Thinking about the forces in every day (and Circus) life, plus a few extra
strange science facts! Suitable for KS1 and KS2.

Feats of juggling, spinning and balancing to astound and amuse, a demonstration followed by workshops with lots of participation.

Why do objects fall, slow down, speed up, change direction or remain balanced?
Within the sessions the Fantastiko Circus scientist explores all of the concepts required for KS1 & KS2 ‘Physical Processes’ and a little more besides. Using practical examples, observation and experiment, he helps the pupils gain a better understanding of ‘Forces & Motion’. They are actively encouraged to participate and give their own observations and conclusions.

The circus science sessions are designed to introduce students to the idea of forces. The sessions are full of fun whilst giving pupils the opportunity to put technical names to what they are experiencing and is brilliant for getting them to start thinking about the activities from a scientific angle.

Areas covered include:
Simple forces: pushing, pulling, action and reaction, gravity, friction, speeding up, slowing down and changing direction.

Centre of Gravity (balance point), air resistance, springs, gyroscopic motion and even the speed of sound are also brought into the mix to explain why some things behave the way they do. Whilst these are outside the curriculum objectives, they are still experienced everyday and can be explained at a simple level.

Depending on the length of workshop or show the pupils can have the opportunity to learn skills and use our equipment whilst being encouraged to explain what is happening and also guessing what might happen next.

Sessions can be from 45 minutes to an hour as well as an assembly show with lots of audience participation.

Pupils that complete one of our workshops can receive a Fantastiko Circus Certificate to recognise and remember their achievements.

We also offer other circus workshops, experiences and entertainment.

Prices start at £275 + VAT for a full day £225 + VAT for a half day.

Find out more about us on our website.

http://www.circusworkshops.biz/perform/perform.html

www.circusworkshops.biz

How to give your students a wider experience of Physics experiments

Give your students a broader experience of experimental Physics and improve their grades without the need to allocate any more laboratory time or buy and maintain expensive equipment. These 3d immersive experiments use games technology to give realistic laboratory experiences with flexible interaction that not only allow the student to do the experiments well, but also badly depending on their expertise and the care that they take. The virtual experiments are based on years of research into teaching science on-screen. There’s nothing to break, wear out, set up or steal.

The Virtual Physics Laboratory can be used in a variety of ways:

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

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

Email me at rob@keylinkcomputers.co.uk quoting code HH15 to receive our information pack which includes one of the experiments.

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

Thinking about the forces in every day (and Circus) life, plus a few extra
strange science facts! Suitable for KS1 and KS2.

Feats of juggling, spinning and balancing to astound and amuse, a demonstration followed by workshops with lots of participation.

Why do objects fall, slow down, speed up, change direction or remain balanced?
Within the sessions the Fantastiko Circus scientist explores all of the concepts required for KS1 & KS2 ‘Physical Processes’ and a little more besides. Using practical examples, observation and experiment, he helps the pupils gain a better understanding of ‘Forces & Motion’. They are actively encouraged to participate and give their own observations and conclusions.

The circus science sessions are designed to introduce students to the idea of forces. The sessions are full of fun whilst giving pupils the opportunity to put technical names to what they are experiencing and is brilliant for getting them to start thinking about the activities from a scientific angle.

Areas covered include:
Simple forces: pushing, pulling, action and reaction, gravity, friction, speeding up, slowing down and changing direction.

Centre of Gravity (balance point), air resistance, springs, gyroscopic motion and even the speed of sound are also brought into the mix to explain why some things behave the way they do. Whilst these are outside the curriculum objectives, they are still experienced everyday and can be explained at a simple level.

Depending on the length of workshop or show the pupils can have the opportunity to learn skills and use our equipment whilst being encouraged to explain what is happening and also guessing what might happen next.

Sessions can be from 45 minutes to an hour as well as an assembly show with lots of audience participation.

Pupils that complete one of our workshops can receive a Fantastiko Circus Certificate to recognise and remember their achievements.

We also offer other circus workshops, experiences and entertainment.

Prices start at £275 + VAT for a full day £225 + VAT for a half day.

Find out more about us on our website.

http://www.circusworkshops.biz/perform/perform.html

www.circusworkshops.biz

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

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

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

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

Activities range from drawing Venn diagrams showing the intersection of two sets, to working out profit and loss percentages.

Each topic area is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which (for example) the students are required to balance equations, and a homework task in which the students have to copy a series of diagrams and find the value of angle x.

The volume covers such topics as the rules for algebra, decimals, equations, geometry, powers, statistics, etc. etc.

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

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

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

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

                     Cutting, drawing, sticking, singing, matching, planning, plotting, grouping, researching, investigating, and experimenting their way through the science curriculum.

The numerous and varied topics that feature in the Science Programmes of Study offer pupils the opportunity to develop a whole range of transferable skills.

Such skills will make them increasingly aware of the different and most effective learning strategies and techniques that work for them when completing tasks in science or, indeed, any other subject area.

It is for this reason that we have produced Practical Science photocopiable activity books for Years 1 to 6 – to fulfil the opportunities that arise in science to support the development of these skills.

The resources contain lesson ideas, plans, templates and worksheets which relate to the science topics and methods that feature in the Science Programmes of Study.

The KS1 activity books include both independent and adult-supported practical activities as well as simple pupil planning sheets.

Activities in the KS2 books include information sheets with questions that explore the main concept to be studied during the lesson and a classroom-based experiment that, on the whole, can be carried out by small groups working independently.

Following this is a simple homework sheet which reinforces the concept discussed and the knowledge gained from the experiment carried out.

Alongside all three parts are detailed teacher notes that list the learning objectives, the main points to be talked about, the equipment needed for the investigation, how the investigation should be carried out, and the conclusion that can be made from it.

The lessons included in the book are very varied and draw on all elements in the curriculum including the grouping of living things, the heart and pulse, and their relation to exercise and healthy living, what fossils are and what they tell us about the past, how we see things, and what conductors and insulators are.

Free sample pages are available by clicking on each resource on our website.

If you would like to know more please call 01772 863158 or email sales@topical-resources.co.uk

As always, you can order Practical Science for Years 1- 6 in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 01772 863158
• By fax at 01772 866153
• By email to sales@topical-resources.co.uk
• By post to Topical Resources, P.O. Box329, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5LT

Topical Resources
P.O. Box329
Broughton
Preston
Lancashire
PR3 5LTwww.topical-resources.co.uk
sales@topical-resources.co.uk

Tel: 01772 863158

How can you make the most of the time you have
with your pupils in the mornings?

School assemblies not only create a sense of togetherness, but they also provide a highly efficient method of communication – allowing you to communicate a message to everyone, all at the same time.

It is for this reason that we have produced a number of books containing a wealth of assembly stories, so that with each assembly, there is a particular message to communicate. A message that will inspire, engage and encourage pupils to think critically.

Fifty Fantastic Assembly Stories is packed full of morality tales designed to teach children a range of life lessons, from the importance of mutual respect to the act of learning from our mistakes.

Pupils will learn from the characters in the stories how to react to, and deal with, different situations that at some point, they will experience themselves.

Brilliant Stories for Assemblies contains a wealth of cultural stories from around the world, religious stories from the 6 main religions (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Judaism), moral stories and historical stories linked to the Key Stage 2 history curriculum.

More Brilliant Stories for Assemblies contains over 50 stories ranging from those dealing with specific issues, such as bullying, racism and disability, to historical and religious stories. All the stories are linked to Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) themes.

Brilliant Class-led Assemblies for Key Stage 2 comprises of ten assemblies linked to the National Curriculum for science, history and geography. The assembly scripts can be easily modified to suit your class, and each is designed so that all the class can be involved in some way.

