucracy and for the person in charge of keeping it operational in respect of organising its MOTs, services and repairs.

Fortunately, we have a solution to cut the problems associated with the school’s minibus by half. The answer is to share the minibus with another school in the same cluster, trust or council as you are – resulting in half the costs, half the work, and half the problems.

Better still, if you lease a minibus with Benchmark Leasing, there is the added benefit of improved cashflow (as you pay a set fee each month – no more, no less) and it often works out to be much cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one considers the re-sale value), or indeed hiring a coach each time.

Furthermore, a full maintenance programme is included, so no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

If you haven’t leased a minibus or thought about sharing one, please do give me a call on 01753 859944 and I can talk you through how it all works.

And if you want to take a look at who we are and what we do before you call, you’ll find more information about leasing at  www.minibusleasing.co.uk

Enchanted News

Customer quote, “What an inspiration, to make a playhouse with a roof like a hard back book! And all the stools made as a pile of books! Now that should inspire them to read more.”

If the project is 400k or 4k, Enchanted will always come up with a fantastic design for any size of project.

Themed School Classrooms

With the next school classroom project nearing completion this week and the  significant requirement for more space in schools Enchanted is launching it’s bespoke classroom solution package during November.

‘Enchanted Learning’  is already gaining it’s great reputation in themed classrooms   with Harry Potter/ Hagrid’s Lodge and Tom Sawyer styles, adding that extra dimension to education. Typically, Enchanteds design team will design any possibility and style, manufacture &  install under one umbrella.

Brad Smith at the Kimble office (brad@enchantedcreations.co.uk) is heading up the classroom design and manufacturing team.

http://www.enchantedcreations.co.uk/school-buildings

The London Science Museum opens Wonderlab

The Statoil Gallery on the third floor of the iconic museum has just opened which adds a fantastic new dimension to the collection. Enchanteds involvement in the friction slide area, particularly the bowling alley slide designed and made by Enchanted was a complete triumph; we’re told over one million users will experience it every year! A curved solid Maple wood side with the Walnut markers was a technically challenging design, beautiful Goddard Nov16

 

What not only makes a school successful but also allows it to build on its success?

No school improves by itself.  Schools get better because someone – or better still a group of people – put energy into improving the school.

Linked to this there is a second, equally simple and equally valid observation.  Even the most excellent school will slip back over time, unless something is done, to keep it improving.

So what is it that some school managers are doing which helps improve a school in terms of its Ofsted rating, parental satisfaction and its exam results not just this year but also next year and the year after?

The answer it turns out is rather simple.  They have set up a continuing development and improvement programme.

Not, I hasten to add, a programme that turns the school upside down every term, but a programme that gently tweaks and improves different aspects of school life step by step, and does it in such a gentle way that most of the time, most colleagues don’t notice it happening.

Such an approach works in the background of everyday school life without putting any strain on the school or its members of staff.  Yet the results can be extraordinary.

The entire process is described in The Ever Improving School, a report commissioned and produced by the School of Educational Administration and Management – a body set up with government funding and the support of the government’s Department of Trade and Industry and the University of Northampton Department of Education.

The Ever Improving School is available as a Kindle book for £9.99 and as a download which can be printed out, copied and given to colleagues within the school for £14.95, including VAT.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 852 1   Order code: T1843 – please quote with order.

You can purchase the download copy of the volume

You can purchase the kindle book from Amazon

Deliver core British Values content AND the English National Curriculum

Deliver core British Values content AND the English National Curriculum

The Key Stage 2 British Values series provides a range of non-fiction texts that also helps deliver the requirements for the National Curriculum for English.

Extract from National Curriculum

By Year 3, pupils should be developing their knowledge and skills in reading non-fiction about a wide range of subjects.

Pupils should be learning to justify their views about what they have read: with support at the start of year 3 and increasingly independently by the end of year 4.

The British Values Series of books promotes fundamental British Values. Each book in the series explores key aspect of the fundamental British Values of:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty
  • Mutual respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs.
Gresham book covers

Highly informative content is supported with a range of discussion and written activities.

Find out more here or telephone 01983 761 389.

Thank you

Gresham Books Ltd

Tel: 01983 761389

gresham-books.co.uk

 

What is the most effective way of raising the literacy levels of students who are struggling?

 

There is no doubt about the answer to the question above: it is one-to-one tuition.

But as we all know one-to-one tuition is not possible – at least not for more than a small amount of time each week.  It is simply too expensive.

It is true that this undoubtedly used to be the case – but now the situation has changed.

For the fact is that it is now possible to give a pupil one-to-one tuition in a way that is utterly engaging and responsive to their immediate literacy needs – and within the school’s budget.

The approach involves a totally user-friendly software program which rapidly locates an individual’s literacy needs, directing him/her to an engaging set of activities which will remedy any deficits, before advancing through to the next set of skills.

The benefits of this approach are huge.  First, the pupil or student gets the personalised attention he/she needs; attention which is directed one hundred percent to that individual’s unique literacy level.

Second, the learner finds the approach utterly rewarding and engaging.  Because the level of instruction is so accurately reflective of the individual’s current abilities, s/he gets a feeling of success and progress, rather than that familiar feeling of failure.

Third, because the software activities are so engrossing, staff are now free to work with others in the group.  Indeed, they can rotate the individual students, with some receiving directed help online while others engage with offline paper-based activities, which are generated automatically by the system.

The program in question is Strategies for Older Students from Lexia. Now, of course I recognise that it is easy for me to make claims about rapid pupil and student progress, enormous recovery rates for those who have slipped behind, and the fact that the approach will actually save your school money by reducing dependency on additional staff and training costs.

But before going further, you will want to know what other schools have found when they use the program, and you will of course want to try it out for yourself for a period of time without having to make any commitment.

We’re happy to offer both. If you want to read the case studies involving UK schools please click here.  You will then also find on the right of the page the route to having access to the full program for 30 days without any payment or obligation.

