ABC Surrey winter 2014

The local information magazine for parents in Surrey

• From babies to big kids •

Winter issue

November 2014 - March 2015 www.abcmag.co.uk

Packed full of essential information • places to go • things to do • ideas for you •

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AFFORDABLE SWIMMING LESSONS? NOW THAT’S BETTER. NLI

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KIN

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At Better, we have affordable swimming lessons for all ages and abilities. Best of all, our swimming programmes follow the Amateur Swimming Association framework and all our lessons are taught by experienced instructors.

So why not pop in to: • Rainbow Leisure Centre

• Banstead Sports Centre

• Donyngs Leisure Centre

• Horley Leisure Centre

For more information visit www.better.org.uk/lessons

*Terms and Conditions apply. Consent from a legal guardian is required when a child joins on a Better Health and Fitness prepaid membership. Proof of identification is required upon joining. Centre and pool rules apply.

Full terms and condition are available at the point of purchase, please speak to a member of staff. £5 offer only available in Islington when booking in centre.

Better is a registered trademark of GLL (Greenwich Leisure Limited), a charitable social enterprise. Registered office: Middlegate House, The Royal Arsenal, London, SE18 6SX IPS No: 27793, Inland Revenue Charity No: XR43398

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The local information magazine for Surrey parents with young children - from babies to big kids!

Assistant Editor Karen Bryant Advertising Sales Gemma Murphy Social Media Manager Karen Bryant Production Louise de Kock Proofreading Gail Pollio Website BarkWeb Ltd ABC Magazine Surrey

is operated under franchise and independently owned

by Langley & Allen Ltd PO Box 2780 Brighton BN1 5QR Tel: 020 8661 5353 Fax: 020 3163 0287

Separate editions of ABC Magazine are produced in: Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Hampshire.

For further details please see www.abcmag.co.uk or email: sussex@abcmag.co.uk surrey@abcmag.co.uk kent@abcmag.co.uk hampshire@abcmag.co.uk

As always we have superb prizes for you to win in our variety of competitions including theatre tickets, stationary, books and even a £100 luxury treatment voucher! It is so simple to enter on-line at www.abcmag.co.uk, via your phone, tablet or computer - good luck!

Please continue to send us any ideas for news items, places you would like to pick up a copy of ABC and suggestions for new features. If you would like to follow us on Facebook and Twitter simply click on the links from our website; this is another way for us to keep you informed of special offers, exciting news and forthcoming events.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributes to the up-to-date local information that we pass on to you. We appreciate all of your ongoing support and you help to make ABC the success that it continues to be. We are sure you will carry on enjoying what we do into 2015 and please remember that it helps us every time our readers say “I saw it in ABC!” I wish you all a very merry Christmas, and health and happiness throughout 2015.

Tania Ford Editor

No part of this magazine, including the advertisements within it may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the express permission of the editor.

Whilst the greatest of care is taken to ensure that the information within the magazine is correct at time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.

The opinions expressed within ABC Magazine are not necessarily the views of the publishers, but those of individual writers.

call 020 86 61 535 3 regard ing ad vertis ing or dist ributio n of ABC M agazin e Surrey .

Our Diary of Events is in the centre of the magazine and continues to be filled with great ideas of events to share with your friends and family. ABC gives you plenty of suggestions of things to do in Surrey over the coming winter months; whether you are thinking of your children starting a new activity, enjoying a family day out or going to a show at one of our featured theatres.

Your child could be our next Cover Star!

See page 10 for details

★ ★ ★

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Cover Star

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Editor Tania Ford

Meet our gorgeous ‘Cover Star’ Isobel (4) from Molesey

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Photograph by Mummy Roff’s Ginger Snaps 07970 787351 (see ad on page 11)

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THE ABC SURREY TEAM

Please

The lovely, long summer days seem far behind us as we quickly approach the end of 2014. In the morning there is a crisp chill in the air, the leaves are falling off the trees and the days are drawing in, particularly since the clocks have gone back. Our thoughts are turning to the excitement of Christmas, and we start to look ahead to the New Year with great anticipation.

★

surrey@abcmag.co.uk www.abcmag.co.uk

Welcome to the winter 2014 issue of ABC Magazine Surrey.

★

020 8661 5353

ABC is a combination of many peoples efforts and contributions so a huge thank you to you all.

An extra special thank you to my beautiful daughters, my family, my friends and all of my colleagues as this would not be possible without your constant support and understanding.

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Inside this issue...

Enjoy the fun of a show There is a wonderful choice of Christmas shows and events in Surrey and London this year. Take a look at our feature on the festivities from page 46. If you only go to the theatre once a year, make sure it is to a Christmas show. Great fun for everyone!

Free childcare

Free Early Education for Two year olds (FEET) is an offer of up to fifteen hours of free early education and childcare a week.

If you haven’t already checked whether you qualify, talk to your local Children’s Centre or take a look at page 28 to find out more.

Education

Whether you have a baby, toddler or a ‘big school’ child, there’s something to interest you and add to your child’s learning potential.

24

Academic achievement

28

Free early education

30

Helping your toddler to learn

59

Why an independent education?

61

Empowering our young women

Out & about

For ideas about things to do and discover and places to go across Surrey, look no further...

6

The Marsden March

8

Skiiing as a family

18

Keep safe this winter

42

Days out for free

43

Happy travelling

43

Top tips for Bonfire Night

44

Thoughts for a family holiday

53

Free and festive

55

Birthday theatre treat

March the Marsden

If your family like a walk, why not do the Marsden March? Living in Surrey, most of us know someone who has been treated at the Royal Marsden Hospital and this is a great way for individuals, friends and family to raise funds for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. The shorter, family-friendly five-mile route follows the last five miles of the main route, for anyone wanting a less strenuous walk, and is suitable for younger children. See their advert on page 6.

Visit Brooklands

Brooklands in Weybridge is the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit. It was the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, home of Concorde and the site of many engineering and technological achievements. If your family loves motorsport this is the place to go! During holidays and the weekends they have many special events and activities for children.

Take a look at page 48.

63

The educational benefit of apps

65

Silencing the mother tongue

71

Hiring a safe private tutor

72

New computing module

73

Single sex vs co-ed

78

Changes to National Curriculum

Exercise in disguise

Leisure centres are great to visit at this time of year. They are always warm and there is plenty to keep the children active; whether it is soft play, swimming or sports classes. Remember to check them out for holiday clubs too – most run activities for both sporty and non-sporty children. Take a look at GLL on our inside front cover, Xcel in Walton-on-Thames and Tandridge Leisure, both on page 19. Lots of ideas to keep the children happy!

Recycle your plastic

Did you know it would save £200,000 a year in waste disposal charges if every adult in Surrey recycled just one extra bottle a week? It isn’t only drinks bottles that can be recycled, whether it holds shampoo, bleach, cooking oil or ketchup, if it is a plastic bottle it can be recycled. Find out more on page 39 and visit www.pledge4plastics.co.uk

Activities

For children of all ages, structured activities form an important part of their learning and social development.

Lifestyle

With ideas for helping families to get the most out of life, there are interesting articles for everyone.

10

Making it personal

11

Breaking with tradition

12

Grandparents are cool

12

See yourself in your children?

13

A party for a princess

14

Party fun!

16

The Supervet interview

28

Benefits of older mothers

31

Babysitting solutions

16

Pets for you!

33

Welcoming an au-pair

17

Choosing the right riding school

34

The bare facts

18

Discover Gymnastics

46

Bachelors to husbands

22

Art is an emotional experience

50

Ho ho ho!

23

Show me the stage!

53

Fun festive facts

25

Combating childhood inactivity

56

Realistic resolutions

26

Unlocking the musical potential

64

Hosting a child for the holidays

51

Letter from Santa

67

School brings new problems

55

New Year’s resolutions

68

Embracing mobile technology

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Health & well-being

Your health, and the health of your children, is of vital importance.

Take good care of the family with the advice and help of our experts.

5

Winter fitness plan

5

Extra funding for PE

18

Top tips to keep children healthy

19

Getting physical through play

20

Prioritise sport that saves lives

21

Little swimmers

39

Make it a healthy year

50

Manage your ex

54

Giving birth at Christmas

57

Eat, drink and be healthy

64

Early ‘facts of life’ conversations

66

NSPCC Underwear Rule

69

Aboard the type 1 rollercoaster

75

Screaming in the night?

77

Competitive school sport

Back to work

Returning to work after having a baby or when the children start school can be a tricky time - get inspiration here.

34

Steps to working again

64

Hosting a child for the holidays

Numbers that count

If you need to know a number in a hurry - hospitals, helplines, libraries, pools, museums and other useful contact numbers, we've got it covered!

1

Contact us

4

Leisure directory

4

Numbers that count

24

National Adoption Week

33

Costs of new school term

40

Diary of events

50

Christmas posting dates

57

BBC children in need

79

Shopping and Services directory

Homes & gardens

How to get the very best from your house and garden, with helpful advice and ideas for all over your family home.

36

Ten things to check this winter

37

Creating a room for your child

38

What your books say about you

54

Veggies for Christmas

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷ ✷✷✷ ✷✷✷✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷✷ ✷✷ ✷✷ ✷✷ Win fab prizes with Win fab prizes with

52

Surrey’s Home Show tickets

Something for everyone! Once again, ABC has brought you a whole heap of competitions, with masses of fabulous prizes for you to win...

55

G Live, Chris & Pui tickets

56

Rose theatre family tickets

62

Stabilo stationery kit

70

Walker books for little ones

74

3D jigsaw puzzle

Curl up this winter with this collection from Walker Books

image

12

The Paint and Pencil books

18

Ladies winter warmers

37

34

Institut de Beaute voucher

Visit www.picturebookparty.co.uk for the latest Walker picture 38 Let’s play a game books, activities and more.

Discover the best new picture books with Walker Books’ Picture Book Party, perfect for sharing the love of reading and storytelling with your little ones. From zebras and chimpanzees, to ice cream and dancing, this fantastic selection of picture books has something for everyone.

Laura Ashley throw

We’ve teamed up with Walker Books to offer 3 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a fabulous Picture Book Party goody bag, which includes a copy of Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham, Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes, The Zebra Who Ran Too Fast by Jenni Desmond, Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance by Birgitta Sif and Willy the Wimp by Anthony Browne, plus stickers, posters and activity sheets. For your chance of winning simply tell us what animal Willy the Wimp is?

Good luck!

ABC competition rules: The act of entering any competition will be taken as acceptance of these rules. The closing date for all competitions running in this issue is Friday 13th February 2015 unless stated otherwise on the competition. Only email entries will be accepted for all ABC competitions. Please visit www. abcmag.co.uk/competition to enter. Only one entry per person per competition is permitted. Unless otherwise stated the winner(s) will be randomly selected.

Incomplete entries will not be accepted. No cash alternative to any prize is offered. All winners will be notified by email and their prize will be sent to them. The editor's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Unless stated otherwise on the competition, each entry should be clearly marked with the Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3. competition name, together with your name, postal address, email address and telephone number.

If you enter any competition in ABC Magazine, your details may be passed on to the competition supplier.

If you do not wish your details to be used further please state this clearly on each entry.

All ABC competitions are to be entered online please go to www.abcmag.co.uk/competitions ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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LEISURE DIRECTORY THEATRES

Camberley Theatre 01276 707 600 Fairfield Halls, Croydon 020 8688 9291 Warehouse Theatre, Croydon 020 8680 4060 Dorking Halls 01306 881 717 Playhouse, Epsom 01372 742 555 The Maltings, Farnham 01252 745 444 Electric Theatre, Guildford 01483 444 789 G Live, Guildford 0844 7701 797 Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford 01483 440 000 Archway Theatre, Horley 01293 784 398 Rose Theatre, Kingston 08444 821 556 Nomad Theatre, Leatherhead 01483 284 717 The Theatre, Leatherhead 01372 365 141 The Barn Theatre, Oxted 01959 561 811 Harlequin, Redhill 01737 276 500 Richmond Theatre 020 8332 4500 Charles Cryer Theatre, Sutton 020 8770 6990 Secombe Centre, Sutton 020 8770 6990 Polka Theatre, Wimbledon 020 8543 4888 The New Wimbledon, Wimbledon 0844 871 7642 The New Victoria, Woking 0844 871 7627

CINEMAS

Vue Cinema, Camberley Safari, Croydon Vue Cinema, Croydon Premier, Dorking Odeon, Esher Odeon, Epsom Odeon, Guildford Odeon, Kingston The Screen, (Everyman) Oxted Harlequin, Redhill Odeon, Richmond

0871 224 0240 020 8688 3422 0871 224 0240 01306 881 717 0871 224 4007 0871 224 4007 0871 224 4007 0871 224 4007 0871 906 9060 01737 276 500 0871 224 4007

Curzon, Richmond 0871 703 3992 The Screen (Everyman), Reigate 0871 906 9060 Empire, Sutton 0871 471 4714 The Screen (Everyman), Walton-on-Thames 0871 906 9060 Ambassadors, Woking 0844 871 7627

MUSEUMS

Honeywood, Carshalton 020 8770 4297 East Surrey Museum, Caterham 01883 340 275 Chertsey Museum 01932 565 764 Bus Museum, Cobham 01932 875 381 Bourne Hall, Epsom 020 8393 9571 Museum of Farnham 01252 715 094 Rural Life Centre, Farnham 01252 795 571 Godalming Museum 01483 426 510 Guildford Museum 01483 444 751 Kingston Museum 020 8547 5006 The Lightbox Museum and Gallery, Woking 01483 737 800

SPORTS & LEISURE

Banstead Sports Centre 01737 361 933 Arena Leisure Centre, Camberley 01276 417 111 Westcroft Leisure Centre, Carshalton 020 8770 4812 Sutton Arena Leisure Centre, Carshalton 020 8770 4088 de Stafford Sports Centre, Caterham 01883 344 355 Cheam Leisure Centre 020 8770 4830 Cranleigh Leisure Centre 01483 274 400 Monks Hill, Croydon 020 8651 0984 New Addington Pool, Croydon 01689 842 553 Sports Centre, Dorking 01306 870 180 Egham Leisure Centre 01784 437 695

Rainbow Leisure Centre, Epsom 01372 727 277 Sports Centre, Farnham 01252 723 208 Tomlinscote Centre, Frimley 01276 670 316 Leisure Centre, Godalming 01483 417 282 Spectrum Centre, Guildford 01483 443 322 Lido (Outdoor), Guildford 01483 449 108 Horley Anderson Centre 01293 784 075 Oakwood Centre, Horley 01293 822 238 Kingfisher Leisure Centre, Kingston 020 8541 4576 Malden Centre, Kingston 020 8336 7770 Tolworth Recreation Centre, Kingston 020 8391 7910 Leisure Centre, Leatherhead 01372 377 674 Canons Centre (Mitcham), Morden 020 8640 8543 Morden Park Pool, Morden 020 8640 6727 Tandridge Leisure Centre, Oxted 01883 716 717 Purley Pool Rec. Centre, Purley 020 8668 7251 Donyngs Recreation Centre, Redhill 01737 764732 The Phoenix Centre, Wallington 020 8770 6006 Leisure Centre, Woking 01483 771122

MAIN LIBRARIES Ashstead Camberley Chertsey Croydon Epsom Farnham Guildford Kingston Sutton Weybridge Woking

0300 200 1001 0300 200 1001 0300 200 1001 020 8726 6900 0300 200 1001 0300 200 1001 0300 200 1001 020 8547 5006 020 8770 4740 0300 200 1001 0300 200 1001

NUMBERS THAT COUNT HELPLINES

Allergy UK 01322 619 898 Asthma Helpline 0845 701 0203 Bliss (national charity supporting parents with sick and premature babies) 0500 618 140 Child Benefit Enquiries 0845 302 1444 Child Bereavement Charity 01494 568 900 ChildLine 0800 11 11 Compassionate Friends (for bereaved parents and their families) 0845 123 2304 Cry-Sis 08451 228 669 Dental Health Foundation 0870 770 4000 Department for Education 0870 000 2288 FamilyLine 0808 800 5678 Foundation for Study of Infant Deaths 0808 802 6868 Gingerbread Helpline 0808 802 0925 Kidscape (for concerned parents, relatives and friends of bullied children) 0845 120 5204 La Leche League (breastfeeding) 0845 120 2918 Mind (advice on better mental health) 0845 766 0163 National Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247

National Eczema Society National Meningitis Helpline

0800 089 1122

0808 8010 388 NCT Breastfeeding Line 0300 330 0771 NCT Pregnancy and Birth Line 0300 330 0772 NHS Direct Helpline 0845 46 47 NSPCC 0808 800 5000 Post-natal Depression Helpline 020 7386 0868 Pre-School Learning Alliance 020 7697 2500 Relate 0300 100 1234 Samaritans 08457 909 090 The Meningitis Trust 0800 028 1828 The Migraine Trust 020 7462 6601 The National Childbirth Trust 0300 330 0770 Winstons Wish (helping bereaved children rebuild their lives) 0845 203 0405

RIGHTS & BENEFITS Jobcentre Plus

Disability Benefits Tax Credits Inland Revenue

www.direct.gov.uk 08456 060 234 www.direct.gov.uk 08457 123 456 www.direct.gov.uk 0345 300 3900 www.hmrc.gov.uk 0845 300 0627

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAUX Addington Camberley Cranleigh Dorking Epsom and Ewell Farnham Godalming Guildford Kingston Leatherhead Sutton Walton,Weybridge, Hersham Woking

TRAVEL

01689 846 890 01276 684 342 0844 848 7969 0844 411 1444 0844 411 1444 0844 848 7969 0844 848 7969 01483 576 699 0844 826 9701 0844 411 1444 020 8405 3552 01932 248 660 0844 375 2975

Gatwick Airport www.gatwickairport.com 0844 892 0322 Heathrow Airport www.heathrowairport.com 0844 335 1801 National Travel Line www.traveline.org.uk 0871 200 2233 National Express www.nationalexpress.com 08717 818 178 Arriva (Surrey and West Sussex) www.arrivabus.co.uk 01483 534939

We've created this listing to make your life easier when looking for local services. If you can think of one which should be included, or spot one which has changed, please let us know by emailing us at surrey@abcmag.co.uk

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by Diego Avila, Personal Trainer and Well-being Coach

Surviving the winter season:

S

hort and cold days, the excesses of the festive season, a new year on the calendar and the promise of yet another New Year’s fitness resolution pressing on your shoulders are some of the factors that prompt millions to take up a new exercise or diet regime every winter.

Statistically, most will fail by the time February’s half term is over. Don’t let this happen to you. When it comes to fitness and well-being, the old adage of “fail to prepare, prepare to fail” is never more accurate.

and mentally challenging activity is far more likely to keep you engaged and help you succeed.

Make realistic goals Whatever you decide to work on, make sure that it can be quantified and is realistically Start on your New Year’s achievable. “I want to lose some resolution… in November! weight this year” is too general Get ahead of the game by and vague to help you stay on starting to investigate the track. “I want to lose five pounds options as early as November. in the next two months” is a better If the plan is to take up a new option. Similarly, when choosing exercise discipline, be it a boot fitness activities, especially ones camp, a dance class or yoga, you have never done before, start researching and even start at the right level for your attending taster classes before capabilities and move upwards the festive season arrives. This from there. Doing too much, too will put you in a much better soon will inevitably set you up position come January when for failure and frustration. post-Christmas blues hit and you know you want to do Stay away from fad diets something but don’t Their results are fictitious, know what. quickly gained but short lived.

What is worse, they could Try something new actually impair your metabolism Don’t be afraid to take your from being able to burn fat body and mind out of its efficiently at a later stage. comfort zone and into new Think holistically and exciting terrain. This For the best results aim for a is your opportunity to try balanced diet that incorporates those activities you have been every food group in moderation, dreaming of but never dared to experience. A physically and a fitness programme that

Diego Avila

Personal Trainer Nutrition Advisor

Fitness & Well‐being

Yoga Teacher Massage Therapist

www.diegofitness.com

Zumba & FitSteps

info@diegofitness.com

Instructor

(++ 44) 07720 837083

combines cardio and weight resistance exercises. Do not overlook mental and emotional fitness and well-being; yoga, meditation and holistic massages are all great options to complement your lifestyle.

Work holistically If you are going to focus on weight loss and use the scales as your main measuring method, make sure you complement those measurements with circumference ones (the most common ones being waist, abs at belly button level and hips at their wider part). The scales might be telling you that not much weight has dropped, yet the measuring tape might be confirming that inches have been shed by modifying your body composition (the body fat to muscle ratio).

Every little helps Increase your incidental activity.

Get off the bus or tube a stop or two early and walk the rest of the journey. Use the stairs instead of the lift. Do a little every day and spread your exercises out over the week.

Be supported and rewarded It is vital that you get friends and, if possible, family involved in supporting you through the process. Don’t punish yourself if you skip one exercise session or have a croissant too many, turn a new page and restart. And make sure to reward yourself regularly; it will make you feel great about the whole process you are putting yourself through.

Diego Avila is a Personal Trainer and Well-being coach who also teaches Zumba and FitSteps classes in the Teddington community. He is also a Yoga Teacher and Massage Therapist.

Extra funding for PE

E

xtra funding is to be made available to double the number of physical education specialists working in primary schools. The Department for Education said specialist staff were vital to ensure children developed ‘a sporting habit for life’.

Funding will be put towards training primary teachers with a specialism in PE, the DfE said. It is hoped 240 primary PE specialists will take up posts by September 2015. The DfE announcement follows a warning from Ofsted, that too many pupils are being denied the chance to take part in competitive sport in state schools.

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he Royal Marsden’s Marsden March is back for its fifth year in 2015. Sign up today for the popular family friendly five mile walk which covers the last section of the 14 mile challenge. Over the past few years the walk has become a Surrey challenge the whole family can enjoy and is tailored for all ages and abilities.

The sponsored five mile walk on Sunday 22nd March starts at King George’s Playing Fields, in Lower Morden and everyone finishes at The Royal Marsden in Sutton, including the 14 mile walkers who start earlier in the day from The Royal Marsden in Chelsea.

Amanda Heaton, Community and Corporate Fundraising Manager, from The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, said: “The Marsden March is a wonderful family day out and we encourage people to come and enjoy the real sense of achievement when they reach the finish line. We hold a party at the end with live music, a BBQ, children’s entertainment and a selection of stalls and activities.

We present everyone with a medal and I understand these have become very popular with many of our younger walkers for show and tell at school the next day.”

Mother of two Rachel Romain has signed up to walk with her husband and two children. Rachel’s son, 14-year-old Keelan, did the full 14 mile walk in 2013 with his step-dad Mark and has encouraged the whole family to do the five mile this time.

Rachel said: “I did consider us all doing the walk together last year but the 14 mile walk would be too far for my daughter Lexie as she is only four years old. Lexie was so proud of her big brother and really wanted to do it herself. Sadly my father-in-law passed away nearly two years ago of cancer and received fantastic care and treatment at The Royal Marsden. The hospital and its staff were incredible and gave my whole family so much support that raising money for them now is an absolute pleasure.

There are only 1000 places available for this 5 mile family event, so register online today to make sure you don’t miss out. All the funds raised from The Marsden March go directly to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, to support the pioneering work of The Royal Marsden and help to build a future beyond cancer for us all.

“When Keelan suggested we all do the family friendly five mile walk Lexie was really excited and has been telling all her friends she is going to be helping people, just like her big brother did last year. Although she is very young it is wonderful to see her getting excited about helping other people. We tend to wrap our children up in cotton wool nowadays and shield them from upsetting things, but the reality is that we all need to be doing more to help. I am so proud that my family will be doing something positive for people with cancer.”

For more information please call 020 8770 0279 or to register visit www.royalmarsden.org/march

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by Moira Clarke Esprit Holidays

Skiing as a family

F

irst things to think about when considering taking the children skiing - are your children gung-ho enough to give it a go? Is your baby or toddler sociable enough to join a nursery for the week? Are you, as parents, able to let them get on with it?

Then consider the practicalities • Choose an operator with plenty of experience and trust them - they have done it before.

• Check flight times - are they a civilised hour for children?

• Check distance/time from arrival airport to resort - long transfers can be nauseous!

• Choose an operator that offers a choice of destinations, not just limiting families to one or two particular resorts where they 'do' childcare. Just because you are skiing with children doesn’t mean you have to limit your horizons.

Childcare questions to ask: • Does the resort or the Tour Operator provide childcare?

• Are the child carers qualified?

• What is the ratio of children to carers?

• Is the nursery in the chalet, a dedicated playroom or do you have to traipse your child round the resort?

• Are the activity clubs just video clubs or do the children get out and about?

• Any evening activities for children? You want to enjoy your dinner without worrying about the children.

• Any babysitting provided? A night out without the children is a definite must on holiday!

• What are the age ranges for the nursery or childcare?

• What are the catering arrangements for the children?

Nursery care for babies and toddlers Not many Tour Operators offer their very own dedicated nursery, so care and attention needs to be paid to what exactly you are booking for your infant. If it is a local resort nursery, do the carers speak English?

Will they follow your child’s routine? What will they do during the day? And will it be for five or six days?

If it is your Tour Operator’s in-house nursery, check the qualifications of the childcare team and the location and facilities of the crèche. You don’t want just the living room floor of your chalet with a few toys - you want a dedicated playroom with proper facilities for infants and toddlers.

Ski school for children Many holiday packages offer children’s ski classes but it is important to know whether or not the classes are just run by the local ski school or if the operator has any special arrangements. Some operators just book children into the local classes, which may then have anything up to sixteen children in them and be taught in the local language! It is also worth checking whether the parents have to take to and collect their children from ski school as this can severely restrict a parent’s time on the slope.

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Non-skiing activity clubs Young children don’t have the stamina to ski all day so some sort of non-skiing club is necessary. Ensure it includes plenty of outdoor fun and isn’t just a video or computer club.

Babysitting Some operators charge extra for babysitting, others don’t do it at all. If nightlife is important, try and check beforehand how much extra you may have to pay out in the resort to avoid hefty bills not budgeted for.

Catering Check the eating arrangements. Children tend to be happier eating simpler meals all together and can’t last all evening waiting for an adult dinner at 8pm, regardless of Mum and Dad wanting to eat as a family!

Location of properties Where the chalet or hotel is situated will have a big impact on the enjoyment of the children. Ski in/out is ideal for parents but for children who will be in ski lessons it may be advisable to look for properties where the ski school meeting point is close by for their convenience rather than yours.

Prices Skiing with children can be expensive. Some child friendly operators do not have child friendly prices! Carefully check for free child places and up to what age they are applicable, and also the number of child places allowed per family.

Many operators only allow two children at a child’s price and thereafter charge adult prices. Always work out the whole package price before deciding which is better value - an operator with the most expensive adult price may turn out to offer the best whole family cost.

Often sharing the parent’s room gives the greatest discount for children but if you want separate rooms for the children you will not get much of a discount from some operators.

Brochures/websites that do not give any child prices are questionable - do they make them up as they go along?

Booking certain dates with some companies may give good offers - free children’s places, for example, but do remember to work out the whole package before getting excited about a great deal!

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✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ ✷ Making it Your child could be the next ABC Surrey Cover Star To enter simply contact any of our advertising photographers and mention the ABC cover star competition.

C

personal!

hristmas is a great time of year to overload on personalised presents.

Book a session with a family photographer who can create beautiful photos to give to family and friends.

