Secondary Assembly: A rainbow people
EngagementWhich colour of the rainbow will you be supporting in the World Cup?Will it be red, the colour of the cross on the England team’s flag? Or perhaps you think the red of Spain will end up as...
View ArticleSecondary Assembly: For those who are left behind
Resources: 4 readers and a leader[Presenters of this assembly should obviously be aware of the sensitive nature of some of the readers’ words, and their possible impact on those who are listening, and...
View ArticleDeveloping ‘effective participators’ using the World Café
What is ‘the World Café’?read more
View ArticleHow is appropriate behaviour taught in your school?
If we are to agree at the outset that appropriate behaviour should be taught, rather than expected or assumed, then it is worth comparing how, at present, behaviour is actually taught in your school....
View ArticlePrimary Assembly: It might seem a small thing to you, but to me…
Rio Ferdinand’s knee injury is a personal disaster for him and a disappointment for England fans. When world famous concert pianist Murray Perahia cut his thumb, it turned out to be as big a disaster...
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Secondary Assembly: Chariots of Danger
ResourcesA LeaderA Reader, who plays the part of Gaius Appuleius Diocles, a champion charioteer. He should wear a red T-shirtA clip-art picture of chariot racing may be usefulEngagementread more
View ArticlePrimary Assembly: Scary moments
A couple of weeks ago a boy got locked in the toilets at an outdoor centre, and the coach back to school left without him.The story of the boy left behind locked in a toilet has obvious lessons about...
View ArticleSecondary Assembly: Meanwhile…
Resources4 readers, a leader and a narratorEngagement A pupil is walking around the school trying to engage other pupils in important conversation…..[NB Any of the opening lines can be amended to...
View ArticleSecondary Assembly: Only human
Resources: Four readers and a leaderYou may also like to show any images which are likely to be around of those appearing downcast who have not managed to rise to the expectations others have had of...
View ArticlePrimary Assembly: Man and horse
Introduction for teachersThe Man versus Horse Marathon was inaugurated in 1980 as the result of a pub bet on whether a runner on foot could beat a horse in a long race. The answer seems obvious, but...
View ArticleSecondary Assembly: Really, truly, sorry?
Resources: A Leader and two Readers.EngagementEngland are out of the World Cup and that has left a lot of people feeling sorry. Some fans, who had spent a lot of money - wanted someone to say sorry to...
View ArticleSecondary Assembly: Where do we make the cuts?
Engagement[The following are delivered loudly, as news headlines]Reader 1: ‘Coalition Government proposes massive spending cuts to bring down the debt’Reader 2:‘Police chief claims terrorist threat...
View ArticleRelax, recharge and organise for next term
There is a very strong temptation at the end of the summer term to clear your mind of all the difficult pupil behaviour you have had to manage over the school year and not think about it until the new...
View ArticlePrimary Assembly: Wonder Woman!
ResourcesPicture of someone hang-glidingPicture of WandaIntroductionThis term has been full of interesting sporting events: the Football World Cup just finished, as did Wimbledon tennis; it’s the start...
View ArticleInclusion Development Programme
The Inclusion Development Programme (IDP) is a government-funded initiative that has been developed in partnership with voluntary bodies, leading academics in the related fields and the National...
View ArticleNew team at the Department for Education
The Tory MP Nick Gibb has taken over the job he previously shadowed to become Minister of State for Schools.read more
View ArticleSharing good teaching practice
‘Sharing good practice' is one of those phrases that has slipped into the everyday language of school leadership. We think that most schools, if asked, would say that they share good practice. Would...
View ArticleStart the new school year with an effective communication system
At the start of a new school year, it is very easy to form the wrong impression of individuals who are new to you based on their reputations. This applies to both staff and students. It is also all too...
View ArticlePutting behaviour theory into practice
As emotionally literate adults we should be able to manage our feelings and emotions, but how have we learnt these skills? How are we able to use them in a variety of social environments? How can we...
View ArticleThe potential of PLTS
I fear you may be about to read this and want all the answers to making sense of and implementing the Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTS) framework. There are two particular reasons why I...