If you want to know more about the program, then again we have a wealth of information available on line.

Of course, you may like to talk first – if so, please do call 0191 482 1939 or email info@lexiauk.co.uk

I do hope you will find this approach interesting and consider joining the many other schools now using Strategies for Older Students as their prime method of raising literacy levels for those who require much-needed support.

Rob Kay

LexiaUK Software Consultant.

77 fun ideas for advancing MFL in the Primary Classroom

With activities ranging from The Human alphabet and Foreign language detectives to Secret signal and Be the teacher, you’ll never be stuck for ideas.

In order for your pupils to embrace a new language they must first be confident in their ability to decode the language. And indeed, once decoding has been mastered they will be well on their way to discovering how the new language functions at sentence level.

To help with this we have produced a resource which not only aims to increase pupils’ confidence in language learning, but which also aims to increase pupils’ progress beyond learning simple vocabulary and phrases.

More Fun Ideas for Advancing MFL in the Primary Classroom is a volume containing 77 activities which support the Foreign Languages programmes of Study in the September 2014 National Curriculum where the focus is on practical communication. The activities are suitable for most languages and for a wide range of language topics and will enable the pupils to understand and communicate ideas, facts and feelings in speech and writing.

The fun activities will help pupils learn to manipulate the language, enabling creative communication and giving young learners a feeling of ownership over the language being learnt.

The inherent rationale behind each activity is that it should be enjoyable and interactive, challenging children’s understanding of the language and furnishing them with a purpose for their learning. With activities ranging from the Human alphabet and Foreign language detectives to Secret signal and Be the teacher, you will never be stuck for ideas.

For more information, please visit https://www.brilliantpublications.co.uk/book/more-fun-ideas-for-advancing-modern-foreign-languages-in-the-primary-classroom-249.

You can order More Fun Ideas for Advancing MFL in the Primary Classroom for £13.99 in a variety of ways, including:

  • by visiting the website
  • by phone on 01449 766629
  • by fax on 01449 768047
  • by email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk
  • or by post to Brilliant Publications, Mendlesham Industrial Estate, Norwich Road, Mendlesham, Suffolk, IP14 5ND.

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 768047

An easy way to impact your alternative curriculum to increase outcomes

Do you have an effective Alternative Curriculum at your school?

Are your suspended or excluded, vulnerable, persistently absent or disengaged students achieving their full potential?

How would you like access to a system that will help these students re-engage with their education, facilitating every chance for every child?

Or would you prefer a system that will monitor progress, achievement, attendance and work rate to produce comprehensive reports with no more than a couple of mouse clicks?

How about a cost-effective online learning platform that does all of this and more?

EDLounge is an inclusive online resource able to greatly enhance the educational offerings for students undertaking alternative and flexible learning pathways with support through our remote learning and virtual classroom (EDVirtual).

Students follow extensive learning pathways and programmes within EDLounge which, due to the ease of its set up, can work very easily alongside other provisions that are in place.

Students can also work independently through a bank of learning content which can replace or support in-school learning thus providing a unique package regardless of environment, facilities or budget.

FIND OUT HOW WE INCREASE ATTENDANCE BY 2.9% AND REDUCED EXCLUSIONS BY 170 DAYS IN ONE ACADEMIC TERM

We strive to think outside of the box to achieve success for your target group of students.

Contact us today!

For more information about EDLounge, a two week free trial and/or a live online demo of the functionality of the online learning platform, contact us on 01909 568 338 or email mail@edlounge.com quoting reference code ‘Impact 16’

Kind regards,

Sam Warnes
Creator of EDLounge

T: 01909 568 338

F: 01909 568 350

E: mail@edlounge.com

Successful Gangsta Granny tour extended thru 2017

UK theatre tour of GANGSTA GRANNY by DAVID WALLIAMS continues until July 2017

Great for KS2 Curriculum

GANGSTA GRANNY by the UK’s bestselling children’s author, David Walliams, is now an acclaimed new play suitable for pupils at infant, junior and middle school level (ages 4 to 12) and it will help you cover part of the National Curriculum. The show is currently on tour around the UK until July 2017 before transferring to the West End.

See venue details, photos, reviews and a trailer of the show at www.birminghamstage.com

Special school ticket prices apply at all tour venues and many give free tickets to teachers on duty. Schools can also claim back the VAT on their pupils’ tickets to reduce costs further.

“How do you entertain a thousand deafening under ten-year-olds for two hours? The answer is this cracker of a show, brilliantly adapted and directed, which comes with a smashing cast. It’s totally grantastic!” * * * *  The Mail on Sunday

It’s Friday night and Ben knows that means only one thing – staying with Granny! There will be cabbage soup, cabbage pie and cabbage cake to eat and Ben knows one thing for sure – it’s going to be so boring! But what Ben doesn’t know is that Granny has a secret – and Friday nights are about to get more exciting than he could possibly imagine, as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!

“Kids adore David Walliams’ books and they loved this show. It has an infectious exuberance that answers the writing’s zest and theatricality. Every comic opportunity is grasped!”  * * * * The Daily Telegraph

Gangsta Granny follows Birmingham Stage Company’s hugely popular shows including Horrible Histories, Tom’s Midnight Garden and James and the Giant Peach.

We look forward to seeing you at this amazing children’s adventure!

WHAT THE TEACHERS SAY ABOUT GANGSTA GRANNY!

“Absolutely brilliant – it kept very close to the book and was even better in parts. The show exceeded our expectations – we loved the dancing and the comedy and the scenery was exceptional – so clever how it unfolded. Everyone was truly amazing, with brilliant characterisations. A truly excellent show. You brought the West End to Nottingham!” Highfields School, Newark

“It was an excellent show and very entertaining! It was much funnier than the book and we thought it was very clever. The children loved it! Thank you!” Viscount Beaumont’s C of E, Coalville

” Amazing! Very well portrayed and an accurate representation of the book which more than fulfilled our expectations – it really brought the story to life. The set was so clever and we also loved the costumes. Ben was perfect for the role and everyone did such a great job. No stone was left unturned – we hope David Walliams is proud” Cape Cornwall School

Free Geography activity on the glacier system!

