1. This activity is used to connect the learning from the previous lesson and to set a lesson target. Helping pupils to understand how lessons link together To encourage pupils to take ownership of their learning To aid progression and cement understanding of the topic

2. Half of the class are given questions and half are given answers. Children must go around the room trying to find out who their partner is. The questions and answers are stuck on their backs to make it a bit more challenging.  Alternatively, instead of questions finding answers, questions could find other questions which provide the same answer or answers could find other answers from the same times tables and then order themselves.

3.  Print and laminate some pictures of something related to your topic (could be flowers for science, for example).  Cut them up into 4/5 pieces. Give these out to children during the starter and get them to find other people who match with them to make up the picture (for lower ability, you could always have the original picture on a desk, so they have to find the desk).  This can put the children into mixed ability groups.  The children then have to discuss the relevance or answer a question related to the topic.

4. This activity can be used to introduce a new topic or simply as class discussion tool. Encourages skills such as debate, discussion and decision making. Very versatile and can be used in any subject in a number of ways. Opens up questioning and encourages pupils to interact with one another.

5. Children choose, from a bag, a term they have learnt during the lesson. They should attempt to describe the term to the other members of the class without using the word itself. Children can then jot down word they think it is on whiteboard or put hand up as soon as they know. Set a time limit to prevent too much pondering

6. Similar to pass the parcel.  Children pick a statement from a box/hat etc.  Class must move according to what they think of the statement – dedicate an area of the classroom to agree and one to disagree.  Could work for maths questions – odd/even, multiple of 3, multiple of 10 etc.

7. Starter activities  Countdown http://www.woodlands- junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/countdown/http://www.woodlands- junior.kent.sch.uk/maths/countdown/  Literacy starter http://www.teacherled.com/2008/03/03/letter- dice/http://www.teacherled.com/2008/03/03/letter- dice/  Keyword jumble http://www.teacherled.com/2008/01/28/keyword-jumble/ http://www.teacherled.com/2008/01/28/keyword-jumble/