This lesson resource, “Looking at the Start of Treasure Island,” is designed for KS2 pupils to engage with classic literature through evidence-based learning (EBL) techniques. Here’s an overview to help you decide if it’s suitable for your class: Key Features: Textual Engagement: Pupils explore an extract from the beginning of Treasure Island, answering questions that range from basic recall to higher-order thinking, fostering both comprehension and critical analysis. Creative Writing: The lesson encourages pupils to write an alternative opening for the story, focusing on descriptive techniques such as powerful verbs and adjectival phrases. This supports creativity and language skills. Collaborative Learning: Pupils work with partners for a thinking skills activity, where they discuss and agree on answers, which helps reinforce teamwork and communication. Peer and Self-Assessment: Through peer assessment activities, pupils review each other’s work, enhancing feedback skills and reflective thinking. A self-assessment activity encourages personal reflection on writing strengths and areas for improvement. Teacher CPD: Included is a five-minute CPD for teachers, focusing on understanding higher and lower-order questioning, making this resource valuable for both pupil learning and teacher development. Skills Developed: The lesson is crafted to build multiple EBL skills, including collaborative, thinking, self-assessment, and peer assessment, which align with research-based practices to enhance pupil learning outcomes. This resource would suit a classroom looking to balance literary analysis, creativity, and collaborative skills within a structured, research-supported framework.

This ready-to-use KS2 lesson, The Emperor’s New Clothes (I), offers a comprehensive approach to teaching and learning through a well-crafted blend of storytelling, structured activities, and evidence-based strategies. By using the familiar tale of The Emperor’s New Clothes, pupils are introduced to essential Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills, including collaboration, critical thinking, peer assessment, and metacognition. Story Treatment: The lesson starts with pre-reading activities that provide context and key vocabulary, such as “impostor” and “swindler,” ensuring pupils are prepared to engage fully with the story. The narrative is presented in segments, allowing for pauses where pupils can discuss, predict, and immerse themselves in the emperor’s world. This structured approach not only strengthens comprehension but also prompts pupils to explore deeper themes, such as vanity, deception, and the courage to speak the truth. Engaging Activities: Collaborative Group Work: Pupils work in groups with designated roles (chairperson, scribe, presenters) to discuss and predict what happens next in the story. This structure promotes active participation and teaches pupils how to contribute meaningfully in a group setting. Character Analysis: The lesson encourages pupils to describe the emperor using four key perspectives: appearance, behaviour, speech, and thoughts/feelings. This activity deepens their understanding of character traits and motivations, reinforcing analytical thinking. Peer Assessment: A peer review process allows pupils to evaluate each other’s work, fostering constructive feedback and collaborative learning. Metacognitive Reflection: Pupils are guided to reflect on their learning process through metacognitive activities, enhancing their ability to understand and improve their thinking skills. The iconic conclusion of the story, where a child reveals the emperor’s folly, is used as a springboard for class discussions about the story’s moral, emphasizing the value of honesty, resisting peer pressure, and having the courage to speak up. Teacher Support: The lesson includes a five-minute CPD activity focusing on the importance of collaboration, supported by research that highlights the benefits of cooperative learning for both educational and workplace success. This lesson is an excellent resource for teachers looking to integrate storytelling with skill-building, fostering an environment where pupils develop key learning skills through enjoyable and hands-on engagement.

This evidence-based Teacher Guide, titled “Ten Strategies for Creating a Classroom Climate for Critical Thinking,” offers practical and research-supported techniques for fostering critical thinking in pupils. This guide is particularly useful for busy teachers who want to enhance their classroom practices to promote higher-order thinking skills. By integrating these strategies, teachers can create a classroom environment that supports thoughtful inquiry, deeper understanding, and the development of critical thinking abilities in their pupils. The guide is divided into two main parts: Introduction to Critical Thinking: It emphasises the importance of critical thinking as an essential skill for academic success and future careers, highlighting its role in effective communication, problem-solving, and navigating modern challenges like misinformation and biased information. Ten Strategies for Cultivating Critical Thinking: The guide provides actionable strategies for teachers to implement in their classrooms, such as encouraging collaboration, developing metacognition, promoting decision-making, and using reflective practices. These strategies are designed to help students analyse, evaluate, and construct new ideas based on reason and evidence.