Test your class on their understanding of the glacier system with our free interactive activity!

Make sure your students have grasped inputs, outputs, store and flow by asking them to label a diagram of a glacier.

With the help of clear visuals, this engaging drag-and-drop activity breaks down exactly what is happening in and around a glacier.

It also reinforces the key words your KS4 students will need in order to write about glacial processes with confidence.

Download the free presentation from our Geography free stuff page.

Kind regards,

The Boardworks team

What is the one time you really want learners to talk?

Do our pupils want to communicate? Of course they do. Just listen to them as they come into the classroom and settle down. If we let them, they would never stop talking!

If only we could use that unquenchable urge to talk, and persuade them to do it in French (or German, Spanish etc) instead…

These resources will show you how to begin to get them doing just that. And once they start, you won’t be able to stop them! To hear yourself actually using your new language to achieve a real outcome is highly motivating and makes you eager to learn more.

Let’s face it – some text book language can be uninspiring: “What’s this? It’s a pencil.” What colour is it? It’s red.” How can we help learners to go beyond ‘textbook language’ and use their newly learned vocabulary to ask questions, to ask for help, to say what’s wrong: “I don’t have a pencil. Can I borrow a rubber?”

So why not teach classroom language by enabling learners to say what they really want and need to say?

Easy to say, perhaps, but how is it done? If you have never done this before, and if also you are a non-specialist teacher of languages, how can you make a start? This new set of classroom language resources from highly regarded MLG Publishing (MiniFlashcards) aims to show you how to plan a progressive programme and provides you with a bank of resources for you to use with learners.

Here, in attractive cartoon pictures and soundfiles, you will find examples of commonly occurring language from which you and your learners can choose items to become familiar with through fun activities and games. These will provide a firm foundation for them to build on as they progress, and to grow in confidence as they begin to see using the language can make things happen.

It doesn’t happen all at once, of course, but a phrase a day, or even a phrase a week, soon builds up into a sizeable body of knowledge and skill.

If you would like to try out this approach simply click on our website and download the sample pictures and activities – at www.mlgpublishing.com and select Ici On Parle Français  (Main Volume or Primary Version). Or email us atmailto:mlg@mlgpublishing.com

Engaging audio content in Doddle GCSE English resources

Doddle English resources can enhance your students’ interaction with GCSE set texts. Let our audio content bring literature alive in your classroom!

Audio clips encourage your students to pay attention to rhyme, rhythm and writers’ techniques.

Listen together to works from writers such as Wilfred Owen and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, and see how this affects your students’ interpretations. Hearing readings from Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and The Tempest helps your class make sense of important speeches and encourages discussion of mood and atmosphere.

Book a visit
Find out more about Doddle’s interactive resources, self-marking homework quizzes and automatic online markbook by booking a free in-school visit with one of our Educational Consultants.

Philippa
Doddle

Students who regularly test their literacy and numeracy skills with web-based games progress fastest overall across the subjects

According to recent research carried out by Andrew Gallacher (an education coordinator at the University of Glasgow) students who regularly test their numeracy and literacy skills with web-based games progress fastest overall across the subjects.

Which is exactly why Education Quizzes exists – and why we are offering free sign up for schools to Education Quizzes for a whole year.

Our library of KS3 Science Education Quizzes covers an extensive range of topic areas, making them ideal for revising the knowledge that your students have learnt in their Science lessons, past and present.

Education Quizzes are also ideal to set as homework tasks as they involve little to no PPA time – giving you more time to focus on planning and preparing future lessons and assessing the work of your students from lessons which have gone before.

To see the KS3 Science Education Quizzes that we have produced thus far, toggle through the Topic area links below. Alternatively, you can email admin@educationquizzes.com to request more information.

And if you would like to sign up free to Education Quizzes for a year, simply visit our schools’ registration page – www.educationquizzes.com/schools-uk-registrations/.
Education Quizzes image

Acids and Alkalis 

Atoms and Elements 

Circulatory System 

Food Chains and Webs 

Forces 

Reactions, Equations and Formulae 

Solar System 

Variation and Classification 

See more 

A unique theatrical winter PSHE pantomime for all ages

Tip of the Iceberg Theatre company have been working in schools for over 20 years and develop unique shows that entertain, involve and inspire pupils.  Many of the schools we worked with asked us if we could meet the need for Christmas shows however ones that also met other areas of the curriculum – so we developed “Pantomime Play”. Our pantomimes are a completely new concept that brings PSHE topics to life in a fun and highly interactive pantomime style performance.  Over the last 6 years the shows have proved highly successful and schools have managed to utilise budgets from key target areas to bring a show into school during the winter term.

This year “The National Elf Service” is touring in December and covers the topics of health and wellbeing.  Due to high demand we have decided this week to put out an extra team and we therefore now have a few dates available, including some in the very popular last two weeks of term. Since these shows have become available quite last minute we are offering a £100 discount on one show, £200 discount on half day bookings and £300 on full days, which means that with a school of 200 pupils that’s around £2 per child.

Prices start at £475 for one show (£375 + VAT with discount).

All our shows come as a complete educational package and include a teaching resource pack with games and activities for the classroom.

You can see videos and read reviews of our work on our pantomime website.

www.pantomimeplay.co.uk

We also tour PSHE plays throughout the year on Bullying, Internet Safety, Drugs, and Puberty and offer great package deals when you book more than one show.

We are always happy to discuss options and prices so do please get in touch if you would like more information.

We look forward to hearing from you.

