Basic Skills Cymru

Post-16 Quality Mark, AP Cymru

'Congratulations on making the difference to young people,' wrote Stephen Marshall, Head of the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning, and Skills (DELLS), during his July visit to military preparation college AP Cymru. The college has over 200 students between the ages of 16 and 18, 92% of whom have a basic skills needs. It holds the Quality Mark and prides itself on providing a high quality of support in literacy and numeracy. Find out online about the basic skills work this college is doing with disadvantaged young people in Cardiff. For more information on the Quality Mark, visit www.qmdatabase.org.

New How to… booklets for schools

Last month we mailed a free set of our four new How to… booklets for Key Stage 3 to all secondary schools in Wales. A continuation of the popular series developed last year, the new materials are aimed at teachers and focus on numeracy and number-related skills, as well as literacy across the curriculum. Other organisations and individuals can order them free of charge (postage and packaging payable) online at http://publications.basic-skills.co.uk/ or by calling 0870 600 2400 quoting codes:

• A1915 – How to… develop language for thinking in KS3 mathematics and science
• A1916 – How to… teach evaluation at KS3 in physical education and design and technology
• A1917 – How to… measure at Key Stage 3
• A1918 – How to… use the numeracy box across the curriculum

Storytelling without the book, Pembrokeshire

Eva John, Advisory Teacher for Literacy in Pembrokeshire, explains a project aimed at improving pupils’ oracy and developing teacher confidence through the medium of storytelling and related activities. The course teaches children a repertoire of stories so that they absorb and are able to use story language with ease. Key Stage 1 teachers at 18 Pembrokeshire primaries were targeted. Story-mapping, role play, illustration, book- and prop-making helped targeted children to progress across two, and in some cases three, developmental phases.

Agency supports NSPCC Number Day

Comedienne Catherine Tate is calling on all maths teachers throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland to sign their schools up for the NSPCC’s maths-focused fundraising event, Number Day 2006, supported in Wales by the Basic Skills Agency and the Words Talk – Numbers Count strategy. On the 4th December children and young people will take part in a day of number-crunching fun while being sponsored by family and friends. Call 020 7825 2662 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk/numberday to find out more. It is hoped the initiative will raise £250,000 for the charity.