A Cracking Wee Book, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this just after I got the job, and it would have come in really handy for the interview, if only I'd known!

Unlike most educational books, it's not filled with nebulous ideas, jargon and rubbish in-jokes. Instead, it's just practical, unpretentious, informative advice on every page, nothing extraneous, no agendas being followed.

Highly recommended for new appointments, and, as I say, for aspiring Heads of Department too.

What every HOD should not be without!, 20 Sep 2007
Claerly oulines the big pcture and guides the reader through every section of their job. For the new manager a perfect reference and for the established manager a timely reminder of what the job is all about.

A Cracking Wee Book, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this just after I got the job, and it would have come in really handy for the interview, if only I'd known!

Unlike most educational books, it's not filled with nebulous ideas, jargon and rubbish in-jokes. Instead, it's just practical, unpretentious, informative advice on every page, nothing extraneous, no agendas being followed.

Highly recommended for new appointments, and, as I say, for aspiring Heads of Department too.

What every HOD should not be without!, 20 Sep 2007
Claerly oulines the big pcture and guides the reader through every section of their job. For the new manager a perfect reference and for the established manager a timely reminder of what the job is all about.

BRAIN GYM, 05 Oct 2003
Having just graduated, i have always been keen to try new things with the children i teach, having looked at the research for Brain Gym i was intrigued to see the difference it can make. This book has lots of theory about how the left and right side of the brain work, and Carla's enthusiasm for brain gym is emphasised through out. It gives various practical explanations for different exercises and also includes what each activity should be used for (ie before writing). More practical advice would have made this book better but all in all, it's not bad and is ideal for people looking to try new methods.

Learning never stops - a must-read!, 15 Jan 2002
Carla Hannaford is a neurophysiologist and educator, so she combines strong scientific research back-up for her ideas with practical experience of how they work in the real world.

The main perspective informing her work is that the development of nerve networks which constitutes learning never stops - contrary to the idea that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". The book gives a radical perspective on 'disorders' such as ADHD (which didn't seem to exist when I was at school). Hannaford suggests that kids who move around a lot in class are just doing what is natural to them, and trying to keep themselves awake! For some children the movement is necessary to stimulate the Reticular Activating System, the part of the brainstem that wakes us up.

When we are stressed, the higher functions shut down, and we revert to 'reptilian' survival oriented functioning. Expecting children to learn when under stress (e.g. when told to be quiet and not allowed to move) is counterproductive.

The book sets out a programme of advice on raising children so that their learning systems don't have to operate under this stress impairment - no TV until age 8 is probably the most radical (TV moves too fast for the developing child's brain to take in, plus, as is well documented, it features thousands of acts of violence which affects the child's mindset and physiology).

She also gives advice on diet (drink plenty of water) and an exercise programme, the 'Brain Gym' developed by Paul Dennison, which relieves stress, promotes integration of left and right brains, and enhances emotional self-management and seeing others' point of view. I have used these exercises with students on my NLP Practitioner courses and they proved very popular.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning (most of the advice about learning in children is also relevant to adults) or in practical ways to enhance emotional intelligence. All of its recommendations are backed up by scientific research and by practical experience as an educator. A must-read!

must read book for educators, administrators, boards of ED, 16 Dec 1998
This book will help educators understand some of the most important information about how children learn to be written in a long time. It is easy to understand and well grounded in research with real children. Administrators and Boards of Education will learn why they should support programs in schools that get children up and moving and involved in their learning. There are enough ideas in this book to immediately begin to help learners who are having difficulty.

A Cracking Wee Book, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this just after I got the job, and it would have come in really handy for the interview, if only I'd known!

Unlike most educational books, it's not filled with nebulous ideas, jargon and rubbish in-jokes. Instead, it's just practical, unpretentious, informative advice on every page, nothing extraneous, no agendas being followed.

Highly recommended for new appointments, and, as I say, for aspiring Heads of Department too.

What every HOD should not be without!, 20 Sep 2007
Claerly oulines the big pcture and guides the reader through every section of their job. For the new manager a perfect reference and for the established manager a timely reminder of what the job is all about.