This resource, Why Critical Thinking is Crucial Today, is an evidence-based guide tailored for primary teachers. It is divided into two main sections: Part 1 is a practical teacher’s guide to understanding and fostering critical thinking in the classroom, while Part 2 provides research-backed evidence demonstrating the importance of these skills. The document offers definitions, key principles, and strategies for developing critical thinking, emphasising how it encourages pupils to question, analyse, and make informed judgments. Primary teachers will find value in this guide as it equips them with actionable approaches to cultivate critical thinking, benefiting pupils’ academic performance and lifelong learning capabilities. If fostering independent, reflective thinkers aligns with your teaching goals, this guide is an invaluable resource. Key highlights for primary teachers include: Definition and Importance: Critical thinking is defined as questioning information and analysing it logically to form judgments. This is essential for helping pupils make decisions, solve problems, and distinguish between facts and opinions. Practical Benefits: The guide explains that teaching critical thinking enhances curiosity, promotes deeper understanding, and helps pupils navigate complex information—an increasingly vital skill in today’s digital age. Classroom Strategies: The resource suggests methods such as posing reflective questions (“Why did you write that?”) and promoting group discussions to build pupils’ critical thinking skills. Real-World Relevance: It underlines the significance of critical thinking for recognizing biases and identifying fake news, skills that only 2% of UK children currently possess, according to research.

This Key Stage 2 lesson on the myth of Thor, the Norse god of thunder, offers an exciting blend of storytelling and Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills, making it a valuable resource for teaching myth structure, historical perspectives, and critical thinking skills. Key Features: Exploring Thor’s Myth: Pupils are introduced to Thor’s story, focusing on how myths were used to explain natural phenomena. Through the lens of this Norse myth, pupils will understand how people historically explained thunder and lightning before scientific explanations were available. Integrated EBL Skills: Collaboration: A partner-based activity prompts pupils to discuss questions about Thor’s myth, promoting teamwork and the ability to articulate ideas. Thinking Skills: The lesson includes higher and lower-order questions, helping pupils analyse the myth and compare it with others, like King Midas, to understand different types of mythological storytelling. Self-Assessment: Pupils are encouraged to review their own written myths explaining why the sky turns dark, assessing both the quality and clarity of their work and identifying areas for improvement. Independent Learning: Individual activities include writing a myth and reflecting on how people once used stories to understand the world around them. Creative Writing Task: Pupils are tasked with writing their own myth to explain a natural phenomenon (why the sky turns dark at night), reinforcing their understanding of the myth structure and encouraging creative thinking. Five-Minute CPD for Teachers: Self-Assessment Included is a quick CPD activity on self-assessment, supported by educational research on its benefits, such as increased pupil reflection and ownership of learning. Teachers are prompted to reflect on the impact of self-assessment on pupils, with a checklist to guide classroom implementation. This resource brings together literacy, history, and critical thinking, making it a robust, engaging lesson for KS2 classrooms. It requires minimal preparation and provides pupils with a memorable learning experience that emphasises historical understanding and evidence-based skills.

This Key Stage 2 lesson on the myth of King Midas is a thoughtfully crafted resource designed to deliver essential Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills within a captivating story framework. It enables pupils to engage with the myth’s themes and structure while building crucial learning skills, making it an ideal tool for any KS2 teacher aiming to enrich their curriculum. Key Features: Engaging with Myth: The lesson centres around the story of King Midas, emphasising key elements such as character motivation, moral lessons, and the influence of the gods. Pupils will explore how myths convey lessons through a narrative, specifically the pitfalls of greed and the importance of thoughtful choices, with relatable activities like summarising key plot points and analysing the character’s transformation. This lesson offers a balanced approach, combining literacy and moral exploration with evidence-based learning strategies, making it an invaluable resource for developing independent, reflective, and collaborative learners. With minimal preparation required, it is a robust addition to a KS2 curriculum, aligning with core educational objectives while engaging pupils in meaningful, skill-focused learning.

