Search results for ""John Catt Educational Ltd""

Whether considering the art of debate; understanding dialogic teaching methods; the necessity of questioning; or the ability to assess and develop these skills, this book has been written by a classroom teacher, for classroom teachers, in the hope that oracy is dragged out of the shadows and recognised for its significance to improving students’ life skills and future aspirations. When we think about the transferable skills all students will take with them post-academia, oracy, literacy and numeracy should logistically stand proudly side by side. This triad of skillsets are the key components that are used to measure intellectual development in childhood, as well as being further instilled and nurtured in all students throughout their education. However, as children become students and as these students become critical thinkers, an element of this crucial triad appears to have been disowned in recent years. In 2020, oracy appeared to have even less relevance in academia, with the only supportive provision for both Language and Literature to deal with any missed learning being the eradication of any recorded proof of this skill. Yet another indication that oracy has, in some circumstances, been cast into the shadows and banished into the realm of the subject specific curricular. We need to be realistic and embrace the idea that this skill is a necessity to success for all learners post-academia. Training students in the ability to communicate effectively with different audiences in different contexts, needs to be brought back into the spotlight in the hopes that we can attempt to resolve any misconceptions regarding oracy’s place in the curriculum. Through the recognition of the theoretical understanding of communication that will provide the foundations for this book, the aim is that it acts as a supportive guide that will provide suggestions and strategies in order to hopefully empower and encourage educators in all subjects in education, thus restoring the use and appreciation for this necessary skill both inside and outside the classroom. For so long, focus has been on the stress and rigor of assessments, and the fulfilment of the curriculum to ensure that all students can navigate their GCSE examinations. This book will question whether this will have a detrimental effect on students who may have been exposed to fewer of the skills that they will require when leaving an educational setting and venturing into everyday life. So, let’s address the elephant in the room, and provide it a voice.

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There are a lot of redundant processes in schools. We need to take a hard look at these and consider whether they are adding value to the core purpose of schools. We need to apply Greg McKeown's 'disciplined pursuit of less' in order to create the time and space to do deep, satisfying work on the curriculum. This means that there will be some hard choices and recognise that if we cannot do everything, we need to move to a space which acknowledges there will be trade offs. This is more than a workload issue, it is about focusing our efforts on the most important agenda item in schools today - the development of an ambitious curriculum for every child, in every school.

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The Fascist Painting is a serious, rich and deeply intelligent piece of work that will radically alter the way we view culture in schools and will be a key text for anyone designing a curriculum. The Ofsted Inspection Framework states that cultural capital is 'The essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens' and that schools 'should be introducing [students] to the best that has been thought and said and helping to engender an appreciation of human creativity and achievement'. They are now considering, 'the extent to which schools are equipping pupils with the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life.' But what does this term mean? And how are schools to respond to this? In this densely argued and wide-ranging text, Phil Beadle answers those questions and many more by using the work of Pierre Bourdieu to prompt a discussion of how we improve the provision of cultural capital in our schools. Where does the best that has been thought and said come from? Why is the government importing the unexamined language of the private school into the state sector? What is the real purpose behind character education? Does sport, as is reputed, teach resilience, and why would anyone think it was appropriate to teach children a quality they already have? Is cultural capital just ruling class culture? Chiefly, does using a term originated by a French intellectual and radical sociologist to instate the culture of the rich as being superior prove anything other more than a complete absence of thought, or have they accidentally given us a radical tool to change education for the better?

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How can we transform the school experience for all stakeholders? Jethro Jones has the answer: design thinking. SchoolX shows principals how to become designers, not just managers or leaders. It introduces readers to the design-thinking process, an iterative and innovative way to approach the challenges the school leader faces. Drawing on the wisdom of the dozens of leaders he has interviewed for his Transformative Principal podcast, Jones shows principals how to put themselves in the shoes of the people in their school communities, using that empathy to drive radical change. But, crucially, Jones argues that it is only once leaders improve their own experience that they can transform the experiences of others.

