KS1&2 Christmas Nativity story sequencing activity. Learning objective: To sequence and retell the Christmas story in order. Pupils cut out the boxed images and descriptions and sequence the story onto a storyboard template. There are three templates attached which support differentiation and reading levels. Higher Ability (Timeline 1) template is numbered only and pupils order the story into the numbered boxes. Middle Ability (Timeline 2) is differentiated using key words from the main text in the numbered boxes. Lower Ability (Timeline 3) order the story into the numbered boxes with the support of key sentences which they can match to the main text. After completing the activity the pupils can retell the story using the timeline sequence as a prompt.

Remembrance Day KS1 and KS2 Assembly. A simply written whole school assembly to cover the main aspects of Remembrance Day which can be used in the days preceding or on 11th November. A 2 minute silence can be easily slotted into the assembly where you chose and can be followed with the post horn sounding (link included). Power-point of 15 slides which include: Suggested music (links to post horn and orchestra) and hymns. Date of Remembrance Day (11th of 11th at 11 o’ clock). King George V proclamation for 2 minutes silence. Brief information about World War I, the Cenotaph and the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. Poem ‘Flanders Fields’. The symbol of the poppy. A short prayer.

Each lesson is broken into short focused activities. There are opportunities for pupils to recall prior learning, participate in a short quiz, take notes from a YouTube clip, scrutinise and compare population graphs and weather charts (included on slides), research native animals and use maps and atlases to locate Egypt’s key cities and geographical features. Each set of slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the geography of Egypt as well as simple cultural information such as greetings in Egyptian Arabic at the beginning and end of lessons. Great to link with cross curricular topic such as Ancient Egyptians, Deserts, Myths and Legends, Early civilizations etc. Lesson 1 Learning Objectives I must find Egypt in my atlas. I should recognise some of the features of Egypt. I could describe where Egypt is in the world using geographical words. Lesson 2 Learning objectives I must be able to spot the main features of Egypt. I should find and label the features on my map. I could write a description about two features. Lesson 3 Learning Objectives I must describe a desert climate. I should explain the temperature in different locations. I could interpret the climate data and temperature chart for each month. Lesson 4 Learning objectives: I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’. I should interpret the population table and identify the challenges for living in Egypt. I could compare population graphs for Egyptian cities and explain population issues. Lesson 5 Learning Objectives I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’, ‘desert climate’ and ‘weather’. I must order the ten most populated cities in Egypt. I should explain how the location of Egyptian cities affects population size. I could explain how the weather and climate support the lifes of the Egyptian people. Lesson 6 Learning Objectives I must identify some features of natural beauty in Egypt. I should identify and research some of the areas of natural beauty which come from Egypt. OR I should identify and research some of the animal, fish and birds which come from Egypt.

Mexico today: Series of 6 KS2 power-point Geography lessons. Each lesson is broken into short focused activities. There are opportunities for pupils to recall prior learning, participate in a short quiz, take notes from a YouTube clip, scrutinise and compare population graphs and weather charts (included on slides), research native animals and use maps and atlases to locate Mexico’s key cities and geographical features. Each set of slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the geography of Mexico as well as simple cultural information such as greetings in Mexican (Spanish) at the beginning and end of lessons. Great to link with cross curricular topics such as ‘Aztecs’, ‘Rainforests’, ‘Weather’, ‘Early civilizations’ etc. Lesson 1 Learning Objectives I must find Mexico in my atlas. I should recognise some of the features of Mexico. I could describe where Mexico is in the world using geographical words. Lesson 2 Learning objectives I must be able to spot the main features of Mexico. I should find and label the features on my map. I could write a description about two features. Lesson 3 Learning Objectives I must describe a tropical climate. I should explain the temperature in different locations. I could interpret the climate data and temperature chart for each month. Lesson 4 Learning objectives: I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’. I should interpret the population table and identify the challenges for living in Mexico. I could compare population graphs for Mexico cities and explain population issues. Lesson 5 Learning Objectives I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’, ‘tropical climate’ and ‘weather’. I must order the ten most populated cities in Mexico. I should explain how the location of Mexican cities affects population size. I could explain how the weather and climate support the life of the Mexican people. Lesson 6 Learning Objectives I must identify some features of natural beauty in Mexico. I should identify and research some of the areas of natural beauty which come from Mexico. OR I should identify and research some of the animal, fish and birds which come from Mexico.

KS2 Geography – Discover the Arctic Circle power-point lesson of 42 slides. Learning Objectives I must find the Arctic in my atlas. I must recognise the symbols for the points on a compass. I should identify the lines of latitude and longitude on a map or globe. I should explain the term ‘Arctic Circle’. I could describe where the Arctic Circle is in the world using geographical vocabulary and name some places located there. The lesson uses pupil starting points and encourages partner and group discussion. Written tasks are built into each stage of the lesson following a discussion task, map or globe work. The introduction asks pupils to describe the arctic landscape and arctic animals using a selection of photographs. They use this information to build up a picture to guess the place. There are slides which demonstrate the features of the arctic and two linked worksheets for pupils to complete. The lesson moves onto a simple explanation of latitude and longitude and the points on the compass. Pupils will need a map or globe to explore the tasks fully and identify the Arctic Circle and the countries and seas within it. There are 2 YouTube links – a latitude and longitude song (great fun!) and a short clip about Arctic wildlife which could be used as a starter for a follow up lesson. There is an optional assessment task at the end of the lesson.

