Toddlers love making marks anywhere and everywhere and chalk supports this very well as they can be used on a variety of surfaces, both in and outdoors. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to use and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Chalk can be washed away very easily with water. Here are a few ideas about how children might enjoy using this simple resource. Read more

Whether searching for the ‘Gruffalo’, Going on a Bear Hunt, recreating a fairy tale or going ‘camping’, use our fantastic photographic backdrops, basic art room materials and a little imagination to transform an area of your school into a versatile ‘enchanted’ woodland learning area that everyone will love! Read more

Loose parts were first proposed in the 1970s by Simon Nicholson who believed in their ability to empower creativity!  As we enter the present day loose parts are taking the early years by storm as their abundance of uses allow children to learn in their own unique ways.  So, what are loose parts? How can we use them in continuous provision and how do they link with the learning and development of young children?    Read more

In schools, we tend to associate the idea of enjoying a good book as part of the English curriculum. Here The National Literacy Trust give their top tips on how to promote passion and interest in other subject areas through the use of reading. Read more

Blue-Bot floor robots have proved their worth for deputy head Darren Hooley. Here he explains some of their features and describes how they may be used in the classroom to add value in computing and across the curriculum. Read more

‘Teaching for mastery’ is a voluntary programme that schools may choose to sign up for under the guidance of one of the 35 maths hubs around the country. The schools accepted onto the programme receive training and support, as well as match-funded money from the government to buy text books from an approved list. There are already 800 schools participating this year. The idea is that more will become involved over the next few years and the programme will be rolled out as more teachers are trained. It is hoped that by 2020, 8000 schools will be taking part. The Department for Education have been allocated £41m for its implementation - an indication of long-term commitment. Read more

For a number of years TTS has been working with the Kariandusi School Trust in supporting their valuable education work in Kenya. In November 2010 TTS launched the Powerful Pencil Case Challenge with the aim to provide all the Kariandusi pupils with their own set of stationery. Read more

Children should be allowed to experience numbers in a relaxed, informal way. It’s important to carefully place numbers throughout an environment so children can use them in meaningful contexts during their play. Think about numbers indoors and out, in the water tray and in the home corner. Read more

The vast majority of teachers (90% in a recent poll) cite workload as their main concern about the profession. Having worked in a primary school for many years, I know the job could easily take up every hour of every day, seven days a week, and teachers would still not get through everything they needed to do. Workload not only has a massive impact on recruitment, but also on retention of teachers. It is a serious problem and the only real way to address it is through government intervention. However, in the meantime (and whilst waiting for pigs to fly) teachers have to find ways to cope. Read more

You get sneezed on, coughed at and touched by children all day long – and at this time of year with so many bugs doing the rounds, it can be hard to stay healthy. We asked teachers what their top tips were for boosting their immunity: how do they stay out of sick bay, and in the classroom? Here’s what they had to say. Read more

Scratch is a popular and innovative way to teach computer programming, but don't worry if you haven't come across it yet. Here is a simple guide to explain all and get you started! We at TTS spend a lot of time listening to feedback from teachers and the wider education community. One of our many conversations with educators has been around the Computing curriculum and how Primary schools are teaching children to write computer programs. When asked what tools schools are using, the answer more often than not includes the word “Scratch”. Read more

Three wonderful boxes packed full of ideas for learning - to encourage rich language, writing and communication. Alistair has a wonderful and unique flair for understanding children’s interests and how to motivate them. Here, a former Early Years teacher looks at the boxes in more detail. Read more

Chinese New Year is a time for families to be together, celebrating by having dinner on Chinese New Year’s Eve, setting off firecrackers, giving lucky money to children, ringing the New Year bell, sending New Year greetings, Dragon and Lion dancing. As in many festivities, food plays a huge part in enjoying celebrations with friends and families coming together to share meals. Here we share some of the history, traditions, recipes and crafts to enjoy during this period. Read more

Imagine creating an ice kitchen! What delights might be served up as a winter feast suitable for Santa and his elves? Sprout flavoured ice lollies, frozen burgers or chilly chips? Read more

Small world play is an essential part of learning and is great for re-creating favourite scenes and stories. Our Christmas themed cork characters are ideal for re-creating a nativity scene. Read more

Follow this step by step guide on how to make your own model lighthouse. Read more