There has been a lot of talk in recent months, both in the press and on social media, about the word gap and the new Ofsted Framework , now being applied in schools across England. Given Ofsted’s focus on improving the quality of education, and the evidence of a significant word gap in UK schools, it seems to me […]
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The Oxford Language Report: Why Closing the Word Gap Matters found evidence that an increasing number of children in UK schools have a limited vocabulary – a word gap – which is holding back their learning. The report brings together the thoughts of a number of leading academics and practitioners, based on market research with over 1,300 primary and secondary teachers. Over half of those surveyed reported […]
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We’ve selected a winter-themed traditional tale and poem from the resources in your Oxford Owl subscription, to help your Reception and Year 1 children engage with stories and poems. Storytime and Poetry Time resources Both sets of resources are designed for use in a whole class setting, outside of phonics lessons, for example, at the […]
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Science, like every subject, has its own vocabulary. Sometimes it can feel like we are learning a different language, before we can even begin to understand Science. This vocabulary gap can lead students to be disengaged and disruptive in the classroom as well as underachieving in their exams and it is not just EAL students […]
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Pencil cases are stocked, lunchboxes are packed and school bags are underfoot – it must be the start of a brand-new school year! And what better time to think about one of the most important parts of school life – the friendships that children form as they grow up? The August Reading List is filled […]
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Yes, it’s that time, the booklist is here! We’re delighted to bring you the third of the year. So stick with us as we write out below A few perfect poems you might not yet know From humour and fun from beginning to end, To exciting adventures around every bend, Or even some sport if […]
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Happy June, everyone! We hope you’re all having a magical summer so far. This month’s reading list is all about – you guessed it – marvellously magical tales to keep the little ones reading over the summer months. So, let’s take a (magic) wand-er through this spell-binding book list that will capture any child’s heart! […]
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The recent collapse of alternative qualifications and the narrow focus on which qualifications count for Progress 8 scores mean that GCSE Combined Science has become the default entry route to a science qualification for students in England. Some schools co-teach GCSE Combined Science with Entry Level Certificate (ELC), but an increasingly challenging curriculum presents difficulty […]
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Welcome to the first of our monthly recommended reading lists! Between exams, end-of-year preparations and more sunshine than we know what to do with, we hope your month hasn’t been filled with too much ‘may-hem’. The May reading list is kicking off with our top ten superhero tales – guaranteed to help children’s imaginations soar. […]
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Is spelling really that important any more? Especially in the modern world where children are growing up using onscreen documents, emails, texts, all with autocorrect? Unfortunately, as Jerrold Zar illustrates in his poem ‘An Ode to a Spellchecker’, we can’t always trust the computer to spot the ‘Miss steaks aye kin knot sea’. The truth […]
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