There is nothing more personal than a photo. Extended family members love a photo of the children so book in with a photographer who specialises in taking family shots and many of your present dilemmas will be sorted.

Alternatively, you could put together a montage of photos and frame them. This is a lovely gift as it is something most of us want to do ourselves, but never quite have the time.

All photographers advertising in ABC Magazine have the opportunity to submit photographs as possible front covers.

Photos of friends make beautiful gifts for your children's friends. Have a look at all the photos you have on

your phone or camera; you are bound to have taken a few when friends come round for tea and if you put one in a frame, it becomes a special memory to keep.

If you know a couple who are pregnant or who have recently had a baby, vouchers for a portrait shot are a lovely gift and the photos will last for ever.

Do remember that you need to plan a little earlier than normal when ordering personalised gifts. If ordering for Christmas make sure you check the last date for Christmas gifts to ensure it arrives in time.

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08/10/2014 14:45

Breaking with tradition

T

by Laura Roff, Mummy Roff's Ginger Snaps

he arrival of my second child really drove home the fact that no matter what I did my children were growing up, and growing fast!

We rush to every milestone in life, with eager anticipation.

We are willing them to crawl, to walk, to run... it can be hard to remember to stop and take pleasure in the simplest of moments.

It is so very important to capture everything on camera, not just the biggest achievements and milestones, but the moments of laughter that take your breath away and those that encapsulate the joy of childhood.

Over the years photography has grown with us and photographers are now beginning to offer more than basic studio sessions; going beyond the boundaries of lifestyle photography. You now have photographers willing to venture outdoors, and like myself stand knee high in cold water for the right photo! Advances in editing ability means there is now the opportunity to create unique everlasting portraits

that will spark not only your child’s imagination but rekindle your own.

Outdoor maternity sessions These record the beauty in your baby’s creation and the beginning of your journey to becoming a parent, whilst embracing the seasonal colour of nature. Why not look back with pride on a collection of images captured with the backdrop of a rustic autumnal forest, or nestled in a rolling field among the new blooms of spring? These shots show that not only are you beautiful, but you really were glowing whilst your body was doing something so amazing.

Messy first birthday cake smashes We have all thought about, and probably wanted to stick our hands and face into a giant cake at some point in life, children are no exception.

So why not book your child a cake smash photo shoot and see the sheer glee on their faces when you don’t stop them from truly expressing themselves, by plunging feet first into a chocolate cake whilst you relax and enjoy the moment, not having to worry about the mess!

Taking it a step further, you now have the opportunity to get your children involved in creating their own fantasy adventures. Fairies, balloon rides or even pirates will get children of all ages believing

Mummy Roffs Ginger Snaps is a family photographer covering the areas of Surrey and Hampshire. We specialise in creating beautiful, quirky and breath-taking photos for our clients. We safely and skilfully pose newborns, bring out the inner fairy, chase pets through the woods, enjoy a good cake smash and make children look as if they are flying. Best of all we have fun and lots of it! Please come and visit our page to see more of our unique photographs. Quote ref: ABCNOV14 when booking a fairy session to receive a free digital photo!

in magic again. Making the most of a rainy day and jumping in puddles, or sitting gracefully on the bank of a babbling brook. There is no better way to encourage creativity in your child than to instil a passion for imaginative play.

There are so many ways for us to capture and create the

very moments that matter with a fresh alternative to traditional studio portraits.

Artistic photos will stand out in your home and forever be a talking point; igniting fond memories for the whole family, to be passed on to the next generation. These are the unique moments we will look back on with a smile on our faces.

ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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ything you pencils. nspiration.

riced at ps.

er 5 lucky these two s what

page 3.

Project taken from The Pencil Book by Miri Flower, published by Frances Lincoln

Make snow paint

It is fun to play outside in the snow, and it’s also fun to recreate the snow on pictures using magical puffy paint! To make this snowy picture you will need blue paper, shaving foam, a bowl, some glue and paints.

• Use paints and a paintbrush to paint a wintery scene onto your blue paper.You might like to paint a moose, a wintery tree or a little house (or all three!).

• In a bowl, mix together equal parts of shaving foam and glue. Stir the mixture well to create some fluffy snow paint.

• Dip a paintbrush into your snow paint, then use it to blob snow onto your painting.You can add it to the ground, on top of a tree or on the roof of a house.Your snow paint will dry keeping its 3D shapes, making your picture look really wintery and snowy.

Project taken from The Paint Book

by Miri Flower, published

by Frances Lincoln

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷ Win fab prizes with The Paint Book and The Pencil Book - loads of things you can make or do with paint and a pencil Following on from the hugely successful Stick Book, The Paint Book and The Pencil Book are bursting with inventive and imaginative ideas and things to do for children. These books provide a starting point for an active imagination, bringing together drawing, painting, adventures, craft, games and play.

With plenty of bright photographs throughout, the books offer hints and tips and contain everything you will need to discover the joy of art with paints or pencils.

Each book is packed full of projects and creative inspiration.

Published by Frances Lincoln, each book is priced at £9.99 and is available from all good bookshops.

We’ve teamed up with Frances Lincoln to offer 5 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a set of these two books. For your chance of winning, simply tell us what these books are a starting point for?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

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Do you see

by Ericka Waller

yourself in your children?

I

never wanted to have daughters. I brooded over mini versions of my husband. Brown eyes like pools of chocolate. I never considered the idea of mini versions of me.

I did not want to see myself reflected in someone else’s face. The thought of passing on my flaws and failings and fears horrified me. I wanted to harvest perfection, and I was so far from it. As they grew, I felt cross when people likened parts of my daughters to themselves. I would think, “Why do they have to be like you? Why can’t they be themselves?” I don’t feel that way anymore.

I’m proud to see my temper in my middle daughter. She doesn’t take any nonsense. If someone hurts her she will make sure they know it. Good.

Thing-Three screams until I go and find her tiny plastic Dalmatian before she will sleep, and I smile to myself in the dark as I search under covers. A dog with a bone, just like her mother. I never give up, may she never give up either.

Thing-One and I spend hours drawing The Faraway Tree. I see my imagination seep out on her white paper. I feel so grateful for my unconventionality. She will always have a world in her head that she can travel to whenever this one lets her down.

I never thought I would be a single mum raising three small daughters. I used to be scared of my own shadow. Now I lock the doors at night, no longer afraid of the dark. I’m shedding off my andlooking flaws andfor emerging, butterfl y beautiful.present for Iffailings you are a great homemade

Make promises

friends or family, you could surprise them with a whole I am aofmother, a role model, a woman, a ficoupons. ghter. I amThese going towork fill stack ‘promises’ on homemade my children’s hearts with love and their heads with the belief that best on special types of paper such as handmade or they aretextured good enough.

They can do anything. They are in control of highly paper. themselves and their lives. Their happiness is inside them, a gift to themselves, never to be given away.

• Use scissors to cut your paper into rectangles, or tear the edges carefully to make the coupons look even more special.

When I was first on my own, I would wait until my daughters were • fiDraw pictures theI’d things want to give people nally asleep, andofthen crawlyou up the garden andto scream intoonto the the rectangles.

These could be treats (like ice cream) or events grass, pulling at tufts, mud scraping beneath my nails. I wanted to (like trip tointhe promises of things you’ll burya myself thepark) wormsorand decay. Now I dance upondo the(like sametidy your or daughters give that person hug). me. My little size three grassroom with my followinga behind

feet stamp back down the ground I once dug up to hide beneath. I Project taken from The Pencil Book by Miri Flower, don’t need to hide. I don’t need to cry. I have three daughters who published by Frances Lincoln think I made the moon. This is not a responsibility to run away from. It’s an honour to embrace.

Make snow paint

It is fun to play outside in the snow, and it’s also fun to recreate the snow on pictures using magical puffy paint! To make this snowy picture you will need blue paper, shaving foam, a bowl, some glue and paints.

• Use paints and a paintbrush to paint a wintery scene onto your

08/10/2014 14:45

A party for

by Louise Harrison, Tiny Tangles

a princess!

W

ouldn’t it be wonderful to give your little princess a magical and unique birthday party? Then look no further than a pamper party in a specialist children’s hair salon.

Welcome to a world of children’s style adventure!

It’s often difficult to keep party princesses happy without stress and mess for you so try and find a salon team that can create a magical adventure for your daughter’s special birthday, which is guaranteed to have your child and her friends feeling like glamorous princesses and pop stars!

You simply turn up and bring a cake!

Parties will normally be about ninety minutes and can include all sorts of options such as; a party food box, unique invitations for your

child’s guests, a party bag for each child and a certificate and photo for the birthday girl.

Perfectly pampered Each guest will feel like a princess as they are treated to a party hairstyle of their choice. Our current favourite is the Princess Elsa Frozen-style party hair, which comes with beautiful snowflake hairpins and sparkles.

To add to the look, children can have their nails painted and decorated with colours of their choice and they can pick from the range of child-friendly polishes and funky sticker-gems. To complete the look, the party girls have their choice of glitter tattoos or body gems and participate in a presentation of the certificate and pose for a special photo for the birthday girl.

Fun, fun, fun!

Once all the guests are looking fabulous, it’s time to party! Salons can offer personal televisions, music, singing, dancing, films and food. There is plenty to keep everyone busy and having fun, fun, fun!

If the birthday girl has a particular character or theme that they love, let the salon know so they can make it come to life. The popular theme at the moment is Frozen!

The Tiny Tangles Concept Tiny Tangles, Guildford offers children’s haircuts (boys and girls), restyles, plaits, party hair and nail painting, as well as mum’s services, pamper experiences, parties, mum and me packages, first haircut packages and so much more.

The concept is simple; the salon is for children and offers them a styling adventure, enabling them to have fun whilst they have their haircut. This alleviates tears and lets the children (and parent) feel relaxed and excited.

Each salon station has a personal TV.Younger children can sit in a racing car while older children can play on the X-BOX. Each child receives a lollipop at the end of their experience and maybe a treat from the Tiny Tangles Tuck Shop! The salon also boasts a retail area, which stocks pocket money toys, hair and back to school accessories and a choice of organic and paraben free hair and styling products.

Guildford’s Unique Children’s Hair Salon

  

10 Tunsgate, GU1 3QT

Haircuts Plaits Party Hair

  

Pamper Parties Hair Products Toys

01483 561 818 tinytanglesguildford

www.tinytangles.co.uk

@Tiny_Tangles

- what Surrey parents really read... it’s got everything in it!

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Party fun!

W

inter can be a difficult time to have a party, but hopefully we can help you with some ideas to make it a wonderful day for your little one.

At least in the depths of winter, you know you are very unlikely to have the party outside, so you can plan accordingly, rather than worrying about whether it will be nice weather or not. As every issue of ABC Magazine comes around, there seem to be more and more fantastic ideas for children’s parties, so there really is a wide choice for keeping the children amused.

The first things you need to do are to book a venue and choose the entertainment. You could have the party at home, or

hire somewhere. All parties for children need a focus whether it be games, a magician, mobile zoo or science experiments!

Talk to your child about what they would like, and book it as soon as possible. Everyone and everything gets booked up very early on for Christmas and New Year, so if you have a party around the festive period do book as much as possible as soon as you can.

Many of the regular activities that your child attends, such as music, drama, sports, and dance

groups, may offer parties. Booking your party through a company you already use has the added advantage of you knowing that your child will enjoy the entertainment and will have already established a relationship with the class leader.

Ceramics studios are perfect in the winter. Children can sit alongside their friends and paint a chosen item such as a teddy bear, mug or trinket box. Most ceramics studios now offer other crafts as well, such as mosaics

and jewellery making. You can normally bring in your own food, or organise a delivery from a local café or restaurant. Many of them have an arrangement with the nearest pizza restaurant and you may get a small discount.

Whatever you decide to do, at this time of year make sure you book everything as soon as you can and have fun!

Ready, steady, party!

When it is time to plan your little one’s birthday party or other special occasion it usually means you have to become a professional party planner overnight.

When it comes to entertaining the kids you need to think about something that’s going to be fun not just for the birthday boy or girl but for all that attend, will keep the kids attention for a good length of time and of course is reasonably priced.

Ready Steady Go Kids appear to have found the perfect solution for children celebrating their 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th birthdays. A sports and exercise party that will appeal to both boys and girls, will keep them active and happy for at least an hour whilst giving parents the opportunity to relax for a bit, all without breaking the bank.

Ready Steady Go Kids plan each and every party in line with your requirements as well as giving consideration to the age range that will be attending in order that every participant will be able to take part and have fun.

So, if you are wondering what to do for your child’s next party, why not try Ready Steady Go Kids? It’s fun filled, healthy and active for the kids and a whole lot less stressful for you!

For more information contact Ready Steady Go Kids on 0800 690 6591 or email info@rsgk.co.uk or go to www.rsgk.co.uk

ready steady kids Throw an exciting party for your child with a choice of sports, lots of fun activities and get everyone talking about it!

The kids had such a great time, all were exhausted at the end which was great for parents!

CHOICE OF ANY 2 SPORTS

READY STEADY GO KIDS BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS

1½ HOUR SESSION OF SPORT, FUN ACTIVITIES & GAMES

T-SHIRT & CAP OR BEANIE

FOR THE BIRTHDAY BOY OR GIRL

Classes are also held at various locations within Cheam, Chessington, Epsom & Ewell, Kingston, Richmond and Sutton.

www.rsgk.co.uk info@rsgk.co.uk 0800 690 6591

@RSGKUK

ReadySteadyGoKidsUK

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Keeping sport fun

T

he traditional winter sports of rugby and football are great at keeping children fit and healthy. Both sports are now open to girls, as well as boys. Most football clubs now have girls only or mixed teams, and rugby for girls is increasingly popular.

More than 13,000 women and girls play rugby regularly in England and we are ranked number two in the world.

There are many football and rugby classes for children of all ages, regardless of ability. When children are young the most important thing is that they enjoy what they are doing. Classes should be fun and encourage children to keep fit, whilst learning the basics of the sport.

Both sports will increase a child’s motor skills, coordination and of course, their general fitness and strength. They will run, jump, throw and learn how to kick and catch a ball. In addition to the physical benefits of regularly attending classes, children will also develop discipline and a sense of team spirit. A good coach will encourage good sporting behaviour on the pitch, and children will understand that a team isn’t just made up of one or two stars, but that everyone is important and has their place. All of these skills are important in sport, school and beyond. If children are involved in sport it also increases their circle of friends, and they have opportunities to mix with other children, outside of school.

most sports have clubs and classes for young children. There is gymnastics, netball, ice skating, horse riding and martial arts, to name just a few. When children are young the focus will be on games that develop the skills of the sport, and keeping fit and healthy. As they progress in age and ability, some children may decide to compete competitively, but if not, most classes have both competitive and non-competitive streams.

There are many sports classes in the area and most will allow you to attend a trial session so you can see if it suits your child. Classes are normally taught according to age, and will generally concentrate on ball skills rather than playing competitive games. As children get older, there are lots of opportunities to play football and rugby competitively, both at school and at clubs.

The most important thing is to find a sport or activity that your child enjoys because they will then be happy to participate, and it won’t be a struggle to get them to go each week. Talk to your child about what activities they enjoy and let them try a few out first. Very young children tend to do lots of different things to start with, and then gradually narrow it down to one or two sports that they develop further. Keep sport and exercise fun for young children, and it will then develop into a natural habit for them - keeping them fit and healthy for years to come.

If football and rugby aren’t for your child, there are many other sports to choose from. Today,

Some children just do not enjoy organised sport but they can still keep fit in other ways such as going for a family cycle ride or swim, active games in the garden, or even simply walks in the country or visits to the park. It is recommended by the British Heart Foundation that children and young people should “aim to participate in sixty minutes of physical activity every day such as walking, dancing, swimming, cycling, active play or other sports.” This doesn’t have to be in one go; it could include walking to school, playing football in the playground, PE at school and gymnastics at an afterschool club, for example.

3 free trial lessons for new students Children age 4+

Classes available in: Kingston upon Thames Putney ~ Richmond ~ Weybridge

“We develop good manners, self discipline and respect for parents and teachers” www.londonkarate.co.uk 07538497798 contact@londonkarate.co.uk KYO REI SHUKOKAI IS AN AUTHENTIC STYLE KARATE TAUGHT AND MANAGED BY LONDON KARATE LTD. CHILDREN TO ADULTS FROM 4 YEARS OF AGE. ALL INSTRUCTORS HAVE ENHANCED CRB DISCLOSURE. PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE ASSURED.

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by Thea Thompson and Alex Zaloumis, aged twelve

An interview with Padraig Egan from Channel 4’s The Supervet What is your role here at Fitzpatrick Referrals?

I am one of the vets, I do a mixture of clinical work and I also do some management at the same time. But my role is going to change over the next few months as I am basically going back to school for three years to learn under the supervision of a surgeon, so I know how to do some of the more complex operations safely.

How old were you when you realised you wanted to be a vet?

Very young. I am from an Irish background so every holiday we would go to Ireland to visit my grandparents, who lived on a farm. The earliest picture of me with a cow, was when I was two and I was sitting on top of it. My parents say that whenever I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up my answer was always a vet What is the most memorable animal that you have treated?

There have been quite a few but there’s one that I will always remember. It was a little westie that was the best and only friend of an elderly lady. I remember her coming in and saying; “this is my best friend, please do anything you can.”. I’d only been qualified about three weeks and it was the first emergency operation I’d done. I always remember that case as I saved her only friend.

friend and he has made me realise how much peoples animals mean to them.

What unusual animals have you treated?

I have operated on a sheep, I’ve fixed a broken leg on a chicken.

I’ve seen the odd snake, but I’m not very good with them. I did the anesthesia on a pig in the last series. At university we helped some penguins at Edinburgh zoo as people are very silly and feed them anything through the cage, like coins. I once did a zebra.

What is your biggest life ambition?

I came here at Fitzpatrick Referrals to learn as much as I can, to try and be as good as I can, and to try and do the best by my patients. I am learning from some of the best surgeons in the world and you should always set yourself a goal that is maybe a bit unreachable. My goal is to be as good a surgeon as Noel! (The Supervet) Are you scared of anything?

Yes I am, lots of things. Snakes are one, also I’m not very good with spiders. I once had an exam at university which involved me holding both of those. But as a vet, I suppose I am scared of making the wrong decision.

What is your favourite animal?

Cats. Dogs will be your friend and anyone else’s no matter what, but cats are very selective with who they are friends with.

Do you have any animals yourself?

Yes I do, I have the best cat in the world and his names Bumper.

He got his name after I rescued him from the bumper of a What’s your favourite colour? campervan about six years ago. No-one claimed him from the clinic, so I took him home to live with me. He is a very, very good Red. That’s why I always wear red shoes!

Pets for you!

O

wning a pet can provide hours of fun, interest and companionship. There’s a pet that suits everyone, no matter what your lifestyle, space limitations or desires.

Getting to know a pet can be immensely rewarding for both a child and adult but it’s a long-term responsibility that needs careful consideration.

One in two households in Britain owns a pet. However, many people find they cannot cope and end up giving their animals away for a variety of reasons. So, whether your child begs you for a cat or a cockatoo, make sure you choose your pet for the right reasons, not just on impulse (or on your child’s impulse!)

There are many things that should be considered before getting a pet. Here are some questions to ask when you and your children are choosing a pet:

• Why do you want a pet?

• Does anyone in the household have allergies?

• Can you afford to add a pet to your family?

• Do you have the time for a pet?

• Are you prepared to deal with special problems that a pet can cause?

• Can you have a pet where you live?

• Who will care for your pet when you go on holiday?

• Do you have children or babies?

Giving in to pester power is not a good reason to get a pet. Once you buy your pet the costs don’t stop at daily feeding. Insurance, training, routine and emergency veterinary care, grooming, toys and other overheads for animals like cats and dogs add up quickly and continue for their lifetime.

Dogs Dogs should never be left for long periods of time and require exercise. As pack animals they crave companionship and will enjoy being with their human family whenever possible.

Small animals Hamsters, gerbils, mice, guinea Cats pigs, rabbits and other small Cats are very independent animals make ideal pets for animals and can be left alone all children and are suitable for most day, as long as you give them a lot households. These small animals of love when you get home. are often short lived, which is

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Choosing the right

by Sophie Love, Sophie Love PR, for Orchard Cottage Riding Stables

riding school

Here are some tips on how to find the best place to ride in your area: Word of mouth is an excellent way to find a local riding school with a good reputation. Ask around among anyone you know who rides or has children who ride, as well as enquiring at places like tack shops, feed merchants or veterinary practices. Local family magazines which give details of clubs and events are another excellent source of information, as can be the Yellow Pages or the internet. These will give you a good starting point for making further enquiries.

Riding for all the Family! l Private and group lessons l Indoor and outdoor schools l Hacking across the North Downs l Free mothers creche on weekdays

Arrange a visit to a riding school before booking lessons so you can have a proper look around.

Pay attention to your

Birds Pet birds can be endearing companions and are available in a huge variety of types, from the tiny finch to the giant hyacinth macaw. They are intelligent, sociable and often amusing. Small birds are good pets if you live in a flat. Large parrots can also be fine if you can spend plenty of quality time with them.

Fish Fish can fit into any lifestyle, they are quiet, need no vaccinations, and are beautiful and calming to watch. Your budget for equipment and time for maintenance will influence

Cottage

Riding Stables

There are two organisations that set standards for riding schools; the British Horse Society (BHS) and the Association of British Riding Schools (ABRS). These organisations make annual inspections to ensure that As horse riding involves large, all approved riding schools strong animals with minds of their continue to meet the standards own, safety is vitally important required. Check that the riding when choosing where to learn. stables you are considering have either BHS or ABRS approval or if possible, both.

ideal for children or families that don’t wish to commit to a long term pet.

Orchard

whether you want to keep coldwater fish like goldfish, tropical fish that live in fresh warm water or marine fish that live in salt water.

Fish may not be cuddly but they are excellent stress reducers.

Reptiles Reptiles make fascinating pets but people wrongly imagine they require minimal care. In fact, they need very specialised care, including specific dietary requirements, lighting, heat, humidity and enclosures.

l Birthday Parties Youride r first rice 1 /2 p

l Children’s Holiday Courses

Babylon Lane, Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 6XA (just off junction 8, M25)

first impressions and trust your instincts even if you are not a rider yourself. Look for: • Friendly and helpful staff • Happy and healthy looking horses • A clean and tidy environment • Suitable, well-maintained facilities • Children riding in appropriately safe and comfortable clothes - riding hats are a MUST If possible, ask if you can watch a lesson before making the final decision about whether or not to book one.

This way you will be able to judge whether or not the level of riding ability seems well matched to the content of the lesson, if the ponies seem appropriately well behaved and that everyone is having a good time.

Also, check if there are other activities on offer at your riding school of choice - although this is not vital. Many stables run Pony Days or courses during school holidays and some are even Pony Club centres, offering training for Pony Club tests and competitions.

In addition to riding, children

call

01737 241311

or visit www.ocrs.co.uk We are both B.H.S. & A.B.R.S. approved

can learn how to groom, muck out, monitor pony behaviour, clean tack and much more. If your child wants to develop their riding skills further, this is a great way of increasing their knowledge and having fun at the same time.

“Learning to ride is a fantastic hobby,” says Orchard Cottage Riding Stables owner, Claire Brugger, “but it must be done safely and in a suitable environment with the help of qualified instructors. It’s important to find a riding stable that values the care of both pupils and animals as highly as it does having fun. Once you have found the right place, you and your children will discover that learning to communicate with animals and enjoying their companionship are experiences that change your life for the better.”

Orchard Cottage Riding Stables in Lower Kingswood, Tadworth, caters for all riders from beginners through to established riders, with an excellent range of facilities including indoor and outdoor schools, a cross country course and the beautiful North Downs for hacking.

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Top tips for keeping children healthy • Don’t just read the label. Understand the label. Food packaging is also part of the marketing, so the details you need to know may actually be hidden. Make sure you understand everything about the food you are purchasing • A colourful plate is a good start. Bring as many food types as you can to the table, and the more colour you see, the healthier it is likely to be. Variety is king.

• Physically engage with your children. Spend your time together being active. Change those days on the sofa for a walk, switch the cinema for a day in a park.

• Let your child lead. Be sure you aren’t just playing a sport you want to play. Maybe your child would rather play catch than football so make sure you do that; it will encourage them to maintain an active life, and will keep you involved. Getting outside and active is about your child, not you.

• Have a ‘no technology day’. It’s all too easy to be in front of a television or playing on a screen. Remove technology for just one day, and notice the rewards of getting outside and the impact that can have not only on health, but on family relationships.

Tips from Greg Small, Head of Membership at the Register of Exercise Professionals

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷ Win fab prizes with Ladies Heat Holders mittens & neck warmer Our new neck warmer and mittens both feature our 'Heat Weaver' insulation liner which holds more warm air close to the skin, keeping you warmer for longer. Our specially developed thermal yarn provides high performance insulation against cold with superior moisture breathing abilities.

The neck warmer is a versatile alternative to a scarf - it has a sculptured fit dropping low to contour around the chest, neck and chin to keep out cold drafts for extra warmth and protection.

Both products have an ultra-soft, ultra-effective insulating lining with a beautifully silky, fur-like plush that feels wonderful against the skin and is really effective at keeping you warm.

In a pretty purple and a basic black these 'winter warmers' are £9.99 each and available from various high street retailers as well as through www.heatholders.com We’ve teamed up with Heat Holders to offer 5 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win both a neck warmer and a matching pair of mittens in either purple or black.

For your chance of winning, simply tell us what the specially developed Heat Holders insulation liner is called?

Please state on your entry your colour preference, pretty purple or basic black.

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

Discover

Gymnastics

B

ritish Gymnastics has launched its digital site, Discover Gymnastics www.discovergymnastics.uk The new site is designed to help people explore the different types of gymnastics, discover the one that’s perfect for them and find their local club.

British Gymnastics Chief Executive Officer Jane Allen: “Discover Gymnastics has been created to help all those inspired to take up our sport access the best opportunities to begin participation.

Working with Sport England we have designed the site to ensure that every budding gymnast young or old can find the right type of gymnastics to suit them and, importantly, the top British Gymnastics registered facility nearby to get started.

Gymnastics has a hugely wideranging appeal and this site helps to explain the broad offering of types available. The site matches the user with the gymnastics that will suit them, giving everyone the best opportunity to Discover Gymnastics and all it has to offer.”

performing aerial somersaults, to men’s artistic gymnasts hanging on the rings, or teams of acrobatic performers standing on their partners’ shoulders. Gymnastics is a spectacular sport to watch, and it’s even better taking part!

With so much choice the Discover Gymnastics site can help to match the public to the type of gymnastics they’ll most enjoy.

One type of gymnastics proving particularly popular is Adult Gymnastics, be it with people first trying out the sport or those returning to get the gymnastics buzz. People can get involved in adult gymnastics at any age from eighteen up - even if they’ve never done anything like it before.

Whether looking to take first Many people may not realize it steps in gymnastics or get back but gymnastics isn’t just one sport, into the sport, adult gymnastics it’s a whole range of different types makes it easy. There’s a big social or ‘disciplines’, as they’re often element, which makes the sessions called from trampoline gymnasts a lot of fun.

Keep safe this winter

W

henever the country is in the grip of freezing temperatures, we sadly hear about people losing their lives after falling through the ice and there are always many more near-misses.

