What is the difference between a CCTV system upgraded this year and one that has been left untouched?

CCTV has developed. The quality of the pictures has massively improved, the coverage of each camera is broader, and the reliability of each part of the system is greatly enhanced.

As a result, whatever you want CCTV to do – whether it is to monitor a corridor that otherwise would be a focal point for bullying or keep a check on who comes into the school grounds – a recently upgraded system will do it far more effectively than an older system.

What’s more, equipment that is perhaps no longer up to requirements in certain key locations can still be used to enhance your view of less sensitive areas.

And so sometimes it is helpful to have a rethink: to consider adding one or two new elements and to look at upgrading any parts of the system that are now not delivering the results that are needed.

Of course, in such circumstances one normally returns to the firm that did the installation originally, but it can also be helpful to get another company to look at the installation as well.

The reason for this is simple. The company that installed the system in the first place will probably see the school and its CCTV challenges from the same perspective as they did when they first came to look at the school.

On the other hand, a different company taking a look at the school might well come up with something different – something more effective and, quite possibly, less expensive.

If you would like to know what Schoolwatch would recommend, please do contact us and we’ll give you our thoughts. To book a free, no obligation survey of your school, click here.

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

Alternatively, please do call us on 0845 519 3990 or email us at info@schoolwatch.co.uk

Whether it is concentric circles or a Matisse collage, the issue in art lessons is always the same

Creativity and exploration in all the arts have two key components for children: fun and control. Both are needed; one without the other means that both enjoyment and the artistic merit of the child’s work will suffer.

The question then has to be, how can we ensure that we strike the right balance of enjoyment and control? And how can we do so without taking up endless hours with planning and preparation?

There are many different solutions to this problem. For example, when thinking of visual art one can explore the patterns that emerge from concentric circles and use primary colours to fill these patterns.

On a different level one can look at pictures by Matisse, discuss which pictures are liked and why, examine the themes within the pictures and then work towards making a collage in the style of Matisse.

These are just two of the many ideas to be found in 100+ Fun Ideas for Art Activities.

This book contains a collection of tried and tested art activities that are easy to prepare, designed to be fun for the children, whilst at the same time fulfilling many of the requirements of the National Curriculum.

The activities introduce a wide range of art skills, ranging from how to use different colours and techniques to create shading and perspective, designing a banknote, painting glass jars, and printing on fabric.

Although the activities are aimed primarily at Key Stage 2 pupils, most can be adapted to suit the abilities and engagement levels of younger children.

Samples of the activities and the contents pages can be viewed on our website.

You can order 100+ Fun Ideas for Art Activities in any of these ways:

• On our website
• By phone on 01449 766629
• By fax on 01449 767122
• By email to orders@tradecounter.co.uk

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

It is a given fact that the overwhelming majority of professional actors in the UK were initially trained at Drama School.

It is also true that the top Drama Schools in the UK audition as many as 2500 candidates every year from across the world.

So clearly, any student who wishes to go to Drama School and take up acting as a career needs to be well-prepared and confident enough to showcase his or her talent to the very best of his/her ability simply to get past the first hurdle.

It was with this in mind that A Student’s Guide to Auditioning for Drama School was written to help your students work towards achieving that desired place at Drama School.

The author uses both drama and the actual experiences of students to illustrate how to get ready for the audition and what the interviewers are looking for. He also demonstrates what can go wrong and offers tools and techniques to avoid these pitfalls.

There is, among other things, a section on the importance of selecting the monologues which are best-suited for the student, plus a list of suggestions for sources of monologues that the interviewers would find acceptable.

Taking Shakespeare as an example of the classical monologue, the book also discusses how to approach the presentation of the monologue with huge emphasis on understanding the real meaning of what is being said – as well as on the need for practise, practise, and then more practise.

Following this there are chapters which help the student prepare for the interview and workshop, as well as ways of dealing with such issues as confidence, nerves and the need to prepare one’s mind for what can be a gruelling interview experience.

The book ends with useful tips for students and lesson plans, all of which are geared towards improving the student’s confidence and presentation.

A Student’s Guide to Auditioning for Drama School is available in photocopiable format so can be shared with your colleagues and students in your school.

ISBN: 978 1 86083 886 6; Order code: T1827emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/dramas/T1827.pdf

• Photocopiable book, £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £24.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the bookr 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
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=800

This book will give you invaluable help in ensuring that your students are well-prepared to sit their final exams in GCSE Media Studies.

The book takes a practical approach to the full integration of acquired knowledge and skills in preparation for the final exam, addressing areas that are common to all examination systems. It looks in particular at the three principal types of exam questions: Media Evaluation, Media Production and Unseen Analysis. For each of these the book provides a brief revision of the terminology and concepts, a plan for tackling the specific type of question, at least one exemplar of a very good response to an exam question and worksheets and/or suggested activities.

The emphasis is placed on the most common forms and genres of Print media (newspapers, magazines and advertising) and Moving Image media (television and films). Frequent references are made to popular texts to clarify meanings and engage pupil interest.

You can see some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/media/T1707.pdf

Publisher’s reference: T1707EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 776 0

Prices

• Photocopiable report in a ring binder, £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• CD with school-wide rights: £25.95 plus £3.95 delivery
• Both the Ring Binder and the CD £32.94 plus £3.95 delivery

Prices include VAT.

You can purchase the book… please quote the order ref: T1707EMN

• By post to First and Best, Hamilton House, Earlstrees Ct, Earlstrees Way, Corby, NN17 4HH
• By fax to 01536 399 012
• Email sales@firstandbest.co.uk
• Phone 01536 399011
  
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=52&products_id=535

It is the arrival of the new minibus that triggers
the demand for its use

When a school has no minibus, or has one but needs a second, there will be a small group of people who will lead the call for a new vehicle.

Often the leadership of such a group will be taken by the sports department who will, quite reasonably, talk about the problems with arranging away sporting fixtures, trips to local swimming pools, and so on.

But inevitably, once a minibus is leased and brought on site, the number of teachers wanting to use the bus will rise greatly.

The point is that for many of us, thinking about what we don’t have is not a priority unless it affects us deeply. On the other had using what we now have access to, is a much easier concept to consider, and something that can get us excited.

In this way department after department that has never thought about a minibus before, will begin to want to use the newly acquired bus – and as a result, and given the near universal agreement about the enhanced power of education outside the classroom, the nature of schooling changes.

English teachers might well want to visit focal points for local writers and arrange trips to see dramatic performances. Those with a strong drive for expanding creative writing may well want to visit a site that will stimulate the students output. Others will want to reveal what it was that inspired writers who have passed this way before.

Maths has a strong affinity with astronomy and engineering, and considering the application of maths in our built environment by looking at the use of maths in constructions is always worthwhile.

Science likewise has many applications in buildings, along with the museums of science and those locations commemorating the way in which the application of science has changed our view of the world. It is indeed difficult to get a full grip on Darwin without a visit to a well planned zoo, just as it is to grasp the concept of the universe without a trip to a planetarium.

Religious Education will naturally take us to places of worship of different religions – which will probably be the only time in which most people get to visit a place of worship for a religion other than that with which they were brought up.

ICT can take students to control centres for anything from the internal environment of tower blocks to traffic signal operations HQs. Plus there are centres like Bletchley Park – and once again science museums.

History naturally has no shortage of locations to visit, nor do geography and geology.

Music involves going to concerts and going to locations that house instruments from other cultures, as well as locations that composers found inspirational, while a minibus for the art department allows us to take students to see paintings, photographs, constructions and installations, not just by nationally known figures but also by regional and local artists.

And so it goes on. Each department can think up places to visit, and once they start doing this, can find that such visits enhances the education that is delivered.

All it requires is the leasing of that extra minibus in the first place, and the demand will be there.

You can find out more about our minibus range on our website.

Alternatively please call us on 01753 859 944 for further information.

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

It could be argued that a child’s second, third, and fourth Christmas’s are the most special. They are at the age where they are starting to learn and understand what Christmas time means to them, their families and to others.

The meaning of Christmas may change as they get older, but for now, and for the majority, it is very much about receiving presents from Father Christmas.

So how can you teach the children that Christmas means so much more than this?

Indeed you can plan Christmas activities for the children, such as making Christmas decorations, organising a Christmas performance or singing Christmas carols with the children.

But teaching them that Christmas time can bring a sense of togetherness and camaraderie can be tricky, and it is something that has to be experienced rather than learnt.

However, planning a Christmas party with fun and games can give them the opportunity to experience that warm, Christmassy, togetherness feeling with their nursery mates.

And Edventure has developed a range of giant games which are great for Christmas parties, allowing for everyone to get involved and interact with the games and each other.

What’s more, the giant games can be played both indoors (and if the children wrap up warm) outside in the crisp winter weather.

Giant Ludo, Foam Jamanga, Giant Snakes & Ladders and Body Knots are just some of Edventure’s giant game favourites for nursery schools.

Free Delivery

If you quote HH0314 when you place your order delivery will be free. Otherwise the carriage charge is £3.95 if ordered online or £7.50 if ordered by fax, phone or post.

You can order the games in the following ways:

• On our website at the web links above
• By fax to: 01323 50 10 41
• By post to: Edventure Ltd, Hargreaves Business Park, Hargreaves Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 6QW.
• By phone between 9am and 5pm: 01323 50 10 40

Edventure Ltd
Hargreaves Business Park
Hargreaves Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN23 6QW

Tel: 01323 50 10 40

Website: www.edventure.co.uk
Email: sales@edventure.co.uk

Dr Alan Stokers MindMaths series is a comprehensive photocopiable resource of classroom materials for developing problem-solving skills with able students aged 9-14. The resource is very versatile and both primary and secondary schools have found the resource complements their scheme of work and curriculum.

‘This is a useful resource for departments…….a great type of investigational work’ –
N Macleod Mathematical association and teacher Lomond school.