To order the books separately for £17.99 each, click on the links above. Or you can order the books together in a bundle for £59.96 here (a saving of £12.00).

You can also order the Assembly resources in any of these ways:

• By phone on 01449 766629
• By fax on 01449 767122
• 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 767122

Supporting your students on the journey to achieving their dream career. No matter what the odds may be.

A series of surveys in recent years has revealed that around one in five primary school children simply want to be famous when they are older. By the time they are in their teens the percentage rises towards a worrying 50%.

Of course, fame is not going to come the way of most of these young people – but there is an argument to say they should have the chance to experience what they aspire to, which is being on the stage in a big venue.

Normally, of course, this can’t be offered to them, but for students whose schools take part in Voice in a Million it is something that they will experience.

For with Voice in a Million students join a choir of thousands, supporting some of the UK’s most talented young singers in a show at Wembley and getting a taste of what being in the limelight is like.

Not only will this experience increase the confidence of those students who enjoy music, drama and performing on a stage, but it will also give them a taste of what the reality of a big performance is like.

Furthermore, it is an activity which will gain a significant amount of positive local publicity for the school and enthral the parents at the same time, which in itself is never a bad thing.

Better still, entry to the event is free – the only cost is for the rehearsal materials and the t-shirts that all participants in the event wear.

There are no auditions and no requirement of particular singing talent or level of ability; Voice in a Million provides everything needed for the rehearsal, including backing tracks, lyrics, etc.

What’s more, if you and your colleagues wish, talented children from your school can attend auditions for the opportunity to perform as a soloist.

Additionally a workshop can be held in your school during which the repertoire is run through with your choir and potential soloists can be auditioned.

Also I must add that Voice in a Million is dedicated to raising awareness for adoption and fostering throughout the world. So in taking part everyone will be involved in supporting a stupendously important cause.

There is more on Voice in a Million (including clips from previous shows and events) on http://www.voiceinamillion.com/schools-area/. You can also register on the site by clicking on “Taking Part”, and read comments from those who took part this year.

For the first time, Voice in a Million will be taking place on two dates, 2nd and 3rd March 2016. If you would like to discuss your school’s possible involvement in the next Voice in a Million on either date please do call us on 07872 591409, or 01932 859667, or email me on jo.garofalo@voiceinamillion.com.

I’ll be very pleased to hear from you.

Jo Garofalo

Learn to touch type this summer and gain yourself
an hour every day when you return to school.

How much time do you spend at your computer keyboard on an average school day? How fast and accurate is your typing?

If you usually spend two or more hours at your keyboard dealing with emails, typing out reports, marking student’s typed assignments, and so on, then by learning to touch type, you will probably save yourself at least one hour a day.

Just think what you could do with all that extra time! Why put up with typing slowly when you could type so much faster? You owe it to yourself to learn to type as quickly, accurately and effortlessly as you are able. And everyone can learn to touch type. They just need a little help to do so.

Our ‘Type Faster, Work Smarter’ course is designed for teachers. It starts with an assessment of your typing which we will set up for you remotely. It will take you just 5 minutes to complete on your home or work computer.

Your personal tutor will then contact you via email to set out your course instructions, training plan and objectives and your course will begin. Your tutor will then monitor your progress and contact you via email on a weekly basis to give you feedback and guidance.

You can practise when you want and as often as you want, at your own pace and on your own computer. You should aim to do at least 30 minutes per day most days per week. The course usually lasts 6 – 8 weeks but it could take even less if you are able to spend more time practising.

By the end of the course, your speed will have increased significantly, allowing you to save around one hour per day or more. That’s five hours a week and…. I’ll leave you to do the maths to work out your annual saving!

Your course will end with a final assessment to verify how much you have improved. You will receive a completion certificate.

You can start the course when you like. Why not aim to complete it over the summer break so that you can go back to school in September ready to use your new skill?

The price is just £99 plus VAT. That’s such a small price to pay for a skill that will save you hours of precious time and last you a lifetime.

To place your order online click here.

To make an enquiry, email enquiries@typeandtest.com

What is the best way to ensure that your AS English pupils know enough basic grammar to be exam ready?

This handbook covers every aspect of grammar and its application to the analysis of text that is necessary for success in AS and also much of A2 Language and combined Language and Literature courses, regardless of exam board.

The book assists grammatical acquisition from word class, to phrase then clause level, finally showing students how to analyse sentences in text. Sentence analysis will be a stand alone requirement for students of the new linear OCR A Level Language course from 2015. Each section of this book is accompanied by clear and useful tasks which are designed to allow students to demonstrate their understanding and apply and consolidate their knowledge.

The final section of the book is devoted to punctuation and terminology used to describe patterning in text, such as syntactical parallelism, tricolon use and antithesis, all of which are High Grade rhetorical features necessary for success at AS and A level. Direct speech punctuation and apostrophe use are also covered in detail with useful examples of how to apply both.

This grammar handbook has often been cited by students as invaluable in assisting their learning, application and revision of grammar for AS language and Language and Literature and is a resource created, developed and modified through many years of successful teaching.

“An AS Language and Language and Literature Grammar Booklet” is published as a photocopiable volume or on CD Rom, and individual sections can thus be readily copied and distributed to students as required. The copies can also be shared with colleagues or given to supply teachers, without any fear of the original book being misplaced.

You can see a full list of the topics and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1831.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1831EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 896 5

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1831EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399011
• By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=806

What is the most effective and time efficient way of meeting Ofsted’s requirements regarding the Common Inspection Framework?

Self-evaluation has always been a problematic affair, ensuring that one’s own valuations can be fully justified as and when Ofsted requires. But with the new Ofsted CIF it doesn’t need to be time-consuming. Even Ofsted has asked heads to provide only “routine” information.

Now there is a simple and sophisticated solution – you can use iAbacus to update or indeed re-create your school self-evaluation and development plan in line with these latest Ofsted requirements.

For we have built a self-evaluation system which is quick, which makes collaboration easy, without leading to long discussions, and which results in statements that can be presented to inspectors with a certainty that they are completely accurate.

And the system is built so that you can start using iAbacus within five minutes of turning it on – which means no manual, no complex logging-in procedure, etc. Just instant access and instant use.

This means you can immediately start to provide your self-evaluation for such topics as the overall effectiveness of the school, the effectiveness of leadership and management, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, personal development, behaviour and welfare, the outcomes and the effectiveness of the school.

Then you can consider your initial judgements and see them in terms of Ofsted’s very latest criteria. You can check that you could defend your judgements to Ofsted in their own terms, and you can ensure that you haven’t overplayed or underplayed your hand.

In no time you have a school improvement plan which takes account of where you are now and how you are going to move forward.

This type of self-evaluation can have a huge impact on your school – especially if several people get involved in the process. For it forces everyone to analyse what is going on and to justify their statements – and that is the most valuable step of all.

It is a process that incorporates evidence from various sources, including other systems and procedures, and allows the compilation of reports for governors/stakeholders and briefings for internal monitoring or evaluation.

iAbacus also includes FREE templates for performance management, school governance, literacy, numeracy, and SMSC.

iAbacus costs just £100 for a one year, one-person licence. Our suggestion is that you try it out yourself and then show it to a couple of colleagues. If they like it too, just call us back for another licence.

You can find out more at https://www.iabacus.co.uk/leadership/

• For a free trial please visit www.iabacus.co.uk/trial
• Or if you want to know more call us on 0115 929 3419 or email us at info@iabacus.co.uk

Daniel O’Brien

Does the following sound familiar?

You want to bring in an excellent entertainer for your school, but due to budget constraints, you had to settle for a low- priced performer and crossed your fingers that the programme wasn’t…

Boring, unprofessional and a total embarrassment for your school.

