Spring and Summer 2021 Remote Learning
In Spring Term 2020, we designed specific Covid-19 related pages which included relevant parent letters, resources, blogs and risk assessments and were updated through lockdown. These pages are still available, by clicking on the red buttons at the bottom of page below.
This page reflects the Spring and Summer Terms 2021.
February Half Term Activities
- Mr Moore's Pancakes
- Wilde's Weekly Wisdom - Bumper edition
- Opera North Online Instrumental Academy - Free
- Standing Upright No Barriers Creative Workshops Week
- Dragonfly Cancer Trust - Virtual Escape Room
Mr Moore's Pancakes
Wilde's Weekly Wisdom - Bumper edition
Wilde's Weekly Wisdom Bumper Pack
Mr Wilde has created a special pack featuring all six puzzles for you to have a go at.
If you enjoy completing these puzzles, head to Wilde's Weekly Wisdom for more.
Opera North Online Instrumental Academy - Free
The workshops will be held between the 15 – 19 February (Half Term) and will focus on a particular instrument or on an orchestral section, such as woodwind, brass and percussion.
Each session has been designed in collaboration with Opera North’s professional musicians to enable participants to celebrate what makes their instrument special and to develop technical ability and overall musicality in a friendly, supportive and safe environment.
All information is available on our website: Orchestral Academy Online (operanorth.co.uk)
Please note: the deadline to register is 9am Monday 8th February. There is no fee for this project, but places will be limited to ensure workshops aren’t overcrowded.
Standing Upright No Barriers Creative Workshops Week
Dragonfly Cancer Trust - Virtual Escape Room
Play the online treasure hunt cleverly crafted by Escape Rooms Durham.
Solve cryptic clues and find hidden passwords to reveal the identity of MR-X.
The game is free to play with a suggested donation for successful agents.
If you enjoy your time playing MR-X, please consider making a donation to help young palliative cancer patients make the most of their time with friends and family.
Senior School Communications
Mr Stanford's Welcome Back Assembly - Thursday 7th January 2021
You can access Mr Stanford's assembly by clicking here.
Junior School Communications
Academic Support
- Grades Descriptors 2020-2021
- Student guide to remote learning
- Student guide to TEAMS
- TEAMS Meeting Etiquette
- An introduction to distance learning through office 365
- Time management skills for students
- How to make the perfect study station at home
Grades Descriptors 2020-2021
Student guide to remote learning
Student guide to TEAMS
TEAMS Meeting Etiquette
An introduction to distance learning through office 365
The majority of work is being set for students, through Office 365, using Outlook, Teams and Documents. For an easy guide to setting this up from home, please visit Microsoft Teams for Education.
Time management skills for students
The word unprecedented feels overused these days, but there’s no other word to properly explain the world into which we’ve all been catapulted. We’re all finding our feet, including teachers and students’ new remote learning. For each email we receive from parents confirming that the level of work being set by teachers is just right, another parent will tell us that their son/daughter appears to have a little too much time on their hands, and another will tell us that their family feels pressurised by an unmanageable workload being sent home. These three perspectives can come from the same form group, where the same level of work is being set for every student, so we recognise the need to help families navigate the new remote learning workload. All work is being set through Office 365, primarily Teams. If you are unfamiliar with the system please ask your child to give you a guided tour of the system, or click here for a very accessible guide.
At school, the timetable dictates the amount of time allocated to subjects and in the classroom, teachers have the ability to differentiate between students, and dial challenge up or down accordingly. Our students are now thrown into a situation where they must – to an extent - be the masters of their own schedule, and develop time-management skills that most adults have taken a lifetime to refine. So, what are the secrets to success for students, now that they are largely managing their own time? We’d encourage parents and students to talk through each of these tips at home; some of the tips will resonate and some won’t, but as a family we encourage you to discuss what’s already working and which of these ideas could help ready for when remote learning resumes on the 27th of April:
RGS time management tip 1 – get the right balance
There are 24 hours in a day. We encourage all students to get their 7-8 hours’ sleep each night (not too much more, definitely not less – see Mr Heath’s House Assembly on good sleep patterns for wellbeing and optimum cognitive performance) which leaves 16 waking hours to invest wisely.
We talk about investment, as time, is arguably our most precious and finite resource. Would you spend money mindlessly, without forethought and management, knowing that there was a limited supply, which will one day run out? The same planning should apply to our time. As a broad rule, students should be spending around 25 hours a week (the time they would have spent in lessons at school) on learning activities designed by teachers to help understand new content, reinforce and deepen learning of old material, and complete work set by teachers to assess their learning. Students in Sixth Form will also be spending time each week on independent learning activities such as reading round the subject.
Crucially, the remaining hours should be invested in activities for relaxation, hobbies, and joy. We would encourage students to consciously think about how this leisure time is used. Hours can suddenly disappear on social media, but perhaps students can consciously plan to spend x time on exercise, x time on music, and x time on whatever else brings them joy! Whether it’s cooking or gardening or dancing or reading or Face timing friends or helping out at home or taking a soak in the bath… the list is endless… our point is that time is precious and students can consciously plan and choose how to invest time for maximum joy!
In summary, if students think about a third of their time sleeping, a third of their time working and a third of their time for fun, then we suggest they’ll have a healthy balance that will be helpful throughout their lives.
RGS time management tip 2 – plan for success
There are endless systems available to help manage our time, from the Bullet Journal Method, to the RGS School Planner, to a printed timetable pinned on the wall, to Outlook Calendar, to a whole host of other apps. Our suggestion is that it doesn’t matter which system you use; I have tried them all and cannot run my life without Outlook on my iPad! We encourage your child to try different methods but then settle on one which suits them.
Whatever their system we suggest starting each day with a definitive ‘to do list’;
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Check school email, Teams and OneNote - what are all of the (outstanding) tasks that different teachers have set?
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When was the task set?
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Briefly summarise the work.
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What is my teacher trying to get me to learn?
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In what format do I need to deliver my work?
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For the most diligent students, what are the opportunities to stretch my thinking in this area?
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What amount of time does my teacher expect me to invest in this?
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When is it due?
We would encourage students to keep this definitive list and - especially our younger students - share this with you as parents, as you may have a helpful role in debating priorities, or even helping to extend learning through discussions over the kitchen table, or watching related documentaries or films together. Not all students will welcome the revelation that due to isolation parents might have more time to invest in their child’s learning, but perhaps we’ll all come to mourn these days when we have the capacity to occupy one another’s worlds.
So, what makes a task a priority? Is the priority the subjects a student enjoys the most, or are these best left until the end of the day when motivation may flag? Or is the priority the subject which just gives the most joy, and the time in isolation is the time to get that B grade to a future A grade, in a subject they plan to focus on in the future? Or is the priority simply down to the due date? Have the debate at home, the value is in the conscious thought given to what work to do, in what order, factoring in the limitations you might have at home (e.g. shared access to a family PC).
We have had feedback from students that some have enjoyed reflecting at the end of the day, on what they have achieved and then planning the following day’s work. The evening reflection/planning can helpfully 1. help celebrate what they have achieved in a day – let’s all be flexible and accept the challenging circumstances, a small achievement is still an achievement, and 2. avoid that morning fuzziness which many teenagers seem to experience, ensuring they start each day armed with a plan!
RGS time management tip 3 – reduce disruptions
I will welcome any distraction as an opportunity to procrastinate, as will most of our students. Location and physical environment can help enormously. Set up a dedicated study area, in a quiet place but ideally not too remote from the family. The television or radio news can be a constant feature in homes right now but switch it off, along with other distractions including email notifications, phone messages. Students should simply switch them off, knowing that they can catch up on messages when work is completed, as they would do during classes. Perfection is another disruption and for some of our students can lead to a feeling of too much work to do because they are spending too long on a task. At school, teachers would move them on and the structure of the day helps limit time they can spend perfecting things, but at home this is not so easy. You might need to help your child set time limits if perfectionist traits are distracting them from getting through their work. Students should get on, try something, fail if necessary, and learn from it.