The CD-ROM contains 10 units containing hundreds of tried & tested activities in worksheet format with comprehensive teaching notes and advice on preparation, planning, plenaries & extension work from well-known education advisor and author Dr. Alan Stoker.

Units include:

1: Number logic
2: Rules
3: Combinations
4: Sequences

We are pleased to be able to offer this resource at the new price of just £79. Once purchased this resource (over 400 pages) may be used throughout the school.

View sample pages and order now at www.tempopublishing.co.uk
Alternatively ring me on 07564 291815. Purchase orders can also been emailed to sales@tempopublishing.co.uk or sent to:

24 St. Andrews Road, Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex TN40 2BQ

Thank you for your time, and please do take a look at the resource.

Jason
Tempo Publishing

Children who are taught to play chess in primary school develop better concentration and problem solving skills, according to a new survey of teachers by the Chess in Schools and Communities (CSC) charity.

Ninety-six per cent of teachers who took part in the study, which was carried out this summer in more than 220 state primary schools in England and Wales, agreed that their children had better problem solving abilities, while 89 per cent believed their concentration had improved as a result.

The results also revealed 99 per cent of teachers and head teachers felt their pupils had better thinking or cognitive skills.

The date comes from four online surveys carried out in the summer of 2014 by an independent researcher, and includes replies from 74 education professionals including 16 head teachers and 11 deputy head teachers as well as more than 50 parents and 70 CSC chess coaches.

The CSC charity works to improve children’s educational outcomes and foster their social development by introducing them to the game of chess in schools and inner city communities.

Schools taking part receive a weekly visit from a CSC chess tutor, chess equipment and teaching aids, training for teachers and entry to a national schools competition.

“Our survey demonstrates the impact chess can have in the classroom in improving academic attainment,” said Malcolm Pein, CSC chief executive and chess International Master.

“Chess also engenders many softer skills such as good sportsmanship and builds self-esteem while encouraging children to plan ahead and take responsibility for their actions.

“Chess is a low-cost high impact intervention and the game crosses all social, cultural and language barriers making it ideal for inner-city schools. The classroom model as opposed to the traditional after school chess club ensures girls participate with success in what has previously been considered a game for boys.” 

The results have been released ahead of the Chess and Education Conference at Olympia in Kensington on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7.

Leading experts on chess and maths from around the world will be attending with new research into the impact of chess on maths attainment in primary education and presentations from a host of researchers from 27 countries illustrating how maths can be taught using chess

 The event is part of the 6th London Chess Classic, which runs from December 6 to 14 and will see some of the world’s greatest Grandmasters descend on the capital.

Is there really a way of improving every student’s chance of getting a job and earning the school an income at the same time?

We have known for quite a few years that there are employers who complain about what they perceive as a lack of preparedness on the part of young people for the world of work.

However, the latest research comes as a bit of a shock. Employers aren’t just having a moan about spelling or lack of mathematical ability. They are actually refusing to employ students who lack one specific skill.

A survey by Microsoft (which quite possibly was set up to show that employers want staff who are used to using Microsoft Office) actually found that one third of the employers said that they would not even consider hiring someone who could not touch type.

When the figure includes students who have at least “good typing skills”, over three quarters of employers said that this skill was crucial for anyone even to be “considered” for a job.

The problem, of course, is that most schools don’t teach touch typing – and the timetable is now full.

Now I know that some schools and colleges have tried to tackle this issue by using free on-line sites but mostly, it seems, without success. Unfortunately the free sites have a very limited range of exercises (and practice is essential for the muscle memory to kick in) and distracting adverts alongside the lessons (to pay for the “free” site).

But there is another way forward. To provide touch typing tuition without impinging on the timetable we have launched a new scheme: ‘Practise at Home’. For this we simply ask you to send a note to parents inviting them to order Typequick – one of the world’s most successful typing training programs – at a discounted rate by going online and using their credit card.

We will deal with the orders and enrol the students and they will learn to type at home, at their own pace, and in their own time. We even provide a sample letter that many other schools have sent to parents, although, of course, you can write your own version if you prefer.

Then, for every order we receive for one of your students, we will pay the school a donation of £5. (The course is suitable for all ages from 11 upwards, and indeed the younger the students are when they learn to touch type, the greater the benefit they will have.)

To find out more please email us at enquiries@typeandtest.com and write TYPEQUICK in the subject line or call us 01480 861867.

Here’s some feedback we’ve received from Cothill House School: “It’s a great scheme, and what a bonus to get some cash back!” John Carver, ICT Teacher

You’ve probably come across this situation many times before – a student who has all the potential to do well in their GCSE maths yet performs badly in their final exam…

The main reason why this occurs is they don’t follow an effective revision strategy at home. Students tend to revise on auto-pilot without critically analysing what they’re doing and whether or not, it’s making progress.

Zakkiyah from London was a prime example of one of these students…

“I seemed to underperform in my mock exams – achieving D’s/E’s and I couldn’t work out why… but after following Jeevan’s revision principles, I could see exactly where I was going wrong… I achieved a ‘B’ grade in my final GCSE maths exam… These revision principles have helped me immensely with my A-Level Chemistry too… Thank you so much Jeevan… my ‘B’ grade will definitely help me in applying for a ‘Pharmacy’ course at University…”

As you can see, my revision principles are crucial when taking a maths exam. It allows a student to reach their full potential.

To find out more information about my revision principles, please visit: www.gcsemathsforschools.co.uk

Kind regards

Jeevan Singh
GCSE Maths For Schools

What is the most effective way of observing your teachers’ performance without losing their personality and natural teaching style?

Some of us thrive on the idea of being centre stage. We don’t necessarily admit it, but we get a buzz out of being the focus. So being observed while we teach is no special deal. The more the merrier.

But some of us don’t feel that way at all. Observation means an enhanced pulse rate, a racing heart, and all the other signs of anxiety. Not anxiety that sends us off for medical attention, but unwelcome anxiety nonetheless.

The problem is that in the end anxiety has an effect on the way we teach – our individuality, our personality, and even our smile. The tension changes our focus from being at one with the class to being on display, the person in front of the camera.

So how can we prevent teachers from letting their anxiety get the better of them during observations?

The first approach is to bring a video system into the classroom, turn it on so that the class think it is working – but you the teacher know that no matter what, you will never watch the video. It may seem an odd approach but it acclimatises us to the situation.

Next have the view that one might, or might not, watch the video depending on how the lesson went. When a good lesson has been recorded, one watches not to criticise oneself, but to ask, “What can I spot in this lesson that really made it go well?”

Step three gets to the stage of saying, “No matter what, I will watch this one,” while step four moves on to finding a video that can be shared with colleagues.

This process, which overcomes anxiety in front of the camera and which helps the teacher’s personality and teaching skills shine through when the camera is present, is increasingly being used in numbers of schools across the country.

The Classwatch video system not only enables teachers and students to get used to video in the classroom, but also allows school leaders to review and discuss a teacher’s performance. Colleagues can observe and share each other’s teaching methods, techniques and lesson ideas to improve their own teaching performance.

It also gives teachers the opportunity to carry out self-evaluation, enabling them to learn from their mistakes without criticism or judgement from others.

You’ll find more information on our website. Alternatively you can call us on 0800 043 9510 or email us at info@classwatch.co.uk

I look forward to hearing from you.

Andrew Jenkins

Master of Studies (MSt) in Advanced Subject Teaching

Would you like to develop your subject knowledge and enhance your professional and academic standing? Are you looking to develop or change your career within the field of education? Or perhaps you have ambitions to pursue a research project at postgraduate level?

The MSt in Advanced Subject Teaching has been designed specifically for English and History teachers. Drawing on world-leading research at the University of Cambridge, it is unique in focusing on subject expertise as well as teaching methods.

Bursaries available for state school teachers in 2015

This year we are offering a number of bursaries of £1,750 per annum to applicants who wish to carry out research aimed at improving teaching and learning in their school or college. Preference will be given to those who are teachers in UK state-funded schools or colleges and who do not have financial support.

The fees for 2015 will be £6,530 per annum for Home/EU students and £12,200 per annum for overseas students. This includes both tuition and college membership fees.

What our students say

The programme was launched in 2012 and has already begun to make an impact on the profession. In the words of one student:

“It’s the kind of degree that allows full-time teachers to study at the highest level while maintaining a full-time job. It’s a course that enhances your pedagogic practice as well as your subject knowledge. I’ve found that everything I’m studying, I’m applying in the classroom.”

About MSt study

Our MSts are taught part-time over two years through a blend of short, intensive study blocks in Cambridge and online support – making them accessible to teachers across the UK and beyond.

Teaching sessions take place at Madingley Hall, a beautiful 16th-century manor house. Successful applicants will become members of a Cambridge college and will join the wider graduate community, with full access to the facilities of the University.

“Studying at Madingley is great. It’s a wonderful environment, the facilities are fantastic and the accommodation is probably the best I’ve had since I’ve been in Cambridge.” (2013 student)

How to apply

Applications are now invited for 2015 entry. The deadline for submissions is 7 April 2015.

Find out more and apply online, at: www.ice.cam.ac.uk/cambridge-msts

Also available: MSt in Creative Writing

Alternatively, if you’re a keen writer, you may wish to consider Cambridge’s MSt in Creative Writing. This part-time programme will help you develop high-level skills in the writing of poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction.

You will be guided in the production of creative work in a wide range of genres and styles, and also in critical reflection on your own work and that of other writers, before specialising in one chosen genre. The course tutors and guest speakers are all established literary professionals.

Contact us

Please do not hesitate to contact me at pg-awards@ice.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions or if you would prefer not to receive emails from us in future.

