This interesting session aims to introduce children to some key images of the Buddha, providing them with an opportunity to decode some of the key meanings within pictures and sculptures. Children learn that there are many different representations of the Buddha, aiming to portray different aspects of Siddhartha Gautama’s life and character. Children learn through: -Acting as detectives, inferring and deducing the hidden meanings within pictures; -Considering the key concept of ‘balance’, and understanding how this is a key feature of the Buddhist religion; -Applying some of the key concepts to their own lives. Included is a PowerPoint presentation, differentiated group activity sheets, and a comprehensive lesson plan. Images are cited in the final slide of the presentation. Word documents (in the zip file) are also included in PDF to ensure no issues with formatting between computers.

This resource booklet contains a wide range of age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful comprehension activities for use throughout the reading of Mildred D. Taylor’s ‘Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.’ Teachers have found them particularly useful in comprehension or guided reading sessions. They are perfect for aiding the progress of children towards meeting the KS3 expectations within the new National Curriculum framework. Children have found these resources extremely engaging, and for teachers there is explicit information within each task regarding which comprehension strands the task is designed to demonstrate. They also relate to key extracts, characters, and themes from the story, ensuring that children gain a deep understanding of the text. Activities within the booklet include: ‘Context: The Great Depression’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Know the purpose, audience and context of the writing and drawing on this knowledge to support comprehension.’ ‘Taylor’s Description - The Police Station’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Know how language, including figurative language, vocabulary choice, grammar, text structure and organisational features, present meaning.’ ‘T.J. Avery’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Study setting, plot, and characterisation, and the effects of these.’ ‘Vocabulary Inspector’ - to enable students to demonstrate that they can: ‘Learn new vocabulary, relating it explicitly to known vocabulary and understanding it with the help of context and dictionaries.’ Plus many, many more activities (the booklet is 21 pages in length!) I’ve also added it as a PDF in case the formatting differs on your computer. All images are licensed for commercial use, and are cited on a separate document (included).

This lesson enables students to gain a detailed insight into how the social and historical context of post-apartheid South Africa influences J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace. In particular, students learn about how power and patriarchy, two key themes in the novel, are heavily informed by real-life features of South African society. They demonstrate strong communication skills in making clear and sustained links between the features of context and the text. The lesson follows a step-by-step learning journey, in which students learn through: Defining ‘patriarchy’ and understanding the key features of patriarchal society; Reading and comprehending a key news article outlining the key features of ‘macho’ South African society; Linking their understanding of context to the key elements of the text; Considering how the nature of patriarchal society affects different people in society. Included is: Whole lesson PowerPoint - colourful and comprehensive; Guardina Newspaper Article (freely available online) Power and Patriarchy worksheet; Teacher guidance/ lesson plan. There are also opportunities for group learning, peer assessment, and whole class discussion. These resources were originally taught to A Level students, but with subtle adaptations they have also been used with younger (GCSE) students. All images are licensed for commercial use, and image rights are listed on the last page of the presentation.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of a non-fiction information text about the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt. The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of a non-fiction information text about the Ancient Greek Olympics. The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of a non-fiction information text about the London 2012 Olympic Games. The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 3-5, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students revising knowledge relating to Chile, as a part of their study of place, human and physical geography (‘understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom…and a region of South America.’) It contains comprehensive sections on: Overview and Maps; Physical Geography; Human Geography; Comparison with the United Kingdom; Chile Timeline; Key Vocabulary. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students revising knowledge relating to Colombia, as a part of their study of place, human and physical geography (‘understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom…and a region of South America.’) It contains comprehensive sections on: Overview and Maps; Physical Geography; Human Geography; Comparison with the United Kingdom; Colombia Timeline; Key Vocabulary. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This fun and original collective worship aids children in understanding the value of being patient, through: Understanding what patience is, and recognising why it is important; Understanding the relevance and importance of patience in Christianity; Looking at examples of patient and impatient behaviour (including through personal examples and acting out an adapted version of 'The Tortoise and the Hare), and determining the impact that it has on the individuals and others around them; Learning strategies to demonstrate patience in their own lives. The session includes a comprehensive, engaging PowerPoint presentation, hyperlinks to relevant and interesting video clips, and both a PDF and Word copy of the script for the fable. There are also various discussion prompts to enable children to understand how patience is considered in the Bible, and also to guide them in how they can be patient in their own lives. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included guiding notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This fun and original collective worship session aims to assist children in valuing diversity. Children understand that God made diversity in the world and loves each and every individual. They also understand how Jesus supported people from all walks of life when on earth, through reading brief, child-friendly summaries of the bible stories of Levi the Tax Collector and Blind Bart. I love leading this collective worship session, because I feel that the key message within it is so vital, especially in the present climate. More importantly, wherever I have presented this (to a wide-range of students from a wide-range of contexts) it has always gone down extremely well, with students being extremely engaged and informing me of the different ways in which they have celebrated differences in the months that follow! The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. For example, there are references to Prince Harry, Emma Watson, and others in popular culture, to demonstrate that each individual has their own strengths, weaknesses, like and dislikes, and that we need all of these to make life interesting and valuable! There is also a fun toothpaste challenge task, which demonstrates the importance of ensuring that our words to others are kind and respectful. The challenge includes a hyperlink to a countdown clock. All other resources that you will need are provided in the pack. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included two pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This fun, thoughtful and original collective worship session aims to assist children in understanding the value of honesty, through: Understanding what honesty is, and recognising why it is important; Looking at examples of behaviour that is honest or dishonest, and noting the effect that it has on different people; Understanding what Christianity teaches us about honesty and the value of being honest (using the story of Adam and Eve); Learning strategies to demonstrate honesty in their own lives. This session is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. For example, there are references to scenarios and dilemmas that they themselves might find themselves in (for example how they might react in different situations in which their honesty is tested), in order to help them to make the right choices in their own lives. The session also includes a fun role-play task, a beautiful, thought-provoking video about the importance of honesty, and top tips for being honest information slide. No further resources are required, everything that you need to present the session is included. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included two pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This fun and original collective worship session aims to assist children in understanding the value of being compassionate, through: Understanding what compassion is, and recognising why it is important; Understanding what the bible teaches us about compassion, and learning about how Jesus was compassionate; Looking at examples of behaviour that is compassionate and not compassionate (including through role play activities and videos), and noting its effect on people in need; Learning strategies to demonstrate compassion in their own lives. This worship session is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. For example, there are references to scenarios and dilemmas that they themselves might find themselves in (for example how they might act towards those in need both within and out of school) in order to help them to make the right choices in their own lives. The session also includes a fun role-play task, a beautiful, thought-provoking video about the importance of compassion, and various discussion activities regarding how to show compassion in different areas of their own lives. No further resources are required, everything that you need to present the assembly is included. This includes a child-friendly adapted bible story about Jesus demonstrating compassion towards a man with leprosy. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included two pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This fun and original collective worship session aids children in being thankful to God for what they have in their lives, through: Understanding what thankfulness is, and recognising why it is important; Learning the importance of thankfulness in a Christian context, through appreciating what God has done for us all, and through close reading of bible verses; Considering the positive aspects of their own lives, and considering those less fortunate than themselves; Learning strategies to demonstrate thankfulness in their own lives. This session is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. The session also includes an interesting bible story, detailing one man’s thankfulness after being healed by Jesus, entitled ‘The Man that Came Back.’ Furthermore, there is an internet link to a beautiful, thought-provoking video which demonstrates how far too often we spend time focused on what we don’t have, rather than the many ways in which we are fortunate. There are also various discussion prompts to enable children to understand how they can be thankful in different areas of their own lives. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included two pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This fun and original collective worship session assists children in understanding the value of being creative in all of their endeavours, through: Understanding what creativity is, and recognising why it is such an important skill; Recognising God’s creativity and understanding how creativity is a trait within everyone (including themselves); Observing some amazing examples of the successes that creativity can catalyse; Learning strategies to demonstrate creativity in their own lives. This worship session is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. The session also includes a short video and discussion focusing on the Genesis section of the bible detailing God’s creation of the world and its creatures. The session also includes a fun interactive activity, a wonderful, thought-provoking video about the importance of creation, and various discussion activities regarding how to show creation in different areas of their own lives. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included two pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This clear, detailed and visually-appealing resource offers a complete reference point for students revising knowledge relating to Ecuador, as a part of their study of place, human and physical geography (‘understand geographical similarities and differences through the study of human and physical geography of a region of the United Kingdom…and a region of South America.’) It contains comprehensive sections on: Overview and Maps; Physical Geography; Human Geography; Comparison with the United Kingdom; Ecuador Timeline; Key Vocabulary. The resource is designed to be printed onto A3, and is provided as both a PDF and a Word version (so that you can edit if you want to). All images used are licensed for commercial use and are cited on a separate document (included).

