Education News

When teaching year 7 through to GCSE students, locating the right resources for each topic and year group can be a time consuming task.

Added to which, if you are absent and cover needs to be sorted urgently, you need a resource at hand to pass on to the cover staff.

It is with this in mind that we have produced The Art Portfolio resources.

The resource includes a variety of information, hints, tips and activities covering all aspects of the art curriculum. Many tasks are designed to allow students to work directly on photocopies of some of the sheets, while others can be used in conjunction with a range of standard art materials.

What’s more, The Art Portfolio is the ideal resource to be given to students for them to work on their own.

The Art Portfolio contains seven units, each with ten masters.

Here are details of each unit:

Unit 1: Drawing
Upside Down Drawing, Textual Drawing, Dot Drawing, Contour Drawing, Drawing Natural Forms, Negative Spaces, Sighting, Drawing a Face, Drawing Shaded Areas and Magnification.

Order code 1002

Unit 2: Visual Language
Colour Circle, Colour Studies 1, Colour Studies 2, Basic Forms in Light and Shade, Pattern, Pattern in Picture-making, Tone Made by Line, Tones and Textures, Tactile Values and Texture

Order code 1003

Unit 3: Art and Artists
One page History of Western Art, Prehistoric Art, Egyptian Hieroglyphs, Roman Architecture, Leonardo’s Sfumato, Impressionism, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Surrealism, Pop Art

Order code 1004

Unit 4: Exploring Media
Exploring Graphic Media, Exploring Pastels, Using Printed Line, Exploring Bamboo Pens, Exploring Wash, Using Frottage and Collage, Using Found Materials, Using Stencils, Exploring Brush Drawing and Exploring Transfer Prints.

Order code 1005

Unit 5: Painting
Taking a Line for a Walk, Lettering Painting, Sketching, Painting Techniques, Oil Painting, Watercolour Painting, Tempera Powder Painting, Wet-in-Wet Painting, Linear Perspective and Interior Perspective.

Order code 1006

Unit 6: Image Making
Transmogrification, Ideograms, Still Life, Facial Expression, Weather, Footwear, Identikit, Windows, Landscape 1 and Landscape 2.

Order code 1007

Unit 7: Special Needs Unit
This unit has been specially written in response to demand from teachers who have used The Art Portfolio. It provides a range of tasks, suitable for special needs and other lower ability pupils that develop their skills in art. Text is easy to read and instructions are kept simple. Tasks include colouring, shading copying and arranging.

Order code 1008

Each resource contains 10 photocopiable masters and are also available as PDF downloads or as a PDF or editable Word files on a CD. The price of £14.99 + VAT is the same for all formats.

Should you choose to purchase all seven units at once, the full set is reduced to £59.99 + VAT and is available to purchase by clicking here.

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

To see sample pages please email sales@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order codes mentioned above.

You can order The Art Portfolio in any of these ways:

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

There can be little doubt that where a child’s education focuses on language skills, then the child’s learning, thinking, social and emotional well-being will be enhanced.

But of course simply having an intervention programme is not enough. For the programme not only needs to focus on children’s language, it also needs to change classroom practice so that it can lead to an impact on learning, social development and emotional development.

And beyond that we need to be certain (through independent evaluation) that the programme does achieve what we want it to achieve.

This is exactly how our programme, Primary Talk, works. It supports the communication development of all children, including those with speech, language and communication needs, and in this way it helps schools improve pupil outcomes.

Better still, the University of Sheffield independent evaluation of the pilot programme found that Primary Talk has a significant impact on classroom practice and helps to improve school environments for all children.

As a result, in schools where Primary Talk has been implemented, teachers report that more children understand what is said in lessons, because of the strategies adopted.

Primary Talk provides a package of training, mentoring and resources for school staff and accreditation of primary schools. The programme is available to local authorities, individual schools or clusters of schools, and can be delivered directly by I CAN staff or via a project of training your trainers to deliver.

To see exactly how Primary Talk could work in the unique conditions within your school, please contact I CAN on 0845 225 4073.

Alternatively you can email us at primarytalk@ican.org.uk. Please provide your contact name, position, school name, address, contact phone number and the best time to reach you by phone.

If you would like to read more about this remarkable project and the way it is being applied in schools across the country, there is more information on our website.

It’s not too long before the exam season when sometimes there may be a bit of panic in the air ……..

and not just for students facing their GCSE or A level exams!

Judging by the comments we’ve had from some premises staff over the years, it seems that “the powers that be” in their school or college suddenly decide they need some new exam desks…. and they want them yesterday!

If you’re faced with such a situation (or even if you don’t have such a tight deadline) then why not give Central Educational Supplies a call on 020 7515 1797 or visit their website to see how we might be able to help.

We can supply folding, cantilever or “zimmer” style desks from only £15.95 ex vat, as well as transporters for folding desks. We can often supply exam desks at short notice although it’s always easier if we have a few weeks notice!