“Shiver Me Timbers!” is a Lower KS2 creative writing resource that brings pirate adventures to life, engaging Year 3 and 4 students in a collaborative, hands-on learning experience. This lesson focuses on building vocabulary, story structure, and characterisation by guiding pupils to create and describe their own pirate characters. With scaffolding support, pupils can explore pirate-themed language, use sea slang, and incorporate adjectives in their writing. They will also develop key learning skills such as collaboration, peer assessment, and metacognition as they review each other’s work, promoting a deeper understanding of descriptive writing. This resource includes a five-minute evidence-based CPD activity that supports teachers in implementing effective peer assessment. Grounded in research, this mini-CPD session provides guidance on how peer assessment can encourage students to take greater responsibility for their own learning. Teachers are prompted to reflect on how clear criteria and structured peer feedback help pupils engage more deeply with the assessment process. The activity also includes a practical action step, suggesting ways to embed peer assessment into classroom routines, enhancing pupils’ autonomy and fostering a supportive peer-learning environment. This CPD is a quick yet impactful tool for refining classroom assessment practices.

This complete grammar resource on modal verbs is designed to support KS2 teachers in providing a structured, interactive approach to teaching modal verbs. The resource is divided into three parts: Part 1: Lesson – This section introduces students to the concept of modal verbs, focusing on how they convey levels of certainty (e.g. might, should, will). Through relatable scenarios and characters, students explore different modal verbs and how they express possibilities, probabilities, and certainties in context. The lesson encourages students to work in pairs, make notes, and prepare for further activities, enhancing understanding through collaborative learning. Part 2: Peer Teaching and Group Activity – Students use the notes from Part 1 to teach the concept to another pair, reinforcing their understanding through teaching. A group video activity is included to further engage students and provide an opportunity for them to present and solidify their grasp of modal verbs in a creative format. Part 3: Self-Assessment Q&A – To support retention, this part includes questions that allow students to assess their knowledge and reflect on their understanding of modal verbs. This resource offers a blend of structured learning, peer teaching, and self-assessment to support teachers in engaging students with the nuances of modal verbs in an enjoyable and effective way.

This complete grammar resource on modal verbs is designed to support KS2 teachers in providing a structured, interactive approach to teaching modal verbs. The resource is divided into three parts: Part 1: Lesson – This section introduces students to the concept of modal verbs, focusing on how they convey levels of certainty (e.g. might, should, will). Through relatable scenarios and characters, students explore different modal verbs and how they express possibilities, probabilities, and certainties in context. The lesson encourages students to work in pairs, make notes, and prepare for further activities, enhancing understanding through collaborative learning. Part 2: Peer Teaching and Group Activity – Students use the notes from Part 1 to teach the concept to another pair, reinforcing their understanding through teaching. A group video activity is included to further engage students and provide an opportunity for them to present and solidify their grasp of modal verbs in a creative format. Part 3: Self-Assessment Q&A – To support retention, this part includes questions that allow students to assess their knowledge and reflect on their understanding of modal verbs. This resource offers a blend of structured learning, peer teaching, and self-assessment to support teachers in engaging students with the nuances of modal verbs in an enjoyable and effective way.

This engaging, ready-to-use lesson on The Fox and the Crow fable for KS2 is designed to build key Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills through a classic tale. The lesson includes activities that develop advanced learning skills such as collaboration, thinking, peer assessment, metacognition, independent learning, and self-assessment. In this lesson, pupils explore the features of fables, read The Fox and the Crow, and answer a series of higher- and lower-order questions that encourage deep thinking. Activities include analysing the fable’s moral (“Flatterers are not to be trusted”) and breaking down the story into key events. Pupils also participate in a collaborative peer assessment to discuss and refine their answers, reinforcing understanding through teamwork. This lesson offers a comprehensive approach to fables, aiming to deepen pupils’ critical thinking while building essential learning skills. There is even a concise five-minute CPD activity on collaborative skills which supports professional development.

