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Fidelity vs. Flexibility: striking the right balance in your phonics programme

17 July 2024

As many schools move towards adopting a systematic synthetic phonics programme, we unpick the challenges of balancing fidelity to a phonics programme with the needs of a diverse classroom.

A four-step guide to reusing your existing phonics books

20 June 2024

Choosing a new systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme doesn’t mean clearing out all of your existing phonics books. More often than not, your decodable books, flashcards and other materials can be reused after an audit against your new phonics teaching progression. In this guide, we explain how you can save these resources and your budget.

Newly-matched readers for Red Rose Letters and Sounds schools

28 March 2024

Over 100 decodable phonics readers from the My Letters and Sounds phonics readers have been aligned to the Red Rose Letters and Sounds teaching progression, providing schools with a wide choice of fiction and non-fiction stories to use at home and in the classroom.

Tutor vs. home learning: how to prepare for the 11+

01 February 2024

Are you preparing your child for the 11+ exam? In this blog post, we’ll be exploring the importance of feeling ready for the 11+ and the different ways to prepare.

How the four P checks can help your pupils master handwriting

22 January 2024

Handwriting is a complex skill for children to learn. The physical nature of it can lead to some children taking longer to develop fine motor skills than others, making the teaching of handwriting a challenge. Problems with handwriting often stem from the physical side of writing, but these can be limited by laying secure foundations and instilling good habits early on.

Our short guide to understanding the 11+ exam

21 December 2023

Is your child due to take the 11+? Find out more about the process and learn how you can help your child feel confident and ready with Our short guide to understanding the 11+ exam.

Save time while teaching phonics with our Classroom Kits

14 December 2023

In 2022, we launched My Letters and Sounds, a systematic synthetic phonics programme to guide teachers through the challenges of teaching phonics from Reception to Year 1. Now, we’re thrilled to introduce the all-new Classroom Kits.

How to set impactful primary school homework

01 December 2023

In this blog post, we explore how manageable homework tasks can nurture positive mindsets, develop good habits and reinforce the practice of basic skills learnt at school.

SATs: making the most of the home advantage

30 November 2023

In this blog post, we delve into the connection between passionate football fans and effective parental engagement. We’ll uncover how schools can leverage a ‘home advantage’ and outline what parents need to support their children.

Enhance your phonics library with 10 brand-new readers

15 September 2023

Arriving this autumn, 10 new Phase Two decodable books will provide some much-needed additional coverage of GPCs in the first nine weeks of phonics teaching.

Working with parents and carers on phonics

08 June 2023

Parents and carers play a crucial role in supporting a child’s learning, and evidence from the EEF suggests that effective engagement can make up to three months of positive difference in a child’s learning. In this blog post, phonics trainer Jacqueline Harris discusses ways that schools can leverage this by involving parents and other adults in their children’s phonics learning.

How to get reading back on track

13 May 2023

In this blog post, Complete Comprehension authors Laura Lodge and Jo Gray share their advice on identifying pupil literacy gaps and provide strategies to help children become stronger readers.

Phonics: how to teach Tricky Words

16 February 2023

Phonics trainer Jacqueline Harris shares her advice on one of the most frequently asked topics in early reading. Learning tricky words, or common exception words as they are sometimes known, relies on memory more than spelling rules, so how do you best support children that struggle with them?

Using technical phonics terms with young children

10 February 2023

In this blog post, phonics trainer Jacqueline Harris explains when and why teachers should use technical language when teaching phonics.

My Letters and Sounds receives DfE approval

23 June 2022

Our brand-new phonics programme, My Letters and Sounds, joins the shortlist of SSP teaching programmes that are approved by the Department for Education.

Instil a love of reading with real phonics stories

10 February 2022

Kasia Reay, author of the Reception Phonics Readers for My Letters and Sounds, explains why choosing books that feel like real stories can be the key to unlocking a true passion for reading.

The new SSP for Letters and Sounds schools

19 January 2022

After almost two years in the making, we are delighted to launch our brand-new systematic synthetic phonics (SSP) programme, Schofield and Sims My Letters and Sounds.

Survey reveals impact of pandemic on young children�s handwriting

28 June 2021

We reveal the areas of handwriting that most concern teachers, and Michelle van Rooyen, an occupational therapist with a special interest in handwriting, shares her thoughts on the survey findings.

Unlocking handwriting with the WriteWell programme

25 June 2021

Help every child to achieve clear, confident and speedy joined handwriting with WriteWell, a complete course designed to guide children from their first steps in mark-making towards the development of secure, fluent and comfortable joined handwriting.

