Upper KS2 Christmas Maths This 15-worksheet resource is tailored to Upper KS2, focusing on more advanced maths skills in a holiday-themed context. Activities challenge students with multi-step word problems, percentages, area and perimeter calculations, and data analysis. Festive scenarios, such as planning a nativity seating arrangement or calculating gift budgets, engage students while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving. The resource is flexible enough to support differentiated learning and comes with a comprehensive answer key for efficient marking.

Lower KS2 Christmas Maths Ideal for Lower KS2 learners, this 15-worksheet collection provides a festive twist on core maths skills. Students will practice fractions, money calculations, measurements, and data interpretation through tasks like analysing bar charts, solving word problems, and ordering prices. The Christmas context keeps lessons fun and engaging, with activities ranging from planning festive events to calculating holiday costs. With answers provided, teachers can easily integrate this resource into independent work, group tasks, or assessment opportunities.

KS1 Christmas Maths This resource features 20 engaging Christmas-themed worksheets designed to reinforce foundational numeracy skills for Years 1 and 2. Activities focus on concepts such as counting, addition, subtraction, measurement, and shape recognition. With festive illustrations and scenarios, tasks include drawing, colouring, and solving simple word problems. This resource is perfect for blending maths practice with the excitement of the holiday season, keeping young learners motivated and on task. Answers are included for easy assessment.

This resource, “The Progressive Tense - Part 1: The Lesson,” is a foundational guide designed to teach pupils about the progressive tense. It provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to key concepts and lays the groundwork for collaborative and independent activities in subsequent parts of the series. Key Features: Clear Explanations: The resource introduces the progressive tense by explaining the structure of sentences, emphasising the role of subjects, main verbs, and helping verbs. It provides detailed explanations of the present, past, and future progressive tenses with clear examples. Focus on Understanding: Visual aids and examples illustrate the differences between simple and progressive tenses, helping pupils grasp when and how to use them. Explains the role of “be” helping verbs (e.g., is, are, was, were) in forming the progressive tense. Interactive Note-Taking: Pupils are encouraged to take notes with their partners during the lesson, reinforcing understanding through active engagement. These notes are used later in peer teaching activities, making the learning process collaborative and purposeful. Practical Application: Real-life examples, such as “The robots are stopping for their lunch break,” make the content relatable and engaging. Pupils learn how progressive tenses are used to describe ongoing actions and actions interrupted by others. Preparation for Peer Teaching: The lesson serves as a foundation for pupils to create presentations in Part 2, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge to explain the topic effectively. Tips for Teachers: Use this lesson as an introductory activity to teach the progressive tense before moving on to more interactive and collaborative tasks in Part 2. Pair pupils to encourage discussion and collaborative note-taking, enhancing comprehension through shared ideas. Highlight the importance of notes for future activities, emphasising that their work in this lesson contributes to their success in subsequent parts. This resource is ideal for building a strong understanding of the progressive tense and fostering an interactive learning environment. It prepares pupils for deeper engagement and peer collaboration in learning grammar.

This resource, “The Progressive Tense - Part 2: Peer Teaching Activity,” is an interactive and collaborative learning tool that engages pupils in understanding and applying the progressive tense through teaching and creative projects. Key Features: Peer Teaching Framework: Pupils work in pairs to prepare and deliver a presentation on the progressive tense, deepening their understanding by explaining concepts to peers. The activity fosters collaboration and communication, with each pair presenting to another and receiving feedback. Structured Learning: Clear explanations and examples of present, past, and future progressive tenses, supported by visual and textual reminders. Builds on prior knowledge from Part 1 (the lesson), providing continuity and reinforcing key concepts. Creative Engagement: Pairs combine to form expert groups and create a short video on the progressive tense, encouraging creativity and deeper exploration of the topic. Videos are swapped with other groups for peer review, promoting critical thinking and constructive feedback. Reflection and Growth: Includes guided reflections for pupils to evaluate their learning, teamwork, and preferences for future group activities. The “Monster Reflection” framework adds a fun and personalised element, allowing pupils to express what they enjoyed and what challenged them. Tips for Teachers: Use this activity to consolidate pupils’ understanding of the progressive tense after teaching the basics. Emphasise collaboration and active participation by guiding pupils through the steps of preparing presentations and creating videos. Provide time for reflection and encourage open discussions to build confidence and improve group dynamics. This resource is ideal for fostering active learning and peer interaction while reinforcing grammar concepts in a fun, engaging way.