With regards

Lisa Schulberg
(Creative Director)
www.tipoftheiceberg.biz

Scaled scores? Progress 8? Making sense of the changing educational landscape with Doddle

With latest guidelines putting ever greater emphasis on thorough assessment and tracking, finding a whole-school solution to Life after Levels is vital to ensuring whole-school success.

Doddle provides detailed, powerful feedback about students, classes and key cohorts, supplying detailed flightpaths to ensure everyone is clear about targets and can stay on track.

Doddle gives teachers an easy way to achieve this change with a wealth of tailored content for the new specifications that improves the quality of first teaching and enables meaningful interventions.

“Doddle deploys technology in an effective manner to reduce teacher workload, while improving assessment and tracking of student progress” Otis McFadden, Firth Park Academy

Book a free in-school meeting with one of our education experts for a discussion about transition into KS3 and KS4 and achieving a positive Progress 8 score through Doddle.

Alice
Doddle

 

So, why choose LeaversGear?

Hello

For the attention of staff and students interested in ordering Leavers Hoodies for 2017!!

It’s that time of year again, when the thoughts of final year students and relevant staff start to think about Leavers Hoodies.

So, why choose LeaversGear?

Well we could give you many reasons but here are the ones that we think will matter to you.

  • Thanks to the loyalty of our year on year customers, we have not found it necessary to increase our prices for 5 years.
  • We are a company that specialises in Leavers hoodies and school trip hoodies.  So we know what we are doing.  Names will be fitted in properly and we can do any design.
  • You will have personal contact with ONE person throughout the design and easy ordering process.
  • A Detailed draft of your hoodies for your approval before we go to production.
  • We only use branded hoodies.  No cheap rubbish.  You want to be assured of the quality before you buy so please take advantage of our totally FREE sample service.
  • All our prices are per hoodie and include EVERYTHING – set-up, embroidery, print, VAT and delivery.  Just click here to ask for a quote.
  • Easy to use website with interactive design pages and easy contact Form.
hoodie image

There are many more reasons to choose LeaversGear but perhaps our best recommendation is to look at our testimonials.  These are all genuine and if you recognise a school, why not give them a call to see what they thought of our service.

We look forward to hearing from you.  Click here.  Email or phone.  It’s FREE to ask for a quote or even just have a chat about what you want..

We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
The LeaversGear Team

www.leaversgear.com
E-mail: enquiries@leaversgear.com
Freephone: 0800 9545662
Phone: +44 (0) 28 91853974

 

FREE Hoodies for Staff

LeaversGear would be obliged if you could pass this email on to your School Trip Coordinators.  It will definitely be of interest to them.  Especially when we are pleased to announce:-

FREE Hoodies for Staff – Offer now extended to ALL School Trips.

Although LeaversGear are the leading supplier of Leavers hoodies and shirts to schools in the UK, Ireland and Europe, we don’t just do leavers hoodies and shirts, we do all sorts of customised clothing for schools and other organisations.

Dear School Trip Coordinator

We would like to tell you about our FREE Hoodies for Staff Offer.  This has proved very popular for SKI trips and we are pleased to announce that we are now extending the offer to ALL School Trips.

How it works:

Simple really.  For every 10 students going on the ski trip we will provide one FREE hoodie for accompanying staff (fully printed and embroidered with the same graphics) – 40 students = 4 FREE staff hoodies.

We have loads of new designs coming online and we can even put your own ideas into a design making your hoodies totally unique.  School logo embroidered on the front and a large backprint are all included in the all-inclusive price.

Leavers gear hoodies

Please click here to contact us TODAY for a quote.

We will reply promptly with a comprehensive quote; details of our FREE sample service and a draft of what your hoodies could look like.

You can simply use our website contact form or lift the phone and have a chat for free on 0800 9545662.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Kind Regards

The LeaversGear Team

www.leaversgear.com
E-mail: enquiries@leaversgear.com
Freephone: 0800 9545662

Summer Schools 2017 – Booking Now Open

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.

Highlights of Summer 2017:

The Medicine Summer School for students aged 15-18 comprises a series of two-day events with specialist sessions on cardiology, paediatrics, oncology, emergency medicine and many other topics – enabling students to attend a wide-ranging introduction or select the sessions most relevant to their interests.

The Summer Law School for 15-18s, in three distinct five-day Parts to allow time for more cases, more analysis and more debate on some of the most intriguing legal questions. Students can choose to focus on Criminal Law, Civil Law or International Law, or to attend all three Parts for a comprehensive introduction to legal study.

Our Physics Summer School is now in two separate five-day events, with Part One being relatively maths-light and open to all students from 15 upwards, and Part Two more mathematically focused, and reserved for students who will have completed AS Level (or equivalent) Maths by Summer 2017.

For keen Mathematicians we also have the Maths Summer School, which is a five-day course open to students who will have completed Maths AS level or equivalent by Summer 2017.

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, Art History, Critical and Cultural Theory, or Philosophy Summer Schools (all for students aged 15-18).

Last but not least, we also have a smaller number of courses available for younger students (ages 11-14) in Law, Medicine, Creative Writing and Science subjects.

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 2017. 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.

FREE tinted exercise books and Meares-Irlen Syndrome software for schools

We’re giving away free exercise books (lined and squared) to schools for those pupils who suffer from Meares-Irlen Syndrome/Visual Stress. You only pay for the postage cost.

We’re also providing our groundbreaking iPad based app for screening, diagnosing and managing Meares-Irlen/Visual Stress (worth an annual £500 subscription) completely free of charge.

Features include:

Reading speed improvement calculator
Speech recognition feature to detect reading mistakes
Customised tint calculator for glasses (customised tint glasses prices from just £54.99)
Data charts for the school
Unlimited access
Sort results by class and academic year

The Read123 Meares-Irlen Syndrome app has been designed and developed by specialist Opticians. We have been running Meares-Irlen Syndrome clinics across the UK for over 10 years and have helped hundreds of pupils improve their reading and writing. We are members of The Association of Optometrists and are keen participants of their Schools Vision initiative.

