The Great Fire of London has been a staple in the KS1 history curriculum for decades. Why? Because it’s an exciting and dynamic story that captures the attention of young children and impacted London, and the country, in a way that can be seen today.
KS1 marks children’s introduction to science lessons, so it’s essential to ensure that the teaching methods employed are engaging, fun, and interactive to capture the attention of young learners and help them develop a love for science. The KS1 science curriculum is designed to introduce young learners to the basic concepts of living things, materials, and physical phenomena.
Teaching the history of International Women’s Day is critical; without the background of where we’ve been and how far we’ve come, pupils are less likely to understand the importance of gender equality. Women's rights fact files and info sheets are great for giving pupils a background to gender equality, without overwhelming younger years with a complete history of events.
Children’s Mental Health Week is an important date on the calendar and provides us with the opportunity to discuss some important topics in the classroom. Launched in 2015 by the children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, Children’s Mental Health Week takes place each year to encourage children (and adults) to talk about how to maintain and support their mental health.
History teaches us empathy, provides perspective on our own lives, and allows us to learn from the successes and failures of others. History is critically important to the development of our society and our children, but how interested people are in history often depends on how engagingly it was taught to them at school.
What does a lines and angles lesson plan involve?
Science is an essential subject and one we all spend a lot of time teaching at the primary school level, but that doesn’t often mean that coming up with meaningful lesson plans that align with the KS2 Science Curriculum is easy. To teach lessons to your pupils that resonate and cover the curriculum in its entirety throughout the school year can require significant planning.
The draw to primary school teaching is often the varied subject matter; one minute you’re discussing the life of Victorian children, the next you’re making models out of recycled materials. One area of the curriculum many primary school teachers find difficult in teaching is music.
In recent years, the number of people immigrating to the UK has increased, and as a result, there are a growing number of children in UK schools who speak English as an Additional Language (EAL). In fact, latest figures show that 1 in 10 primary school pupils and 1 in 7 secondary school pupils are EAL learners (NAHT, 2018). This has created a new set of challenges for schools and educators as they try to meet the unique educational needs of EAL pupils.
As the education landscape in the UK continues to evolve, so too do the tools and resources available for head teachers and teachers. With new technologies and approaches being developed all the time, it can be hard to know which ones are worth investing in and which ones will end up being a waste of time and money. How can you ensure that you're making the best choices for your school and your students?