Plus, in the back of your mind you worry that the entertainer won’t show up, be late, or even worse – not very good, which would make your school assembly a disaster.

Usually booking a cheap entertainer is like throwing darts at a bulls-eye blindfolded. You just don’t know what is going to happen!

I really don’t think this is what you had in mind for an ‘Enrichment Programme’.

Wouldn’t you agree?

This is Franc Karpo of Amazing Kids Magic and I have very exciting news for you.

No more worries, no more stressing out about the quality of an entertainer because…

Your Search for an Outstanding Assembly
Programme at a Price You Can Afford is Over

If Roman numerals were that wonderful, how come we stopped using them?

Roman numerals were something of a failure. To a fair degree they worked, but they were extremely cumbersome for one very particular reason.

They didn’t quite grasp the importance of nothing and thus there was no zero.

Nevertheless Roman numerals still continue to intrigue. For years they would be used on the credits to show the date that a TV programme was made – indeed some production companies still do this.

Books with prefaces still use them sometimes, as do analogue clocks where the maker wishes to give an impression of history and hence, perhaps, value.

However, they are curious, and for most children it does take the establishment of the difference between Roman and Arabic numerals and the totally odd concept of “nothing” to show pupils exactly why “nothing” is so important.

Indeed it is the conundrum of nothing that has led us to develop a KS2 Roman Numerals resource which contains a range of engaging activities to help pupils to easily identify their meaning.

The activity book covers the following for each year group:

• Year 3 – learning Roman numerals from 1 to 12 (I to XII)
• Year 4 – learning Roman numerals from 1 to 100 (I to C)
• Year 5 – learning Roman numerals from 1 to 1000 (I to M)

What’s more, notes for teachers, discussion pages, information sheets and photocopiable activities are also included.

This resource is available as a book, a download, or on CD, and you can view free sample pages on our website.

If you would like to know more please call us on 01772 863158 or email us at sales@topical-resources.co.uk

You can order the Roman Numerals Activity Book in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 01772 863158
• By fax to 01772 866153
• By email to sales@topical-resources.co.uk
• By post to Topical Resources, P.O. Box 329, Broughton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 5LT.

Topical Resources
P.O. Box329
Broughton
Preston
Lancashire
PR3 5LT

www.topical-resources.co.uk
sales@topical-resources.co.uk
You can follow us on Twitter @topicalr 
Tel: 01772 863158

According to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) 85% of teachers say that they have CCTV in their schools, and that it is primarily used for monitoring school grounds, entrances and to prevent vandalism. Half of the teachers admit that cameras are also present inside the school. The main reason behind placing cameras indoors is often to monitor students’ behaviour, help teachers improve their performance, instil discipline or prevent bullying. While there may be even more reasons to justify the use of CCTV all schools need to comply with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) code of practice.

Many schools still believe that having CCTV installed inside the school building will help with students’ discipline and misbehaviour and most schools often receive positive feedback from the parents and students who claim they all feel safer with monitoring systems in place. ATL also points out, that incidents of violence happen much less in the monitored areas.

Obviously all of us want to feel safe, and we take safety and security even more seriously when it comes to our children. This is why more and more schools consider installing CCTV cameras on their premises. However many schools have outdated analogue standard definition CCTV systems, which could be easily and cost effectively upgraded to high definition.

Are you thinking of upgrading your CCTV to High Definition?

At JMC Secure we stock a range of products including HD over Coax and HD IP CCTV Systems perfect for protecting any school. Whether you need a single camera or a large scale system, we can work with you to put together the right solution.

We stock products from some of the largest CCTV manufacturers in the world, and have years of knowledge to help your technicians with any CCTV related questions.

Feel free to have a browse through our website and contact us with any questions about your requirements – call 01902 213 999 if you need any advice about your CCTV requirements.

With the Virtual Physics Laboratory they can fire an AK47 at a ballistic balance and calculate the muzzle velocity of the shell – without the possibility of causing any harm.

This is just one of a set of 20 virtual Physics experiments that include many of the AQA required activities. They are extremely realistic and really do give the look and feel of doing the actual experiments, but there’s no setting up, nothing to break, wear out or steal and the equipment always works!

These virtual experiments can really save you time and be a big factor in your students gaining much more experience of practical science.

Have a look at our website here: http://www.keylinkcomputers.co.uk/virtualscienceexperiments.html

Where you can watch a video of the experiments in action and find a complete list of all the experiments. You will also find a couple of experiments you can try.

If you have any questions or would like a demonstration please do let me know.

Dr Rob Lucas MBCS CITP Cert Phys (Open)
Director

“I thought that the controls were pretty easy to get used to and the detail in the apparatus was excellent being able to zoom in and see the set up of the multimeter and read scales, being careful of parallax. This type of software is most useful in experiments which can’t be done in the lab like the gravity on the moon or where the equipment is too expensive or difficult to use like the Millikan Oil drop.“
Physics Scholar Coordinator

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clare Martin

Newset Training

Pantomimeplay bring you more than just the regular pantomime for schools. All our original Christmas shows have an educational twist entwined within the usual panto audience participation, wonderful characters and recognisable stories.

Our pantomime plays are devised and developed by us alongside pupils and based on our extensive experience within theatre in education. We realised through our work that schools struggled to have the budget for PSHE or educational plays as well as treating the pupils to a show in the winter term…so we decided to bring the two together

The pupils are learning throughout all the fun as there are tonnes of educational factors within the shows and our teacher packs offer the option to continue to use the plays as a resource within your primary school.

CURRENT SHOWS AND THEMES:

“The Incredible Christmas Story” by the boy who didn’t like books!
Supporting literacy, reading, and writing. Ben doesn’t like writing or reading but when mum threatens to cancel Christmas he muddles all his books up after knocking them off the shelf. Prince Charming appears in his bedroom and the story adventure begins. Pupils explore many aspects of the curriculum as they help write a rap, solve the pirates message, take a space journey through alliteration, and much much more.

“Gnome Alone”
A PSHE theme of friendship and bullying runs throughout this pantomime play. Gnorman the gnome gets picked on in Lapland and is left in the enchanted woods – but he has the sleigh keys and must get back to save Christmas. The problem is that Gnorman needs friendship tokens to buy his train ticket back…but he’s never been very good at making and keeping friends and keeps running in to lots of baddies. The pupils help Gnorman and vast array of “Baddies” to learn all about friendship and combat bullying.

“The National Elf Service”
This pantomime play includes the topics of being healthy and being safe. Christmas is not going to happen this year as Santa can’t get out of his chair, and the elves are all too busy playing the new computer games, there’s no money left to make the toys, and everyone in Lapland just can’t be bothered! It might be time to call in the ‘National Elf Service’.

Future shows on the way will explore: Citizenship, Technology, Relationships.

FOR ALL AGES
Our Christmas shows are fast paced, funny, and visually exciting to keep all ages entertained. The older year groups are kept interested and involved by the more advanced script and plot, whilst the physical comedy and fun characters appeal to the younger years. The educational elements cover KS1 and KS2 topics.

AUDIENCE INVOLVEMENT
The whole school is involved from beginning to end ensuring a unique and unforgettable experience. There’s lots of vocal and physical audience participation – they even become part of the play.

PERFORMANCE LENGTH
The timing is slightly adaptable depending on the amount of time you have available in your school. The interactive element of the play allows the length of the play to vary, the plot and story remain the same but the sections that involve the audience can be shortened or lengthened. The minimum performance time is 55 minutes and the maximum is 1 hour and a quarter. We are happy to perform 1 to 3 performances per day.