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If we want our pupils to develop fluency, understanding and the ability to solve complex problems, then it is vital that teachers develop the ability to select, adapt and design appropriate mathematical tasks. In 'Mathematical Tasks: The Bridge Between Teaching and Learning', Chris McGrane explores a range of practical approaches, strategies and principles behind the design and effective use of tasks in the mathematics classroom that lead to all pupils becoming successful learners. First-hand interviews with world class mathematics education experts and practicing teachers bring to life the ideas behind how tasks can act as a bridge between what the teacher wants the pupil to make sense of and what the pupil actually does makes sense of; tasks are how we enable pupils to enact mathematics - it is only by being mathematical that pupils can truly make connections across mathematical ideas and understand the bigger picture. This is a book for classroom teachers. Chris McGrane offers a range of practical examples for nurturing deep learning in mathematics that can be adapted and embedded in one's own classroom practice. This is also a book for those who are interested in the theory behind tasks. Chris and his interviewees examine the key role tasks play in shaping learning, teaching, curriculum and assessment. Suitable for teachers at all stages in their careers and teachers are encouraged to return to the book from time to time over the years to notice how their use of tasks in the classroom changes as they themselves develop.

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So, you want to be an academy trust leader? This book will show you how. Sir David Carter started his career as a music teacher in several comprehensive schools before spending thirty years in school leadership before becoming one of the first Regional Schools Commissioners and then National School Commissioner. He knows what it feels like to be responsible for multiple schools and how the best leaders make large-scale collaboration work for their teachers, pupils, parents and the whole community. This book will share the recipe for understanding the purpose of academy trust leadership and give insider knowledge of how to do it well and with all stakeholders at the forefront of your mission.

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The Knowledge Quiz series is a deviously simple and effective way for students to revise for GCSE subjects. Put together by subject experts, these easy-to-use books feature tear-out quizzes to help students memorise the large body of knowledge that forms the basis of success in exams. Rather than just flicking through revision cards expecting things to stick in your memory, self-quizzing allows you to complete multiple copies of the same quiz and keep doing them until you get them right every time. At the end of each section you'll find full answers. This edition will help students to effectively drill the essential facts necessary for success in the Islam exam, part of GCSE Religious Studies.

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'A Quiet Education' serves as an unashamed cheerleader for all that is quiet, challenging the myth that collaboration and noise should be at the heart of what happens in schools. It examines how we can ensure more introverted students and teachers can thrive and achieve their potential. It also explores why it is essential that all teachers begin to embrace quieter values: in their classrooms and management of behaviour; in sustaining their own wellbeing; in their desire to reflect meaningfully and improve as a teacher. The final section is an exploration of quieter skills: how we can strengthen our students' metacognitive ability; their ability to listen, pay attention and focus; the quality of independent work we do in the classroom alongside how we can motivate all our students.

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The Knowledge Quiz series is a deviously simple and effective way for students to revise for GCSE subjects. Put together by subject experts, these easy-to-use books feature tear-out quizzes to help students memorise the large body of knowledge that forms the basis of success in exams. Rather than just flicking through revision cards expecting things to stick in your memory, self-quizzing allows you to complete multiple copies of the same quiz and keep doing them until you get them right every time. At the end of each section you'll find full answers. This edition will help students to effectively drill the essential facts necessary for success in the Christianity exam, part of GCSE Religious Studies.

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The narrative around leadership needs to change. After reading scores of leadership books in an attempt to find a voice which resonated, Emma Turner (a primary teacher of 22 years with over a decade of school leadership experience including being part of one of the first all female Co-Headships from 2009, and mum of three small children) realised that the bulk of leadership advice out there did not take into account trying to balance parenting three children as well as working in a leadership post. This book takes a practical, humorous and unique perspective on the leadership narrative by looking at leadership through the eyes of what we notice about toddlers. Packed with real examples of what works as well as reassurance that leadership is extremely do-able for many of us, this book aims to demystify some of the leadership behaviours; encourage us all to believe we can be leaders; and to, 'Be More Toddler'.

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Schools are filled with great teachers, but is great teaching taking place in every classroom, in every school? Bruce Robertson doesn't believe it is. Why not? This book argues that there are two reasons. Firstly, because there isn't a shared understanding of what makes great teaching. Secondly, because schools haven't developed the strong professional learning culture necessary to drive the development of great teaching in every classroom. Through discussion of key messages from educational research, and drawing on a track record of success, this book explores how these barriers can be addressed, leading to transformations in teaching practice across classrooms and schools.

