Product reviews for Values

This is a book of tasks, there is very little theory or explanation of activities. This makes it a useful resource to add to an existing curriculum, but not complete in itself.

The book comes as two sections, identifying values and specific values activities.

The first section is a collection of photocopiable worksheets for use in teaching about values and what it means to have values. These sheets are fairly self explanatory, but do not come with any additional teaching notes. This makes them a valuable resource to a busy experienced teacher who could use these sheets to support and expand on what has been covered through discussion and role play. Each sheet would make a powerful framework for group discussion or whole class discussion rather than individual work. It would be lovely to see these tasks available for use on an interactive white board for use by larger groups.

The second section contains a series of short units on 39 different desirable values (e.g. confidence, honesty, courage) which could be dipped into as and when appropriate for a class.

Each unit contains a page of teaching ideas and several worksheets to support learning. The activities suggest a range of tasks that would be suitable for different age students including role play ideas, personal reflection, creative activities and research ideas. The activities are well thought out and varied, they would provide great support to teachers trying to address specific issues that have arisen or for meeting the PSHCE curriculum. There are plenty of ideas for extending more able pupils included.

The worksheets use a variety of resources, including texts, to stimulate discussion and thought and could positively contribute to literacy resources.

The activities in this book would support delivery of the S.E.A.L. programme (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) in the upper primary years. It would be really good to see these links being made clear in a future edition, making it easier for the busy teacher to find the right activity to support their teaching within each of the seven themes.

The activities in this pack are clearly aimed at the upper stage of primary, the texts are challenging and the concepts are often ambitious even for lower KS2. These materials would be equally valuable into KS3, the illustrations are suitably grown up for use in secondary school.

This book provides very good pick-up-and-use activities for older primary pupils to discuss and think about a range of personal values and how they affect their lives.

Positive points:
A valuable support to teaching PSHCE in upper KS2 and KS3. Activities are clearly set out and provide positive challenges to think about. A useful resource but no clear differentiation.

• The book is clearly laid out; it is easy to find useful resources on the appropriate issue.


• The book clearly addresses a wide range of values that are desirable for good citizenship.


• All topics have fully reproducible resources.


• Images and illustrations are simple and do not dominate, this makes the resources suitable for able younger children and less able older children.


• A wide range of activities are available, including stories, poems, questionnaires, drawing and research.


• The book would be suitable for use in KS3 tutorial groups and would provide focused activities for the short periods of time often available to class tutors.

Negative points:

• The high level of reading required for many of the tasks makes it unsuitable for younger children.


• There are no guidelines for introducing most tasks.


• There is a need for explicit connections to be made with the S.E.A.L programme.


• All worksheets are laid out for individual completion, where they could be valuably used in group discussion.


• The book is defined as a programme for Primary schools; however most of the content would be unsuitable for KS1 and most useful in upper KS2. Any school buying this to use across the school would be disappointed.


• Activities would benefit from clear learning intentions being given.


• The activities do not give any support for differentiated learning.