RGS time management tip 4 – it’s good to talk
The school buildings may be closed to all but a few students, but RGS is still working, just differently. Students should check-in with their Form Supervisor each morning, and their Tutor every Friday. They need to talk about how they are coping with their workload, their teachers are there to support, encourage and advise. Similarly, teachers are available via email o Teams; students should continue to ask questions about work, discuss and if necessary, negotiate deadlines, proactively ask for help if they are struggling with a task or proactively seek extension work if they want to stretch their learning on a topic. We are here, just in a different form. Finally, students should have time each day to speak with their friends. Their peers are all on the same journey, finding their feet and navigating their (speedily acquired!) time management skills. The support and tips that our children will get from their peers will give a valuable perspective.
RGS time management tip 5 – it’s all going to be ok
We are aware that some - perhaps overly-diligent – students have found the lack of a school structure overwhelming, and are investing significantly more time than recommended by teachers, in each task. If a student is enjoying this learning, and welcoming the opportunity to think deeply about everything, then we would encourage this (of course within reason, assuming they still have their allocation of leisure time).
At the other end of the scale some students will rush through tasks in order to convince parents that they have completed everything and their leisure activities can begin. A task which can take an “average” RGS student 30 minutes might take some, who have better things to do, 10 minutes. If you are in doubt that your child is not being set enough work then please get in touch with their Form Supervisor who will be able to look at a bigger picture to determine whether it is genuinely the case or whether there is an element of ‘getting work out of the way quickly’ going on.
For other students who are struggling with anxiety relating to their workload, we encourage parents to work with Form Supervisors to dial down their child’s expectations. If we all start from the assumption that all that really matters right now, is everyone’s physical and mental health, and everything else is ‘solvable’, then we’ll get through this episode.
The RGS Penrith generation survived the evacuation of the school, under much harsher conditions, and I have every confidence that the 2020 generation are all going to be ok.
How to make the perfect study station at home
BBC Bitesize offers some great advice to help ensure your study space at home helps you feel motivated and keeps you focused.
PASTORAL SUPPORT & WELLBEING
STUDENTS
- Cook with Jack
- Storicise
- Student wellbeing support during lockdown
- Student protocols for video calls
- Support for families in hardship in East Newcastle
Cook with Jack
Cook with Jack - a great website which shares healthy recipes and videos
Storicise
Storicise has been created to bring together knowledge, resources and activities to help students as they explore, learn, share and discuss the impact of Covid-19.
Student wellbeing support during lockdown
Student protocols for video calls
Support for families in hardship in East Newcastle
Support for families in hardship in East NewcastleThis support is available to families in the suburbs of East Newcastle. If you feel you could benefit from the support, please email us for more information.
PARENTS
- Parent Support group - Rollercoaster
- E-Safety & Digital Parent Support
- Student wellbeing support during lockdown
- Adult wellbeing resources
- Parent Zone
- Northumbria Police County Lines Leaflet for Parents and Carers
- Support for families in hardship in East Newcastle
- Advice and/or support for parents and families during lockdown
- Northumbria Police Online Safety Support - Thinkuknow
- Online Safety Reminders
- Talking to your child about Coronavirus
- Nosy Crow - a free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler
Parent Support group - Rollercoaster
E-Safety & Digital Parent Support
Student wellbeing support during lockdown
Adult wellbeing resources
Parent Zone
Parent Zone and CEOP have collaborated to provide some lockdown specific articles that we wanted to share with you.
Ranging from top tips on how to cope with family life under lockdown to how to mark all those special occasions, some expert advice and reassurance can go a long way at a time like this.
Surviving Family Life Under Lockdown
Where can your child get mental health support online during lockdown?
The hidden benefits of playing video games during lockdown
Northumbria Police County Lines Leaflet for Parents and Carers
Support for families in hardship in East Newcastle
Support for families in hardship in East NewcastleThis support is available to families in the suburbs of East Newcastle. If you feel you could benefit from the support, please email us for more information.
Advice and/or support for parents and families during lockdown
The NSPCC has a particularly good page offering points of advice or support for parents and families during lockdown. There is a helpline on there too if you need to speak to someone.
Anna Freud Centre has some really good resources to support parents during Covid-19.
Northumbria Police Online Safety Support - Thinkuknow
We would like to bring to your attention the “ThinkuKnow” education programme from the NCA-CEOP. This is a UK organisation which protects children both online and offline.
In the current climate, with children spending increasing amounts of time online during home schooling, Northumbria Police are working with schools and organisations to highlight this programme on online safety which we believe you will find useful for protecting your children.
There are resources on the website targeted at different age groups which can be used by parents/carers and teachers to assist as part of learning.
Please use the link below to access the programmes
Online Safety Reminders
As a reminder, our digital literacy information for parents can be found here on our main website.
Jessie & Friends is a three-episode animated series which aims to equip 4-7 year olds with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to help them stay safe from sexual abuse and other risks they may encounter online.
Band Runner is a fun game for 8-10 year olds that puts children’s knowledge about staying safe online to the test by asking them to help characters make safe choices.
Talking to your child about Coronavirus
The Children's Commissioner has produced a helpful 'children's guide to Coronavirus'.
The BBC has a dedicated section about Coronavirus on the CBBC page, we especially recommend Newsround's video for young people worried about Coronavirus.
The Anna Freud Centre has a range of different resources, aimed directly at children, at parents and at staff. In particular their ideas on self care activities (written by children) are include some helpful suggestions.
The British Psychological Society has a guide to talking to children about Coronavirus.
Nosy Crow - a free information book explaining the coronavirus to children, illustrated by Gruffalo illustrator Axel Scheffler
Nosy Crow - Axel Scheffler has illustrated a digital book for primary school age children, free for anyone to read on screen or print out, about the coronavirus and the measures taken to control it.
STAFF
- Teacher protocols for video calls
- Teacher resilience during coronavirus school closures
- Stress busting for school staff
Teacher protocols for video calls
Teacher resilience during coronavirus school closures
Stress busting for school staff
We are all programmed to deal with stress. Sometimes it can be helpful in short bursts but it becomes a problem if we go into burnout.
10 signs of burnout:
- You feel constantly exhausted but struggle to relax or sleep
- The pace of life seems relentless & you can’t think of ways to unload
- Physically your body feels drained of energy
- You feel in a low place & can’t remember the last time you felt real joy
- You are either over eating or have no appetite or eat very little
- Every time you get to a break, you become sick & take ages to get better
- You suffer random aches & pains you haven’t noticed before
- You feel overwhelmed but can’t ask for help and try to mask your struggle
- Your inner voice turns against you & becomes increasingly punitive
- You privately fantasise about ditching everything & escaping the pressure
Stress is our body’s response to a perceived threat. This is when the fight, flight or freeze mode is adopted.
At some point, everybody needs to let off steam but the pressure-cooker effect is not the best solution as it means things have been allowed to build up. When this happens, communication, empathy, emotions, behaviour, awareness become difficult to control.
We see this in our body in the following ways:
- we become light-headed
- eyes are unfocussed (our pupils are dilated)
- tingling/numb/cold fingers/toes
- muscles are tensed; butterflies
- heart-races
- breath quickens
- sweat
If we learn to listen to these clues, we can begin to know when we are not ok and can start to put our system back into balance.
Ways of re-balancing our system (healthy coping strategies):
- Learn what makes us feel good
- Acknowledge our strengths
- Practising gratitude
- Breathing deeply (try the rectangle technique)
- Meditation
- Exercising daily (20mins)
- Eating well (helps to maintain good gut health)
- Giving & accepting support
- Socialising with friends
- Music/art/hobbies
- Laughing (children laugh approx 300 times/day but adults only laugh approx 10 time/day. Consider what TV programmes we’re watching – try to watch more comedy)
- Sleeping (this is our brain’s time to make sense of what is happening to us & we need 7-10 hours a night)
- Doing things for others
- Writing out thoughts/problems
- Having a digital timeout regularly
Unhealthy coping strategies:
- Denying problems
- Avoiding feelings
- Procrastinating
- Using drugs/alcohol to numb out
- Self-harming
- Having risky sexual relationships (less likely at the minute as we’re all in lockdown!)