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Leadership is an ill-defined domain, drowning in abstract theories and models of expertise. School leadership suffers from this lack of a satisfactory and useful definition of leadership, and has of late been drawn in to generic approaches to school improvement which have left the workforce feeling anything but `well led'. How do we put `substance' back in to school leadership? This book draws on the lessons of cognitive science and explores the specific things that school leaders do, arguing for a notion of school leadership rooted in the realities of leaders' daily experiences. It presents a case for how school leaders can develop their expertise and, in doing so, places domain-specific knowledge at the heart of school improvement efforts.

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Dr Lucy Bailey presents a concise and coherent guide for those who are interested in pursuing a teaching career internationally. This book covers all the things you should consider as well as the advantages and disadvantages of living and working in an entirely new culture and country that you might face.If you've ever considered taking the big leap, looking for a new adventure, and relocating to a completely different country, continent or time zone, then this book will guide you through the steps and help you answer all the big questions to figure out if it's really for you. This is a book that is applicable both for those who are looking to take the journey on their own or with their immediate family.Written by someone who has made the move herself and lived in over four different countries with her husband - who is an international school headteacher - and their four daughters, Dr Lucy Bailey provides essential, key information and more than useful advice.

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The Knowledge Quiz series is a deviously simple and effective way for students to revise for GCSE subjects. Put together by teaching experts, these easy-to-use books feature tear-out quizzes to help students memorise the large body of knowledge that form the basis of success in exams.Rather than just flicking through revision cards expecting things to stick in your memory, self-quizzing allows students to complete multiple copies of the same quiz and kept doing them until you get them right every time. This edition will help students to effectively drill the essential facts necessary for success in the GCSE Computer Science exam.

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The Knowledge Quiz series is a deviously simple and effective way for students to revise for GCSE subjects. Put together by teaching experts, these easy-to-use books feature tear-out quizzes to help students memorise the large body of knowledge that form the basis of success in exams.Rather than just flicking through revision cards expecting things to stick in your memory, self-quizzing allows students to complete multiple copies of the same quiz and kept doing them until you get them right every time. This edition will help students to effectively drill the essential facts necessary for success in the GCSE History exam, on the topic of Medicine Through Time.

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researchED is an educator-led organisation with the goal of bridging the gap between research and practice. This accessible and punchy series, overseen by founder Tom Bennett, tackles the most important topics in education, with a range of experienced contributors exploring the latest evidence and research and how it can apply in a variety of classroom settings.In this edition, James Murphy examines the latest evidence surrounding student literacy, editing contributions from a wide range of writers.

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Some students think mathematically. They have the curiosity to notice relationships, the confidence to ask why, and the knowledge to understand the answer. They are the lucky ones.Many others just "do" maths. They look at a question, think about how to answer it, answer it, and then move on.In this book, Craig Barton, maths teacher and best-selling author of How I wish I'd taught maths, offers an approach to help all our students think mathematically. It requires the careful sequencing of questions and examples, the role of the teacher, and the mathematical behaviour of our students. It has transformed his teaching. Drawing upon research into the Self-Explanation Effect, the Hypercorrection Effect and Variation Theory, together with two years of developing this approach with teachers and students around the world, Craig describes exactly what this looks like in the classroom.But be warned: not everyone agrees. Indeed, it is this very approach that led to Craig being labelled as "the most dangerous and clueless man in maths education". If that is not a recommendation to keep reading, I don't know what is.

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At the start of his career, Ben Newmark assumed that all the things he was told to do, from how to teach to how to record the progress of my pupils, were well planned and necessary. Sometimes things didn't feel right and seemed bizarre but, for the first couple of years of his career, he assumed this was because he was not skilled, knowledgeable or experienced enough to understand the rationale. But he couldn't keep this up forever. So he began to ask questions. And then he asked more. And the more he learned the more confused he became. To his horror it became clear that there wasn't a masterplan. Instead, education was a world full of contradictory thinking, bad planning and unintended consequences. Each chapter of this book tries to answer one of the questions he struggled with, trying to explain the reasons for the oddness and then give some advice on how schools and individual teachers might manage it. And it is possible to do better than manage it. For all its frustrating weirdness there isn't another job in the world he'd rather do. When finally he has to retire, he will be begging his closest school to teach two or three classes a week. Including chapters such as: Why are there so many spreadsheets in schools?; Why doesn't my school behaviour system work?; Why is teaching making me so unhealthy?; and Why won't my pupils work hard?