Analysis by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) found that the victim had been attempting to rescue another person or a dog in more than half of the incidents in recent years. When a dog was involved, it was common for the pet to scramble out to safety when the owner did not. Other incidents involved children who had been playing on the ice.

We all want to go out with our children and enjoy the wintry weather.

Along with wrapping up well to keep warm and dry, it is important to be aware of the hazards of frozen water and the extremes of winter weather conditions. Although frozen water can look tempting, there is simply no way of knowing whether the ice will hold your weight and it is often too late by the time you find out that it won’t.

There is some excellent advice on the ROSPA website regarding winter safety including sledging. Take a look at www.rospa.com/wintersafety

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Getting physical through play

I

f the weather is terrible and you really can’t face another day at home, or braving the wind and the cold, take your little ones to an indoor play centre to burn off some energy.

The best play centres today are spacious, full of good play equipment so that children can run, jump and climb for hours, and serve decent tea and coffee! Most will have a separate area for smaller children to keep them safe, so you don’t have to worry about them getting accidentally knocked over by boisterous, older children.

Play centres are so much more than a few plastic tunnels and ride-on cars. Children will happily spend a good two or three hours on all the equipment which can sometimes even include go-karts and climbing walls! Parents can often relax a little, have a coffee and perhaps use the Wi-Fi or read the paper. You can then go home for a well-earned rest or have a snack in the café.

Children really do get ‘exercise in disguise’ at a play centre as they are running, jumping, stretching and climbing whilst having fun. It’s a great way for them to exercise in the winter, without even realising they are doing so. Have fun!

www.tandridgetrust.co.uk

Big activities for the little ones at Elmbridge Xcel Leisure Complex

This local leisure complex is conveniently located in Walton-on-Thames and has a host of activities for children, from casual crawlers to regular runners.

NEW classes at Xcel include pre-school ‘FUNdamentals’ for budding gymnasts and Badminton courses for all your high flyers!

Contact reception on 01932 260300 for all the info on these activities, or take a look at www.elmbridgexcelleisurecomplex.co.uk for details on all of the fun activities going on; including a 3 story indoor play centre, weekly ‘Creepy Crawlies’ sessions and swimming lessons, all under the one roof!

ELMBRIDGE XCEL LEISURE COMPLEX Waterside Drive, Walton-on-Thames Elmbridge

01932 260 300

www.elmbridgexcelleisurecomplex.co.uk

Borough Council ... bridging the communities ...

Built and operated by Places for People Leisure Ltd in partnership with Elmbridge Borough Council.

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Prioritise the sport that

saves lives

T

he government has been urged to prioritise the sport that saves lives after new statistics show a third of children cannot swim the required twenty-five metres by the time they leave primary school.

The report released by the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and Kellogg’s shows of those children unable to swim, 39% have never been offered school swimming lessons despite it being a statutory element of the National Curriculum.

This means around two hundred thousand children will leave primary school in

the summer unable to swim with seventy five thousand of them never having the opportunity to learn the lifesaving skill.

With drowning the third most common cause of accidental death of children in England and the number of deaths increasing year on year by 35%, the findings have been

Come and join our friendly, safe, structured swimming lessons and learn a life-saving skill Experienced in teaching babies to adults Qualified instructors with appropriate rescue qualifications - all CRB checked Teaching venues at Greenacre School, Banstead, St John’s School, Leatherhead and The Royal Alexandra & Albert School, Reigate Tel: 01737 211160 Mob: 07827 333510 Email: info@surreyswimschool.co.uk Web: www.surreyswimschool.co.uk

labelled as ‘concerning’ by the Royal Society of the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

The research also revealed the role of parents in helping their children learn to swim and discovered that without school swimming many children would miss out completely on the chance to learn as one in six parents admits they never take their child swimming.

Worryingly, it appears that nearly one in three parents don’t take their children swimming because they either can’t swim themselves or they do not feel confident enough in their swimming ability to help their child in the pool.

If you feel that your child’s school isn’t fulfilling its curriculum obligations regarding swimming then you may want to discuss it with them, but also enrol your child in swimming lessons outside of school. It is the one form of exercise that children should all be able to do. In addition to perhaps saving their life one day, it is a great form of exercise and can provide hours of fun once they can swim confidently.

Learn to swim at your local Better leisure centre come on in, the water’s lovely!

Whether you want to learn to swim, master a new stroke, or beat your personal best, Swim School is here to help. Our Better leisure centres offer a range of group and individual classes for everyone, from three month old babies to adults. We’re committed to making activities and facilities available to all and currently we teach over 50,000 swimmers a week.

Our swim school programmes are designed to be as flexible as possible, with a range of lesson times, memberships, and easy payment methods. Our experienced, qualified swimming teachers follow the Amateur Swimming Association National Teaching Plan for swimming, providing a structured, nationally recognised pathway to swimming proficiency.

We run over 100 leisure centres around the UK, including 50 across London and several in Surrey. Chances are, there’s a Better leisure centre near you!

Also, as part of our commitment to the Olympic Legacy we are proud to be taking over the Aquatic Centre and Copperbox arena.

Not a keen swimmer? As well as pools, we have state-of-the-art gyms, exercise classes, facilities for racquet sports like tennis, squash and badminton, plus opportunities for athletics, basketball and many other sports and activities.

Better is for everyone. We’re a charitable social enterprise here to make community services and spaces available to everyone. For more information and to find your closest leisure centre visit www.better.org.uk

See Better Leisure's main advert on the inside front cover 20 ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 20

08/10/2014 14:48

Little swimmers

M

ost children enjoy the water, especially when they are accompanied by mum or dad. While people can certainly learn to swim at any age, some parents feel that getting their children used to the water at an early age is best, making swimming second nature to them. Swim classes are available even for babies, who typically show no fear of the water. When classes are begun later, some children may be a bit uneasy at first, but with gentle persuasion can usually learn to enjoy swimming. So parents should try to ride out any initial resistance from their children in hopes that after a few tries, children will welcome water play.

Benefits Swimming can provide a gentle, easy bit of activity or fullfledged aerobic training, depending on the effort level and duration of the workouts. For those who are simply looking to stretch and tone muscles, active water play can be the perfect light workout, but when swimmers choose to push themselves to achieve distances, swimming can strengthen the heart and lungs. Often considered largely an individual sport, children can also join competitive swim teams, making swimming a sport that they can enjoy regardless of their opinions about working out alone or as part of a group.

THE SWIMMING ACADEMY We run private and group lessons at: Boxgrove School, Guildford The Lockwood Centre, Guildford King Edwards School, Witley A private pool, Tongham Classes for babies from 6 months, through all ages including adult lessons and Triathlon help For more info please contact Zelda on: 01252 512981/07919 264050 Email : Zelda@TheSwimmingAcademy.com www.TheSwimmingAcademy.com

We are currently holding children's swimming lessons in Croydon, Epsom, Chessington, Worcester Park and Sutton.

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www.littledippers.co.uk • 0844 482 0222 ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 21

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Art is an

by Susannah Sloman, Gymboree Play & Music Surbiton

emotional experience

A closer look at the importance of art for your child’s emotional development One day, Eva, a toddler in my Gymboree Arts class, wanted to paint with only the colour black. She also made several large, brisk strokes with her brush and went through more paper than her peers. After class, her mother told me that Eva was very upset that morning about something. It became evident to both of us that Eva was expressing her anger through her artwork. In fact, it was just what Eva needed to relieve her emotions and get on with her day.

Children, as young as eighteen months, begin to express ‘self-conscious emotions’ that include complex feelings such

as pride, embarrassment and shame. Regardless of age, we all need outlets for the emotions we feel. Many adults read or write to escape. Some exercise, go for a drive or talk with a loved one.

Young children are limited in how they can express their feelings. At the time they begin to show more complex emotions, they do not have the vocabulary to express them. Children primarily showcase feelings through facial expressions, gestures and movement or, as in Eva’s case, through painting.

Art experiences are important for your child’s emotional

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development. Not only is art a vehicle for emotional expression, children also discover how their actions make an impact on their surroundings.

The process of art provides a great channel for you to support your child’s emotional development especially when you experience art together.

Look what I can do Being able to make an impact on your surroundings - and know it - is an important step toward building confidence and independence.

Confidence and independence contribute to a healthy self-esteem later in life and the ability to make better decisions.

Saving your child’s art and posting it up - not just on the refrigerator, but in frames and other important places - will indirectly communicate that you value his art creations.

There is meaning in mess Let your child explore with paint.

It sounds easy enough, but for many parents, it’s hard to let go and allow for mess. The mess factor involved when young children create is

important and can reveal a lot.

Messes can teach parents about children’s emotions and can be used as a bridge for communication.

There are also ‘ready for mess’ art programmes you can enrol in, like the Gymboree Arts programme, that provide a developmentally appropriate place for you and your child to explore art together.

Sharing in art Children aren’t the only ‘players’ in the game of education.

They get more out of art experiences when interacting with others. You can expand on your child’s ideas and introduce new tools when it’s time for more challenges. By engaging in child-parent art programmes, you add an important layer of learning to your child’s education.

Whether it is your child’s need for expression to discover the magnitude her actions make, or to exert independence with the materials she selects, art experiences influence a child’s emotional development in a unique and valuable way. In the words of Elliot Eisner; “Art is, ultimately, not for art’s sake; it is for the sake of all of us.”

Gymboree Surbiton 020 3609 8007 surbiton@gymboree-uk.com Gymboree Walton on Thames 01932 221 371 waltononthames@gymboree-uk.com Gymboree Horsley 07443 568 347 horsley@gymboree-uk.com gymboree-uk.com

Need to tell parents in Surrey about your business?

Talk to us - we can help! 020 8661 5353

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08/10/2014 14:48

Show me the stage!

I t can sometimes be a tricky task choosing after school and weekend activities for our children; whether sport, drama, dance or extra tutoring, the possibilities seem endless!

As the children emerge from school - bleary eyed, hungry and tired, especially those in reception, we need to give them the most exciting and rewarding options possible!

The journey into the dance class is a well travelled path for lots of young people, from the age of about three, and continuing throughout school as a sideline for enjoyment, and for a few, more seriously. But what do we, as dance teaching practitioners aim to offer these children? That is, in addition to the benefits we are aware of - increased health and well being, deportment, discipline, a new social circle, as well as the dance technique we strive for.

Here in this article, I will guide you through an average ‘show process’.

Lights, curtains, cue music, cue dancers.

While preparations for a show begin months in advance for the teacher, the true excitement is often not revealed to the children until the minute they put on their costume and take their first tentative steps onto the stage.

Let us rewind back to the moment that rehearsals start, within their normal lesson time, where it is a joy for both the teacher and student to indulge in some creative choreography, in a change from the syllabus work we normally study.

“Make sure you smile…look where you are going…try not to bump into your friend!” Parents listening outside to the rehearsal must assume it is a comical farce we are trying to stage - no, this is normal for a nursery ballet class!

The next step is trying on endless costumes. Similar to one big dress up session, for lots of children this is the day they have been waiting for! “I thought I would be wearing a tutu Miss Ellen, not a sheep costume…it’s itchy… it’s beautiful” Getting children used to their

costume makes that leap onto stage seem a little bit more manageable.

The day that most teachers cannot wait for is the dress rehearsal!

The children pile into the theatre with their costumes hung up, ballet shoes dyed in coordinating colours and a packed lunch with enough food to stay at the theatre for the duration of the term! Like a family of ants, the mum helpers get to work changing the children, controlling excitement, keeping an eye on packed lunch consumption and with colouring books, DVDs and various technology, the backstage area descends into a quiet hush! The rehearsal goes by for the children with wide eyes, slight disorientation and a few butterflies - they have little understanding of the excitement they will feel when their family and friends watch during the actual performance. The rehearsal goes by for the mum helpers in a blur of “Sssshhhhh…Who’s next…

Where’s my clipboard…Can I do a head count?” whilst we, the teachers get through in a blur of “Spread out….Smile…Cue music….CUE MUSIC…” before having sleepless nights until the day of the show rolls around.

by Ellen Fogarty, Woldingham Dance

excitement dies down, children fall asleep in their bed, full of memories of their time on the stage, parents are proud and sometimes surprised by the high standard of performance, the mum helpers are exhausted and the teacher catatonic!

But…invariably two years later we will all be back again; bigger, and better infectious. The butterflies flap around than before, creating life tummies a little more and it is our changing job to keep them tethered down in order that the children give their best experiences and magical performance whilst still memories having fun. for the children Smiles and eyes on stage cannot and young be any wider whilst the pride of people we family and friends is tangible, the so enjoy applause seems to go on for hours; working the children, the audience, and the with. teacher are speechless! After the

Amazingly, something somehow arrives in the theatre that day and sprinkles a special kind of magic dust over everybody! Routines have been rehearsed, and we don’t just mean dance routines, these also include where to go, how to get into costumes, quick changes, music and lighting cues. When the auditorium fills up the buzz of excitement is

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by Anna McNamara MA Ed FRSA, Principal, Guildford Theatre School

Embodying T

academic achievement

he academic benefits of the performing arts have long been heralded, particularly the link between music and the brain’s executive functions; that is our mental processes that help to connect past experience with present action.

Any parent will be keen to optimise their child’s academic potential at any age, and here are the key ways in which the arts can promote specific development within cross-curricula links.

Music Music and singing are famously academically beneficial in many ways. Music utilises the same aspect of cognitive function as maths, hence the long acknowledged link between the two subject areas. Furthermore, the language of music is Italian.

Students are known to learn through a mix of visual, audio and kinaesthetic learning. The experiential learner, who has physically accessed the feeling of a crescendo is statistically more likely to truly understand, and importantly retain, the words meaning.

Dance Dance is a key part of the sports curriculum nowadays

and physical awareness, control and strength are measured alongside fitness and stamina.

Additionally, the language of dance is French. As with music, above, if a child has physically experienced the feeling of a verb (to throw, to beat, to bend, to sink) they will have a deeper command of the vocabulary and it’s manipulation in other contexts.

means that, as previously stated, a range of preferred learning styles are catered for. The cognitive benefits of this are many. Students are more likely to retain information, engage with concepts and develop critical thinking skills.

This last point is increasingly attractive to those older students applying for top-flight university courses.

Drama The roots and origins of drama lie in Ancient Greece, and any Classics scholar will need a sound appreciation of this societal context and culture. Additionally, an embodied awareness of the development of language through literature, from Shakespeare to Sheridan, Wilde to Coward, Pinter to Churchill, is essential to any English Literature or Language student.

Also attractive on university applications is evidence of committed engagement with extra curricula activities. Most performing arts examination boards offer UCAS points for advanced examinations. The all-important Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme will recognise the performing arts as both a ‘skill’ and a ‘physical’ activity.

The natural methodology of teaching performing arts subjects

Educationalists continue to research

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and report on the relevance, importance and influence of the performing arts on our young students. Schools are increasingly inclusive of the arts within their curriculum design and extracurricula activity provision. However, it is the joined up thinking, connecting school, to home, to pupil, that will make the biggest difference to our children’s development.

Once learning is embodied, experienced and enjoyed, then it will be retained and developed in a truly effective and critically engaging manner that will wholly benefit the rounded academic development of the child.

National Adoption Week

I

f you have ever thought about adoption, take the opportunity to find out more during National Adoption Week from 3rd-9th November. Across the UK more than 6,000 children are waiting to find an adoptive family. Take a look at www.nationaladoptionweek.org to find out more and whether this could be the right step for you.

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12/10/2014 16:16

Combating

L

childhood inactivity

aunched in December, the Children’s Activity Professionals Register (Capre) has been designed to combat childhood inactivity by making physical activity more accessible and more exciting to young children.

The Register, owned and operated by SkillsActive, publicly recognises the qualifications of professionals working in children’s physical activity roles, ensuring that they have the expertise to inspire and instil the future generations with enthusiasm for an active lifestyle.

Capre will provide verification that those working in the industry are always up-to-date with the qualifications to perform their role, with access to high quality ongoing training and Continuing Professional Development (CPD) tools. It receives support from Compass, and other key organisations in the industry, including Fit for Sport, Premier Sport, Let Me Play, Fulham FC Foundation, Super Camps and Sports Plus Scheme.

Recognising the importance of children’s physical education, the government has extended the annual £150m funding, for the provision of sport and PE in primary schools, for academic years 2015/16. With schools being supported by government to ensure physical activity is delivered, the launch of Capre means primary schools can now make informed choices regarding who delivers physical activity to their children.

Flipside Dance, Cobham

Dance different styles in one class from Break to Jazz!

Dance parties & Frozen workshops also available, via Synergy® & Guildford Spectrum 01483 443322, spectrum.parties@freedom-leisure.co.uk

Experience Synergy Dance® in your school or leisure club.

CALL 07713 254260 or email:info@synergydance.co.uk http://synergydance.co.uk

Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/ ABCMagazines FSD also offers Private Lessons Competitions & Annual Shows Summer Schools.

Having taught dance in schools where exams and formal qualifications were paramount, Deborah Rich, principal of Flipside Dance, set out to develop the ethos that training could be based on a love for dance and desire for performance.

She now runs classes for all ages, shape, size, gender, physical ability or disability, or experience. With her team of qualified professional teachers, Miss Debs, as she’s known, provides engaging and fun classes in a wide range of styles, from street to ballet, jazz to acro, and beyond. Flipside Dance is a great environment for boys and girls to increase self-confidence, selfesteem and social skills.

Classes are grouped into ‘levels’ based on ability rather than age, allowing students to progress based on personal development and effort. Students never feel left behind or out of their depth.

Whilst offered the opportunity to excel in all areas of dance and exercise, students are also taught the importance of being part of a team and encouraged in taking responsibility for their school. Flipside Dance believes that performing in front of live audiences builds the students’ confidence and offers them the chance to express themselves. They regularly perform at local events and enter competitions. The academic year always ends with an original and entertaining show involving the entire school, held at a local theatre.

Perform your way to success We offer all students the chance to shine on stage.

From 2 ½ - 18 years plus adults.

Girls, Boys and Mixed classes.

All level of experience catered for.

FREE Trial Lesson.

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Classes take place at Cobham Village Hall (KT11 2LU). info@flipsidedance.co.uk 07759502508. facebook.com/ flipsidedance twitter.com/ flipsidedance

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ABC wi 14 v14.indd 25

www.flipsidedance.co.uk

ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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07/11/2013 19:58

08/10/2014 14:49

Unlocking the

M

musical potential

usic is important for all children’s development, but for those with learning difficulties it can be a lifeline: enabling them to express their feelings, communicate with others and understand something of the world around them. This ethos underpins Sounds of Intent - a framework setting out for the first time how musicality develops in children with learning difficulties and providing coherent guidance and resources for teachers, parents and therapists. Sounds of Intent looks set to transform the face of music education in the special education sector forever.

The Sounds of Intent project is the product of a decade of research led by Professor Adam Ockelford from The University of Roehampton, working alongside colleagues from the Institute of Education and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). As one of the world’s leading academics and teachers in the field of music and special needs, his pioneering work has overturned current theories of musical understanding,

particularly amongst children with learning difficulties and autism.

Until recently no-one knew how children with learning difficulties developed musically, so there was little professional guidance or educational materials available for those working in music settings with children with autism, or those with profound or multiple learning difficulties. An initial ten year research project established in 2001, Sounds of Intent aimed to address this issue by consulting with more than 100 teachers and therapists from all over the UK. Sounds Phillipa HoganBalleT School Phillipa Hogan SchoolofofDance Dance BalleT of Intent marks the result of Phillipa Hogan Tap&&Modern Modern danCe Tap danCe this research: a developmental Classes School of Dance framework and assessment Classes For Girls & Boys From aGe 2½ years To adulT & BalleT BALLET, TAP MODERN Held weekdays and weekends tool steeped in practice and atand weekends Held weekdays FOR GIRLS & BOYS FROM 2½ St Hilary’s School, Godalming at grounded in the reality of TOHascombe ADULT BALLET Village Hall St Hilary’s School, Godalming day-to-day school life, which St Mary’s School, Chiddingfold Held weekdays and weekends Hascombe Village Hall St Mary’s School, Chiddingfold allows users to work out at 683990 Tel: 01428 For Girls St & Boys aGe 2½ years children’s level of musical Hilary'sFrom School, Tel: 01428 683990 ToGodalming adulT BalleT development, record and Hascombe Village Hall monitor their progress and St Mary's School, Held weekdays and weekends download musical activities Chiddingfold at For more information, please call: for people of all ages and abilities. Access to information The Principal: Godalming St Hilary’s School, Phillipa Hogan RAD RTS is supported by an impressive Hascombe Village Hall website providing a portal to a 01428 683990 www.phillipahoganschoolofdance.co.uk whole range of resources - all St Mary’s School, Chiddingfold email: phillipahogan@onetel.net of which are freely available toHogan usersrad to facilitate uptake by or more information, please contact: The Principal: Phillipa rTs cash-strapped schools and also Tel: 01428 683990 for parents, who, living with r website: www.phillipahoganschoolofdance.co.uk or email: a phillipahogan@onetel.net disabled child, frequently experience financial hardship.

BalleT School of Dance ap & Modern danCe Classes

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For Girls & Boys From aGe 2½ years To adulT BalleT

For more information, please contact: The Principal: Phillipa Hogan rad rTs

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Visit our website: www.phillipahoganschoolofdance.co.uk or email: phillipahogan@onetel.net

date almost 350 practitioners from special needs schools around the country are using Sounds of Intent to plan music curricula for their pupils. The objective is to roll-out the programme so that 80% of the 500 special schools in the UK providing education for children with profound and multiple learning difficulties are using the Sounds of Intent framework by 2015.

Head of Music, Victoria Hubbard at St Luke’s Primary School in Scunthorpe believes that Sounds of Intent has had a significant impact on the way they plan, teach and assess their pupil’s musical development: “We have seen pupils begin to vocalise where they have made little sound before. We have seen pupils begin to react and show preferences to sound where only reflex responses had previously occurred. Thinking more clearly about the path of musical development has enabled the staff to identify pupils who are musically gifted where previously these talents may have gone unnoticed.

Several pupils with ASD have been encouraged to take up an instrument as a result.”

As a teacher it has enabled me to measure small progressive steps, monitor pupils’ achievements, manage musical intervention, and show progress where our previous systems failed. Parents too have found it interesting to see how much progress their child has achieved musically in short periods of time where progress in other areas has been minimal.”

This view is endorsed by Ofsted which cites Sounds of Intent as: “A good example of a framework that provides clear landmarks of musical understanding for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties, from which curriculum can be structured in order to assess student’s progress.”

As Adam Ockelford concludes: “Sounds of Intent does much more than provide information about how the musicality of children with learning difficulties develops.

Not only does it enable teachers, music specialists, therapists and parents to engage with music as an activity in its own right, it better equips them to use music as a scaffold to structure other learning and development.”

More information is available at www.soundsofintent.org

This open access policy is already reaping rewards. To 26 ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 26

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Monkey makes music wherever he goes!

Monkey Music introduces music to your child in a way that they can easily understand and enjoy with specialist teachers gently encouraging social and musical skills within a fun, stimulating and friendly environment. Monkey Music has 21 years’ experience of providing award-winning music classes for babies and young children, nurturing their natural love of music so that it will last a lifetime.

Monkey Music is the unique and magical power of music!

At the heart of Monkey Music is a progressive and innovative 4- stage curriculum, captivating both children and adults with a winning combination of traditional and original songs, gentle dance and movement, colourful and imaginative props and a wide variety of specialist percussion instruments.

Monkey Music classes are themed and tailored specifically to individual age groups and are led by specially trained, talented teachers who are carefully chosen for their natural ability to capture the imagination and communicate with young children. All of Monkey Music’s teachers are dedicated to gently encouraging and nurturing a child’s natural social and musical skills, whilst ensuring every child benefits from the positive effect of music.

All children are born with an instinctive musicality and many research studies now show how early exposure to melody, singing and playing music is invaluable to early development. Monkey Music encourages children to fulfill their natural musical potential and expand their own development and learning. It encourages fine motor skills to be refined, whilst language and numerical skills flourish through action songs and rhymes. Awareness of space and of one another is developed through gentle dance and movement, and there are also loads of opportunities for children to experiment with instruments and to make music of their own.

But it doesn’t all happen in class! Monkey Music classes will give you lots of ideas of how to sing and make music together at home.Your own confidence will grow and your child will benefit from seeing and hearing how you respond to the positive effect of music.

Book your free trial session today!

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08/10/2014 14:50

ree Early Education F for Two year olds (FEET) Your two year old could qualify for up to 15 hours of free childcare each week.

Did you know that your two year

old could up to 15 eligible hours to apply for FEET? As a parent, you want the best start in lifequalify for forAre you of free childcare a week, if you have your child and good quality early education can a family income of less than about help your child: If your child is two or going to be two in the next school £16,000 per year? term and any of the following apply to you, you’re likely to For more details search for • Learn qualifyonline for FEET. • Play together with friends FEET Surrey • Experience new activities If you get one of the following benefits: Call 0300 200 1004 • Get ready for school Go to www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet • Job Seekers Allowance Or visit yourt,local children’s centre Your child isn’t the only one who will benefi • Income support this offer of Free Early Education for Two year • Employment and Support Allowance olds (FEET) can also: OR • Give you more time for yourself • Help you take up a college • You have a household income of course less than about £16,000 per year www.surreycc.gov.uk • Help you go back to work Making Surrey a better place • Give you ideas of how to help To find out more: your child play and learn Go online and search for FEET Surrey or call 0300 You can choose to take up to 15 hours of FEET 200 1004.You can also speak to someone at your local a week with a local: Sure Start children’s centre or a childcare provider.

To check to see if a childcare provider is registered to • Nursery offer FEET go to the Surrey Family Information Service • Pre-school Childcare Finder at: • Childminder www.surreycc.gov.uk/childcarefinder

The benefits of being an

older mother Croydon & Woking

Cranial, Structural & Paediatric Osteopath Adults can be treated whilst sitting (particularly in pregnancy), babies while awake, feeding or sleeping.

Young children can play/read during treatment.

Westfield, Woking 01483 764582

Addiscombe, Croydon or 020 8656 9573

www.abc-osteopath.co.uk admin@abc-osteopath.co.uk

Suzanne Hoddinott BSc (Hons) Ost Med, DO, DPO, ND

A

study by scientists at Birkbeck, University of London and University College London, has shown that the children of older mothers have better physical and emotional health than those with younger mothers.

Statistics released by the Office for National Statistics in July .

2014 showed that the average age of mothers was the highest ever in 2013, at thirty years.

The study found: • The risk of children having unintentional injuries requiring medical attention or being admitted to hospital both declined with increasing maternal age.

• The number of infants who had received all the standard immunisations by three years of age increased with maternal age up to twenty-seven years.

• Language development at ages

three and four years was better for children with older mothers.

• Increasing maternal age was associated with fewer socioemotional problems. Children of teenage mothers had more difficulties than children of mothers aged forty.

• Parent/child conflict decreased as maternal age increased.

• Positive and responsive parenting generally increased with maternal age up to about age forty after which it plateaued.

• The least home chaos and the most stimulating home environments were identified for mothers in their early thirties.

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e Early Education e r F for Two year olds (FEET) Did you know that your two year old could qualify for up to 15 hours of free childcare a week, if you have a family income of less than about £16,000 per year?