Prices

1 SHOW = £450 + Travel + V.A.T
2 SHOWS (a.m) = £600 + Travel + V.A.T
2-3 SHOWS (a.m & p.m) = £850 + Travel + V.A.T

An overview of our products can be seen on the following page on our website:

http://www.tipoftheiceberg.biz/education/education.html

Contact us for any information regarding workshops, performances and how we develop bespoke projects to suit you.

Email: lisa@tipoftheiceberg.biz

Telephone: 0845 4747907

Mobile: 07519593711

We look forward to hearing from you.

Lisa Schulberg

(Creative Director)

Plan your study trip before the end of term and take a well-earned break this summer!

The new Studytrips Perform brochure is crammed with exciting programmes that will inspire your students. They can work with West End professionals; make a movie in Hollywood or ‘break a leg’ on Broadway…and much more too!

Your students can also create and perform their own musical on our exclusive six-day course. You’ll stay at a top boarding school, in stunning surroundings, and have use of the amazing theatre and leisure facilities. Leading West End professionals will mentor the students throughout, helping them to create a 30 minute musical production that they will perform, on stage, to an enthusiastic audience. They will also have the opportunity to make friends with our international students, who will also be on campus.

Click here to download our new Perform brochure or e-mail me at info@studytrips.co.uk for more details.

Have a lovely summer break.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prices

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

You can purchase the book…

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

When ordering the book please quote the reference T1833EMN.

What is the best way to take students from a predicted lower grade up to the achievement of an A* at GCSE?

When we brought out How to get A* in French we were asked if it was also available for Spanish – so now here it is.

As with the French version the author has analysed the writing and the speaking criteria of various exam boards and has come up with a simple and clear summary of these criteria written in a student friendly language. These criteria have been divided into four sections; each section corresponding to a GCSE level while at the end of the booklet students can find a very useful list of recommended idioms and high level expressions.

Additionally the booklet includes the conjugation of the 50 most used Spanish verbs, including the modal verbs, into different tenses.

This is followed by different language structures which the students can use to develop their writing.

The use of this booklet is proven to improve students’ levels not only in writing and speaking, but also in listening and reading.

How to get A* in Spanish? is published as a download so that you can receive immediately a copy onto your computer which you can print out for colleagues and your students as often as you want.

There are sample pages from the book at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/authordownloadsamples/T1834samples.pdf and you can order it at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=814

The price is £10 plus VAT (the VAT can be reclaimed in most cases by the school).

How to get A* in Spanish? is published by First and Best in Education, part of the Hamilton House group. If you have any enquiries you can call 01536 399 011, or email sales@firstandbest.co.uk or write to us at First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants NN17 4HH.

The full range of First and Best books can be seen at www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk

First and Best in Education
Earlstrees Road
Corby
UK
NN17 4HH

Website: www.shop.firstandbest.co.uk
Email: sales@firstandbest.co.uk

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

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

So here’s the deal…..

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

But wait, that’s not all…….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clare Martin

Newset Training

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prices

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

You can purchase the book…

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

Family of 7/7 victim launches cross-curricular
anti-extremism campaign

Next week is the ten year anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings, and to mark the occasion the family of one of the victims is launching a campaign to help tackle extremism in schools.

Visit miriamsvision.org to access unique, high-quality curricular resources that tell Miriam’s story and explore issues surrounding violent extremism. Miriam’s Vision:

• uses the events of 7/7 as a starting point to develop transferable life skills through critical thinking, and resilience in adversity
• fosters empathy and appreciation of diversity through experiential learning
• explores democratic process as a non-violent alternative for dealing with conflict.

“Miriam’s Vision” is apolitical and non-religious. Developed in association with the UCL Institute of Education and Miriam’s school, Copthall in London, the resources are curriculum-linked for ages 11-14 and cover History, Citizenship, PSHE, Geography, Art, Dance and Business & Enterprise.

Please pass this on to colleagues. We look forward to working with you for Miriam’s Vision of a safer, more inclusive society.

With thanks

The Miriam Hyman Memorial Trust

Contact for more details: info@miriamsvision.org

Grades are important for you and your students. This unique series of resources is designed for the experienced teacher and/or teachers who are new to GCSE Psychology. The resource carefully follows the AQA GCSE specifications – Unit One Modules 1-10 and is littered with teaching notes, ideas, tasks, hand-outs and activities to accompany the colourful and informational slides. The textbook recommended to accompany this series is: AQA Psychology, GCSE. Authors: Stanley, Boswell, Harris, Helliwell and McKenzie. Publisher: Nelson Thornes. ISBN: 978-1-4085-0395-9.

The complete pack goes through each module with a PowerPoint that covers the specifications in progressive, informative way; specifically targeting KS4 (Year 10 & Year 11) students. The accompanying manual contains teaching notes for each slide. These notes explain the slides in a bright informative way, extending knowledge, suggesting things to think about and links to activities. The manual also contain a multitude of resources including: worksheets, workbooks, information sheets, multi-choice questions (with answers), practice examination questions and crossword puzzles (with answers).

Modules 1-5 ‘Making Sense of Other People’ 178 copiable masters with 227 PowerPoint slides – £79.99 (£95.99 inc. VAT)

Modules 6-10 ‘Understanding Other People’ 203 copiable masters with 194 PowerPoint slides – £79.99 (£95.99 inc. VAT)

Once purchased the CDs can be freely copied and networked throughout the school.

To see sample pages please email info@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order code H19046 for Unit 1 – Modules 1–5 or H19049 for Unit 2 – Modules 6-10.

You can order either of the AQA GCSE Psychology CD-ROMs in any of these ways:

• On our website , click here for Unit 1 or here for Unit 2
• By phone on 0117 940 6409
• By fax on 0117 940 6408
• By email (quoting a school order number) to info@classroom-resources.co.uk
• By post to: Classroom Resources, 9 Logan Road, Bristol, BS7 9DU

Classroom Resources
PO Box 1489
Bristol
BS99 3QJwww.classroom-resources.co.uk
info@classroom-resources.co.uk
Tel: 0117 940 6409

Retirement and closing down sale of sports posters and sports coaching wallcharts

All action posters of world, Olympic and UK sports starts at HALF PRICE

£3.50 paper printed £5.00 encapsulated

View online at www.sportspectrum.co.uk
Order by e-mail to sales@sportspectrum.co.uk

Text enquiries to 07500 557393

MUST GO! LAST ORDERS JULY 31^ST 2015 WHEN ALL REMAIINING STOCK WILL BE RECYCLED.

PLEASE QUOTE HHSALE ON ALL ORDERS

NB. Prices do not include postage and packing

A survey conducted by the Chartered Institute for IT three years ago revealed that most schools – over 80% – thought that it was important to teach children how to touch type. Yet the survey revealed that only around 15% of schools actually did so.

The same survey showed that, on average, secondary school children were using a computer for around 3 hours every school day.

Love them or loathe them, computers are here to stay and are emerging in ever increasing forms. Yet one thing has remained constant and that is the need for the computer keyboard.

Despite the introduction of ipads and smart phones and some progress in voice recognition software to enable digital dictating, the keyboard remains the most effective, fast and accurate means of putting thoughts into words when using a computer, provided the user can touch type.

Children who learn to touch type not only gain a hugely important skill that will last them a lifetime and give them a significant advantage when they leave school. It will also help them enormously whilst attending school.

Touch typing enables children to produce work at least twice as fast than if they were writing it down. And the automatic nature of touch typing means that their mind is free to process creative thought rather than to expend energy on finding the right key on the keyboard.

And of course children who touch type produce legible work every time (usually with the correct spelling), which makes it much easier for teachers to mark, saving their valuable time too.

