Contents Dear Reader,
Welcome to the latest issue of Education Today. SATs, SATs, SATs… for parents of Year 6 children, the past few weeks will have been dominated by this annual rite of passage marking the end of primary school and the dawning of a new life at secondary school. Whatever you think about them (and I share many of your reservations about the point of putting 11 year olds through them), SATs look set to be a fixture of our educational landscape for the foreseeable future. Talking of exams, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the state of the UK exam system in our next issue. I’m always interested in hearing what you, the practitioners, think of our system and whether it is fit for purpose in the 21st century, so please do get in touch and let me know what you think. Moving on to the current issue, we have three features for you this month. In the first, we examine the importance of getting students out of the classroom and into the outdoors, and the benefits to pupils of learning outside the classroom. In our second feature, we hear how classroom design, often a neglected subject, can improve the education outcomes for pupils, and see some marvellous examples of good classroom design, while in our third feature, we take a timely look at staging end of year productions and how to avoid the hassles which often accompany the staging of such shows. Elsewhere, we have the usual mix of news from around the UK education sector, a great selection of comment and insight from regulars Charlotte Beckhurst, Kirsty Bertenshaw and Alicia Blanco-Bayo, and I’m also delighted to welcome back Helen Cunningham from Cambridge University Press, who returns with an informative look at the new specifications for GCSE Geography. Echoing our classroom design feature, our regular View from the classroom piece features Jen Fairweather from Walton Holymoorside Primary School in Chesterfield, discussing how she has turned her classroom into a vibrant and productive space. Remember, you can get in touch with us via Twitter, Facebook and our homepage, as well as by phone or email. We always love to hear from you so please do get in touch! Enjoy the issue!
Jonathan Swift – Managing Editor In this issue...
4-8 NEWS Highlights from the UK education sector 10 COLUMNISTS
Insight and advice from Charlotte Beckhurst and Kirsty Bertenshaw 11-17 VIEWS AND OPINION
Featuring opinion and comment from the UK education sector 18-19 VIEW FROM THE CLASSROOM
With Jen Fairweather from Walton Holymoorside Primary School 20-22 OUTDOOR LEARNING
Getting children out the classroom and into the great outdoors 24-28 CLASSROOM DESIGN The importance of a well-designed classroom
May 2015
30-31 END OF YEAR SCHOOL PRODUCTIONS
With Andrew Oxspring of Edgy Productions
32 END OF YEAR PRODUCTIONS RESOURCES
A selection of resources to help stage a successful show
32-33 BUILDINGS, MAINTENANCE, REFURBISHMENT & DESIGN
Including products from Altro and Rockfon 34-35 COMPUTING & IT RESOURCES
Including products from Sahara and 3P Learning 36-38 SAFETY & SECURITY
Including products from Lapsafe and Delta Security 39-41 RESOURCES
Including products from Castelli and Carlease UK 42 COMPETITION
A great reader competition from Rapid Education
Publication Manager: Carl Hearnden Publishing Director: Paul Ryder Managing Editor: Jonathan Swift Production Controller: Claire Noe Art Editor: Kirsty Hood Secretary: Ashley Parnell Published by: Datateam Business Media Limited, London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 8LY Tel: 01622 699108 • Fax: 01622 757646 Email:
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Education today
MAY 2015
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