For more details search online for

FEET Surrey Call 0300 200 1004 Go to www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet Or visit your local children’s centre

www.surreycc.gov.uk Making Surrey a better place ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 29

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Established since 1990 Privately owned

Big enough to set the standard

Small enough to care

• Stimulating and loving environment made friendly, homely and welcoming by caring and enthusiastic staff • Small private 30 place nursery • Caring for children aged 12 months to 5 years • Open 8.00am to 6.00pm • Children have fun and learn through play • Catering for childrens‛ individual needs • Spacious garden with safety outdoor surface and designated soft gym

For further information please visit our website at www.hopscotchdaynursery.co.uk or contact Marie on 020 8770 0761 16 Avenue Road, Belmont Surrey SM2 6JB

Helping your toddler to learn

T

hose few years between being a baby and going to school are very important for your little one. They are learning so much every day and it is amazing to watch. Young children are discovering the world around them and learning how they fit into it.

Whether they are at home full-time or in nursery, there are so many opportunities for them to learn.

This time is vital in terms of speech and language development. You will see how their ‘baby talk’ is now turning into real words and they are going from single words to putting words together.

If your child is at nursery, much of the day and the layout of the nursery will be geared at giving your child many learning opportunities, without them even realising it. Children will have fun while they are learning.

They could be playing at shops, listening to a story, ‘writing’ in

the sand, sorting shapes - these are all the first blocks of maths and reading. The nursery will be working in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage which sets standards for the learning, development and care of children from birth to five years old.

There are also many ways you can help your child to learn at home.

Of course, you don’t want to be sitting down with your three year old and (continued on page 32)

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We provide a safe and secure home from home environment that stimulates children’s love of learning and development. We welcome babies from 3 months up to 5 years of age.

We invite you to come and take a tour of our nursery and preschool and find out about the excellent childcare that we can provide your child.

Meet our friendly and highly qualified team of staff to learn more about the childcare that we can offer your child. Discover how our Growing Enhancements also supports our preschoolers learning and a smooth transition to school.

Observe the safe and secure environment we provide for all our children that stimulates and fosters children’s love of learning. We offer high quality childcare, alongside delivering our Growing Enhancements that supports your child’s development and prepares them for school.

Contact us today to book your visit!

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08/10/2014 14:50

Babysitting solutions

M

ost parents will have used up all their babysitting favours by early December so it makes sense to use a babysitting agency at this time of year.

There are many advantages to using an agency; the main one being that you know your children will be cared for by someone whose references have been checked and has experience of working with children. Many of the sitters that agencies use work in the childcare sector as nannies, nursery workers, or as childminders, for example.

Once you know the date you need a sitter, it is best to book a babysitter as soon as you can, particularly in December. However, agencies will do their best to meet your requirements, even if you call them the day before.

When you ask a friend or family member to babysit for you, you tend to feel as if you need to return the favour, but by using an agency there are no such issues - you can use them as often as you wish.



If you are using a babysitter for the first time, it is worthwhile asking them to arrive a little before you actually need to go out. This gives you time to finish getting ready is some peace, but also allows your children to meet with the babysitter whilst you are still at home. Once you have used an agency a few times, you may find your children have a ‘favourite’ and the agency will try to match them with you when they can.

Don’t forget agencies aren’t only for babysitting at night.

Many will be able to help you out during the day as well.

You may need to watch your oldest child in a play and don’t want to take your baby, or perhaps your regular child minder is poorly - you can book a sitter and then go out in the knowledge that your children will be well cared for.

Give your child the perfect start in our co-educational nursery • Caring, friendly, family environment • Dedicated nursery space, with secure access • Flexible hours from half day to full week • Set in 45 acres of gardens and playing fields • Varied programme of learning and play • After-school club open until 5pm The Manor, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham KT11 3PX

01932 862749 • office@parkside-school.co.uk

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(continued from page 30)

Children's Day Nurseries and Pre-Schools

See our website for Open Day details

www.positivestepsnurseries.co.uk

Hanover House, Cross Lanes,Guildford, GU1 1UG

01483 569112

Excellent quality Children's Day Nurseries combining traditional loving care with a stimulating educational programme to provide a well balanced environment for your child.

West Hall Estate, Parvis Road,West Byfleet, KT14 6EY

01932 347061

Play B C Preschool Wallington - Now Open!

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Contact us to book a visit: 020 8088 4808 info@playbc.co.uk www.playbc.co.uk

Ward Room, St Elphege’s Church, Stafford Road, SM6 9AY

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Come and visit our fabulous nurseries in Dorking Active Learning House, Moores Road, RH4 2BG Kingston Victoria Hall, Victoria Road, KT1 3DW

teaching them how to write their letters perfectly or teaching them the basics of addition and subtraction, but there are many ways that learning can be incorporated into everyday situations and play. This not only makes it fun for your child, but will also help to satiate a toddler’s natural curiosity.

Children learn language all day, every day, through their normal daily routines and their interactions with others. They also learn and use language within their play, which means that it is a good idea to take a look at the toys you have out for your child to play with.

We increasingly hear of preschoolers playing on tablets and, of course, modern technology certainly does have its place for educational purposes and sometimes for keeping your child occupied. However, more basic toys allow for open-ended play opportunities and many more language opportunities. It is an old example, but children get so much fun from a big box; it can be made into so many different things that uses their imagination and creativity.

If your child attends a nursery, they should be able to give you a plan of what they hope to cover over the next few weeks.

You only need to know the general theme and you can tie this in with what you are doing at home. For instance, if your nursery has a ‘seaside’ theme for the week, you could go to the seaside and collect some seaweed and shells. You can count the shells, write your child’s name in shells, and make a collage with the seaweed. Your nursery may have a colour of the week, and you can collect items from home of that colour, or find a book that mentions that colour.

This all helps to re-enforce what your child is learning at nursery.

other times of the day you and your child can share books, such as over breakfast, during bath time, or after pre-school. Your local library is a wonderful place to go. It’s free, always warm and dry, and full of books! As well as looking at and choosing books, many libraries have comfortable seats where you can cuddle up with your little one and read a book. If your house is noisy with other children in the evening, this is a perfect place to spend some precious time with your child.

When you are reading with your child, remember that the words aren’t the main attraction for pre-schoolers. Pick out books with vibrant colours and beautiful pictures, and talk about the illustrations with your child. Ask your child to point to things in the pictures and repeat the words after you, and make a game out of it. This prepares your child for the early reading stage, when she will use pictures for clues about what each page says.

Pre-schoolers are just beginning to learn the basics: that print runs left to right and top to bottom, for example, and that books have a cover and a back. Point to words as you read them and talk about a book as you read it. Even before your child can read, you can start building comprehension skills.

Ask your child questions as you read such as, “What do you think this book is about?” and “What’s he doing in this picture?”

Finally, don’t forget words are everywhere so read words aloud that you see on road signs, in supermarkets and in your daily routine. This shows your child that reading is an important part of everyday life, and they will also begin to recognise very common letters and words.

The most important thing at this age is to make learning fun. At nursery and in reception class, Reading is something that you learning will almost exclusively can certainly do with your child, be through play, so keep this from a very young age. Reading going at home and your child time should be special for you will grow up with a thirst to and your child. Bedtime stories learn and understand the world are traditional, but think about around them. BAC 32 ABC Magazine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 32

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Welcoming an au-pair A

by Mary Gosling, Surrey Au-pair Agency

fter deciding on, and inviting their chosen au-pair over, parents often ask me about ways to make her feel welcome and comfortable with her surroundings, and ways she can find her feet easily, given that both the family and country are new to them.

First, here is some practical support customs, future aspirations and you can offer your au-pair: plans. You can help them socialise, by enrolling them on an EFL House rules course, introducing them to other Au-pairs are new to the household, au-pairs in your area, helping them they don’t know how your family get a card from your local library, life works. A list of the house rules for example. will help them know what is and what is not acceptable, from Finally, let us consider what to the outset. look out for in an au-pair agency, regarding the aspect of Weekly schedule welcoming the au-pair and after Printed out, this is an incredibly placement assistance. helpful tool for your au-pair to refer to until she remembers the A good au-pair agency will have an family’s routine. after placement care plan in action.

This usually means that contact, Local information care and assistance does not stop Maps, brochures, leaflets etc.of the after they have placed an au-pair in area, attractions worth visiting, your family and you have paid the nearest college offering ESOL, EFL agency’s fees. courses, are all nice touches that your au-pair can refer to instantly Reputable agencies will help your if she wants to go out on au-pair find a suitable EFL course, the weekends. will put them in contact with other au-pairs from the area and will be Emergency support available to both you and the auProvide a spare sets of keys to the pair by email and phone, should house and car. Supply a list of you need them (an emergency line emergency and important numbers should operate at all times!). and names of these who can be called if needed; family doctor or Some agencies, might send out school, for example. an ‘Au-pair welcome pack’ which usually includes items from the You can also give emotional practical list above, other agencies support to your au-pair. There are might call the au-pair to say some key aspects to this: “hello” and welcome them to the UK, but in general, good agencies Make them feel included in days will make sure that both you out, family meals, holidays; in and your au-pair are aware that family life, basically. Be interested assistance is available for the in, and talk about their story, length of the placement, when family background, country and if required.

Surrey Au-pair Agency

We are your friendly, neighbourhood agency, small enough to care, big enough to matter!

Are you in need of some extra help with the children and household?

Are you looking for an affordable solution?

Would you care for a quick, safe and hassle free service?

Contact Mary at Surrey Au-pair Agency on 01706 562892 or visit www.surreyaupairagency.co.uk

Rising costs of a new school term

N

ew research from Santander reveals the rising cost of preparing children for the new school term has risen significantly since last year.

• The cost of preparing children for the new school term currently averages £240 per child.

• This has risen 7% since last year when the average cost was £224.

• The average parent that drives their children to school spends £220 on fuel each year and clocks up an additional 1,285 miles.

• On a per child basis, school uniform (£39), school shoes (£29) and jackets and coats (£28) are the biggest outlays for parents.

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Steps to

I

working again

t can be difficult to return to work after a career break to have children, even if you know what you want to do. Technology has moved quickly, your skills and qualifications may need updating, and you may feel out of touch with the work environment.

If you are going back to the same company it is worthwhile keeping in touch with them whilst you are on maternity leave. Many larger companies have formal ways of keeping in contact with staff, but if not, the occasional phone call or catch up with colleagues can help you when you go back to work.

The bare facts

According to a survey by Crucial.com a fifth of those who work from home stay in their night clothes all day, and, furthermore, 2% work naked!

Many women choose not to work until their children are at school, so may be out of the workplace for five years or more. If this is the case, many things may have changed or you may choose an entirely new career. It is likely your skills may need updating or you may need an entire new set of skills if you are changing career.

The first thing to do is some research into the qualifications or expertise you need. Many local colleges run daytime and evening classes to bring you up to date in many areas such as computing, business and accounts, health and beauty and so on. If you are choosing a new career path, you may find there are specific GCSEs

you need that you don’t have. Many colleges run year-long GCSE courses that will enable you to get the qualifications you need more quickly.

Going to college is obviously a time and financial commitment, at a time when you may be short of both. Courses are normally run at various times to suit parents and those with jobs already, so you should be able to find one to fit in with your schedule. There will also be homework that you need to do and many parents can find this difficult to fit in with family commitments. Often, you may need to work late at night

after children are in bed, but it is worth it to be able to do the kind of work that you want to, rather than settling for something else.

If you are turning a hobby into a money-making enterprise there are some skills you will need, or you can pay someone else to do them for you. You may decide to make party cakes, be a children’s entertainer or set up your own drama classes. You will still need

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some basic accounting and marketing skills so it is worthwhile looking for courses for small business owners at your local college.

The four types of working parent On 30th June, new government legislation was passed giving full-time workers the right to request flexible working. Citrix, Volunteer work is a good way to who specialise in making software ease yourself back into the work to enable workers to work more environment and it also shows flexibly, conducted research and future employers that you have found that working parents with done something more than looking one child were more likely to after your children (although we support flexible working than nonknow this is often a full-time job!) parents, and parents with two or Many parents choose to work in more children were twice as likely schools or something to do with to support the legislation as those children after having their own, with none. so it is useful to be able to show an employer that you have made Citrix has categorised working an effort to work in the right parents into four types and has tips environment. Your child’s school or for each type to help them become nursery will be very happy to have more flexible and balance working your help once a week. You may be and family life. able to listen to children reading, play with children at nursery or The desk-chained help out on a school trip. This also How you act: If when the children gives you the opportunity to find are on holiday, your schedule hasn’t out whether you do want to actually changed one bit (maybe there’s a work with children. grandparent or partner on hand to keep an eye on the children) You can also volunteer for the pre- but you are possibly more likely to school committee, be on the school head straight for the exit as soon as PTA or become a school governor. the clock strikes five, in order These all show a certain type of skill to enjoy the long evenings with depending on the role; including your family. administration, organisation and time management. They also prove Tip: Take advantage of the new to an employer that you are the type flexible working legislation to of person to get involved, and it create a work schedule that allows gives you something to talk about at you to spend more time with your an interview. family, at the hours that suit them.

Alternatively, investigate remote Returning to work is certainly not working to bring the office to easy, particularly if you want to do your home. something entirely new. It can be appealing to take the easier option The boomerang and go back to something you How you act: Where your coknow, but you may be working workers hear clocks chime, you for many years so it is worthwhile hear school bells ring, and are taking some time to get the most likely found dashing across qualifications and experience you town conducting a conference call need to do the job that you on your mobile before switching really want to.

straight into ‘parent mode’ as soon as you arrive at the school gates.

But the next morning at 9am?

You’re right back into ‘work mode’.

Tip: Encourage your children to take up a personal project - from writing a letter to their grandparents to a ‘science investigation’ in the back Tip: Put out some feelers among garden - to do alongside fellow flexible parents of your your own work. Then while children’s school friends to see if they are rewarded for their you can find an opportunity for a productivity with some time play date. Consequently, you won’t doing whatever they want, you need to miss that late meeting and can take calls uninterrupted. your children can have some added Younger children? Create a fun with friends, plus by returning schedule around their waking the favour down the line you will hours to let your colleagues help out a friend into the bargain. know when you will be available to talk, scream-free.

The juggler How you act: You have embraced The fully flexible remote and flexible working to its How you act: You’ve the fullest extent to juggle the demands holy grail of flexible working of the double life of work and practices and have got the children, from hosting a conference work-life balance down to a call in the gap between dinner and fine art. Congratulations! bath-time to proofing a budget while reading a bedtime story.

Tip: Share your wisdom!

Moms Making Six Figures At Moms Making Six Figures we give women the ability to work from home making a substantial income but allowing them to prioritise their family.

Moms Making Six Figures is a group of women from different careers, different backgrounds and different communities that have come together and created a marketing organisation.

We work hard but we do it around our families. If you would like to learn more please request information on our website.

We would love to talk to you, learn about you and tell you about our organisation.

Visit momsmakingsixfigures.com or call us on 07932 553122.

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Ten top things to check this

D

winter

by Norman Woodfin, APS Home Improvements

oes your home need some TLC? As winter approaches, you want to avoid draughty bedrooms, leaking roofs, overflowing guttering and a range of other problems that can make your life difficult.

The top tip for this visual inspection is to start at the top of your house and work down.

You can do this from the ground - no need to clamber up ladders or wobble precariously on your garden shed: Ridge tiles - these are the tiles that go across the top of your roof.

Check that they are all there, and that there are no visible signs of damage, cracks or loose tiles.

Roof tiles - again, look for missing tiles, tiles that have slipped from

their original position, or areas where the tiles look damaged.

Moss on the roof moss and algae grow where it is damp, so a lot of moss or discolouring on your roof could mean that there is more moisture than there should be.

Chimney pointing - is there missing masonry between brick joints? Is the flashing damaged where the chimney meets the roof?

Flat roofing - keep an eye out for roofing material that is lifting, boards that are loose or any other signs of damage.

Guttering - overflowing guttering can mean water coming down your walls or overflowing onto the ground, causing potential damage to the fabric of your

building. Check that joints are tight and that there is no evidence of water coming down the walls. Again, mossy or algae growth is a good indication of dampness.

Drainage - do all your drainpipes drain away properly? Are your main drains clear of leaves, moss and other materials?

Damp Proof Course - if you have a damp proof course in your home, check around the outside of the house; again looking for moss, algae or discolouration that might indicate damp.

Windows - make sure that windows are fitted securely in the frames and that

A.P.S. A.P.S. Home Improvements Home Improvements

they shut and lock properly. Check for draughts, and take note if you get condensation on the inside of the window panes.

Doors - all doors can warp in winter weather, and wooden doors are particularly likely to stick.

Again, check for draughts and security and make sure door frames are secure.

If you see any signs that might indicate a problem, give APS Home Improvements a call. Our free call out service means we can take a look at what you’ve found and let you know whether you need to take any action. It’s a quick, easy and reliable way to make sure your home is ready for winter.

s r oors

a s n a s w n d w d o o d d d d o o n n ii

The easiest way to do this is to run through a quick visual checklist of your property. It takes no time at all once you know what you are looking for, and could be the best way to spot a problem before it becomes a winter nightmare.

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08/10/2014 14:51

Creating a room for your child

F

ew tasks can be as rewarding, and as daunting, as creating a room for your child. Whether you are decorating and furnishing your firstborn’s room or are making a haven for a young teen; you want to make it as wonderful as you can for them. Whatever the age of the child, you want it to be safe, fun and functional.

Every child is unique and you want their room to reflect their personality. Even pre-schoolers can have an input as to what they like or don’t like, so share your ideas with your children, and discuss it with them.

However, given the time and costs involved in decorating it’s important that you don’t go for a theme that they will grow out of quickly such as their favourite super hero or princess.

Unless you want to re-decorate every year it is best to choose a more classical theme or colour that can evolve as your child grows, rather than their current favourite television programme.

When decorating a child’s room, particularly a baby’s, safety has to be your top consideration when shopping for any part of it. Try to think beyond what your child can do now; a six month old baby quickly becomes a toddler who can reach and climb far higher than before, so it is best to plan ahead. Beyond the important safety considerations, you have a wealth of delightful choices in furnishing and decorating.

The first thing to do is think about what the room will be used for. What are the basic

items your child needs in the room; for example a changing table, a desk, a cot, bookshelves and black out blinds. You can then choose a theme or colour if you wish, and start looking for furniture, fabrics, and accessories to match and co-ordinate.

Storage is very important in any child’s room, regardless of age. When you have a baby you will need it for all the baby paraphernalia, then toys and books, and as your child gets older they will need more room to study and for clothes!

Choose storage that can grow with your child, or that you can add on to. Many of the cutest looking items that you buy for babies and toddlers often can’t be used after the first couple of years. Choose what it is worth spending a little bit more money on and that will last a few more years, and where you can go for the cheaper option.

Every age group has its own needs and most children go through fairly predictable stages. If you choose the right theme or colour, you can adapt the room as they get older, rather than completely changing it. Your child can still have a room they love, and that expresses them, but if you decorate with some thought to the future as well, you will save time and money!

Sophie Sewswww.sophiesews.com

* curtains * blinds * cushions * fabrics * design * contact Sophie on 07738 514489 / 01483 598056 sophie@sophiesews.com www.facebook.com/sophie-sews

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2Much2Do caters for those of us who have hundreds of things on our mind. It will help us to remember important events, save time, money and get great gift ideas for our friends and family.

2Much2Do gives discounts on gifts and experience days, so you not only never forget an important event again, but get great solutions at a price you want to pay.

It’s as easy as ABC to save time and money. As an extra bonus 2Much2Do is free of charge to ABC readers!

Visit www.2much2do.co.uk, click on 'Join Us' and enter promotional code 'ABC' for your free registration.

Laura Ashley tartan cranberry check cotton mix throw retails at £50 and is available from www.2much2do.co.uk We’ve teamed up with 2Much2Do to offer 2 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a Laura Ashley tartan cranberry check cotton mix throw. For your chance of winning, simply tell us the free registration promotional code for ABC readers.

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

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What your books say about

B

by Sarah Beeny, Tepilo

your home

ooks are an unsung hero of home décor. They not only act as fantastic insulation and are brilliant at absorbing sound, so can totally transform many of the big open spaces we now crave, but they also say a massive amount about you and the home they sit in. Few can resist a quick peek at the spines on a bookcase and making some pretty bold generalisations based on them.

So when it comes to selling your house, have a very good think about what books you want to display to those coming around to view your property. They can be a great icebreaker for prospective buyers but beware of over-sharing by displaying books

that really should be confined to the bedroom drawer!

Ten tips for bookworms when selling a property: Books everywhere Too many can create a chaotic

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The games are boisterous, and engaging, but also help children with first maths, coordination and matching and sorting skills. The pack is also portable, durable and features vibrant artwork.

Make art with your hands and feet! is an art pad with a difference.

Readers are encouraged to draw around their fingers, thumbs, hands, toes or feet to complete the printed pictures. Once the images are complete the pages can then be personalised.

Let's play a game (£14.95 ) and Make art with your hands and feet! (£8.95 ) are both available from all good bookshops or visit www.thamesandhudson.com We’ve teamed up with the publishers Thames and Hudson to offer 4 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win both Let's play a game and Make art with your hands and feet!

For your chance of winning these two great prizes, simply tell us how many different games Let's play a game contains?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

feel and make the photos look untidy too. Unless it’s the look you are really going for put the majority of your books in a watertight container with a lid and store tidily away during the house-selling process.

Sexy books 50 Shades of Grey was a bestseller but this is no excuse to share your fetishes with the general home buying public.

Bedside drawers are there for a reason. Keep your naughty books tidily away when showing guests around your home.

Unusual hobbies As your estate agent I honestly don’t mind if you are researching the history of witchcraft or studying taxidermy, but diagrams of how to dissect a mouse left out on the coffee table are likely to turn the stomach of some homebuyers so are best left out of sight.

Cookery books Cookery books are great for creating a ‘homely’ atmosphere and projecting a positive image.

I wouldn’t suggest you rush out and buy them specially, but if you own them already, displaying them in the kitchen can add a nice touch to your home.

Selecting some classics Dickens, Austen and Brontë sit happily on many bookshelves and hard backed books can look gorgeous when placed around a living room, staircase bookshelf or bedroom. Mismatching covers and sizes of books just add character and these classics will never go out of fashion.

Children’s books These are lovely to display but try to keep them on the shelves not scattered on the floor. The same applies to other children’s toys. An old-fashioned toy box can be great for hiding away toys for half an hour while you are showing guests around. As a mum myself I know this can be easier said than done!

Local history books It can be really interesting to read up about the history of your home and the area, and provides a nice safe topic to discuss when potential buyers come around.

To some extent you are selling the positives of the area as well as the house itself.

Coffee table books Large map books and nature books can add a bit of character to an empty coffee table and never really go in or out of fashion.

The latest prize-winning books Once again, if you don’t already own Hilary Mantel or Eleanor Catton, it’s unlikely to make or break your house sale, but it says something about you and the buyer if you can bond over award-winning literature.

And it’s always nice to have something ‘off-topic’ to chat about.

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Make it a healthy year

H

ere are some ideas to help kick start your New Year - but feel free to start sooner if you wish!

Cut down on your daily salt intake High salt consumption can lead to a variety of health problems, including raised blood pressure and heart disease. Salt is added to nearly all processed foods so try to cut it out of everything else.

Try a new sports activity If you want to boost your fitness levels but feel the gym isn’t right for you, a new sport could provide a fun, yet fit alternative. There is plenty on offer from dancing to karate to netball!

Curb your drinking habits As all those festive hangovers may have hinted, heavy alcohol consumption can entail serious health consequences, with longterm health implications. Try to keep alcohol for the weekend or special occasions.

Spend more time with your family Whether playing a board game, joining in the fun at the park or cooking with the children, being with your family will make you appreciate the simple pleasures in life.

Recycle one more plastic If you recycle a bottle a week Could you pledge to recycle one extra plastic bottle a week to help save money and the environment?

fizzy drinks bottle it could be reborn as a fruit juice bottle.

Only 27% of recyclable plastics, such as bottles, pots, tubs and trays, are currently recycled in Surrey. The rest is thrown away, which is bad for the planet and expensive for the taxpayer.

In fact, it would save £200,000 a year in waste disposal charges if every adult in Surrey recycled just one extra bottle a week. It doesn’t have to be a drinks bottle either, as plastic bottles from every room in the house can be recycled. Whether it holds shampoo, bleach, cooking oil or ketchup, if it’s a plastic bottle it can be recycled.

Bottles, pots, tubs and trays can then be reborn as anything from a new bottle to furniture, children’s toys or even a football shirt.

To help residents recycle more, Surrey County Council is supporting the national Pledge 4 Plastics campaign, which asks everyone to recycle one extra plastic bottle a week.

Make your pledge by visiting www.pledge4plastics.co.uk or on Twitter using #pledge4plastics.

For information about plastics recycling where you live, go to www.recycleforsurrey.com for a link to your district or borough council website.

“ I want to be a

picnic bench

when I’m recycled ”

Pledge to recycle your bottle and give it the chance to be reborn Make your pledge using or by visiting

CS2876_Surrey Plastics Campaign_Mag ad_ABC Surrey_190x136_v1.indd 1

ABC wi 14 v14.indd 39

ABC Magazine - 29/09/2014 Surrey

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Diary of Events November This list of events in your local area has been carefully selected to offer both children and families fun things to do - hopefully with something to appeal to everyone. We appreciate that on a family day out if the children are happy the chances for the entire family to enjoy the day are enhanced.

Although every effort is made to ensure that information is correct at time of going to press, ABC Magazine cannot be held liable for any errors or omissions. We suggest that you check details before setting off for the day.

Tourist Information

www.visitsurrey.com Tourist Information Centre phone numbers covering the areas mentioned in this section are listed below: Croydon 020 8686 9706 Farnham 01252 712667 Godalming 01483 426510 Guildford 01483 444333 Haslemere 01428 645425 Kingston 020 8547 1221 London 020 7606 3030 Richmond 020 8891 1411 Wimbledon 020 8274 5757

Local Authorities

Fifteen councils are involved in the running of the area covered by ABC Surrey and all are a hive of local information. Listed is the telephone number of each council - queries regarding facilities should be raised with Leisure Services Department.

020 8726 6000 www.croydon.gov.uk Elmbridge 01372 474474 www.elmbridge.gov.uk Epsom and Ewell 01372 732000 www.epsom-ewell.gov.uk Guildford 01483 505050 www.guildford.gov.uk Kingston 020 8547 5000 www.kingston.gov.uk Merton 020 8274 4901 www.merton.gov.uk Mole Valley 01306 885001 www.molevalley.gov.uk Reigate and Banstead 01737 276119 www.reigate-banstead.gov.uk Runnymede 01932 838383 www.runnymede.gov.uk Spelthorne 01784 451499 www.spelthorne.gov.uk Surrey Heath 01276 707100 www.surreyheath.gov.uk Sutton 020 8770 5000 www.sutton.gov.uk Tandridge 01883 722000 www.tandridge.gov.uk Waverley 01483 523333 www.waverley.gov.uk Woking 01483 755855 www.woking.gov.uk

1-2 1-2 1-2

119 Dec 14 Jan 18 Feb 2 2 2 3-9 4 5-6 7 7 818 Jan

Wizard Weekend Watercress Line, Mid Hants Railway www.watercressline.co.uk Halloween Festival Marwell Zoo, Winchester www.marwell.org.uk Half term fun: Repulsive plants, fright food RHS Wisley www.rhs.org.uk The Snow-sperts Search for Snow (2-5 years) Polka Theatre, Wimbledon www.polkatheatre.com Ice Rink at Natural History Museum Natural History Museum, London www.nhm.ac.uk Grandad…Me and Teddy too (2-5 years) Polka Theatre, Wimbledon www.polkatheatre.com Great Big Tree Climbing Day (Booking Essential) Winkworth Arboretum, Godalming www.nationaltrust.org.uk Halloween Fun Clandon Park, Guildford www.nationaltrust.org.uk Epsom Farmers’ Market High Street.