Central Educational Supplies Ltd, PO Box 999, London E14 6SH

Tel: 020 7515 1797
Fax: 020 7515 4420
Email: signpost@talk21.com
website: www.centraleducational.co.uk

PS. If you’re in the market for new classroom tables and chairs you may find what you need on our website…… or why not give us a call?

In a teacher’s busy life it is often hard to find the time to come up with new ideas for workshops to stimulate your students’ acting skills. This book is the answer.

In 1984 Actors’ Lab was set up in Scotland as a drama workshop which concentrated solely on building acting skills. It was highly experimental and challenged many of the received opinions and conventions surrounding theatrical production. This book, written by a key player in Actors’ Lab and running to 104 pages, represents the distillation of many years of intense examination of acting methods and skills.

The Actors’ Lab Workshop contains 43 workshop units and is ideally suited to secondary school pupils with some acting experience. Each workshop is designed to fit into a two hour period and there are also suggestions for warm up exercises and follow up material. The book is not intended as a detailed guide on how to conduct a workshop but aims to provide a framework within which participants are free to experiment and adapt to suit their own skills and personalities.

You can see a full list of the topics and some sample pages at http://www.pdf.firstandbest.co.uk/drama/T1552.htm

Publisher’s reference: T1552EMN ISBN: 978 1 86083 598 8

Prices

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

You can purchase the report… please quote the order ref: T1552EMN

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=28&products_id=406

Creating a new form time activity each week is not necessarily difficult, but it can take time, and it is occasionally the case that form time is not used as fully as it might be..

Of course there are many form time programmes that have been produced commercially – but with these it is not always clear what one will get if making a purchase.

Which is why we offer all our form time activities on a free trial basis. What’s more, if you ask for a trial, you get to choose which lessons you see – not the ones we have chosen for you. And, if you like our resources, we have now halved the price of an annual subscription for unlimited access for the whole school.

We’ve created a series of KS3 and KS4 form time plans that can be used throughout the year. Each includes a PDF overview and a PowerPoint presentation.

Topics currently include…

Active careers (2 activities)
Alcohol (12 activities)
Credit crunch (6 activities)
Critical consumers (4 activities)
Democracy (7 activities)
Diversity (3 activities)
Economic ideas (7 activities)
Enterprise (5 activities)
Enterprise and the community (3 activities)
Enterprise skills (3 activities)
Gap year introduction (4 activities)
Gap year volunteering (2 activities)
Human rights (7 activities)
The media (6 activities)
Options in year 9 (7 activities)
Prejudice (4 activities)
Revision (4 activities)
SkillsActive professional skills resources (6 activities)
The stock exchange (4 activities)
Preparing for work (5 activities)
Thinking about work (3 activities)

If you would like to have the resources for a completely free 14 day trial, with no obligation to buy, please visit http://www.teaching-resources-uk.com And if you would like unlimited access to all our resources for the whole school we are now offering this at £249.99 (annual subscription) – just follow the link that says “join now”.

Micro Economics and Macro Economics are two CDs each containing eleven PowerPoint lessons plus accompanying worksheets with answers.

They are based around the AS Level syllabus, with each lesson following the same structured pattern with aims, a set of plenary exercises and concluding summaries.

Throughout the lessons dynamic interactive methods are used to promote student learning such as discussion topics and problem solving, aided at each turn with detailed diagrams and explanations.

There are also numerous examples, and the CDs make use of a variety of media including pictures and cartoons, video links, links to internet websites and much more.

Each lesson has a supplementary worksheet with carefully chosen stimulus material. The worksheets include case studies and passages taken from a variety of different sources making the application of economic theory to practice easy.

Also incorporated into the resource are short questions that cover economic theory and worksheets that have a glossary of important economic terms.

Macro Economics contains 269 slides, 206 worksheets/answer sheets – order code 2043

Micro Economics contains 281 slides, 189 worksheets/answer sheets – order code 2044

These resources are also available as PDF downloads or as a PDF or editable Word files on a CD. The price of £49.99 + VAT per CD is the same for all formats.

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

To see sample pages please email sales@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order codes mentioned above.

You can order the in any of these ways:

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

Micro Economics and Macro Economics are two CDs each containing eleven PowerPoint lessons plus accompanying worksheets with answers.

They are based around the AS Level syllabus, with each lesson following the same structured pattern with aims, a set of plenary exercises and concluding summaries.

Throughout the lessons dynamic interactive methods are used to promote student learning such as discussion topics and problem solving, aided at each turn with detailed diagrams and explanations.

There are also numerous examples, and the CDs make use of a variety of media including pictures and cartoons, video links, links to internet websites and much more.

Each lesson has a supplementary worksheet with carefully chosen stimulus material. The worksheets include case studies and passages taken from a variety of different sources making the application of economic theory to practice easy.

Also incorporated into the resource are short questions that cover economic theory and worksheets that have a glossary of important economic terms.