- Withdrawing from friends/family
- Gambling & excessive gaming
- Compulsive spending
- Sleeping excessively
- ‘zoning out’ for hours on screens
- Binging or fasting
- Always having to be busy/working/perfect
- Not exercising/doing hobbies
Excitement and anxiety can feel the same so if we’re daunted by something, trying to see at as something exciting can be useful.
If your to do list is overwhelming, try splitting it up into sections: have your must-do today in one list then put everything else in a separate list & don’t look at them until the following day;
Recognising thinking traps can help:
- Fortune telling: trying to predict the future, even though that’s impossible (eg: I will mess up)
- Mind-reading: trying to decide what people are thinking before they’ve actually told you;
- Over-generalising: eg: I always make mistakes;
- Limiting beliefs: eg: I must always be perfect. This means we’re always putting ourselves under huge amounts of pressure. It’s better to be brave than to be perfect.
Remember:
- Pay attention to the red flags to avoid burnout
- Deal with individual stresses as they arise to avoid the pressure cooker blowing which injures relationships
- Stress will be experienced as body sensations – noticing helps us know when our system needs rebalancing
- Choose & use your healthy coping strategies & have at least 1 which is non-negotiable
- Remember that thoughts, feelings & behaviours are all connected & influenced by our environment – change any one & the rest must change too
- Develop awareness of your thinking traps
- There is no such things as perfect. Learn to say ‘no’ & remember that we just need to be ‘good enough’ – perfection is an illusion & the pursuit of it often leads to burnout
- Anger is often fuelled by stress
Subject Specific Resources & Activities
- Links to free online library resources (older students)
- Links to free online library resources (younger students)
- Wilde's Weekly Wisdom
Links to free online library resources (older students)
The following resources are available for our students to access through their RGS account, or freely available on the internet:
Enjoy exploring literature, culture & history with the The Literary Encyclopedia.
Oak National Academy offers nearly 10,000 free video lessons, resources and activities, covering most subjects, from Reception to Year 11.
New Scientist is the online version of the magazine and covers all aspects of science and technology with the use of videos and podcasts.
Open University's Free Learn offers 1,000 free courses over eight subject areas. A fantastic way for our oldest pupils to consolidate ideas taught in the school syllabus.
Future Learn offers diverse courses from leading universities around the world. RGS students will be able to explore videos to consolidate and stretch their thinking.
National Geographic contains an extensive free archive that can consume the hungriest of RGS learners, plus more available on subscription. We especially enjoyed the article about what people used before toilet paper was invented.
BBC's In Our Time podcast is a treasure trove for the intellectually curious. If you're spoilt for choice with the almost 1,000 episodes covering history, culture, philosophy and religion, start with the Listeners' Top 10.
University of Oxford's 'Oxplore' is the 'Home of Big Questions' tackling complex ideas across a whole range of subjects. Go on and join a debate!
University of Cambridge's Underground Mathematics is a rich resource, aimed at A-Level Maths students.
There are over 3,300 TED Talks (ideas worth spreading...) on an eclectic range of subjects from speakers around the world. Also check our TEDxNewcastle's previous talks at our very own Sage.
The official Nobel Prize website contains reviews and articles about the world's greatest endeavours in science, literature, economics and peace.
Massolit.io contains over 3,000 lectures across more than 400 courses.
JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million academic journal articles, books, and primary sources in 75 disciplines.
The British Museum has a range of ways to explore exhibitions from your front room.
Digital Theatre Plus provides 24/7 unlimited performance access encouraging students to explore and experiment outside of the classroom.
Great Writers Inspire from University of Oxford contains free lectures, eBooks and contextual essays, aimed at A-Level and University students.
Through Audible Stories students can instantly stream - from a desktop, laptop, phone or tablet - an incredible collection of stories to continue their learning, or just to dream, relax, and have some constructive leisure time.
The UK Space Education Office contains great resources and activities, as does the American equivalent, NASA for Students.
Institute of Education provides a list of over 50 free online learning resources to help children continue their learning at home, organised by primary / secondary / subject.
Beginning Monday 20 April, BBC Bitesize will publish daily online lessons for all ages. They will also have a new dedicated TV channel full of learning content, podcasts on BBC Sounds and loads of educational video on iPlayer.
Book Trust offers free online books and videos. Students can play games, win prizes, test their knowledge in book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of their favourite characters. They have also developed a BookTrust Home Time hub for families with children at home, and is packed with reading advice, ideas and resources. Time at home is a great opportunity to find inspiration in books, discover a new habit, and uncover a new passion. Follow #BookTrustHomeTime on social media for new content every day.
Each day Sit Patrick Stewart is sharing A Sonnet A Day on Twitter.
Authorify bring readers and writers closer together through interactive video masterclasses, fun downloadable activities and exciting after school club resources.
Anna James Bookwanders is an online book club where viewers can watch booky videos about new releases, book prizes and literary life.
Robin Stevens, “Murder Most Unladylike” takes readers on a journey where they get to try to solve the Murder Mystery.
Audible has released hundreds of titles for free there are some great classic titles and titles in foreign languages via this link.
Readon MyON gives students access to 7,000 books online. There is no username or password required, and free access remains open for the duration of the school closures.
TIME for Kids is a free digital library.
Gov.UK has brought together an initial list of online educational resources to help children to learn at home. These websites have been identified by some of the country’s leading educational experts and offer a wide range of support and resources for pupils of all ages.
MYVLF is a free, global virtual literary festival, connecting readers with authors. The online event space gives readers access to the best of today’s literature and fiction from internationally based traditional and independently published authors.
EXPERIENCES
12 Museums From Around the World that you van visit virtually.
Observe animals, record behaviours, lifestyle or habitat. Live webcam including wildlife and the Northern Lights.
Visit the British Library Harry Potter History of Magic Exhibition or bring Hogwarts in to your home with the Harry Potter at Home hub.
Links to free online library resources (younger students)
The following resources are available for our students to access through their RGS account, or freely available on the internet:
Oak National Academy offers nearly 10,000 free video lessons, resources and activities, covering most subjects, from Reception to Year 11.
National Geographic contains an extensive free archive that can consume the hungriest of RGS learners, plus more available on subscription. We especially enjoyed the article about what people used before toilet paper was invented.
The British Museum has a range of ways to explore exhibitions from your front room.
Rosetta Stone is offering children three months' free support for our linguists.
Digital Theatre Plus provides 24/7 unlimited performance access encouraging students to explore and experiment outside of the classroom.
Through Audible Stories students can instantly stream - from a desktop, laptop, phone or tablet - an incredible collection of stories to continue their learning, or just to dream, relax, and have some constructive leisure time.
The Kids Should See This includes 4,500 free, videos for curious minds of all ages.
Our young fans of David Walliams can discover a new story at 11am each day.
The UK Space Education Office is packed with interesting articles and activities, as is the American equivalent, NASA for Students.
Stem Learning has 3,000 free resources on science, design and technology, mathematics and computing.
iDEA enables students to try coding and gain awards.
Learn to program stories, animations and games at Scratch.
Institute of Education provides a list of over 50 free online learning resources to help children continue their learning at home, organised by primary / secondary / subject.
Beginning Monday 20 April, BBC Bitesize will publish daily online lessons for all ages. They will also have a new dedicated TV channel full of learning content, podcasts on BBC Sounds and loads of educational video on iPlayer.
RGS can give our families digital access to “The Week Junior”. There is also a super weekly podcast covering the top stories from the week.
Book Trust offers free online books and videos. Students can play games, win prizes, test their knowledge in book-themed quizzes, or even learn how to draw some of their favourite characters. They have also developed a BookTrust Home Time hub for families with children at home, and is packed with reading advice, ideas and resources. Time at home is a great opportunity to find inspiration in books, discover a new habit, and uncover a new passion. Follow #BookTrustHomeTime on social media for new content every day.
Each week at 4pm Julia Donaldson is broadcasting from her Facebook page.
Authorify bring readers and writers closer together through interactive video masterclasses, fun downloadable activities and exciting after school club resources.
Readon MyON gives students access to 7000 books online. There is no username or password required, and free access remains open for the duration of the school closures.
TIME for Kids is a free digital library.