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The ultimate guide to understanding how a school can be led, managed and run, written by an author with extensive experience, and drawing heavily on research around knowledge-based curricula.Cleary and honestly stating the challenges of leading a school, Samuel Strickland focuses on approaches to the curriculum, teaching and learning, teacher workload, behavior, staff morale, leadership and Ofsted.

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As part of the discovery of cognitive science, teachers are waking up to the powers of dual coding - combining words with visuals in your teaching. But cognitive scientists aren't graphic designers, and so their books don't show teachers how to be competent in producing effective visuals. There is a huge gap between what we know about dual coding and the skills needed to practice it effectively in the classroom. Until now.Dual Coding With Teachers is a breakthrough educational book. No other book has been designed with both cognitive science and graphic principles in mind. Every page contains diagrams, infographics, illustrations and graphic organisers. The book is designed to cater for both the busy teacher in a rush, as well as the research-hungry colleague. Over 35 teachers, teacher developers, psychologists and information designers are profiled, each with a double-page spread, highlighting their dual coding practice.The author, Oliver Caviglioli, is uniquely placed to bridge the gap between education and graphic design. A former special school head teacher, Oliver learned design principles from an early age from his architect and typographer father. Four decades of reading educational research has found its visual expression in this spectacular, image-rich book.

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Early in the 2000s, a high-school principal in Minnesota, Dr. Bob Perdaems, faced a complex challenge. The demographics of his school were shifting, political tensions in the surrounding communities were rising, and, thanks to the No Child Left Behind Act's new testing and accountability requirements, his school's performance was soon to be scrutinized more intensely and more publicly than ever before. While he had several visions of how his school could continuously improve through these realities, however, he had no additional budget to bring his ideas to life.Undaunted, Dr. Bob set to creating school improvements the best way he knew how--and that, of course, he could afford: he prioritized his school's areas for growth, found teachers who would lend minds and hands, and gathered them to look at the blueprints. What the Academy Taught Us is a book about the collaborative school-improvement culture Dr. Bob created in his Minnesota high school: the principles that initiated it, the collective effort that kept it running, and the lasting effects it had on its teachers and students. The book also brilliantly explores how bottom-up approaches like Dr. Bob's fare in the current era, which seeks to transform schools through more top-down and 'disruptive' means. Ultimately, What the Academy Taught Us offers today's educators a way forward. While largely viewing the difficult work of school improvement through the prism of a single school, it presents abundant recommendations about how schools everywhere can build effective and continuous improvement from the bottom up.

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The Knowledge Quiz series is a deviously simple and effective way for students to revise for GCSE subjects. Put together by teaching experts, these easy-to-use books feature tear-out quizzes to help students memorise the large body of knowledge that form the basis of success in exams.Rather than just flicking through revision cards expecting things to stick in your memory, self-quizzing allows students to complete multiple copies of the same quiz and kept doing them until you get them right every time. This edition will help students to effectively drill the essential facts necessary for success in the GCSE Biology exam.

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ResearchSEND was developed to promote the importance of research in meeting the needs of learners with SEND through events, collaborations, publications and research projects. Here, Michelle Haywood edits a collection of short essays spanning the latest SEND-related research and detailing how practice can be enhanced by that research. Each chapter ends with accessible bullet points on how the research can be integrated into the classroom.

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What are the seven key concepts that drove Da Vinci's inventive thinking and how can we still use them to improve our own creativity, 500 years after his death? In pursuit of the unified learning principles that sit at the heart of his work, Ian Warwick and Ray Speakman brilliantly explore the approaches that we need to take to make our own learning more original and thoughtful.