Tel: 01372 732562 Remembrance Week Trail National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk Guildford Farmers’ Market High Street www.guildford.gov.uk Octonauts & the Deep Sea Volcano Adventure G Live, Guildford www.glive.co.uk Free Day Friday RHS Wisley, Wisley www.rhs.org.uk The Baby Cabin Club (up to 18 months) National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink Royal Pavilion, Brighton www.royalpavilionicerink.co.uk

21-29 214 Jan 2114 Feb 2224 Dec 22 22 25-26 27-30 28-30 2824 Dec 29-30 29 29 29 14 Dec 2924 Dec 304 Jan 30 30

Croydon

30 30

Peter Pan Goes Wrong Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink Hampton Court, Hampton www.hrp.org.uk Peter Pan (Age 6+) Polka Theatre, Wimbledon www.polkatheatre.com Christmas at Marwell Marwell Zoo, Winchester www.marwell.org.uk NCT Croydon Nearly New Sale Our Lady's Catholic Church Hall, Addiscombe www.nct.org.uk NCT Epsom Nearly New Sale St Andrew’s Church, Cheam www.nct.org.uk Mary Howard Christmas Fair Sandown Park, Esher www.sandown.co.uk Brick2014 - Built for Lego Fans Excel, London www.brick2014.com The Victorian Festival of Christmas Portsmouth Historic Dockyard www.historicdockyard.co.uk Santa Claus (Age 2+) Fairfield Halls, Croydon www.fairfield.co.uk Christmas Wonderland Birdworld, Farnham www.birdworld.co.uk Mum 2 Mum Market Teddington Baptist Church, Teddington www.mum2mummarket.co.uk Family Christmas Decoration Making Gatton Park, Reigate www.gattonpark.com The Magic of Christmas Past (Wed-Sun) Hever Castle, Kent www.hevercastle.co.uk Lapland UK (Early booking essential) The Windsor Estate, Berkshire www.laplanduk.co.uk The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Rose Theatre, Kingston www.rosetheatrekingston.org NCT Esher Winter Nearly New Sale Claygate Day Centre, Claygate www.nct.org.uk Puppets - Maisie & the mammoth tooth Natural History Museum, London www.nhm.ac.uk Princess Alice Hospice’s Santa Fun Run Bushy Park Email: jogilham@PAH.org.uk Santa’s Grotto Gatton Park, Reigate www.gattonpark.com

December 1-14 8 8 8 14-15 15 15 15 20

Baby a Baby Bargain St John’s Hall, West Worthing Tel: 07800 990010 NCT Walton & Hersham Nearly New Sale Ashley C of E Primary School www.nct.org.uk Old MacDonald had a Farm Epsom Playhouse, Epsom www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk Dinosaur Zoo (Age 3+) Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk Cobham Farmers’ Market Leg O'Mutton Field Tel: 01372 732 562 NCT Dorking Nearly New Sale North Holmwood Village Hall www.nct.org.uk Christmas Craft Fair Rural Life Centre, Tilford, Farnham www.rural-life.org.uk Woking Farmers’ Market Town Square www.woking.gov.uk

1-19 1-24 1-24 1-24 2 319 Feb 5-6 5-24

The Magic of Christmas Past (Wed-Sun) Hever Castle, Kent www.hevercastle.co.uk The Snow-sperts Search for Snow (2-5 years) Polka Theatre, Wimbledon www.polkatheatre.com Santa Claus (Age 2+) Fairfield Halls, Croydon www.fairfield.co.uk Lapland UK (Early booking essential) The Windsor Estate, Berkshire www.laplanduk.co.uk Christmas at Marwell Marwell Zoo, Winchester www.marwell.org.uk Guildford Farmers’ Market High Street www.guildford.gov.uk Treasure Island National Theatre, London www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Tingle Creek Christmas Festival Sandown Park, Esher www.sandown.co.uk Santa Claus & Magical Christmas Journey Epsom Playhouse, Epsom www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk

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5-24 54 Jan 54 Jan 511 Jan

Finding Santa Charles Cryer Theatre, Carshalton www.suttontheatres.co.uk Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Fairfield Halls, Croydon www.fairfield.co.uk Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Richmond Theatre, Richmond www.atgtickets.com

13 13 13 14 14 14 15-24 17-24 18 20-28

5 6-13 6-24 6-24 6-24 6-24 6-24 6 6 7 7 7 10-24 11 12-14 12-23 124 Jan 13-14 133 Jan 134 Jan 134 Jan

The Cabin Club (up to 5 years) National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk Hunt the presents!

HMS Warrior 1860, Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk Hansel and Gretel (5-8 years) Charles Cryer Theatre, Carshalton www.suttontheatres.co.uk Christmas Wonderland (selected dates) Birdworld, Farnham www.birdworld.co.uk Santa Specials (Booking essential) Watercress Line, Mid-Hants Railway www.watercressline.co.uk The Magic of Christmas Fishers Farm Park, West Sussex www.fishersfarmpark.co.uk Santa in The Crystal Grotto Painshill Park, Cobham www.painshill.co.uk Science Night Science Museum, London www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Carshalton Frost Fair Carshalton www.sutton.gov.uk/biodiversity Santa’s Grotto Gatton Park, Reigate www.gattonpark.com Christmas Market and Visit Santa Haslemere Museum www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk Epsom Farmers’ Market High Street.

Tel: 01372 732562 Santa Claus & the Christmas Adventure G Live, Guildford www.glive.co.uk Christmas Concert Rose Theatre, Kingston www.rosetheatrekingston.org Sleeping Beauty Pantomime on Ice Guildford Spectrum, Guildford www.guildfordspectrum.co.uk Christmas Light Trail Hampton Court, Hampton www.hrp.org.uk Beauty and the Beast Harlequin Theatre, Redhill www.harlequintheatre.co.uk Father Christmas comes to Claremont Claremont Landscape Gardens, Esher www.nationaltrust.org.uk Christmas Children’s Trail Claremont Landscape Gardens, Esher www.nationaltrust.org.uk The Wizard of Oz Epsom Playhouse, Epsom www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk Winter Wonders Children's Trail Winkworth Arboretum, Godalming www.nationaltrust.org.uk

204 Jan 204 Jan 20 20 20 23-24 26-28 271st Jan

Gymboree Xmas Fun Day (Booking essential) East Horsley Village Hall 07443 568347 Castle Day Nursery Christmas Fair St Edmunds Church, Riddlesdown Christmas Crafts (4-7 years) Gatton Park, Reigate www.gattonpark.com Princess Alice Hospice’s Santa Fun Run Richmond Park, Richmond Email: jogilham@PAH.org.uk Christmas Animal Visit Hatchlands Park, Guildford www.nationaltrust.org.uk Christmas Carols Hatchlands Park, Guildford www.nationaltrust.org.uk The Magic of Christmas Past (Daily) Hever Castle, Kent www.hevercastle.co.uk Aladdin (Age 4+) The Secombe Theatre, Sutton www.suttontheatres.co.uk Woking Farmers’ Market Town Square www.woking.gov.uk Jack and the Beanstalk Dorking Halls, Dorking www.dorkinghalls.co.uk Hunt the Slipper Family Trail HMS Warrior 1860, Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe Story Trail RHS Wisley, Wisley www.rhs.org.uk Christmas Party Pavilion Café, Beddington Park Tel: 07800 805 865 Santa’s Victorian Parlour (market, santa) Haslemere Museum www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk Cobham Farmers’ Market Leg O'Mutton Field Tel: 01372 732 562 Santa’s Victorian Parlour (market, santa) Haslemere Museum www.haslemeremuseum.co.uk The Nutcracker G Live, Guildford www.glive.co.uk Tudor Christmas Hampton Court, Hampton www.hrp.org.uk

January 1-3 1-4 1-4

Christmas Children’s Trail Claremont Landscape Gardens, Esher www.nationaltrust.org.uk Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink Hampton Court, Hampton www.hrp.org.uk The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe Story Trail RHS Wisley, Wisley www.rhs.org.uk

1-4 1-4 1-11 1-18 6 15 17 25

February 1-8

1-14 1-19 1 3 7 14 17 19 21

March 22 28-29

1-4 1-4 1-4 1-4

The Wizard of Oz Epsom Playhouse, Epsom www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk Hunt the Slipper Family Trail HMS Warrior 1860, Portsmouth www.historicdockyard.co.uk Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Fairfield Halls, Croydon www.fairfield.co.uk Winter Wonders Children's Trail Winkworth Arboretum, Godalming www.nationaltrust.org.uk Ice Rink Natural History Museum, London www.nhm.ac.uk

Grandad…Me and Teddy too (2-5 years) Polka Theatre, Wimbledon www.polkatheatre.com Peter Pan (Age 6+) Polka Theatre, Wimbledon www.polkatheatre.com Treasure Island National Theatre, London www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Epsom Farmers’ Market High Street Tel: 01372 732562 Guildford Farmers’ Market High Street www.guildford.gov.uk NCT Dorking Nearly New Sale North Holmwood Village Hall, Dorking www.nct.org.uk The Little Mermaid Fairfield Halls, Croydon www.fairfield.co.uk Hugless Douglas The Harlequin Theatre, Redhill www.harlequintheatre.co.uk Woking Farmers’ Market Town Square www.woking.gov.uk Cobham Farmers’ Market Leg O'Mutton Field Tel: 01372 732 562

Look out for the new spring issue of ABC - out and about from 1st March!

21

1-4

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Rose Theatre, Kingston www.rosetheatrekingston.org Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Richmond Theatre, Richmond www.atgtickets.com The Royal Pavilion Ice Rink Royal Pavilion, Brighton www.royalpavilionicerink.co.uk Guildford Farmers’ Market High Street www.guildford.gov.uk Woking Farmers’ Market Town Square www.woking.gov.uk Cobham Farmers’ Market Leg O'Mutton Field Tel: 01372 732 562 The Sooty Show Richmond Theatre, Richmond www.atgtickets.com

Dame Vera Lynn Trust Charity Ball Felbridge Hotel, East Grinstead www.dvltrust.org.uk The Marsden March Chelsea to Sutton www.royalmarsden.org/march VegfestUK, Brighton The Brighton Centre, Brighton www.brighton.vegfest.co.uk

Please check details direct with the attraction before setting off for the day!

Send details of local, family friendly events to surrey@abcmag.co.uk up to six weeks before publication and we'll do our best to include them on this page.

Disclaimer The information contained in this listing is given in good faith on the basis of information available to ABC. ABC Magazine cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information and accepts no responsibility for any error, omission or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by the reliance on the information contained herewith, is hereby excluded.

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Where can we go? What can we do?

FOR FREE • DAYS OUT FOR FREE • DAYS OUT FOR FREE • Beddington Park and Grange Lake - Many facilities including skate park, playground and indoor soft play. Pavilion cafe, heritage walk and boating lake.

Buckland, Windmill Church, Reigate Heath - Only church inside a windmill, worldwide. Collect key from adjacent Golf Club. 07786 966841 Burpham, Sutherland Memorial Park - Fenced play area, adventure play structure, roundabout and swings. Toddlers play area with multi-play frame. 01483 444718 Carshalton, Oaks Park Nature Trail - Walk of less than 3 miles through exciting flora and fauna- The Ancient Hedgerow est. 500 years ago. Tearoom and craft centre.

Caterham, East Surrey Museum - Regularly updated exhibitions of life in early East Surrey. ‘Hands On’ junior room. 01883 340275 Caterham, Queens Park Fun Playground - facilities for basketball, football, tennis, and croquet.

Chertsey Recreational Ground - Putting green, areas for tennis, cricket and football. Play equipment, some for disabled children, 01932 425686 Chertsey, Gogmore Farm Park - Play areas for toddlers and older kids, tennis courts, multi-use games area and riverside walks. 01932 425686 Cobham, Cobham Mill - Restored working water mill producing flour for the first time in 60 years. 01932 867387 Croydon Clocktower - Cultural centre, exhibitions, museum, live performances, art house films, library, cafe, bar and Tourist Info Centre. 020 8253 1030 Dorking, Box Hill - Mature woodland and chalk downland amazing views to South Downs. New Discovery Zone. Information Centre and Cafe. 01372 220640 Egham, Runnymede Pleasure Grounds - On the Thames, playground with equipment. Cafe. 01932 425688 Epsom, Horton Country Park - Golf, farm and riding centre. Countryside walks, events and activities all year and information centre. 01372 741191 Farncombe, Godalming, Broadwater Park - Separate exciting adventure play areas for older and younger children. Walk round 10 acre lake and feed ducks! 01483 523394 Farnham, North Downs Way - Trail of 45 miles through beautiful views of the South Downs. Well signposted and with public transport for the less energetic!

Farnham, Alice Holt Forest Woodland Park - Lots of forest walks, Habitat Trail. Organised activities aimed at two age groups - under and over 9s. Picnics. 01420 520212 Farnham and Hindhead (Between), Frensham Great Pond - part of Frensham Common. A beach to play on and build sandcastles, swimming from May. 01252 792416 Frimley, Frimley Lodge Park - Over 59 acres with adventure playground, pitch and putt, miniature railway, woodland, canal side walks and tearoom. 01252 836970 Godstone, Bay Pond - Nature study with pond life. Sensory garden, hay meadow and bird hide for you to explore. 01483 795440 Guildford Castle - Keep is sometimes open, grounds are open. Statue of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’ and historic bowling green. 01483 444751 Hampton, Bushy Park - Ponds and waterways, woodland gardens, deer and children’s playground. 0300 061 2250 Haslemere Educational Museum - Refurbished, historical exhibits, geology gallery, natural and human history. Interactive fun! Full programme. 01428 642112 Lightwater Country Park - Heathland, meadowland and ponds, children's playground, nature trail, fitness circuit and picnic tables. Visitor Centre. 01276 479582 Merton, Merton Abbey Mills - Shops open daily. Colourful weekend market. Stalls selling toys, books, exotic food, arts and crafts. 020 7287 1766 Milford, Witley Common - Good nature trails. Children's activities. Information Centre explains importance of heathland and how it is managed. 01428 683207 Morden, Deen City Farm - Community project working farm, includes rare breeds and riding school, pre-arranged tours. Cafe and shop. 020 8543 5300 Morden Hall Park - Parkland with nature club and guided walks. Craft workshop, holiday activities, Discovery Days, Riverside cafe and shop. 020 8545 6850 Mytchett, Basingstoke Canal Visitor Centre - Children's play area, narrowboat trips, tearoom and shop. Organised activities. 01252 370073 Reigate, Priory Park - Play areas for toddler and older kids, duck feeding, playing field, five-a-side, skate ramp, basketball, walks and refreshments. 01737 276000 Richmond Park - Largest open parkland in London. Fallow and red deer herds wander freely. 0300 061 2000

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Happy travelling

A

On booking: Do make sure to give the airline relevant mobile numbers and upload the airline’s app if they have one. That way, they can send push notifications about delays and cancellations.

Think ahead: No one likes a delay, but it can be made far less stressful with a bit of pre-planning. Give some thought to food and drink, entertainment and uploading popular apps, games and download favourite cartoons and videos before you leave home.

Keep in the know: Knowledge is power. In the run up to your holiday it’s worth being aware of what is going on in the news. Also check the airline’s website or app regularly for further updates.

Keep calm: Once a delay becomes apparent, it is really important to stay calm. Children are sensitive to anxiety and may well begin to play up. A delay is very much outside of passengers control so acknowledge that there is nothing to be done about it, and stay light hearted.

The whole family will have an easier time.

Look around: Do have a scout around the airport to find out what there is for children. Look for play areas and good vantage points for watching the planes.

Food and drink: Pack plenty of food, snacks and drink in the hand luggage and hold some back to cater for a last minute delay. Fluid is not allowed through security, so ensure that everyone is kept well hydrated with water from one of the shops

© National Trust Images. Registered Charity Number 205846.

s schools break-up and the festive season begin, Tots To Travel has released a series of hints and tips to help families handle potential airport disasters with ease. in the departure lounge. For babies and young children, think ahead to what meals will be needed if a shortish delay happens. If a longer delay happens you may need to be flexible about what you feed your baby.

Entertainment: Depending on the children’s ages, have a host of activities prepared.

Books, comics, pens and colouring books are a good start whilst a pack of cards is great for pairs, snap and a myriad of other games. Make sure phones and tablets are fully charged (and that a charger is on hand as well) and consider uploading some new games and apps for the journey.

Sleep: Try and keep babies and toddlers in their routine, perhaps by taking them for a stroll in their buggy. If possible, persuade toddlers to take their regular nap, and have a pashmina or scarf on hand to wrap them up if needed (even if you are travelling to a warm country, a jumper or scarf is useful for cold departure lounges).

For very long delays or cancellations: Each airline has its own delay and cancellation policy, so do ask.

When it looks like a long delay is likely then ensure that the ground crew know of any young children, and ask for an early decision, if possible.

In the case of air traffic controller strikes, it may well be worth making alternative arrangements early on and cutting your losses.

Ranmore Common Enjoy a stroll around the beautiful countryside with one of our four way marked walks.

Family Walks

There is a walk for everyone with new things to see each season.

Maps available for £1 from Polesden Lacey's Visitor Reception.

01372 452048 nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey

Top tips for

Bonfire Night

• Bring along finger food or enjoy a campfire barbeque. Firm favourites such as sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, hotdogs and marshmallows are perfect for an easy fireside treat.

• Keep the firework display contained to a certain time frame. Sporadic bursts punctuating the evening may irritate neighbours, disappoint guests and disrupt the flow of the evening.

• Never go near a firework that has been lit - even if it hasn’t gone off, it could still explode.

• Light sparklers one at a time and only give to children over the age of five.

• Keep your pets safe. Ensure pets are kept indoors and all windows, doors and cat/dog flaps are shut.

• Only buy fireworks marked BS 7114 (The British Standard for Fireworks) from a reputable shop with knowledgeable staff.

• Have several buckets of water and sand available to fully extinguish seemingly dead sparklers and other fixed or ‘stationary’ fireworks like Catherine wheels.

• Ensure that there is a safe buffer zone between fireworks and guests, especially small children.

• Don’t get caught out in the cold. The drop in temperature is often a trigger for colds and flu. Keep your head, hands and feet covered with good hats, gloves and socks to prevent losing body heat.

• Alongside your gloves, hat and scarf, take along a waterproof and insulated jacket to keep the chill out.

Supplied by Regatta.

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Thoughts for Come and join us - great Italian ambiance CAPUCCINO PANINI PASTA MORTADELLA PARMIGIANO VINO BACI TIRAMISU

Wide range of Italian delicacies Best Italian coffee Freshly made dishes daily Eat in or take away Outside seating area Celebrity guests Wine tasting events

Open Monday to Saturday 7am - 7pm and Sunday 9am - 5pm

37 Dulwich Village 020 8693 2614 www.facebook.com/StefanoItalianDeli

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any parents will be booking their summer holiday in the New Year, perhaps with some trepidation because of the big expense associated with getting away from it all.

Here, editor of Family Traveller Magazine www.familytraveller. com and mum-of-two Jane Anderson, offers her top five tips for getting the best value out of your summer break, with minimal fuss.

Try a holiday house-swap Renting a private home is much cheaper than staying in hotels, but why not go one step further and try a home exchange? Your only accommodation cost will be the agency’s annual subscription and many home swappers also exchange cars,

which slashes costs even further. Swap with a family that has children of a similar age and you have a readymade family-friendly holiday home. The only downside is the housework - you’ll have to make sure your own house is presentable before you set off!

Try homelink.org.uk, intervac-homeexchange.com or homeexchange.com.

Consider an all-inclusive Take the hassle, and hidden costs, out of holidaying with children by opting for an all-inclusive break. As well

Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa - 'a slice of paradise' in Sussex!

I

really can't think of a better way of spending time with friends than an overnight stay at Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa. Three of us had arranged to meet for a sneaky night away from the everyday circus we call 'being mum', knowing that for the next twenty four hours, it was just us, with no interruptions.

As I turned into the long driveway towards the hotel it took me past tennis courts, beautiful buildings and manicured lawns that stretched into the distance. The hotel itself looked like a myriad of medieval buildings and, to my disbelief, I soon learnt that the hotel grounds actually meet Climping beach!

As we chatted away we were like excited children unpacking our cases in our very grand room with stunning views and its own open fire. We enjoyed a light lunch of sandwiches and tea and then donned our fluffy towelling robes and proceeded to the spa, a short walk across the hotel lawn. After a brief consultation, we were introduced to our therapists, and the hour and a half that followed can only be described as heaven! I had booked a Mediterranean Float, an all over face and body treatment, which left me feeling both recharged and refreshed and ready to take on the world. After the treatments, we met in the chill-out room which was a beautifully lit, calming room with reclining loungers and fluffy blankets. At our leisure, we had time to

take advantage of the steam and sauna rooms and wonderful pool facilities, including the outdoor pool and jacuzzi.

Feeling refreshed, we headed back to our room to get changed for dinner and made our way down to one of the many lounge areas for pre-dinner drinks. The evening meal was just as we expected - fine dining at its very best and service that was second to none. After dinner, we had a little walkabout in the hotel as there were so many fascinating little nooks and crannies to be discovered, including a tunnel which led to the other buildings on site. We took to our beds with relaxed bodies, full tummies and light heads chatting away until the wee hours. It felt like we'd been away for days and normal life seemed so far away - like a distant, chaotic memory.

Morning came all too soon and after a delicious full English breakfast it was time to say goodbye - we parted with hugs and vowed that this would be the first of many visits to Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa...

Bailiffscourt Hotel and Spa, Climping, West Sussex BN17 5RW (01903) 723511 www.hshotels.co.uk 44 ABC Magazine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 44

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a family holiday as setting out all of your expenses up-front, you can also take advantage of kids’ clubs and entertainment to keep the family amused.

There’s also the peace of mind that comes from knowing you’ll be staying somewhere with familyfriendly facilities, and resorts set up specifically with children in mind are often the most safe and secure.

Travel with family or friends Whether it’s a multigenerational getaway with grandparents or friends that have children of a similar age, travelling in a group can cut costs and help share the responsibility, just as long as you can stand a week in each other’s

company! Renting a villa for eight or ten will usually work out cheaper per person than a smaller house or apartment, and means you may be able to stretch to somewhere with a private pool. Plus having grandparents or playmates on hand will mean you might even have some time to yourselves!

Get cash back on your holiday A week or two away in the summer can cost thousands of pounds, but by clicking through a cashback site to book you could get hundreds of it back. The major cashback sites feature lots of the bigbrand holiday providers, and as well as holidays, flights and hotels you can get cashback on car hire, insurance and a whole

The Brickwall Hotel overlooking the pretty village green of Sedlescombe, near Battle is a charming 16th century Tudor Mansion in the heart of the Sussex 1066 countryside.

This privately owned hotel is well known for its excellent standards of service and high quality of cuisine incorporating local produce.

The Brickwall also offers live music events with Opera or Jazz evenings running regulary over the coming months. Please see our website for further details.

*Special ABC reader offer - simply mention ABC when booking your Winter Break with the Brickwall Hotel to receive a complementary bottle of house wine during your stay.

range of holiday-related extras. Try Quidco.com or TopCashBack.co.uk. You could also consider a credit card that gives cashback, to double your money!

Negotiate!

To haggle for your holiday you will need to actually visit a high street travel agent, or at least speak to them on the phone - the personal touch is always better. A good travel agent will be able to use their industry knowledge to source deals and prices that you may not have access to, particularly if you are building your own itinerary.

If you’re opting for a package deal, then they may be able to throw in some added extras, such as free child places, attraction passes or car hire.

Our top tip

D

on’t forget about the advantages of taking a holiday a short drive away from home.

If you have young children, it can make good sense to travel within a relatively short distance of where you live.

Long car journeys can be a nightmare with little ones and when you get there, they probably won’t even realise you are so close to home! You can even take their bikes with you, and if you did forget anything essential you could go back for it. Sometimes, it can be more convenient and affordable to just go away for a few days, rather than a whole week, when it certainly makes sense to go somewhere in the south east. We have some lovely countryside, towns and coastline within a couple of hours drive, so make the most of it.

Brickwall Hotel & restaurant The Brickwall Hotel, The Green, Sedlescombe, Battle, East Sussex, TN33 0QA

WINTER BREAKS 2 nights - £150.00 3 nights - £220.00 4 nights - £285.00 Inclusive of Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and VAT. Prices are per person sharing a double/twin room and are valid until 28th February 2015 (excluding Bank Holidays).

OPERA AND JAZZ EVENINGS Enjoy a delicious three course dinner accompanied by fabulous live music. For further details contact jazz@brickwallhotel.com or cameo-opera@brickwallhotel.com CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2014 Bookings are now being taken for Christmas and New Year breaks and for pre-Christmas lunch and dinner parties.

For more information call 01424 870253, email info@brickwallhotel.com or visit www.brickwallhotel.com ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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perennial bachelors

by D.H. Barkley

Can

A

change into husbands?

s one of the most famous bachelors has recently taken his wedding vows, the question seems rather pertinent. Can perennial bachelors like George Clooney change and become longstanding husbands - able to weather the rough seas that accompany the great times?

Remember those snippets of advice our mothers offered on our love life? My mother’s wisdom was that you should never marry a longstanding bachelor, as they were set in their ways, too used to getting their own way, and unaccustomed to compromise.

But leopards can change their spots, as demonstrated by Warren Beatty who, after a string of relationships with beautiful women, married in his mid fifties. More than twenty years and four children later, he and actress Annette Bening are still together - no small feat in Hollywood.

Apparently many a middleaged bachelor finally decides to settle down as they realize time is running out to fit in a wife and family before the ‘Grim Reaper’ calls. So if my mother’s advice on perennial bachelors is not universally applicable, what do they need for long-lasting love? In the end they probably just need the same as the rest of us - although it may be harder to achieve when you have been single so long.

Seven all-purpose ingredients for long-term romantic success are: 1. Similarity - Research shows that if we want our romantic relationships to last, we should search for ‘homogamy’ in a partner - that means someone similar to us, particularly in values. Borne out by several studies, showing that similarity between partners for various characteristics, including age, background, intelligence, socioeconomic status, and values predict greater relationship success.

2. Realistic expectations - Realistic expectations of our partner and the relationship is another key ingredient for long-term success. It’s important we recognize that no one is perfect, it won’t always be plain sailing, and it is quite normal to feel we don’t like our partner from time to time. According to the so-called ‘Disappointment model’, if individuals start out with extreme positive beliefs, disappointment frequently ensues. And such feelings of disappointment do not bode well for the longer term.

