This assembly could be arranged to take place during a Jewish festival or as part of a school’s diversity and equality initiative. The purpose of this assembly is to introduce children to the Jewish faith, including the belief that there is only one God who created the world. Children will also learn about the teachings of the Torah and the Ten Commandments, which were given to Moses by God. The script was written as an introduction to Judaism for a Catholic primary school audience. It has an approximate running time of 15-20 minutes and can accommodate up to thirty children. Before the assembly, several children should be asked to compose their Ten Commandments and insert them into the script, encouraging them to think about God and their behaviour towards others. The assembly also includes the Jewish song of greeting and parting, ‘Shalom my friend’. The song is readily available online, by search the term ‘Shalom my friend’. Extract: Welcome to our Assembly, which this week is on Judaism. Judaism is the religion of people who are Jews. It is one of the oldest religions in the world. Jews believe in one God. They believe that God is a spirit. There are two signs which Jews often use. One is a special candlestick with seven arms, which is called a menorah. The other is a star which has six points. It is sometimes called the Star of David.

This resource bank is designed to support Year 3 students in their reading and learning of Neil Gaiman’s book, “The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish”. However, it can also be adapted for Year 4 students with additional objectives for adverbials and fronted adverbials. The materials provide a two-week plus sequence of activities, including PowerPoint presentations, differentiated worksheets, and other supporting materials. The sequence is designed to help students read and discuss the story, identify the different characters and their voices, and analyse the conventions of written dialogue and the use of speech marks (inverted commas). The resources also encourage students to write their missing scenes from the book and write a diary entry from the perspective of Dad. Finally, the sequence culminates in students using the cliffhanger at the end of the book to plan and write their sequel using the structure of the original story. Please note that no planning is included as it is largely drawn from the Literacy Company planning. The following objectives are covered: To write multi-clause sentences using because as a conjunction To understand the conventions of dialogue To punctuate direct speech To use apostrophes for possession and contraction To write a missing scene To write a diary entry To re-tell a story orally To plan a story based on the original plot To write the opening of a story To write the middle part of a story To write the ending of a story To evaluate, edit and improve my writing

This personal statement helped me get shortlisted for the TLR - Primary English Lead position. Even though this statement is specific to a subject, it can be easily adapted to show that you are capable of managing, leading, and taking responsibility for a certain part of the curriculum planning or pupil development within the school. Additionally, it helps to identify and improve school development issues, and evaluate the impact for any area of the curriculum. I come from an area of significant disadvantage, and I have mentioned how I addressed barriers to learning such as SEND and socio-economic factors. This statement can be modified to suit your experience and context. Wishing you good luck!

The application form and personal statement are the first hurdles to securing a teaching position. As someone who found writing the personal statement challenging, I wanted to share a template that helped me secure several interviews and eventually a permanent teaching position. While the personal statement will need to be personalised to the school you are applying to, a clear and concise template can guide you in the right direction. In the example provided, I was applying to a Catholic Primary School in an area of significant disadvantage. You can adapt the statement to your situation and school. This personal statement also highlights my success with children with SEND in a mainstream setting. The advertised position required experience in this area, so I tailored this part of my statement to showcase my talents and experiences that best relate to the job specification.