KS2 Geography – Deserts power-point lesson of 45 slides. Learning Objectives To recognise the features of a desert. To explain the differences and similarities between tropical and polar deserts. To locate deserts on a map. To identify countries where deserts are located. To understand that some plants, animals and humans can survive in the desert. The lesson uses pupil starting points and encourages partner and group discussion, map or atlas work. The introduction asks pupils to describe the desert climate following a simple experiment. The pupils are asked to locate the 10 largest deserts on a world map following a youtube clip. The lesson moves onto a simple explanation of the features of hot deserts and polar deserts with a Venn diagram comparison activity. Pupils will need a map, atlas or globe to explore the tasks fully and identify the desert regions. There is a simple reference to landlocked deserts and more detail about people and animal adaptation in the desert which could be used as a starter for a follow up lesson. There is a simple Google Earth task at the end of the lesson. Lesson works well with topics linked to Adaptation, Weather and climate, Mapwork, and Hot countries.

National Poetry Day KS1 and KS2 Assembly. A simply written whole school assembly to cover the main aspects of National Poetry Day which can be used in the days preceding or on 3rd October. Power-point of 27 slides which include: Suggested music, video clip and hymns. Short poetry task using suggestions from the pupils after listening to an audio sound effect. (Teacher instructions included in red). What are poems? 5 short poems or extracts to demonstrate 5 different poetry structures. Using figurative language and example extracts from poems. (alliteration, simile etc) About National Poetry Day and the theme of ‘counting’ and some ideas to explore including song link ‘Count on me’ Bruno Mars. Some ideas that people may do on National Poetry Day plus three suggestions for your school (class, individual and whole school). Final prayer. Links well with topics on poetry, figurative language, creative writing, famous poets, feelings.

Circle Time. Let’s talk! Nursery and Reception Early Years Powerpoint lesson to guide a Nursery and/or Reception group or class through a Circle time introductory lesson. Can be used as one lesson or split into a series of introductions/lesson starters. 26 slides which include sitting arrangements, rules, simple starter questions and examples to share with the children. I have used a teddy bear in the lesson so it would be useful to have a teddy for the children to hold as the circle time progresses. There is a simple ‘I spy’ game including images of Noah’s Ark, a bowl of fruit, vegetables and the seaside. The lesson provides useful prompts to encourage the children to talk, structure answers to questions and offer information about themselves.

George Stephenson Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

Mary Anning Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

KS2 Puzzle workbook. A booklet of 20 puzzles and brainteasers for creative pupils. A mix of short activities to challenge your pupils and extend their thinking. Answers included at the end of the booklet. A fun activity for end of term, end of SATs or as a purposeful filler for early finishers. Question 1 Word maker. Make as many words as possible from a short phrase. Question 2 Favourite after school things. Question 3 Get creative! Describing school. Question 4 Ditloids. 9 to solve. Question 5 Brainteasers. 8 picture clues to solve. Question 6 Which domino comes next in the sequence? Question 7 How old am I? Work out the ages of 6 children from clues. Question 8 Finding triangles within triangles. Question 9 A confusing reading activity! Question 10 A small stick challenge. Question 11 family problem solver. Question 12 Animal number substitutions Question 13 Compound word pictures Question 14 Another brainteaser. Question 15 Solve the value of the strawberry! Question 16 Solve the value of the umbrella. Question 17 4 Maths puzzles. Question 18 What do the objects have in common? Question 19 Famous historical dates in Roman numerals Question 20 Solve the word ladder.

KS1 and Reception Pack of 30 PE warm up games/activities to develop: Key skills: Familiarisation with space. Awareness of obstacles and other children. Respond to ‘stop’, ‘turn’, ‘change direction’ and simple signals. Travel in different ways. Taking turns. Positional vocabulary. Each game/activity can be used as a lesson starter to warm up the pupils and help them to practise the key skills. A list of resources is listed by each activity where needed. Games included help pupils develop team work, understanding of rules and tactics or simple strategies. I have used these games and activities and have adapted the names of the games to match some of the topics I was teaching at a particular time.