BRAIN GYM, 05 Oct 2003
Having just graduated, i have always been keen to try new things with the children i teach, having looked at the research for Brain Gym i was intrigued to see the difference it can make. This book has lots of theory about how the left and right side of the brain work, and Carla's enthusiasm for brain gym is emphasised through out. It gives various practical explanations for different exercises and also includes what each activity should be used for (ie before writing). More practical advice would have made this book better but all in all, it's not bad and is ideal for people looking to try new methods.

Learning never stops - a must-read!, 15 Jan 2002
Carla Hannaford is a neurophysiologist and educator, so she combines strong scientific research back-up for her ideas with practical experience of how they work in the real world.

The main perspective informing her work is that the development of nerve networks which constitutes learning never stops - contrary to the idea that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". The book gives a radical perspective on 'disorders' such as ADHD (which didn't seem to exist when I was at school). Hannaford suggests that kids who move around a lot in class are just doing what is natural to them, and trying to keep themselves awake! For some children the movement is necessary to stimulate the Reticular Activating System, the part of the brainstem that wakes us up.

When we are stressed, the higher functions shut down, and we revert to 'reptilian' survival oriented functioning. Expecting children to learn when under stress (e.g. when told to be quiet and not allowed to move) is counterproductive.

The book sets out a programme of advice on raising children so that their learning systems don't have to operate under this stress impairment - no TV until age 8 is probably the most radical (TV moves too fast for the developing child's brain to take in, plus, as is well documented, it features thousands of acts of violence which affects the child's mindset and physiology).

She also gives advice on diet (drink plenty of water) and an exercise programme, the 'Brain Gym' developed by Paul Dennison, which relieves stress, promotes integration of left and right brains, and enhances emotional self-management and seeing others' point of view. I have used these exercises with students on my NLP Practitioner courses and they proved very popular.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning (most of the advice about learning in children is also relevant to adults) or in practical ways to enhance emotional intelligence. All of its recommendations are backed up by scientific research and by practical experience as an educator. A must-read!

must read book for educators, administrators, boards of ED, 16 Dec 1998
This book will help educators understand some of the most important information about how children learn to be written in a long time. It is easy to understand and well grounded in research with real children. Administrators and Boards of Education will learn why they should support programs in schools that get children up and moving and involved in their learning. There are enough ideas in this book to immediately begin to help learners who are having difficulty.

Great story: essential reading for any chalet school fan., 07 May 2001
This is about Rosamund Atherton and her experiences as head girl at St Peter's High school and all the problems that she experiences. It is a great book, moving in parts and funny in others. It really is EBD at her best.

A unique book by one of the best childrens authors I know of, 05 May 2001
Book two of the La Rochelle series, this book links in through various means with EBD's most famous series, the acclaimed Chalet School series. Alike to Elsie Oxenham, Dorita Fairlie Bruce and various other famous school story authors, EBD has her own fan club - 2 in fact - containing members from all over the world. It is one of those fan clubs that have published this fantastic edition of A Head Girl's Difficulties previously available only in much older and very valuable editions. It is unabridged, very rare for an EBD pb, and has already practically sold out, just a few copies still available from book dealers. The La Rochelle series are really a necessity for Chalet fans, and are great fun to read as every five minutes you're thinking, hey, she's going to marry him, she's the mother of Blossom, etc, as you gradually realise the extent of the links with the CS. The introduction at the beginning of the book, written by the co-producers of the Friends of The Chalet School fan club, is very helpful in getting your bearings with the book, particularly as the 7 books are not all about the same people or set in the same place. My personal favourite is the Maids of La Rochelle, but they are all fantastic and whether you are a long time EBD collector or just a mild school story fan, this is for you. Do NOT start with Maids, start on this, or even better the first book in the series, Gerry Goes To School. Amazon also sell a variety of Chalet books - buy them. They're fantastic, although abridged. This book is definately worth the five stars that I have given it - and if I could have, I would have given it 6.

A Cracking Wee Book, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this just after I got the job, and it would have come in really handy for the interview, if only I'd known!

Unlike most educational books, it's not filled with nebulous ideas, jargon and rubbish in-jokes. Instead, it's just practical, unpretentious, informative advice on every page, nothing extraneous, no agendas being followed.