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Increasingly, across the system, people are talking about knowledge and curriculum. In this timely new book, Mary Myatt is at her brilliant best as she passionately argues that the solutions to overcoming achievement barriers lie in understanding the curriculum and in what children and meant to know. In order to reach coherence on the curriculum, it’s going to require teachers in schools to engage in the conversation; it’s a journey we need to share if we’re going to deliver a curriculum we understand and believe in. In a series of crystal clear chapters, Mary guides teachers and school leaders through one of the most important debates in education.

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If you are a parent of a teenager, you will have experienced the frustration and bemusement that their strange and emotional logic creates. But can we really just blame it on their hormones and wiring? This book is based on the research used in a popular and effective nine-week course run by the author aimed at equipping parents with the understanding of why teenagers behave as they do and explores effective tools take away a lot of stress in dealing with them. It looks at how parenting styles and different interactionist models impact on our relationship with these emotional and argumentative beings. The 'teen in the greenhouse' looks at the world through the filter of a teenage brain and uses a range of neurological and socio-psychological models to explore how adults can moderate their interactions with them to make parenting teenagers easier. It explores ways in which the teenage brain uses and misuses emotions to make misguided decisions and how we can help support better decisions being made and reduce arguments. The book provides a thorough and at times humorous exploration of what is happening to the teenage brain and how this impacts on those who help them.

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This book brings together guidance, advice and tips from school business leaders across the sector. Demonstrating the importance of being an outward-facing leader, who knows their value and can clearly communicate their impact. Wherever you are in your career, this book will provide you with practical advice on how to thrive in your role, deal with difficult situations, develop your career, create positive collaborative relationships that will improve your role, your school and most importantly the outcomes for the young people you serve. School business leaders are without doubt unsung heroes in education and this book will empower you to be the best version of yourself.

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Everyone Succeeds is the story of Torquay Academy, where head Steve Margetts has employed the Leadership Matters principles to turn round a failing school into one of the most improved in SW England in just three years.

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This unique book has been written to save schools and their leaders from going belly-up. While no book can anticipate every possible horror situation, Mike Waters' book provides anyone who wants their school to steer clear of shocking events the guidance to do just that. But since such things can happen anyway, it is also about preparing and responding to them if they do occur. Think a school-harming won't happen to you or your school? They are happening more and more and often to the best schools and school leaders. Think your crisis management procedures will see you through? Don't bank on it. Many of the events that rock schools don't start off as obvious crises. They may start off as something seemingly minor and containable - a routine parental complaint, perhaps, or a stupid action by a member. Then things spiral out of control. That's the world that many school leaders find themselves in today. And if you want painful, first-hand evidence for this, you have only to read the school leaders' own accounts of their harrowing experiences provided in the book.Because Dr Waters' book draws directly on his experiences of working with schools rocked by crises they never saw coming, it is filled with practical wisdom. But it is also blessedly short. It's a book for busy people who want to save themselves stress and turmoil. If that's you, then read it before it's too late.

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Sonia Blandford, CEO of award-winning charity Achievement for All, writes brilliantly and honestly about the facing up to the realities of the white working class and how to address social mobility from the inside. No-one in the UK is better placed than Sonia to write about the struggles of white working class pupils in our schools. She grew up on the Allied Estate in Hounslow and was the first member of her family to pursue education beyond the age of 14 and was also the first to attend university. Sonia lost her mother when she took an accidental overdose, when she couldn't read the doctor's prescription. This tragic failing served as one of the inspirations for her to set up the award-winning Achievement for All organisation, who work with thousands of schools to help close the attainment gap. Born to Fail? tackles head-on issues such as why education often doesn't matter to the working class; how education has failed to deliver for them; the importance of self-belief, action and confidence; and how the Early Years is the crucial time to build success from the start.

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Telling the remarkable story of Harrop Fold School in Salford, from their unprecedented GBP2.5m debt to being featured in the BAFTA-award nominated Educating Manchester TV series. Drew Povey was one of the youngest Heads in the country when he was appointed aged 32 in 2010. Through sheer determination and strong, visionary leadership, Drew and his management team (including his two brothers) have wiped out the GBP600k a year deficit and are reducing the huge debt - while continuing to get standout results from pupils. Their book reveals the untold story of their struggles, and the unique leadership style that has seen a quite stunning turnaround in a school once labelled one of the worst in the country.