So why do so many schools steer clear of offering any touch-typing training for their pupils? Type&Test, the UK’s leading specialists in online touch-typing training speak to many schools about this and they have found that most cite two main reasons.

The first is that they don’t have space on the timetable to offer typing training. The curriculum is already jam packed, and touch typing is not a national requirement, so it doesn’t get a look in.

The second is that they feel that they lack the knowledge and expertise to teach it – after all, most teachers cannot touch type either!

Type&Test has provided many schools with online touch-typing training software over the years. But they have found that most schools who invest in it don’t use it effectively because they don’t have the time to administer and manage it.

So Type&Test has decided to offer a complete solution to schools that handles everything. Called ‘Total Typequick’ it includes:-

• All pupils enrolled on the courseware at the outset
• Each pupil is provided with simple log-in and user instructions
• Ongoing support for pupils via email, with response within 24 hours
• Pre and post course assessments set up remotely with full result reporting back to the school
• Printable Certificates of Achievement, personalised for each pupil and customised with the school’s name and identity
• Ongoing monitoring of pupils’ progress, with monthly reports sent to the nominated teacher or administrator
• In-school typing competitions set up and managed remotely.

So the only thing the school will need to do is to provide Type&Test with a list of pupils’ names and email addresses (if they have them) and nominate a teacher or administrator as the main contact for the service.

For more information, contact Andy Stevenson at Type&Test on 01480 861867 or email andy@typeandtest.com using the subject line ‘Total Typequick’.

Offer your pupils snacks that comply with the National School Food Standards and provide the school with extra profit.

With a Tasty Tuck Shop in your school you can significantly reduce the hunger pangs of pupils (and teachers!) which are preventing them from performing at their best.

Simply, set up your tuck shop with our Tasty Tuck Shop Starter Pack which includes 2 colourful display stands and a variety of tasty, healthy and appealing drinks and snacks from our range.

We also supply you with posters to promote the school’s tuck shop, nutritional information for all of our Tasty Tuck Shop snacks, and an example letter to notify parents that the school is opening a tuck shop selling healthier snacks.

And when your Tasty Tuck Shop stock is running low you can choose from a number of snacks and drinks that sell for as little as 35p in our ‘Healthy Range’ – all of which are fully compliant with the National School Food Standards.

If your school buys 5 cases of our Healthy Tasty Tuck range, you’ll get another case free! And we are offering 20% off on Perry Court Farm Fruit Crisps!

Order before the summer break for delivery on the first week back at school – w/c 7^th September 2015. What’s more, there’s nothing to pay for 30 days following receipt of delivery!

You can find more information on our website at www.tastytuck.co.uk.

Alternatively please do call James on 01206 391179 or email me at james@tastytubs.co.uk.<

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

You can purchase the report…

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

This handbook covers every aspect of grammar and its application to the analysis of text that is necessary for success in AS and also much of A2 Language and combined Language and Literature courses, regardless of exam board.

The book assists grammatical acquisition from word class, to phrase then clause level, finally showing students how to analyse sentences in text. Sentence analysis will be a stand alone requirement for students of the new linear OCR A Level Language course from 2015. Each section of this book is accompanied by clear and useful tasks which are designed to allow students to demonstrate their understanding and apply and consolidate their knowledge.

The final section of the book is devoted to punctuation and terminology used to describe patterning in text, such as syntactical parallelism, tricolon use and antithesis, all of which are High Grade rhetorical features necessary for success at AS and A level. Direct speech punctuation and apostrophe use are also covered in detail with useful examples of how to apply both.

This grammar handbook has often been cited by students as invaluable in assisting their learning, application and revision of grammar for AS language and Language and Literature and is a resource created, developed and modified through many years of successful teaching.

“An AS Language Grammar Booklet” is published as a photocopiable volume or on CD Rom, and individual sections can thus be readily copied and distributed to students as required. The copies can also be shared with colleagues or given to supply teachers, without any fear of the original book being misplaced.

You can see a full list of the topics and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1831.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1831EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 896 5

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £31.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1831EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• By phone with a credit card or school order number to 01536 399011
• By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=806

What are your students doing for the Cultural Topic element of their studies? Are they:

• perfecting their French skills, learning about Amelie, Brittany or La Haine?
• improving their Spanish while discovering La Casa de Bernarda Alba, El Laberinto Del Fauno or Volver?
• polishing their German while getting to grips with Goodbye, Lenin!, Der Besuch der Alten Dame or Die Berliner Mauer?

Whatever the new A level specifications bring, the cultural elements are here to stay. Inspiring students to explore culture freely without losing sight of exam preparation can be a tricky area – which is why we continue to develop our hugely popular Getting to Know… range. We have comprehensive teaching resources available for all of the above titles and many more.

Getting to Know…

The before/during/after structure ensures the right balance between guided class work, independent research and thorough exam preparation.

1. Before
Advises students on how to research the topic: what to do first, where to find information and how to apply it. Also includes vocab lists and introductory tasks.

2. During
A step-by-step work-through of the topic with background information, discussion points and research tasks, with special focus given to key characters, events, etc. Translation and grammar activities help students develop language directly relevant to the exam.

3. After
Helps students apply their learning with exam-style essay and oral questions. Supplemented with sample essays and plans and the examiners’ commentaries.

Want to find out more? Follow the links below to view the full range of Getting to Know… resources available for:

• AQA: zzed.uk/WR78-AQA
• Edexcel: zzed.uk/WR78-Edexcel
• WJEC: zzed.uk/WR78-WJEC
• CCEA: zzed.uk/WR78-CCEA

The Getting to Know… range is available as 1. Photocopy masters. 2. PDF files.
3. Editable Word files.

You can order (For FREE POSTAGE please reference WR78 when placing your order)

• By phone: 0117 950 3199
• By post: ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol, BS10 5PY
• By fax: 0117 959 1695
• By email: MFL-WR78@zigzageducation.co.uk

Details of all MFL resources are given at: zzed.uk/WR78-MFL

This inovative and valuable resource has been produced to support the teaching of technical skills for the IGCSE English Cambridge exam. The exam requirements have been carefully studied by the author who has vast experience teaching this syllabus and now shares her expertize which has proven to raise grades for students following this course. The technical skills covered in this resource are:

Sentences

Types of sentence
a. Simple
b. Compound
Functions
a. Declarative
b. Exclamatory
c. Interrogative
d. Imperative
Variety
a. Minor sentence (one or two words)
b. Declarative sentences
c. Complex sentences
d. Compound sentences
Punctuation
a. Capital letter
b. Full stop
c. Question mark
d. Exclamation mark
e. Comma
f. Apostrophe
g. Colon and semi-colon
h. Bracket and dash

Within each section there are a range of tasks to support the understanding of the topic.

55 Powerpoint Slides – Price: £49.99 (£59.99 inc VAT)

Once purchased the CD can be freely copied and networked throughout the school.

To see sample pages please email info@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order code H5342.

You can order the IGCSE English Cambridge Technical Skills CD-ROM in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 0117 940 6409
• By fax on 0117 940 6408
• By email (quoting a school order number) to info@classroom-resources.co.uk
• By post to: Classroom Resources, PO Box 1489, Bristol, BS99 3QJ

Classroom Resources
PO Box 1489
Bristol
BS99 3QJwww.classroom-resources.co.uk
sales@classroom-resources.co.uk
Tel: 0117 940 6409

Cross curricular teaching creates an exciting learning environment in which to engage pupils. The Art Department is ideally placed for this as art is a diverse subject, allowing teachers easily to make connections across subjects and to be as creative as they wish in their delivery.

