The year was 1914 and Britain was heading towards war. As the army was relatively small at this time, the government set about recruiting 500,000 volunteers. Many cities built their own battalion of local men. All were keen to show loyalty to their country in a war that they believed would be over in a matter of months and from which they would return home as heroes. Use this assembly plan to raise awareness in your school.

Julia Silver, recounts her experience of living with ADHD and offers hints and tips on how to make life a little more bearable for those who are struggling with their ADHD diagnosis

Our ‘Opening Doors’ schools love creating pioneering work to unpack the wonder of poetry: past, present and across the globe. To make poetry count we suggest placing ongoing poetry work at the centre of English and learning about language, writing and literature. Download and keep this FREE poster by the Opening Doors team or use for your classroom/staffroom wall

A lot of important stuff happens in staff rooms. Great ideas are shared, funny stories are told and colleagues support each other; but some nonsense is spread too. New teachers need to be wise to the pitfalls that await them amongst the banter, especially when it comes to the discussion of student behaviour. Download and keep the Seven Myths of Behaviour Management according to Steve Baker – inspired by his book That Behaviour Book.

This is a FREE resource by one of the authors of the Opening Doors series, Leah Crawford, to help you celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday in April.

Whether you’ve got a project or a deadline, a pile of marking or a report to compile, working in a school/college means you’ve constantly got a ‘to do’ list. This FREE sample chapter shares ways to help you thrive under pressure.

This is a FREE resource by Bob Cox to help you celebrate World Poetry Day 2024. Poetry allows children’s creativity to flourish in more ways than one. This is a day that helps celebrate creativity in writing. Use this lesson plan to explore Kate Wakeling’s poem, ‘My Treasures’ and encourage your pupils to write their own poetry.

Anxiety seems to be the major negative emotion faced by young people today. Download this free resource from The Working Classroom looking at tips and tricks to manage anxiety in students Through practice and learned strategies, we can all cope better with those unwelcome emotions that come along for the ride on life’s journey. To find out more about this title, head over to the Crown House Publishing website!

Consider how your walls can function as interactive agents for deeper learning, social interaction and individual growth with this free sample from Dynamically Different Classroms by Claire Gadsby and Jan Evans. Here you can read a case study which creates a sense of intrigue, and excitement in the classroom. You can find out more about this title on the Crown House Publishing website!

Here is a brand new activity from author of the 15-Minute STEM series, Emily Hunt just in time for some Christmas fun in your festive classrooms! Why not try “Festive Ice Fishing” and find out how you can make ice melt easily! The* 15-Minute STEM* series features quick, creative science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities for 5–11-year-olds. Each book in the series contains 40 STEM activities, including step-by-step instructions, which take just 15 minutes to complete and can be resourced from everyday materials found in the classroom or at home. This means that, with minimal preparation, teachers and parents can slot these cross-curricular activities into an otherwise busy day – simultaneously broadening children’s learning and piquing their curiosity about the world around them. Find out more about these books on the Crown House Publishing website!

Hope you had a great Maths Week – here’s a resource you can use at any time! It is taken from Making Every Maths Lesson Count by Emma McCrae. To find out more about this title on the Crown House Publishing website!

From caring for our environment to the digital revolution, the demand for STEM skills is huge and is only set to grow. STEM is therefore an important priority area in modern education, leaving many teachers and parents asking questions such as ‘How do I fit STEM education into my day?’ and ‘What kind of activities should I be exploring?’ Download this free STEM resource from 15-Minute STEM: Quick, creative Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics activities for 5–11-year-olds by Emily Hunt. Find out what happens when we mix fluids of different densities and make fireworks in a Jar with your class! Find out more about this book on the Crown House Publishing website!

Anti-Bullying Week 2023 took place from Monday 13th - Friday 17th November. Download a FREE extract from Beyond Wiping Noses: Building an informed approach to pastoral leadership in schools by Stephen Lane for information on how to combat bullying in schools. Whilst there are no simple answers to the question of how to deal with bullying, it is clear that schools need to develop a consistent and robust set of protocols for responding to incidents. Find out more about this book on the Crown House Publishing website!

Use this extract from 15-Minute STEM Book 2: More quick, creative science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities for 5–11-year-olds by Emily Hunt to make Pasta Skeletons with your class this Halloween! Like most teachers and parents, you probably recognise STEM as being an important priority area for modern education. You may, however, be wondering:· What does STEM education look like for young learners? How do I get children excited about STEM education? How can children learn STEM skills in just 15 minutes? What equipment do I need to teach STEM activities? Enter 15-minute STEM with the answers! You can find out more about this book on the Crown House Publishing website!

National Poetry Day – an annual mass celebration which encourages everyone to make, experience and share poetry with family and friends! This extract from 𝙊𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘿𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙋𝙤𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚: 𝙄𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨 by Bob Cox examines ‘Snake’ by Emily Dickinson. It outlines several lesson activities you can try in your classroom to enhance teaching and learning and enjoyment of poetry. You can find out more about this title on the Crown House Publishing website!

You can use this free downloadable plastic detox guide as seen in #LeadershipForSustainability by Dr David Dixon!

The lesson ideas in this resource are all based on historical incidences on the topic of empire and slavery – perfect for Black History Month activities. Taken from 40 Ways to Diversify the History Curriculum by Elena Stevens – a practical, wide-ranging compendium of enquiries and case studies that helps history teachers diversify, reimagine and decolonise the history curriculum.

We know that teaching and working in schools can be challenging. According to the Teacher Wellbeing Index, 78% of all education staff experience mental health symptoms due to their work. To mark this important week, we’ve made a sample chapter from Love Teaching, Keep Teaching: The essential guide to improving wellbeing at all levels in schools free to read. The chapter is called The Eight Components of a Balanced Teacher. It outlines some common components of teaching which are likely to cause stress, and explores how to put these into a perspective that will allow you to stay well in this high-pressure profession.

Try this nature-based activity with your class by the author of *Independent Thinking on Nature-Based Learning *, Dr Alexia Barrable. You can find out more about this book on the Crown House Publishing website!

For those in education, stress is inevitable. Behaviour management can be challenging, lessons need to be planned, and marking stacks up. How you respond to that stress can mean the difference between burning out and regaining control. The Mindful Teacher’s Handbook by Kamalagita Hughes is a practical guide to mindfulness that will empower teachers and school staff to take better care of their well-being and find calm in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of the school setting. Here is a free resource to help you get passed that feeling of just getting through the day… To find out more about this new title, go to the Crown House Publishing website!