Best wishes

Sue Brignell
Academic Programme Manager
Institute of Continuing Education, University of Cambridge
Madingley Hall, Madingley, Cambridge, CB23 8AQ

Tel: +44 (0)1223 760862
Email: pg-awards@ice.cam.ac.uk

The new Special Educational Needs Code of Practice with detailed guidance on the support students should receive in educational and training settings up to the age of 25, will have significant impact on the sector. Given the pressures that this will bring to already busy staff it would be useful to let them have a resource which gives concise information on a range of syndromes and conditions faced by learners with additional needs and which will help them in their work.

Where can you locate information on 67 Syndromes and Conditions in a photocopiable format which can be shared with colleagues? The answer is in a quick reference set of resources which appear in 3 volumes entitled Behaviour Solutions – A Guide to Syndromes and Conditions.

Each volume gives a guide to a wide range of conditions (there are 67 in all) and looks at definitions, symptoms and characteristics, causes, treatments, strategies to use in the classroom and a list of useful references including websites.

Volume 1, (A Revised Guide to Syndromes and Conditions), focuses on 20 conditions including Autism, Asperger Syndrome, ADHD, Conduct and Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, OCD and Dyslexia. It contains latest research findings, 3 new conditions as well as updated information on conditions relating to the recently published DSM5.

Volume 2 (A Guide to More Syndromes and Conditions) moves on to 25 conditions and issues not covered in the first volume including Anxiety Disorder, Eating Disorders, Mental Health, Self-Harm and Cerebral Palsy.

Volume 3, (A Guide to Further Syndromes and Conditions) moves on to 22 conditions and issues not covered in the first two volumes including Selective Mutism, Joint Hypermobility, Bipolar Disorder and Apraxia.

One particular benefit is that the books come in a photocopiable format so that if you wish to circulate details of a condition to several colleagues, or indeed to provide information to concerned parents, this is easily achieved.

Further details of the volumes and their contents are to be found on www.behaviourmatters.com/syndromesoffer.

Cost of the 3 volumes is £60 (a saving of £15 on normal price) plus £6 postage and packaging.

To order please visit www.behaviourmatters.com/syndromesoffer or contact us at:

Behaviour Solutions Limited
15 St. Marys Close
Abbotskerswell
Newton Abbot
Devon
TQ12 5QF

Phone / Fax 01626 366161
Email: dave@behaviourmatters.com

They used to say the same sort of thing about Elvis Presley but we don’t hear so much about him now.

But what we can say is that, although you won’t find William Shakespeare among the pubs and chip shops in Blackpool, there’s now a new series of some of his most popular plays available whether you live in Blackpool, Margate, Skegness or all stations inbetween.

So how can this new series help your GCSE literature students?

The new series (unsurprisingly known as “The Student’s Shakespeare”) is ideal for use in schools and colleges and particularly for GCSE exams. Apart from the attractive cover and clear print, one of the helpful features of this series is that the notes and comments are always opposite the text which makes them easy for students to refer to and encourages them to develop their understanding of each play.

“The Student’s Shakespeare” is the normal paperback size (124 x 193 mm) with a useful introduction which includes a summary of each act, notes on the history and culture of the time, the characters, plus the themes and language used – all features designed to help readers make the most of the play they are studying.

The six titles currently available are: Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, The Merchant of Venice, Julius Caesar, and Twelfth Night.

What we find remarkable about this series (quite apart from the helpful notes and introduction) is the cost – only £1.99 for each title from the company listed below. This compares very favourably with the recommended price of £5.99. The publishers are to be commended for making such a high quality product available at an attractive price.

“The Student’s Shakespeare” series can be obtained from Signpost Educational Ltd, PO Box 999, London E14 6SH

Email: signpost@talk21.com
Tel: 020 7515 1797
Fax: 020 7515 4420
More details can be found on the website: www.signposteducational.co.uk

There are two different ways of raising grades at GCSE and A level which work well together.
But not every school uses both.

The most obvious way to raise the grades of students taking exams is what we all strive to do: raise the quality of teaching and learning.

So dominant is this approach that the notion of there being an alternative is often not considered. After all, what else is there to do?

The answer, which perfectly complements the first approach, is managing stress and increasing motivation. This is essential because the level of stress that students experience seriously affects their ability to learn and their motivation to succeed.

However, the problem is that managing stress and fostering self-motivation is not something most of us are trained to do and we may feel that the time and resources to try are limited.

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?

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 is currently only £29.99.

When you start to see the benefits of this kind of personal development, setting aside a small amount of time to complete a specifically designed task becomes easy.

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

If you have any questions then please email: clare@newset-training.com or call 07811 356 283

I look forward to hearing from you.

Clare Martin

What is the most effective way of preparing your students for the world of work?

The average person stays in each permanent job he/she gets for four years. If we include the temporary and part time jobs that a person might take during a time of recession (of the type we have been experiencing), then the average person will stay in each job for an average of two years.

This is a staggering turn around in the job market when compared with the past, and is due to three factors:

1. The ease with which employers can remove employees in the first year of employment.
2. The years of recession which has caused many employers to take on staff on short-term and zero hours contracts.
3. A growth in the, “I don’t have to put up with this”. attitude from some young people who expect work to be, well, more like a social event than work, and who sometimes also lack the ability to handle the basic courtesies that employers who have been in the job for 30 years will demand and expect.

Whether our society will now return to the previous norm of four years per job is hard to say. But even if we do, there is still the fact that the average employee will change jobs 12 or more times during a career.

So, getting used to the experience of moving into a new work environment is no bad thing – and the sooner young people have that experience the better.

The trouble is that good work experiences for students need organising from the start to the finish, and many is the employer who complains that the work experience students they had were simply not prepared for work.

This is where “The Work Experience Manual” comes in, smoothing out the bumps that can occur as the school, the student and the workplace begin to interact.

The volume, which is supplied in copiable format, includes information on finding placements, liaising with the company in a way that the company finds suitable, student notes which allow those going on placements to be properly prepared, a record book showing the placement’s activities, and a wide range of actions and activities that should be considered after the work experience is over.

Overall the aim is to make the activity beneficial and enjoyable for the student and a positive experience for the school and employer. When this happens, everyone benefits.

The copyright licence allows the copying from either the book or the CD, so that all students can have pages relevant to their study at any time. It is also possible to place the CD on the school’s learning platform, so that students may access it at any time.

Order code T1822emn ISBN: 978 1 86083 866 8

Price:

• £24.95 for the book or CD, plus £3.95 postage.
• £31.94 for the book plus CD, plus £3.95 postage.

You can order in four different ways. In each case please quote our reference T1822emn. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed prior to ordering on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/careers/T1822.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=47&products_id=256

What is the most effective way of preparing your students for the world of work?

The average person stays in each permanent job he/she gets for four years. If we include the temporary and part time jobs that a person might take during a time of recession (of the type we have been experiencing), then the average person will stay in each job for an average of two years.

This is a staggering turn around in the job market when compared with the past, and is due to three factors:

1. The ease with which employers can remove employees in the first year of employment.
2. The years of recession which has caused many employers to take on staff on short-term and zero hours contracts.
3. A growth in the, “I don’t have to put up with this”. attitude from some young people who expect work to be, well, more like a social event than work, and who sometimes also lack the ability to handle the basic courtesies that employers who have been in the job for 30 years will demand and expect.

Whether our society will now return to the previous norm of four years per job is hard to say. But even if we do, there is still the fact that the average employee will change jobs 12 or more times during a career.

So, getting used to the experience of moving into a new work environment is no bad thing – and the sooner young people have that experience the better.

The trouble is that good work experiences for students need organising from the start to the finish, and many is the employer who complains that the work experience students they had were simply not prepared for work.

This is where “The Work Experience Manual” comes in, smoothing out the bumps that can occur as the school, the student and the workplace begin to interact.

The volume, which is supplied in copiable format, includes information on finding placements, liaising with the company in a way that the company finds suitable, student notes which allow those going on placements to be properly prepared, a record book showing the placement’s activities, and a wide range of actions and activities that should be considered after the work experience is over.

Overall the aim is to make the activity beneficial and enjoyable for the student and a positive experience for the school and employer. When this happens, everyone benefits.

The copyright licence allows the copying from either the book or the CD, so that all students can have pages relevant to their study at any time. It is also possible to place the CD on the school’s learning platform, so that students may access it at any time.

Order code T1822emn ISBN: 978 1 86083 866 8

Price:

• £24.95 for the book or CD, plus £3.95 postage.
• £31.94 for the book plus CD, plus £3.95 postage.

You can order in four different ways. In each case please quote our reference T1822emn. Sample pages and a contents list can be viewed prior to ordering on http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/careers/T1822.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=47&products_id=256

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

Not surprisingly one of the best ways of helping students in French to get a higher grade is to give them a clear summary of the criteria the exam boards use, written in a student friendly language.

And that was what this booklet gives. The authors have analysed the writing and the speaking criteria of various exam boards and have 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 French 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 French? 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/T1815samples.pdf and you can order it at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=76_125&products_id=785

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

How to get A* in French? 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

One of the hardest things with Pupil Premium, in a big school like ours, is measuring the impact of everything that’s going on. The beauty of Doddle is that the assessment is a really clear measure of impact”.

Ruth Corrie, Assistant Headteacher, Wexham School

At Wexham School, Doddle is helping teachers effectively demonstrate achievement and progress with their Pupil Premium students.

With in-depth, automatic reporting by year, class and individual student, Doddle allows teachers to demonstrate impact for their Pupil Premium students’ progress. Meanwhile, our accessible, formative learning resources help you support Pupil Premium students both in and out of the classroom, giving you the teaching and assessment tools you need to narrow the gap.

Watch our video to see how Doddle is supporting Pupil Premium students.

To discuss how Doddle can meet the needs of your Pupil Premium students, speak to a Doddle Educational Consultant.