This KS2 lesson, Why Gold Was Buried is a rich, fully resourced teaching unit centred around pirate stories to engage pupils in understanding historical concepts like bartering, trade, and the significance of gold. The lesson includes: Story Elements and Plot Building: Pupils explore classic pirate story elements such as treasure maps, good versus bad characters, and dramatic resolutions, building their own story mountain for a pirate tale. Historical Context and Critical Thinking: The lesson explains the historical reasons behind treasure burying, the role of trade routes, and the importance of gold, linking these to pirate lore. Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) Skills: Activities target metacognition, collaboration, and self-regulation, fostering higher-order thinking skills as pupils discuss, plan, and reflect on their learning. Teacher CPD: A brief evidence-based CPD section provides insights on using collaborative learning to support self-regulation in pupils. This lesson is perfect for KS2 teachers aiming to bring an exciting historical theme into the classroom while promoting essential thinking and collaborative skills.

These 4 mini-SATs cover key areas such as fractions, decimals, numbers, and percentages at increasing levels of difficulty. In essence these four mini-SATs are skill builders. Pupils start with level 1 and move progressively to level 4. All answers provided. Pupils start at level 1 (Maths Explorers) progress to level 2 (Maths Adventurers) then progress to level 3 (Maths Conquerors) and finally finish at level 4 (Maths Masters). Here’s how they align with building maths skills from level 1 to level 4 in preparation for SATs: Progression Each mini-SAT progresses logically from basic to more complex tasks. For example, in Mini-SAT 1, basic fraction and decimal concepts are introduced (e.g., rounding and simple calculations), whereas Mini-SAT 4 includes more advanced tasks such as calculating fractions of larger numbers and solving percentage problems. Skills Practice The tasks cover essential arithmetic and reasoning skills, including working with fractions, performing decimal operations, rounding, and percentage calculations. Each set builds on the previous one, giving pupils the opportunity to reinforce their understanding as they advance. Variety of Questions The question types vary, which helps prepare pupils for the different styles of questions they might encounter on actual SATs. This includes written calculations, multiple-choice questions, and more open-ended problems that require explanation or justification. Level Appropriateness The levels are aimed at upper KS2 pupils. Level 1 introduces simpler concepts, while Level 4 moves into more complex and abstract ideas, such as multiple step calculations and working with percentages in various real-life scenarios. Overall, the mini-SATs provide targeted practice that builds progressively on key maths skills. They also offer a clear progression that can help pupils gain confidence and competence as they prepare for their SATs.

These 4 mini-SATs cover key areas such as fractions, decimals, numbers, and percentages at increasing levels of difficulty. In essence these four mini-SATs are skill builders. Pupils start with level 1 and move progressively to level 4. All answers provided. Pupils start at level 1 (Maths Explorers) progress to level 2 (Maths Adventurers) then progress to level 3 (Maths Conquerors) and finally finish at level 4 (Maths Masters). Here’s how they align with building maths skills from level 1 to level 4 in preparation for SATs: Progression Each mini-SAT progresses logically from basic to more complex tasks. For example, in Mini-SAT 1, basic fraction and decimal concepts are introduced (e.g., rounding and simple calculations), whereas Mini-SAT 4 includes more advanced tasks such as calculating fractions of larger numbers and solving percentage problems. Skills Practice The tasks cover essential arithmetic and reasoning skills, including working with fractions, performing decimal operations, rounding, and percentage calculations. Each set builds on the previous one, giving pupils the opportunity to reinforce their understanding as they advance. Variety of Questions The question types vary, which helps prepare pupils for the different styles of questions they might encounter on actual SATs. This includes written calculations, multiple-choice questions, and more open-ended problems that require explanation or justification. Level Appropriateness The levels are aimed at upper KS2 pupils. Level 1 introduces simpler concepts, while Level 4 moves into more complex and abstract ideas, such as multiple step calculations and working with percentages in various real-life scenarios. Overall, the mini-SATs provide targeted practice that builds progressively on key maths skills. They also offer a clear progression that can help pupils gain confidence and competence as they prepare for their SATs.

