Mystery story template KS1 & 2 Mystery story planning template. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own mystery writing. Includes a bullet point reminder of the rules for writing mystery stories and spaces for pupils to develop character description, setting and plan the structure of their story. Great to use following an writing lesson or drama. Can also be used with a range of topics : Seasonal mysteries, Explorers, Different countries, Travel, Halloween.

Barack Obama Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in his life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 3-6 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. Also links with topics: USA, Leaders, Democracy, Black History

St. Nicholas. Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important legends in his life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 2-6 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about Saint Nicholas 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. Useful to link to topics on Christmas, Christianity, World celebrations, Giving and sharing, Being Kind.

Picture cards to stimulate speaking and listening. Set of 30 individual cards with unusual subjects to encourage pupils to talk about the context, descriptions, similar situations, feelings and parallels. The pictures are unusual, amusing and surprising to encourage children to use their imaginations and explore ideas that may be stimulated. Eg Picture 1: A sausage in a banana skin – my class found this picture really interesting and surprising. They asked a lot of questions about how a sausage banana could be grown and what it may taste like. One response was: Are we the same on the inside as we seem on the outside? It stimulated a discussion about inner/outer selves and judging others. Pictures include: Reflections in water, lockers, a giant straw tractor, spaceships, hot air balloons, telephone boxes, animals, viaducts, a tree with a face, a dog reading a newspaper, fairy homes, camouflage etc I have included 11 question prompts to stimulate discussion about initial thoughts, feelings, description, mood photographer intention, likes/dislikes, prediction, message, what can we learn from each picture. Useful to help children of most ages and abilities develop language use and articulation, prediction and inference using a fun visual prompt.

Close up picture quiz. Set of 20. Have fun identifying close up and cropped pictures of everyday objects, food and creatures which will challenge visual perception and creativity. Suitable for KS1 and KS2 as an individual, paired or group activity or competition. Do your pupils have an eagle eye?

Mae Carol Jemison Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in her life as a US scientist and astronaut, broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 2-6 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. Links well to topics: Space, Astronauts, The Solar System, Planets, Women in History.

Roald Dahl Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in his life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this with pupils in Years 1-6 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. Useful for topics: Roald Dahl, Roald Dahl Day (13th September), Fiction books, Famous people, Biographies, Topics based around a Roald Dahl book eg ‘The Witches’, ‘The BFG’.

Pirate knowledge board game. For 2 players. KS1. Learning Objective To practise and remember important words (vocabulary) about Pirates. To work with my partner to remember facts and information about pirate life. To test my own knowledge. Learning objective and rules included. Pupils need a dice or a spinner and a counter each. This is a traditional style board game where the children work their way around a trail from start to finish answering the pirate general knowledge questions as they go. Correct answer wins 1 square forward, incorrect answer wins 1 square backwards. The first person to reach the finish square is the Pirate Champion! I laminated this game for durability and its increased size when I wanted to include up to 4 pupils in the game with an adult to support younger pupils. Useful as an assessment activity or a fun way of developing knowledge in a Pirates topic.

Creativity Bubbles. Set of 3, one for each Key Stage, modified with statements which enable pupils to recognise when they are being creative in lessons. The statements are categorised under three headings: imagination, originality and evaluation. Can be used by the teacher to measure pupil progress, peer to peer observation and self-assessment in creative learning. I have used these in all Key Stages, initially asking children as a class which tasks could be identified as creative eg ‘I think of unusual ways of doing things’ in a PE lesson – pupils were able to give examples of travelling sequences using mats and small apparatus saying specifically how their moves were different or unusual to that of their peers. Can be useful to use to prompt self and peer assessment in subjects which are not perceived as ‘creative’ by pupils eg Maths, Science, Geography.

End of year certificates. Set of 34 individual awards with fun and interesting award titles: Person most likely to: Win an Oscar Become Prime Minister Set a world record Be on a TV show Save the planet Become a millionaire Be a blogger Be in a boy band Become a famous chef Find a cure for a disease Start a charity Become Dr Who’s Assistant Create a famous piece of artwork Become a footballer Be a dancer Be a comedian Fight for a cause Protect other people Be a stunt person Be a fashion designer Be on a TV soap Work on or in water Work in transport Be an accountant Write a Number 1 song Be a famous gamer Invent a gadget Write a best seller Work with children Work with animals Travel the world Be in a girl band Spy for MI6 Go to space

Maths Scaling cards Y5 and 6. Set of 6. Set of 6 problem solving scaling cards for practising ratio and proportion using recipe ingredients and changing quantities for different sized groups. I use these cards for small group practise and consolidation after initial teaching input.

Summer holiday reading challenge. This activity is aimed at KS1 and KS2 pupils as a reading challenge for 20 days over the summer holiday break to encourage them read a variety of texts and reading materials to keep up their reading skills while they are away from school. The 20 activities are fun and varied and children can share their experiences when they return to school in September. I gave a certificate and small rewards for number of challenges completed eg 1 challenge – sticker, 2-5 challenges – bookmark, 6-10 challenges – badge, 11-15 challenges – pencil and notepad, 16-20 challenges – frisbee or small game.

Transition Y6 End of year reflection activity to help pupils think about their time in Y6 and their next school. Can be linked to a range of year end activities including a stimulus for a Leavers Assembly, a diary extract or PSHE discussion.

End of Term One a day countdown fun. Have fun with your class in the last weeks of term with this list of exciting activities and rewards. Pupils vote for the following day’s activity from the list each day. The activity with the most votes is the class activity choice. Work through the activities and practice voting and democracy at the same time!

Creative Writing. How to make an Ethiopian wish scroll. This factsheet tells pupils about the ancient African wish scrolls which are carried on a person (in a bag or tube around the neck or on a belt) after they have written a personal prayer, wish, affirmation, charm or talisman. There are simple instructions on how to make the scroll and some fun facts about the tradition. A great way to make writing meaningful and fun. Useful with KS1 and KS1 topics on Africa, Mental Health, Goal setting and Affirmations, Families.

KS2 Eco-Warrior News. A newspaper style page focusing on the important eco issue of rewilding the environment through the reintroduction of beavers into the countryside and the benefits they can bring to humans and wildlife. I made this resource to enable pupils to read a newspaper style article about beaver rewilding, to identify features of a newspaper, genre style and language as well as learning about the topic of wildlife and eco systems. Can be used as a factsheet, comprehension, guided reading passage or the basis for developing a class newspaper. Useful linked to topics about Wildlife, Ecosystems, Beavers, Rivers and Waterways, Animals that help us.

Queen Victoria 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.

Neil Armstrong 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.

Ernest Shackleton Famous person fact sheet. Includes key events and important stages in his life broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and photos. I have used this factsheet with pupils in Years 1-4 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about Ernest Shackleton 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. Links well with topics on Explorers, South pole/Antarctica, Famous people, Ships and sailors, Frozen Earth.

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.