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Teaching Skulduggery Pleasant

Compelling characterisation The exciting action in Skulduggery Pleasant is played out by well defined and, at times, mysterious characters as written by author Derek Landy. In particular, the two main characters, the skeleton detective, Skulduggery Pleasant, and young Stephanie Edgley, break stereotypical moulds as they… Read More

Ready for the new Programme of Study?

Welcome back to a new school year! And what an interesting one it will be, as it’s all change for the National Curriculum. In July, the government announced details of its draft curriculum, including the new statutory Programmes of Study (PoS) which will be introduced from September 2014 for key… Read More

The Changing Nature of Space

  Suitable for: Year 3 to Year 6 Learning Focus: To recognise and be able to explain the changes in the purpose of space exploration over the last 50 years. To use their knowledge of space to inform ideas on living there. To recognise and explain the differences in living… Read More

Revision – Helping Students Handle Pressure

As an elite athlete, I have developed many techniques which have been successful in coping with the extreme pressure of competing against the world’s greatest athletes. Applying these techniques to my university and school education enabled me to meet the real stress of taking exams and completing assignments more… Read More
The Returned (French: Les Revenants)

A good return on ‘The Returned’

I like using a variety of completely authentic materials in the classroom to show learners that the language they are acquiring is also used in the real world! One of my sources is film trailers – or bandes-annonces. They have the advantage of being short and snappy so the viewing… Read More

Smart revision…using time wisely

“Those who make the worst of their time most complain about its shortness.” – La Bruyere Time management is an issue for all and is not a new problem. Looking at what some of the ‘wise’ have said about time management I discovered that they have actually given tips… Read More

Mental Arithmetic Strategies (years 3-6)

Learning Focus: To be able to develop, practise and use alternative strategies for solving mental arithmetic problems Mental arithmetic is a tricky topic and is one of the biggest causes of distress amongst pupils. Being given five seconds to come up with increasingly more difficult questions is hard enough under… Read More

On a level without NC Levels – Freefall or Freestyle?

National Curriculum levels will no longer apply to the new programmes of study at KS3 and there are mixed views about this in MFL teaching. On one hand there are valid concerns about demonstrating progress in a way that is recognisable to pupils, parents and stakeholders, and on the other… Read More

Lots in translation!

Much has been said and written about whether or not translation has a place in the language classroom. I believe it’s a skill worth developing in our young language learners. It’s a practical skill for the real world. And, of course, it’s also now part of the Key Stage 3… Read More