What should a reading recovery curriculum look like?

18 June 2021

Complete Comprehension author Jane Sowerby shares her advice on building a broad and balanced curriculum and explains why reading should be at the heart of it.

The 11+ journey starts with the Study and Practice Books

02 June 2021

Covering English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning, our 11+ Study and Practice Books are the ultimate introduction to the 11+ and provide a reliable resource for children and parents to refer to throughout their preparation.

Encourage a love of reading with Complete Comprehension

08 May 2021

Developing strong and able readers just got easier thanks to our new publication, Complete Comprehension. Comprising six books to use across Years 1 to 6, this series provides schools with everything needed to model comprehension skills and build pupils’ reading confidence.

Review: Complete Comprehension is �everything you need�

08 April 2021

Mike Davies from Teach Primary takes a look at our Complete Comprehension books, which are packed full of lesson plans, text passages and teaching notes designed to equip schools with everything they need to develop strong, successful readers.

Free Key Stage 2 comprehension resource for Pancake Day

12 February 2021

To celebrate Pancake Day we've put together a free Making Pancakes reading comprehension activity for you to download and use at home or in school.

My Spelling Book

28 January 2020

Help your pupils to become strong spellers with My Spelling Book, a handy A5 book that allows children to record and learn 15 new spellings each week.

My Times Tables Book

16 January 2020

Prepare for the new Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check with our handy new times tables resource – perfect for daily maths starters or weekly homework.

2020 Catalogue

07 January 2020

Discover the Schofield & Sims 2020 Catalogue, brimming with inspiring new resources to build children’s core maths and English skills and prepare them for the challenges of secondary school.

Tailored 11+ practice for CEM and GL

29 August 2019

Meet the newest members of our growing family of 11+ resources, 11+ Practice Papers, providing realistic exam practice for both the CEM and GL tests.

Free National Poetry Day resource

02 August 2019

Get ready to celebrate National Poetry Day with a free downloadable poetry resource on this year's theme of 'truth' by Schofield & Sims author and poet Celia Warren.

Build speed, fluency and confidence with SATs 10-Minute Tests

02 June 2019

Joining our popular SATs series this June are the brand-new SATs 10-Minute Tests. These rigorous, yet child-friendly, tests enable short, timed practice of exam-style questions – perfect for squeezing into a busy school day or for independent revision sessions at home.

Start right, write well: laying sufficient foundations for handwriting

17 April 2019

Occupational therapist and handwriting specialist Michelle van Rooyen explains the importance of laying secure foundations for each child’s writing.

New WriteWell Handwriting Programme

31 January 2019

Find out about WriteWell, our brand new handwriting programme designed to guide children from their first steps in mark-making to the development of clear, confident and speedy joined handwriting that can be adapted for a range of purposes.

Schofield & Sims Primary Catalogue 2019

17 January 2019

The world has spun for another year and it is once again time to reveal our shiny new catalogue, packed with exciting resources to support children’s learning.

National Poetry Day Assembly Plan: A Time to Change

20 September 2018

Celebrate National Poetry Day with our fantastic A Time to Change Assembly Plan, featuring poems from our A Time To Speak and a Time to Listen poetry anthology.

Get ready for school with Get Set Early Years

01 May 2018

This spring sees the publication of Get Set Early Years, a new Reception programme designed to help children master the essential knowledge and skills that will enable them to succeed in Year 1.

Prepare to pass the 11+ with Rapid Tests and Progress Papers

18 April 2018

Preparing for 11+ exams can seem like a daunting process. Schofield & Sims Rapid Tests and Progress Papers build confidence by familiarising children with the key 11+ question types, including those featured in the CEM and GL exams.

What is Phonics? Essential phonics knowledge and understanding.

11 February 2018

Literacy expert Alexandra Charalambous from charity The Children's Literacy Charity offers a useful introduction for parents into the world of phonics.

National Poetry Day 2017: A Time to be Free...

08 September 2017

Discover poems from the Schofield & Sims A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen poetry anthology that fit with this year's National Poetry Day theme, with suggestions for discussions and poetry writing ideas.

New Telling the Time

12 July 2017

Learning to tell the time is a complex process that many children need help to grasp. Schofield & Sims Telling the Time breaks this process down into a sequence of manageable ideas that young learners can approach at their own pace.

