Here is an article written about Janet and displays4teachers in the Times Educational Supplement in March, 2007

Janet Hill displays4teachers

Janet Hill is happy to admit that wall displays in her classroom left a lot to be desired. “I used to put up awful displays;’ says Janet, 37, of Twickenham, south-west London. “Even colleagues would came and have a laugh at them.’

This prompted her to think there was a market for ready-made display packs to tie in with national curriculum topics.

“I started messing about with it is 2003 when I was on maternity leave.’ says Janet, who enlisted the help at Tammy Scott-Cree, an artist friend and fellow teacher, to help her design the display kits.

“I had a feeling there was a need for this product and I wanted to get it out there before someone else did’ says Janet. “I sat down and drew up a wish list of what would help teachers.’

She now produces packs an historical topics each as ancient Egypt, easiest Greece, the Victorian era and composers. in science, she covers topics ranging from electricity and sounds to plants and keeping healthy.

Janet is now working on a display which can be used for modern language teaching, including Mandarin.

“The packs are so much more than displays - they really help a teacher to deliver a topic. Everything has been researched, the brainwork has been done and the children love them.” she says.

The display can be changed as they go through the topic and pupils’ own artwork and research can be added. The packs also include laminated brainteaser cards which allow pupils to carry out extra work on their own.

Janet’s is very much a cottage industry. “I can print up to A3 size at home and I pay someone £6 an hour for laminating’ says Janet, a mother of three who teaches Year 4 two days a week at St James Roman Catholic Primary School is Twickenham, She has her own website and also sells through Teaching Trends, shop selling educational resources in East Finchley. “I’d like the business to be bigger;’ says Janet.

“The next big step would be to pay a printer to print 1,000, but I don’t feel I’m ready for that yet?’

Running the business from home, Janet has sold more than 200 packs so far and she is now in discussion with Knowsley education authority, which is considering using the packs in their primary schools.

www.displays4teachers.co.uk