Joe
Doddle

The activities within this volume provide specific structured tasks that can be used during mentoring meetings and to support mentoring intervention.

They will help build rapport, provide evidence of progress through assessment and cover specific issues such as improving attendance, time management, study skills, how to think more positively, conflict resolution and anger management.

Within the volume there are 20 mentoring-specific activities that link pastoral and curriculum aspects of learning, thus linking school work with the whole child.

Each activity is mapped against Ofsted Spiritual Moral Social and Cultural Development criteria addressing student attitudes to learning, attendance and punctuality, considering progress and addressing communication skills.

Through this the volume encourages consistently high expectations of students, improving the quality of learning effectively and giving constructive feedback.

The first activity provides an opportunity to build rapid rapport with a student and then gives the students the opportunity to assess themselves before they develop a set of SMART targets and create a plan of action.

The book then continues through a further 40 tasks as the work of helping the students develop and reach their maximum potential continues.

The activities aim to provide specific structured tasks that can be used during mentoring meetings and support mentoring intervention by:

1. Offering issue-specific activities, e.g. the activity ‘I’m Seeing Red’.

2. Provide structure for building rapport, e.g. the anger-issue activity ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’.

3. Give opportunities for written evidence of progress for the student, e.g. the student self-
assessment and reassessment activities.

All of the activities are accompanied by reproducible activity sheets such as assessment and planning forms, information sheets, charts, action plans, cards and questionnaires. Most of the activities can be used discretely as standalone activities. However, one or two run consecutively e.g. baseline assessment and subsequent reassessment. Any activity can be selected to address a particular need with a student.

At the very heart of this book is a set of activities that enable mentors to demonstrate the impact of mentoring intervention. Most importantly, the activities, once complete, will provide users with evidence of work with students that is demonstrable both to them and to other stakeholders.

A4, 92pp plus FREE CD-Rom

ISBN 978-1-909380-03-5

Order code 062-HH, £24.99

To order please telephone 01604 870828, fax 01604 870986, email orders@loggerheadpublishing.co.uk. visit the website www.loggerheadpublishing.co.uk or post to Loggerhead Publishing Ltd, PO Box 928, Northampton NN7 9AP

Not sure how microelectronic works,
why not try it yourself?

Experience the world of Microelectronics with Limrose/Tutotkit I.C. Patchboards. These low cost, compact and robust breadboards will give you years of faultless service. Limrose’s unique 1mm gold-plated pin and solderless patch lead system is renowned for reliability. Gold-plated pins for reliability, easy-to-use solderless patch leads
Computers in Schools
Key stages 3 and 4, and moreLogic and Microelectronics

Compact, Robust, reliable.
Thousands of UK and overseas users

Experience the world of Microelectronics with Limrose/Tutotkit I.C. Patchboards. These low cost, compact and robust breadboards will give you years of faultless service. Limrose’s unique 1mm gold-plated pin and solderless patch lead system is renowned for reliability. Gold-plated pins for reliability, easy-to-use solderless patch leads.

Quote Ref. HTK-3 for further details and a FREE copy of the printed booklet, Joy of Microelectronics by Ravi Raizada PhD, FBCS.

Limrose Group Ltd, Llay Industrial Estate, Wrexham, LL12 0TU
Tel. 01978 85 5555 Email: limrose@aol.com Web: www.limrosegroup.com

From pronouns to syntactical parallelism: the complete grammar for AS Language and Literature students

From the student who enters year 12 with very little formal grammatical knowledge to the student at the end of AS or A2 in English Language or English Language and Literature who needs a top up, everyone has a need for support with grammar at one time or another.

Of course, there are many such volumes around – but the complex detailed tomes can be daunting and difficult for many students.

What they often need is a volume that covers the basics and is there so that they can look up (or be directed to) any specific point that is seen to be causing a problem.

And so this is what we have aimed to provide here.

When the issue of the “noun phrase” comes up, and the student needs to understand how they are different from nouns and what they look like, there’s a page answering that exact point.

The same goes for the apostrophe. There’s the possession apostrophe, not to be confused with the elliptical apostrophe and the inevitable question, “Where’s the apostrophe?”

Or to focus on another area we next have the issue of modal verbs.

But that is nothing compared with adverbs which can (fairly obviously) modify verbs. However they can also modify adjectives – which can seem slightly odd to some students who recognise that the adjective has been used to modify the noun in the first place.

In fact, when we come to think of adverbs, we can see what an extraordinarily complicated grammar we are talking about.

Which is why we’ve published this book to cover the fundamentals of grammar for AS students.

“An AS 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

By Robert Burden

Young people’s perceptions of themselves as learners and problem-solvers have been shown in numerous research studies to be key elements in their learning progress. MALS 8-16+ has been constructed to provide a readily available technique, which can be used by teachers, psychologists and researchers to gain access to this important aspect of learning development.

MALS 8-16+ is easy to administer, score and interpret and can be used for gaining information on large cohorts of students or for more clinical purposes with individuals. It is a valid and reliable scale that can provide a valuable addition to any school’s assessment programme or educational psychologist’s repertoire of assessment techniques.

As the work of Carol Dweck has proved, no matter how able, a child’s perception of themselves as learners will determine their academic careers. If it is poor it will:

• Undermine their resilience, so that they give up at the slightest obstacle
• Make them defensive learners, unwilling to challenge themselves
• Make them over-reliant on teachers and on received opinion
• Write-off successes as ‘flukes’
• Under-perform in exams and tests
• Have low aspirations and under-achieve in life

Whilst there are other self-esteem tests, no other test measures a child’s perception of themselves, specifically as learners, so well. This is why MALS has gone around the world as the key test to use to measure a child’s image of themselves as learners and thinkers.
Using it will enable you to:

• Uncover, beneath external shows of confidence, which children have poor views of themselves as
learners and therefore will be liable to under-perform
• Pinpoint exactly where their problems are
• Measure progress in developing ‘open-mindsets’ in children

Teacher Skills
The MALS is also a very subtle test of teacher performance – those teachers who succeed in lifting a child’s MALS score have the ability to motivate and teach the skills of independent learning… and vice versa! This too is often far from being easily visible.

One of the most acclaimed self-perception tests ever produced. MALS is a short effective measure of pupils’ perceptions of their own abilities and approaches to learning. Young people’s perceptions of themselves as learners and problem-solvers have been shown in numerous research studies to be key elements in their learning progress. Identify those students ‘at risk’ whose academic self-concepts don’t match those of their peers or their own obvious abilities.

• Easy to administer, score and interpret
• A valuable addition to schools’ assessment programmes
• Suitable for use by teachers, psychologists and researchers
• Applicable for large groups or with individuals

This Second Edition of the MALS has been completely updated. A much larger and more widespread data set for the purpose of establishing standardised norms has been analysed. Whilst the basic findings are not dissimilar to those obtained from the first standardisation sample, they give greater confidence that these norms are representative of the average scores to be expected across a wide age range and schools in a variety of locations.

Whilst the MALS is straightforward to administer and score, the subsequent analysis of data obtained and interpretation of its possible significance is a much more complex process. This revised manual therefore provides more extensive information about ways of analysing MALS scores together with examples of possible research and clinical uses.

Please note this edition includes two questionnaires at the end of the manual, one with questions for ages 8-16 and the other for those post-16.

The Author
The late Robert Burden was Emeritus Professor of Applied Educational Psychology and a former Head of the School of Education at the University of Exeter. He previously taught children with learning difficulties and worked as an LEA educational psychologist. He established the Master’s degree professional training course in Educational Psychology at Exeter in 1971 and held leadership positions in both the British Psychological Society and the International School Psychology Association.

Purchase your copy now by clicking on the link and downloading the Order Form!

or call Customer Service on 0121 224 7599
or email: enquiries@imaginativeminds.co.uk

Please quote code: MALS/414HH when placing your order.

Are your teachers sufficiently aware why some
students find their learning so difficult?

This video resource introduces classroom
teachers to four common learning difficulties:

• Dyslexia
• Dyscalculia
• Attention Deficit
• Autistic Spectrum

This video aims to help understand teachers
understand their students needs and enable
them to better support their learning.

READ MORE

Based on the latest research, the material is
designed to be as accessible, jargon-free and
teacher-relevant as possible.

Using models and diagrams, we explain how the latest research can help teachers both understand their pupils and improve their learning, and how weaknesses in one area can be strengths in another.

The material can be used either at a staff training session or by teachers individually.

Since all the skills of the brain can be improved with practice, we include proven methods to help students in each of the four areas.

Order this training resource on DVD today for £149, or get the network version to share site-wide for just £199!

Order via our website or call 01223 750705 quoting SEN – Hamiliton House.

Contents of this resource

Introduction: Brain Essentials

This looks at the models and diagrams used in the film to understand the brain without the complex language used by specialists.

Areas covered:

• Vision, hearing, touch, action and speech.
• Reading, writing and Language
• Making memories: Neurons and synapses
• Skills for thinking: Paying attention
• Working memory

Different Brains: Learning Difficulties

Looks at the four main types of learning difficulty, explains how the brain is different and how we can help develop the weak skills.

Ch1: What are Learning Difficulties?

• Difference or Difficulty?
• Symptoms and causes
• What about diet?
• On a spectrum
• Is it genetic?

Ch2: Dyslexia

• Reasons a student may have the symptoms of dyslexia (difficulty reading and spelling). Poor vocabulary, poor phonics, low working memory, letter inversion, words moving
• Causes and advantages of a dominant right hemisphere
• Ways to help dyslexics
• Famous people with Dyslexia

Ch3: Difficulty with Maths

• Difficulties shared with dyslexics
• Dyscalculia: trouble with number

Ch4: Attention Deficit: difficulty holding attention

• The sleeping brain
• Executive function
• Improving attention
• Famous people with ADHD

Ch5: Autistic Spectrum: difficulty knowing the thoughts of others

• Why a spectrum
• Mirror cells
• Training the skills
• Famous people with autism

Ways to order:
Prices

DVD for £149.00 + VAT and £4.50 p&p
Network Version for £199.00 + VAT and £4.50 p&p

Via website: Pay via invoice, credit card or Paypal by clicking here
Visit www.classroomobservation.co.ukOver the phone: We can take credit card payment or send an invoice.
Call us on 01223 750705 quoting SEN – Hamiliton House.
Via fax: Fax your purchase orders to 01223 750706 quoting SEN – Hamiliton House.