New Fractions, Decimals and Percentages

19 June 2017

Discover a brand new maths programme for Years 1 to 6, providing everything you need to teach the National Curriculum requirements for fractions, decimals and percentages, as well as ratio and proportion, while also following a mastery approach.

Six helpful strategies for learning times tables

20 April 2017

Everyone remembers learning their times tables. Whether you got them straight away or still find yourself reaching for the calculator, here are six practical suggestions for ways that you can help children grasp multiplication and division facts in no time at all.

Revised edition of Times Tables Tests

10 April 2017

The new Times Tables Tests books have been carefully updated to reflect the National Curriculum requirements for maths and to prepare pupils for the government’s proposed multiplication check, due to be introduced in Spring 2019.

Revised edition of English Skills

20 March 2017

Now fully updated to meet the spelling, punctuation, grammar and vocabulary requirements of the new Key Stage 2 English curriculum, the updated English Skills series also includes a new Introductory Book covering topics from the Key Stage 1 programmes of study.

Grammar beyond English: six ways to reinforce grammar and punctuation across the curriculum

08 March 2017

Schofield & Sims author Carol Matchett provides six strategies for extending teaching of grammar and punctuation skills across the curriculum.

Conquer colons, vanquish verbs and dominate determiners with new Grammar and Punctuation

15 January 2017

This January sees the publication of Schofield & Sims Grammar and Punctuation, a structured scheme for teaching grammar and punctuation while also building on vocabulary, reading and writing skills.

Schofield & Sims Primary Catalogue 2017

13 January 2017

Discover a dazzling array of new and forthcoming titles in our 2017 catalogue, as well as the story behind this year's stunning cover design.

National Poetry Day Quiz

23 September 2016

Celebrate National Poetry Day on the 6th October with Celia Warren's message-themed quiz, featuring selected poems from the A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen poetry anthology.

New Progress Papers in Verbal Reasoning and Non-verbal Reasoning

10 August 2016

Schofield & Sims is delighted to announce the publication of two brand new series: Progress Papers in Verbal Reasoning and Progress Papers in Non-verbal Reasoning.

Discover a hidden world where caterpillars are hairy cats and bouquets are made of wood

23 May 2016

Schofield & Sims author Michael Janes offers some useful tips on how you can use word origins to help build vocabulary and spelling skills, while also giving children a valuable insight into the different influences that have shaped the English language.

The Complete Primary Dictionary: the first and last word in primary dictionaries

19 May 2016

Last month saw the publication of our long-awaited Complete Primary Dictionary, a five-year labour of love, and one of the first completely new dictionaries of the twenty-first century.

New Times Tables Practice

14 March 2016

Ahead of the government's plans to introduce a times tables check for 11 year olds, Schofield & Sims is pleased to announce the publication of Times Tables Practice, a brand new two-book series designed to help children learn their times tables up to 12x12.

First Mental Arithmetic for the new curriculum

04 March 2016

Hot on the heels of revised Mental Arithmetic comes a new edition of First Mental Arithmetic, fully updated for the new Key Stage 1 maths curriculum.

New Revision Guides and Practice Papers for the 2016 National Tests

25 February 2016

Schofield & Sims is pleased to announce the publication of new editions of our popular Revision Guides and Practice Papers – just in time for pupils preparing to sit the new national tests in May.

One to One Maths and the value of peer mentoring

08 February 2016

One to One Maths is an innovative peer-mentoring programme which works jointly with prisons and educational staff to encourage and empower prisoners with good numeracy skills to mentor prisoners who lack basic numerical ability.

Mental Arithmetic for the new curriculum

27 January 2016

Schofield & Sims is delighted to announce the publication of a new edition of bestselling Mental Arithmetic, now fully updated to meet the requirements of the new curriculum.

Schofield & Sims 2016 School and International Catalogues now available

11 January 2016

This year’s catalogue features a wide range of new and revised titles to help teachers, parents and tutors get to grips with the new curriculum.

How to keep your child's mind active over the summer holidays

06 August 2015

Five practical ways to help ensure that your child isn't affected by 'summer learning loss', as featured in our guest blog post for At Home magazine.

Schofield & Sims partners with Forward Arts Foundation for National Poetry Day

23 July 2015

To celebrate National Poetry Day, Schofield & Sims author and poet Celia Warren has created a free assembly plan for schools to adapt and enjoy, on behalf of Forward Arts Foundation.

The ultimate diary to ensure effective home�school communication

21 July 2015

Promote strong links between school and home with Schofield & Sims’ new A5 school diary, combining the best features of a homework diary and reading record in one.