Highly recommended for new appointments, and, as I say, for aspiring Heads of Department too.

What every HOD should not be without!, 20 Sep 2007
Claerly oulines the big pcture and guides the reader through every section of their job. For the new manager a perfect reference and for the established manager a timely reminder of what the job is all about.

BRAIN GYM, 05 Oct 2003
Having just graduated, i have always been keen to try new things with the children i teach, having looked at the research for Brain Gym i was intrigued to see the difference it can make. This book has lots of theory about how the left and right side of the brain work, and Carla's enthusiasm for brain gym is emphasised through out. It gives various practical explanations for different exercises and also includes what each activity should be used for (ie before writing). More practical advice would have made this book better but all in all, it's not bad and is ideal for people looking to try new methods.

Learning never stops - a must-read!, 15 Jan 2002
Carla Hannaford is a neurophysiologist and educator, so she combines strong scientific research back-up for her ideas with practical experience of how they work in the real world.

The main perspective informing her work is that the development of nerve networks which constitutes learning never stops - contrary to the idea that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". The book gives a radical perspective on 'disorders' such as ADHD (which didn't seem to exist when I was at school). Hannaford suggests that kids who move around a lot in class are just doing what is natural to them, and trying to keep themselves awake! For some children the movement is necessary to stimulate the Reticular Activating System, the part of the brainstem that wakes us up.

When we are stressed, the higher functions shut down, and we revert to 'reptilian' survival oriented functioning. Expecting children to learn when under stress (e.g. when told to be quiet and not allowed to move) is counterproductive.

The book sets out a programme of advice on raising children so that their learning systems don't have to operate under this stress impairment - no TV until age 8 is probably the most radical (TV moves too fast for the developing child's brain to take in, plus, as is well documented, it features thousands of acts of violence which affects the child's mindset and physiology).

She also gives advice on diet (drink plenty of water) and an exercise programme, the 'Brain Gym' developed by Paul Dennison, which relieves stress, promotes integration of left and right brains, and enhances emotional self-management and seeing others' point of view. I have used these exercises with students on my NLP Practitioner courses and they proved very popular.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning (most of the advice about learning in children is also relevant to adults) or in practical ways to enhance emotional intelligence. All of its recommendations are backed up by scientific research and by practical experience as an educator. A must-read!

must read book for educators, administrators, boards of ED, 16 Dec 1998
This book will help educators understand some of the most important information about how children learn to be written in a long time. It is easy to understand and well grounded in research with real children. Administrators and Boards of Education will learn why they should support programs in schools that get children up and moving and involved in their learning. There are enough ideas in this book to immediately begin to help learners who are having difficulty.

Great story: essential reading for any chalet school fan., 07 May 2001
This is about Rosamund Atherton and her experiences as head girl at St Peter's High school and all the problems that she experiences. It is a great book, moving in parts and funny in others. It really is EBD at her best.

A unique book by one of the best childrens authors I know of, 05 May 2001
Book two of the La Rochelle series, this book links in through various means with EBD's most famous series, the acclaimed Chalet School series. Alike to Elsie Oxenham, Dorita Fairlie Bruce and various other famous school story authors, EBD has her own fan club - 2 in fact - containing members from all over the world. It is one of those fan clubs that have published this fantastic edition of A Head Girl's Difficulties previously available only in much older and very valuable editions. It is unabridged, very rare for an EBD pb, and has already practically sold out, just a few copies still available from book dealers. The La Rochelle series are really a necessity for Chalet fans, and are great fun to read as every five minutes you're thinking, hey, she's going to marry him, she's the mother of Blossom, etc, as you gradually realise the extent of the links with the CS. The introduction at the beginning of the book, written by the co-producers of the Friends of The Chalet School fan club, is very helpful in getting your bearings with the book, particularly as the 7 books are not all about the same people or set in the same place. My personal favourite is the Maids of La Rochelle, but they are all fantastic and whether you are a long time EBD collector or just a mild school story fan, this is for you. Do NOT start with Maids, start on this, or even better the first book in the series, Gerry Goes To School. Amazon also sell a variety of Chalet books - buy them. They're fantastic, although abridged. This book is definately worth the five stars that I have given it - and if I could have, I would have given it 6.

