The Education Show is the UK’s largest showcase of educational resources, best practice methods and free training. Taking place from 17 to 19 March at the NEC Birmingham, the show is free to attend and regularly attracts over 12,000 educators who wish to compare and test the latest targeted resources and keep abreast of current policy initiatives that affect teaching and learning.
For a streamlined visit, once at the show visitors should make their first port of call the BESA Information Point on stand H50 where they can get assistance and advice on the best suppliers to meet their needs. The BESA book is also available on the stand and lists all 300 plus BESA members, consisting of educational suppliers of every kind who adhere to a stringent Code of Practice.
Resources and services
The show is a platform for the latest resources and services in education, showcasing products that are designed to meet the needs of pupils in the classroom environment and beyond. New products at the show include The Complete Language Resource Pack for the Primary Classroom, from Communication in the Curriculum on stand T78. The resource has been designed for classroom staff and SENCOs to promote language and communication development with children from Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, in addition to special educational needs (SEN) pupils across all key stages.
With budgets the centre of attention in education, the 2011 show is offering visitors the opportunity to benefit from a range of discounts exclusive to the event. In addition, many exhibitors offer free resources, including the European Commission in stand A80. Visitors can collect free copies of ‘Let’s explore Europe’ and the updated ‘United in diversity’ booklets, which give a lively overview of Europe and the diversity of the European family.
Leaders who are monitoring the drive in schools to improve language provision should visit new exhibitor Vocab Express on stand P53. An online modern foreign language (MFL) vocabulary learning application, Vocab Express is preloaded with vocabulary from major exam boards and publishers. Developed with MFL teachers, the application allows students to get instant feedback on work, whilst their progress is monitored and tracked by teachers.
For resources recognised for innovation, visit TTS Group on stands J40, L50 and C51. Products which made the shortlist for the Education Resource Awards (ERAs) include Recordable Pegs – inventive resources designed to display children’s pictures and information and for recording personal messages. The pegs can either attach to a washing line in the traditional way or can be attached using the magnet on the back. Also on the ERA shortlist is Talk-Tracker, a lightweight, portable, recordable device ideal for gathering evidence of speaking and listening. The company is a trusted source of well-designed resources, developed to meet the needs of children at all levels of ability.
An important EYFS area of learning and development is Communication, Language and Literacy. Puppets, Plays and Story Days (stand SN55) has at its heart communication development in children through the use of puppets. Children react differently to puppets as opposed to adults speaking directly to them, and puppets can also overcome any issues with regard to speech creating a pressure free space for the voice of a child, it is the puppet that talks not the person and conversation becomes a game not a problem. On stand visitors can find its latest puppets to accompany the popular Gruffalo children’s book.
In an increasingly multi-cultural society, it is important for children to understand and appreciate the world around them and to begin to be introduced the idea of different cultures and diverse communities, linking with the EYFS criteria for personal, social and emotional development. The Multicultural Stepping Stones set from Educational Advantage (stand D93) are 12 separate mats that are ideal for early year environments. Each features child-friendly images featuring children from around the world that are easy to understand and recognise. The mats can be used by the children to roughly map out the globe or to step from country to country in an informative way.
With anti-social behaviour still a key concern both within schools and the wider community, registered charity Stand Against Violence (stand N51) can provide valuable free educational material with a focus on anti violence awareness and education. The resources aimed at 14-25 year olds, uses a true story of violence with a strong alcohol awareness factor. Ideal for use in secondary schools in subjects such as citizenship and PSHE, the resources have enjoyed huge success across the UK with an impact on young people including changes in behaviour and attitudes towards violence.
These are just a small sample of the 400 plus exhibitors at the show; visitors can browse the Education Show website by product or Key Stage for more information and to discover what suppliers are offering to help raise standards and bring education to life.
Continuing professional development (CPD)
The 2011 seminar programme, ‘Learn Live’, has been designed to recognise the newly found freedom that schools have. The introduction of over 80 free, accredited CPD seminars will help education professionals maintain best practice even in these times of budgetary constraints. Policy associations and agencies will also be present at the show to answer practitioners’ questions on current education initiatives and their implications for specific subject areas.
Continuing on the theme of cost-effective development, the Achievement for All workshops are an ideal way to offer SEN pupils the best start in life. A national project developed by the Department for Education (DfE) and in partnership with the National College and National Strategies, the workshops aim to improve the access, aspiration and achievement of children with Special Educational Needs. The workshops will explore Assessment and Learning, Pedagogy and Parental Engagement.
Themed Zones
In 2011 nasen, the UK’s leading organisation embracing all special and additional educational needs, once again hosts the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Information Point on stand SN69 at the heart of the SEN Zone. The zone showcases the best in SEN resources from leading suppliers and houses SEN Live, a seminar theatre offering free, CPD accredited sessions to enhance teaching and learning for pupils at all levels of ability.
Returning to the show in 2011 is the BETT Zone, dedicated to ICT and software and showcasing the very latest in education technology. Here visitors can see hundreds of new products and obtain expert advice from both new and established brands. In addition to the BETT Zone, the Software Information Point, in association with Teem, will help visitors keep in touch with what is new when using ICT resources effectively in education. Also returning this year is the Innovation Zone: a testimony to the belief that innovation drives industry and education forward. Here visitors can uncover a host of never seen before ideas, resources and suppliers that will engage and inspire. The Outdoor Learning Zone is a must for visitors looking for new resources, and is the place to discover the latest learning techniques to motivate pupils and make outside learning fun and inspiring.
Finally, Resources Live is a new zone at this year’s show where visitors can see practical demonstrations of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) resources in action, along with lots of plenty of inspirational ideas for the classroom to help to bring these subjects to life.
The Education Show is free to attend and takes place from 17 to 19 March 2011 at the NEC Birmingham.
To discover more and to plan your visit, please visit www.Education-show.com and enter priority code epr23 when registering.