You can take the free trial here. Simply contact us on 0800 6890292 or support@read123.co.uk after you have used up the 2 free attempts and we will provide you with a login code for your school.

More information on our website at www.read123.co.uk

What do a high proportion of parents of nursery school children worry about on a daily basis?

Most parents would much prefer to be half an hour early rather than risk being fined for being late picking up their child/ren. Thus it might be that a crowd of parents regularly populate the nursery’s entrance long before the day ends.

Clearly this is a scenario which can be used to your advantage, for what do people do when they are waiting around? They read, everything and anything they can find – signs, posters, Ts & Cs….

Therefore, placing a noticeboard outside the nursery could be a very good investment, for there is no doubt that the notices will be read – making it perhaps the most effective nursery-parent communication system.

If you are thinking about buying a noticeboard to put at the entrance of the nursery, Greenbarnes provides a range of styles which you can see on The Noticeboard Shop.

Alternatively, please do call us on 01280 701093 and we’ll be pleased to discuss our boards, send you a brochure, and give any advice and guidance that you may require.

What is the most effective way of teaching stage lighting within theatre studies courses?

From years of teaching stage lighting to students, a practical, “hands on” stage lighting workshop works best for the students. It is engaging and fun and they learn by doing it!  Suitable for GCSE, A level, Btech students.

The students will learn: how to turn their stage lighting ideas into reality.They will start by building up a 2.5 metre tall fully working theatre, then they will find out about the different types of lights, which lights to use where, then rig and focus them.

They will learn how a lighting plan is created, and a cue list is drawn up. Then they can start “painting with light” and take turns to operate the lighting desk as if running the lights for a real show.

Students will: explore focusing techniques, the use of shutters, barn doors, and irises, then by using a front forest gauze, they will make Macbeth witches appear with their steaming cauldron, while the forest disappears!

Gobos are used in Profile spots to create large scale projected cityscapes, trees, church windows etc, which really can transform your performing space, from the “Forest of Arden” to a grand castle, or New York all in a twinkling of an eye.

Towards the end of the workshop, the visual interest increases yet more with the introduction of simple yet effective star cloths, fire and water projections as well as some famous remote controlled West End sets magically appearing out of a smoke screen.

This workshop will inspire the teachers and the students alike and give lots of ideas to try for themselves, and they will clearly experience how the backstage theatre crafts come together to make a performance work, and be able to write about in their course work.

To find out more go to http://creativelightingdesign.co.uk/worshops

Reviews:  “In my 23 years of teaching drama I’ve yet to find a more interesting and creative way of introducing GCSE students to stage lighting.”    Head of Drama, St Michael’s School, Lancashire

Thanks it was a great big help for the students! They had a fantastic time, were very engaged and have learnt a great deal so thank you! Kind regards,

Maria King Nov Archbishop Lanfranc Academy, Croydon.

To book Call John Watson on: 01773 712130      Mobile 07966 491 543

email; johnwatsoncreativelight@outlook.com

John Watson is a member of the Association of Lighting Designers

Classical concerts at a discount

When you bring students to a concert or event at Town Hall or Symphony Hall Birmingham, there are major discounts…

Week after week, month after month, THSH puts on the most extraordinarily diverse range of concerts.

And now, for the first time, we are able to offer an extraordinary set of discounts to go with our amazingly varied array of performances.

In fact we now have two separate ranges of discount available.

The first is the provision of £5 tickets per pupil or student – with the discount also provided for the seats occupied by yourself and your colleagues.  It doesn’t matter how many or how few students you are bringing along to an event, the tickets cost just £5 each.

Obviously the number of tickets available at this special rate for each concert is always limited, so early booking is advisable – just in case one or two other schools want to come to the same concert as the one you have chosen!

Second, if you are bringing a group of 20 or more pupils or students you can in addition get two free tickets for the organisers.

To see the details of all the classical music concerts that are scheduled for the coming months please do take a look at our website page which outlines the events for which these discounts apply.

Then, to book just call Group Bookings on 0800 358 7070 (10am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) or email groupbookings@thsh.co.uk.  

It really is as simple as that.

If you have any questions about these new discounts, please do call the group bookings number and we’ll be pleased to help you.

Antony Pickthall

Vandal Proof Lockers at no cost to the school

Staylock Ltd manufacture, supply and install vandal resistant school lockers.

 www.staylock.co.uk

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GENERATE INCOME FOR YOUR SCHOOL WITHOUT ANY CAPITAL OUTLAY?

WHILST PROVIDING SAFE STORAGE SOLUTIONS FOR CHILDREN’S BELONGINGS

Install our vandal resistant lockers with 10 year guarantee maintenance provided.

All sizes manufactured and bespoke options.

Choice of locking options – keys, padlocks, code locks

With our all-inclusive low cost rental plan, ensuring no hidden or unforeseen cost to the school during the rental period, and with contributions from parents from as little as 50 pence per week generating a four figure income for the school!

FOR FREE NO OBLIGATION SURVEY AND DISCUSS ADDITIONAL SCHOOL INCOME

Call 01253 733049 or 07899911302

Email  sales@staylock.co.uk

www.staylock.co.uk

Achieve your target attendance levels for all students

EDLounge is an innovative online learning resource that can help your school achieve its target attendance especially with those students working within your alternative and flexible learning provisions.

Our system is designed to motivate students who are persistently absent, off-site, in alternative provision, or those suffering with Mental Health issues allowing these pupils to raise their attainment and gain vital qualifications.

The implementation of EDLounge to support students who are away from school has had a significant impact on an identified cohort of students. It provides them with a programme of study and behaviour repair work that is monitored daily by school staff and parents, ensuring that students are engaged in meaningful work.