This resource, “The Progressive Tense - Part 2: Peer Teaching Activity,” is an interactive and collaborative learning tool that engages pupils in understanding and applying the progressive tense through teaching and creative projects. Key Features: Peer Teaching Framework: Pupils work in pairs to prepare and deliver a presentation on the progressive tense, deepening their understanding by explaining concepts to peers. The activity fosters collaboration and communication, with each pair presenting to another and receiving feedback. Structured Learning: Clear explanations and examples of present, past, and future progressive tenses, supported by visual and textual reminders. Builds on prior knowledge from Part 1 (the lesson), providing continuity and reinforcing key concepts. Creative Engagement: Pairs combine to form expert groups and create a short video on the progressive tense, encouraging creativity and deeper exploration of the topic. Videos are swapped with other groups for peer review, promoting critical thinking and constructive feedback. Reflection and Growth: Includes guided reflections for pupils to evaluate their learning, teamwork, and preferences for future group activities. The “Monster Reflection” framework adds a fun and personalised element, allowing pupils to express what they enjoyed and what challenged them. Tips for Teachers: Use this activity to consolidate pupils’ understanding of the progressive tense after teaching the basics. Emphasise collaboration and active participation by guiding pupils through the steps of preparing presentations and creating videos. Provide time for reflection and encourage open discussions to build confidence and improve group dynamics. This resource is ideal for fostering active learning and peer interaction while reinforcing grammar concepts in a fun, engaging way.

KS1 Introducing Connectives Literacy Booster Pack This resource is a comprehensive literacy booster designed for Key Stage 1 pupils to introduce and practice the use of connectives in sentence construction. It is aimed at helping pupils progress from writing simple, short sentences to forming more complex, cohesive, and interesting sentences using connectives. Key Features and Items of Value: Learning Objectives: Pupils will identify and use simple connectives such as and, but, so, because, and if to combine short sentences effectively. Step-by-Step Exercises: The resource begins with basic exercises using and to join sentences and progresses to more varied and challenging connectives like but, so, and because, ensuring gradual learning and comprehension. Practical Sentence Rewriting Tasks: Pupils practice rewriting sentences both by joining shorter ones and breaking down longer sentences into simpler forms, which reinforces their understanding of structure and usage. Application in Own Writing: Opportunities for pupils to create sentences using specific connectives, fostering their ability to apply knowledge in their writing. Illustrative Examples: Clear, contextual examples and passages that demonstrate how different connectives can transform writing. Assessment and Reflection: Exercises where pupils can identify correct and incorrect usage, enhancing their editing and critical thinking skills. The resource ensures pupils not only learn the mechanics of using connectives but also understand their importance in making writing more engaging. By using this workbook, teachers can guide pupils through structured practice and offer varied activities that build confidence and skills in sentence construction. The exercises can be seamlessly integrated into lessons and provide a valuable reference for pupils as they develop their writing capabilities.

KS1 More About Connectives Literacy Booster Pack This educational resource is designed to help KS1 pupils develop their understanding and usage of connectives to create more complex and engaging sentences. The pack offers a structured approach that builds on pupils’ existing knowledge and encourages the practical application of connectives in their writing. Key Features and Items of Value: Learning Objectives: This resource focuses on revising and extending the use of conjunctions, such as and, but, so, because, when, and if, to create compound and complex sentences. Engaging Activities: Includes tasks where pupils identify connectives, practice joining short sentences, and rewrite simple passages to make them more interesting by incorporating connectives. Progressive Exercises: Starts with basic joining of sentences using and and gradually introduces other connectives, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right word for cohesion and clarity. Real-Life Application: Pupils are encouraged to write their own sentences using different connectives and to revise passages to make them more engaging. Interactive Challenges: Includes matching exercises, sentence rewriting tasks, and fill-in-the-gap activities to reinforce learning through active participation. Creative Practice: Pupils write stories or paragraphs using various connectives, enhancing their ability to integrate these skills into their writing. Teachers will find this pack valuable as it helps pupils understand not just how to use connectives, but why they are essential for creating longer, more fluid sentences that enhance readability. The activities support differentiated instruction and can be used as part of whole-class lessons, small group work, or individual practice. This pack provides ample opportunity for formative assessment and helps identify areas where pupils may need additional support.

