Primary Teacher UK

Candlestick Walk - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of the Candlestick walk is now up for all to download, read and comment on.  To make things easier all the Candlestick walk chapters and information is now on one page.  Please feel free to comment on these posts.

You can download the full story, as well as the latest chapter, from: http://www.primary-teacher-uk.co.uk/CandlestickWalk/

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To help make Primary-Teacher-UK more helpful and easier to read we've created a toolbar for you to download and install in your browser which allows you instant access to a number of resources.  The toolbar is totally safe (see below for the clear and easily readable privacy details) and will not pose any security risk.

2nd Brain Europe Conference

I've mentioned this once before, but I feel that it needs another mention - Learning Brain Europe returns, following its hugely successful launch in 2005.  The two day event is run by teachers passionate about raising achievement, the event brings key mind-friendly learning experts together for a conference unique in Europe.  Join us to discover how the brain really learns and take away practical
strategies you can implement in your own classrooms.

Who's it for? All teachers keen to improve learning in their classrooms and all those involved in supporting them to do so.  1300 delegates joined us for the first Learning Brain Europe conference in 2005 and 86% of those who completed feedback forms plan to come again.

You can now download the official flyer to show your CPD co-oridinator and the registration form to book your place from this site.  Hurry - not long left to book your place.

Your local superstore

I took my Year 6 out for another trip today - to the local ASDA superstore.  The theme of the day was planning a future career.  We started by interviewing members of staff within ASDA before coming back into the training room and presenting the information.  In the afternoon we looked at the different skills each job requires and linked that into our jobs for the future.  Finally (and this was the most exciting part for the children) we went for a walk 'behind the scenes' at ASDA including the bakery.

What was great about this trip is that it was free, in walking distance and ASDA have a number of 'themed days' for schools.  We looked at presentations and interviewing, but there was also healthy food, packaging which we could have focused on.

So if you haven't already been to your local supermarket - get in touch with the Event's Co-ordinator and pay them a visit.

Interactive Planning Tool launched

I have had an e-mail today to say that the Interactive Planning Tool has been launched for the New Framework for Literacy and Numeracy.

The interactive guide seems a bit quick to follow, so it might be best to print out the PDF version for colleagues who prefer to see it in print. When you first click on the link, you need to click on the SAVE icon to save the file to your desktop. If you choose RUN, it causes lots of problems and you need to reinstall it again. Having had a quick glance through some of it, you can upload your own school's planning grids to use in the interactive planner, which means that the integration of the New Frameworks should be easier. Planning grids should be in either Word or Open Office format. For those who feel that this is the time to overhaul planning formats, there are planning grid templates on the program available for download.

It would be good to hear what other people think of the planning tool!

Teachers TV Summer Highlights

I've had the summer highlights of Teachers TV sent through.  Three caught my attention - although I can't for a minute imagine watching them!

Firesetters : On average 20 schools a week suffers an arson attack. This programme contains a stark message: schools are underestimating the potential dangers in their corridors. But it also shows what can be done to help. We hear from 3 young firesetters about why they do it and follow them through one of the many interventions to tackle firesetting run by the fire service, the LIFE Project. This takes 15 young people for one week and attempts to turn them into a disciplined team of rookie firefighters. Using controversial shock tactics, the fire service also exposes the young people to the potential consequences of their fire-setting actions.

More than a Special School : This powerful documentary investigates the methods and philosophy of headteacher Duncan Harper and his staff at New Woodlands Primary   School in the London Borough of Lewisham. They strive to provide education for the 60 young boys who have been deemed very difficult to cope with in the 72 mainstream primary schools in the area. Some pupils are as young as five years old and they are all children who have been excluded and challenging behaviour.

Staffroom Monologues : The four winning entries to Teachers' TV Staffroom Monologues competition in Association with the NUT. The monologues are filmed with well-known actors, set in a school and reflect what it's like working in education today.

Have your say...

The National Federation for Educational Research (NFER), are looking for teachers to take part in an on-line survey about all things in education. If you think that sounds like you, read on...

