Tutor Time Activities
Equipment, Planner, Pride
Equipment, Planner, Pride is a free 20-minute tutor time activity for resetting organisation, planners, equipment and form routines without shaming students.
Launch set for the new /tutor-time section on headofyear.co.uk.
Each activity is a one-page tutor brief plus a two-slide pair.
Written for the Head of Year briefing a tutor team, in a tone any form tutor can run cold.
Activity 1 — The Tutor Time Reading Twenty Tutor brief Theme: Reading / Literacy Best year groups: KS3, Y10 Duration: 20 minutes Tags: Reading, KS3, Y10, Thursday Tutor aim: Run a structured reading routine that builds fluency and discussion, not silent unguided reading.
Why this matters A short, modelled, paired reading routine does more for reading culture than 20 minutes of unsupervised silence.
This is the structured version of DEAR — what students see read well, they then read well themselves, and a short discussion at the end embeds it.
What the tutor needs - The slide pair projected - A short extract (200–300 words) — provided with the activity, or any short, accessible piece from a class reader - A small box of books in the room, or students bring their own - 60 seconds before the session to find your place in the extract Session flow (20 minutes) - 0–2 mins — Tutor reads the extract aloud at a steady pace.
Students follow on the slide or listen. - 2–4 mins — Tutor names one feature of the reading: a turn of phrase, a structural choice, a word worth noticing. - 4–14 mins — Silent reading.
Students read from their own book or one from the box. - 14–17 mins — Paired: "One sentence from what you read today you'd recommend to someone else — and why." - 17–20 mins — Tutor takes one recommendation, writes the title on the board or the form's reading wall.
Close.
Opening — exact tutor wording "For the next 20 minutes we're going to read.
I'll read for the first two minutes, then we'll all read silently for ten, then you'll share one sentence with your partner.
No phones, no chat.
If you haven't brought a book, take one from the box at the front." Discussion prompts - "What's one sentence from what you read that stayed with you?" - "Would you recommend this book to the person next to you?
Why or why not?" Quiet reflection prompt - "What kind of reader are you when no-one is watching?" Optional extension The form keeps a running reading wall — every Thursday, one new title goes up with the recommending student's first name.
By half term, the wall is full and the form has a shared reading map.
Safeguarding / caution None specific.
Be alert to students who consistently have no book and no engagement — a private word, not a public one.