Flying Start

Heather Pollitt

395^+VAT

Interactive

Jan 03

978 1 84070 214 9

Develop personal, thinking and learning skills
Reduce tutor contact time
Support independent learning
Ease the transistion after GCSE

Build essential skills

The recent QCA secondary curriculum review identifies personal, learning and thinking skills as the main way of ensuring that students learn to be:

independent enquirers
creative thinkers
reflective learners
team workers
self-managers
effective participators.

Flying Start enables you to develop these skills in your students, through dedicated material and guidance on:

researching information
making convincing arguments
extended writing
speaking and presenting
time management
coping with stress.

Key support for Years 10 and 11 and sixth form

Flying Start is an exciting, involving set of CD-ROM-based materials, covering the key academic, personal and social issues that students must address if they are to progress successfully. It sets out to help them become better independent learners prepared for the challenges of GCSE and beyond.

At sixth form level

It is ideal as the basis for an intensive induction course, a tutorial programme or a series of study skills sessions. All the material can be accessed through an attractive interface (that can be personalised) or printed out.

For Years 10 and 11

It can form an effective element within your school’s Gifted and Talented programme.

A comprehensive programme

Flying Start is practical and engaging throughout. The disc-based material provides a series of assignments, each well supported by explanation, activities and sample answers.

Inherent flexibility

Flying Start can be teacher-led, but focusing on supported self-study, contact time can be as low as 15%. The detailed teacher’s material is ideal for use by tutors, learning mentors and specialist staff. It offers a range of delivery options: via CD-ROM or intranet; through computer or print-based activities. It is flexible enough to suit a wide variety of timescales and approaches. By selecting material carefully and varying the delivery model, Flying Start can be used for:

learning mentors creating IEPs
gifted and talented cohorts
sixth form induction
tutorial and enrichment programmes, helping students to progress from GCSE to AS or ACVE, or from AS to A-level
FE colleges working with students to increase engagement, retention and achievement
refresher courses for adult learners returning to formal education.

The support you need

The invaluable tutor guidance section helps you to consider a variety of topics, including:

Your delivery model
Involving colleagues
Approaches to assessment
Supporting students.

Flying Start is modular and is designed for maximum flexibility, with each part student-centred and activity-led.

Available online

To help students to take full advantage of this valuable resource and to let parents feel more involved, Flying Start can be accessed online. The price (£395^+VAT) includes a CD-ROM with a full site licence, plus online access for 12 months. Thereafter the online access can be renewed £195 per annum. Please call 01223 350555 for details.

Section 1: Getting started

Introduction
Assess your strengths
Your learning style
Using ICT

Section 2: Essential skills - A series of supported activities on fundamental skills:

Note-taking
Skimming
Scanning
Plagiarism and referencing
Analyse vs describe
ICT and information handling
Understanding statistics
Presenting your work well
Presenting data
Convincing arguments
Speaking and presenting

Section 3: Extended writing - A selection of subject/discipline-specific tasks, all based around the multi-stage process:

Making a start
Analysing assignment briefs
Gathering information
Organising materials
Ordering information
Writing your response
Checking and editing

Section 4: Personal development

Time management
Being organised
Assertiveness
Coping with stress
Looking ahead

Section 5: Test your knowledge

Funding

Colleges running Flying Start as an OCN-accredited course (Level 2/Level 3) can claim a substantial amount of Learning and Skills Council funding for the course.