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Straight A Student, Cambridge grad, experienced teacher and former A-Level examiner Lucy Parsons is on a mission to help 15-18 year olds achieve their academic dreams. Through her book The Ten Step Guide to Acing Every Exam You Ever Take Lucy shows you a simple system that she developed for her own use and perfected in her classroom that really does get you the best grades every time. Lucy is passionate about helping young people achieve their ambition of getting into elite universities and reaping the life-long benefits that this extraoridnary education will give them.

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Paul Garvey uses his experience as a teacher, inspector and a National Strategies consultant to advise educators and schools on how his Talk For Teaching method can help them take control of their Professional Development - without it increasing costs or taking up valuable lesson time. Educators learn how 'Talk for Teaching' can be applied, by utilising experiences from all members of your teaching staff from TAs to heads. All play a vital role in the improvement of the teaching quality throughout the school, whilst improving morale as well. Full of experiences from teachers, headteachers and inspectors, as well as Garvey's own personal experiences, this is not a book to be missed for anyone looking to journey towards teaching excellence. Talk for Teaching clearly works. This is what Ofsted said about the result of putting Talk for Teaching at the heart of a school's programme for improving the quality of teaching. The quote is taken from Barnsole Primary's Ofsted report in April 2016: "Together with the deputy headteacher, the headteacher has led the 'Talk for Teaching' programme that has been an instrumental part of transforming the quality of teaching over time. The high-quality teaching in this school now leads to outstanding outcomes for pupils. The school has used this professional development programme to involve leaders, teachers, teaching assistants, governors and other members of the school staff in observing teaching together. They have detailed conversations about the effectiveness of what is seen and how it can be improved. Staff discuss the quality of teaching regularly and freely share ideas about what works well with colleagues."

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Most books on teaching ask teachers to be inspirational, to operate at 100 miles an hour with creativity oozing out of every pore. Dominic Salles says that's unsustainable. But you can get brilliant results using some simple practices taken from the myriad of educational research on classroom practices. It isn't a guide to all the extra stuff you should do to become cool and awesome. It is a book that will get you to forget about teaching and think about learning: another way of saying, it will help you to stop stressing about what you do, and get the students to work harder and smarter at what they do. Dominic Salles believes that every teacher can be slightly awesome. And here he shows you how.

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'The New Middle Leader's Handbook' is the definitive go-to guide for all educators looking to take the leap into middle leadership, those wanting to become better middle leaders, or senior leaders seeking an authoritative manual for their school's middle leadership. Innovatively organised into chapters around the school year, taking readers from August to July and covering the full range of problems, challenges and opportunities they face in one of the most important roles in the school, and providing them with a framework to strategically plan and shape their year. Readers can use the book to structure their work into manageable portions while tailoring its content to their own personal school context, and its many activities and resources will provide opportunities for reflection, analysis and creative thinking.Operating as a practical manual and designed for easy reference, the book proposes methods, systems and procedures for: developing a personal leadership style; managing and driving dynamic change; building a successful team and challenging resistance; challenging underperformance of staff and students; using performance management to drive improvement; monitoring the quality of teaching and learning; tracking and measuring progress; preparing for inspection or internal review, including the self-evaluation process; organising meetings and leading professional development, including the use of the coaching model; prioritising workload and maintaining a work/life balance; developing a strategic learning and development plan; creating a culture of positive behaviour, aspiration and high expectations; innovating in teaching and learning; and designing a creative curriculum and curriculum enrichment. In addition, the book will guide those wishing to step up to middle leadership through the application and interview process, providing common-sense advice on the experience and skills required to become a successful middle leader. At its core, the book will be a source of stability for middle leaders that helps them to establish working principles that transcend changes to examinations, inspection criteria or DfE guidance. It offers inspiration and enable a reflective approach to the role. The book is comprehensive and knowledgeable, but crucially, accessible, written in a style that will eschew overly academic theorising, trendy soundbites or patronising waffle. In its final chapters, it looks beyond the first year to provide guidance on long-term strategic planning, career development and bridging the gap between middle and senior leadership. In short, 'The New Middle Leader's Handbook' will be the only book that an aspiring or current middle leader will ever need.