Post:
Mediamerge Ltd
Orwell House
Cowley Road
Cambridge
CB4 0PP

We tend to think of the school as being a fixed entity with established buildings, and designated teaching areas. But…

Teaching and learning can and does happen anywhere; in the classroom, the hall, the playground… Indeed the only thing that ever limits the use of any space is our ability to imagine the possibilities.

So if you have a playground, and it is raining, or there is strong direct sunlight, or it is very windy, the area’s use as a teaching and learning environment might be thought to be restricted.

But if you were to put up a canopy, you could, for a very modest sum, give yourself an extended classroom, an al fresco dining area, an adventure play area…

This is the route down which numerous schools have recently gone, in developing ever more varied use of their facilities. And there really is no limit to the ways in which an area could be used.

True, there’s no telling what the British weather is going to do next, but the fact that canopies can be used in so many ways, means that there are virtually no days at all in the school year when such a facility cannot be used in some way or other.

There are over 150 different designs of canopies available. Some of course are designed for very specific purposes, such as the bicycle shed, but many others do have multiple uses.

Which is why before we do anything else, we always offer to come to your school, without cost and without any obligation, to see the site and discuss the ways in which a canopy could be added to your existing buildings.

To get an idea of the huge range of options available we’ve collected together photographs of over 30 different installations that we’ve undertaken recently. They are on

http://www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk/canopies.php – just click on any photograph that looks interesting and you will see it enlarged.

We’ve also got a separate page for cycle shelters http://www.cambridgestylecanopies.co.uk/cycle-shelters.php

If you’d like to discuss how a canopy could be used in your school, or have us come to look at your site and advise on the options, please either

Phone: 01353 699009
Email: cambridgestyle@aol.com
Or write to: Cambridge Style Canopies, 62 Main Street, Pymoor, Ely, Cambs CB6 2DY

To help you teach your students about tectonic shifts and the earth’s layers, we’ve provided a free animation on tectonic plates!

This vibrant and engaging animation clearly demonstrates convection currents and includes memorable facts about tectonic movements, providing your students with a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon.

Try out the animation on our Doddle Geography page!

Want to see more of what Doddle can do for your department? Book an in-school visit!

One of our Educational Consultants will give you a free and flexible tour of the various Doddle resources and features that help you engage your students, test their understanding and track their progress.

Alice
Doddle

The dual aim of helping the students feel relaxed and making them willing to join in is at the heart of key stage 3 practical drama activities.

And this includes helping them to overcome any self-consciousness they may have and encouraging every student, particularly those who had limited exposure to drama in primary school, to be part of the exploration.

Successful lessons should leave all the students feeling both relaxed and supported – and more aware of who they are and what they could be.

This is exactly the aim of Drama Depot which provides forty lessons for years 7 to 9, complete with warm ups and preparatory activities.

The assumption throughout is that everyone taking part has little previous dramatic knowledge. Indeed it is also possible for teachers with limited or no experience of drama to be able to use these lessons should the need arise.

Thus drama becomes a totally practical subject. Texts are occasionally used within the book to enhance the nature of the work, but they are never fundamental to each lesson.

It is also assumed that the average drama lesson lasts between 40 – 60 minutes (although the lessons can be adjusted for longer or shorter sessions).

Beyond that the idea is that the lessons should not have an overtly academic basis. They provide a chance for the students to expand their knowledge of what drama means and will make students always want to come back for more.

The students can work in pairs, in threes and occasionally in larger groups in order to ensure that the whole class is occupied all the time.

The forty lessons should provide more than enough material to last a whole school year – or the lessons can be spread over three years and interspersed with other materials.

Cat No: 978 1 86083 836 1 Order code: T1816emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1816.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 from the publisher:

• 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
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=786

Give structure to the open-ended nature of the Global Economy pre-release!

The Digital Resource Pack will guide your students through the pre-release material from start to finish. Provided on CD, it’s easy to dip in and out of, and to focus students on particular areas one at a time. TWO practice exam papers are included.

All pre-release resource packs are provided as:

• Fully digital resource on CD
• Accessed via a web browser – ideal for tablet computers!
• Optional: print sections or upgrade to get a photocopy master!

Here’s what teachers have said about ZigZag Education’s previous resources:

‘Spot-on content! Totally focused on the pre-release material.’
– T Braybrook, Economics Teacher & Customer (F585 prev edn)

‘Lots of analysis… a really good focus for pupils… Superb!’
– S Crowley, Economics Teacher at Bexley Grammar School & Customer (F585 prev edn)

‘Visual ICT-based resource which makes it interactive and very accessible… Affordable… time-saving genius.’ – S Belk, Teacher & Customer (BUSS4 Digital Resource Pack)

All resources come with a site/network licence, allowing you to pay once and print as many copies as you need, or put on your server for all your students to access directly.

• F585 Digital Resource Pack 2015 (WJ15/5600, £49^+VAT – fully digital resource)
• F585 Digital Resource Pack 2015 + Paper Copy (WJ15/5601, £69^+VAT – fully digital resource + photocopy master of the same content)

Order now at http://zzed.co.uk/WJ15

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | WJ15@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WJ15 to get free postage!

Free coaching session on building
student option blocks

Last year how long did it take your Timetabler to build your Student Option Blocks ?

Two days ? Two weeks ?

How would you like them built in two hours ?

That’s how long it takes Timetablers using our Student Options Module.

Don’t believe us ?

Then send them along as our guest free of charge to one of MIST Timetabling Services ‘Coaching Sessions’ on Building Option Blocks and they’ll be able to show you themselves.

Oh and don’t forget to ask them to take last years’ option block data so they can import it into our software and use it to see just how quickly they could have built them !!

PS We’ll also give them a free 30 day trial of Web Preferences. This module enables your students to select their subject options online with the data automatically fed into the Student Options Module. Watch our video to see how Web Preferences removes the administrative burden of subject selections.

To reserve a free place at one of MIST’s Coaching Sessions or arrange a free trial of Web Preferences please contact Dale at Timetabling Solutions.

T: 01524 22 00 66

E: dale@timetablingsolutions.co.uk

W: www.timetablingsolutions.co.uk

ZigZag Education are supporting teachers with a range of AS AQA Geography resources on Energy Issues. From a detailed, comprehensive Course Companion, to supporting resources like Learning Grids, Topic Tests and Keyword Activities, all your teaching needs are catered for. See the links below to preview and order!

Course Companion for A Level AQA GEOG1: Energy Issues

“Really good… Each aspect of the spec is covered thoroughly, yet in a succinct manner. It provides a real range of additional material to the core textbooks… combines the best of the textbooks currently on the market bringing everything up to date” – V Burgess, Head of Geography & Independent Reviewer

• This fantastic pack embraces the specification and makes sure all the key content is covered in detailed, engaging student notes.
• Students keep focused on the specification with Learning Objectives for every chapter.
• Detailed and up-to-date case studies let students engage with the topic, covering everything from Fracking to Fukushima.
• Regular activities consolidate learning and ensure all the skills your students need are covered, and you can be confident they’ll be well prepared.

Keyword Activities for A Level AQA: GEOG1 Energy Issues

“A useful classroom activity during revision, or perhaps to be used as a plenary activity, something fun but useful.” – P Grinter, Teacher and Independent Reviewer

Do your students find learning terminology trick and tedious? Well these packs are the answer that provide a variety of ways to learn those key terms and phrases.

• Activities include Crosswords, Match-up, Fill In the Blanks and Dominos
• Varied activities for class, homework and revision use, all in one place!
• Complete solutions included that double up as a great revision glossary.

Learning Grids for A Level AQA: GEOG1 Energy Issues

“For weaker students, this is exceptional, as it allows basic learning of the concepts, but also revision at the same time” – H Waddington, Geography Teacher & Independent Reviewer

A great idea for weaker students and a perfect revision tool, these grids make learning easy and accessible to all your students.

• The highly structured format serves as a great way of ensuring students are making important specification-relevant notes that they may have missed in class.
• Includes key case study examples, every specification point covered!
• Answers included, and the completed pack acts as a full set of revision notes!

Topic Tests for A Level AQA: GEOG1 Energy Issues

“A comprehensive coverage of all the aspects of energy which every student should know… I would recommend this to any teacher and learner – excellent for revision purposes” – I Dambudzo, Teacher, Examiner and Independent Reviewer

Perfect for keeping track of how well your students know each topic. These tests are easy to set, cover every aspect of the specification, and with a full and detailed mark scheme, they’re easy to mark too!

PS – If you don’t teach the Energy Issues topic we still have a wide range of resources for other A Level AQA topics too!

ZigZag resources are available as ‘copy masters’ or in editable format and come with a site licence, allowing you to pay once and copy as often as you need, or put on your server for multiple use.

View full inspection copies and prices right now at http://zzed.co.uk/WJ12

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | WJ12@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WJ12 to get free postage!

SEALSONGS is a collection of assembly songs which aims to get children engaged through the experience of making and creating music. The lyrics were written with considerable input from Year 4 and 5 pupils, so speak from children to children, and the musical backing tracks were professionally recorded.

But the resource goes further and offers teachers detailed advice on writing new lyrics, leading singing and other ways that SEALSONGS may be used in the classroom. Thus it enables teachers to give young children the positive experience of working with others in creating new songs within the SEAL framework. There is also guidance for non-specialists in how to teach songs.