Updated reading records for the new National Curriculum

10 July 2015

Key features of the revised reading records include more space for adults’ comments, book review templates and phonics, spelling and vocabulary checklists linked to the new programmes of study for English.

The benefits of handwriting

30 April 2015

Guest blogger Alex Charalambous highlights the importance of handwriting skills, even in today's technology dominated world.

Schofield & Sims partners with Springboard for Children

25 March 2015

Schofield & Sims is pleased to announce a new partnership with Springboard for Children, a charity providing one-to-one, multi-sensory literacy teaching for children and young people who are struggling to learn to read, write, speak and listen.

Progress Papers in English

22 January 2015

Schofield & Sims is delighted to announce the publication of Progress Papers in English, a brand new 11+ resource to supplement the existing Progress Papers in Mathematics series.

Understanding Maths, English and Science

13 January 2015

Following the introduction of the new primary curriculum in September last year, Schofield & Sims has published brand new editions of its bestselling Understanding Maths, English and Science study books.

Teach Primary Written Calculation review

11 November 2014

Top marks for Schofield & Sims Written Calculation in a new review by John Dabell for Teach Primary magazine.

National Poetry Day collaborative resource

02 October 2014

To celebrate National Poetry Day Schofield & Sims has contributed to a free collaborative resource on behalf of Forward Arts Foundation on this year's National Poetry Day theme of 'Remember'.

Free National Poetry Day resource

23 September 2014

National Poetry Day is a nationwide annual celebration of poetry held on the first Thursday in October. This year’s event takes place on Thursday 2nd October, and to mark the occasion Schofield & Sims author and poet Celia Warren has written a free downloadable poetry resource for schools on this year’s theme of 'Remember'.

Written Calculation for the new National Curriculum

08 September 2014

To help teachers and parents get to grips with the calculation requirements of the new National Curriculum, Schofield & Sims is pleased to announce the publication of Written Calculation, a unique new maths series providing graded practice in the aspects of written calculation that pupils need to master by the end of Key Stage 2.

How to choose the right tutor

01 September 2014

Schofield & Sims author and independent tutor Sian Goodspeed highlights some of the key considerations to think about when searching for a private tutor for your child.

New Rapid Reasoning Tests

29 August 2014

Schofield & Sims is delighted to announce the publication of Rapid Reasoning Tests, a new 12-book reasoning series to help children prepare for the 11+ and other school selection tests.

Free World Cup comprehension resource

12 June 2014

Mark the start of the 2014 World Cup in your classroom with this free 'London goes wild' comprehension resource on England’s memorable 1966 World Cup victory, taken from KS2 Comprehension Book 2.

Becoming spelling conscious

29 May 2014

Schofield & Sims author Carol Matchett looks at some of the different ways to help raise spelling awareness in your school.

Poetry is for life, not just for school

02 April 2014

Schofield & Sims author Celia Warren explains why children should learn poetry by heart.

Teach Primary Sound Phonics review

25 March 2014

High praise for Schofield & Sims Sound Phonics in review by John Dabell for Teach Primary magazine.

Free poetry resource for Shakespeare Week

18 March 2014

To mark the first ever Shakespeare Week, we’ve uploaded a FREE poetry resource on one of Shakespeare’s most notable works, his Eighteenth Sonnet.

World Book Day Daisy Lane Home-School Readers Give-away

04 March 2014

World Book Day is just around the corner and to mark the occasion, we’re giving away 10 free sets of our Daisy Lane Home-School Readers.

New Sound Phonics resources to support Letters and Sounds

28 January 2014

Following the success of the Sound Phonics activity books, Schofield & Sims has added three new books for teachers to the series, turning it into a complete phonics teaching programme for use alongside Letters and Sounds.

National Curriculum 2014

13 January 2014

With curriculum change just around the corner, Schofield & Sims has a number of new resources available that fully meet the requirements of the 2014 primary curriculum. Our editorial teams are also hard at work revising popular existing titles to reflect changes in content and the removal of levels.

New lower school price for dictionaries

08 January 2014

With the importance of using dictionaries for checking both the meaning and spelling of words emphasised in the new National Curriculum, the Schofield & Sims dictionaries are now available at a new lower price for school orders.

Schofield & Sims publishes new whole-school Spelling series

29 July 2013

Schofield & Sims is delighted to announce the publication of a brand new spelling series for the 2014 National Curriculum. Ideal for both whole-school use and independent learning, Schofield & Sims Spelling is a structured and rigorous programme designed for Key Stages 1 and 2 that helps pupils become accurate and confident spellers.

