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Coding’s Back in Town – Let’s Use it to Inspire Maths

  For me utilising coding in mathematics lessons started in my first school job. I was asked, “as a maths person can you code?” “Yes” was my response and off I went. I began by teaching students how to write retro-games such as Space Invaders and Pac-Man as… Read More

What is your favourite number and why?

  As part of the celebrations for its 50th Anniversary, the IMA, in collaboration with the University of Manchester, ran the first ever UK Festival of Mathematics in June 2014. This event was a great success and was well attended by school groups, mathematicians in academia and industry,… Read More

Exam blog 7 – Sleep and exams – by Nicola Morgan

Sleep is such a tricky issue. We know how important it is to health, mood and function, but we know that worrying about it makes people more likely to have sleeping troubles. Add the fact that teenagers commonly have biologically different sleeping patterns (needing more sleep and not feeling sleepy till later) and the fact that exam stress is likely to hinder easy sleep, and you have a major potential problem. Luckily, most young people are so keen to get better sleep that they are open to advice about it. Sleep education becomes a valuable part of helping them prepare for exams. Read More

English – Democracy

We all think that the last time Britain was invaded and ruled by a foreign power was after the Battle of Hastings but there have been a number of occasions when a foreign candidate took over or was invited to take the throne. One of the least know is that… Read More

10 Ways to Improve Reading Ability and Performance in Your Classroom

This sounds obvious, but be really clear that children who enjoy reading will ‘do better’ academically, and particularly in reading. Target enjoyment every day. We’ve written tips on this; please look at those, and those by others, and remember that the right book at the right time can turn anyone… Read More

Why Liam?

The world is a wonderful place; there is so much beauty and so many good things being done. I’ve seen a lot of this goodness and beauty, but I have also seen much that is ugly. In a lot of my writing I try to explore the darker side… Read More

Good strategies to deal with stress – by Nicola Morgan

Stress is a valuable – actually, essential – chemical reaction when we’re faced with danger or challenge. In a split second, faster than we can decide to move, our body is flooded with chemicals, including adrenaline and cortisol. These send blood racing to large muscles and our brain and release glucose into the bloodstream for energy. This allows us to act as powerfully as possible. Read More

10 ways to increase enthusiasm for reading in your classroom

Enthusiasm: Make sure everyone understands that reading enthusiasm – regularly choosing to read even when there’s no adult around – correlates strongly with academic success, even in maths (PISA; IoE et al). Enjoyment of reading improves children’s life-chances! Self-identification: Focus all colleagues on the job of generating enthusiasm for reading:… Read More

Exam Tips 4 – Anti-panic strategy – by Nicola Morgan

The stress chemicals that propel our body and brain into a brilliant, fizzing state of readiness for action sometimes over-react. It’s not clear why some people tip into panic while others stay outwardly calm and perform perfectly under pressure, but there’s likely a combination of factors, such as: Personality… Read More