Teach Primary’s Music Special is in association with Rocksteady Music School
Discover why Rocksteady is the trusted musical enrichment partner for more than 4,000 schools at rocksteadymusicschool.com
Hello! And welcome. Come in, sit down, grab yourself a cuppa.
After what feels like years of rain, signs of spring are on the horizon and Team Teach could not be happier about it! In honour of (hopefully) seeing some more sun, we have some bright, uplifting content for you in this issue, ranging from successful CPD in schools to learning to love collaborative teaching again.
For the former, delve into an article exploring Lakelands Primary School in Essex, which I was lucky enough to visit earlier this year. Lakelands has rolled out an impressive (yet unintimidating) roster of professional development for all its classroom staff, and it’s paying dividends both inside and outside the classroom. Read about what I found out, from page 27.
On the collaborative teaching front, we hear from Dr Alexis Hamlor on how to make sure combined classrooms don’t result in burnout for both teachers, and how a few tweaks can help you regain your trust – and joy – in shared instruction. Check it out on page 34.
Our perks this month also come in the form of a marvellous WAGOLL from none other than comic legend himself, Andy Stanton, explaining exactly how he constructed the monstrously funny Mr Gum, and how your pupils can write their own hilariously unlikeable character. Find tips direct from Andy, as well as a link to download a fully resourced teaching pack, on page 60.
As if that’s not enough, we’ve got a wonderful non-fiction book topic from Stephen Davies based on his new title Young Discoverers, all about children who have made surprising and extraordinary discoveries throughout history (think dinosaur bones, and even an ancient Viking sword…). Stephen shares plenty of ideas for how to get your pupils fully immersed in the history of it all, on page 63.
As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you’re warming up a bit!
Charley Rogers – Editor
@TeachPrimaryEd1 @charleytp.bsky.social
