Ho ho ho! To help you celebrate the season of goodwill in your classroom, we’ve gathered together a stocking full of frosty and festive tales, including a few Christmas classics and some chilly adventures with favourite characters. So grab a few minutes of quiet between all those nativity plays, carol concerts and mince pie meet-ups, […]
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The best mathematical tasks are often elegantly simple. Bells and whistles are not needed and, indeed, often they are distractions from the intended learning. To keep a task focused, thought should be given to the following questions: What do I want the children to learn?What might be the ‘bumps in the road’ that could cause […]
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Blast off on a reading adventure with our recommendations to help you and your class celebrate World Space Week from 4—10th October – it’s the largest space event on Earth! From hanging out with aliens and riding in spaceships, to a little bit of rocket science, there’s something for all reading ages and abilities. You might find these books […]
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The autumn term is already in full swing, but to help make sure you and your class are completely settled in to your school routine, take a look at our selection of stories all about life in the classroom, the playground and even your favourite after school club. From revisiting the first day, to finding […]
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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 […]
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