We would very much welcome your input on current practice in working with students on the autism spectrum.

We are endeavouring to understand more about how special needs teachers such as yourself teach the concept of money to students on the autism spectrum.

We have therefore produced a very short questionnaire (it will not take more than three minutes to complete) and we’d be very grateful if you could complete this and email it back to us.

In return, if you would like to see what other special needs teachers in the UK feel about teaching money to students on the autism spectrum, we will be pleased to send you the results of the questionnaire once all the replies are in.

In the meanwhile if you have any questions about this survey, or about the organisation behind it, please do email me at info@senpress.co.uk or phone 01582 833205

Link to questionnaire: http://schoolsco.polldaddy.com/s/money-autism-spectrum

What’s the simple way to help maths lessons be more productive, both for teachers and students?

Every now and again I get to chat with teachers and one of the topics that often crops up is why many students don’t  bring a pen, pencil, ruler, etc to their lessons.

In an attempt to solve this problem there’s now a product called the “Value Maths set ” which, as the name suggests, contains all the basics that students need for their maths lessons.

Consisting of  two quality black ink ballpens, a full length HB pencil, eraser, 15 cm ruler, 180 degree protractor, metal compass and half pencil, and a metal sharpener, all packed in an A5 size, clear PVC “exam friendly” wallet with a zip slider.

From just £1.25 each (ex vat) the “Value Maths set” is a convenient and cost effective solution to the problem of students who haven’t brought the correct kit to their maths lessons.  Ideal to give (or sell !) to students at the start of a lesson or at the start of a school day………  also very useful for exams.

Full details of the “Value Maths set” can be found on the website:

     www.signposteducational.co.uk

You can order by email:  info@signposteducational.co.uk  

by phone tel: 020 7515 1797  or  fax:  020 7515 4420

Signpost Educational Ltd.,   PO Box 999   London   E14 6SH

“Since Tom started using Education Quizzes, he has really started to sparkle”

We have made Education Quizzes free for a whole year so that students like Tom can sparkle too

Despite all the revision tips, tricks and techniques, the best way to help your pupils to retain the knowledge that they have learned in their English lessons is by presenting them with the opportunity to use this knowledge on a regular basis.

However, since there is more than one topic area to cover in English, it can sometimes be a long period of time until a topic is revisited, by which time your pupils will have forgotten much of what they had previously learned.

Which is why we have produced an extensive library of English quizzes and made them free to use for a whole year, so that your students can test and revise their knowledge as frequently as they need and want to.

What’s more, Education Quizzes is ideal to set as homework tasks as it involves 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 get a better idea of what Education Quizzes is all about, simply visit www.educationquizzes.com. And to sign your school up for Education Quizzes for free for a whole year, go to www.educationquizzes.com/schools-uk-registrations/.

If you have any queries, you can easily contact us by sending an email to admin@educationquizzes.com.

What is the single most important attribute that every 21st century citizen needs?

Of course it is hard to give an absolute answer to such a question, but if one were to search for the key attribute that every citizen of the 21st century needs, I think there would be a strong case for “imagination” to be nominated for the “most important attribute” award.

For, without imagination, how could our society survive?  Change happens ever more quickly bringing with it both opportunities and problems, and only those with a really strong ability to imagine possible solutions will be able to adapt and make the most of their lives.

Therefore the use of the imagination is at the heart of almost everything we teach at primary level.  A love of reading, for example, both fosters and is fostered by the imagination.

History relies on imagining the narratives of the past. Science requires imagining outcomes, and how to test for them. PSE is related to empathy, which is imagining yourself in another’s shoes – and so on.  Imagination is within everything.

The development of the imagination is closely tied to humanity’s development of storytelling. It was by sharing tales of their experiences that early human beings grew the abilities to plan and adapt – abilities which helped them survive changing climates.

But how can one enhance the imagination of young people?

A clue comes from a study by UCL’s Institute of Education, which found that children with a love of reading outperformed their peers in all subjects.