The SEAL themes are:

Song 1: New beginnings
Song 2: Getting on and falling out
Song 3: Say no to bullying
Song 4: Going for goals!
Song 5: Good to be me
Song 6: Relationships
Song 7: Changes

Two further general songs – one about writing songs and one providing a Rhyme Game – are also included in the pack.

SEALSONGS was written by David Stoll, a well-known composer of music for the concert hall, the theatre, and for television and radio. He also writes children’s songs and for school ensembles, and designs projects in creativity for schools, higher education and the corporate sector. His music is now being published by Novello & Co.

JENNY MOSLEY (Founder of Quality Circle Time) said “SEALSONGS is a wonderful gift to any adult who wants to truly help their class or school embed SEAL as a way of ‘being’ with ourselves and others. We all know that song can lift you to a different spiritual dimension – David Stoll has given us the perfect package to help even the most music-shy amongst us to engage young people in the process of creating heart-warming songs as part of a creative team….. This is an excellent resource.”

HOWARD GOODALL (National Ambassador for Singing) said “These SEALSONGS have the authentic ring of children’s ideas and feelings in every line. This, for me, makes it a valuable and empowering set of musical tools….. with excellent supporting materials and explanations.”

Purchase of SEALSONGS includes a licence for full use of all the material within the school, including recording new versions of the songs. The complete package is split into different files so that schools may choose which elements they wish to record or print.

Sample music can be downloaded from www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/music/SEALSONGSSamples.rar

You can purchase SEALSONGS in the following ways:

1. As a download, price £10 plus VAT

• By credit card from our on-line shop:
  http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=739

2. As a copiable book plus CD, price £19.99 plus £3.95 delivery

• 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=48_98_109&products_id=777

New 2015 Metallic & Antimicrobial Range

Slowly formed, sloping letters. Messy smudged presentation. Reversed d’s and b’s, p’s and q’s… even physical discomfort. It’s all part and parcel of the left hander’s challenge that often emerges when learning to write in childhood. Up until now, many thought it would never disappear.

Our smart Swan Neck Pens are an elegantly simple solution to the left-handed writing problem that ultimately affects some 1 in 6 worldwide – a staggering 1 billion people.Smudging is a common issue for left-handers, with over 88% experiencing the problem.

All models in the Swan Neck Pen range feature a unique, S-bend neck and grip area. This enables left-handed writers to hold the pen comfortably at a balanced angle and easily view all letters and words as they are written, just as right-handers do.

• Avoid smudged presentations!
• Avoid reversed letters!
• Avoid wrist pain!
• Suitable for left and right-handers of all ages and children with special needs

Swan Neck Pens don’t just make left-handers of all ages happier and better writers. They make writing a breeze for right-handers too.

Swan Neck Pens have passed British Standards EN71 part 1, 2, 3 and BS7272 2008.

Thank you for your time .you can view our website at www.swanneckpen.com for more information, or you can contact me on +44 1454 325873.

If you would like to place an order for our Swanneck school pack, we have a special 20% discount for schools:

Please use our promotional code: Learning0124 *when ordering on our website buy pens page with full details and address of your school.

Promotion includes:

• The full Swanneck range, yellow, pink, aluminium, antimicrobial and metallic colours

PLEASE EMAIL: schools@swanneckpen.com with any school order enquires or question or if your school requires a larger order exceeding 30 pens for a postal discount.

Parents are welcome to order directly from our website.

Would like further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

* Not to be used in conjunction with any other promotion, delivery to school address only.

How the traditions of Christmas can be taught through
the use of arts and crafts

The symbol of light is one that is part of celebrations, ceremonies and rituals across almost all cultures and religions around the world from the Hindu festival of Diwali (the festival of light) to the Greek Lam padedromia (the torch-race).

And the celebration of Christmas is no exception.

Lights can be seen everywhere at Christmas, from fairy lights on a Christmas tree, to candles in a church, fireworks in the sky, and lanterns around a house.

And the oldest tradition is probably the light of candles and lanterns that were used to symbolise Christmas long before the invention of electricity.

It is also traditional that children make Christmas lanterns out of card. This is an activity and skill that has been passed down through the generations and is widely encouraged in schools around Christmas time.

S&S Services have developed a Christmas lantern kit which includes 18 pieces of card in various designs ready to be decorated as the children wish – with the only boundary being their imagination and the theme of Christmas.

You can find the Christmas lanterns and our full range of art supplies on our website at the following links:

• Glitter
• Sequins
• Crayons
• Felt Tip Pens

Delivery

We offer free delivery on orders over £35 and charge only £2.99 delivery for orders which come to less than this across the majority of the UK.

For those requesting delivery from Northern Ireland, the Isles of Scilly, the Scottish Highlands, Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, delivery is £7 and for those lucky enough to be living in the Channel Islands the delivery charge is £12.45 irrespective of the size of the order.

You can order in any of the following ways:

• On our website at the web links above
• By email to info@ss-services.co.uk
• By phone on 01789 765323
• By fax to 01789 765469
• By post to S & S Services, Units 4-8 Tything Road, Arden Forest Industrial Estate, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 6EP.

S & S Services also offer a money back guarantee if you are not completely happy with your order.

You’ve probably come across this situation many times before – a student who has all the potential to do well in their GCSE maths yet performs badly in their final exam…

The main reason why this occurs is they don’t follow an effective revision strategy at home. Students tend to revise on auto-pilot without critically analysing what they’re doing and whether or not, it’s making progress.

Zakkiyah from London was a prime example of one of these students…

“I seemed to underperform in my mock exams – achieving D’s/E’s and I couldn’t work out why… but after following Jeevan’s revision principles, I could see exactly where I was going wrong… I achieved a ‘B’ grade in my final GCSE maths exam… These revision principles have helped me immensely with my A-Level Chemistry too… Thank you so much Jeevan… my ‘B’ grade will definitely help me in applying for a ‘Pharmacy’ course at University…”

As you can see, my revision principles are crucial when taking a maths exam. It allows a student to reach their full potential.

To find out more information about my revision principles, please visit: www.gcsemathsforschools.co.uk

Kind regards

Jeevan Singh
GCSE Maths For Schools

What’s a simple and effective way to reduce classroom disruption at the start of lessons and increase time spent in teaching and learning?

I’ve known Ed for many years. He’s been a supply teacher, head of dep’t,

Head of year and head of sixth form. Vastly experienced and with a bit of a reputation as a “hard man” when it comes to classroom discipline.

He likes his job, but if there’s one thing he gets fed up with, it’s students who don’t bring the right equipment to school. He reckons this can sometimes waste up to ten minutes of teaching and learning time at the start of a lesson.

So what can be done to reduce the disruption caused by pupils who turn up to lessons without the proper equipment? Is there a way to reduce the time wasted in such situations?

The “Student Essentials set” is a ready-made solution to the problem of pupils who turn up without the right kit for lessons….. as well as being ideal to hand out (or sell!) to students at the start of a school day or at the beginning of lessons.

Consisting of three quality black ink ballpens, two full length HB pencils, a metal sharpener, eraser and 15 cm ruler, all packed in a handy, “exam friendly” clear PVC zip up wallet from just 75p each ex vat. It’s a quick and easy way to provide students with all they need for most lessons.

“Student Essentials sets” can be a means of ensuring that lessons will be less of a hassle and more productive in the future than they may have been in the past.

Student Essentials sets can be obtained from:- Signpost Educational Ltd., (signpost@talk21.com)

You can see the sets on their website (www.signposteducational.co.uk) or call them for a chat on 020 7515 1797 to discuss your requirements.

PS. Student Essentials sets can also be used as pupil incentives or for distribution at parents evenings or at the start of a new term.

PPS. The clear PVC wallets are “exam friendly” and are handy for giving to students before GCSE and other exams.

This statement is bold but true, latest research shows that when carefully crafted seating charts are in place, teachers are twice as effective in the classroom and the attainment of lower ability students can be doubled.

This will come as no surprise to those more experienced teaching staff. By telling pupils where they should sit in the classroom you are immediately asserting your authority and can also take advantage of strategies such as peer to peer learning.

So does your school have a policy on seating charts? Are you able to ascertain which combinations work best for the classroom and lead to improved performance and behaviour, are you ready to impress Ofsted?

Class Charts links up with SIMS, Integris & SMIS. It instantly creates seating charts for your teachers and displays key data such as SEN, Pupil Premium & subject targets. This means that your staff will be aware of pupils’ abilities and needs at a glance.

But there is more!

Coupled with the seating charts is an optional real time behaviour management system (SIMS writeback supported) that is simple for your staff to use and provides the leadership team with detailed behaviour analytics – allowing them to pinpoint behaviour issues and trends and get support strategies in place.

Sound good?

Take a look at what is on offer at Class Charts and get in touch quoting ref HH for a chat or a quick online demo.

support@classcharts.com

0845 094 6427

Edukey Education Ltd, 1 High Street, St Davids, SA62 6SA

Do you need a fast system for managing students’ homework? Want to save time marking and give them instant feedback on homework specific to the annual topic?

“All your homework set and marked!” – P Knowles, Head of Media & Subscriber

Now available for GCSE Media Studies (AQA and WJEC annual topics) is a comprehensive revision and homework package – and it’s all online. Subscribe as a school and send students individual logins, and away they go. Simply set individual topics as homework, or let students work through it independently in the run-up to the exam.

As well as benefiting from the immediate feedback of the Gap Fill, Match-Up and Multiple Choice, students take the final challenge of the Online Homework programme: Practice Exam Questions. Students answer the questions and then self-assess using the student-friendly mark scheme and sample answers – great Assessment for Learning!

