As your child starts studying for their GCSEs, Aaron Wilkes gives his advice on navigating the new exams and encouraging good study skills.
How to support your child during GCSEs – what to do and when
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Blog posts for: Age 11+
The new GCSEs explained – what’s changed and how the new grades work
Teacher and writer Aaron Wilkes explains what the new 1–9 GCSE grades mean, how they will be used, and how they map onto the old A*–U GCSE grades.
Free eBook library: 100s of eBooks to practise reading
Help your young child learn to read, and love to read, with our eBook library, containing hundreds of free eBooks. Developed for children aged 3–11.
How to help your child bridge the word gap between primary and secondary school
Students with a limited vocabulary – or word gap – struggle to understand what is being taught at school. Find out how you can help your child at home.
How to write your best story ever!
Christopher Edge, author of ‘How to Write your Best Story Ever!’, shares his top 10 tips to help your child write amazing stories.
500 Words: Black Lives Matter – how are British children responding to the emerging themes and issues in their writing?
Almost 6,000 children entered the writing competition in July 2020 and Oxford University Press’ analysis shines a light on children’s insight, empathy, and imagination when writing about race. Find out more.
2018 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year: Plastic
Plastic has been revealed as the Children’s Word of the Year by Oxford University Press for the BBC 500 Words Competition. British children have once again shown themselves to be fabulously inventive, funny and socially astute.
2020 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year: Coronavirus
Coronavirus is the 2020 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year. Find out about children’s evolving use of language from analysis of stories from BBC 500 Words 2020.
2019 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year: Brexit
Brexit is the 2019 Oxford Children’s Word of the Year. Find out about children’s evolving use of language from analysis of stories from BBC 500 Words 2019.
The word gap: How to build your child’s vocabulary at home
Oxford University Press surveyed over 1,300 teachers who reported that the word gap is not only affecting children’s achievement at school but also that it can have a damaging impact on self-esteem and children’s ability to make friends. Find out what you can do to encourage language development at home.
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Why does your child need a dictionary?
Dictionaries are great for developing your child’s vocabulary, but not just any will do. Publisher Sam Armstrong explains how Oxford Children’s Dictionaries can support your child.
The 11+
Considering applying for your local grammar or independent school? Find out more about the 11+ exam and how you can help your child prepare at home.
4 tips to inspire children’s creative writing
Coming up with a great story idea can be tricky, which is why we’ve gathered together four fun activities to inspire your child’s creative writing.
Non-verbal reasoning
Parents with children in Year 6 will probably hear about non-verbal reasoning a lot. But what exactly is non-verbal reasoning?
Secondary school
Find out what your child will be learning when they start secondary school, and browse our books and resources to help their studies at home, from Year 7 to GCSEs and A Levels.
Ben Davis’ top 10 funny books
Children’s author Ben Davis chooses his top 10 favourite funny books for children and teenagers, from old classics to brand new series.
4 fun ways to develop characters for a short story
Every story needs a star! These four fun activities will help any aspiring author dream up some page-turning protagonists.
How to support your child as they start secondary school
Teacher and writer Jill Carter takes us through her tips for helping your child cope with the transition from primary to secondary school.
Tom McLaughlin’s top 10 hilarious books
Children’s author Tom McLaughlin picks his 10 favourite funny books for children and teenagers, from classic stories to non-fiction to comic books.
Overcoming maths anxiety and being #PositiveAboutNumbers
Derry Richardson talks about combating maths anxiety and becoming #PositiveAboutNumbers, with helpful practical tips for parents.
Harriet Muncaster’s creative writing challenge
Harriet Muncaster gives her top tips on how to write a story, from developing the characters to designing the plot.
Inspire the author in your child with the new 500 Words: Black Lives Matter Competition!
Oxford University Press is proud to be partnering with the 500Words: Black Lives Matter story-writing competition. Our language experts collect and analyze every story received to better understand children’s language and inform learning, so get your pens at the ready!
4 top tips for writing great plots
Top tips for helping children develop great plots in their creative writing.
Stories from the road less travelled – children’s books that celebrate diversity
Every child deserves to see lives like their own represented in powerful stories. Cerrie Burnell shares her favourite children’s books that celebrate diversity.
Money skills in a digital age
How to develop an understanding of money and healthy money habits in our children when there are fewer opportunities for them to see the real and physical exchange of cash.
Moving on up (to secondary school)!
This year, the uncertainty around schools reopening could make moving up to big school even more daunting than usual. Here are our top tips on how to prepare.