Macro Economics contains 269 slides, 206 worksheets/answer sheets – order code 2043

Micro Economics contains 281 slides, 189 worksheets/answer sheets – order code 2044

These resources are also available as PDF downloads or as a PDF or editable Word files on a CD. The price of £49.99 + VAT per CD is the same for all formats.

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

To see sample pages please email sales@classroom-resources.co.uk quoting the order codes mentioned above.

You can order the in any of these ways:

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

Recently a number of Local Authorities have announced the reduction or removal of some or all of their premises services to schools. It looks like more may follow.

On top of this a recent survey assessed the challenges facing schools due to the impact of reduced budgets on school and local authority provision with almost 90% of respondents noticing a decrease in support provided by their LAs. Due to this lack of support, schools have seen a vast increase in workload for management and administrative staff whilst the traditional safety nets can no longer be relied upon.

I’ve spoken directly with a couple of hundred schools over the last year about their property issues, and it seems that school leaders, managers and administrators are concerned and permanently rushed off their feet. Coupled with the survey it looks likely the workload and stresses are likely to continue if not increase and there’s no more money to recruit additional resources. So what can be done about it? In a word – TES PropertyPrefect, the online premises management system of choice for School Business Managers/Bursars and their Heads.

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to do the same work in less time or get more done in the same time whilst being on top of your game. This would have a significant impact on all concerned, after all who of us doesn’t get a little bit cranky when we’re feeling out of control and under the cosh.

TES PropertyPrefect helps you get and stay compliant as well as organised by:

Alerting you to imminent and future H&S and other premises activities so nothing is missed
Providing you with a very simple issues management system, so simple everyone can use it with email alerts for the site team
Helping you engage with both teaching and site staff without having to change behaviours
Provide you with three levels of support with the Guidance library, live software support and a Professional Technical Helpdesk service so you’re only a click away from professional help
Providing a pragmatic method of moving towards a more proactive and therefore cost effective regime for premises
Helping you budget more effectively with a finance chart graphically displaying your planned and reactive spend through the year
Spend less time preparing Governors reports with our professionally and consistently presented reports for MS Word.
In just 30 minutes through our one-to-one interactive online tour you will see clearly how TES PropertyPrefect will make your life easier as well as that of your premises staff and Head.

Book a date and time to suit you at www.propertyprefect.com/onlinedemo but be quick, there are only so many hours in the day!

By the way, so you know we’re not wasting your time, the price for a primary school is £480 per year and a secondary school is £800 per year, on a 36-month term. Since launching in March last year TES PropertyPrefect has nearly 1,300 registered school users and on any one day around half of our schools are logged in and benefitting.

Warm regards

Adam Watson
Director of TES PropertyPrefect

p.s. PropertyPrefect and TES have entered into a joint venture to help bring this popular system to every school that feels it will benefit. You can read more on our website.

Prepared by the Advisory Unit, the home of the best-selling AEGIS GIS for schools, the poster is a handy route map for students creating new AEGIS projects. The poster helps students with controlled assessments and other fieldwork activities by leading them through a trail reflecting the enquiry approach to learning that is required by examination boards.

Just click on the link www.advisory-unit.org.uk and download the poster from the Advisory Unit web site. Print as a handout and enlarge to A3 to go on the wall.

Not sure how the students will use AEGIS? There’s a QR code link on the poster to ‘how to do it’ video tutorials on the Advisory Unit web site. Any smartphone will ‘read’ the code and link to a page of YouTube videos that demonstrate GIS skills for projects.

More about AEGIS
AEGIS is the most widely used GIS for schools with a one-off purchase for installation on the school network. Once you have the program you can embed GIS in classwork for world development, local activities or regional studies or use AEGIS as a basis for collecting, processing and mapping fieldwork data. AEGIS is a valuable resource right through the school from Year 7 to A2 giving students the skills required to display and search choropleth mapping, landuse mapping, traffic and pedestrian surveys, and bar and pie charts of locational data.

Download the free poster for a handy guide to AEGIS for projects. For more information contact:

The Advisory Unit: Computers in Education
The Innovation Centre
Hatfield, Herts, AL10 9AB
Tel: 01707 281102
Fax; 01707 281103
Email: sales@advisory-unit.org.uk

The critically-acclaimed stage production of War Horse featured a boy’s much-loved horse, Joey, who is sold to the cavalry at the beginning of World War I.

Stephen Spielberg’s recent film adaptation of this powerful story has brought the outbreak of war into the national consciousness again.

To help your students understand the tensions in Europe which precipitated the outbreak of World War I, we’ve produced some free resources for you to download: www.boardworks.co.uk/history_744

Covering the existing tensions in Europe, the war plans of the Great Powers, and the Schlieffen Plan, our free resources summarise the key teaching points for each of these topics, engaging students in the political wranglings that led to Joey’s secondment to the battlefield.

Regards

The Boardworks History team

P.S. The interactive map in this free presentation can be used flexibly as a consolidation exercise or to introduce students to the war plans of the Great Powers. To find out more about the different ways to use Boardworks History resources, order your free sample disc today.

www.boardworks.co.uk/order-sample-disc/505