This guide, “Ten Strategies for Creating a Classroom Climate for Creative Thinking,” provides primary teachers with evidence-based, practical strategies to foster a creative and dynamic learning environment. Key Points of Value: Comprehensive and Practical: Includes ten actionable strategies, such as encouraging idea generation, group brainstorming, learning from mistakes, and using creative thinking frameworks. Supportive Learning Environment: Focuses on creating a classroom atmosphere that nurtures creativity through collaboration, acceptance of mistakes, and constructive feedback. Diverse and Flexible Approaches: Emphasizes activities like mind mapping, visualization, and “what if” questions to stimulate varied thinking. Explicit Skill Development: Highlights the importance of teaching students the aspects of creative thinking directly, fostering self-reflection and metacognition. Structured Process: Guides teachers through methods for generating, evaluating, and refining student ideas, ensuring productive and focused creative work. The Ten Strategies Covered Include: Encouraging ideas Brainstorming as a group Allowing for mistakes Teaching creative techniques Maintaining a relaxed approach Promoting a creative environment Supporting collaboration Implementing creative frameworks Teaching creative aspects explicitly Encouraging creative flow These strategies empower teachers to enrich their practices and cultivate a classroom culture that values creativity and innovation.

Teachers will find clear explanations, strategies, and examples that make it easier to integrate creative thinking practices into their teaching. This guide equips teachers with the tools to develop students’ problem-solving skills, adaptability, and innovative mindsets, making it a valuable resource for fostering essential 21st-century competencies. This guide is divided into two main sections, providing a well-rounded approach to understanding and applying creative thinking concepts. Key Highlights: Comprehensive Definitions: Clear explanations of creative thinking and how it differs from general creativity, helping teachers grasp its unique role in education. Evidence-Based Insights: A review of research-backed reasons why creative thinking is critical for today’s learners, enhancing your ability to justify its importance in your teaching practice. Attributes of Creative Thinkers: Detailed coverage of the key attributes that define creative thinkers, such as goal orientation, imagination, and self-regulation, offering you practical markers for student assessment. Practical Applications: Techniques and ideas to integrate creative thinking into your lessons, encouraging students to approach problems with fresh perspectives and innovative solutions. Support for Problem Solving: Insights on how creative thinking contributes to developing problem-solving skills, enabling students to adapt and respond effectively to new challenges. This guide is ideal for primary teachers who aim to enrich their teaching methods and promote higher-level thinking. It provides a blend of theory and actionable advice to make creative thinking a cornerstone of classroom success.

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.

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 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 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.

These are the key features of this KS1 literacy skills builder lesson: Aligned with Key Stage 1 Learning Goals – The resource is well-suited to KS1 literacy objectives, helping pupils develop essential skills like reading comprehension, vocabulary building, and basic literary analysis. It aligns with curriculum goals for reading fluency, understanding text structure, and making simple inferences. Develops Foundational Comprehension Skills – The questions cover a range of comprehension levels, from literal recall to inferential thinking. By using a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions, the lesson builds pupils’ confidence in both recognising straightforward details and expressing opinions or interpretations. Engaging Storyline with Relatable Themes – The story of Dippy the Duck and the Tin Soldiers resonates well with young learners, making reading more enjoyable. Themes of inclusion, empathy, and perseverance are meaningful yet accessible, helping pupils connect to the story while building their social-emotional learning skills. Encourages Vocabulary Growth and Discussion – The resource introduces vocabulary in a context that encourages natural exploration and questioning. This is ideal for KS1 pupils, who benefit from contextual learning and the opportunity to discuss new words, characters, and ideas with their teacher and peers. Ready-Made Structure for Teachers – With a mix of reading passages, questions, and a poem, the lesson is well-rounded and organized for easy classroom integration. Teachers can use the resource as a complete lesson or select parts for guided reading, group work, or individual assessment. Promotes Enjoyment in Reading – The relatable setting and playful character dynamics make this story enjoyable for young children. This helps foster a positive attitude toward reading and literature, an important aspect of early education. Built-In Extension Opportunities – The lesson introduces The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen, a classic fairy tale, which opens up possibilities for comparison with other fairy tales, further comprehension activities, and discussions around literary tradition. Additionally, the poem reinforces skills like rhyming and rhythm, important in phonics and early literacy. In Summary This resource is valuable because it’s versatile, engaging, and pedagogically sound, providing teachers with a structured way to build pupils’ reading comprehension while reinforcing key KS1 learning objectives. It’s also flexible enough to support differentiation, making it a practical and worthwhile addition to any KS1 teacher’s toolkit.

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.