Newcastle libraries offer easy ways to download e-books, e-audio books and e-magazines. Download the free app provided by the library and have your library card membership number ready when logging in.
Gov.UK has brought together an initial list of online educational resources to help children to learn at home. These websites have been identified by some of the country’s leading educational experts and offer a wide range of support and resources for pupils of all ages.
Harper Collins Children’s Books also have lots of book recommendations and fun activities to keep the children entertained on their website
Andy Stanton, author of the super funny Mr Gum series of books, is answering questions from kids and posting videos every morning to keep them laughing at AskTheNincompoops over on Twitter (Ages 7+)
EXPERIENCES
12 Museums From Around the World that you van visit virtually.
Observe animals, record behaviours, lifestyle or habitat. Live webcam including wildlife and the Northern Lights.
Visit the British Library Harry Potter History of Magic Exhibition or bring Hogwarts in to your home with the Harry Potter at Home hub.
Wilde's Weekly Wisdom
Please visit here for Mr Wilde's (Head of Computer Science) new set of computational thinking videos and weekly challenges...
Sports' Resources
- Fitness websites & apps
- Multimedia lists & resources
- Sport Specific Activities
- Duke of Edinburgh Award participants
Fitness websites & apps
Headspace is an app that teaches you how to meditate. Meditation has been shown to help people stress less, focus more and sleep better. Headspace is meditation made simple, teaching you life- changing mindfulness skills in just a few minutes a day.
YouTube Channel and app 12 minute Athlete us a HITT workout regimen consistent of incredibly short, effective workouts you can do in just 12 minutes a day with minimal equipment.
Fiit provides access to many of the best trainers in the country for video-led workouts that can be completed in your bedroom and beyond. There are three categories to choose from – cardio, strength and rebalance, which includes yoga, pilates, mobility and breath work – and all feature sessions comprised of body weight moves, so they’re accessible to everybody.
A virtual take on the fitness class, GymCube is an online database of more than 700 do-at-home workout videos, plus regular sessions you can stream live (imagine, all the buzz of a group class with none of the faff beforehand). Workouts can be filtered by duration, target area, difficulty, equipment available, preferred trainer and the amount of calories you could burn, and there’s an option to follow a plan (all of which are listed under the Programmes tab) – such as the 30 day challenge – if you prefer a little guidance.
For those who favour a fitness DVD but like a little bit of variety, FitFusion is an online subscription service that allows access to a catalogue of exercise videos, ranging from cardio and strength training, yoga, boxing and pre/postnatal-focused workouts, too. The sessions vary in length (the 10-minute Body Transformation may sound like a breeze, but it’s brutal), and while many are led by an enthusiastic – yet merciless – Jillian, others see the presence of a range of equally encouraging top trainers.
Providing everything from power flows and pilates, to tips for great posture and assistance in progressing poses, the Doyouyoga site has a little something for every yogi there is. Videos can be filtered by style, focus, teacher, level of ability and duration, and modules – such as the Men’s 30-Day Yoga Challenge – are available for those seeking to improve their practice.
Work out at home for free. We believe fitness should be accessible to everyone, everywhere, regardless of income or access to a gym. With hundreds of professional workouts, healthy recipes and informative articles, as well as one of the most positive communities on the web, you’ll have everything you need to reach your personal fitness goals – for free!
Welcome to DAREBEE, an independent global fitness resource. DAREBEE is a non-profit and also an ad-free and product placement-free website. All of the information here has been thoroughly researched and tested and provided free of charge. You can download and print anything – everything is provided in its entirety with no strings attached.
30 Day Fitness. New workouts, fitness plans, and exercises with HD video tutorial are now available. Get your whole body toned and feel like the best version of yourself. Drop any extra weight with minimum struggle (nothing comes without any effort!) and see a noticeable difference in your shape in 30 days. Try it now, follow the 30 Day Fitness Challenge and see your fat cells melt away.
The BodyCoachTV will post weekly HIIT workouts and daily PE lessons.
NHS Active 10 App is a free tracker app takes away the guesswork. It shows how much brisk walking you're doing and how you can do more. It's easy to use and helps you set your goals for the day.
Bean provides you the platform to tailor an exercise and nutrition plan individually to you. Let us know your key stats & exercise experience, and we’ll develop the perfect plan to help you bust fat and achieve your goals
We believe in the power of learning to move your body in new ways through progressive bodyweight training. The Virtual Classroom is a proven online calisthenics training system that is the most accessible and effective bodyweight training platform in the world.
TrainHeroic is designed for trainers, gym owners, and coaches. Our strength and conditioning software platform gives you superpowers to do more, with less effort. We’ve taken high performance out of its ivory tower. With TrainHeroic, coaches of any level can provide an elite level of service to their athletes and clients. We help you provide what they need to buy-in, stay accountable, and push past possible.
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Useful channels:
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Multimedia lists & resources
- Best Sport movies IMDB
- 10 of the best Sports Films and Documentaries on amazon Prime Video
- The Best Sports Documentaries On Netflix
- Podcasts
- Best Sports Books Ever Written as selected by Esquire Magazine
Best Sport movies IMDB
Raging Bull (1980)
Million Dollar Baby (2004)
The Big Blue (1988)
The Wrestler (2008)
Rocky (1976)
Escape to Victory (1981)
Cinderella Man (2005)
Invictus (2009)
Rush (I) (2013)
The Fighter (2010)
Offside (2006)
Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
Warrior (2011)
The Boxer (1997)
Moneyball (2011)
Rocky Balboa (2006)
The Hurricane (1999)
The Hustler (1961)
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
Creed (II) (2015)
Shaolin Soccer (2001)
The Color of Money (1986)
Ip Man (2008)
Foxcatcher (2014)
Ali (2001)
Field of Dreams (1989)
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
Concussion (2015)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
The Blind Side (2009)Any Given Sunday (1999)
33. Hardball (2001)
Looking for Eric (2009)
Rocky II (1979)
The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Real Steel (2011)
United (I) (2011)
Southpaw (2015)
Miracle (2004)
The Natural (1984)
Major League (1989)
I, Tonya (2017)
Rocky III (1982)
Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
McFarland (2015)
Bull Durham (1988)
The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005)
Trouble with the Curve (2012)
Tin Cup (1996)
The Damned United (2009)
Eddie the Eagle (2015)
The Hammer (2010)
A League of Their Own (1992)
Remember the Titans (2000)
Goal! (2005)
The Karate Kid (1984)
Creed II (2018)
Mystery, Alaska (1999)
Green Street (2005)
Goon (2011)
Seabiscuit (2003)
The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)
For Love of the Game (1999)
Run Fatboy Run (2007)
Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005)
Two for the Money (2005)
Hands of Stone (2016)
Space Jam (1996)
Friday Night Lights (2004)
Whip It (2009)
Chak de! India (2007)
Fighting with My Family (2019)
Mean Machine (2001)
Slap Shot (1977)
Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)
42 (2013)
The Replacements (2000)
Draft Day (I) (2014)
Gracie (2007)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Win Win (2011) 88. Coach Carter (2005)
Grudge Match (2013)
Rocky IV (1985)
Unbroken (2014)
Blades of Glory (2007)
Invincible (2006)
Soul Surfer (2011)
Summer Storm (2004)
Gridiron Gang (2006)
Kickboxer (1989)
We are Marshall (2006)
10 of the best Sports Films and Documentaries on amazon Prime Video
1) All Or Nothing: A Season With The Arizona Cardinals
There are a number of the All Or Nothing series around now, in a variety of sports including rugby, cricket and football – and all of them are excellent. So we thought we'd go for the first of the American football offerings (but do, please, check out all the rest, especially the New Zealand All Blacks, and Manchester City varieties).This behind-the-scenes documentary series follows the Arizona Cardinals through the 2015 NFL season, and, as with each series, is a fascinating insight into the ecstatic highs and desperate lows of professional sport.
2) Andy Murray: Resurfacing
Britain's greatest-ever tennis player's long, painful, emotional journey pretty much all the way back from career-threatening injury.An inspirational look at what it takes to be a professional sportsman, this documentary, with remarkably frank interviews and behind the scenes footage, shows quite clearly why most of us could never cut it as a pro athlete.
