Fiona

A. 1. Set clear time limits and expectations for each activity.

2. Have a stopwatch handy and challenge the children to beat a previous time, for example changing for PE.

3. Train class monitors to make sure they give out books as soon as they come in, without you having to direct them.

4. Establish routines with your class so they know what to do and you don’t have to waste time telling them.

5. If there are disruptions, explain you will see those children at the end of the lesson so you don’t have their learning time affected.

6. Have some sort of reward tick chart for children who are ready to begin first or complete tasks successfully.

7. Have resources ready to go for each part of the lesson.

8. Count down from 10 or five to zero to encourage children to be ready quickly, particularly when clearing away.

9. Putting a mark on a child’s book showing where you’d like them to get up to by a certain time can often spur them on.

10. Write an outline of the lesson on the board with times next to it, so the children realise they have a limited time to complete tasks.

Sue, Surrey

COMING UP

My Year 9s interfere with my laptop, push books off tables and stab each other with pens. How should I deal with this irritating kind of disruption?

Should pupils be allowed to sit GCSEs as early as Year 9, and is it better to have a grade C aged 13 or a grade A aged 16? Why the rush?

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