Written by Steve Oakes and Martin Griffin, The VESPA Handbook: 40 new activities to boost student commitment, motivation and productivity offers 40 concrete, practical tools and activities that will supercharge learners’ ambition, organisation, persistence and determination.

The Vespa Handbook builds on the success of Steve and Martin’s acclaimed books, The A Level Mindset and The GCSE Mindset, by introducing 40 new activities for teachers to use to improve the grades of their students. The handbook is a perfect introduction to the VESPA approach, as well as a practical addition to previous resources. Just like their previous books, The Vespa Handbook will help teachers develop the five key characteristics and behaviours that students need to be successful: vision, effort, systems, practice and attitude. When it comes to achieving academic success, these these characteristics are crucial. The ability of students to have a vision, commit the effort, be organised, practise and revise well and have a positive attitude and good work ethic are vital to their success.

The 40 activities included are set out clearly and categorised thematically under the VESPA umbrella, making them easy to navigate and use in any setting. Each activity can be delivered one-to-one, to a tutor group or to a whole cohort, has been designed to take fifteen to twenty minutes to complete, and has been written with a pupil audience in mind. The authors offer valuable advice for teachers looking to improve learners’ resilience and ambition, based on their combined 40 plus years of experience in teaching and coaching.

Suitable for teachers, tutors and parents who want to boost academic outcomes in 14–18-year-olds’ and equip them with powerful tools and techniques in preparation for further education and employment.