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This is a book about the things that wise leaders do. It is informed through thousands of conversations with leaders and argues that these leaders do not shy away from the tough stuff. It points to the conditions which these leaders create to allow colleagues to engage with difficult issues enthusiastically and wholeheartedly. It is taken from observations of leaders at work in a variety of settings. While these are mostly schools, these observations are checked against what is happening in wider leadership and management thinking. This book makes the case that any leadership role is concerned primarily with the relationships between individuals. It is the quality of these, whatever the size of the organisation, which make the difference between organisations which thrive, and those which stagnate. This is not to argue for soft, easy and comfortable options. Instead it considers how top leaders manage to walk the line between the impossible and the possible, between the undoable and the doable and to create conditions for productive work which transcend the difficulties which come towards us every day. Instead of dodging them, they embrace them.And by navigating high challenge, low threat, they show how others how to do the same.

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Powerful Schools seeks to release the creative vision within all educators, and show how schools can lead the way in establishing structures and practices that will support young people to become productive members of a global society. If educators are liberated to recognise that the vast potential of schools need not be constrained by expectations about qualifications, curriculum, the length of the school day, or physical buildings, then their imagination soars, as does their capacity for invention. Powerful Schools is a blueprint, showing how each and every school can grow abundantly rich in opportunities for individuals to develop the skills to become more socially and globally mobile, actively supported by numerous people and organisations who are consciously working to engage them in making the most of these opportunities.

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* Can a school-led system truly become self-improving? * What is the difference between good and great schools? * Who should inspect and regulate? * How should local authorities change? * Is the landscape ahead one of all schools in partnerships? The English schools' system is at a crossroads. This landmark collection of essays brings together some of the country's leading education thinkers and practitioners. Their polemic is intended to help teachers, school leaders, governors, researchers and policy makers think deeply about future directions. 'As a Minister, I would ask which organisation was responsible for resolving a particular problem in education, only to be told: 'Don't worry, Minister - it's no longer the DFE. That is now a responsibility of the School-Led System. They will be delivering it.' Often, when you probed a little deeper, you discovered that the school-led system was nowhere near as well formed and ever present as some Ministers and senior civil servants liked to think.' David Laws 'This is a time of great possibility. Teachers are attempting to do extraordinary things. If we had more courage to shape our schools around what we believe to be a good education, then we could make life so much better not just for teachers but for the students we serve.' Peter Hyman 'For a self-improving system to be truly successful and to have a significant impact, it requires the highest performing schools to be outward reaching and to establish deep partnerships.' Rachel Macfarlane 'A self-improving school system must not become a self-regarding or, worse, a self-protecting school system. The role of external challenge is key to this.' Russell Hobby

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Hanif Qadir is recognised as one of the world's leading specialists in positively transforming violent extremists. He has worked with hundreds of high-risk terrorist and violent extremist cases and has challenged many known figureheads who lead violently extreme groups both at home and abroad. In this essential book for all those who work with young people, Hanif outlines the push and pull factors and the early indicators of radicalisation, and offers decisive and unambiguous advice on how and when to intervene. The book includes anonymous case studies of a wide variety of people Hanif has personally worked with and lays down simple lessons on what success and failure looks like when tackling extremism.

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Professor Sonia Blandford, founder and CEO of the award winning charity Achievement for All and listed as one of Debrett's 500 most influential for 2015, has written four books due out this Autumn. They each share the lessons that can be learned from the thousands of schools who have signed up to Achievement for All's high impact approach to education and who have bought into the charity's commitment to close the achievement gap in Britain's schools.DON'T LIKE MONDAYS? is a feast of facts, personal stories and practical ideas from children and young people for children and young people. This book aims to enrich the educational experience for those who find school tough, and to empower them to make a change in the classroom that will not only enable them to progress but which will benefit everyone else in their school too.

