Uncategorized

The Long Shadow of Suffocating Injustice 

As the third anniversary of the murder of George Floyd arrives this week, thoughts will turn to how to use his story in assemblies and lessons about racial justice and the role of the police. Fundamentally, we need to encourage students to explore questions about the wider context of his… Read More

Getting comfortable with unseen poetry

Of all the different forms of writing that we study in English, poetry often seems to be the one with which students feel the least comfortable.  The fact that it simply doesn’t look like prose creates an instant barrier.  It’s unsurprising then that young people find the requirement to explore… Read More

Connecting with unseen poetry

Any examination is a contained and isolating space, the examinee on their own, having to rely on themselves to navigate their way and manage their time. The unseen poetry section is often considered the place containing the highest degree of challenge because of the unfamiliarity of the poem(s) presented. And… Read More

Helping children with non-fiction writing

Collins Big Cat author Emily Dodd shares ideas on how to get children excited about writing non-fiction. Although the ideas are aimed at teachers, they can easily be adapted for parents to support their children’s writing at home. Imagination and Memory When I’m starting children off on a… Read More

Helping children with writing fiction

Collins Big Cat author Brandon Robshaw shares his own experiences of writing, plus tips on how to get children excited about writing fiction. Human beings are natural storytellers. Almost as soon as we can talk we find ourselves telling stories – little accounts or reports of things that have… Read More

Why should you sing and sign?

Some introductory text from Al on benefits of singing and signing, how to get started etc. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip… Read More
Times Tables

The Multiplication Tables Check – what do you need to know?

The introduction of the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) means schools and teachers are looking for new ways to develop speed and recall of multiplication facts up to 12 x 12. What is expected of pupils? The incoming MTC is set to be administered online in timed conditions… Read More

10 Ways To Give Better Feedback

Feedback comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours but the bottom line is that it must serve a learning function to bring about transformation and improve performance. Feedback needs to be expansive and dynamic, not limited and static so that it focuses hearts and minds on progress. Be on time… Read More

Did you know? Notes from the history of Maths

By Don Hoyle “A man and his dad put a bomb in the sink” Abstract: This article outlines some of the work of Matthew Stewart who was born 300 years ago. In particular, Stewart’s theorem, for which the title is a mnemonic.   Early in 2017, on January 15th,… Read More