Improving memory skills. Power-point of 54 slides. There are 36 one-a-day memory activities to practise with pupils to improve visual and auditory memory skills. The activities are structured week by week to gradually challenge whilst providing practise. For individual pupils or a small group working with an adult. I have used these activities with children of all ages who struggle to remember/recognise alphabet, phonics, HFW and basic numbers. The activities need to be carried out daily to enable the children to practise and improve. Useful for a TA or SEN TA supporting a group in the classroom. Week 1 & 2: There are six individual picture games (for each week) to help pupils practise retelling a story with picture prompts or from memory. Pupil record grid (for adult use) is included to enable the adult to see the visual memory progress of each child and identify any issues or areas for further practise. Week 3: There are six picture sequence/list activities for pupils to retell a short story with or without picture clues. Week 4: Number sequence recall. Six activities for the adult to use with a child or small group to improve auditory memory skills. Recording sheet for pupil use is provided. Week 5: Colour sequence recall. Six activities for the adult to use with a child or small group to improve auditory memory skills. Recording sheet for pupil use is provided. Week 6: Listen and draw sequence activities. Full instructions for the adult are provided plus a pupil record sheet for adult assessment of pupil progress.

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?

KS1 & 2 Biography planning template. A resource for pupils to use to plan their own factual biographical writing. Includes a bullet point reminder of the rules for writing biographies and spaces for pupils to develop the structure of the biography about their chosen person or animal. Great to use following History /famous people/animals lesson or drama. Can also be used with most topics: My family, heroes, current or historical characters, explorers, travel, Halloween, etc.

Guy Fawkes 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.

‘Romeo and Juliet’ fact sheet. Page 1 Includes key events and important stages in the play broken into short easy to read sections with pictures and images. Page 2 Includes interesting facts about the text, well known quotes and character information. I have used this with pupils in Years 3-6 to help them retrieve information / develop their knowledge to write about a text 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.

Edward Teach – Captain Blackbeard. 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. Linked topics: Pirates, Famous people, Ships and the Sea.

Geographical features cards. Set of 60 cards depicting a physical geographical feature (natural and human) and a beautiful photographic image. The cards can be used to encourage recognition of the features. Pupils can use them as a sorting exercise or as a paired or group ‘guessing game’. Can be placed in the class library area or the ‘Early Finisher’ box/tray. A double set of cards (laminated) can offer pupils opportunities for fun games such as Snap and Pairs. I have used these to help pupils develop work on features eg: writing a factual or descriptive piece about a feature or set of features or a researched paragraph about current issues relating to a geographical feature eg: coastal erosion on Norfolk coastline, how the Grand Canyon was formed. Can be used by Y2 -Y6 upwards. Useful for topics on Geography, Climate and Weather, Coastal erosion, UK etc.

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.

Africa 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 Africa’s countries and geographical features. Each set of slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the geography of Africa as well as simple information such as greetings flags of countries in the different regions at the beginning of lessons. Great to link with cross curricular topics such as Continents, Deserts, Weather, Animals, Tourism etc. Lesson 1 There are 4 supporting pupil worksheets with this lesson. Learning Objectives I must find Africa in my atlas. I should recognise some of the countries and features of Africa. I could describe where Africa is in the world using geographical words Lesson 2 Two supporting worksheets and a short class warm up quiz. Learning objectives I can explain the 5 main areas of Africa. I should find and label some of the countries from each region on my map. I can shade a map showing the features of Africa. Lesson 3 There are 2 supporting pupil worksheets with this lesson. Learning Objectives To identify the different climate zones in Africa. To describe and explain the climate found in each zone. To explain the temperature in different locations. To interpret a climate data and temperature chart. Lesson 4 : 1 pupil worksheet and mapwork 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: 1 pupil worksheet and discussion activities. Learning Objectives I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’, ‘desert climate’ and ‘weather’. I should explain how the geography of Africa determines where people settle. I must be able to say how Africa’s natural resources helps people make a living. I should explain how tourism supports the African people. I could name important African exports. Lesson 6 Learning Objectives One pupil worksheet. Research task with grid and quiz task. I must identify some features of natural beauty in Africa. I should identify and research some of the areas of natural beauty which come from Africa. OR I should identify and research some of the animal, fish and birds which come from Africa.

Australia today: Series of 6 KS2 power-point Geography lessons. Each lesson is broken into short focused activities with supporting worksheets and maps. 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 Australia’s key cities and geographical features. Each set of slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the geography of Australia as well as simple cultural information such as greetings in at the beginning and end of lessons. Great to link with cross curricular topics such as ‘Indigenous people’, ‘Rainforests’, ‘Weather’, ‘Deserts’ etc. Lesson 1 Learning Objectives I must find Australia in my atlas. I should recognise some of the features of Australia. I could describe where Australia is in the world using geographical words. Lesson 2 Learning objectives I must be able to spot the main features of Australia. 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 Australia. I could compare population graphs for Australian 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 Australia. I should explain how the location of Australian cities affects population size. I could explain how the weather and climate support the life of the Australian people. Lesson 6 Learning Objectives I must identify some features of natural beauty in Australia. I should identify and research some of the areas of natural beauty which come from Australia. OR I should identify and research some of the animal, fish and birds which come from Australia.