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The Invisible Curriculum Series gives teachers the secret ingredients to unlock the full potential of children's learning abilities. Too often in formal schooling, creativity and curiosity are taught out of children. Teaching for Creativity offers practical advice on how to ensure that this does not happen. This book will help teachers to preserve children's innate creative capacities at the same time as maintaining academic standards in the classroom.

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Changing Schools is a collection of essays by teachers, researchers and administrators who have been on the front line of the revolutionary changes taking place in state education over the last five years. Their chapters cover topics such as assessment, academy chains, use of educational research, free schools and social media, and will be required reading for anyone wanting to understand England's rapidly changing educational landscape.Contributors include: Andrew Old, prominent teacher blogger; Tom Bennett, founder of ResearchEd; Jonathan Simons, head of education at the think tank Policy Exchange; Katherine Birbalsingh, Head of Michaela Community School; James O'Shaughnessy, Managing Director of Floreat Education and former Policy Director for David Cameron; Daisy Cristodoulou, head of research at ARK Schools; Doug Lemov, Managing Director of Uncommon Schools and author of Teach Like a Champion.

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This book has a simple intent. In September 2014, primary schools in England will be expected to adopt a new national curriculum. There is good time to prepare. At this point of curriculum change and development in England's schools, the contributors offer their considered reflections on how primary schools across the country might take forward and shape their own curriculum framework for pupils. The spirit of the book is, based on considerable leadership experience in schools, letting-a-thousand-flowers-bloom rather than recommending a one-size-fits-all approach. This book does not set out to analyse the content of the 2014 Primary Curriculum, nor to present ways in which individual schools should plan their schemes of work and weekly or monthly planning. That is rightly the province of each school, learning from and sharing best practice with others. Rather, the contributors to this book present underpinning values, ideas and approaches to successful curriculum planning, rooted in many years of leading and working in schools. Their reflections come from varying perspectives: teachers, headteachers, directors of foundations and leading thinkers on education, each of whom is involved in the work of the National Education Trust (www.nationaleducationtrust.net), an independent charitable foundation which champions best practice.

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This fascinating book, written by two experts in school improvement, is for teachers and school leaders who are looking for ways to raise the organizational intelligence quotient (OIQ) of their classrooms and their schools. It is ideal for those who perceive themselves as the facilitators of learning - for students, for colleagues and for themselves. If schools are to be transformed and transformative, teacher-learners will lead the way. Simplistic and superficial approaches to improving student learning simply don't work. School improvement isn't a technical challenge; it is an adaptive one. It requires a change not just in behaviors and skills, but in values, beliefs and even identity.

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Teaching students for whom English is not their first language is a huge challenge for any educator. It is frustrating and demoralising for teachers and their students if the language barrier prevents learning and progress in the classroom. But, with ever increasing numbers of English as a Second Language (ESL) students in secondary schools - there is now a majority in international schools - teachers need to know how to overcome common problems and teach ESL students effectively. This concise and informative book provides strategies and practical advice that teachers can use every day in the classroom to help ESL students understand and get to grips with their subject. It includes advice on using the textbook, cultural differences, realistic timescales for learning, and language and grammar that is easy to understand; plus chapters on teaching specific subjects. Patricia Mertin is Mother Tongue co-ordinator at the International School of Dusseldorf and has vast experience of teaching ESL students.

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Since its introduction in 2000, well over 1000 schools in more than 65 different countries have adopted the IPC. In this book, educators raise and discuss implications for the future implementation of this innovative curriculum within the context of a changing world.

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The Following Game is about passion and obsession. It's about cricket, family and poetry, but most of all it's about a father following his son's career in the public eye and the close relationship they share. Jonathan Smith is the father of Ed Smith, a prominent writer and former Kent, Middlesex and England cricketer. The Following Game is a follow-up to Jonathan's critically-acclaimed 2002 book The Learning Game, one of the most talked-about books in education over the last ten years.

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Sixteen writers with a wealth of experience provide invaluable advice on working in the independent sector; first impressions; responsibilities and rewards: advice on starting out; child protection and your protection; good classroom practice; achievement and diversity; extra and co-curricular opportunities; the effective use of time; communication with parents; role of the induction tutor; those who work around you; input and out: admissions and public exams; balances and checks; professional development issues; looking ahead: next steps.

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