EDLounge is an inclusive online resource able to greatly enhance the educational offerings for students undertaking alternative and flexible learning pathways with online support through our remote learning and virtual classroom (EDVirtual).   Through our live classroom we currently work in partnership with academies all across the UK, helping them to:

  • Offer access, support and tutoring to enable your establishment to  claim attendance grades via our virtual classroom
  • Motivate disengaged and off site pupils
  • Reintegrate students back into mainstream education
  • Reduce exclusions, isolation issues
  • Create bespoke learning pathways for individual students
  • Access over 7000 knowledge and understanding lessons, puzzles and quizzes
  • Provide a safe, secure, well-rounded, and structured approach
  • Track and monitor pupils’ attendance and progress to produce printable reports – perfect for Ofsted inspections!

EDLounge becomes your alternative provision, allowing your pupils to learn, progress and attain in an environment that is suited to their specific needs.

We work in partnership with academies to ensure comprehensive levels of safeguarding, well-being, supervision for your pupils on or off-site.

Our unique approach makes EDLounge the perfect resource for students who are in inclusion or exclusion, alongside vocational and foundation learners, target groups, and students who are vulnerable, at risk, not attending classes, persistently absent, not doing homework, disengaged or demotivated.

Contact us today to discuss the impact EDLounge can have on your academy’s attendance levels.

Call us on 01909 568 338 or by email at mail@edlounge.com and quote reference code ‘Improve16’ to request a free demonstration and trial of the EDLounge resource.

Kind regards,

Sam Warnes
Creator of EDLounge

T: 01909 568 338

F: 01909 568 350

E: mail@edlounge.com

Syria from a different angle

Explore topics including disability and the impact of bombings on civilians.

Did you know that 1 in 5 Syrian refugees has a disability and that there are over 2 million Syrian children living in areas affected by bombings?

Our free resources are a great way to look at the crisis in Syria from a different angle. By using resources, such as our ‘Syria’s Young Survivors’ posters, your students can explore issues including disability and the impact of bombings on civilians.

Order your free resources today

One fantastic opportunity to use our resources towards the end of this term is the Forgotten 10 Challenge, 10 days of action, from 1st to 10th December to raise awareness about the forgotten victims of conflict.

Order your free resources on the impact of war

We’re currently sending resources to teachers in schools across the UK who are organising lessons, assemblies tutor group sessions and whole-school activities towards the end of this term. You can order resources including your Forgotten 10 Challenge Action Pack here.

If you have any questions please email me at schools@hi-uk.org or call me on 0870 774 3737.

It would be fantastic to have your pupils involved this year.

Best wishes,

John McGeachy

Handicap International

P.S Our Forgotten 10 Challenge Action Pack includes ideas for activities, more information and an order form listing free resources such as our Campaign Kit.

Handicap International UK
9 Rushworth Street,
London SE1 0RB
Email: john.mcgeachy@hi-uk.org
Tel: 0870 774 3737
Text Relay: 18001 0870 774 3737
www.handicap-international.org.uk/schools

Top 5 School Group Destinations for Biology 2017/18

A Biology trip overseas is a great way to bring your subject to life.

Not only will your students understand and appreciate the living world better, it is also a great way to promote your subject within the school.

So where are the best places to travel to inspire students and teachers alike?

Here at Gapforce, we pride ourselves on unique, tailor-made Biology trips to some of the most incredible parts of the world.

We work with a number of schools each year including Millfield School, The King’s School Chester and Marymount International School.

Based on the feedback we’ve received, the following destinations currently rank highest amongst schools for Biology:

  1. Costa Rica: The incredibly varied topography means you can cruise the cloud forest one day, visit an active volcano the next, and finish relaxing on a hot sandy beach.
  2. Ecuador & Galapagos: Nowhere else on earth will you find so much natural diversity in so tiny a place. From the Amazon basin to Andean volcanoes, the balmy pacific coast to the astounding biodiversity of the Galapagos islands
  3. Tanzania: Boasting some of East Africa’s most famous wildlife parks and is home to a myriad of fascinating native tribes and cultures.
  4. Borneo: Home to over 250,000 species of flora and fauna and 30 different tribal groups, Borneo is a jaw-dropping mix of raging rivers, precipitous mountain ranges, unexplored caves and dense jungles.
  5. Sri Lanka: Home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, ancient temples , rainforest, elephants and the world’s best surfing beaches

To receive a free quote for a School trip, please click here

Best wishes,

James Catterall
Schools Manager

W: www.gapforceschoolgroups.co.uk

E:  james@gapforce.org

T: 020 7736 2769

James Catterall • Manager
Hurlingham Studios, Ranelagh Gardens, Fulham, SW6 3PA United Kingdom
Mainline: +44 (0)207 736 2769 | Email: james@gapforce.org | Website: www.gapforce.org Groups: www.gapforceschoolgroups.co.uk

Funding has been released but how to spend it effectively?

The Department for Education has released the first tranche (7/12ths) of funding to local authorities for the Primary PE and Sport Premium.  How much is it, what can it be spent on and how to spend it effectively?

The objective for the funding is to “achieve self-sustaining improvement in the quality of PE and sport in primary schools.  The focus of spending must lead to long lasting impact against the vision that will live on well beyond the Primary PE and Sport Premium funding.”

How much will my school get?

Allocations for the academic year 2016 to 2017 are calculated using the number of pupils in years 1 to 6, as recorded in the January 2016 census, as follows:

  • schools with 17 or more pupils receive £8,000 plus £5 per pupil
  • schools with 16 or fewer pupils receive £500 per pupil

So, a school with 250 pupils will receive £8,000 + £1,250, to make a total of £9,250 for the academic year.

What can schools spend it on? 

The DoE is looking to see improvement against the following 5 key indicators:

  1. the engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity – kick-starting healthy active lifestyles
  2. the profile of PE and sport being raised across the school as a tool for whole school improvement
  3. increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
  4. broader experience of a range of sports and activities offered to all pupils
  5. increased participation in competitive sport

They say it is not to spend on providing coaches simply for PPA cover, or to cover basic aspects of the PE curriculum, such as basic swimming provision.