These 4 mini-SATs cover key areas such as fractions, decimals, numbers, and percentages at increasing levels of difficulty. In essence these four mini-SATs are skill builders. Pupils start with level 1 and move progressively to level 4. All answers provided. Pupils start at level 1 (Maths Explorers) progress to level 2 (Maths Adventurers) then progress to level 3 (Maths Conquerors) and finally finish at level 4 (Maths Masters). Here’s how they align with building maths skills from level 1 to level 4 in preparation for SATs: Progression Each mini-SAT progresses logically from basic to more complex tasks. For example, in Mini-SAT 1, basic fraction and decimal concepts are introduced (e.g., rounding and simple calculations), whereas Mini-SAT 4 includes more advanced tasks such as calculating fractions of larger numbers and solving percentage problems. Skills Practice The tasks cover essential arithmetic and reasoning skills, including working with fractions, performing decimal operations, rounding, and percentage calculations. Each set builds on the previous one, giving pupils the opportunity to reinforce their understanding as they advance. Variety of Questions The question types vary, which helps prepare pupils for the different styles of questions they might encounter on actual SATs. This includes written calculations, multiple-choice questions, and more open-ended problems that require explanation or justification. Level Appropriateness The levels are aimed at upper KS2 pupils. Level 1 introduces simpler concepts, while Level 4 moves into more complex and abstract ideas, such as multiple step calculations and working with percentages in various real-life scenarios. Overall, the mini-SATs provide targeted practice that builds progressively on key maths skills. They also offer a clear progression that can help pupils gain confidence and competence as they prepare for their SATs.

These 4 mini-SATs cover key areas such as fractions, decimals, numbers, and percentages at increasing levels of difficulty. In essence these four mini-SATs are skill builders. Pupils start with level 1 and move progressively to level 4. All answers provided. Pupils start at level 1 (Maths Explorers) progress to level 2 (Maths Adventurers) then progress to level 3 (Maths Conquerors) and finally finish at level 4 (Maths Masters). Here’s how they align with building maths skills from level 1 to level 4 in preparation for SATs: Progression Each mini-SAT progresses logically from basic to more complex tasks. For example, in Mini-SAT 1, basic fraction and decimal concepts are introduced (e.g., rounding and simple calculations), whereas Mini-SAT 4 includes more advanced tasks such as calculating fractions of larger numbers and solving percentage problems. Skills Practice The tasks cover essential arithmetic and reasoning skills, including working with fractions, performing decimal operations, rounding, and percentage calculations. Each set builds on the previous one, giving pupils the opportunity to reinforce their understanding as they advance. Variety of Questions The question types vary, which helps prepare pupils for the different styles of questions they might encounter on actual SATs. This includes written calculations, multiple-choice questions, and more open-ended problems that require explanation or justification. Level Appropriateness The levels are aimed at upper KS2 pupils. Level 1 introduces simpler concepts, while Level 4 moves into more complex and abstract ideas, such as multiple step calculations and working with percentages in various real-life scenarios. Overall, the mini-SATs provide targeted practice that builds progressively on key maths skills. They also offer a clear progression that can help pupils gain confidence and competence as they prepare for their SATs.

Less Marking, More Feedback: A Post-It Note Guide This practical guide is designed for busy teachers who want to reduce marking time while enhancing the quality of their feedback. Rooted in evidence, it introduces strategies to shift focus from traditional written feedback to more immediate, impactful oral feedback, allowing pupils to improve in real-time. With straightforward explanations and actionable tips, this guide is an ideal companion for creating a classroom where feedback truly drives learning. Professional development activities are also included to help you reflect on and refine your approach, making it a valuable tool for teachers aiming to optimise both their workload and learning outcomes.