Student feedback has been excellent:

• “The revision activities were very relevant to what we have to learn for the exam.” – Student User
• “I found it hard to mark stuff for myself but I think it will help me get a better grade.” – Student User
• “Pupils are immediately more enthusiastic when they complete their revision work.” – J Cook, HoD & Independent Reviewer

iPad Revision

eRevision is fully compatible with iPads and other tablets! It’s all online as a web app – fully functional on tablets, this could be your answer to iPad homework.

Subscribe Now – or try it for free!

Interactive Online Homework from eRevision.co.uk is available for the 2015 Media Studies exam topics: GCSE AQA TV News and GCSE WJEC Print and TV Advertising.

• Email WH81@zigzageducation.co.uk now for a free 30-day trial – just tell us which specification you teach!
• For packages available, and to order, see http://zzed.co.uk/OnlineHomework

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY
t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | WH81@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WH81 to get free postage!

Learning a language allows you to communicate with people, experience a different culture and enhances your job prospects – in a recent CBI survey, 41% of businesses said knowledge of a foreign language was beneficial in their work staff. But, for those students struggling on the C/D borderline, these considerations can often be eclipsed by the hurdles of the exams.

Boost your students’ confidence and help them get to grips with the GCSE exams with skills-focussed practice. The SOS range of photocopiable resources from ZigZag Education targets each skill separately so you can focus on areas where students most need to improve:

SOS: How to Get a C
Available for Reading, Writing and Listening

Self-contained resources support weaker learners without taking up valuable class time. Train your weaker learners to get that C! Specific language strategies, clearly developed through carefully selected practice tasks.

• Vocab, task type, grammar and topics all perfectly tailored to the exam!

‘Thorough and very supportive for students on the C/D borderline.’
H Dickinson, Head of MFL, ZigZag Customer who bought SOS Reading: How to get a C in GCSE AQA Spanish Reading

‘Useful for every GCSE teacher/tutor to have in the armoury.’
A Wells, Head of German, Independent Reviewer of SOS Reading: How to get a C in GCSE Edexcel German Reading

‘An excellent resource which helps pupils to work through all the steps in the reading tasks. Pupils learn how to deal with key strategies to be successful in understanding key questions.Very detailed and valuable.’
C Stroud, Head of Department, Independent Reviewer of SOS Reading: How to get a C in GCSE Edexcel French Reading

ZigZag resources are available as ‘copy masters’ or in editable format and come with a site licence, allowing you to pay once and copy as often as you need, or put on your server for multiple use.

To view full inspection copies and prices right now click here.

ZigZag Education, Unit 3, Greenway Business Centre, Doncaster Road, Bristol BS10 5PY

t: 0117 950 3199 | f: 0117 959 1695 | MFL-WG68@zigzageducation.co.uk

Give your promotional code WG68 to get free postage!

Safety over cost, a practical example of the problems faced by mathematicians, engineers and businesses.

So that students can see how important maths is to our businesses and to our building industry we have put together a practical problem solving exercise called The Oil Rig Platform. It is designed to simulate the workings of a team of engineers, trying to find a solution to a problem by building an oil rig platform.

The students are divided into small teams and challenged to build a model of an oil rig platform and work out how much it costs to build using only set materials. To test for safety the platform must be able to support the weight of a brick! 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, a set of resources and a deadline. The winning team is the one who can build the oil rig, support the weight of a brick and is the cheapest to build. 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’ guidance notes that explain how to run the exercise, the students exercise brief, resources checklist and the assessment criteria.

How much does this all cost? Only £20.00 and can be re-used over and over again!

There are more details at…

http://c-l-e.co.uk/buy-teaching-resources-online/oil-rig-platform/

You can pay and download the exercise 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 14 days.

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

Quality Teaching and Quality Texts – Two Essentials for Higher Order Reading.

The teaching of initial reading skills is generally thought to be satisfactory in our primary schools.

But I have many conversations with head teachers and literacy coordinators about the insufficient progress many children still make with regard to higher order skills; often around the time children enter Key Stage 2.

Children reach a point where they appear to be a ‘fluent’ reader but are then left too much to their own devices, with not enough direct teaching of those reading skills that will help them progress further.

In the most effective teaching you will see a range of approaches: Shared, group and guided reading as well as 1:1 sessions. Obviously, the quality of that direct teaching cannot be under estimated.

The other element is having access to engaging texts, which offer the opportunity to ask deeper questions and take children’s thinking and comprehension beyond the text; opportunities to practise skills like inference and deduction.

The Mini Tales Pack – our latest resource is designed to support both these elements:

• 10 lively short stories written exclusively for Thinking Child by Steve Bowkett. (6 books of each title in a handy to carry box)
• These engaging tales can be devoured quite quickly but are rich in layers of meaning.
• The teacher/TA booklet is full of comprehensive advice and ideas to support and enhance the quality of guided reading sessions at Key Stage 2. Written by Guided Reading Expert Rachel Clarke.
• In addition there is a free memory stick giving you The Mini Tales in pdf & ppt versions for further teaching options.

These 60 books, teacher/TA booklet and memory stick cost just £129.

If you purchase The Mini Tales Pack before the end of term you can have it at an amazing Introductory Price of just £99. (saving of £30)

To find out more visit the webpage: http://www.thinkingchild.org.uk/mini-tales-pack-short-stories-for-guided-reading-at-key-stage-2

** The discounted price will automatically adjust at the checkout.

Or – Click the INVOICE button to raise an order for your school.

Alternatively email us: info@thinkingchild.org.uk

Or telephone: 01604 491511

What is the most effective way of taking below-average students up a grade in four GCSE subjects?

Of course there is a vital bit of information missing in that question. It is the information about time.

The point is that given enough time it is probably possible to take most students up a grade in a GCSE subject. But the notion is irrelevant because we don’t have that extra time.

So I am going to add in a time limitation here and talk about taking below-average students up a grade in each of four GCSE subjects, using just two hours a week for one term.

And now I am going to go even further. For rather than just make that claim, I am going to insist that the answer is validated through significant research over a number of years, undertaken by a major independent education research institute.

What’s more, I want this rise in grades to have been replicated time and time again with the lowest 20% of students in terms of achievement, year after year after year.

Now you might feel I have gone over the top, adding all these extra demands, but I am going to continue further. I want all this to be achieved not just by two hours of work a week, but I want there to be no insistence on when and where those two hours were spent.

They could be totted up at home, or at school, during lunch breaks or an after school club, or indeed at any other time at any other location.

Quite how these remarkable improvements in GCSE grades were achieved is revealed in the FFT report, “Impact of e-Learning”.

Indeed, independent research from the FFT has shown time and time again that using the techniques and approach explored in this survey results in the student gaining the extra marks that are required to enhance grades.

You can read the full free report by clicking here.

Alternatively if you would like to discuss implementing this approach which really does take two hours a week over ten weeks, to generate a rise of four GCSE grades among below average students, please do call us on 0845 130 4160.

Dear Colleague

At Anchor, many of our care homes and retirement housing developments have strong links with local schools, creating great connections across the generations.

Those links inspired us to work with education specialists to develop tools to help others do the same.

Our Life Histories teaching guide has been designed to deliver many of the key National Curriculum learning outcomes for children in years five and six, while breaking down the barriers between the young and old.

Anchor Life Histories is a unit of work which fits comfortably within strands for Speaking and Listening and Writing.

It provides opportunities for developing questioning skills, planning and chronological writing within a real context of talking to and learning from an older person who may not be known to the children.

This unit is planned in four developmental phases, from examining and interrogating texts, planning for an interview and then developing and improving writing.

It could take from two to four weeks, depending on how many of the speaking and grammar activities teachers wish to include.

Teaching Notes outline the possible teaching strands and activities for each phase and highlight the end of Key stage learning outcomes for years 5 and 6 that are met by these lessons.

Anchor Life Histories teaching notes, writing scaffolds and curriculum planning document can be downloaded free of charge here.

We hope you and your pupils enjoy using these materials.

The team at Anchor

What is the most cost effective way of passing a message across the school to colleagues, as well as handling emergencies and incidents?

Nearly 70% of school office staff who deal with parents have been on the receiving end of abuse during the past year. But only a quarter of schools have a system that allows them to call for help immediately.

However, such a system can be very inexpensive (far less expensive than anything based on using mobile phones) and can also be used to pass on routine messages across the school as well as to deal with non-emergency incidents.

The solution comes through the use of simple radio-based communication solutions. They can be used for keeping lunchtime staff in touch with reception, as well as being integrated with alarm panels.

They can also provide ‘telephone style’ private calling.

Our new Opus T2-PRO radio is a highly cost-effective solution, suitable for many establishments. Rugged enough to survive daily use, yet light and simple-to-use, it’s designed with schools in mind.

Until 30 November 2014 you can save £20 on every Opus T2-PRO with our exclusive launch offer. Ordering is simple – by fax, email or online (visit www.nationwide-radio-supplies.co.uk/opus-t2pro) – just quote HHMAIL1 to save £20 per radio.

You’ll get a 30 day credit account (bona fide educational establishments only) and a 30 day risk-free trial, just return the radios (in resaleable condition) if they don’t meet your requirements for a full refund.

If you need more information or wish to discuss your schools requirements in detail, call us now on 0800 084 27 99 or email sales@nrsupplies.co.uk and we’ll get straight back to you.

Let our experts solve your communication problems!

What is the single most effective way of raising student exam grades?

There is little more frustrating than a student who you know has plenty of ability within a subject, but who simply does not seem to be able to study and reveal his/her aptitude in exams.

Fortunately, however, there is a fairly simple way of helping such students overcome this situation so that they make far more of their study time, learn more rapidly, and develop an ability to use the knowledge that they have gained within examinations.

This approach breaks learning into two simple parts: learning how to study, and then applying this knowledge to the subject matter being studied.