3.Building Jerusalem
The story of the England rugby team's epic journey to the pinnacle of the world game in 2003. Jonny Wilkinson, Martin Johnson, Clive Woodward et al explain and explore just what it takes to win a World Cup in one of the toughest games there is. At this level, it's about the small things adding up to give just the slightest advantage. But you've got to get the basics right first.
4) Fire in Babylon
"I intend to make them grovel."South Africa-born England cricket captain Tony Greig's words about the touring West Indies cricket team in 1976 couldn't have been more incendiary – and, of course, they would haunt him for the rest of his days. West Indies captain Clive Lloyd barely needed a team talk after that, and a sporting dynasty was born. In a time when no cricketer wore a helmet, the England team were genuinely in danger for their lives – some of the footage is truly terrifying.The legendary West Indies team of the 70s and 80s, with its seemingly endless conveyor belt of scarily fast bowlers, would become surely the most dominant force of all time in sport – any sport.Fire in Babylon is more than a sports documentary; it highlights the importance that this team of disparate men from many Caribbean nations had politically and socially in a time when apartheid was still almost 20 years from ending. This is an important film, and certainly not just for the sports fan.
5) Fastball
From one form of intimidatory ball delivery to another: the fastball is the pitcher's ultimate weapon in baseball. And while, unlike in cricket, the body is not officially a legitimate target, you try telling MLB batters that; intimidation is just as important a factor in America's game as it is in the other bat and ball pastime.When there's a potentially lethal projectile travelling towards you at 100mph+, you need nerves of steel and world-class hand-eye coordination to cope.This film, narrated by Kevin Costner, looks at the history, science and psychology of the fastball from the early days of the game through to the present day, and is well worth a watch.
6) Next Goal Wins
In 2001, American Samoa suffered the worst defeat in international football history – a 31-0 shellacking at the hands of the mighty Australia.This heartwarming and life-affirming film is the story of a group of people from a speck in the Pacific Ocean, who just want to play the game to the best of their ability and see where it takes them. So they bring in a Dutch coach who had played with George Best and Johan Cruyff and gradually start to improve.Their targets are small, perhaps, but they are nevertheless not easily attainable. You can expect laughter and tears from this one.
7) Marvellous
Another fantastic life-affirmer, this one is a Bafta-winning BBC drama. It's the true story of Stoke City's beloved kit-man Neil "Nello" Baldwin – among other things also a registered clown. Starring Toby Jones as Neil and Gemma Jones as his mother, the film also includes cameos from (among others) Nello himself and the wonderful Lou Macari, the Manchester United legend and Stoke City manager who employed Neil in the first place.This is a lovely film about an irrepressibly optimistic man who simply will not allow life to get him down. Inspiring.
8) Mr Calzaghe
The story of Joe Calzaghe, Wales boxing legend. Coached by his father, Calzaghe fought his way up the rankings to become a true boxing great, and along the way forged a remarkable relationship with his dad.With appearances from Chris Eubank and Michael J Fox among others, this is classic behind the scenes fare about one of the toughest sports in which you can participate.
9) Fittest On Earth
Oh my; what on earth possesses people? These super-fit, super-committed athletes are each desperate to prove they are the fittest person in the world. The single-minded dedication required to undertake these challenges has to be seen to be believed. Normal sporting activity, this most certainly is not.
10) Road
The story of the Dunlop family, two sets of brothers from Northern Ireland, and motorcycle-racing royalty. Narrated by Liam Neeson, this film is a revealing insight into the high-adrenaline, high-speed, high-danger life of the motorcycle racer. With interviews from many of the great and good of motorsport, including the inimitable (and yet so imitable...) Murray Walker.
The Best Sports Documentaries On Netflix
1) Icarus (2017) Run Time: 121 min | IMDb: 7.9/10
This Oscar-winning documentary dives into the world of doping in competitive cycling. Netflix bought the distribution rights to Icarus after a strong showing from director and co-writer Bryan Fogel’s film at Sundance. The documentary plays out as a thriller, with Fogel chasing the truth about cycling cheats and stumbling onto a major International doping scandal. Watch as a chance meeting with a Russian scientist turns a story that started as a simple experiment into a geopolitical thriller and one of the biggest scandals in cycling history.
2) Last Chance U (2016-19) Run Time: 32 episodes, 55 min | IMDb: 8.5/10
This docuseries looks at the world of college football with a bit of a twist. The first two seasons chronicled East Mississippi Community College and coach Buddy Stephens as his team — many of which lost their spot at major college football programs for rules violations or arrests — try to win a collegiate title and rehabilitate their football careers. One unique aspect of the show was the role academic advisor Brittany Wagner had in shepherding the players through their semesters, trying to balance play on the field with performance in the classroom and personal growth off the field. The show’s third season introduced viewers to Independence Community College in Indiana, a departure from the first two seasons yet following a similar story arc that made the show a streaming hit.
3) Cheer (2019) Run Time: 6 episodes, 60 min | IMDb: 8.2/10
Cheer is an inside look at small college’s top-ranked cheerleading team in Corsicana, Texas. But what sounds like a charming exploration of a niche sport quickly becomes a harrowing look at a high-stakes and dangerous sports subculture. From Greg Whiteley, the executive producer of football documentary series Last Chance U, Cheer is visually stunning and emotionally tough. It’s an inside look at physical realities of competitive cheerleading in small-town college life and the students it attracts, often as a way out of some tough situations. That includes the dangers that come with competing and all the work put into just a few minutes that determine a national championship.
4) The Dawn Wall (2018) Run Time: 100 min | IMDb: 8.2/10
The Dawn Wall isn’t Solo, which just won an Oscar for best documentary earlier in 2019. But there are a lot of stories to tell about El Capitan. One of climbing’s most famous landmarks was conquered by Alex Honnold without any ropes, but Tommy Caldwell’s story of triumph is every bit as compelling. The climbing legend’s quest to chart a new path up the peak in Yosemite National Park is as fascinating as it is harrowing. The film won the Audience Award at SXSW’s film festival, and it tells an amazing story that covers Caldwell’s extraordinary biography as well as the most intense climb of his life. The documentary is a great look at the world of climbing, and is visually stunning. It also does a great job of illustrating just how difficult his climb up The Dawn Wall was, and the way it was experienced by the rest of the world.
5) Formula 1: Drive To Survive (201) Run Time: 100 min | IMDb: 8.6/10
The racing docuseries is beloved by auto enthusiasts and Netflix bingers alike, as it takes an inside look at the cut-throat world of open-wheel racing. The first season followed the 2018 FIA Formula One World Championship and featured footage of the various drivers that both dominate and struggle with the year. The pressure-packed episodes follow each driver as things change, both in the racing world and in their own lives. It’s an unprecedented look inside the sport and at 10 episodes a season it’s a relatively quick watch that’s especially illuminating if you’re not familiar with the globe-trotting auto racing series.
6) Screwball (2018) Run Time: 104 min | IMDb: 7.2/10
We liked Billy Corben’s Biogenesis scandal documentary we talked to the director about it. Twice. The documentary centers around Alex Rodriguez and the Miami steroid scandal that rocked baseball, using child actors to play adults and up the ante on absurdity. It’s a great recent history lesson featuring some characters you may have already forgotten about, such as now-MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s bumbling role into the league’s investigation. It’s also a fine entry into Corben’s Florida Man anthology of amazing stories from America’s most phallic state.
7) Sunderland ‘Till I Die (2018) Run Time: 8 episodes, 39 min | IMDb: 8.4/10
Sunderland’s fall from the English Premier League to the Championship was a bleak moment in the club’s recent history, and this docuseries gives viewers an inside look at the dedication of Black Cats fans despite a truly heartbreaking season and the further tribulations that followed. This dive into English football fandom is a unique look at something American sports fans have little experience with: relegation, and the impact it can have on small clubs across Europe.