And this is why Snail Tales exists: to help schools like yours nurture a love of storytelling among the children you teach, developing their imaginations and thus making them more rounded human beings, which increases attainment in literacy, numeracy, and enhances a huge range of key skills.

To this end we run a series of training courses in schools, ranging from after school sessions to INSET days on storytelling in the classroom and work with individual year groups.  For more details please see our website, call 0203 287 6245 or visit our Contact Us page

A book: a free sample

When English literature books are offered at a very low price, you’ll want to see a free sample first.

Sometimes an offer of the key texts of English literature at an astoundingly low price can seem what you have been waiting for.

But then you might pause and think, “how can they be this low in price?”  You might wonder about the quality of the print, the size of the print, the quality of the binding, the book’s ability to withstand the slings and arrows of outrageous teenage use…

Which is why we offer all schools a free sample book.  No strings, no hidden postage cost.  A sample book delivered to you free, so you can see the quality of our publications.

From Jane Austen to the Brontës, from Dickens to Conan Doyle, from DH Lawrence to William Shakespeare, Wordsworth Editions has over 450 titles in print, covering over 230 works of classic literature and over 50 popular children’s books.

And not only does each volume naturally have the full text, but with all of our classics there is also a set of exclusive introductions and notes.

As for the price, that is just £1.50 each after discount with free delivery, and no minimum order as long as you order direct from us.  However this price offer only lasts until 31 May.  All orders received after that date have a slightly higher (but still very modest) price.

We are also adding new titles to our range regularly – with the most well-known works of HG Wells being the most recent to be included on our list.

To get an overview of the sort of titles we can offer please do visit our website.  However if you would like to see a list of around 50 of the most popular titles available direct to schools at the special price of £1.50 that is available here, rising to £1.87 for orders received after 31 May.

Then if you want to see the full list of our titles in print along with a ready to use order form, should you need it, we have a page with those details as well.

For a free sample of one of our classics, email education@wordsworth-editions.com with your name and the school address, and we’ll put it in the post to you, with our compliments.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Image removed by sender.

What’s the best way of solving the problem of students who turn up for lessons or exams without a pen, pencil, ruler etc ?

When this happens it’s  frustrating, often disruptive and always time-wasting but is there a solution ?

Well, we think there is.  It’s called the “Student Essentials set,”   a low cost but effective solution to the problems caused by students who turn up for lessons or exams without the basic kit.
The “Student Essentials set” consists of three quality black ink pens, two full length HB pencils, a 15 cm ruler, metal sharpener and eraser, all packed in an “exam friendly”  clear  PVC wallet with a zip slider.  From just 85p each  (ex vat) the “Student Essentials set” is ideal to give or perhaps sell to your students so they’ll have what they need for almost all their lessons.

Find out more from Signpost Educational Ltd.,  on 020 7515 1797 or visit their website:

www.signposteducational.co.uk or contact them on:  info@signposteducational.co.uk

Signpost Educational Ltd.,  PO Box 999  London  E14 6SH

 

Free software, but at what cost?

There’s no doubt that money is, and should be, a key consideration when it comes to purchasing any new software for the school, especially whilst trying to find tangible value in your services as cost-saving becomes a key theme for Secondary Schools.

When software companies announce the launch of free modules, it can be easy to overlook many of the associated costs that aren’t always apparent; training, support, lack of integration, and increasingly, unintuitive software that takes more time than it saves and is eventually left unused.

Show My Homework was created by a former Assistant Headteacher who was on a mission to provide his own school with powerfully simple software that not only made an impact but delivered real value and cost benefits.

Unlike other systems available, Show My Homework comes with free training, a guided setup, support for the whole school, including students and parents, and your own dedicated Account Manager to help you achieve the goals you set out.

Focused on providing students with quality learning, we ensure that teachers have the tools needed to be able to spend more time where it matters, by creating, sharing or reusing colleagues’ homework in a click. This allows you to benefit from the very best homework set in the school, available across the school and accessible to TAs and NQTs, so you can get the same quality teaching whilst easing teacher workload.

