Collins Schools

The Multiplication Tables Check – what do you need to know?

The Multiplication Tables Check – what do you need to know?

The introduction of the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check (MTC) means schools and teachers are looking for new ways to develop speed and recall of multiplication facts up to 12 x 12. What is expected of pupils?...

2 min

Closing the Word Gap

Closing the Word Gap

On the 27th of April Collins hosted the first Closing the Word Gap early reading conference. The conference was led by early reading experts Charlotte Raby and Emily Guille-Marrett who discussed comprehension, fluency, phonics and reading for pleasure. 

5 min

Teaching for mastery: The pros and cons

Teaching for mastery: The pros and cons

The ‘new’ primary curriculum for mathematics in England has now had a few years to become embedded in practice.

5 min

Spreading a musical virus

Spreading a musical virus

Karen Marshall, co-author of the Get Set! Piano series and How to Teach Instrumental and Singing Lessons – 100 Inspiring Ideas, shares her advice for encouraging children to teach themselves daily through musical games in the playground. 

2 min

Are atlases still relevant for the modern classroom?

Are atlases still relevant for the modern classroom?

Here’s why Primary Teacher Sarah M. Thurlbeck believes atlases are essential in her classroom:

3 min

Getting Set! for a flying start – advice for teaching new musician

Getting Set! for a flying start – advice for teaching new musician

Karen Marshall, author of the Get Set! Piano series and How to Teach Instrumental and Singing Lessons – 100 Inspiring Ideas (due out in October), shares her advice for teaching new starters!

3 min

The new school year- the science subject leaders’ to do list

The new school year- the science subject leaders’ to do list

This blog has been written by Jane Turner, Snap Science Series Editor and Director of the Primary Science Quality Mark. Plan your monitoring activity

4 min

Teaching music through rhymes

Teaching music through rhymes

One of the most successful ways to teach rhythm is through rhyme and if the rhyme has silly words – even better. How often is a tricky rhythm corrected once words are added?

2 min

What is Teaching for Mastery?

What is Teaching for Mastery?

Mastery is not a new idea, but perhaps it seems like a new word that has been used for something we have always wanted for children – for them to understand conceptually and procedurally the mathematics they are learning.

3 min

5 ways a thesaurus improves pupil vocab

5 ways a thesaurus improves pupil vocab

Using Collins Primary Thesaurus as an example, here are some clever ways in which the arrangement of a thesaurus can improve pupils’ vocabulary and writing skills

3 min

The Geographical Association Publishers’ Awards 2017

The Geographical Association Publishers’ Awards 2017

It was fantastic to see so many geography education specialists, authors and editors at this years’ Geographical Association Publishers’ Awards, and it was a particularly good night for Collins as we won the ‘Highly Commended’ award for our enquiry-based CPD programme <a...

2 min

10 Things Effective Teachers Do

10 Things Effective Teachers Do

If only we could bottle the skills, knowledge, behaviours, qualities and competences required to be an excellent teacher.  The contents could be poured onto the heads of newly qualified teachers so they could be ready to take on the world...

4 min