8) The Carter Effect (2017) Run Time: 95 min | IMDb: 7.1/10
Produced by LeBron James’ Uninterrupted, The Carter Effect made its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017. It was fitting, as the movie is a loving homage to Carter and basketball in Canada’s largest city. Carter changed the game when he started his career with the Raptors in 1998, and he put Toronto on the basketball map in a way it had never been before. Interviews with Drake and Carter himself anchor a fascinating look at basketball in a hockey-first land. It’s a weighted look at how Carter’s swagger and style influenced a city and an entire generation of Canadian basketball talent, smartly executed by director Sean Menard.
9) GLOW: The Story Behind The Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling (2012) Run Time: 76 min | IMDb: 7.3/10
If you liked the Netflix original, it’s worth watching the documentary that covers the history of the real show. It’s a good look at what the show is based on, and the interviews with the women who made up the show’s cast allow for a fascinating story about wrestling in the ’80s. It’s also a serious look at the physical toll wrestling takes on its competitors.
10) The Short Game (2013) Run Time: 99 min | IMDb: 7.4/10
This 2013 documentary is a delightful look at a youth golf championship. Chronicling the 2012 championship at Pinehurst, it follows a handful of charming golf proteges from around the world as they vie for the title of best 7- and 8-year-old players in the world. Golf greats like Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, and Annika Sörenstam provide commentary on the difficulty and drama of the game while we watch young golfers deal with the stress of the tournament, parents, and some nitpicky rules. It has its fair share of Sports Parent moments, but the kids are genuinely interesting and full of character.
11) Iverson (2014) Run Time: 106 min | IMDb: 7.0/10
This 2014 documentary — which debuted at Tribeca a few years ago — takes a look at the career of former Philadelphia 76ers great Allen Iverson and the perception that many had of him. The film is a satisfying nostalgia trip for AI fans but it doesn’t introduce a wealth of new footage or offer anything new about The Answer. It’s still better than watching him in the BIG3, though.
12) The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014) Run Time: 80 min | IMDb: 8.0/10
Did you know Kurt Russell’s dad owned a baseball team? And Kurt played on it? The saga of the scrappy Portland Mavericks is not the most well-executed film on the list, but it’s lovingly done and the archival footage carries the day here. If you’re curious, in need of a true underdog tale, and want to add a bit of baseball trivia to your brain, this might be for you.
Podcasts
Football
Statsbomb (football data analysis)
Men In Blazers | Podcast about Soccer
Cricket
The Bowlology Report | Cricket Podcast Tailenders
Rugby
Others
Magic Academy (sports coaching)
The Bill Simmons Podcast
Crime in Sport
Sport and the British
The Sport Psych Show
NHS Strength and Flexibility
The High Performance Podcast
Best Sports Books Ever Written as selected by Esquire Magazine
Football Against The Enemy by Simon Kuper (1994)
Financial Times columnist Simon Kuper wrote this accomplished and quirky footballing travelogue when he was still only in his early 20s. And it's remarkably good; arguably the first and even best in the now-not-so-new w ave of 'literary' football tomes that have followed in ever-greater numbers. Kuper travels to 22 countries to find out how football has shaped individual national politics and culture – and vice versa – meeting players, politicians and picking up anecdotes and observations along the way. We all know football as a global obsession, but these fascinating tales – from the tragic to the bizarre – show just how far its reach extends.
Touching The Void by Joe Simpson (1988)
Simpson's harrowing account of his and Simon Yates's calamitous assault, in 1985, on Siula Grande, Peru, has rightly transcended the sport of climbing and become a legendary fable for what humans are capable of doing to survive. It centres, of course, on one of the most amazing escapes ever achieved: with Simpson hopelessly hanging off one end of a rope, Yates is faced with cutting it to prevent them both being killed. Somehow, Simpson survives the fall. But alone in a crevasse with a shattered leg, his situation is hopeless. What follows is a staggering tale of will and courage that also addresses the perennial question of what drives people to climb mountains in the first place. As Churchill said: "When you're going through hell, keep going".
A Good Walk Spoiled: Days And Nights On The PGA Tour by John Feinstein (1995)
Even if you're not a golf fan – though it certainly helps if you are – this groundbreaking account of the highs and lows of the 1993/4 season on the American pro circuit is ultimately a human drama. With unprecedented access to the stars – Greg Norman, Nick Price, John Daly and Nick Faldo to name just a few – and rookies alike, it reveals the disparate personalities and personal travails behind the TV images and how these combine with the particular demands of a sport where the margins between success and failure are so thin. A gripping and always entertaining account of what can justifiably be called the cruellest sport of all, whatever your level.
Addicted by Tony Adams (1998)
Adams was still a regular for Arsenal and England when his jaw-droppingly frank autobiography was published at the start of the 1998–99 season. His drinking problem destroyed him personally yet seemed to leave his football unaffected (wearing bin bags under training kit to sweat out the booze served him well). If any stories were left out, they must have been truly hideous. Here are remembrances of picking through jeans on the bedroom floor to find the least-piss-soaked pair to wear. Expect fights, prostitutes, broken lives, redemption.
Paper Lion by George Plimpton (1966)
To millennial sportswriters who never leave the office (or sofa) to live blog sport on TV, Plimpton’s participatory journalism (“that ugly descriptive”, in his words) must seem preposterous and grand. That Plimpton himself came across ever so slightly preposterous and grand was not lost on the man himself, who pricked that public persona with a terrifically witty, inquisitive writing style that worked best applied to sport. Of his five books about taking part in pro-level match-ups in boxing, baseball, ice hockey, golf and US football, Paper Lion, on the latter, is the finest.
Pocket Money by Gordon Burn (1986)
Burn, known for his mixing of fiction with non-fiction in the New Journalism style, spent a year documenting snooker during its mid-Eighties’ boom, and produced one of the lesser-known classics of British sportswriting. Reading it now, Burn is not the Hunter S of the green baize: his write-up is as straight as Steve Davis’s cue action, yet all the better for it. Every endorsement deal, every shit hotel room from Stoke to Guangzhou, every hour on the practice table, every string pulled by the promoter Barry Hearn: Burn recorded the lot with great skill.
Provided You Don't Kiss Me: 20 Years With Brian Clough by Duncan Hamilton (2007)
“A spurious intimacy evolves between you,” writes Hamilton, of the relationship between a football club reporter and the club’s manager. In his case, from the age of 18 for two decades in Nottingham, with Clough, “an extraordinary journey with a contradictory, Chinese box of a man — idiosyncratic, eccentric, wholly unpredictable.” Clough’s one-liners are magnificent, for example, on a time before blanket player representation: “the only agent back then was 007 — and he shagged women, not entire football clubs.” Hamilton’s poignant, revealing book is a wonder.
I Think Therefore I Play by Andrea Pirlo (2013)
I Am Zlatan is held up as the foreign footballer’s must-read memoir, but entertaining though the Swede’s book is, time spent rubbing up against his ego isn’t so enlightening. Pirlo’s, however, has the sort of insight you’d expect from the thinking man’s Greatest Player of his Generation. "You won’t believe me, but it was right in that very moment," about to take the first penalty in the 2006 World Cup Final shoot-out, "I understood what a great thing it is to be Italian. It’s a truly priceless privilege." Also learned: he adores video-game football and always plays as Barça.
Laughing in the Hills by Bill Barich (1980)
As mid-life crises go, Barich’s, aged 35, is special. Five rejected novels, mother and mother-in-law dead of cancer five weeks apart, no money, no job, wife with suspected brain tumour. Craving structure, he found it only studying the Daily Racing Form, picking horses methodically and placing small bets. He then told his wife (tumour: false alarm), he’d be moving to a motel next to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Fields racetrack, “convinced there was something special about racing and I wanted to get to the heart of the matter.” There was. He did. His write-up of that time is spectacularly good.
Ball Four by Jim Bouton (1970)
On the face of it, a diary of the 1969 season by a second-string pitcher for the Seattle Pilots baseball team, the only year that team existed, does not leap to the top of the to-read pile. But the total frankness in terms of locker-room talk, player drug use and womanising, bad blood, gamesmanship and other off-topic matters means this is the most inside-a-team book you’ll ever read. It offended baseball so much, Bouton’s 1971 follow-up was called I’m Glad You Didn’t Take It Personally. David Simon, creator of The Wire, put Ball Four in his six all-time favourite books.