This KS3 book contains over 40 project sheets and links art to seven different subject areas. Within the Art, RE and Citizenship section, for example, there are projects which encourage pupils to consider what makes a good citizen, faiths and communities, the architecture of Gaudi and other design ideas. Project sheets can be printed out onto A3 paper for pupils to use as required.

By using skill and knowledge acquired in other subjects and building upon them within the art environment pupils have enormous scope to express themselves through the use of a variety of materials.

Cross Curricular Art is available as a black and white copiable book with an accompanying CD. Project sheets can be printed out onto A3 paper for pupils to use as required.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 799 9
Price: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery.

You can order in four different ways. In each case please quote our reference T1765emn. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed prior to ordering on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/art/SamplesT1765.pdf

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House Mailings plc, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Rd, Corby, Northants NN17 4HH
  
• By fax on 01536 399 012
  
• By phone with a credit card or with an official school order number on 01536 399 011
  
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=23&products_id=741

Showcasing the achievements of your school through the achievements of your pupils

Organising school events that are open to members of the local community not only creates a sense of community cohesion but also provides the opportunity to showcase the achievements of the school through the achievements of your pupils.

However, an increasing number of schools are also finding great benefit in attending events away from the local area to showcase the school’s achievements to a much broader audience and thus raise the profile of the school at a national level.

One of the largest events to offer schools this opportunity is Voice in a Million where children from all schools across the UK are invited to sing in a choir of thousands at the SSE Arena Wembley.

Better still, entry to the event is free – the only costs are for the rehearsal materials and the t-shirts worn by all participants in the event.

It’s an experience that colleagues, pupils and parents will remember forever. To add to its attraction the event supports a stupendously important cause as Voice in a Million is dedicated to raising awareness for adoption and fostering around the world.

There are no auditions and no requirement for your pupils to have a particular singing talent or ability although, if you wish, you can put forward your more talented singers to attend auditions for the opportunity to perform as a soloist.

Voice in a Million provides everything you need for rehearsal, including backing tracks and lyrics, and a workshop can be held in your school during which the repertoire is run through with your choir.

To find out how your school can take part in Voice in a Million, please visit www.voiceinamillion.com/schools-area/. For event details and to see video clips from previous shows and events, please click here.

Alternatively, if you would like to discuss your school’s possible involvement in the next Voice in a Million on either the 2nd or 3rd of March 2016, please do call us on 07872 591409 or 01932 859667 or email me at jo.garofalo@voiceinamillion.com.

I’ll be very pleased to hear from you.

Jo Garofalo

What is the most effective way of working with pupils who have English as an additional language?

Students who have English as an additional language now form a majority in one in nine schools in the UK; the number has risen by 20% during the last five years.

Many schools estimate that it takes about a half term for the average EAL pupil to gain sufficient working knowledge of English for them to move into the mainstream classroom, while spending time with the intervention teacher each day.

However, although this seems a simple process there are many issues that arise, ranging from the exact legal requirements in terms of dealing with these pupils through to the best approach for induction and admission of these new arrivals.

There are also issues of engaging with the parents, the question of which teaching and learning strategies are the most effective, and the support and encouragement that should be given to more advanced EAL learners.

Indeed, many schools are now asking what a good induction programme looks like. Indeed when it comes to EAL is one approach as good as another?

This matter was highlighted by the publication of the New Arrivals Excellence Programme which was issued in 2007 and represents a summary of best practice in EAL in the country. It includes case studies and does give a clear source of information on what schools can do in relation to EAL students.

This is not to say that there is a single process and approach which every school should follow, but it is often felt that it is helpful for schools to consider a range of approaches when thinking about their EAL students.

From the sort of approach adopted come the appropriate teaching and learning strategies, and indeed the role of the EAL Coordinator who can ensure that the plan that the school has developed is being followed at each turn, and that any gaps in learning and performance between EAL language pupils and students and those who have English as their first language are narrowed and ultimately removed.

These are the issues examined in the new extensive volume The EAL Coordinator’s Manual. The 170 page volume comes in copiable form so that it can shared with any members of staff in the school who work with EAL students.

You can see a full contents list and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/EAL/T1832.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1832EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 802 6

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £29.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £36.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1832EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On the phone with a school order number at 01536 399 011
• By email to sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=810

Is this the most beautiful classroom in the country?

In modern schools the classroom is an arena for many activities and thus needs to meet many and varied criteria.

Clearly they need to be flexible in layout so that they can be readily re-arranged for the array of lessons that the National curriculum demands.

They need to have decent acoustics and be accessible to all. They also need to be warm in winter, cool in summer, and able to withstand whatever extremes of weather climate change throws at them.

And perhaps as important as everything else, they need to be eco-friendly and bathed in natural light.

In short, if they can both look wonderful and meet the needs of today’s teaching requirements, they will of themselves inspire teaching and learning among all KS1 and KS2 students.

Such classrooms draw the students in so that they actually want to be here, and they offer the teachers the chance to create the lessons they want in an environment they love to be in.

So what does such a fantastic classroom look like?

There are many possible answers – and here is just one of ours…

This picture comes from an on-line portfolio of some of the school buildings we’ve constructed during the last couple of years.

It is one of many new school buildings that have been prepared by The Learning Escape, all the way from planning permission to handover. And because of the way we work, they have invariably been built for much less than a traditional building would cost.

Heating can be specified with a choice of electric, geothermal or air source heat pump/air conditioning. Each building is a bespoke design – a response to the local conditions, local needs and local specification.

Whether you need a classroom, staffroom, school hall or library, we take your needs and wishes and create a stunning and sustainable building that fits into your space and budget.

We also offer a leasing option which means that a permanent, architect-designed Learning Escape can actually cost less per month than hiring a temporary solution!

To see more of what we have built recently just click here.

To discuss any aspect of your project or to book a free survey, just call us on 0800 917 7726.

You can find more information and a number of case on our website.

What is the most cost effective way of developing the ultimate sports facility in your school?

Inviting members of the local sporting community to use the sports facilities in your school is an ideal way to create a greater sense of community cohesion.

Clearly the facilities need to respond to the practicalities of a whole array of sports and need to withstand constant use all year round, no matter what the weather may be.

And, as important as everything else, they need to be accessible for all ages and abilities and to offer pupils the opportunity to develop their sporting abilities above and beyond.

And, of course, there needs to be immediate finance available.

All Notts Sport sports facility installations aim to achieve exactly this: the ultimate sports facility, which can be financed for your school.

This is what England Rugby Union Head Coach, Stuart Lancaster, said about one of our latest installations…

“This covers all the bases for the school, and the community can use it as well in the evenings and weekends. I think it has transformed the school and I think it could be the key for the school and community linking together.”

This was made possible with the installation of a multi-use sports pitch using our 60mm 3G and NottsPad XC surfacing systems to meet FIFA and IRB standards.

Such surfaces can withstand constant use without affecting the quality of the facility and thus the sporting performance and safety of pupils.

To find out more about the various pitch surfacing systems designed and developed by Notts Sport, click here. And for more information about this installation, or to see other installations of its kind, please visit our blog.

We work closely with schools to make the installation of multi-use sport facilities an affordable option, providing advice on funding where it is needed.

There is further information on our website at http://nottssport.co.uk/, or if you would like to arrange a free review of your sports facilities, please call us on 01455 883 730 or email us at info@nottssport.com

Safety v cost? A practical example that mathematicians, engineers and businesses face when trying to find a solution to a problem.

So that students can see just how important maths is in the world of work, we have put together a practical problem solving exercise called Bridging The Gap. It is designed to simulate the workings of a small team of engineers who are trying to find a solution to a problem by building a bridge between two points.