View ArticleManaging behaviour using non-verbal signals
Non-verbal signals have been used in schools for years. The simple ‘Shh’ indicator with index finger on lips, the thumbs-up and the ‘come here’ curl of the finger are perhaps the most widely...
View ArticleMaintain involvement and reduce off-task behaviour using ‘positive leading’
While some students can be a source of annoyance and disruption by constantly shouting out answers to your questions, there will be some students who are most reluctant to take the risk of offering an...
View ArticlePeer mentoring enters the learning zone
When students take on the role of teacher, locations and partners for learning expand along exciting avenues - classrooms, dining hall, playground, sitting rooms and bedrooms linked by phone, text and...
View ArticleDelivering professional development on questioning techniques
Most teachers will have discovered the importance of questioning in their classrooms and probably been introduced to Bloom's Taxonomy as part of their teacher training or subsequent Inset. This...
View ArticleKeeping control when faced with challenging behaviour
Faced with a confrontation, it is widely accepted that we have an inbuilt, automatic response mechanism – the old ‘fight or flight’ scenario. Whether the confrontation is real or perceived, the...
View ArticleMaking connections across the curriculum
Many of you will be intrigued as I am by children's questions. Questions are a sign of thinking - a very healthy sign, as they suggest that connections are being made between previously unconnected...
View ArticleWorking in partnership to support vulnerable teenagers
In Norfolk, we wanted to develop an all-inclusive project to integrate marginalised young people into the mainstream by bring together communities of vulnerable students from Norfolk pupil referral...
View ArticleEngaging hard-to-reach parents
Recently retired from Firth Park Community Arts College, where she was headteacher from 1995, Mo Laycock explains how engaging with hard-to-reach parents via extended schools strategies contributed...
View ArticleAsking questions
Earlier in the year, BBC2 aired a fascinating programme called The Classroom Experiment in which Professor Dylan Wiliam (celebrated co-author of Inside the Black Box: Raising Standards Through...
View ArticleLearning styles and their effect on behaviour
Learning styles and their effect on behaviourAre you aware of the many, varied learning styles adopted by your students and how they affect behaviour? This week’s Behaviour Matters explores the...
View ArticleMotivating the middle to behave
A quick behaviour analysis of a typical class will usually identify three main groups:read more
View ArticleUsing individualised behaviour checklists
For the majority of pupils in your teaching groups, a consistent style of approach and the positive reinforcement of your expectations and boundaries will be sufficient to maintain acceptable levels of...
View ArticleFacilitating independent enquiry
Managing independent enquiry is a delicate art. It can require a ‘letting go' of learning that can be distinctly uncomfortable for teachers and for the student it requires a level of responsibility...
View ArticleBuilding positive relationships outside the classroom
Although the overall organisation of the average school – involoving timetables, movement around the building and a general pressure on time – can make it difficult to have extra contact with pupils,...
View ArticleCover lessons: A three-step approach to alleviating stress
There is a double edge to the problems that arise when providing staff cover for absent colleagues. First, there is the feeling of some anxiety when teachers realise that they are not well enough to be...
View ArticleFour ways to promote creativity in schools
We cannot be serious all the time: schools need to be exciting stimulating places where people can laugh, have ideas, clash and spark off each other, says David Leatread more
View ArticlePutting a pupil ‘on report’
Reporting systems can be many and varied. They might take the form of a physical meeting between a member of staff and pupil to ensure attendance or that the pupil has the correct equipment, books,...
View ArticleGiving students time to settle
While a prompt start to lessons may be desirable, a short ‘settling’ period may avoid problems and disruption once the lesson has started. Equally a ‘finishing up’ time at the end will contribute to an...
View ArticleLearning about climate change: lesson ideas
The government recently announced a package of measures designed to revitalise geography in schools. During secondary education, interest in geography is declining - and it is an important area of...
View ArticleDeveloping Citizenship: about the project
Developing Citizenship was a large-scale education project in England with the aim of making young people’s entitlement to education with a global dimension a relevant and constructive reality.The...
View ArticleActivities for developing skills
Each article includes some pointers for identifying children who may have difficulties in the specific area. The list of activities then follows. Suggestions for using games, group activities, stories...
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