• Ever wanted to have your say on the most pressing issues in English education?
• Ever wanted a forum to express your ideas on the future of education and schools in England?
• Ever wanted to contribute to up-to-the-minute debate on topical issues surrounding the teaching profession?

If you are a teacher in England and the answer to any of the above questions is yes, then we would very much like you to read on…

The NFER wishes to develop an omnibus survey of primary and secondary teachers in the UK. The omnibus survey would provide us with a way to gather the views and opinions of teachers about topical issues by running a survey every half term with a regular panel of volunteer teachers. It is hoped that in doing this we can provide a regular platform for teachers to have their say on a wide spectrum of topics concerning education, by a means that suits them and is tailored to fit in with their busy schedules.

To see how we can best meet the needs of a teacher panel, we are proposing to run a small pilot of the omnibus survey in June 2007. We need to find out if there is interest in such a survey from the teachers in the UK. If you feel you would like to make regular contributions to such a survey then we would very much like to hear from you.

If you send these details to omb@nfer.ac.uk we will be delighted to add you to our panel of teachers for the omnibus pilot survey this June. If you have any further questions, then please feel free to contact Mark Bailey directly on 01753 637335.

To take part all we will need is your name, gender, position in school, DfES number or postcode of your school and a reliable email address.

Barriers to Boys' Attainment

The Daily Mail reports that 'yob culture is being fuelled by a failure to promote sport in schools'. Researchers from Oxford University have concluded that the Government's aim of pupils taking part in at least two hours of physical education each week was inadequate. Competitive sports are particularly important for boys, who regularly under-achieve academically compared to girls, they said. Excelling on the playing field can boost the status of less academic boys and motivates tem in class.

I would definitely agree with this - you pick a boy for the school football team and his work in class suddenly improves dramatically!

Class sizes fall

According to Government figures the average number of pupils in a primary class this year is 26.2, down from 26.3 in 2006. In the average secondary school class has 21.3 pupils, compared with 21.5 last year and the proportion of infants taught in classes of more than 30 children has continues to fall and is now 1.7%.

The overall school workforce has grown, although the total number of teachers in schools maintained by local authorities fell by 600 (0.1%) to 434,900.   This increase is attributed to the recruitment of more teaching assistants and other support staff. This group rose 6.2% to 305,500 on last year. England's minister for schools, Jim Knight, said:

"Today's figures show sustained growth in the school workforce after a decade of investment to raise teacher numbers.  There are now more than 35,000 additional teachers in our schools compared to a decade ago. The priority now is to ensure that these teachers have the support and resources to deliver personalised learning and other key educational reforms, which is why we are pleased to see increases in teaching assistants and support staff."

This does however show that almost a quarter of all KS2 children (about half a million children) in England are still taught in classes of more than 30 pupils.  The number of full-time teachers fell by 700 from 2006 to 2007. The number of classroom support staff in the same period jumped by 18,000.

The vacancy rate for classroom teachers has stayed the same in the last 12 months. Meanwhile, there has been a slight improvement in the number of headteacher and deputy headteacher posts that were vacant, the statistics showed.

 

Walkodile Wins

Congratulations to Elaine Stephen, a teacher at Buchanhaven Primary School in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, who won the female innovator/inventor category and came out on top in the product developer of the year category for her Walkodile child-safety device.

Elaine was short-listed along with 13 other women in the 9^th annual British Female Inventors & Innovators Awards for 2007 at the Café Royal in London.She said:

“It’s all still a blur. I couldn’t believe that I had won, especially as the competition was so fierce. But this has been the result of five years of hard work in our efforts to have Walkodile recognised throughout the UK.  As a teacher, child safety is a subject close to my heart and I wanted to contribute something tangible to ensure children were safe and secure when out on walks from nursery or primary school.”

You can find out more about the eye-catching device which links children to a flexible central spine by harness, allowing them to walk safely together on the website.

Link: www.walkodile.com