Professional Development

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Risk Posters

Two specially commissioned A2 size posters, showing both indoor and outdoor play spaces - showing that risk in play is not only natural but also desirable! Captioned with 'Where there's play, there's risk!' and 'No risk, no play!' Great for play settings and for use as training aids. Price includes postage and packing - loosely folded. Sold in a pair.

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Essential Skills for Managers of
Child-Centred Settings

Emma Isles-Buck and Shelly Newstead

Focussing on how leaders can develop skills, this book looks at how you and your team can ensure an excellent service for all child-centred settings. Balancing accessible theory and practical application from a wide range of settings, the book contains ten chapters which each focus on an individual skill, including; confidence, vision, reflective practice, decision-making, giving feedback, change management, inclusive practice, time management, building a team, evaluation processes.

I warmly welcome this book which just hits the spot in providing me with clearly defined skills needed to manage my setting.
Heather Searle

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Playtime!

Shelly Newstead

Based on work undertaken by Shelly Newstead with schools in Wigan, this textbook and DVD is for anyone working in or with schools which want to improve the quality of children's playtime.

 The book looks at the key elements of providing really great playtimes and gives practical advice on how to support a whole-school approach to play. The DVD features staff and pupils talking about the challenges that they faced in changing the way that playtimes worked in their school as well as lots of really great footage of children demonstrating what a great playtime should look like in practice!

This book is bright and colourful and the photos help to set the scene. I like the play footage on the DVD; this was really useful. It presents the issues in bit size chunks with sufficient detail. I believe the best way for it to be used is as support material for some hands-on-training with staff (both playground, teaching and support staff, and Governors). It is vital to get buy-in from all concerned. I will be sharing the pack with all my team - particularly those who have little or no practical experience of playwork.
Alison Terry

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Play at School

PLAYLINK's Play at School Scheme - which takes a whole approach to improving playtime in schools. Contains a report on a PLAYLINK project with three primary schools. Raises general points about organisational change.

For more information about PLAYLINK see their website: www.playlink.org.

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What is Child Abuse? - A2 Poster

Really useful visual aid for training courses - 14 cartoon-type drawings which enable training participants to discuss the four types of child abuse sensitively and creatively. Also useful for wall displays in family centres, community buildings, youth centres etc to raise awareness of this important issue. Take a look at Midnight Feast, one of the puzzle sheets from Play Safe Stay Well on our free resources section!

Common Threads makes a donation to RAPCAN for every poster sold, helping to prevent child abuse in South Africa.

I have used the 'What is Child Abuse?' poster as a very effective discussion focus with several groups of mature students. It has been very useful in encouraging students to discuss issues that they possibly would not have put under the general term of 'abuse'. A useful and worthwhile resource.
Sheila Riddall-Leech

Excellent resource, easy to use, works well for 'ice breakers', good for 'fun' refocusing after lunch, ideal as back up for after tests, good printable format, good to use as 'stimulators' when discussing a particular topic.
Brian Baughan

For more information about RAPCAN see their website: www.rapcan.org.za.

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