You will remember reading this book, 10 Nov 2007
This book is a classic in its own right. Although written several years ago, its message remains relevant to those in education management. It is packed full of soundbites and useful quotes so well worth purchasing for any education management course. I've had a copy on my bookshelf for more than four years and it's not gathering dust!

This is the fundamental book for understanding headship, 01 Apr 2001
This book is essential reading for all those who wish to understand modern teaching and leadership. It analyses in very concise language the problems of overload and growing helplessness in headship, backing up its critique with current and wide-ranging research, some of it from Fullan himself, who is without equal in the field of the study of educational change. But this is not just another diagnosis of big problems: Fullan gives clear and memorably cogent guidelines for action for headteachers to improve themselves. There is also advice for LEAs and politicians. Teachers might find some of Fullan's denser analysis hard work but anyone in education or passionate about learning will profit from this well-crafted thoughtpiece. There are barely seventy A5 pages of text and many good summary boxes and diagrams. Each sentence is as it were sculpted.

If you want to know why leadership is in trouble in our schools and how leaders can lead themselves into improvement that is sustaining, if you want to be part of a sea-change in educational and humanistic ideas that recognises the nobility and fundamental importance of learning, buy this minor classic from the seriously wise and hope-giving Canadian thinker. This is a work of great courage but it is also of real practical application.

A Cracking Wee Book, 31 Jan 2008
I bought this just after I got the job, and it would have come in really handy for the interview, if only I'd known!

Unlike most educational books, it's not filled with nebulous ideas, jargon and rubbish in-jokes. Instead, it's just practical, unpretentious, informative advice on every page, nothing extraneous, no agendas being followed.

Highly recommended for new appointments, and, as I say, for aspiring Heads of Department too.

What every HOD should not be without!, 20 Sep 2007
Claerly oulines the big pcture and guides the reader through every section of their job. For the new manager a perfect reference and for the established manager a timely reminder of what the job is all about.

BRAIN GYM, 05 Oct 2003
Having just graduated, i have always been keen to try new things with the children i teach, having looked at the research for Brain Gym i was intrigued to see the difference it can make. This book has lots of theory about how the left and right side of the brain work, and Carla's enthusiasm for brain gym is emphasised through out. It gives various practical explanations for different exercises and also includes what each activity should be used for (ie before writing). More practical advice would have made this book better but all in all, it's not bad and is ideal for people looking to try new methods.

Learning never stops - a must-read!, 15 Jan 2002
Carla Hannaford is a neurophysiologist and educator, so she combines strong scientific research back-up for her ideas with practical experience of how they work in the real world.

The main perspective informing her work is that the development of nerve networks which constitutes learning never stops - contrary to the idea that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks". The book gives a radical perspective on 'disorders' such as ADHD (which didn't seem to exist when I was at school). Hannaford suggests that kids who move around a lot in class are just doing what is natural to them, and trying to keep themselves awake! For some children the movement is necessary to stimulate the Reticular Activating System, the part of the brainstem that wakes us up.

When we are stressed, the higher functions shut down, and we revert to 'reptilian' survival oriented functioning. Expecting children to learn when under stress (e.g. when told to be quiet and not allowed to move) is counterproductive.

The book sets out a programme of advice on raising children so that their learning systems don't have to operate under this stress impairment - no TV until age 8 is probably the most radical (TV moves too fast for the developing child's brain to take in, plus, as is well documented, it features thousands of acts of violence which affects the child's mindset and physiology).

She also gives advice on diet (drink plenty of water) and an exercise programme, the 'Brain Gym' developed by Paul Dennison, which relieves stress, promotes integration of left and right brains, and enhances emotional self-management and seeing others' point of view. I have used these exercises with students on my NLP Practitioner courses and they proved very popular.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning (most of the advice about learning in children is also relevant to adults) or in practical ways to enhance emotional intelligence. All of its recommendations are backed up by scientific research and by practical experience as an educator. A must-read!

must read book for educators, administrators, boards of ED, 16 Dec 1998
This book will help educators understand some of the most important information about how children learn to be written in a long time. It is easy to understand and well grounded in research with real children. Administrators and Boards of Education will learn why they should support programs in schools that get children up and moving and involved in their learning. There are enough ideas in this book to immediately begin to help learners who are having difficulty.