And it doesn’t end there. This year alone we were named the Education Company of the Year independently from the Assignment Report, awarded Highly Commended for ICT Leadership & Management Solutions at the Bett Show, and Winners of the ERA Secondary ICT award.

I’d love to come to the school to show you our software, how we’re working with 1 in 3 UK Secondary schools, and how it could work for you too. It would give yourself and the rest of the SLT the chance to ask any questions in person too. If you’d like me to arrange this, please just enter your email address here and I’ll sort the rest. Alternatively please give me a call on 020 3794 9138.

Kind regards,

Luke Sherman
Community Manager

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A great way to teach the days of the months

Rob, from Easy Peasy Plays here, with something you may find really helpful for teaching children about the days of the months

30 Dyas has September free song

It’s a completely free set of 3 songs, to use in your school on most devices that can access the internet – just click here! Hope you enjoy using it!

Kind Wishes

Rob

For, and on behalf of, Easy Peasy Plays.
Easy Peasy Plays is a trading name of Popcorn School Ltd, a limited company registered in England and Wales under number 8534985 and whose registered offices are located at 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU.

Amazon gift cards are on us!

Want an Amazon voucher on us? You got it!

Our fantastic summer plays are the perfect showcase for your childreneven if you’ve never put on a musical before!

One of our biggest sellers is Our Very Own Graduation – perfect for the end of the year! Told with simple actions and brief narration, and packed with enormously entertaining, super-simple songs, all our Early Years plays are guaranteed to be full of fun and easy to stage, so you’ve got nothing to lose!

And for a limited time, when you order any summer play we’ll send you a £10.00 Amazon voucher – woo-hoo! Just click here for full details, but don’t delay – time’s running out…

EASY PEASY PLAYS – That’s summer sorted!

 

Full terms and conditions apply. Click here for details.

For, and on behalf of, Easy Peasy Plays.
Easy Peasy Plays is a trading name of Popcorn School Ltd, a limited company registered in England and Wales under number 8534985 and whose registered offices are located at 20-22 Wenlock Road, London, N1 7GU

Could your students make every step count for injured and disabled people?

Every Step Counts when you’re learning to walk again. If you’ve been injured whilst playing sport or in a road accident, rehabilitation care can be life changing; it means regaining independence. But if you’ve been injured and can’t access rehabilitation, then there’s a real danger that an injury can become a permanent disability.

Every single day Handicap International physiotherapists help hundreds of injured and disabled people back on to their feet. Our teams have delivered over 85,000 rehabilitation sessions to injured and disabled people affected by the war in Syria. In Nepal we provided 16,000 rehabilitation sessions in the weeks following the devastating earthquake of 2015. Nirmala, 9 (right) lost her leg in the earthquake; we fitted her with a prosthetic leg and our rehabilitation team have been supporting her ever since.

If you would like to see your students make every step count, order you fundraising pack here.

Every Step Counts

This summer term your students can step up to the challenge and change lives forever. From a ‘race for rehabilitation’ on sports day to an Every Step Counts sponsored walk; by getting active and raising funds your pupils will enable injured and disabled people around the world to regain their independence. Everyone can take part in an Every Step Counts walk and it’s a fun and meaningful way to show support for children who desperately need rehabilitation care. Why not walk to Nepal where Nirmala lives. It’s 4,500 miles, but say we call that 4,500 steps, well that’s not far at all. An impressive 25,000 steps and you’ve walked ‘around the world’.

If you would like to see your students make every step count for people in desperate need of rehabilitation care please order your fundraising pack here.

For more information call John at Handicap International on 0870 774 3737 or email
schools@hi-uk.org

Thank you for your support!

John

P.S. Do you have a colleague that might be interested in getting involved? Please forward this email to them.

John McGeachy
Supporter Engagement Officer
Handicap International UK
9 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0RB
Email: schools@hi-uk.org
Tel: 0870 774 3737
www.handicap-international.org.uk/challenge-yourself

About Handicap International
Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Handicap International is an independent charity working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work tirelessly alongside disabled and vulnerable people to help meet their basic needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. It is a UK registered charity (no. 1082565).

