September 2015

Does my school need to buy a whole new phonics programme? How can we make phonics enjoyable for children? What is going on with Letters and Sounds?  Many of you are just starting your journey towards a new phonics provision. Hopefully, this will give you a head start.

Rosemary Feasey, author of Switched on Science Second Edition has written a new document as part of the programme outlining the Intent, Implementation and Impact of Switched on Science. 

When it comes to making sure that assessment leads to action and impact in the classroom, there are certain advantages to being part of a MAT. More staff means a wider range of expertise available to help develop effective approaches to assessment, large numbers of pupils mean more reliable, meaningful data, and data can be used to pinpoint areas of excellence, enabling the sharing and development of best practice between schools. But how does a MAT leverage these advantages effectively? Let’s have a look at five ways that RS Assessments’ standardised tests, together with the reports available in MARK and MARK Plus, can help us.

Join us for Phonics Friday! Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of our new Reading Planet Rocket Phonics SSP programme with a short video. This week, author Abigail Steel gives her top tips for visual displays to support phonics learning.

Join us for Phonics Friday! Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of our new Reading Planet Rocket Phonics SSP programme with a short video. This week, author Abigail Steel explains the programme's pace and progression.

It’s Phonics Friday! Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of our new Reading Planet Rocket Phonics SSP programme with a short video. This week, author Abigail Steel explains the programmes teaching and learning Cycle.

It’s Phonics Friday! Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of our new Reading Planet Rocket Phonics SSP programme with a short video. This week, author Abigail Steel highlights the various digital resources you can use to support phonics learning.

This summer, for the second year in a row, our primary pupils didn’t sit national tests. And so far, from discussions with the schools I support, it seems that the annual league tables are not missed! However, the SATS aren’t just used by the DfE to rank schools, the outcomes are also used by schools themselves for self-evaluation and school improvement planning, and this aspect of the missing results is more of a problem. However, help is at hand. RS Assessments’ PUMA, PiRA, GAPS and NTS Maths and Reading tests, together with the comprehensive new dashboards in MARK Plus, can help fill in the gaps. Let’s have a look at five ways MARK Plus can help us.

Join us for Phonics Friday! Each week, we'll focus on a different aspect of our new Reading Planet Rocket Phonics SSP programme with a short video. This week, author Abigail Steel explains the programme's typical teaching week. 

English consultant, Maddy Barnes, shares five simple ways (with a little help from Read in to Writing) to capture pupils’ attention and ignite a love for reading and writing.