Schofield & Sims to publish revised Maths Progress Papers

17 June 2013

Due to an unprecedented level of demand for Schofield & Sims Maths Progress Papers, which were taken out of print in 2000, we are pleased to announce that a revised edition of this series will be available from February 2014.

Schofield & Sims donates poetry anthologies to local schools in support of Children's Book Week

24 May 2013

To celebrate Children’s Book Week 2013 Schofield & Sims has donated three class-sets of the A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen poetry anthology as prizes in a special book giveaway organised by Provide Education.

Teach Primary review of A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen

02 May 2013

A new review of the A Time to Speak and a Time to Listen poetry anthology and Teacher’s Guide has been featured on the Teach Primary website.

New - A Time to Speak and A Time to Listen

20 March 2013

Our new school poetry anthology A Time to Speak and A Time to Listen and accompanying Teacher’s Guide are now available online, providing teachers with an ideal opportunity to introduce pupils to the richness and variety of poetry.

New Understanding English Practice for the English punctuation, grammar and spelling tests

01 February 2013

Help pupils to revise topics covered by the other seven books in the Understanding English series, keeping their skills sharp and preparing them for the new English grammar, punctuation and spelling national tests at Key Stage 2.

New � Mental Arithmetic and First Mental Arithmetic Teacher�s Guides

17 January 2013

Maximise the benefits of First Mental Arithmetic and Mental Arithmetic with our new Teacher’s Guides. Full of useful information and practical assessment material, they are the essential resource for both new and experienced users.

New - Understanding Reasoning

27 April 2012

Schofield & Sims is pleased to announce that, in addition to maths, English and science materials, we now also publish resources for reasoning, in the form of two new learning workbooks: Understanding Verbal Reasoning and Understanding Non-verbal Reasoning. Both books provide step-by-step explanations to help pupils get to grips with the reasoning questions that are used in the 11+, 12+, 13+ and other school selection tests.

50% match funding available - on Schofield & Sims Sound Phonics

12 January 2012

Sound Phonics is the Schofield & Sims phonics resource for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, fully compatible with Letters and Sounds and with any incremental phonics programme. We are now offering all UK schools 50 per cent match funding on the retail price of every Sound Phonics book purchased.

New - Handwriting Practice

04 January 2012

Two new books from Schofield & Sims will significantly improve children’s handwriting when used regularly. The Handwriting Practice books are compatible with the handwriting schemes most commonly used in schools and encourage children to write neatly, fluently, legibly and fast.

Super-jumbo size British History Timeline poster now available!

05 May 2011

This huge wall chart is a highly visible and easily legible 84 x 119cm - so the key timeline dates and the sequence of historical events are easy to see, even from the other side of the classroom.

New - British History Timeline poster

30 March 2011

Supporting the history curriculum from Key Stage 2 onwards, the stunning and highly informative British History Timeline poster helps pupils to understand the sequence of events that have shaped Britain as we know it today. It also helps them to view contemporary events and concerns in a wider perspective.

New - Essential English Skills

03 March 2011

For functional English and literacy intervention at Key Stage 3 and beyond, Schofield & Sims has published a separate edition of the English Skills workbooks. Essential English Skills has exactly the same content as the Key Stage 2 series, with more sophisticated covers designed for older students.

New - English Skills

01 March 2011

English Skills is a series of six workbooks providing graded questions that develop literacy skills from Key Stage 2 onwards, embedding and securing learning. In a similar format to the bestselling Mental Arithmetic series, English Skills is all set to bring impressive results.

New - First Mental Arithmetic

01 March 2011

A downwards extension of Schofield & Sims Mental Arithmetic, First Mental Arithmetic helps children to master basic maths through intensive practice at Key Stage 1 and beyond. The series promotes personalised learning and prepares children for full numeracy.

New - Essential Mental Arithmetic

04 October 2010

For Key Stage 3 maths recovery and a boost in functional maths skills, the Essential Mental Arithmetic series provides differentiated maths questions - approximately 900 per book - that give students the intensive practice they need to achieve numeracy.

New - Key Stage 2 Comprehension

27 May 2010

Inspire and motivate young readers with this new and exceptionally stimulating collection of texts - each one accompanied by questions that build comprehension skills and widen vocabulary.

New - My homework diary

27 May 2010

A new Schofield & Sims record book, My homework diary, promotes a professional and businesslike approach to homework. From the same stable as My reading record, this book improves the school's learning culture and encourages children to take pride in their own work.

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