Photos are © L. Veuve / Handicap International

Free speakers and resources from Compassion in World Farming

Many pupils are passionate about the welfare of animals though, if surveys are to be believed, many of them do not know how their bacon, eggs and milk are produced!

Food production is a growing topic of debate whether you are talking about the ethics of how we treat animals, how we produce healthy food and how we can feed a growing population.

At the same time, most of the major faiths teach kindness to animals and for some religions it is a major part of their belief system. This is a subject which can engage children, encourage debate and develop respect for the beliefs of others.

Finding time to discuss topics such as animal welfare and sustainable food production is doubly valuable – it gives pupils an important understanding of a range of ethical and environmental factors and it encourages great debates!

To help you to engage your pupils in such discussions, we provide a free speaker service and a pack of resources including a film and discussion activities, which can be adapted for pupils of different ages, abilities and levels of confidence.

To enquire about a speaker or to order a free resource pack, please email education@ciwf.org.uk. It will be very helpful if you put “RE mailshot” in the subject title.

To view or download the resources directly, including films, please go to our Religious Education webpage.

Yours faithfully

Phil Brooke
Education Manager
Compassion in World Farming

PS We’ve had some wonderful evaluations from teachers for our talks and resources:

“ I think the pack is super, very well organised and presented  … most impressed, both with the philosophical reaction sheets and with the world religions ones. The questionnaire (Personality Test) looks excellent, too.”

I like (the video Farm Animals & Us) because

its emphasis is on choices and how they affect animals
it shows how animals have intelligence
it uses humour – the school as a factory is brilliant
contrasts between intensive and traditional farming methods effectively made

(How Do Animals Matter – opinions, religious and secular)

Lots of useful questions and summaries
Should help students to sort their own views and promote an understanding of other perspectives

Links and contacts:

Email: education@ciwf.org.uk

Tel: 01483 521 965

Education website: ciwf.org.uk/education

Religious Education webpage: ciwf.org.uk/re

Speaker service: ciwf.org.uk/speakers

Mentoring Male – accredited mentoring work with boys and young men

An opportunity for staff/students:
Mentoring Male – accredited mentoring work with boys and young men

How to effectively engage young males with education and provide routes into employment and socially responsible adulthood is a concern of many professions.

Education is also a recognised social determinant of health; boys and young men are consistently outperformed by girls and young women in schools and universities. Health improvement also means action on increasing educational opportunity.

Mentoring offers an evidence-based approach to work with young men – helping young men to achieve their academic and vocational potential, addressing concerns related to problematic behaviours – and providing go-to support and signposting to other services.

The Unit Award in Mentoring Boys and Young Men is a Level 2 award providing your staff/students with an understanding of mentoring work. The unit considers:

  • the rationale for work with young males
  • a strengths-based approach to work with young males
  • the role of the mentor
  • qualities desirable in a mentor
  • primary tasks of a mentor
  • dealing with disclosure/safeguarding
  • setting boundaries in mentor-mentee relationships
  • building and sustaining mentor-mentee relationships
  • goal setting and outcomes

The outcome is that your staff/students will have received training enabling them to mentor boys throughout the school. This not only strengthens the school pastoral system but helps to raise the overall achievement of all boys and young men involved. This training and delivery thereof successfully delivers many of the new Ofsted framework for inspection.

The workshop covering the award criteria is 4 hours long. Each staff/student undertaking the award will be provided with their own copy of the Mengage course book: Mentoring Male: A guide to mentoring work with boys and young men. A Level 2 certificate will be issued upon completion.

The workshop costs £1295 for up to 10 staff or up to 15 students.

Mengage is committed to your school’s development; if this is something you would like to discuss or you have other concerns regarding the health or education of young men, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Liam Kernan

Mengage Ltd

01905 570180
liam@mengage.co.uk
www.mengage.co.uk

Enquiry code: 4m – Please quote this code when contacting us.