The students are divided into small teams and challenged to build the Bridge from newspaper and then work out how much it costs to build. It must be suspended 60cm above the ground and money is awarded for each completed piece. Beware though there are costs and time penalties apply.

Teams must forecast how much ‘profit’ they think they can make and then work out how much they actually make. Will your students design it so cheaply that it collapses or will they spend more money to make it strong and sturdy?

The exercise is suitable for both KS3 and KS4 students and runs over one lesson. Each team is given the student brief and finance sheet, a set of resources and a deadline. The winning team is the one who can build the longest bridge and accurately forecast their profit.

A great learning experience and good fun for everyone.

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

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

How much does this all cost? Only £25.00 and can be re-used over and over again!

There are more details at… http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/bridging-the-gap-exercise/

You can pay and download the exercise immediately direct from our website using PayPal or you may wish to pay with either a cheque or a purchase order number. Simply e-mail your purchase order number to us and we will send the exercise to you along with the invoice for payment within 24 hours.

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

What is the most effective way of covering the spelling, punctuation and grammar content of the new curriculum?

To help your students identify and discuss literary heritage, we’ve provided a free quiz!

This quiz includes match-up exercises, multiple-choice questions and animations to test your students’ knowledge of authors who have contributed to British literary heritage and encourage them think about how language and contexts have changed over time. Each question is followed by a formative recap slide to ensure your students are secure in their understanding.

Try out the free quiz on our Doddle English page!

Doddle English contains a variety of interactive resources to get the whole class fully engaged with topics. To find out how you can use them as whole class activities, or set them as homework, book a free in-school visit with one of our Educational Consultants.

Alice
Doddle

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

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

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

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

Activities range from a study of an advert for the Stakes R Us shop (specialising as it does in anti-vampire technology) to a speech modelling persuasive/argumentative language expounding the reasons why sport should be banned in school.

Each article is followed by a wide range of questions, an extension task through which (for example) the students create a speech in support of sport, and a homework (in the case of Stakes R Us, writing the tale of a student who discovers his/her headteacher is a vampire).

The volume covers not only advertising, as in the first example cited above, but also texts in the form of playscripts, a diary, lonely hearts, science fiction, letters, memos, alternative story beginnings, confidential reports, obituaries, references etc etc.

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

The Absent English Teacher Worksheets collection is available from Hamilton House priced at £30.00 plus £2.95 delivery.

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

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

Safety v cost? A practical example that mathematicians, engineers and businesses face when trying to find a solution to a problem.

So that students can see just how important maths is in the world of work, we have put together a practical problem solving exercise called Bridging The Gap. It is designed to simulate the workings of a small team of engineers who are trying to find a solution to a problem by building a bridge between two points.

The students are divided into small teams and challenged to build the Bridge from newspaper and then work out how much it costs to build. It must be suspended 60cm above the ground and money is awarded for each completed piece. Beware though there are costs and time penalties apply.

Teams must forecast how much ‘profit’ they think they can make and then work out how much they actually make. Will your students design it so cheaply that it collapses or will they spend more money to make it strong and sturdy?

The exercise is suitable for both KS3 and KS4 students and runs over one lesson. Each team is given the student brief and finance sheet, a set of resources and a deadline. The winning team is the one who can build the longest bridge and accurately forecast their profit.

A great learning experience and good fun for everyone.

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

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

How much does this all cost? Only £25.00 and can be re-used over and over again!

There are more details at… http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/bridging-the-gap-exercise/

You can pay and download the exercise immediately direct from our website using PayPal or you may wish to pay with either a cheque or a purchase order number. Simply e-mail your purchase order number to us and we will send the exercise to you along with the invoice for payment within 24 hours.

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

An Interactive CHEMISTRY Software Free Trial Offer, At An Unmissable Price. No School Should Miss Out On This.
It Is Simply Unbelievable!

This offer for ALL 14 titles is packed with hundreds of stunning curriculum 3D animations describing difficult to understand concepts for CHEMISTRY, text, voice-overs, quiz zones, drag and drops, multiple choice quizzes and more.

Includes a full school site PC and network licence, nothing more to pay EVER! Free 14-day trial , so if you don’t like it you can just send it back. All 14 of these individual great titles are included in the pack for just £100 for everything:

Classifying Materials; Patterns Of Behaviour; Crude Oil – Organic Chemistry; The Earth’s Structure; Extraction & Uses Of Metals; The Periodic Table – An Introduction; The Periodic Table – Atomic Structure & Physical Properties; The Periodic Table- Bonding & Chemical Properties; Rates Of Reaction; Reversible Reactions; Smart Materials & Nanotechnology; Structure & Bonding; Quantitative Chemistry; The Mole & Stoichiometry

Until the end of term only it’s just £100 for all 14 of these software titles in one pack!

Now isn’t that truly staggering value for money for all these titles from the UK’s leading curriculum software supplier? Let’s beat the cuts!

To order your free trial please click here

What is the simplest way of ensuring that everyone in the school always knows exactly what is happening, when and where?

The answer is to configure your staff’s electronic calendars to reflect the way you organise your years, weeks and days – even if you have two-week timetables, different patterns of sessions on different days, and unusual working weeks.

Get all the events you want your staff to be aware of into their own calendars. Even if they sync to an iPhone, iPad or Android they will still have the information. Do this at the whole school level and for different departments and teams.

Import their timetable data from SIMS, TimeTabler or other systems and put it in their calendars. You can even use this as the basis for standardised lesson planning across the school or department.

Use templates to implement standard formats for lesson plans, meeting agendas and anything else that might go in the body or notes section of an appointment.

Academic Calendar is an add-in for Microsoft Outlook that makes it work the way schools, colleges and academies need. It can do all the above and more.

Academic Calendar can distribute appointments to staff running Outlook or, if necessary, make appointments directly into Exchange or Office 365.

One person sets the data up – the rest get the benefit.

Academic Calendar was created by an experienced ex secondary head and is in continuous development in response to school needs.

To find out more and to download the software to try it, go to http://www.academiccalendar.co.uk/acal-email-landing-page/

Best regards

Mike Vaughan Edwards
Greenhill Software

Life after levels: equipping you for the future of assessment

To support you through the removal of levels in September, Doddle have provided a whole-school solution that gives you a consistent assessment framework across the curriculum.

One of the key features of our simple and flexible system is the ability to personalise your assessment criteria. We have broken down the KS3 curriculum into key skills which you can add to and edit, so that you can align Doddle assessment with your schemes of work.

You can use your own assessments, together with hundreds of self-marking Doddle tests, to build a comprehensive picture of student progress.

Read more about Doddle’s assessment system, and the detailed reports that it creates, on our
website: www.doddlelearn.co.uk/progress

For a free demonstration of the features that enable you to consistently track progress and how this could fit your school’s needs, book a free in-school visit with one of our Educational Consultants.

Alice
Doddle

Boardworks Ltd are the creators of Doddle, an online resource bringing together over 16,000 teaching, homework and revision materials across 18 subjects at KS3–KS4.

Comprising all Boardworks teaching presentations, thousands of formative self-marking homework quizzes, and our new progress reporting system, Doddle is designed to assist schools in consistently raising achievement.

How by understanding the subconscious mind of learners it is possible to increase the rate at which they progress – without them knowing

By the age of six it is thought that 95% of the time it is our subconscious mind that perceives, interprets and manipulates our environment and encounters.

In other words, the conscious mind is only involved in five percent of the activity in which children are engaged. Indeed, for some children it can be even less!

Given that it is the subconscious that is taking in so much information, it is therefore possible to imagine a situation in which we create environments which provide children with a wealth of information outside of lessons.

In short we are considering the subconscious learning they are engaged in when they are in the playground, eating their lunch or indeed doing anything else.