3. Friendship - Hardly surprising this one ranks as important - after all we will spend plenty of time with that ‘significant other’, so after the first flush of love is over, we need a true friend to weather day-to-day life. According to Franz Schubert, “Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife”.

4. Equality - We need to believe we bring as many desirable qualities to the relationship as our partner.

Equality means we have balanced power in the relationship, that we can act independently of our partner’s control, influence their actions, and participate equally in decision-making.

5. Commitment Commitment is the most powerful predictor of relationship stability. But it’s not about a marriage ceremony - it’s about making the relationship a priority and being willing to sacrifice for it, invest in it, link our personal goals to it, and seek the other person’s welfare, not

just our own. It’s about having ties together, such as joint possessions and family, which help keep us glued together during rocky times.

6. Understanding - As mentioned in the bestselling relationship book, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, many of our relationship troubles start because men and women are more different than we may think. When women have problems we want care and understanding, but our partner offers solutions and resentment builds as we feel we were not listened to. To help solve his problems we try to be supportive by offer comforting, unsolicited advice, but our good intentions make him feel smothered and controlled.

Then we have to contend with each other’s cycles. After getting close, men need to feel independent again and become distant for a time, whilst women go up and down emotionally like a yo-yo. We need to talk and talk around our problems, whereas men prefer to be alone to mull over solutions in their ‘cave’.

7. Conflict resolution According to researchers "The mere presence of conflict may reveal less about the quality of a relationship than does the way in which the conflict is handled". Conflicts are normal and inevitable in any partnership, and it seems that mutually satisfactory resolution to disagreements is key to the continued harmony,

satisfaction, and even survival of the relationship.

And for Mr Clooney and Ms Alamuddin?

She certainly ticks more of the boxes for similarity than many who have come and gone before.

But he may need to work hard to ensure they are equal codirectors of their movie, given that he likes to be the ‘guy’ and his fame means that his partner’s identity inevitably becomes associated with him. In the past he didn’t seem to have a big appetite for commitment - it was once said of him “In marriage you’re bound by what’s expected of you, he doesn’t want to be expected to do anything”.

But he is older and perhaps more ready for the sacrifice and constraints that are key to commitment. As a macho man, he could be quite far up the ‘Martian’ scale, so a good understanding of gender differences could come in handy.

And maybe a bright young lawyer is just the ticket to hone one’s conflict resolution skills, given that in his first marriage “Instead of figuring out how to make it work, I looked for a way to get out of it. The truth is, you shouldn’t be married if you’re that kind of person”.

Only time will tell whether George Clooney can change from long-standing bachelor to longstanding husband.

Let’s hope so for their future happiness.

D.H. Barkley is the author of the book, George Clooney: From Bachelor to Betrothed. For further information visit www.clooneythebook.com

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Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink

The Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink, the famous winter attraction in the shadow of King Henry VIII’s magnificent residence, returns on November 21 this year, with a cool 44 days of skating and a new operator - open air ice rink experts Cousins Entertainment, run by Olympic Gold Medallist, and Dancing on Ice judge Robin Cousins MBE Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink has been a popular seasonal attraction for some years, marrying fun for the whole family with the palace’s iconic riverside Tudor façade. Now with a new team at the helm, you can put on your ear muffs, gloves and skates, grab a steadying hand (if needed!) and join us for a truly festive treat this Christmas.

Established almost 15 years ago, Cousins Entertainment has become one of the most influential companies in winter sports in the UK, operating outdoor rinks such as Winchester Cathedral and Cardiff’s Winter Wonderland.

Director Robin Cousins said: “We are really excited to be taking the reins at Hampton Court for the first time this winter.

The palace is a magnificent setting for the festivities, especially lit up in the evenings when it looks truly magical, and we hope to develop the attraction for years to come.”

Hampton Court Palace’s Director Paul Gray said: “The ice rink at Hampton Court Palace is one of the real highlights of the festive season, and draws thousands of visitors to enjoy the unique surroundings of this splendid palace.We look forward to working with Cousins Entertainment to make Christmas 2014 our best year yet.”

Prices have been frozen for 2014, and Cousins anticipate a skating audience of over 60,000 over the six week period (open every day except Christmas Day). In addition to welcoming skaters, off-rink facilities include an Ice Bar and Café, allowing visitors to take in the magical surroundings with a hot cup of mulled wine or hot chocolate. Once you’re done, why not step inside the palace itself, where the dazzling State Apartments will be dressed to impress?

Tickets are on sale now: www.ticketlineuk.com and 02920 230130 Further information: www.thehamptoncourticerink.co.uk

Brooklands Museum ‘The Napier-Railton Race Experience’ Visitors to Brooklands Museum can now take their seats for the ride of their life in a brand new, state-of-the-art 4D Theatre. Just as John Cobb and Sir Malcolm Campbell did in the 1930s, you can now see, hear, feel and even smell what it would have been like to race around the famous concrete banked circuit in a pre-War racing car at over 100mph.

Inside the restored Balloon Hangar at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge, Surrey, the new experience links the heyday of British motorsport at Brooklands with a state-of-the-art 4D theatre.Visitors will strap themselves into their seats in the specially-converted auditorium and - with the help of period-style 3D goggles - enjoy a ‘race’ in the 24 litre Napier-Railton, as it was driven by John Cobb in the 1930s around the banked circuit. Dicing with the Napier-Railton will be two other great pre-War Brooklands racing cars and all the while visitors will experience the bumps of the track, the sounds of the engines and even the smell of oil, as they are immersed in this glamorous era.

The 4D Theatre Napier-Railton Race Experience is open daily. Supplement charge: Adults £5, Children £3 (Height and other restrictions apply)

Brooklands Museum, Brooklands Road, Weybridge, KT13 0QN www.brooklandsmuseum.com 01932 857381

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Get ready for Christmas The last recommended posting dates from the Post Office are: 18th December for 2nd class 20th December for 1st class For overseas deliveries take a look at: www.royalmail.com/greetings

Ho ho ho!

What did Adam say on the day before Christmas?

It’s almost Christmas, Eve! What animal is always wet?

A Raindeer What falls but never gets hurt?

Snow!

Manage your ex

F

for a smoother New Year

or any family the New Year may bring a new timetable, childcare commitments and feats of organisation; for divorced parents this often means new challenges to overcome. The trick to ensuring that everything is as smooth running as possible, says divorce coach Liz Copeland of www.thedivorcementor.com, is to manage your ex just as you would do someone at work.

“Managing your ex is a learned skill,” says Liz, “and will come with practice. Understand that you cannot treat your ex the same way as you did when you were married, and be open to finding new ways to communicate.”

Here are Liz’s tips for how to go about it.

Accept responsibility One person (often the mother) needs to take responsibility for writing down the term dates, holiday dates, business trips, school trips, clubs and extra lessons. Don’t rely on the other parent to do this. If you’re feeling annoyed at being burdened with this turn it around and look at the

fact that you are in control, you know what’s happening and when.

It’s empowering.

Rise above pettiness Be aware that the other parent may use the children as a way of fighting back (e.g. bringing the children back too late to do homework or ‘accidentally’ forgetting their sports kit). It’s difficult but you need to rise above that. “Men tend to respond better to logic than emotional outbursts”, said Liz, “so keep reminding them that the children are suffering and what they can be doing to avoid the situation.”

Get the finances right If you are in the middle of

financial negotiations, do make sure you’ve got all the school related financial costs in there - from school lunches to new clothes to fees or extra lessons. If you are past that stage but are realising your monthly maintenance isn’t covering it, try to bring it back to the table. These should be joint expenses.

Accept your standards won’t be the same It is hard but if you can relax and accept that your ex’s standards may well be different to yours and he will bring them up differently then you will have an easier time of it. Even if you feel that you

are the tyrant making your children do their homework night after night and they do all the fun things with their dad, be aware that in the long run children do get to understand why you do what you do and can become grateful for it.

If things get out of hand If the children really do seem as though they are suffering then talk to their school.

Whilst they are often loath to take sides or get involved, sometimes a well-placed email or note from the school can help, even if it seemingly goes out to both of you.

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NSPCC

teams up with Santa

to make Christmas wishes come true

C

hildren’s charity the NSPCC is once again teaming up with Santa to make children’s Christmas wishes come–true by Historic Royal Places Spines sending them a personalised Letter from Santa, sent direct Format A5 Portrait from the North Pole via Rudolph Mail.

Spine Width Spine The colourful, beautifully illustrated letters include the child’s Height (or big kid’s) name, age, gender, and a few other details whichText HRP only Santa could know. Santa has even written a special poem to Palace Text celebrate baby’s first Christmas too - a keepsake to treasure for years Icon to come.

25mm 210mm 14pt (Tracked at +40) 21pt (Tracked at -10) 15mm Wide (0.5pt/0.25pt)

Christmas is an exciting time of year but for some children it can be an incredibly difficult and lonely time. By requesting a Letter from Santa for a suggested donation of £5, the NSPCC can be there for vulnerable children, giving them someone to turn to when they need advice and support, this Christmas and beyond.

Every £5 raised by Letter from Santa could help the NSPCC’s ChildLine service be there whenever a child seeks help either online or by phone. Every £12 raised could help trained ChildLine Schools Service volunteers talk to one primary school child about abuse, improving their understanding of abuse and how they can stay safe.

The ChildLine Schools Service has already spoken to more than 6,300 children in schools across Sussex.

Tracey Bravo, NSPCC community fundraising manager for Sussex, said: “Christmas is such a magical time of year for children so why not bring even more magic and excitement by ordering a Letter from Santa for a friend or relative and support the NSPCC during the festive season.”

Selected early evenings from November

Family

Ghost tours

Santa’s mailroom is open until 15th December 2014, and all those who request a Letter from Santa this year will be entered into a draw to win a Center Parcs holiday for a family of four.

Request your Letter from Santa from 1st October 2014 at www.nspcc.org.uk/santa or by calling 0845 839 9304.

Join us for a fun, spooky evening at Hampton Court Palace Suitable for 8–14 year olds To book, call 0844 482 7777 or visit hrp.org.uk/hamptoncourtpalace

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Grandparents

T

are cool

he coolest grandparents let you stay up late, laugh at rude rhymes, tell you secrets, and are on social media according to a new study. Researchers polled children aged five to fifteen years to establish the traits and attributes that grandparents possess to be deemed ‘cool’.

On-trend grannies and granddads also own a tablet, always have homemade cakes available and push money in to your hands whilst saying “shhhh.” Letting you choose what you want for dinner, having picnics indoors and playing on games consoles were also on the cool list. As was knowing lots of card games, listening to your music, letting you bake without moaning about the mess, and taking you on days out.

The poll by McCarthy & Stone, the UK’s retirement developer, also revealed the coolest grandparents are most likely to be called Ted and Maggie. They let their grandchildren play in rain, always have sweets on hand and have an array of rude jokes up their sleeves.

It’s also lovely to know that 65% of children described their grandparents as cool, 75% said they hoped to be like their grandparents when they grow old and 70% also said they thought their grandparents were much younger than their years.

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03/10/2014 14:17

Win fab prizes with Tickets to Surrey's Home Show The Southern Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvement Show takes place in Surrey, Sandown Park on 27th-28th June.

The show offers a wide range of free daily seminars and masterclasses hosted by property experts and over 200 exhibitors that will showcase their latest products to cater for all projects, tastes and budgets.

A pair of tickets costs £24 and is available from www.homebuildingshow.co.uk/southern We’ve teamed up with The Southern Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvement Show to offer 5 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a pair of free tickets to the show in Surrey on June 27th or 28th.

For your chance of winning, simply tell us where is the show taking place?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

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Free Fun festive and facts festive!

• In 2013 the average spend on a Christmas present was £28.70 (according to a survey by Travelodge).

• The majority of UK families (76%) will serve a roast turkey on Christmas Day. • On average, British women do not attempt their first Christmas lunch until the age of thirty-four. (Source: Food Network) • Henry VIII was the first English king to enjoy turkey.

• Six million rolls of Sellotape are sold in the run-up to the big day.

• In case you get asked it in a Christmas quiz; the names of Santa’s reindeer are Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen.

• An after-dark walk in your nearest town to see the Christmas lights.

• A carol service.

• Print out Christmas activities and colouring pages from the internet (try www.activityvillage. co.uk/christmas).

• Follow Santa as he delivers presents at • www.noradsanta.org • Watch a Christmas family film with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

• Most department stores will have lovely window displays this time of year. Do a little window shopping with your family!

Sleeping Beauty on ice Spectrum Ice invites you to a classic fairytale adaptation of a beautiful princess, a sleeping enchantment and a handsome prince as the story of Sleeping Beauty comes to life on ice.

Spectrum’s talented ice team are pulling out all the stops for this year’s ice pantomime, Sleeping Beauty. The three day festive ice show will run from 12th to 14th December and will feature performances by some of the region’s rising skating stars.

This show is still one of the region’s best value Christmas shows and promises to have all the ingredients needed for a truly spectacular family treat.

Shows run at 1pm and 6pm on Friday 12th December and 2pm and 6pm on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th December. Tickets are on sale and we are pleased to have held the prices since 2012 of: £11 adult, £7.50 child/concession, with a family ticket price of just £32 (family of four, max 2 adults).

To book visit www.guildfordspectrum.co.uk and click ‘other events’ or call the box office on 01483 443333.

We hope to see you at Guildford Spectrum soon for what promises to be a fantastic start to the Christmas 2014 celebrations.

SLEEPING Bon EAUTY ice Guildford Spectrum presents an adaptation of

Friday 12th - Sunday 14th December Matinee & Evening Performances

Box Office - 01483 443333 Book Tickets Online! www.guildfordspectrum.co.uk

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Mums dread

giving birth at Christmas

Christmas Day, 29th February and 31st August have been voted as the three worst days to be born, according to a new poll by junior fashion label www.My1stYears.com. The stress of organising Christmas and a birthday at the same time was just too much for many mums and 29th February got the thumbs down from mums as their little one would only ever truly celebrate one birthday in four. The last day in August was seen as another bad date with parents concerned their child would be the youngest in their school year, putting them at a disadvantage.

Veggies

for Christmas!

If you are hosting a meal over the festive period and one of your guests is a vegetarian or you just fancy a break from meat, take a look at www.vegsoc.org/christmas for some vegetarian alternatives.

Sooty comes to Guildford!

Izzy, wizzy, let’s get busy! Sooty & Co are heading out on tour with their live show to entertain the children of Surrey when they visit G Live in Guildford.

But there’s a sneaking suspicion that thanks to Sooty’s longevity, the venue may find itself welcoming children, parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents to the show! But where did this little yellow ball of mischief come from?

Well, it all started in Blackpool in 1948 where Harry Corbett found him in a joke shop and paid the grand sum of 38p for the puppet. Sooty and Harry then hit the big time with their small-screen debut on BBC’s Talent Night in 1952. Sooty’s face was given soot marks to make him show up better on black and white tickets and it was quite a shock when colour televisions were introduced and Sooty was revealed to be a vivid shade of yellow!

Sooty (aged four in teddy years) was later joined by the squeaky Sweep and panda Sue and they have been best friends ever since. The show grew steadily in popularity and Harry Corbett even had his thumbs and fingers insured for £150 a year.

There have been over a thousand Sooty puppets used in filming the television show and the show has entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest running children’s television show in the world!

After ITV decommissioned the series in 2005, Magician Richard Cadell bought the rights from Harry Corbett’s son and won a

commission for new episodes to be filmed by ITV. Cadell is no stranger to Sooty and the gang as he first appeared as a guest magician on his show in 1985. But why has Sooty remained popular from the 1950s all the way through to modern audiences?

Cadell thinks it’s the sense of heritage attached to the little yellow bear: “The key to Sooty is simplicity, and we’re not going to try and complicate it with over-production and special effects,” he said. “He’s a puppet and there’s a great tradition there, but you can still do so much with him.”

But Sooty certainly isn’t one to rest on his laurels! As of 2011 the Sooty Show has had a major revamp, giving Sooty and Sweep laptops and iPads to reflect modern children’s points of reference. As well as the boys having fun, Sue has been given a reboot and rather than tidying up after the naughty boys, she’ll be getting stuck into the action as well.

The Sooty Show is on at G Live, Guildford on Thursday 19 February. For more information and to buy tickets visit GLive.co.uk or call 0844 7701 797

See main advert on outside back cover

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Birthday

theatre treat

A trip to the theatre to see a Christmas show is a wonderful birthday treat for a child whose special day is over the festive period. Most theatres do special group rates, so you may be able to take advantage of discounted ticket prices, or just take one or two special friends and perhaps have a birthday tea afterwards. If you let the theatre know in advance, the birthday child may even get a mention on stage!

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷ Win fab prizes with

Tickets to see Chris & Pui!

CBeebies’ favourite double act, Chris & Pui, are heading to G Live on Friday 10 April 2015 and will be bringing a bundle of songs, rhymes, comedy sketches and lots of joining in for all of the family.

Poor Old MacDonald has recklessly lost his animals! Please help Chris and Pui find them and meet Incy, Humpty, the Duke of York, King Cole and - “oh my woolly word!” - Little Bo Peep along the way.

For more information visit www.glive.co.uk We’ve teamed up with G Live in Guildford to offer 2 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a family ticket to see this show on Friday 10th April 2015.

For your chance of winning simply tell us what type of animals does Little Bo Peep look after?

A family ticket is for 4 people with a minumum of 1 adult.

No cash alternative will be offered and tickets are non-transferable.

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

New Year’s

resolutions

"I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second."

Robert Louis Stevenson’s story of murder, money and mutiny is brought to life in a thrilling new adaptation by Bryony Lavery

Playing from 3 December 020 7452 3000 nationaltheatre.org.uk No booking fee

Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

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Leap into Narnia this Christmas...

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Family tickets to the Rose Theatre Mythical creatures, flying witches and big stripy tigers take over Rose Theatre Kingston!

With an exciting range of family shows including C S Lewis’ classic tale The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Julia Donaldson’s magical Room on the Broom and West End hit The Tiger Who Came to Tea, the Rose Theatre brings a fairy-tale world to your doorstep!

For more information visit www.rosetheatrekingston.org

We’ve teamed up with the Rose Theatre to offer 1 lucky ABC reader the chance to win a family ticket for up to 4 people (including at least 2 children) to any of their family shows. This prize must be redeemed by 30th June 2015. For your chance of winning simply tell us who wrote The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3. together with the address on page 3.

resolutions

W

e all know that most New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside by mid-January (or earlier!). So, instead of making unrealistic resolutions, you could try making family resolutions that will enhance all of your lives.

You could make it part of your family traditions at Christmas and New Year. Sitting down together to talk about how you can make things better or different, also gives you a chance to look back on the past year. You could give each family member a turn sharing something they are proud of and something they want to improve.

Resolutions for the entire family might include doing more exercise together, playing board games twice a month, or eating a healthier diet. Rather than having a long list, it is better to limit the number so you are more likely to stick to them and they

are more meaningful. Children could spend a winter’s afternoon writing up the list as a poster and then you can hang it somewhere you can all see it.

Here are a few ideas: • Spend ten minutes a day tidying a bedroom • Clear up toys • Look after pets • Drink more water • Get up on time, so each school morning isn’t a struggle • No screens until after homework is done Rewards Children love a goal and a

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Eat,anddrink be healthy A

t Christmas we are always surrounded by lots of lovely food and drink. On average people gain about 5lbs (2kgs) over the festive period. When looking on the internet the average number of calories consumed on Christmas day ranges from 6,000-8,000!

According to The British Dietetic Association the Christmas meal is not the main culprit, but overindulging on second helpings, snacks and alcohol are likely to be the cause of the bulging of waist lines. Turkey is a low fat meat and add plenty of seasonal vegetables, which will contribute to your 5-a-day fruit and vegetable intake and help stop the urge to snack in between meals.

It is usually all the little extras that pile on the calories and with all the tasty snacks around at Christmas, it is easy to over-do it.

A single mince pie contains about 250 calories! So if possible make sure you have healthy options to hand, and cut down on the amount of snacking between meals; which will mean that you will enjoy mealtimes much more, without feeling completely full for days on end. It also makes sense to try not to over-eat for the whole of December through to New Year. Christmas parties and family gatherings mean that we eat and drink far too much for a few weeks, rather than just Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year, so try to eat healthily when you can, and enjoy the special meals at other times, without guilt.

During the Christmas period, over-eating is normally combined with far less exercise than normal, which also makes us feel less energetic and inclined to sit in front of a television screen for too long. You and the children will appreciate some fresh air and a walk or bike ride before a meal to build up an appetite, or get everyone involved in an energetic game. This will also mean that the children will probably be less fractious later on in the evening, if they are staying up later than normal.

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The festive period is a lovely time to catch up with friends and family over a drink and a meal, but if you try to ensure that you don’t go too mad at other times, it will mean that come January you won’t feel that you have to spend the whole of the month in the gym and eating salad! reward for reaching it! You could sit down once a month and talk about how you are all doing. This gives you a chance to remind everyone of the resolutions and those that have stuck to the resolutions or made a big effort to, could receive a small reward.

If everyone has an input into the resolutions they are more likely to stick to them and you never know, you might keep your resolutions until Easter this year!

ABC wi 14 v14.indd 57

By JM Barrie Adapted by Peter Glanville Music by Martin Ward

A swashbuckling adventure for the whole family

Have fun, donate and fundraise for Children in Need on 14th November!

Tickets: 020 8543 4888 www.polkatheatre.com 240 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1SB Presented by arrangement with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and Samuel French Limited

ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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08/10/2014 14:56

Inspiring tuition free trial session!

Explore Learning centres provide maths and English tuition for five to fourteen year olds of all abilities, and also run special courses in 11+ exam preparation. The centres are open seven days a week, and are Ofsted registered, meaning that families can use Childcare Vouchers to pay for membership.

Also, because children attend up to twice a week on a drop-in basis, Explore tuition can fit easily into busy family life.

As Explore members, children work with tutors who are great educational role models, enthusiastic about learning and fantastic motivators. Each child has an individualised learning programme tailored to meet their needs, and all Explore courses map to the National Curriculum. There’s independent proof of the benefits too - research by Reading University showed that “Explore Learning members’ improvement in maths was 30% higher than that of the comparison group after controlling for gender, age, year group and special educational needs.”

Find out how your child can benefit from Explore Learning membership today.

Call your local centre to book a free trial session, or complete a free trial form at www.explorelearning.co.uk.

Is your child aged 5-14?

Find out how they can benefit from Explore Learning today!

Maths, English & Eleven plus tuition Why choose Explore for your child?

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• Courses mapped to the National Curriculum.

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by Ruth Thorogate www.truthmarketing.co.uk

Why do parents choose an

independent education?

W

ith average annual day fees in the south east of England often topping £12,000 and boarding fees in excess of £25,000, educating your child in an independent school is a huge financial commitment. But significant numbers of parents are still digging deep to find the money to pay fees and, in surveys, over 50% of parents say if they could, they would choose to go private.

But why do, and indeed why would, so many parents opt to send their child to an independent school? The most popular reason given is “better standards of education”. Results at GCSE and A Level are higher in the independent sector and although that does not mean children do not do well in state schools, when you also look at grades achieved in harder subjects such as mathematics and science, students at private schools score a greater proportion of top grades.

Over 51% of A Levels taken by

independent school students achieve the top A* or A Grades, compared to a national average of 26%. At GCSE, 60% of independent school exam entries score A* or A Grades, two-and-a-half times more than the national average of 23%.

In pre-prep or independent junior schools, the curriculum on offer is often much broader and richer than you might find in the average primary school. Languages are started at a young age, sometimes even

from nursery or reception classes and subjects such as PE, music and ICT are often taught by subject specialists not the class teacher. By the age of eight, specialist teaching is introduced in science and the arts. At senior schools, you may find a choice is offered between A Levels, the International Baccalaureate or the Cambridge Pre-U at Sixth Form.

Another reason why parents choose independent schools are

the smaller class sizes. Recent news stories have focussed on increasing numbers of children in state primaries being taught in classes of over thirty children. Prep school classes are more likely to be around eighteen to twenty pupils in size, allowing each child more one-to-one time with their teacher. In senior schools, classes are larger but teaching often takes place in smaller groups, usually with some streaming in core subjects so

(continued over the page)

Ashdown House Boarding and Day Preparatory School (4-13)

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Forest Row, East Sussex RH18 5JY 01342 822574 www.ashdownhouse.co.uk secretary@ashdownhouse.com ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 59

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Cranmore School

West Horsley, Surrey KT24 6AT

T: 01483 280340 E: admissions@cranmoreprep.co.uk W: cranmoreprep.co.uk Admissions: Helen Perry (Physics) BA (Philosophy) Headmaster: Michael Connolly BSc Admissions: Helen Perry

Key facts

MA (Theology) & MEd (Leadership in Education)

Gender / Ages: boys and girls, 21/2 - 7 years, boys 7 - 13 Total pupils: 470 460, boys 443, girls 17 Type: Day Fees: Nursery – Daily from £3,400 Pre-Prep – Daily from £3,500.

Prep – Daily from £4,200 per term Entrance procedure: Non-selective up to 7, assessment for 7+

School Philosophy: Cranmore, one of Surrey’s independent School Philosophy: Cranmore, oneleading of Surrey's leading prep schools, willprep be co-ed (2½ - 7offers years) from September 2014, with boys independent schools, an unrivalled academic continuing the Senior Department.

The school an unrivalled focus plusinto outstanding sports, music andoffers facilities. academic focus plus outstanding sports, music and facilities.

Yr 3 entry assessment 6 November 2014, Open Days:Scholarships 19 September & 22/23 4 October 2014 9.30 – 12.00 noon January 2015

every week and some weekends to those who do so occasionally when parents have work or other commitments. Many day schools also offer before and after school care, allowing parents to drop Independent schools are seen off and pick up children on their as providing a good solid way to and from work. Some preparation for university and employment, with key skills such schools run extensive bus and as teamwork and public speaking coach routes which then free parents from the dreaded school developed through an extensive run. Other schools even run range of extra-curricular holiday activity courses to ease activities. These opportunities, which complement the academic the burden of finding childcare curriculum, include competitive during the school vacations. and fun sports, drama, individual Whilst the perceived benefits and group musical activities, of an independent education clubs and societies. With are compelling, the most so much on offer, it is not important thing to remember surprising many parents feel when choosing a school is will that an independent school is best equipped to help fulfil their your child be happy there?

Results, facilities, activities child’s potential, whatever their and opportunities on offer are interests and strengths. meaningless if it is not the right environment for your There are some practical son or daughter to thrive reasons why parents opt for an in and succeed. BAC independent school. Boarding schools increasingly offer great Ruth provides a range of marketing flexibility in how often or services for independent schools and regularly children stay overnight educational advisory services for families and businesses. at school from those that stay (continued from previous page)

that teachers can plan and deliver lessons at a particular level.

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Empowering

by Antonia Beary Headmistress, Mayfield School

our young women from an early age

A single sex education responds to the needs of today and tomorrow

A

woman in today’s world is expected to balance many roles. She will need independence, confidence, leadership, integrity, courage and ambition - qualities which will be nurtured and developed by the right school environment.

Girls’ schools are specialists in educating girls, and I believe this equips them best to support girls during their formative years: to be aware not only of the wealth of opportunities available to them now, but also the ‘glass ceilings’ and how to respond. Our teachers are not just at the forefront of contemporary education but, specifically, contemporary education for girls.