The Damned Utd by David Peace (2006)
Brian Clough (see elsewhere on this list) spent 44 days as manager of Leeds United in 1974. Peace’s self-styled “fiction, based on a fact” unpacks this mistake via an unrelenting Clough inner monologue that brings the great man vividly to life. (The Clough family, and Leeds’ Johnny Giles disagreed, the latter winning an apology though the courts.) As a study of football partisanship, one of the game’s most important emotions, it is astonishing. Said Gordon Burn (see elsewhere on the list), “if the English novel needs a kick up the pants... consider it wholeheartedly kicked.”
Muhammad Ali by various
The Greatest has a whole shelf to himself in the sporting library (including, naturally, The Greatest Coloring Book of All Time). Four books in particular stand out, together covering every angle you could wish for. Jonathan Eig’s Ali: a Life (2017) is the best cradle-to-grave account, as good on the flaws as the fabulous. King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero (1999) by David Remnick focuses on the Clay-becomes-Ali era of the early Sixties. The Fight (1975) is Norman Mailer’s amazing retelling of the Rumble in the Jungle, and the giant, glossy Greatest of all Time (2003; 2010 reprint) by Taschen, is the coffee table book to top them all.
Slaying the Badger: LeMond, Hinault and the Greatest Ever Tour de France by Richard Moore (2011)
The badger, or more correctly, Le Blaireau, is Bernard Hinault, the last Frenchman to win the Tour de France and one of cycling’s all-time greats. Out to get him is his American teammate Greg LeMond, who finished second to Hinault in the 1985 Tour and wants the result reversed in 1986’s race. Reliving the latter contest, Moore forces the reader to pick sides — grizzled veteran versus young upstart, old ways versus new ways, USA versus France — which only heightens the drama. Journo props to Esquire contributor Moore, too, for tracking down both men more than 25 years later for illuminating postscripts.
Open by Andre Agassi (2009)
According to The New York Times: "one of the most passionately anti-sports books ever written by a superstar athlete." Says Agassi: "I knew in the book I had to expose everything." So: the unceasing slog, from toddler to champ, that prevented him from loving tennis, or anything, until he met his second wife Steffi Graf. His failed first marriage to Brooke Shields, crystal meth: it’s all here. Props to Agassi and his quest for truth, and also his ghost, JR Moehringer, who got 250 hours of interview time with his subject instead of the typical 30.
All Played Out by Pete Davies (1990)
English football’s second-finest hour — Italia ’90 — led to its finest book. Having spent the year before the World Cup earning the trust of the England players and manager Bobby Robson, Davies was let into the camp during the tournament. He also observed, close-up, the press, fans and hooligans. An epic journey for the team and their chronicler, superbly told with sharp reportage, dry humour and real feeling. In 2010, the book was retitled One Night in Turin, to tie in with the documentary of the same name.
Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka (2011)
First, to get ahead of any Twitter storm, we recognise the decision of cricket bible Wisden (the greatest annual sports book ever, of course) to stop using the term “chinaman” to describe a slow left-arm wrist-spin bowler. Such a player is one of cricket’s rare gems, and this novel is about a washed-up journalist trying to find a slow left-arm wrist-spinner who has faded from the spotlight. The author knows a lot about cricket, but he also knows a lot about myth, mystery, obsession, drinking and noble pursuits undertaken by the ignoble.
Mystery Spinner: the Story of Jack Iverson by Gideon Haigh (2002)
Hold your right hand out in front of you, palm facing you, fingers spread, then bend your middle finger at the knuckle. Now try bowling a cricket ball held between thumb and middle finger. Jack Iverson mastered it, and bamboozled batsmen so much that when he played for Australia, the captain, also Iverson’s club captain, would move players from other clubs around in the field so they couldn’t watch Iverson up close. This biography, by the writer many think is cricket’s current best (they’re correct), reveals, at times movingly, why Iverson didn't become an all-timer.
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby (1992)
Hornby could not have imagined that his book would be relevant to the football fan’s experience 26 years after it was first published. (That it is still in print, after several bestselling years, would also be a surprise to him.) It’s harder for fans to follow Hornby’s best piece of advice — be seen reading the papers’ back pages on the first days of a new job, to attract fellow supporters — but he absolutely nails the inexorable pull of football fandom. And he had to do it all with boring, boring Arsenal.
Levels of the Game by John McPhee (1969)
This writers’ favourite began life, as most of its author’s books do, as an article in The New Yorker. It is an account of the 1968 US Open semi-final between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner, a profile of both men and their place in US society at the time. Ashe is black, Democrat, bookish, skinny; Graebner the opposite. Every sportswriter ever has played the sport-is-life-and-life-is-sport card. In this slim volume, which punches far beyond its weight, McPhee plays it best of all.
The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro by Joe McGinniss (1999)
Castel Di Sangro is a small-time football club that miraculously rose through the Italian pyramid to Serie B’s second tier for the 1996–97 season. Equally extraordinary was the presence of McGinniss, a US writer famous for a revealing Richard Nixon book and true-crime doorsteps, as the upstarts’ Boswell. He had fallen hard for soccer after the 1994 World Cup and moved to Italy to document the fairy tale. Instead: corruption, cocaine smuggling, car crashes and conspiracy to go with the calcio.
Fast Company by Jon Bradshaw (1975)
Brilliant, evocative profiles of winning gamblers including Bobby Riggs (of the 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match), pool legend Minnesota Fats and Tim Holland, backgammon’s best ever. The author, who wrote for Esquire, New York magazine and Vogue, understood these rascals because he admired and shared their qualities. In his introduction to a later edition, writer Nik Cohn remembers Bradshaw’s "conscious roguery, a Rothmans perpetually dangling from one corner of his mouth, and that lopsided shark’s grin plastering the other. He sported Turnbull & Asser silk shirts and Gucci loafers, flashed gold lighters and a Piaget watch." Touché.
Beware of the Dog by Brian Moore (2010)
England’s 64-cap hooker begins this second account of his life by effectively apologising for the less- than-candid nature of the first, then describing the sexual abuse he endured as a child, why he came to deal with it as an adult and what happened when he told his mum. It’s genuinely stunning. But this book is not on this list because of just one chapter. Everything that follows, including drunken rugby tales, personal and professional highs and lows, feels like it’s in the book for the same reasons as that prologue: honest, insightful and crucial to Moore’s life.
23.The Hand of God: the Life of Diego Maradona by Jimmy Burns (1996)
Burns was the right choice to decode Diego in the post-Fever Pitch wave of sportswriting. As the former FT man in Buenos Aires, he knew Argentina and its favourite son perhaps better than any other English-language writer. The beats of the player’s life are storyteller’s gold: shantytown upbringing, national team aged 17, FC Barcelona aged 22, World Cup winner aged 25, roaring into a camera at the World Cup, full of illegal stimulants, aged 33. Also: mafia, money, mayhem. Burns weaves it all together magnificently.
The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game by Michael Lewis (2006)
Lewis’s Moneyball, about disruptive baseball analysis, often appears on lists of this sort, but The Blind Side is more entertaining, with a you-couldn’t-make-it-up human-interest core that some felt was over-egged in the film version starring Sandra Bullock. Back in the book, two stories are told: how a black US high-school football prospect (drug addict mother, dad killed in prison) changes after adoption by a rich white family, and how the game itself has changed with respect to the “blind side”, a quirk of player growth and tactics.
A Life Too Short: the Tragedy of Robert Enke by Ronald Reng (2011)
Reng and Enke were planning to write a book together; Reng wrote it alone after Enke killed himself in November 2009. Three months peviously, Enke had kept goal for Germany for the last time. Three years earlier, his two-year-old daughter died after lifelong heart problems. More than once, the pressure of top-level football had come down hard. Rene uses Enke’s diaries, interviews with the keeper’s wife and family and the material the two men generated together in a masterful, moving account of depression and its devastating consequences. Once read, never forgotten.
The Death of Ayrton Senna by Richard Williams (1995)
Williams, former editor of Melody Maker and chief sportswriter of The Guardian, is both the man you want over your shoulder when playing HQ Trivia and the sort of writer who can make you listen to, or care about, someone you had no interest in before reading his take on them. Of course, Senna is beloved; even more so since the 2010 documentary biopic. Williams even-handedly dispels the myths surrounding the Brazilian’s remarkable life, his tragic death and the afterlife of his legend, yet maintains his heroic aura through concise, insightful analysis.
