Brandon Learning Centre: British Education - process, preparation and practicalities

Amazing theatre, dance and opera in your sitting room. Culture was never so accessible... The National Theatre is sharing a fantastic season with us. If you are just joining them, start with their production of Jane Eyre  ... and maybe donate if you can? The Bolshoi Theatre has sumptuous productions which are glorious to watch. Join them tonight for the premiere of Boris Godunov New York's Metropolitan Opera is offering a nightly free concert. last week, they had the fantastic Siegfried and this week, a stunning stream of Aida. The sets alone are worth tuning in for. For anyone who has ever been lucky enough to see a play at Shakespeare's Globe , you will know the feeling of being transported back in time. Experience Shakespeare's plays as he saw them. This is a perfect way to introduce your children to the arts, without having to worry about them kicking the seat in front of them or asking loudly why the strange lady on the stage is shouting so much!

Brandon has been online for a while now! Here are some tips for teachers who are about to start sharing the online experience. Above all, don’t feel isolated, we are all in the same boat.  We use Zoom, Kahoots, Google Docs Pre-Quest (our own platform) and a whole range of other products to try to get the most out of our lessons. Be interactive – we found that just trying to teach in the same way didn’t really work so we have incorporated annotation, interactive whiteboard hangman as a warm-up, Kahoots and masses of quizzes into our lessons. We tried some of the fun gadgets (wishful thinking tropical backgrounds!) but the novelty factor wore off very quickly. Get physical – ask students to move for a few minutes during longer lessons. We have a series of go-to stretches for when classes start dozing off! Try new activities – we tried to think about how we could use technology to help some of our less confident students. As part of their interview skills class, we sent

How can you set up a successful online 'classroom' at home? Try these... Before you do anything; create a big timetable so everyone in the house can see when lessons are taking place. Set up your workspace... 1: Humans love to fiddle... dig out an old stress ball or something your child can play with as they listen. Go for something soft... avoid fidgetspinners or other noise-making gadgets which will be picked up by the microphone. 2: Try to set up the workstation so it doesn't need adjusting. If you are using an Ipad, get a stand. Why? This removes the need to constantly move the screen. Set up the chair and desk so that the monitor is at a comfortable height and distance. 3: Use headphones if you can but be aware that the microphone can pick up surround sounds so show your child how to use the 'mute' option. 4: Look what is behind your child; there may personal items, doorways into bathrooms, a passageway with constant traffic. Rig up a screen i

Anna's animal magazine includes articles, illustrations and even a competition! We love projects! Managing your own learning; carrying out research; deciding how to present findings; every step of the way takes students further on the road to becoming independent learners. Take advantage of the school shut-down and work on a  project at home. Start with a big question: 'why does ... , 'what happens when...', 'could we...'  or 'how could we solve or improve....' Brainstorm ideas and try to narrow down the research topic; be targeted but wide enough to be interesting! It could cover design, sport, art, dance, drama, history, science, maths, the Greek myths, dinosaurs, cars... anything your child finds of interest. Once you have a question, work together to develop a research plan. Use books, online resources, observation, family archives... What form will the end product make? The report can be written, illustrated, created using software

 How many parents look back and wish they had spent more time with their children? Now you can! Take advantage and work on a family project together. How about... - A family history book - children interview parents, family members and grandparents and create a book of family memories. Suggest a few key areas; family traditions, recipes, houses, holidays, stories which have been passed on. The results can be handwritten, printed, or even stored on index cards to share at family gatherings. - A family portrait. Can't draw? Try a collage. - A family tree - challenge yourselves to see how many generations back you can go. You could add in world events to give context. Some families move around a lot and you could incorporate key events in new countries.  - A family map. Draw or print a world map and chart the movement of your family.  A thought: we are all under immense stress; be kind, patient, and this too will pass. Be calm... we may not be able to change events but

All our schools are closed and suddenly sitting rooms have become school rooms! At Brandon, we have been teaching online for more than five years now and have a decent idea of how you can make the transition to home schooling painless. Try the following checklist Set up your school area;   you will need: ·         a desk with a clear working space (a kitchen table will do if a desk is not available but, if possible, it should be dedicated to studying during 'school time'); ·         a comfortable chair at the correct height for the desk; ·         good lighting; ·         a stable internet connection; ·         a computer, possibly with a camera for online lessons; ·         stationery; ·         a printer. Create a home-school timetable which is available to all members of the household. Build-in breaks, homework time and time for cultural and healthy activities. Lesson times need to be respected. This means... during lesson times, as much as p