Self-evidently, once the student can study in a more effective and efficient manner the student also becomes more adept at reproducing this knowledge in a meaningful way when required. Then, inevitably, the student’s grades will go up.

This is where Raising Grades through Study Skills comes in. The volume, which is available either as a photocopiable master or on CD (so that it can be placed on the school’s learning platform), focuses on the ways in which students can both be helped and can help themselves by learning more quickly and more effectively.

Since the first edition of this work was published it has been adopted in several thousand schools, in some cases being used within an individual department, sometimes across the whole school.

22 separate methods of learning are detailed in the volume, plus details of 10 teaching methods which can be used to help develop the learning approaches.

There is also a series of active learning assignments and a further 15 sections on memory and how students may enhance their own memory abilities and increase their ability to utilise the knowledge that they have gained.

Results from the use of this approach have shown that once students have been shown how to study and how to ensure that they can remember and use the material they have studied, the motivation gained from the rapid success that results becomes a factor in motivating them to ever further achievements.

The activities developed in this volume can either be set up as separate lessons or can be integrated into the existing timetable.

Raising Grades through Study Skills is available as a photocopiable book or on CD Rom which can itself be copied or loaded onto the school’s learning platform or intranet.

Cat No: 978 1 86083 845 3. Order code: T1787emn – please quote with order.

Sample pages can be viewed at http://pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/education/T1787.pdf

Formats, prices and delivery cost…

• 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…

• 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
• On line with a credit card at http://shop.firstandbest.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=54&products_id=267

Support material for the written questions in units 2 & 4 prepared by teachers and examiners
of Music Technology

This revised and updated resource will provide you with helpful information for teaching the history of popular music and jazz, as well as the development of music technology.

The CD-ROM contains several PowerPoint’s and revision material including:

AS:

1 – Nine PowerPoint’s giving a brief outline of the development of popular music and Jazz (Including interactive video links illustrating key artists and styles)

2 – Two detailed PowerPoint’s for this year’s special focus styles (Soul & Indie)

Homework sheets and revision material

A2:

1 – Eleven PowerPoint’s giving detailed information on various topics including effects and processors; digital and analogue recording; synthesis and microphones

2 – Revision material associated with each of the topics above

This resource is only available from Tempo Publishing at a cost of £55, and once purchased may be used throughout the purchasing establishment.

To view sample pages and to order online please visit www.tempopublishing.co.uk. Alternatively purchase orders can be emailed to sales@tempopublishing.co.uk.

If you have any questions or want to order over the phone then by all means give me a ring on 07564 291815.

Kind regards

Jason Boyd – Tempo Publishing

Record your school CD this Christmas for free
and claim £175 to spend on your choice of drums

Percussion is perfect for teaching KS1 and KS2 music. As playing music is fun for children, it makes teaching rhythm, structure and ensemble skills easy.

We’ve teamed up with the award winning Drums for Schools to help you, by giving you £175 to spend on your choice of instruments or resources, or one of the percussion sets above, for free.

There is no catch, you just need to register your interest over the next week and book a free CD recording for Christmas or for any time up to February 2015.

Our professional recording engineers come to your school with studio recording equipment, and spend a day recording your CD with you, for free. Our Interactive Recording Guide shows the huge educational benefit in the project for the children, and makes planning the project really simple with everything set out for you.

All you need to do is decide what you’d like to include on your CD – a performance or event, instrumental groups, the whole school singing, each class singing their favourite song or even your drumming. The CD is a treasured memento to be proud of, a great showcase for the school’s talents, and the recording is an amazing day for the children. You can even raise funds for your school from the sales of your CD.

To get the free CD recording for your school and your free percussion set or voucher, all you need to do is send me an email to the address below, or give me a call with your school details, when approximately you might like to record your CD, and of course whether you would prefer the 30 player or 14 player percussion set or £175 to spend with Drums for Schools.

To qualify for the free percussion set, you have a week to register your interest to complete your recording before the end of February 2015.

Kind regards,

Ann-Marie Lawrence
My School CD

Tel: 01925 321 800
Email: Ann-Marie.Lawrence@MySchoolCD.co.uk

How learning and practising cursive handwriting has an impact on
children’s brain development and on the ability to spell

Ever since last year when Psychology Today published its article, “Why writing by hand could make you smarter,” there has been an upturn in interest in the benefits of teaching cursive writing.

Drawing on research from Indiana University in 2013, the article reported that it seems that learning cursive writing actually enhances the brain’s capacity for optimal efficiency and the integration of sensation, movement control, and thinking.

It seems that through this activity multiple areas of brain become co-activated in a way that doesn’t happen with typing or just visual practice.

There is even a spill-over benefit for thinking skills. Cursive writing requires fine motor control and attention to detail, and this combination of focus seemingly activates areas of the brain that can enhance the retention of spelling – even in children who have difficulties with learning to spell.

Of course, that is not to say that practising cursive writing can combat the effects of dyslexia, but there seems to be little doubt that it can help dyslexic pupils who are being supported in other ways.

Thus, as the Indiana University study shows, cursive writing has benefits for primary school children that go far beyond reading, printing or using a keyboard.

It was to help with this vital development of the brain that Multi-Sensory Learning produced its Handwriting Activity Workbook which consists of over 300 structured exercises designed to establish the correct cursive letter formation and encourage an automatic response to frequently used spelling choices.

The books are available in packs of five for £39.95 per pack. A 15% discount is applicable for orders of 4 packs and over.

You can order The Handwriting Activity Workbooks 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

Save on first aid and sports medical supplies

It’s time to look forward to the remainder of the Autumn term and you may be considering whether you have enough first aid consumables to see you through. We’d like to help you out with a cracking offer:

£10 Off Your Next Order

Coupon Code: Autumn 2014

When you spend £50 or more we’ll give you a £10 discount. Just visit www.physical-sports.co.uk to do your first aid shopping, and enter the coupon code at checkout, or give us a call. It couldn’t be simpler. This offer is open until the 30^th November 2014.

Here are some of our most popular offers:

Instant Soothe Cold Pack – Buy 50+ for only 58p each excluding VAT

Tape and strapping in discounted case quantities-

Cohesive Bandage from only 66p a roll excluding VAT

Zinc Oxide Tape from only 90p a roll excluding VAT

The Relisport Stadium First Aid Kit is very comprehensive sports first aid kit, suitable for use by sports teams.
It includes all the necessary sports first aid supplies, including dressings, plasters, tapes, bandages and ice packs. The contents are organized in grab bags to make it very fast and efficient to use.
Free UK Delivery when you order this First Aid Kit. £36.41 excluding VAT

We offer 25 free instant ice packs with orders totalling over £100. Just quote ‘Free Ice’ in the comments box when ordering online. All orders over £75 also qualify for free delivery.

 
Physical Sports Limited
T: 01943 662155
E: sales@physical-sports.co.uk
W: www.physical-sports.co.uk

How honours boards are helping schools to transmit their values to students and their parents

Honouring members of the school community is the most obvious and direct way of generating a sense of civic and personal pride, as well as ensuring that parents fully appreciate that the school has values about which it cares passionately.

Having an honours board also helps the school to face the problem that its members move through the school and then leave to enjoy the rest of their lives. It ensures that the fundamental principles that lie behind the school are not taken for granted and are clearly and overtly expressed.

What’s more, such boards commemorate the work of the school and the individuals that have made it what it is, recording the names of those who have served notably as students or teachers.

Likewise the board can record the triumphs and achievements of the school across the years, be it the names of those who have generously donated to the school or the triumph of the under 12s football team in winning the county cup.

Indeed, once the history of the school is on display for all to see, it becomes more real, both to those within the school as well as to parents and visitors.

In this way placing such an honours board in the assembly hall or school entrance proclaims to one and all that these past events and the individuals who created them are important and will not be forgotten.

Likewise for the school that has had the good fortune to be rehoused in new premises in recent years the honours board can establish the connection between the exciting new building of today and the previous premises that have been used.

Greenbarnes has a long history of creating and supplying honours boards for schools across the UK. There are examples of such boards on our website.

You’ll also find links to other aspects of our work at the foot of the honours board page – or you can call 01280 701093 for a copy of our catalogue, or to discuss individual projects.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Michael Barnes

If you have a suspicion that your current leases are costing rather more than they might, have them checked out for free.

Experience shows that a substantial number of leases for photocopies, ICT equipment and the like, are not operated by the leasing company as they should be.

Not because anyone in the school has done anything wrong, but rather because very small “mistakes” in calculations can slip into leases over time. Each error might be tiny, but over a short while the value of the errors can become quite large.

What makes this particularly problematic is that the way payments on leases work can be very complex. Indeed some of them seem to involve a form of maths that only exists inside the world of equipment leasing!

However there is a way to resolve this issue – and it doesn’t cost the school a penny.

We can consider any lease that your school operates, and ensure that it is being run by the leasing company in a way that it was set up to be run.

This is done completely without any charge, and we’ll make our report back to you personally, in confidence, in writing.

If then we do find that your lease is not being implemented as it should be, and you want to get the overcharged money back, we’ll do this for you – again without cost. We will simply agree with you a percentage of your refund that we will take, as our fee for our work.

So to be completely clear, if we don’t think there is a case to take on, or if we do take on a case and no refund it achieved, nothing is paid to us. If a refund is achieved, we will then receive a commission from you, as agreed at the start.

As a final point I’d also like to make it clear that we are not talking about any mistake being made by yourself or one of your colleagues at school – we are talking about the fact that some leases are not implemented by the leasing companies as per the agreement.

To request an audit simply email me at Stephen@schools.co.uk and attach to the email a copy of your scanned-in leasing agreement/s and we will let you know if you may be entitled to a refund.

You will have no obligation to proceed – and if you do as noted above you will not be required to pay anything. Instead you will be told what percentage reimbursement the company will require in the event of their making a successful claim on your behalf.

Stephen Mister