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Features

Espresso is a massive library of digital resources for use across the whole curriculum at Foundation, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.

If you subscribe to Espresso, our content will be installed in your school or LA for instant access and is updated weekly with new features and resources.

Our user-friendly interface is intuitive and features the Espresso family of fun characters to provide a fun and easy-to-use learning environment.

These are just some of the resources, tools and staffroom and teacher support available to Espresso Primary subscribers.

Resources

Full screen video

Over 120 hours of video in more than 5600 curriculum focused clips covering subjects across the whole National Curriculum. Support resources include: glossary definitions for difficult words, maps showing geographical context and follow-up activities such as screen tests and multiple-choice quizzes. Each clip is instantly accessible without the download delays normally associated with the Internet. Clips can also be exported and / or saved for use in presentations and projects.

Espresso modules

Over 100 collections and modules on subjects from Media Literacy to Health and Fitness, Computer Modelling to Maps and Mapping. Espresso modules are packed with videos, activities, websites and many other resources. Read more...

News service

Weekly updated archive containing hundreds of curriculum-related video news items and newspaper articles, including our popular 'News Bites' made in partnership with ITN. Our presenter in the Espresso newsroom, Olivia, introduces stories in a way that is child-friendly and age-appropriate. Differentiated stories include simpler language and concepts for Key Stage 1 pupils and audio book articles for Foundation students. 'Using the News!' activities take the news as a starting point for pupil discussion, presentations and assemblies.

Assemblies

These have been designed to be used by both teachers and students leading a class assembly. The assemblies use a selection of video to encourage children to think about issues of moral, personal and social significance.

Activities and quizzes

Over 1400 sophisticated and easy-to-use multimedia activities for pupils to use. Espresso recognises and responds to the fact that not all children share the same learning level. As such, our activities and quizzes are designed to meet children at whatever level they are at. For example, mind mapping, mood board, drag and drop features and multiple choice activities ensure children learn whilst having fun.

Worksheets

Over 4100 printable worksheets organised within subject areas and Key Stage levels. These printable worksheets ensure that children from foundation upwards are provided with tangible records of their work that can be assessed and / or displayed within school.

Weekly updates

Espresso updates each week in term time. It’s a living resource! Up to ten new modules are updated or introduced each term together with topical news each and every week. See what Espresso subscribers received in the latest weekly update.

I hope you don't mind my children bombarding you with e-mails, but they found the idea of writing to the [Espresso] children so appealing.

Becky Mordew, ICT Co-ordinator, Redscope Primary School, Rotherham

Expresso

An active workspace which gives children the opportunity to view their work on Espresso. Expresso allows Espresso pupils from around the country to see how other children have been using Espresso. Updated on a regular basis, Expresso gives children the opportunity to beam with pride as they see their work displayed and viewed by the entire Espresso community.

Best of the web

Over 400 selected high-quality cached websites available for instant access in the classroom meaning no download delays. All irrelevant links, adverts and age-inappropriate content is removed, providing teachers with confidence knowing that children are safely surfing the world wide web. The KS2 WWW index also offers ‘web explorer’ activities. The web explorer encourages children to extract information from selected websites and carry out a simple evaluation of how sites are constructed.

Printable resources

Thousands of visual resources including photos, pictures, maps and stickers can be printed out or copied for use in teaching resources or pupils work.

Tools

Embed Video Code

This useful feature allows users to easily display and play Espresso video directly in most learning platforms. This means that pupils can watch videos from home, extending learning opportunities and strengthening home-school links. Read more...

Video Controls

Espresso's video player demonstrates that video watching does not have to be a passive experience. We have provided new opportunities to interact with videos by allowing great control over our videos. Teachers or pupils may, for example, choose to re-watch footages or focus on particular frames to facilitate discussion.

In addition, the video player also allows the opportunity to 'watch' videos without sound or pictures. This enables teachers to draw attention to the language that is used in video commentary, how messages are conveyed without language and sharpen children's listening skills by asking them to predict the images that they would expect to see within the commentary.

Search engines

Easy-to-use search feature which allows you to search by keyword, National Curriculum subject, Key Stage or resource type.

Route Creator

The Route creator allows teachers to make and save route plans using the Espresso content. They are stored so they can be used again and again. You can also add your comments to your route.

Learning Reviews

Designed to allow pupils to test and record their knowledge and understanding of the learning objectives addressed in the module. Features child friendly language and tools to validate self-assessment.

Learning Pathways

These provide lesson plans that takes pupils on a learning journey linked to a particular learning objective. Each Learning path links to activities, worksheets and images

Presentation Creator

An easy-to-use tool, differentiated for KS1 and KS2 that offers opportunities for children to create their own multimedia presentations. It enables pupils to create a slide show using videos, photos, pictures and text taken from Espresso.

Subject Asset Activity and News Indexes

These indexes provide list or pictorial indexes of subject specific resources according to theme and different types of resources. Activities and news stories that have appeared on the site are also indexed to help teachers find appropriate resources.

Staffroom and Teacher Support

Curriculum linking

All resources on Espresso are aligned to National Curriculum requirements and the Numeracy, Literacy and EYFS frameworks to help teachers plan lessons with ease.

Best practice videos

Training videos and examples of best practice filmed in user schools help you get the best out of Espresso and offer ideas on using Espresso with other IT resources.

Forums

Our 'ideas exchange' and 'planning library' allow you to share how you are using Espresso with thousands of other teachers and vice versa.

Teachers TV

Through our partnership with Teachers TV we offer a range of professional development resources, including links to relevant video clips and fortnightly teacher News clips.

Home Access

Home access is now available in many Local Authorities (LAs) so you can plan lessons from the comfort of your home. Espresso is working on an LA by LA basis to provide all our subscribers with full Espresso Primary Home Access for teachers. Click here to see if Home Access is available in your Local Authority.

See also: Key benefits | Access Free Classroom Resources! | Testimonials | Technology