Ofsted inspectors have been tasked with assessing how effectively leaders use the Primary PE and Sport Premium and measure its impact on outcomes for pupils.  Schools are required to publish details of how they spend this funding and the effect it has had on pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment.

If you’re looking for a great tool to capture evidence, Youth Sport Trust and the Association for PE have developed a fantastic guidance and template tool for schools to capture evidence.  Click here to download.

How to spend it effectively?

We speak to 100’s of teachers who have had limited training in teaching activity, on average they received just a few hours of PE in teacher training!!!   This has left many teachers not feeling confident or capable of delivering great PE or other activity sessions the children will love.  To achieve the objective of “self-sustaining improvement” how can a head teacher support their staff when they’ve had so little training in the past?

This is the challenge we have tackled head on at imovesdance.com.  We have 100’s of lessons covering the PE curriculum from dance to gymnastics to games that will upskill every teacher, building their confidence and enjoyment with our sustainable, easy-to-use approach.

We provide teachers with every tool they could need; from interactive demonstration movies, lesson plans, music, flash cards and assessment tool.   Our resources are a foundation for PE, but are also cross-curricular and can be used with English, History, Geography and Science; making it easier to get your children active every day!  Saving hours of planning time and with an approach which makes it easy to deliver.

If you would like to learn more about imovesdance.com then click here to view our head teacher pack, or if you’d like to try out some lessons click here for a free trial.

And if you have any questions or queries about imovesdance.com call me on 0114 2661061 or email  imogen@imovesdance.com.

Imogen Buxton-Pickles

Many special needs students find language a difficult means of communication. Fortunately there are alternatives.

There are many special needs students who respond particularly well to working visually rather than verbally, and for such students film can be an ideal medium to allow them to explore and express their thoughts and feelings.

Yet there can be a problem: because self-evidently the teacher needs to feel comfortable with and experienced in the medium of film before teaching it to others.  Which is why we are writing to you today.

Supported by Creative Skillset’s Film Skills Fund, with the BFI’s Film Forever National Lottery funds, The Film Space is offering a two day workshop introducing film making skills to teachers of special needs students aged 14 to 18.

Also available are a limited number of bursaries to contribute towards the cost of attending.

The course focuses on developing transferable skills in film making, via a series of techniques and approaches to film making which can be passed on to your students.

At the end of the course participants will have learned the key strategies for involving students in creative moving image production, and how framing, lighting, sound and editing work together to create film.

At the heart of this is the development in the students of an awareness that film making is a series of choices from the different options available just as spoken language involves making choices between phrases to express a meaning.

Issues relating to cinematography, lighting, mood, sound, editing and planning are all covered in the course, which is taught by experienced film makers including producers, scriptwriters and film developers.

The course will take place at the University of Birmingham from the evening of Friday 13th to lunchtime on Sunday 15th of January 2017. The cost is £250 (excluding VAT), which covers not only the course content but also 2 nights accommodation and all meals.

There is more information about the course and registration at http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-film-space-8001470950

If you have any questions relating to the course and bursary please email ianwall66@gmail.com

 

Free KS3 ICT and Computing worksheet on creating a website!

Make sure that your KS3 students know all about the essential features of a website with this free worksheet from Boardworks ICT and Computing!

Complete with a full answer sheet, this resource starts by asking your students to identify what a good website needs, and which features are optional. Are quick download times more important than lots of video and animation?

A fill-in-the-gaps exercise reinforces the key processes and terminology associated with creating a website, whilst an extensive glossary is an ideal reference point when it comes to revision time.

This worksheet is the perfect homework task to test your students’ understanding of how websites work!

Download it now from our ICT and Computing free stuff page.

Kind regards,
The Boardworks team

English Literature Summer School 2017 Booking Now Open

A wonderful opportunity for students with a passion for literature to discover a range of new authors and texts, explore fresh approaches to familiar works and to prepare for undergraduate study of English Literature.

“Although I wasn’t initially sure what to expect about the summer course, I was massively surprised and impressed! – The sessions were in smallish groups of peers, and everyone was really nice and interested in the discussions – and the week was so engaging and eye opening, I felt really enriched and all of the tutors were so knowledgeable and insightful. Overall I would absolutely recommend the course, it was one of the best parts of my summer!”

“If you think this is just going to be a summer school on English Literature, you are wrong. It will also teach you about theories and ideas in Art, Theatre, and Philosophy. I came into the course disillusioned about English Literature academically but it inspired me to continue it further to A level.”

“I would thoroughly recommend attending the English Literature Summer School. It has given me a wonderful insight into texts and literary movements which are not covered on the school syllabus and has been enormous fun.”

Reviews from Summer School Students 2016

The English Summer School – Part 1 will cover literature dating from 650AD to 1790AD, including Middle English, Medieval Literature, Chaucer, The Renaissance, Shakespeare, Restoration Literature and the Rise of the Novel. In addition we will also be covering Historicist and Feminist critical approaches as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 1 will be held on 24th – 28th July 2017.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will cover literature dating from 1790AD to the present day, including Romanticism and the Gothic Movement, Victorian Sensation Novels, Literature and the British Empire, Modernism, Postmoderism and Contemporary Literature. We will be covering the ‘Death of the Author’ and Postcolonial criticism as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 2 will be held on 31st July – 4th August 2017.

The English Summer School – Part 3 will cover exclusively Contemporary English Literature, including prose fiction, poetry and drama. We will be focusing on Psychoanalytic criticism and questions of Identity as part of this Summer School.

The English Summer School – Part 3 will be held on 7th-11th August 2017.

Please note that students can attend all Parts of the Summer School, or just one or two, depending on their literary interests. Although the courses complement one another, they can also be treated as stand alone events and there is no requirement to have attended Part 1 in order to register for other Parts.