Sports Day KS1 and KS2 Assembly. A simply written whole school assembly or short lesson to cover the main aspects of Sports Day which can be used in the days preceding or on the day itself. Power-point of 33 slides which include: Suggested music, video clip and hymns. Pupil perceptions of Sports Day (exciting, worrying, confident etc). Brief bio of two world famous Jamaican sprinters – Usain Bolt and Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce. The first ever Jamaican 4-man bobsled team who competed in 1988 winter Olympics. Includes information on bobsledding, the course and the challenges faced by the Jamaican team. Short youtube clip of the bobsled team and the crash which prevented them qualifying but didn’t stop them competing again, an inspiration to others and what we can learn from all the Jamaican athletes. 5 slides structured for you to input information about your own sports day (where, when, kit, prizes etc) Ideas for the pupils: kind things to say after the race/events. Final prayer for sports day. Links well with topics on Olympics, Sporting-heroes, Going for gold, Feelings, Coping with challenges.

End of year certificates. Set of 30 individual awards with fun and interesting curriculum titles and encouraging comments: You are a (see list below) Superhero: Number Writing Reading Technology Sporty Dancing Science Small World Construction Gardening Talking Geography Energetic Have a go Singing Class organiser Playtime Role play Painting Class busy bee Book Enthusiastic Helper Laughter Happiness and joy Friendship Computer Super listener Baking Animal

China 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 China’s key cities and geographical features. Each lesson has supporting worksheets, written tasks and paired ‘talk’ activities. Each set of slides contain images to help pupils ‘get a feel’ for the geography of China as well as simple cultural information such as greetings in Mandarin at the beginning and end of lessons. Great to link with cross curricular topics such as ‘Ancient civilizations’, ‘Asia’, ‘Weather’. Lesson 1 Learning Objectives I must find China in my atlas. I should recognise some of the features of China. I could describe where China is in the world using geographical words. Lesson 2 Learning objectives I must be able to spot the main features of China. I should find and label the features on my map. I could write a description about two features. Lesson 3 Learning Objectives To identify the different climate zones in China. To describe and explain the climate found in each zone. To explain the temperature in different locations. To interpret a climate data and temperature chart Lesson 4 Learning objectives: I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’. I should interpret the population table and identify how the physical features affect where people live in China. I could compare population information and explain how the population has changed in China over 50 years. Lesson 5 Learning Objectives I must explain the definition of the term ‘population’, ‘climate’ and ‘weather’. I must order the ten most populated cities in China. I should explain how the location of Chinese cities affects population size. I could explain how the weather and climate affects the lifestyle of the Chinese people. Lesson 6 Learning Objectives I must identify some features of natural beauty in China. I should identify and research some of the areas of natural beauty which come from China. OR I should identify and research some of the animal, fish and birds which come from China.

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’.

EY/KS1 Signs of Autumn Powerpoint Four lessons. Learning Objectives: Lesson 1 To know the names of the Autumn months. To recognise the signs of Autumn around me. Lesson 2 To describe weather changes in the Autumn season. To explain how the autumn weather affects some animals. To know what the word ‘hibernate’ means. To list animals that hibernate. Lesson 3 To name the grains which grow at Autumn time. To name some foods which are made with grains. To sequence the stages of making bread. Lesson 4 To be able to name different autumn fruit and vegetables and say where they grow. The slides include photographs of animals which hibernate (dormouse, bat, frog, grass snake etc) and do not hibernate but sleep at Autumn/Winter (squirrels, badgers, rabbits/hares). At specific points there are short paired talk activities and simple class activities with worksheets (and answers) for each lesson. There are BBC links – making bread and a survey worksheet for an Autumn walk. Cross curricular KOW /Science work on topics of ‘Seasons’, ‘Autumn’, ‘Animals’, ‘Nature’.

Dinosaur fact cards. Set of 12 KS1/KS2. Can be used as a game to help pupils learn the names and characteristics of the individual dinosaurs. Use also as a reference resource for research work on Dinosaur topic, Science /non-fiction writing. Each card has a brief fact about location, date, appearance, teeth, fun fact and a general information section. Simple layout for pupils to find information easily and an engaging picture of each dinosaur. Dinosaurs included: Triceratops, Stegosaurus, T-Rex, Diplodocus, Velociraptor, Brontosaurus, Pterosaur, Parasaurolophus, Nodosaur, Iguanodon, Spinosaurus, Scutellosaurus.

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.

Speech bubble cards. Set of 21 cards. Can be used with all ages and abilities. Each card has a fun picture of an animal in winter with a speech bubble. Each card has a simple question to prompt pupil imagination to think of a response for the animal on the card. Pupils can be as sensible, humorous or as Zany as they want! I laminated each card and use them as a fun class quick fire round at the end of lessons. Also can be used as a lesson starter/plenary or small group activity when covering conversation topics, speech bubbles and thought showers.

A simple scaffolding template for a pupil letter to a new teacher at the start of term. Can be used for Y2-Y6 depending on ability. Useful as a prompt for pupils to introduce themselves to their new class teacher . Structured to cover the main areas pupils usually want teachers to know about and can be used as a starting point for ‘Guess who?’ games and encouraging friendships between pupils with similar tastes and hobbies.