Girls and boys mature at different rates so, in a learning environment it makes sense to give both girls and boys what they need at each stage in their development. Girls’ schools provide an education that’s carefully tailored to the needs and developmental stage of each girl.

One consequence of this is outstanding examination results.

Year after year, girls in single sex schools achieve significantly better grades. Yet, exam results are not everything. We aim to produce confident, independent women. And that includes them being able to engage with boys on a personal, intellectual and professional level. In order to do so appropriately, they need the freedom to find out who they are, or want to be, rather than whom they feel society is pressuring them to be. We want them to explore fully all the educational opportunities available to them, discerning

their strengths and weaknesses; be they in the classroom, on the sports field or in performance.

Furthermore, in a school like Mayfield, with over twenty different nationalities, girls learn an understanding and appreciation of other cultures which prepares them to take their place on the world stage.

One of the great benefits of an all-girls school is that there is no gender stereotyping. Girls don’t just enjoy equal opportunities, they enjoy ALL opportunities.

They excel as much in physics, engineering and design as they do in English, drama and art.

They are free to pursue and achieve in every sport their school offers. There should be no limitations on a girl’s aspirations, both professional and personal: our role is to help her instill the discipline, rigour and courage to achieve them.

Every school claims to have excellent pastoral care. The difference in girls’ schools is that we really do understand what makes girls tick. This experience means we can give the right kind of support and create safe environments in which they feel comfortable taking risks and asking questions. Perhaps too, we are also more rigorous in our expectations; there is nothing that can’t be said, if you ‘speak the truth in love’. As a result, girls become more resilient and (continued over the page)

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(continued from previous page)

sure of themselves. Whole school roles such as the Senior Prefect Team need to be filled, and they ALL need to be filled by girls. Girls learn to shoulder responsibility, as well as how to inspire and lead others. While there are ‘glass ceilings’ in a girls’ school, we are equipping them to break that glass when they encounter it outside.

Chinthurst sChool TradiTional Values | Modern Teaching

OPEN MORNINGS

Girls’ schools have an excellent track record in helping students gain places at their university of choice: six Mayfield pupils have started at Oxbridge Colleges this

year, most studying Science or Mathematics based subjects.

Whether your daughter continues her studies in higher education or opts to go straight into employment, a girls’ school will prepare her to be successful. We open girls’ eyes to possibilities and help them to take the practical and imaginative steps necessary to achieve their ambitions whatever they may be. BAC Mayfield is a leading Catholic independent boarding and day school in Sussex that has been educating the minds, bodies, hearts and souls of girls aged 11 to 18 for over 150 years. www.mayfieldgirls.org

PLEASE CALL 01737 812011 FOR DETAILS

G

G

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Untitled-7.indd 1

GLENESK

PRE-PREPARATORY SCHOOL

S

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CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE All core subjects plus Music, Dance, Drama & FOR French EARLY YEARS EDUCATION 100% Organic Menu CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR Early Morning, After School and Holiday Clubs EARLY EDUCATION • All core subjects plus YEARS Music, Dance, Drama & French Sport - Football, Athletics, Tennis, Netball, Hockey • and Organic Menu (heated indoor pool) •100% AllSwimming core subjects plus Music, Dance, Drama & French • •Saturday Family Splash Early Morning, After School and Holiday Clubs • 100% Organic Menu • •Tots & Toddlers for 0-2 years onand Tuesday Football, Athletics, Tennis, Netball, Hockey •Sport: Early Morning, After School Holiday Clubs (swimming lessons available) & Thursday afternoons and Swimming (heated indoor pool) • Sport - Football, Athletics, Tennis, Netball, Hockey For further information and a tour of thepool) school, please contact • Saturday Family Splash and Swimming (heated indoor the school: Ockham Road North, East Horsley KT24 6NS Saturday Family Splash • •Tots & Toddlers for01483 0-2 years on Tuesday 282329 lessons available) & Thursday afternoons •(swimming Tots & Toddlers for 0-2 years on Tuesday admin@gleneskschool.co.uk www.gleneskschool.co.uk • • • •

£100 STABILO stationery kit!

Bring out your child’s creative side with a stationery set from STABILO that’s bursting with colourful stationery including the neon highlighter range.

These cool highlighters are available in four attractive neon shades, yellow, orange, green and pink. They will be sure to stand out from the crowd with their neon-look tube design, turning them into stylish fashion accessories that incorporate a (swimming lessons available) & Thursday afternoons soft grip surface.

For further information and a tour of the school, please contact the school: Ockham Road North, East Horsley KT24 6NS Add to this the EASY original metallic which is not only 01483 282329 great for those learning to write, but also guaranteed to admin@gleneskschool.co.uk www.gleneskschool.co.uk help brighten up their creations.

26/04/2013 12:32

26/04/2013 12:32

sf' or rietea 0s14 a s l b ale hat2e w gouinr -inMgarDc n i e ansde ctiornn asst e nespneM t e u l 'OP SIO S Ip For further information and a tour of the school, please contact the Registrar, Ockham Road North, East Horsley KT24 6NS 01483 282329 | admin@gleneskschool.co.uk

www.gleneskschool.co.uk

For more information visit www.stabilo.co.uk

We’ve teamed up with STABILO to offer 1 lucky ABC reader the chance to win a fantastic STABILO stationery kit worth over £100. For your chance of winning simply tell us how many neon shades of highlighters are in this range?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

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08/10/2014 14:56

Evaluating the educational benefit of

by Claire Ridley Gazoob

apps

T

he number of families owning a tablet or digital device of some shape or form has increased dramatically over the past few years. And, as we find ourselves more comfortable with the technology, it’s only natural that our children too are embracing with enthusiasm the digital devices with which they are now surrounded. But of course, most parents are keen to ensure that their digital devices are not crammed full of games with little purpose or too much addictive play. And in fact, most of us would prefer our children to be engaging with something educational particularly in the early years.

Technology now gives us the perfect platform to help our children’s learning journey. And, the right app can present a new learning opportunity in an exciting and engaging way. But, take a look on any of the app stores and you will see a host of apps labelled as ‘educational’. How does one navigate the ‘Wild West’ of educational apps and find apps that are truly educational?

It goes without saying really, that to find the best educational apps, you’ll need to do your own homework! But, here are some hints, tips and ideas that

might help you in your search.

Where to start?

A good starting place is to think carefully about the skill you’re looking to develop.

Do you want your child to improve their reading, help them recognise numbers or develop problem solving skills?

Then, think about how your child likes to learn. Will the familiarity of a known character engage your child? Or would they benefit in picking up their school studies at home with a familiar learning scheme?

Ask for advice Like most things, the best advice will come from recommendations. Speak to teachers for their advice, or indeed speak with friends at the school gates and see which apps their children are learning the most from. Equally, there are many review sites out there (continued over the page)

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Hosting M

a child for the holidays

any children and students are at boarding school or university in the UK, whose family are not living in this country. For a variety of reasons, some are not always able to go home at half term and long weekends and so need to be looked after by a caring family.

Hosting a foreign student brings in a welcome extra income which can pay for a holiday or some extra treats for your family. It can also have benefits for your own family, as you and your children will meet children from other countries and there is the opportunity to learn about their culture and even their language if you wish. You can learn about the everyday life in another country, or even another continent.

In today’s social media world you can then keep in touch, and this can lead to all sorts of possible trips and friendships in the future. They can become friends for life, and you can end up with a network of children who become adults, around the world, in years to come.

Your own children will have someone else to interact with during the holidays and it can give you the excuse to go to all those tourist attractions in the area, that you’ve never quite got round to.

You are of course, also providing a child with a home during the holidays and when they have a happy experience they will look forward to the holidays – which can only be a good thing!

(continued from previous page)

for apps and you can take some advice from expert reviewers.

Take the app for a spin yourself!

There’s no better way to understand if an app is going to deliver the right level of educational benefit to your child than by trying it yourself. You will soon get an understanding of whether the app is too easy or too difficult. All the best apps are rigorously tested to ensure they deliver the right level of engagement for your child.

Many apps - like our ‘Read with Biff, Chip and Kipper’ app - are placed into levels so you can easily monitor progression and comprehension before progressing to more challenging content.

No-no’s for education apps There are some features you should try to avoid. Apps that could get your child hooked or those that have in-app

purchases without a child-proof mechanism are generally not great choices!

Parents often fear that using tablets and smartphones, in particular, can be an isolating experience given the nature of the small screen. The best piece of advice we can offer is get involved! Just as you sit with your child to read a book - do the same with your tablet or smartphone. Make it a shared experience and talk about what is happening on-screen. This way you will know exactly what your child is looking at, you will know exactly how well they are doing in the particular app, and you will be able to accompany them on their learning journey. BAC Claire Ridley is a mum of two preschoolers and resident app enthusiast at Gazoob. Gazoob is a developer and publisher of educational apps including ‘Read with Biff, Chip & Kipper’ in partnership with Oxford University Press, and Letterland Storybook apps.

Early

‘facts of life’

M

conversations

ost children today will have already had their first ‘facts of life’ talk with their parents by the age of ten, according to a recent survey by AVG Technologies.

This is up to five years earlier than their parents’ generation.

The internet was clearly pointed to as a driving force behind the advance in this conversation. Children now have far easier access to all sorts of information, images and videos on the internet, that we may prefer them not to see whilst they are so young. This has meant that many parents are now forced to have conversations about ‘the facts of life’ at an earlier age than they may otherwise wish.

Key points • 56% of parents believe that by the age of twelve their child knows more about the internet than they do.

• 62% are broaching conversations regarding sex and pornography before their child’s 10th birthday.

• 41% of parents admitted not setting up parental controls on their child’s internet connected device.

• 61% said they do not regularly track the online activities of their child.

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08/10/2014 14:56

Silencing the mother tongue

by Allyssa McCabe

T

only makes it harder to learn English

he best way for a child to excel at English is to be good at their own native language.

The message from academic research is that, at home, smart parents should stick with the language they know best. Speak that with your children even if you can’t read it with them. English will take care of itself in time and be better as a result.

It’s a simple principle, but one that has been much disputed amid the mythologies surrounding multilingualism.

in reading and comprehension tests a few years later. So it’s wise to be speaking to young children in your best language.

Many people continue to believe, contrary to overwhelming evidence, that speaking to a child in their native language confuses them and slows them down in learning dominant public languages such as English.

As a result, many parents coming to the UK from other countries inadvertently and tragically rob their children of vital language-learning skills. They make the mistake of focusing on English and silencing or downgrading their mother tongue at home.

Sharing these insights is vital, given that many parents may feel their own language is less prestigious than English.

I’ve seen the results. In a facility that provides childcare to at-risk infants and children, there is a new three year old girl whom aides refer to as the ‘Shut-up Girl.’ Her single mother speaks Spanish and is an undocumented immigrant. The little girl, however, knows little Spanish so far as her caregiver (a native Spanish-speaker) can tell. Whenever anyone addresses her in any language, all the little girl does is yell, "Shut up!" Evidently, that is one phrase her mother knows in English and has taught her daughter.

If you downgrade your heritage language, you deprive a child of access to a whole lot of enriching experiences which can also impact on their reading ability and access to the

ABC wi 14 v14.indd 65

school curriculum. They do not get the benefit of you speaking in your most proficient language.

As a result, they miss out on your capacity to engage with them at your best, using enriched communication, full of vocabulary, syntactical and grammatical complexity as well as lengthy, complex stories.

All of these factors are linked to developing their long-run capacity to learn other languages, including the dominant language, proficiently. These losses can also impact on their reading ability and therefore, ultimately, on access to the school curriculum.

We now know that oral language difficulties are the root of many reading problems. Two year olds are unable to tell a narrative.

Some parents talk with these children, asking them who they played with, whether they went out in the snow, etc. These are the children, typically, who, by the ages of four or five, can give a long narrative. And that early capacity predicts success

They don’t realise that it is a wonderful gift, a great tool that they have brought with them. Some fear that using it could block their child’s opportunities, whereas, in fact, proficiency in

their native language enhances children’s life chances via their improved capacity to learn other languages and to connect properly with extended family and community. There are parallels here with sport, the sprinters who become bob sled champions, and with music.

A violinist’s capacity to learn the piano is enhanced, not hampered, by playing their first instrument well.

Appreciating the value of the spoken native language is particularly important for parents who lack literacy skills.

I remember a Portuguese mother, who was not very

(continued over the page)

Raising Your Bilingual Child Workshops for Parents 13 Nov 7-8.30pm; 14 Nov 9-11am, 2014 29 Jan 7-8.30pm; 30 Jan 9-11am, 2015 26 Mar 7-8.30pm; 27 Mar 9-11am, 2015 21 May, 7-8.30pm; 22 May 9-11am, 2015 Tips for: • Successful bilingual parenting • Maintaining your mother tongue • Developing your child‘s English

To reserve your place contact 01483 750 409 sstewart@islsurrey.org

Old Woking Road Woking, Surrey GU22 8HY www.islsurrey.org

ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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A thriving Surrey prep school where boys get a head start • 125-year heritage, totally up-to-date thinking • Set in 45 acres of gardens and playing fields • Enthusiastic, dedicated and caring teachers • Exceptional results at Common Entrance • Huge range of sport and pastoral activities • For boys aged 4-13, with co-educational nursery The Manor, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham KT11 3PX

01932 862749 • office@parkside-school.co.uk

Please see website for Open Day dates

Staines Preparatory School IAPS | Founded 1935 | Co-ed | Aged 3 - 11 | 390 Pupils

New state-of-the-art teaching and performance facilities • High academic standards and results • Multi-functional Hall • Nursery provision from rising 3 to 4 years of age • Out of hours childcare facilities

• Science & ADT Suites • Wide range of activities • Highly caring environment with excellent facilities • Active Friends’ Association • School bus service • The Academies - Holiday Club

literate even in her own language. Her daughter came home saying that her teacher said it was important to read books at home. But every time they went to a read book, they would end up screaming at each other. I said to this mother: "Just talk with your child in Portuguese and things will go better." Parents can find it difficult for lots of reasons to support early reading in their native language. Take Cambodians, for example. The Khmer Rouge destroyed reading material and killed many of the people who could read. So many parents cannot read and don’t have access to books. For them, the best advice is to speak to their children in Khmer. In

short, telling parents to read with children is not nearly as important as parents talking about whatever is of interest to the children. If a child is interested in trucks, talk about trucks. If they aren’t, don’t talk about trucks. Just talk about what matters to them.

Language deficiency can be a source of great social disadvantage but proficiency can be a route to enhanced life chances. We need to make sure that parents, desperate to give their children opportunities in a new and sometimes hostile country, do not inadvertently make life more difficult for them. BAC Taken from www.childandfamilyblog.princeton.edu

NSPCC

Underwear Rule

A

to be accessible to all

new version of the NSPCC’s successful campaign the Underwear Rule has been launched to help parents teach children with a learning disability about sexual abuse.

The NSPCC and Mencap have joined forces to make the popular guide accessible for both parents and children with a learning disability, and are encouraging parents to talk ‘PANTS’ with their children to help keep them safe.

‘PANTS’, is an easy way for parents to start conversations with their children about the Underwear Rule, which has now been re-written and designed in easy-read to make it more accessible.

Jon Brown, Head of the NSPCC’s Strategy and Development for

Sexual Abuse programme told us: “It’s vital we ensure all children - especially those who may be more vulnerable to sexual abuse learn how to recognise right from wrong behaviour. We need to make sure all children know the areas of their bodies that are private, that their body belongs to them and where they can seek help if they need to.”

The Underwear Rule has already been viewed online over 600,000 times and downloaded over 100,000 times. To download a guide yourself or for more information please visit: www.nspcc.org.uk/underwear

Privates are private Always remember your body belongs to you No means no Talk about secrets that upset you Speak up, someone can help

Early registration for Sept 2015 advisable. We are currently operating a waiting list for some year groups. For assistance with fee planning and other fee information please contact the Bursary.

Staines Preparatory School, 3 Gresham Road, Staines, Middlesex. TW18 2BT

01784 450909 | www.stainesprep.co.uk 66 ABC Magazine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 66

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School

brings new problems for

Y

parents

ou may believe that all your childcare worries will be at an end when your children start school, however, unfortunately the school day and indeed the school year doesn’t coincide very well with the working day.

Childcare for working parents can be a real problem, and research from Kleeneze has also revealed that nearly one in two parents in Britain have been forced to miss a key event at their child's school because of work commitments. Many parents can't simply take time off to attend a sports day or assembly, and also have enough holiday left to look after their children during the school holidays. Sadly, more than one in ten working parents had even been unable to accompany their child to their first day of school because of work pressures.

Many schools now run afterschool and breakfast clubs to fill the gap between the end of the school day and the end of the working day. However, young children may want more of a homely atmosphere, in which case a nanny or au pair would work well, particularly if you have more than one child. If you have home-based childcare it means that your children can still have their friends round to play, or if they have homework to do they can get on with it in peace. When children have had a hectic day at school, they may also just want to relax in

their own home. Au pairs and nannies can also fit your own routine. So, your child can continue with any clubs and activities.

There is no denying that your child would prefer to have mum or dad to watch them in the school play, but they will understand if you can't attend everything. Your nanny or au pair can attend when you can't, or you can ask another parent to video it for you. You can tell your child that you've asked someone else to look out for them and to tell you all about

it. They can even give your child a special cheer when they take a bow at the end!

It is important that your child knows who is picking him up each day, and that he feels secure at the end of the school day.

Although you wouldn't want to ask other parents to help you out every day, most people are happy to help in an emergency and once your child has been at school for a few months you will probably have a small circle of other mums who would help you out and vice versa. (continued over the page)

Give your daughter the very best start Greenacre School delivers an excellent education for girls aged 3 to 18 years. Our small class sizes, expert teaching, outstanding pastoral care and extensive extra-curricular programme ensure that every girl has the opportunity to realise her full potential.

If you would like to visit the School, please telephone for an appointment or join us at one of our half termly Prospective Parents’ Mornings.

For further information, please contact our Admissions Registrar on 01737 352114.

Sutton Lane, Banstead, Surrey SM7 3RA | admin@greenacre.surrey.sch.uk | www.greenacre.surrey.sch.uk ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 67

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Embracing

Dr Amanda Gummer, Child Psychologist www.fundamentallychildren.com

mobile technology

A

s many young children embark on their journey through the school years, they will face increasing pressure and expectations from peers to be connected to the world via mobile devices and the Internet as part of both their social lives and studies.

The versatility of technology enables children’s learning to be much more bespoke and therefore more relevant, engaging and enjoyable.

Dr Gummer, founder of child development, play and tech advice website www.fundamentallychildren.com believes that parents should not be afraid of encouraging their children to engage with technology as part of a balanced play diet. “Getting independent expert advice on apps, eSafety and managing screen time can help parents feel more in control of their children’s technology. In the mean time, here are some tips from the experts at Fundamentally Children on what to look for when evaluating the pros and cons of the tech children engage with,” says Dr Gummer.

Look for technology that: • Allows personalisation - children benefit when learning and play is targeted to them and they feel that they have control over aspects of it.

• Encourages socialisation technology that encourages children to play together, communicate or compete will help promote social development.

• Uses new technologies to enhance traditional play patterns - for example, role play.

• Widens access to play by children with additional needs.

• Promotes active play - technology that encourages children to move around rather than staying sedentary.

Be careful with technology that: • Has poor linking between on and offline play patterns.

• Shoe-horns technology into toys and games that doesn’t improve play value or accessibility.

• Has too narrow a focus on limited play patterns.

• Is addictive - addictive games with no tools for regulating time spent on screen-based play.

Avoid: • The inclusion of technology where it reduces the flexibility and play value of a toy (over spec’d toys prevent children from developing problem-solving and imagination skills).

• Poorly designed games that will frustrate and confuse children.

• Devices without appropriate parental controls.

• Apps and connected games that enable access to inappropriate material.

(continued from previous page)

You also need to be aware that your child is unlikely to go to school for the whole of the school day for the first couple of weeks. Most schools build it up gradually for the sake of the children. Your child may first do a few hours in the morning, and then after a few days stay for lunch and after a few more days stay for the whole day.

This is probably the time when your child does need mum or dad around if at all possible.

Unfortunately, childcare problems don't go away when your child starts school, but there are a few options available such as after-school clubs, nannies and au pairs.

It is something that you need to plan in advance, and preferably have a plan for when your child is ill or even when it snows heavily and the school closes. If you have at least a vague idea of what you will do if something unexpected happens; you are more likely to be able to deal with it. BAC

S C a t h e r i n e ’s t

B r a m l e y

PROSPECTIVE PARENTS' MORNINGS Senior School - 29th January | 11th March Prep. School - 19th January | 2nd March Day, full & weekly boarding GSA School 900 girls 4-18 years Founded 1885 68ABC01 ABC MAgAzine - Surrey September 2014.indd 1 ABC wi 14 v14.indd 68

Bramley, Guildford, Surrey GU5 0DF t: 01483 899665 | e: prepadmissions@stcatherines.info www.stcatherines.info 16/09/2014 14:28:37

08/10/2014 14:57

Aboard the

T

by Caroline Binfield

type 1 rollercoaster

he hospital’s advice was “Take one day at a time. Things will change from day to day, try not to panic.” My son Jasper was diagnosed as having type 1 diabetes eleven months ago in September 2013, aged four. But that now seems a lifetime of injections ago.

1,369 to be precise, four a day in his skinny bruised legs with an even higher number of glucose tests in his little calloused fingers.

Time is now measured in injections. It’s no longer ‘lunchtime’, it’s ‘injection time’. Time to stick yet another needle in his poor pin-cushion legs.

Injection time comes with many conditions - the particular lighting, the ‘blob’ of insulin he needs on the needle, the silence he needs around him so a “shush” will follow if his two year old sister giggles.

But I try to understand where he’s coming from - he has lost control over a whole part of his life just

at the age where he is trying to assert his independence and these conditions are his way of regaining some of that control. He understands that without these injections he will end up in hospital again but sometimes will simply state "I never wanted these injections".

Those words kill me.

be in the ‘honeymoon’ period for the first eighteen to twenty four months. Here the pancreas is temporarily kick-started by new injections but its insulin production is erratic.

Sometimes we’ve seriously misjudged it. Once, whilst on holiday, we had tried to rebalance his high levels at tea by giving him an extra unit of insulin but suddenly he sunk to his lowest glucose reading of 1.5 and looked very ill. Finally, his levels rose and we were just relieved we had our little boy back. Some honeymoon.

Type 1 diabetes is an auto immune condition and 29,000 sufferers are children. Recently there has been a worrying 5% increase in the number of under fives developing type 1.

The blood glucose level in diabetic children is like a rollercoaster, particularly those newly diagnosed as they can

“But how did you know?” I get asked frequently. (continued over the page)

M

1 1 a sar ay y 11 ces id da – ent ne Fr ri tm m F n i & 9a o appo 2 N R TER NOW FO

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St. Andrew’s School, Woking, situated in the village of Horsell, is a thriving co-educational independent day school for children aged 3-13 years.

With individual attention and specialist teachers in all areas of the curriculum, the children are able to reach their full potential in a happy, caring and supportive environment.

Educating the whole child is central to our ethos and, whilst academic standards are high, there are also real opportunities to develop their skills in art, music and sport together with a fantastic programme of after school activities. The excellent on site facilities include an all-weather sports surface and new Pre-Prep playground.

Don’t take our word for it. Hear it from our pupils themselves on a personal guided tour of the school at our next open morning.

See our advertisement for details or visit: www.st-andrews.woking.sch.uk.

T S EX N G h N PE IN arc ay O RN 3th M th Mm 5 O

RE

St. Andrew’s - developing potential for life

6 AND BEYON

D

Because your child deserves to be

happy

A positive attitude towards learning that lasts a lifetime.

We look forward to welcoming you.

Church Hill House, Horsell, Woking, Surrey GU21 4QW Telephone: 01483 760943 www.st-andrews.woking.sch.uk Reg. Charity No. 297580 ~ Established to promote and provide for the advancement of education

INDEPENDENT DAY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS & BOYS AGED 3-13

~ Developing potential for life ~ ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 69

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08/10/2014 14:57

✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷✷ Win fab prizes with Curl up this winter with this collection from Walker Books

Discover the best new picture books with Walker Books’ Picture Book Party, perfect for sharing the love of reading and storytelling with your little ones. From zebras and chimpanzees, to ice cream and dancing, this fantastic selection of picture books has something for everyone.

Visit www.picturebookparty.co.uk for the latest Walker picture books, activities and more.

We’ve teamed up with Walker Books to offer 3 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a fabulous Picture Book Party goody bag, which includes a copy of Vanilla Ice Cream by Bob Graham, Daisy Saves the Day by Shirley Hughes, The Zebra Who Ran Too Fast by Jenni Desmond, Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance by Birgitta Sif and Willy the Wimp by Anthony Browne, plus stickers, posters and activity sheets. For your chance of winning simply tell us what animal Willy the Wimp is?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

(continued from previous page)

It was a poster my husband noticed in hospital of the signs indicating type 1 - ‘thirsty, toilet, thin and tiredness’.

‘Tiredness’ was the key indicator that alerted us. His exhaustion in his first week of school was on a different level from the other children. On the Sunday he woke up shivering and needing the toilet constantly.

In December 2013, Jasper took another leap of independence. He suddenly decided that he would do all his injections himself. The consultant hoped this would happen at age seven so we are very proud of him.

Jasper was put on a drip for twenty four hours then the insulin injections were introduced. I cried watching him cry with that first needle. It goes against all parental instincts.

Whilst it’s extremely hard to achieve a consistent reading in diabetic children due to the many changes occurring, we realise the long-term health implications will not accept any excuses. There are a myriad of potential complications - cardiovascular problems, nerve damage leading to digit amputation, potential kidney damage, an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Now it’s my five year old son facing such major health concerns, not me.

But by Monday he was back at school with the new injection regime up and running.

But I finally feel we can deal with this if we can indeed take one day at a time. BAC

A hospital urine test confirmed it was type 1. I knew by now that this diagnosis would change all our lives.

@ABCMagazineUK

For the best possible start in life

Preparatory open event, 29 November, 14.00-16.00 Year 3 Choral Scholarships available Old Palace Preparatory Early Years Foundation Stage: Outstanding Rating ISI Inspection report, November 2013

To register please call 020 8686 7347 or visit www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk

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The dilemma of hiring a

D

by Fleet Tutors www.fleet-tutors.co.uk

safe private tutor

espite the fact that one in four families in the UK employs private tutors for their children, tutoring is still largely an unregulated ‘industry’. This means that unlike schoolteachers, private tutors are not obliged to have a Disclosure and Barring Service check or even a university degree to teach. According to Mylène Curtis, Managing Director of Fleet Tutors, “if parents choose to hire a tutor directly rather than through an agency, they face a myriad of checks they will need to understand and undertake on their own.”

Types of checks to undertake in hiring a private tutor A reputable and professional agency will perform these checks for the client, but what exactly are all these checks and do they really count?

Police check This will have ‘National Identification Service’ at the top of the form and only discloses convictions in a local area. This check is insufficient for working with children.

Standard Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check This check is performed by ‘The Disclosure and Barring Service’. Applicant details are matched against those held on the Police National Computer and will identify any criminal convictions. This also checks if the person is on the DBS barred list. This check is for people who work around children, but not sufficient for people who work in direct contact with children, such as tutors.

