Useful Publications

If you have favourite texts / published resources that work well with your mixed age class, please let me know.

Resources for Teachers:

"Co-ordinating the Curriculum in the smaller primary school" by Charlie Easton, Jane Golightly and Mel Oyston. Falmer Press 1999 ISBN 0750707003

This is a useful book for Headteachers in small schools who manage the curriculum. It gives advice on curriculum audit, subject leadership, curriculum monitoring and policy from a small school perspective. It is written by three primary headteachers who give many examples of practice in their own small schools.

A Book to Share:

For KS1:
"Mr Wolf’s Pancakes" by Jan Fearnley Methuen 1999 ISBN 158925354X

A story that brings together Mr Wolf and some characters he has famously met elsewhere. Mr Wolf humbly requests help to read the recipe, write his shopping list and count his money from his neighbours who include Chicken Licken and the three little pigs, but they churlishly refuse. A surprise is in store for them all at the end of the story. The detailed illustrations and the familiar characters will promote lots of discussion.

For KS2:
"Henry’s Leg" by Ann Pilling Puffin 1985 ISBN 0140329781

This is highly original story that was published awhile ago, but is still a very good read for KS2 boys and girls. Henry is an avid collector of junk and he finds himself at the centre of a real-life mystery when he picks up a fashion dummy’s leg from a skip.

Websites

There are several dedicated websites for small schools

http://www.ourschools.org.uk/
The OURSCHOOLS website reviews all reports and guidelines from National Sources such as DfES, QCA and Ofsted. It presents the relevant information in a variety of ways, including succinct bulleted summaries, to put to an end the necessity of reading entire documents unless absolutely necessary. Full access is by subscription only.

http://www.nssf.co.uk/
The National Small Schools Forum. This site is probably very familiar to you already. Some useful archive information and access to regular newsletters.

http://www.smallschools.net/
The site of the Association of Small Schools in Shropshire. This site has the usual news and information pages for small schools together with some useful curriculum guidance for teaching in mixed age classes. Music features strongly.

Below are two general interest websites that I’ve found useful:

http://www.british-trees.com
A guide to 33 native British trees from the Woodland Trust with detailed descriptions and photographs. There are two useful guides to support identification: A tree leaf ticklist and a fruits and seeds ticklist.

http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk
This children’s site is linked to the UK Phenology network. It has guides to the seasons, news on climate change, surveys to take part in as well as games and puzzles.