The Illustrated History of Football by David Squires (2016)
Squires has just completed his fourth season of football cartoons for The Guardian, with no sign of let- up in quality or hilarity. (The panel-per-season tribute to Arsène Wenger at Arsenal is especially good, even by Squires’ ridiculously high standards.) His first book, a history of the game with all-new work, is the funniest football tome since Viz’s Billy the Fish Football Yearbook, published 26 years earlier. Last year’s second volume, The Illustrated History of Football: Hall of Fame, is more of the same.
Full Time: the Secret Life of Tony Cascarino by Paul Kimmage (2000)
Everything you’d think the 21st-century footballer is advised to leave out of an autobiog is here: infidelity, itemised career earnings, dialogue with the internal voice of crippling self-doubt (“you pathetic fucker, Cascarino!”), mystery injections from club physios and, most candidly, the fact you were not really qualified to play for your country. “Tony Goal”, as the Republic of Ireland (perhaps) centre-forward was known in France, teamed with Irish writer Paul Kimmage, whose cycling book Rough Ride and rugby book Engage, had a shot at being on this list.
A Lot of Hard Yakka, Triumph and Torment by Simon Hughes (1997)
“There’s nothing exceptional about me; never was,” claims Hughes, in what is the only duff note in a book that proves his statement incorrect. His lid-lift on the jobbing cricketer’s lot is a celebration of shortfalls, on and off the pitch. After all, what is sport if not mostly mediocrity punctuated by rare moments of glory and despair? Hughes has neither of those. He has kit sponsors rewarding improved performance with “a couple of short-sleeved casual shirts” and that time he interrupted coitus to turn over the Donna Summer tape. Very funny stuff.
My Father and Other Working-Class Football Heroes by Gary Imlach (2005)
Stewart Imlach played for Scotland at the 1958 World Cup and won the FA Cup with Nottingham Forest a year later. Now you know about as much about Stewart as did his son Gary when the old man died. Holding a cigarette card of his dad at a collectors’ fair a few months after the funeral, Gary laments, “How had I managed to let him die without properly gathering together the details of his career, his life story?” Surely doubly galling for Gary, the TV sports journalist, who had likely researched thousands of other sporting lives. This book triumphantly redresses his oversight.
Other interesting reads:
The Champion's Mind - Jim Afremow
Peak - Anders Ericson
One Goal - Bill Beswick
The Score Takes Care of Itself - Bill Walsh
Mindset - Carol Dweck
The Barcelona Way - Damien Hughes
Culture Code - Dan Coyle
The Talent Code - Dan Coyle
The Little Book of Talent - Dan Coyle
Outliers - Gladwell
Blink - Gladwell
The Tipping Point - Gladwell
Legacy - James Kerr
The Hard Hat - Jon Gordon
The Energy Bus - Jon Gordon
You Are Awesome - Matthew Syed
Bounce - Matthew Syed
Black Box Thinking - Matthew Syed
Rebel Ideas - Matthew Syed
Sacred Hoops - Phil Jackson
Nudge - Richard Thaler
Unleash Your True Athletic Potential - Soviero
The Chimp Paradox - Stephen Peters
Relentless - Tim Grover
Sport Specific Activities
Badminton
Basketball
Homecourt
Cricket
Chris Rushworth daily cricket related drills
Wiltshire cricket kids’ workbook (Key stage 1 & 2)
Ludimos online cricket coaching platform
Cycling
Strava, a social-fitness network, primarily tracks cycling and running exercises, using GPS data - although alternative types are available. Strava offers a free service with no advertising in its mobile app, and a monthly subscription plan called Strava Summit. Watch out for details coming soon of a RGS club for parents, students and staff to join.
Dance
Allows you to select categories and sort through music, videos, teaching guides and more.
Disability Sport
Football
Ball Mastery: Individual ball manipulation techniques you can do on your own
Week by week ball mastery skills by Coerver
Inspiration and ideas - the F2 Freestylers
TIFO - Tactical learning and history of the game
For anyone with an interest in coaching ‘The Bootroom’ - large online FA video session library (note, for information and interest, not group organised coaching sessions, which are currently prohibited). Also includes interviews and online learning courses.
Dundee United Academy curriculum and drills
Pro soccer data - drills with one ball
Hockey
Netball
Rowing (indoor)
Running
Track your runs, get coaching that adapts to you, and bring your friends along for the ride. It’s all possible with the Nike Run Club app.
Strava, a social-fitness network, primarily tracks cycling and running exercises, using GPS data - although alternative types are available. Strava offers a free service with no advertising in its mobile app, and a monthly subscription plan called Strava Summit. Watch out for details coming soon of a RGS club for parents, students and staff to join.
RUGBY
#LockdownWorkout England and Bath rugby star Freddie Burns! Bath & England player, Freddie Burns talks us through his fitness regime during lockdown due to the coronavirus. He also takes part in a backyard passing challenge with brother Sam who is a Cyprus International rugby player.
SQUASH
SWIMMING
10 dry land exercises for swimmers to do at home
TABLE TENNIS
TENNIS
Duke of Edinburgh Award participants
There are still many activities that you can do from home, the DofE website is packed with information and ideas.
Creative Resources
Links to free music, performing arts and other art resources
The archive of RGS performances is available to students and staff with a current RGS Office 365 account, please visit the PAC video channel and enjoy seeing some of the most amazing dramatic and musical performances!
The Classic FM 'Classical 100' includes the 100 pieces of classical music chosen by experts. We encourage all RGS students to explore, discover, listen and most importantly, enjoy!
Visit Google Arts and Culture for your daily dose of creativity, from the comfort of your sofa!
The Sarabande Foundation's website (established by Lee Alexander McQueen) includes talks on a wide range of creative arts.
Royal Albert Home sees artists sharing their work from their homes to yours.
Academic Music
Free music composing software:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09m8xhb
https://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/category/music
https://imslp.org/wiki/Main_Page
Aural Music websites
https://us.abrsm.org/en/our-exams/what-is-a-graded-music-exam/aural-tests/
https://www.e-musicmaestro.com/auraltests/free/abrsm/test/grade6/6D
https://gb.abrsm.org/en/exam-support/preparation-for-exams/mock-aural-tests/
Music Theory
RGS Music twitter
@RGSNewMusic
RGS Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/user/rgs_newcastle_music_department?si=NPP2dJsEReqK3M8dpYNQsQ
Covid-19-Staying connected
https://www.makingmusic.org.uk/resource/covid-19-staying-connected
RGS Counselling Service
Students and staff can access counselling sessions by emailing counsellor@rgs.newcastle.sch.uk.
Sessions may be (socially distanced) face to face or online, depending on your circumstances. Parents are also welcome to make direct enquiries about the service.
New and returning students and staff are both very welcome.
PARENT COMMUNICATIONS
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday July 7th 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday 16th June 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 28th May 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday May 12th 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 7th May 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday 21st April 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday 31st March 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Thursday 18th March 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 5th March 2021
- Tom Keenan's return to school parent update - Wednesday 3rd March 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 26th February 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Tuesday 23rd February 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 29th January 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 22nd January 2021
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 15th January 2021
- Consent for Covid-19 mass testing - students in school during lockdown
- Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Tuesday 5th January 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday July 7th 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday 16th June 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 28th May 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday May 12th 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 7th May 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday 21st April 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Wednesday 31st March 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Thursday 18th March 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 5th March 2021
Tom Keenan's return to school parent update - Wednesday 3rd March 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 26th February 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Tuesday 23rd February 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 29th January 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 22nd January 2021
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Friday 15th January 2021
Consent for Covid-19 mass testing - students in school during lockdown
Geoffrey Stanford's parent update - Tuesday 5th January 2021
Policies
- Addendum to policies - Covid-19 Policy 2021
- Mass lateral flow testing risk assessment
- Covid-19 School risk assessment
- Privacy Notice - Covid-19 testing
- Lateral Flow testing instructions