Great story: essential reading for any chalet school fan., 07 May 2001
This is about Rosamund Atherton and her experiences as head girl at St Peter's High school and all the problems that she experiences. It is a great book, moving in parts and funny in others. It really is EBD at her best.

A unique book by one of the best childrens authors I know of, 05 May 2001
Book two of the La Rochelle series, this book links in through various means with EBD's most famous series, the acclaimed Chalet School series. Alike to Elsie Oxenham, Dorita Fairlie Bruce and various other famous school story authors, EBD has her own fan club - 2 in fact - containing members from all over the world. It is one of those fan clubs that have published this fantastic edition of A Head Girl's Difficulties previously available only in much older and very valuable editions. It is unabridged, very rare for an EBD pb, and has already practically sold out, just a few copies still available from book dealers. The La Rochelle series are really a necessity for Chalet fans, and are great fun to read as every five minutes you're thinking, hey, she's going to marry him, she's the mother of Blossom, etc, as you gradually realise the extent of the links with the CS. The introduction at the beginning of the book, written by the co-producers of the Friends of The Chalet School fan club, is very helpful in getting your bearings with the book, particularly as the 7 books are not all about the same people or set in the same place. My personal favourite is the Maids of La Rochelle, but they are all fantastic and whether you are a long time EBD collector or just a mild school story fan, this is for you. Do NOT start with Maids, start on this, or even better the first book in the series, Gerry Goes To School. Amazon also sell a variety of Chalet books - buy them. They're fantastic, although abridged. This book is definately worth the five stars that I have given it - and if I could have, I would have given it 6.

You will remember reading this book, 10 Nov 2007
This book is a classic in its own right. Although written several years ago, its message remains relevant to those in education management. It is packed full of soundbites and useful quotes so well worth purchasing for any education management course. I've had a copy on my bookshelf for more than four years and it's not gathering dust!

This is the fundamental book for understanding headship, 01 Apr 2001
This book is essential reading for all those who wish to understand modern teaching and leadership. It analyses in very concise language the problems of overload and growing helplessness in headship, backing up its critique with current and wide-ranging research, some of it from Fullan himself, who is without equal in the field of the study of educational change. But this is not just another diagnosis of big problems: Fullan gives clear and memorably cogent guidelines for action for headteachers to improve themselves. There is also advice for LEAs and politicians. Teachers might find some of Fullan's denser analysis hard work but anyone in education or passionate about learning will profit from this well-crafted thoughtpiece. There are barely seventy A5 pages of text and many good summary boxes and diagrams. Each sentence is as it were sculpted.

If you want to know why leadership is in trouble in our schools and how leaders can lead themselves into improvement that is sustaining, if you want to be part of a sea-change in educational and humanistic ideas that recognises the nobility and fundamental importance of learning, buy this minor classic from the seriously wise and hope-giving Canadian thinker. This is a work of great courage but it is also of real practical application.

Heart warming & Very funny, 22 May 2002
Gervase Phin captures the spirirt of rural childhood in a way that has you falling about with laughter & itching to listen on. Be warned if listening in the car you will be driving for miles to hear to the end of the tape!!!

Phinn is a man with an absolute understanding of children., 07 Nov 2001
Phinn is a man with an absolute understanding of children with a nack of recalling those classic, innocent moments of pure humour that innocently slip from their mouths when you least expect it. These books are an account of his career as a Senior schools Inspector in northest North Yorkshire and the people and children he met along the way. They are utterly charming and will be loved by those who appreciate a gentle humour; in many ways in the style of the Herriot books. Having said that, be prepared to laugh out loud - I did and on several occaisions.
Finally, what makes this collection so special is the fact that they are narrated by Gervase Phinn himself who brings to the occaision his own wit and warmth. A very special collection, I urge you to buy it.