This fun and original collective worship session assists children in understanding the value of peace, through: Understanding what peace is, and recognising why it is important; Understanding what Christianity/ the bible teaches us about peace; Looking at examples of behaviour that is peaceful and not peaceful and considering what can be done to promote peace; Learning strategies to demonstrate peacefulness in their own lives. This session is tried and tested, and has always been really well received in the past. The slides are visually engaging and well-presented, and the subject matter is tailored to the interests and needs of young people. The session also includes an engaging bible story (shown and told on a video - included), detailing how Abigail’s peaceful outlook prevented her husband from facing a devastating conflict. Furthermore, there are interesting scenarios (with scripts provided) that enable children to consider how to act peacefully in different situations. Various discussion prompts are also presented, to enable children to understand how peace can be a force for good in their own lives. The slides are fairly self-explanatory, but I’ve included two pages of notes to assist the speaker. Hope that you find this useful!

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the opening chapter of Eva Ibbotson’s 'Ogre of Oglefort.’ The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in KS2. I originally used this with Year 3-4 children, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of the prologue and opening chapter of Abi Elphinstone’s ‘The Night Spinner.’ The resource pack includes the extract and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in Years 4-6, but it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups. The session is also suitable for home/ remote learning.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension of the opening chapter of Malorie Blackman’s ‘A Dangerous Game.’ It contains a link to the online chapter (on the first slide) and a PDF version if needed. This is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 2-4, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly younger and older year groups.

This whole class reading session aims to develop children’s comprehension skills through a reading of a non-fiction text about the Apollo 11 Moon Landing. The resource pack includes the full text and all of the activities for the session, which the class are guided through via a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation. The reading is followed by a series of activities aiming to develop children’s retrieval, explanation, inference, prediction and summarising skills. It also contains a vocabulary check immediately after the extract is read to clarify any unfamiliar/ difficult language. The tasks are comprised of quick-check questions, solo thinking, pair/ group discussions and deeper thinking activities. The session is best suited for children in years 4-6, although with minor adaptations it could feasibly be used with slightly older or younger year groups. This resource is suitable for home/ remote learning. These resources are suitable for home/ remote learning.