Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of visiting Buenos Aires to work with teachers and librarians. While I was there, I was lucky enough to speak at the 2019 ESSARP Conference. Active learning and reading There are many strands that make up active learning, but I chose to focus on three core ideas: The […]
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The summer holidays are flying by and it will soon be time to head back to school. To help you hold on to that holiday feeling for just a little longer once you’re back in the classroom, we’ve brought together a sunny selection of books all about holidays – perfect for your start of term […]
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If you’ve already read the previous blog posts in our series to help you prepare for the new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework , you’ll know that how well pupils are taught to read will be prioritised as a main inspection activity in Primary schools from September 2019. But what does the Framework specifically say about phonics? We’ve taken a closer look and pulled out five key things that […]
Read more As you’re probably already aware, a new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework will come into force in September 2019. You can get an overview of the new Framework in our blog post ‘The new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework: What’s changed?’ We’ve taken a closer look at the Framework, alongside the new School Inspection Handbook that Ofsted inspectors will be using, and have pulled out […]
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It’s often the friends that we make at school who will stay with us for the rest of our lives. That’s why this month’s reading list celebrates International Day of Friendship on 30th July. With a little help from our friends, anything is possible, so take some time to celebrate the value of friendship in your classroom with these […]
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We all know spelling is tricky. With more than 150 ways of spelling the 44 sounds in the English language, it’s no wonder children struggle with spelling. So how can we help children become better spellers and build a lasting understanding of spelling rules and the many exceptions to those rules? Here are five helpful […]
Read more As you’re probably already aware, a new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework will come into force in September 2019. You can get an overview of the new Framework in our blog post ‘The new Ofsted Education Inspection Framework: What’s changed?’ We’ve taken a closer look at the Framework, alongside the new School Inspection Handbook that Ofsted inspectors will be using, and have pulled out […]
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With problem solving and reasoning at the core of the mathematics curriculum, we recognise an increased emphasis on developing teaching styles where children are encouraged to think for themselves, explore strategies, communicate their thinking and discuss and debate with their peers. This can be in conflict with a belief that all learning in mathematics has […]
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The draft Curriculum for Wales has now been released, and as educators we finally have the What Matters statements for the new Areas of Learning Experience (AOLE). The Mathematics and Numeracy AOLE is segregated into four subsections of mathematics: The number system is used to represent and compare relationships between numbers and quantitiesAlgebra uses symbol systems to express the structures of relationships between […]
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Empathy Day on the 11th June is an annual event founded by Empathy Lab , to harness books’ empathy-building power. It aims to encourage us to read stories, build empathy and make the world a better place. We’ve put together a list of brilliant books that will help you and your class see things from someone else’s […]
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