I made this fun booklet for my KS2 pupils to practise maths in a ‘real life’ situation based on planning a Christmas party for 200 KS1 pupils. After completing this task, the children actually did plan a party for KS1! They were amazed at the actual cost of the items and gained a real insight into planning for an event. There are 7 tasks in total with a task summary table for pupils to record their summaries at the end of each task. The pupils have a budget of £400 and must make decisions based upon their budget and costs of items such as food and entertainment. Task 1 Party timetable – working out a timetable around set times. Task 2 Total cost of food for 200 children. Percentage and fraction of children’s votes for a particular buffet type. Cost per head and total costs. Task 3 Total number of tracks for the whole party. Numbers of tracks for the dancing sessions using multiplication and addition skills. Task 4 The cost and name of the cheapest show. Calculating the actual costs of two shows plus extras and deciding on the cheapest option. Task 5 Total drinks cost for 200 children. Options for drinks and total costs. Task 6 The cheapest option for party hats Task 7 Total cost of all prizes.

Samuel Pepys Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

Y 5 & 6 KS2 Christmas Maths Booklet I made this booklet based upon similar Level 4 SATs questions but with a Christmas theme. It is targeted at Years 5 & 6 for practise in the areas below. There are 50 questions altogether in the booklet. Each topic has a learning objective for pupils to match against their targets. The questions are set out in a simple format with spaces for pupils to write answers and show workings and calculations. Christmas pictures are included alongside the questions which are practical and fun. Answer sheet provided at the end of the booklet. Pages 1 &2: Proportion and Ratio. 12 questions. Learning objective: I can solve ratio and proportion questions by working out the relationships between numbers. Page 3: Checking the cost of Christmas (calculations). 3 questions. Learning objective: I can check a calculation. Page 4: Factors and Multiples. 5 questions. Learning objective: I can multiply pairs of factors to make a given number. Page 5: Multiplication and Division. 5 questions. Learning objective: I can use times tables. Page 6: Multiplication and Division. 5 questions. Learning objective: I can multiply and divide by 10 or 100. Page 7: Using a calculator. 5 questions. Learning objective: I can use a calculator to work out calculations and solve problems. Page 8: Christmas Maths: Measurement. 5 questions. Learning objective: I know which units of measurement to use for length, mass and capacity. Page 9: Tables and charts. 2 questions. Learning objective: I can show information in a chart and interpret what that information means. Page 10: Tables and charts. 3 questions. Learning objective: I can show information in a chart and interpret what that information means. Page 11: Number Patterns. 5 questions. Learning objective: I can recognise patterns in numbers and can explain the pattern.

How to write a party invitation with a Christmas focus. A KS1/lower KS2 power-point of 12 slides (including learning objectives) which can be used as one complete lesson or extended over a longer period. There is a warm up, two activities and a final writing task (to write an invitation to the school Christmas party). Included are examples of 2 invitations (birthday and Christmas party) for pupils to use in the lesson to spot the key features and help Tan correct his invitation (because no one has replied!). There are key questions to promote discussion and paired work. Also included is a simple invitation template for pupil use and a features checklist. Which pupils can also use to give paired feedback after writing their own invitation.

Florence Nightingale Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in their life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a famous person in a range of genres (newspaper report, biography, letter or diary writing, fiction, non-fiction etc). I have also used it with a guided reading group and a set of questions linked to the topic followed up with a written comprehension exercise.

Vincent Van Gogh complete Art lesson for Primary pupils. Learning objectives To learn about the work of the artist Vincent Van Gogh. To look at shapes, colour and lines in Van Gogh’s artwork and talk about what they might represent. To understand how to create movement in a picture by using lines and thickness of paint. To try out Van Gogh’s techniques in my own artwork. To create my own still life composition using shape, colour and lines and evaluate my work. The lesson includes brief information about Van Gogh’s life and how he painted using examples of his paintings. There are opportunities for pupils to work in paired tasks to discuss Van Gogh’s painting techniques and use of pattern and shapes in his paintings to create depth, texture and movement. Art tasks include: Creating pattern using 3 of Van Gogh’s examples (worksheet), using pattern techniques on a blank outline of a tree to create movement (worksheet), warm and cold colours and colour wheel worksheet. There is also an opportunity for the class to use a range of materials (pastels, chalk, paint, crayon) to create their own still life piece inspired by ‘Sunflowers’ with an evaluation sheet for their finished masterpiece! This lesson can be edited and used as suitable for your class and time or space constraints. Can be a stand-alone lesson or linked to topics such as Colour, Famous people/Artists, Art, Famous paintings, Feelings and Emotions.

A set of four creepy pictures for pupils to describe using spooky vocabulary and phrases. Useful for writing a single descriptive paragraph rather than a whole story. Great to link to topics on ‘Halloween’, Night and Day, Darkness, Sci-Fi etc

EYFS/KS1 summer picnic activity sheet. Learning objective : I can choose and name at least 8 things to put in a picnic basket. A simple observation and identification activity for pupils before undertaking an out of school visit (to the beach, woods, park). Pupils draw what they will need for a picnic. There is a simple picture/word key at the bottom of the worksheet to help pupils identify 8 common items found in a picnic basket. Can be used as a follow up activity for topic work on ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic’, seaside, summer, ‘We’re going on a picnic!’ by Pat Hutchins etc.