Story sparks: find inspiration for your short story
When you look down at a blank piece of paper, inspiration can seem a long way away. Here are Christopher Edge’s top tips for coming up with story ideas.
How to write your 500 Words story
So you’ve got your idea, and you’ve planned the plot. Now comes the hardest (but most rewarding) part – actually writing your story. Here are Christopher Edge’s top tips on how to get started.
How to edit your 500 Words story
Finished a first draft of your short story and not sure what to do next? Read Christopher Edge’s top tips for polishing your story to perfection.
Fun maths games and activities
Have fun practising your maths skills with these games, activity sheets, and videos.
Creative writing
Are you a budding David Walliams or the next J. K. Rowling? Find top tips, videos, activities, and books to help unleash your inner author.
Bond SATs Skills
Prepare your children for the Key Stage 2 SATs with Bond SATs Skills workbooks, developing core maths, comprehension and English skills.
How to plan your 500 Words story
Author Christopher Edge shares his top tips on for planning a top-tier tale for the BBC 500 Words short story competition.
Reading for pleasure: Ten ideas to inspire your child to read more
Reading for pleasure is so important in developing vocabulary. Use these ideas to inspire your child to keep on reading as they get older.
Fun learning ideas for 11-year-olds
Playing games is an easy way to support your child’s learning. Here are some fun and easy ideas to help develop your 11-year-old’s reading and maths skills.
Oxford School Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Dictionary: Answer sheet
Answers to the Oxford School Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar Dictionary activity sheets.
Oxford Owl height chart
Measure and record your child’s height as they grow with this height chart.
Spooky reads for 9+ year olds
Embrace Halloween with our recommended spooky reads for 9–11 year olds, including Flood and Fang, The Dark is Rising and Uncle Montague’s Tales of Terror.
Create your own villain description sheet
Make up the details for your own dastardly villain with this description sheet.
How to write a great Christmas story
Five tips on writing a Christmas story, inspired by Christopher Edge’s How To Write Your Best Story Ever!
Number Square
A handy number square to help your child visualise the numbers from 1 to 100.
Create your own villain character profile
Create your own dastardly villain with this character profile.
Fraction wall
A visual representation to help your child learn fractions.
Year 5 & Year 6 spelling words
A list of the words that children are expected to be able to spell in Year 5 and Year 6.
How to Write Your Best Story Ever!
Ideal for children wanting to enter story writing competitions! This is a humorous and authoritative book that will awaken the author in every child, unlocking their story ideas and giving them hints and tips to create their own stories.
White Fang
White Fang is half dog, half wolf. Fierce, keen and clever, he quickly learns to survive in the wild open spaces of North America. His life changes forever when he encounters humans for the first time.
Times Tables Workbook for Key Stage 2
Bond Skills Times Tables for Key Stage 2 has been developed by Bond to firmly embed times tables knowledge of the core times tables, and introduces square and cube numbers, ensuring children are confident with the multiplication knowledge required by the National Curriculum for Key Stage 2.
Bond Brain Training: Mirror mirror
Here are some shapes with a dotted mirror line. Draw the reflection that you would expect.
English and Maths Test Papers Pack for SATs Practice
Bond SATs Skills: English and Maths Test Papers Pack for SATs Practice has been created by Bond to prepare children for National Curriculum Key Stage 2 SATs assessments at the end of Year 6. It includes four full sets of English and Maths tests, and includes all of the papers children will sit as part of their assessments in English and maths.
Bond SATS Skills: Times tables
Learn your times tables with this activity sheet.
Mind the Word Gap infographic
An infographic to help improve vocabulary and close the word gap.
Bond SATs Skills Spelling and Vocabulary Workbook: 10–11 years
Bond SATs Skills Spelling and Vocabulary 10-11 years has been developed with Oxford Dictionaries to build spelling and vocabulary knowledge sought in the Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling Test, SATs and selective school exams.
Bond SATs Skills Spelling and Vocabulary Stretch Workbook: 10–11+ years
Bond SATs Skills Spelling and Vocabulary Stretch for age 10-11 has been developed by Bond with Oxford Dictionaries to enhance ability in English language skills. Both spelling and vocabulary are now keenly examined throughout the National Curriculum and academic testing; this range of titles focuses on the words expected in key assessments.
Bond SATs Skills: Arithmetic (age 10–11 | Unit 1)
Practise your number and place value skills.
Bond SATs Skills: Arithmetic (age 10–11 | Unit 6)
Practise calculating with fractions.
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