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Early career teachers: primary and early years

Please explore the resources on this page:

Statutory framework for the early year foundation degree Primary national curriculum Development matters Birth to five matters

Maths

Recommended websites

Recommended books

  • Mathematics explained for primary teachers by Derek Haylock with Ralph Manning (6th edition)
  • Understanding and teaching primary mathematics by Tony Cotton
  • Children’s errors in mathematics by Alice Hansen

National Numeracy’s Family Maths Toolkit

Access the National Numeracy’s Family Maths Toolkit.

The Family Maths toolkit is a free resource that you can share with your primary education students. The resource can be used in the classroom to help develop maths confidence amongst children.

The activity packs are available for all year groups from Reception to Year 6. The set includes short, fun activities for children and families to do together, exploring maths in creative ways and real-life contexts. The activities support the maths curriculum and are a great way to engage parents in their children’s maths learning, as they’re designed for children to complete at home with their families.

Alongside the primary school year group packs, the full set also includes activities for EYFS to KS4 around building positive mindsets – and some top tips to share with parents and carers too.

To download the full set of resources, sign up on National Numeracy’s website.

Parental engagement plays a large and positive role in children’s learning, and many schools have successfully used these resources to engage parents and carers in supporting their children’s maths learning. In a recent project, 100% of teachers said they would recommend the Family Maths activities to another school.

Are you a primary or secondary teacher in your first or second year of teaching?

Two new Maths Hubs professional development opportunities are now recruiting, with sessions starting this semester. The projects – Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics – Primary Early Career Teachers and Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics – Secondary Early Career Teachers – are designed especially for teachers in their first or second year of teaching. They provide opportunities for peer-to-peer collaboration with other teachers at the same career stage, while focusing on maths subject knowledge and pedagogy. Get in touch with your local Maths Hub to find out more and sign up.

English

Science

Primary science research update

OFSTED: Research Review: Science

Resources for schools

Computing

Design and Technology

Music

Useful books

  • Atkinson, R. 2018.  Mastering Primary Music. London: Bloomsbury Academic
  • Greenhalgh, Z. 2018.  Music and Singing in the Early Years: A guide to singing with young children. London: Routledge
  • Daubney, A. 2017. Teaching Primary Music. LA: Sage
  • Burnard, P. and Murphy, R., 2017. Teaching music creatively. 2nd edn. Oxon: Routledge.
  • Cotton, M. 1996. Agogo bells to xylophone: A friendly guide to classroom percussion instruments. London: A & C Black.
  • Maddocks, A. and Voices Foundation, 2012. Inside Music: A Music Education Programme for Class Music Teaching (5 – 7). The Voices Foundation: London.
  • Maddocks, A. and Voices Foundation, 2014. Inside Music: A Music Education Programme for Class Music Teaching (7 – 11). The Voices Foundation: London.
  • Minto, D. 2009. Games, ideas and activities for primary music. Harlow: Person Education Ltd.
  • Pope, D., 2019. Understanding Subject Knowledge for Primary Teaching. Chapter 6. Los Angeles: SAGE

Music Twitter feeds

Physical Development

Useful readings

Duncombe, R. (ed.) (2019) The physical development needs of young children. London: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.

Goodway, J. D., Ozmun, J. C. and Gallahue, D. L. (2021) Understanding motor development : infants, children, adolescents, adults. 8th edn. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

O’Connor, A. (2016) Understanding physical development in the early years. Taylor and Francis.

Daniel D. Bingham; Silvia Costa; Trina Hinkley; Katy A. Shire; Stacy A. Clemes; Sally E. Barber (2016) Physical Activity During the Early Years: A Systematic Review of Correlates and Determinants. American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

Physical Activity During the Early Years: A Systematic Review of Correlates and Determinants

Art and Design

Primary Geography

Useful readings:

History

Useful readings:

  • Cooper, H. (2017) History 5-11. London. Routledge.
  • Doull, K. Russell, C. and Hales, A. (2019) Mastering Primary History. London. Bloomsbury
  • Russell, C. (2016) Essential Primary History. McGraw Hill Education, London
  • Russell, C. In Webster, M. and Misra, S. (2015) Teaching the Primary Foundation Subjects. Oxford. OUP

Primary Language

English as an Additional Language