.... or more accurately, a rant against the machine and the Statutory Guidelines!

Since its inception in 1995, Copycats Education has grown from a one man cottage industry (supplying worksheets on the Vikings in paper format) to an organisation, whose products are now in use in almost 3000 educational establishments in the UK and overseas.

Perhaps our proudest moment was in 2005, when our History CD roms were chosen by Jared Brading of Teachers TV as the Number One Best Buy for schools- staving off competition from the Big Boys- Ginn and Heinemann and even the ubiquitous Horrible Histories from Terry Deary -or 'entertaining works of fiction' to quote Jared! (Though we remain more generous to one of our major rivals- his books deserve a place in any primary classroom- but so do the Harry Potters, as long as the pupils realise that these are novels and not Instruction manuals for would be sorcerers).

But before you dismiss this as mere professional jealousy, please excuse our somewhat spiteful rant, whilst we tell you a little more about Copycats and what we do and why we believe our material can be really useful to all those underrated, underpaid and overstretched teachers out there (in other words all of you!).....

Our material, albeit in digital format, is simple and straightforward- so simple in fact that 'even a child could do it'- just good old worksheets that are of real educational value- not just something you hand out to the kids, whilst you get on with filling out NC tick lists, counting dinner monies or just worrying in despair about the impending OFSTED inspection.

Whilst we might, on occasions, be the first to have a dig at the National Curriculum (you can't do the Gunpowder Plot - it's not in the Statutory Guidelines!), we accept that without it, we as a company would flounder.

However, we do worry that if we all follow these guidelines to the letter, most children leaving a UK Primary School will never have heard of Oliver Cromwell or the Battle of Hastings, or had the opportunity to do a good old fashioned topic on 'The History of Transport' (kids used to love that one!).

Anyway, before you accuse us all here at Copycats of being Grumpy Old Men, let me give you one last really compelling reason for choosing our material above others...

....we're cheap...perhaps I'd better expound on that one a little...

Yes we are cheap, but not cheap and nasty, and not quite as cheap as chips...but we honestly believe that our products offer exceptional value for money, which is important in today's economic climate (though in most UK schools ther never has been a Climate Change!).

I should know- I was a teacher myself for 26 years, before finally, out of quiet desperation, I reluctantly hung up my boots and switched to the dark side....a sadder but wiser man. Anyway, I'm rambling on again...

Good Resources at affordable prices are more than just a luxury in your average primary school- they are a necessity.

So don't just take my word for it- see for yourselves and order our CD's- everything is on approval, so if you don't like it, send it back!

Copycats CD's- they do everything they say on the tin!

That's all for now till the next blog after Christmas (ooh, sorry to leave you with that word!).

Kind Regards,

Niall,

Copycats

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