I think that I have been with Martin and Steve since the beginning of the VESPA journey and I have rolled out their programme in two school sixth forms, drawing on each of their publications and their weekly newsletter for inspiration. I never cease to be amazed by their ability to reinvigorate their work with new research and fresh ideas and The VESPA Handbook is packed with both. I have found the chapter on curriculum design particularly helpful. As with everything that Martin and Steve produce, the ideas and materials in this book are potentially transformative for our young people.

This VESPA Handbook is a practical, hands-on guide that features 40 new activities aimed at increasing students’ commitment, motivation, and productivity. It builds on the original VESPA model and adds new strategies specifically designed to meet the challenges facing today’s students and teachers. The activities are easy to implement and don’t require any prior training, making them perfect for educators across different contexts. Whether it’s improving study skills or fostering a growth mindset, each activity is crafted to support both academic achievement and personal development. With a focus on metacognition and self-awareness, The VESPA Handbook helps students better understand their learning habits and take charge of their growth.

The VESPA Handbook will empower learners to unlock their potential, overcome obstacles and take control of their own knowledge and skills.

I think it’s a fantastic resource for both teachers and students and an excellent addition to the VESPA series.  Like their previous books, it’s jam-packed with fantastic strategies and activities that teachers can use directly with students to raise aspirations and to develop their motivation, confidence, and study skills.

It’s another fantastic book in the series, packed with practical advice for working with students. Even those, like me, who are very familiar with the previous work of VESPA mindset will find it a valuable addition to their repertoire of tools to support and develop the learning skills of their students.

The VESPA Handbook begins with a vital question: what are the characteristics and behaviours of successful students? In this fascinating student guide, Oakes and Griffin explore the mindsets and practices of successful students, using their findings to help readers achieve similarly impressive results. With a range of sensible strategies and a wealth of practical advice, this is the perfect book for students who are keen to improve their study skills and reach their full academic potential.

This book superbly builds upon the first editions by enabling students and teachers to deliver activities bespoke to need. Activities you can pick up and deliver that need no previous study or experience can be used by schools and colleges to support their learners in a variety of capacities to enable both academic and well-being progress. With a keen focus on developing metacognitive skills and enabling learners to self-evaluate their own development needs, it encourages educational practitioners to think beyond the curriculum and more about key life skills essential for learners’ ongoing transitional journey to further and higher levels of study and career pathways. These activities will definitely refresh and uplift the VESPA model further.

Steve and Martin have the incredible ability to frame ideas and suggestions to develop learner habits in a way which just simply makes sense to teachers and students alike. Their research is relevant, and their suggestions are presented in an inviting style while challenging our students to truly reflect on how they are as learners and how they could be much more successful. A true staple of a successful curriculum.

Post-pandemic, nothing is quite what it once was. More students than ever seem to need extra support to enable them to study effectively. This latest book in the brilliant VESPA series acknowledges things have changed. This handbook provides teachers with a superbly curated set of new activities for students, which are organised upon the original VESPA structure but are shaped to address the new normal in the classroom. It's an essential resource for anyone trying to boost students’ commitment to their studies.

There’s a lot to love in The VESPA Handbook. I really like the fact that it’s rooted in reality and is extremely useful for the teacher who has concerns for all their students. The advice and direction offered to teachers is exemplary, privileging honest attainment and success at a human level, which, in turn, makes the handbook indispensable. I’m grateful to Martin and Steve for writing it.

Martin Griffin and Steve Oakes clearly understand what makes both students and their teachers tick! In this highly practical handbook, they’ve taken leading-edge educational research and combined it with their own teaching experience to create a host of easy-to-follow activities, many of which can be completed in the brief window of tutorial time. This is a fantastically rich resource that should be required reading for anyone working with young people who aren’t yet fulfilling their potential – it should certainly be on the bookshelf of every head of sixth form.