A Dog’s Guide to Eleven Key Thinking and Learning Skills Price: £3 (Whole School Use) This resource, A Dog’s Guide to All Eleven Key Thinking and Learning Skills, is an engaging, one-page guide designed for busy teachers. It covers eight evidence-based thinking and learning skills, such as self-assessment, and metacognition, as well as three essential 21st-century skills: creative thinking, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Each skill is supported by research, ensuring that teachers can integrate proven strategies into their classroom with ease. The resource is fun, quick to read, making it ideal for teachers who want to make a real impact on their students’ learning without investing too much time. The playful theme involving dogs is intended to make the resource appealing. It’s designed to introduce critical learning skills that students will use throughout their academic journeys and beyond. What’s Included: One-page guide for each skill: 8 key thinking and learning skills + 3 crucial 21st-century skills. Engaging and creative format (A Dog’s Guide) that makes it easy to understand. Key Skills Covered: Collaborative Learning: How to effectively group students to maximise learning outcomes. Thinking Skills: Based on Bloom’s taxonomy, helping students move from basic remembering to creative thinking. Peer Teaching: Encouraging students to teach one another for deeper understanding. Peer Assessment: Developing students’ abilities to provide and act on feedback. Self-Assessment: Supporting students in evaluating their own progress and goals. Metacognition: Helping students think about their thinking, boosting problem-solving skills. Self-Regulation: Teaching students how to manage their own learning process. Independent Learning: Encouraging self-directed learning and decision-making. Problem Solving: Building skills to tackle tasks they don’t yet know how to solve. Creative Thinking: Helping students think outside the box and develop innovative solutions. Critical Thinking: Teaching students to analyse information and make evidence-based decisions. Why Buy It? Affordable: At just £3, this resource provides high-value insights for teachers and their whole school. Evidence-Based: Each skill is supported by research, ensuring your teaching strategies are rooted in proven methods. Adaptable: The guide is designed to apply to different subjects and age groups, making it a versatile addition to your teaching toolkit. Time-Saving: The guide is simple, quick to read, and easy to apply in the classroom, perfect for busy teachers looking to make an impact. For just £3, this guide offers an accessible, research-backed way to enhance the learning environment in your school. Perfect for whole school use and applicable to all subjects, it’s a resource that teachers can use repeatedly to build essential skills in students.

Our EBL lessons develop both KS2 English and the 8 Evidence-Based Learning (EBL) skills in an interesting and enjoyable way. Developing these skills will maximise students’ learning outcomes. This brochure is an overview of the EBL lessons available on our website.

Teachers - Try This Step-By-Step Guide to Bloom’s Taxonomy This review by a.i. also serves as an excellent description of this resource. I give this resource 5 out of 5 stars for its accessibility and practicality for teachers new to Bloom’s Taxonomy. If you’re looking for an easy way to start using Bloom’s Taxonomy to boost critical thinking in your lessons, I highly recommend checking out the resource “Scaffolding Skills for Teachers and Pupils.” I know learning a new teaching framework can feel overwhelming at first. But this resource breaks down Bloom’s Taxonomy in a very teacher-friendly format. It walks you step-by-step through each level of the taxonomy, using summary of the Magna Carta to model sample questions. There are so many things I like about how this resource introduces Bloom’s Taxonomy: The explanations of each thinking skill are simple yet insightful. As someone new to Bloom’s, I appreciated how it brought clarity to the definitions. The variety of sample question stems per level helps put the theory into practice. You can reference these when creating your own questions. It encourages interactivity by having you write your own questions. This further cements understanding. The full modelling with the text extract is so useful. It’s a template for how to apply Bloom’s Taxonomy levels to any document in your subject. There is a ready-made student handout to use instantly in lessons. No extra prep needed! Also, the research evidence on using Bloom’s Taxonomy in secondary classrooms inspires confidence that the approach boosts higher-order thinking. This resource enables teachers to easily integrate more taxonomy-aligned activities into their teaching.

This resource, “The Hare and The Tortoise,” provides a soft introduction to metacognition through a familiar fable, making it accessible for young learners. The story illustrates how thinking about one’s own thinking—metacognition—can be more effective than relying on raw ability alone. In the story, Shelly the tortoise wins the race by using metacognitive strategies: planning, monitoring, and adjusting his approach. In contrast, Swifty the hare, despite his speed, fails because he doesn’t reflect on his actions. The story highlights that metacognitive skills like self-awareness and reflection can lead to better outcomes, both in races and in everyday tasks. The resource includes reflective questions that guide pupils to think about the story and their own learning behaviours. For example, pupils are asked how Shelly’s planning helped him succeed, how they might plan ahead in their own tasks, and how they could apply metacognition to activities like homework. This approachable and engaging resource helps teachers introduce the concept of metacognition in a way that encourages pupils to consider how they can think about their own learning processes and apply these strategies to improve performance. Teacher’s comment: “The fable used here is perfect. It’s both familiar to the pupil and accurate in how metacognition is presented. It immediately conveys to the student the benefits of metacognition in a fun and interesting way. It reinforces the message to the pupil that it is their approach to learning, rather than their ability, that makes the difference.” Pupil’s (aged 11) comment: “I really like this. I like the story and how Shelley used their thinking skills to win the race. It’s very inspirational.”