Thematic coverage by period, combining close study of texts with lectures on historical and cultural context, and setting major authors side-by-side with less familiar works, will help students to appreciate the development of prose, verse and drama in English from the middle ages to the present day. We will not only engage in close textual analysis of Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, Nineteenth Century, Modernist and Contemporary writers, but also evaluate these movements in light of the authors’ own critical writing.

As well as looking at the purely written word, we will also cover literature in performance, comparing playscripts to film adaptations and reading through sections of the works using different performance theories. As an integral part of Part 1 of the Summer School we will attend a performance at the Globe Theatre on the Southbank. Literary theory and criticism will play an important role in the Summer School and students will be invited to examine texts they have studied in the light of competing theories of the nature and value of literature and the role of the critic.

This Summer School is suitable for all students aged 15-18 with a passion for literature, and will be particularly useful for those looking for a taste of undergraduate level engagement with texts and theory.

Practical Details:

The cost of booking any single five-day Part of the English Literature Summer School £465, the cost of any two Parts is £850, and the cost for all three Parts of the Summer School is £1200. The Summer School will be held at the University of London Bloomsbury campus (please note that these courses are not residential, and accommodation must be arranged independently if required).

There will be a limited number of bursary spaces available for those who would otherwise have financial difficulty in attending – please see our website for details.

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

Doddle Science has the new 2016 specifications covered

 

Our new Doddle Science resources have been designed to meet the 2016 specifications and include:

  • Content tailored for new AQA, OCR Gateway, OCR 21st Century and Edexcel requirements
  • Practical skill demonstrations through animations of required experiments
  • Provision for clear teaching of mathematical skills throughout the sciences

You can also keep track of student achievement by using our powerful online homework solution, with all our self-marking quizzes automatically populating your online markbook!

Book a free in-school visit with one of our experienced Education Consultants to find out how Doddle Science can support teaching and assessment in your department.

Alice
Doddle

Why schools can’t provide as much learning outside the classroom as they would prefer

The problem: A survey, conducted by Benchmark Leasing as part of LOtC Week, revealed that 34% of primary schools cite the cost of transport to be the key factor which was limiting the amount of LOtC that they could offer to their pupils.

The solution: Fortunately, however, a growing number of schools are finding that they can reduce the cost of transport with two new approaches which have to be seen together; on their own they look like interesting notions – but not a solution.

The two approaches are a) to lease the minibus on a set monthly fee which includes all servicing, maintenance and repair costs, and b) to share its use with a nearby school that is in the same cluster, trust or council, so that each school has the bus for an agreed amount of time.

What’s more, many schools do then add a third element of their own to the equation – since they know how much the minibus will cost each month they sometimes ask the PTA or other support group to make a contribution to that cost each month.

Now that is often very much welcomed since it means that the parents making the contribution towards running the minibus know that is it their children who are benefitting, rather than the children in future years (as happens when the fund raising goes on for several years before a bus can be bought).

Sharing a leased minibus also has the benefit of ensuring that everyone is always driving a bus that is well-maintained – since it is the leasing company that works on maintaining the bus in tip-top condition.

If you haven’t leased a minibus or thought about sharing one, please do give me a call on 01753 859944 and I can talk you through how it all works. If you want to take a look at who we are and what we do before you call, you’ll find more information about leasing at www.minibusleasing.co.uk.

And if you know that your colleagues are frequently searching for school trip or learning-outside-the-classroom ideas, please direct them to our Facebook & Twitter pages where they will find lots of exciting ideas.

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Teacher training opportunities with FSC

Field Studies Council (FSC) is a leading provider of fieldwork and environmental learning. We also use this expertise to deliver training to teachers, to help enable them to undertake more learning outside the classroom with their students.

  • Spend time with our passionate and experienced field teachers who love to inspire.
  • Enjoy comfortable, full board accommodation at our centres, included with residential courses.
  • Take away fresh ideas to help you back at school.

Here is a selection of the courses coming up in the FSC teacher training programme:

GCSE and A Level Geography Fieldwork Data Skills
Sat 19-Sun 20 November 2016 £50 FSC Juniper Hall, Surrey
This course offers teachers the opportunity to improve their skills in providing high quality ‘first hand’ outdoor fieldwork and is designed to support teaching of the new specifications. Run in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society.

A Level Rivers and Hydrology
Sat 11-Sun 12 February 2017 £50 FSC Preston Montford, Shropshire
Throughout the course, participants will gain practical experience of planning and carrying out Geography fieldwork research and investigations, designed to support the learning taking place in school.

Teaching GCSE Fieldwork After Controlled Assessment
Sat 20-Sun 21 May 2017 £50 FSC Slapton Ley, Devon
Develop your skills in providing first hand outdoor fieldwork for the new geography GCSE specifications.
You can find full details of these, and all our other teacher training courses at: http://www.field-studies-council.org/professional/courses-for-teachers.aspx

Life after levels: school leaders meeting

Please join us and other school leaders for our free meetings on ‘Life after Levels’ and effective whole school teaching, homework and assessment strategies.

In these meetings you will hear from expert speakers who can help your school to excel in the new academic year and tackle the big questions on:

  • how to adapt and bring together your assessment across different subjects;
  • how to ensure buy-in from staff on new initiatives;
  • how to demonstrate student progress, from KS3 through to KS4;
  • how to cover the new GCSE specifications and thoughts on introducing a 5 year key stage;
  • how and what to report to students, parents, and Ofsted.

Birmingham
Macdonald Burlington Hotel, 126 New Street
Date: Tuesday 15th November
Time
: 9.30am to 12.30pm
Registration and refreshments from 9am.
Sign up for free here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/life-after-levels-doddle-and-assessment-birmingham-151116-tickets-28329230491

London
Central Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate
Date: Monday 21st November
Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm
Registration and refreshments from 9am.
Sign up for free here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/life-after-levels-doddle-and-assessment-london-211116-tickets-28226320685

Or find out more at: www.doddlelearn.co.uk/events

We hope to see you there!

Alice
Doddle