One simple example of making use of the child’s constant subconscious activity is through Active Learning Place Mats which sit under the child’s plate while eating but then become an educational activity full of activities and information suitable for KS1 and KS2.

Better still, because the place mats can be wiped clean using a dry cloth, they can be used again and again. And not only at lunchtime but also during wet playtimes.

Each of the Active Learning Place Mats comes as a set of six, and the pack also includes six dry-wipe pens for when they wish to exercise conscious learning.

There are four different sets of six mats plus pens available, each focussing on a different topic; Letter Fun, Key Words, Times Tables and Animal Kingdom.

The Letter Fun series has been designed to speed up an automatic response to letter recognition, alphabetical order and rhyming patterns and to develop visual and listening skills.

Topics and activities in the series include letter sequencing (mat 1), dot-to-dots (mat 2), rhyming pairs (mat 3), beginning sounds (mat 4), ending sounds (mat 5), complete the words and match the words exercises (mat 6).

The Animal Kingdom series includes themes such as pets and insects (mat 1), fish and the countryside (mat 2), birds and arctic animals (mat 3), endangered and woodland animals (mat 4), reptiles and safari animals (mat 5), and nocturnal animals and horses (mat 6).

The Times Tables series includes questions on all the times tables up to 10 experienced through both multiplication and division questions. The Key Words series of mats use word searches within shapes to stretch the children’s awareness of letter combinations.

There are more details and illustrations on our website.

You can order the Active Learning Place Mats in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 01536 399017
• By fax to 01536 399012
• By email to msl@schools.co.uk
• By post to Multi-Sensory Learning, Earlstrees Court, Earlstrees Road, Corby, NN17 4HH

One obvious advantage of such a TEN year warranty is that you’ll have no maintenance or replacement costs for a decade or more.

This could mean significant financial savings compared with alternative products.

But that’s not all……….

The Postura Plus range of chairs has been designed not only to be incredibly durable but also to encourage good posture for your students, as well as being easy to stack and move from room to room.

Postura Plus chairs are used successfully in thousands of UK schools, often just as a trial in one classroom and then being “rolled out” throughout the school as funds allow.

Postura Plus chairs are available in a range of 15 attractive colours. The TEN year warranty (and its associated benefits) means that these chairs are likely to be one of the best investments that a school or college could ever make.

Further information about Postura Plus chairs including very competitive pricing and how to obtain a sample for evaluation, may be obtained from Central Educational Supplies Ltd., PO Box 999, London E14 6SH
Tel: 020 7515 1797 or email: signpost@talk21.com. Details are also available on their website: http://centraleducational.co.uk/

PS. Even during the busy summer term buying season these chairs can often be supplied at short notice.

PPS. In addition to the Postura Plus chairs described above you’ll also find details of desks, tables, storage units, cupboards etc on the Central Educational Supplies website.

How can we help Sixth Form students understand the concept of the meaningful argument?

A man walks into an office and says, “I’d like to have an argument, please.”

If you are familiar with Monty Python you’ll know that the man is Michael Palin and he spends the new few minutes debating with John Cleese the difference between a true argument and “mere” contradiction.

Of course, the sketch never approaches the debate about the difference between these two concepts – and indeed why should it? It is just a comedy sketch, although a sketch so popular that, although first broadcast in 1972, it was performed by the original actors to much acclaim in their farewell performance 42 years later.

But while the difference between argument and contradiction was never resolved by Messers Palin and Cleese, it is a vital one for A Level students to grasp.

And grasping the difference is still only the start.

For even when the student starts to get to grips with the difference between such concepts as “claims” and “arguments”, there still remain such puzzling issues as explanations, assumptions, counter-claims, evidence, examples, deduction, induction, generalisation…

However the fact is that where students do understand the nature of debate and proof they tend not only to get better A level grades but they also become better prepared for university and/or employment.

In short, for many students it is a grasp of critical thinking which takes them from a B to an A, which delivers a far more impressive UCAS application, and which enables them to be much more persuasive in interviews and presentations.

It is for these reasons that the volume “Critical Thinking” has been written.

But “Critical Thinking” is about far more than just dismantling and evaluating other people’s arguments. For it is also involved in the production of the student’s own explanations and arguments.

Through examples and activities the volume encourages students to develop their considered point of view in essays, reports, debates, etc, and helps them be prepared to stand back and assess their own reasoning.

Critical Thinking is available as a printed copiable volume or as a CD which can be put on the school’s learning platform for use by students and staff.

You can see some sample pages at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/english/T1821.pdf

Publisher’s reference:T1821EMN; ISBN: 978 1 86083 861 3

Prices:

• Photocopiable report in a book: £29.95
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95
• Both the book and the CD: £36.94

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1821EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct., Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=154

Are you looking for a Business Studies resource that will engage and challenge your students and cover key areas of the curriculum?

Why not take a look at our Global Investor business simulations? Many UK secondary schools are using them to help students

√ understand financial terminology and how markets function

√ visualise the interaction of supply and demand in a dynamic context

√ see external influences on prices in a real-world situation

√ analyse and interpret business and financial news

We offer two simulations designed for classroom use – Dealing Room and Finance Lab – and there are Pro versions of each that allow you to customise the game settings. We will give you the Pro versions for free if you place an order before Friday 3rd July.

To find out more visit www.globalinvsims.com. There’s a free demo on the website or you can sign up for a full evaluation trial.

Get in touch. We look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,
Liam

Liam Barnes, Global Investor
Office: 01225 484 721
Mobile: 07880 527 872
www.globalinvsims.com

What is the most effective way of encouraging parents to support their child’s reading at home?

One of the great problems with parents is that they remember their own primary school days and become confused when they see their children being taught to read in a different way.

Of course, many parents will recognise that education develops all the time and will readily support current methods, but some may feel slightly unsure about them.

Indeed the phrase, “It wasn’t like this in my day,” probably originates from a lack of awareness in which schooling changes.

In order to bring parents up to speed with contemporary literacy work in schools, Jolly Learning has produced a free Parent/Teacher Guide and an accompanying presentation on CD.

This guide is offered free to schools that want to hand out information to parents at parent evenings or as part of a pack of information supplied at the start of term. The guide deals with how parents can support their child’s learning at home while the presentation CD is used by teachers at the parents evening.

You can see a copy of the document (available in several languages) here and you can, of course, print copies and hand them out yourself.

Alternatively, just email me and I’ll arrange to send you as many printed copies as you think you will need.

If you would like to order copies of the Parent/Teacher Guide or to receive further information about our literacy programme please email info@jollylearning.co.uk and let me know:

a) your school name and postal address, and the email address of the person who will be overseeing the handing out of the leaflets,

b) and how many copies you wish to have.

If you have any questions please call us on 020 8501 0405.

There is more information on www.jollylearning.co.uk.

Chris Jolly

Jolly Phonics provides a comprehensive 6-year literacy programme, embedding phonics, grammar, spelling and punctuation teaching throughout, which more than meets the requirements of the 2014 National Curriculum.

How to give your students a wider experience of Physics experiments

Give your students a broader experience of experimental Physics and improve their grades without the need to allocate any more laboratory time or buy and maintain expensive equipment. These 3d immersive experiments use games technology to give realistic laboratory experiences with flexible interaction that not only allow the student to do the experiments well, but also badly depending on their expertise and the care that they take. The virtual experiments are based on years of research into teaching science on-screen. There’s nothing to break, wear out, set up or steal.

The Virtual Physics Laboratory can be used in a variety of ways:

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

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

Email me at rob@keylinkcomputers.co.uk quoting code HH15 to receive our information pack which includes one of the experiments.

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