DBS barred list A list of convicted sex offenders and people permanently excluded from working in schools maintained by the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Enhanced DBS check This is the most thorough and comprehensive check available and is designed for people in direct contact with children such as teachers or tutors. This is the only check that queries the national police database and barred list, as well as the local police departments as an important additional step. This check

ABC wi 14 v14.indd 71

reveals any criminal convictions, allegations or cautions which make the applicant unsuitable for work with children. In the local searches, police are also asked to reveal any ‘additional information’ which may make the tutor unsuitable for work with children. For example if a tutor is undergoing a current investigation, the ‘additional information’ in the enhanced disclosure will reveal it to the agency but not to the tutor themselves.

the tutors to have degrees in the subjects they teach and/or teaching certificates.

• Does the agency check references?

• Are the tutors interviewed?

• Are the tutors qualified and experienced? Ideally, qualified tutors have a degree in the subject/s they teach (recommend ‘2:1’ minimum level) and/or teaching certificates. They should have successful experience in teaching one-to-one.

Validity of checks A reputable company should require that DBS checks are kept up to date by ensuring it is renewed every three years.

The decision factor Despite all these precautions, it is important that parents

resist paranoia. Finding a qualified and experienced tutor through an established agency is an investment worth making in your child’s future. Using an agency that is able to do the legwork for you by conducting these checks will go a long way in alleviating any burden associated with hiring a private tutor.

Fleet Tutors, DBS Registered Body 20528800006, is Britain’s leading tutoring service provider with over 5,000 tutors and 36 years experience helping students reach their potential.

For more information, visit www.fleettutors.co.uk telephone 0845 644 5452

Entrusting your private tutor needs in safe hands Parents should be aware of the administration process behind hiring a self-employed independent tutor rather than one through a reputable agency.

Reputable and established agencies will screen enhanced DBSs for additional information - a major reason why finding a tutor through an agency is a safer option.

How do parents ensure the agency is reputable, especially as agencies are unregulated?

• Choose an agency which is a DBS registered body.

• Choose an established agency/ tutoring company that has an address, telephone number and staff - more than just a website.

Speak with their staff before allowing any tutor into your home.

• Confirm that the agency requires ‘enhanced’ DBS’s of their tutors.

• Ask whether the agency requires

36

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Contact your local Instructor for a free assessment.

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ABC MAgAzine - Surrey

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08/10/2014 14:57

computing module

E

for primary schools

ducationCity, provider of e-learning resources for primary schools, has launched its new computing module for Key Stages 1 and 2, packed with interactive multimedia activities, lesson plans and topic tools to help primary schools meet the new national curriculum objectives for computing brought in from September 2014.

The new computing module is available to existing EducationCity subscribers for free until January 2015, or available as a free trial for non-subscribers, and is the perfect companion for teachers who feel daunted by the new subject’s objectives.

EducationCity’s computing module is much more than ‘coding’ and to make this new subject manageable for teachers, it has been organised into three distinct areas - computer science, information technology and digital literacy. Key Stage 2 is also split into lower and upper levels to help teachers differentiate the objectives.

Explore our World www.notredame.co.uk

For computer science, EducationCity has developed the Code Crunch programming tool which helps children explore and understand how code is structured and the results that can be achieved by writing their own simple lines of instruction.

Featured tutorials help teachers get to grips with delivering coding lessons and pupils can follow suggested activity plans targeted at their ability or use their imagination to create their own outcomes.

Information technology looks at the application and uses of technology in terms of how it impacts their day-to-day lives and the world around them. Multimedia activities include making a newsletter, editing documents and changing fonts and sizes. They are supported by further resources with step-by-step instructions to help pupils explore topics at their own pace.

Finally, digital literacy explores the safe and responsible use of technology and educates young people on the importance of staying safe online. For example, one activity called ‘Safe Surfing’, aimed at Key Stage 1 learners, features characters raising awareness about browsing the internet and explores how pupils could respond to issues such as spam and cyberbullying.

Open Day 11th November 2014 Notre Dame School, Cobham 01932 869990

EducationCity also supports maths, English, science and languages (French, Spanish and English language for pupils with English as a second language) which became statutory at Key Stage 2 in September 2014.

For further information visit www.EducationCity.com

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by Caron Alford Bramley School

Single sex vs co-ed Is it the wiser amongst us who keep an open mind?

A

s the debate continues unabated as to the merits and benefits of single sex education as opposed to co-education the only conclusion to draw perhaps is that there is no unequivocal conclusion.

There is research which examines the data, such as ‘The paradox of Single-sex and Coeducational Schooling’, Alan Smithers and Pamela Robinson, which summarises: “While gender composition is one of the most obvious features of a school, it is not necessarily an important factor in a school’s success - the main determinants of a schools’ performance are the ability and social background of the pupils, followed by leadership and teacher expertise. Whether to mix or separate the sexes in education is an issue which arouses strong feelings, but on which there is little conclusive evidence. The paradox of singlesex and co-education is that the beliefs are so strong and the evidence so weak.”

Whilst then the features of benefits of gender options are widely recognized - both academically and pastorally - for single sex settings these include increased academic achievement; personalised care and support according to maturity rate; confidence; opportunities at sports, drama, music traditionally dominated by the opposing sex and from that a freedom from stereotypes - for co-education

it is that it reflects life outside of education providing societal benefits; relationships between the two sexes are built at an early age to mutual benefit and academic achievement is improved through inter gender competition - how do parents decide and what should they consider?

When parents visit a potential school the majority talk about wanting a ‘holistic’ education for their child. They accept the academic aspirations need to be tailored to their child’s ability but that the way their child fits into society is hugely influenced by their choice of school.

Within the independent schools market, where the majority of single sex schools are, the main emphasis is not placed upon the gender of their pupils but more on the other facets they offer – critical is the Head for it is they who embodies all the school offers, they are the tangible ‘ethos’ of the school; teaching and learning outcomes; the curriculum; provision of sports and the arts; extracurricular activities - an endless list of USP’s! Overlay those with fees, location, transport - it is a huge

Read our online edition at www.abcmag.co.uk

Learning the Bard

For a life in the Theatre

(continued over the page)

Leading independent co-educational Roman Catholic day schools in Surrey offering a values-led education for all.

www.stgeorgesweybridge.com A Registered Educational Charity No.1017853

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(continued from previous page)

undertaking to select a school for your child.

For those who are tasked with finding a school the key must be to find a good school as opposed to a single sex or co-ed school and to ensure you are aware of the strengths of the school.

For parents choosing a school, blinkers must be withdrawn, information sought about all the options and a decision based on potential outcomes for your child against their needs.

Consider your last house purchase - if you are like me you start with a list of what it should and shouldn’t have - then you walk in to a house you fall in love with despite what it is or isn’t - and it could even be one you hadn’t requested from the etate agent! So it may be when looking for the next school for your child.

Choice is a wonderful opportunity; take the broadest path to ensure you find the optimum result. BAC

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Ravensburger has a puzzle to suit everyone and its fantastic 3D Puzzle® collection takes the jigsaw concept to a completely new level!

Using technology with interlocking puzzle pieces, puzzlers can build their very own famous landmark.

The uniquely curved, hinged and flat plastic pieces fit together perfectly and no glue is required. The sturdy plastic puzzle pieces are numbered on the back to help you complete the structure. Once built, the buildings measure between 29cm and 49cm tall and the collection has 12 different iconic designs to choose from.

Priced from £20, you can choose from Big Ben, The Empire State Building, The Eiffel Tower and many more - all available from good retailers.

For more information and to see the full range of puzzles visit www.ravensburger.co.uk We’ve teamed up with Ravensburger to offer 5 lucky ABC readers the chance to each win a Disney Eiffel Tower 3D puzzle. For your chance of winning, simply tell us how many iconic designs are included in the puzzle range?

Normal ABC competition rules apply and can be found on page 3.

Kingswood House School Kingswood House in Epsom is one of the leading prep schools in Surrey providing a nurturing and protective environment for boys aged three to thirteen and girls aged three to seven years.

Small classes enable each pupil to maximise their potential while the academically-gifted thrive thanks to the expert teaching and learning. We lay the foundations for each pupil, preparing them for the next stage in their education and, as a result, every pupil goes on to the senior school of their choice. Recently KHS has opened new buildings for our Junior and Pre-Prep Departments and Humanities classrooms.

Do come and visit us - we guarantee you will leave with a lasting impression of an outstanding school that provides the building blocks for each child’s long-term success. Our next Open Mornings are on Thursday 26th and Saturday 28th February 2015 between 9:30am and 12noon, however you can visit us at any time.

Please contact our Admissions Registrar on 01372 723590 or you can email admissions@kingswoodhouse.org to make an appointment.

Further information is on our website at www.kingswoodhouse.org.

We look forward to welcoming you.

74 ABC MAgAzine - Surrey ABC wi 14 v14.indd 74

08/10/2014 14:57

screaming screaming screaming in the night?

Is your child

F

by Rebecca Welton

They might be having night terrors

or parents, seeing your child have a night terror can be scary. During an episode, children wake abruptly, appear flushed and sweaty, and seem terrified and disorientated. Some run around, screaming. Most efforts to calm them down do not work, and can even make it worse. Then in the morning, your child remembers nothing about their night-time antics!

If this describes your child - don’t worry, they have not been possessed! Your child is experiencing night terrors, and these are actually quite common, with around 45% of children aged between four and sixteen years experiencing an episode at some time. Thankfully, night terrors do not cause any harm to your child and most children will grow out of them.

So what causes night terrors?

Sleep deprivation is the single biggest cause, and if your little one is not getting the sleep they need, they will be more prone to having night terrors. They also run in families, so if there is a family history of night terrors or sleep-walking, your children are more likely to have them too.

Other causes can include fever or illness, and anxiety.

Some sleep disorders can disrupt the continuity of sleep, which

means there is a higher chance of night terrors happening. If your child regularly snores, or twitches and moves a lot in their sleep, do get it checked out by your doctor so it can be properly investigated.

What can I do when my child has a night terror?

As a parent it can be distressing and scary to see, but try to remember that your child will not recall it in the morning, and night terrors do not cause any harm.

The priority is to ensure your child is safe: so make sure they can’t get out of the house, either by doors or windows, and watch they don’t fall down the stairs. If you are worried about this, you can put alarms on the external doors, and on their bedroom door, and locks on the windows.

As attempts to calm or wake your little one can often make things (continued over the page)

Barfield School is pleased to announce that Mr. James Reid took over the helm as Acting Headmaster from September 2014.

Begin their voyage of discovery ... l

Nursery education for 3 to 5 year olds l Learn, through structured play, to establish the first building blocks of literacy and numeracy l Enjoy tuition by prep school staff in swimming, dance, music and French l Post-school care available

Ripley Surrey GU23 6NE 01483 225217

www.ripleycourt.co.uk

Barfield

James Reid is an experienced member of the staff who has 16062 Ripley Court Ad 8 quarter.indd 1 20/09/2012 been Deputy Head for several years. He is well known to parents and pupils alike and his leadership style will enable the school to continue to build on recent successes.

The Governing Body would like to thank the outgoing Headmaster, Mr. Robin Davies, for providing strong leadership CO-EDUCATIONAL • DAY • AGE 2-13 • FARNHAM in both educational and pastoral matters during his time at the school. The Governors wish Robin and his family every ISI Report: EYFS “Outstanding” June 2013 success for the future as he pursues new challenges in his career in education.

Barfield has been awarded an outstanding ISI inspection report for their fabulous EYFS and the prep school has seen record number of scholarships to Senior Schools this year. Two pupils took their GCSE astronomy and were awarded an A and a B respectively - an excellent start to their school careers.

Under James Reid’s guidance, Barfield will continue its strong academic ethos and excellence in pastoral care. We are looking forward to another outstanding academic year.

Open Morning: 14th November 2014• 9.30 - 11.30am Our next open morning is on 14th November 2014. If you would prefer a visit 01252 782271 • admin@barfieldschool.com • www.barfieldschool.com at a different time, please do book an individual visit.

Registered in England. Company No. 755754 - Registered Charity No 312085

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worse, aim to resettle them with as little interaction as possible. Once you have made sure they are safe, retreat to a corner and observe - your child will settle down again and then, if needed, you can pop them back into bed.

In the morning, your little one won’t recall the night terror, so it is important not to discuss it with them. If you do talk about it with others, make sure your child can’t overhear - as they don’t remember them, children can find talk about their night terrors confusing and this can lead to anxiety over their sleep (which, in turn, can mean that night terrors are more likely to occur!)

Can I do anything to prevent night terrors?

If your child is experiencing frequent night terrors, you can try anticipatory waking. To do this technique effectively you will need to wake your child every night, around twenty to thirty minutes before an episode is due - this is just a short waking, with a quick resettle. This brief awakening disrupts their sleep cycle and can be quite effective in preventing night terrors. You will have to do this nightly for at least three weeks, but it can take a few months for it to work. BAC Rebecca Welton is a qualified child sleep practitioner, and author of ‘Baby Sleeping Trust Techniques Alternatives to Controlled Crying’. She is based in Hampshire and provides family sleep consultations, as well as sleep seminars and talks. She also blogs about baby and child sleep issues at www.trusttechniques.com/blog

Taking the classroom outside Pupils at The Hawthorns School made the most of the summer by taking part in several outdoor activities.

Becoming a Hawthornian Future artist?

“The Hawthorns has a unique ability to recognise the potential in a child and give them the confidence and belief not only to pass exams but to reach dreams and (Past parents) aspirations that go much further” Working Open Mornings held regularly. Do come and visit.

Admissions 01883 743048

www.hawthorns.com

The lunchtime garden club worked hard on a recycled pallet garden for the RHS Budding Gardeners’ competition. The pupils had to design and build a 1m square garden which they planted up using seeds sown in old plastic bottles and even wellington boots! Theo Gumbley, Isabelle Jones, Jack Mehmood, William Pye and Lily Martin showed real teamwork in creating their competition entry which they then had to take to RHS Wisley to be judged.

Lizzie Bruce, Head of Conservation at The Hawthorns School, commented that: “The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all involved. It was great to see the amazingly creative ideas that the children had thought of and it even gave me a few ideas to try out back at school in the future!”

Elsewhere in The Hawthorns School grounds, Camilla Townley, Head of Sustainability, hosted a one-day eco-conference for three local primary schools. Pupils from Furzefield, Hillcroft and St Catherines brought along a group of pupils who joined up with some older Hawthorns pupils to spend the day doing exciting activities such as lighting fires in the school woods, using the high ropes course, and even turning their hand to a little willow weaving!

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Competitive

school sport

S

Aim High…Aim for Croydon High

must go the extra mile

tudents in the state school system deserve the same opportunities to excel at competitive sport as those in the independent sector, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, has said in a new report.

In the report ‘Going the extra mile: excellence in competitive school sport’, Ofsted finds that schools with high sporting standards have similarly high expectations in the classroom.

Both help to cultivate an environment in which pupils excel.

organising sport before, during and after school, as well as at weekends. Schools identify particularly talented pupils and develop them through extra coaching whilst also ensuring that sport is accessible to pupils of all abilities.

Following the success of Team GB in the 2012 Olympics, Ofsted was keen to explore why so many winning athletes attended independent schools and examine the link between quality of competitive school sport and later sporting success.

Ofsted recommends that maintained schools and academies should recognise the wider benefits that sport brings to pupils and their school, and that they should make a distinction between physical education on the one hand, and sports coaching on the other. It recommends that schools should: • Raise the quality of their competitive sports programmes by learning from the best and supporting the most able students.

• Work with professional associations to help and inspire the best athletes.

• Put sport at the centre of the school by involving parents and governors, and take every opportunity to celebrate sport and reward success.

The survey revealed discrepancies between the proportion of pupils attending state schools and their representation in elite sport.

For example, fewer than one in ten pupils across the country attend fee paying schools but they make up the majority of the players in the English Rugby Union premiership, and more than a third of players in top level cricket.

The survey finds that in the best schools, both independent and state, leaders recognise the benefits of competitive sport in building the school’s culture. They make sure that sport helps pupils to excel in the classroom and on the playing field.

Competitive sport thrives in schools with staff that dedicate time and energy to

At Croydon High, we have been encouraging local girls to aim high and believe in themselves for 140 years and we will be marking this anniversary in 2014 with a number of special events.

But our main cause for celebration will be the same as it is every year – our wonderful girls. We are constantly inspired by their achievements, their enthusiasm and their dedication – they are what makes our school unique.

To find out more please come and visit us. Details of our next Open Event will be on the website or contact our Admissions Registrar on 020 8260 7543 to arrange a personal visit.

We look forward to meeting you

Girls who are going places go to Croydon High School Croydon High School ESTD. 1874

An Independent Day School for Girls aged 3 -18

www.croydonhigh.gdst.net

www.reigatestmarys.org

OPEN MORNING 10.30 am - 12.00 noon

Wednesday 19 November For boys and girls aged rising 3s to 11 years ThE juNIOR schOOl OF REIGaTE GRaMMaR schOOl

tel: 01737 244880 | office@reigatestmarys.org

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Changes to the

National Curriculum

F

rom September, a new National Curriculum has been taught in schools across England. However, research from tuition provider, Explore Learning, has revealed that 62% of parents in England are totally unaware of the changes, suggesting they will be ill-prepared to help their child with their studies and support them in their development.

The research of 1,000 UK-based parents, also found that nearly three-quarters (72%) of parents in the UK worry that British children aren’t leading the field in standards of education.

Carey Ann Dodah, Head of Curriculum at Explore Learning says: “The new curriculum is a response to the feeling that England is slipping behind their international competitors and so there are some drastic changes which for most children and parents will appear more challenging. Many concepts in maths and English will be introduced earlier which will feel like quite a jump.”

Carey Ann continues: “While the changes to the curriculum are well intended, the implementation is messy and the lack of money or additional time for teaching training or resource development could be troublesome. Transitioning schools to a new curriculum without a clear method of assessment or levelling is confusing at best, and at worst, will leave schools and teachers frustrated and disillusioned with the new system.”

Carey Ann concludes: “There is a definite need for change and as the demands on the UK workforce develop, it’s important that there is a focus on the skills needed in the future. However, parents must always remain a partner with schools in their child’s education and in this respect the lack of information made available to parents about the new curriculum is worrying.”

Junior School Open Mornings Wednesday 18th5September 9.30-11.00am Wednesday November Friday 11th October 9.30-11.00am 9.15am -11.00am Wednesday 6th November 9.30-11.00am To register for an Open Day please call 01483 796040 or email registrar@tormeadschool.org.uk

It is expected to take a few years for schools to really assess how effective the new curriculum will be. Any parents that feel unsure should attend information sessions held by their school, check out the government website (www.gov.uk/government/collections/ national-curriculum) or ask for advice from their local Explore Learning centre.

“Let us take our children seriously! Everything else follows from this... only the best is good enough for a child.”

Kodaly, 1941

Independent Day School for Girls 4-18 years Tormead School, Cranley Road, Guildford, Surrey GU1 2JD Registered Charity No: 312057

www.tormeadschool.org.uk

...don’t forget to say where you saw it!

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Page-by-Page Directory Shopping and Services This Directory has been created to help ensure easy reference to the businesses which support ABC. All ABC advertisers are also listed on our website with a direct link to their website.

Activity Classes

de Stafford Sports Centre 19 Caterham 01883 344 355 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk Gymboree 22 Horsley 07443 568 347 Surbiton 020 3609 8007 Walton On Thames 01932 221 371 www.gymboree-uk.com London Karate 15 Kingston, Putney, Richmond, Weybridge 07538 497798 www.londonkarate.co.uk Orchard Cottage Riding Stables 17 Tadworth 01737 241 311 www.ocrs.co.uk Ready Steady Go Kids 14 Banstead, Chessington, Epsom, Ewell, Kingston, Richmond, Sutton 0800 690 6591 www.rsgk.co.uk Tandridge Leisure Centre 19 Oxted 01883 716 717 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk

After School Education

Fleet Tutors Surrey 0845 644 5452 www.fleet-tutors.co.uk Kumon Educational UK Camberley, Deepcut 01276 919 818 www.kumon.co.uk/Camberley-Deepcut Godalming 01483 800 453 www.kumon.co.uk/Godalming Guildford North 01483 378 377 www.kumon.co.uk/Guildford North Redhill 01737 277 380 www.kumon.co.uk/Redhill

71

Gazoob Nationwide www.gazoob.com

63

Apps

71

Surrey Au-Pair Agency 33 Surrey 01706 562892 www.surreyaupairagency.co.uk You+ Au Pair Agency 33 Barnes, Kew, Kingston, Richmond, Wimbledon 07585 334460 www.youplusagency.com Surrey Au-Pair Agency Surrey 01706 562892 www.surreyaupairagency.co.uk Surrey Family Information Service Surrey 0300 200 1004 www.surreycc.gov.uk/feet

Children’s Bedrooms

33 29

Fleet Tutors Surrey 0845 644 5452 www.fleet-tutors.co.uk

71

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37

25

Sophie Sews Surrey 07738 514489 /01483 598056 www.sophiesews.com Orchard Cottage Riding Stables Tadworth 01737 241 311 www.ocrs.co.uk

17

Bright World Nationwide www.brightworld.co.uk

64

Ashdown House School Forest Row, East Sussex 01342 822574 www.ashdownhouse.co.uk Barfield School Farnham 01252 782271 www.barfieldschool.com Bramley School Tadworth 01737 812004 www.bramleyschool.co.uk Chinthurst School Tadworth 01737 812011 www.chinthurstschool.co.uk Cranmore School West Horsley 01483 280340 www.cranmoreprep.co.uk Croydon High School Croydon 020 8260 7508 www.croydonhigh.gdst.net Glenesk School East Horsley 01483 282329 www.gleneskschool.co.uk Greenacre School for Girls Banstead 01737 352114 www.greenacre.surrey.sch.uk The Hawthorns School Bletchingley 01883 743048 www.hawthorns.com International School Of London Surrey Woking 01483 750409 www.islsurrey.org Kingswood House School Epsom 01372 723590 www.kingswoodhouse.org Laleham Lea Preparatory School Purley 020 8660 3351 www.lalehamlea.co.uk Mayfield School Mayfield, Sussex 01435 874600 www.mayfieldgirls.org Notre Dame Preparatory School Cobham 01932 869991 www.notredame.co.uk Old Palace Of John Whitgift School Croydon 020 8688 2027 www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk Parkside School Cobham 01932 862749 www.parkside-school.co.uk Reigate Grammar School Reigate 01737 222231 www.reigategrammar.org Ripley Court School Ripley 01483 225217 www.ripleycourt.co.uk Royal Russell School Croydon 020 8651 5884 www.royalrussell.co.uk St Andrew’s School Woking 01483 760943 www.standrewswoking.co.uk St Catherine’s School Bramley, Guildford 01483 893363 www.stcatherines.info

59

Sitters Nationwide 08447 367 367 www.sitters.co.uk

31

24

23

G Live OBC, 54 Guildford 0844 7701 797 www.glive.co.uk National Theatre 55 London 020 7452 3000 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk Polka Theatre for Children 57 Wimbledon 020 8543 4888 www.polkatheatre.com The Savill Garden 52 Windsor, Berkshire 01784 435544 www.theroyallandscape.co.uk Explore Learning Camberley 01276 406868 Epsom 01372 722994 Farnham 01252 727673 North Cheam 0208 6440975 Walton-On-Thames 01932 252033 Woking 01483 600903 www.explorelearning.co.uk Gazoob Nationwide www.gazoob.com

58

Moms Making Six Figures Surrey 07932 553122 momsmakingsixfigures.com

35

Sitters Nationwide 08447 367 367 www.sitters.co.uk

31

Evening Baby Sitting

37

de Stafford Sports Centre Caterham 01883 344 355 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex Guildford 01483 443322 www.guildfordspectrum.co.uk Gymboree Horsley 07443 568 347 Surbiton 020 3609 8007 Walton On Thames 01932 221 371 www.gymboree-uk.com Tandridge Leisure Centre Oxted 01883 716 717 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk Tiny Tangles Guildford 01483 561818 www.tinytangles.co.uk

19

63

Wishing Well Natural Health Clinic Westfield, Woking 01483 764582 www.abc-osteopath.co.uk Addiscombe, Croydon 020 8656 9573 www.addiscombeosteopaths.com

28

Fishers Adventure Farm Park 51 Wisborough Green, Sussex 01403 700063 www.fishersfarmpark.co.uk

Fundraising

53 22

19 13

Complementary Health & Therapies

The Marsden March Surrey www.royalmarsden.org/march

Guardianship

7

Bright World Nationwide www.brightworld.co.uk

64

Tiny Tangles Guildford 01483 561818 www.tinytangles.co.uk

13

Hairdressing

Health & Fitness

Diego Fitness Kingston Upon Thames www.diegofitness.com

07720 837083

Holiday Clubs

Barfield School Farnham 01252 782271 www.barfieldschool.com

Holidays

Esprit Holidays Nationwide 01483 791 900 www.espritski.com

Homes & Interiors Horseriding

Independent Schools

Days Out

Employment

Home Tuition

Host Families

Family Farms

Sophie Sews Surrey 07738 514489 /01483 598056 www.sophiesews.com

Children’s Parties

36

25

Daycare

Home Improvements

APS Home Improvements Surrey 0800 458 6629 www.apshomeimprovememtssurrey.co.uk

Flipside Dance Cobham 07759 502508 www.flipsidedance.co.uk Guildford Theatre School Guildford www.guildfordtheatreschool.co.uk Phillipa Hogan School Of Dance Chiddingfold, Godalming, Hascombe 01428 683990 www.phillipahoganschoolofdance.co.uk Synergy Dance Surrey 07713 254260 synergydance.co.uk Woldingham Dance Woldingham 07557 987622 www.woldinghamdance.com

Educational Support

Au Pairs

Childcare

Dance & Drama

5

75

9

St George’s School Weybridge 01932 839400 www.stgeorgesweybridge.com Staines Preparatory School Staines 01784 450909 www.stainesprep.co.uk Sutton High School Sutton 020 8642 0594 www.suttonhigh.gdst.net Tormead School Guildford 01483 796040 www.tormeadschool.org.uk

73

Sophie Sews Surrey 07738 514489 /01483 598056 www.sophiesews.com

37

My Name Label Nationwide 0870 850 7897 www.mynamelabel.co.uk

61

66 60 78

Interior Design Labelling

Leisure Centres

75 73 62 60 77 62 67 76 65 74

de Stafford Sports Centre 19 Caterham 01883 344 355 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk Greenwich Leisure Limited IFC, 20 London, Surrey www.better.org.uk Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex 53 Guildford 01483 443322 www.guildfordspectrum.co.uk Places For People Leisure (Elmbridge) 19 Walton On Thames 01932 260300 www.placesforpeopleleisure.org Tandridge Leisure Centre 19 Oxted 01883 716 717 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk

Martial Arts

GBMAA Surrey 0800 849 6334 www.gbmaa.con London Karate Kingston, Putney, Richmond, Weybridge 07538 497798 www.londonkarate.co.uk

15

Guildford Theatre School Guildford www.guildfordtheatreschool.co.uk Gymboree Horsley 07443 568 347 Surbiton 020 3609 8007 Walton On Thames 01932 221 371 www.gymboree-uk.com

24

Music & Singing

22

74 61 72 70 66 77 75 76 69 68

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Monkey Music 27 Banstead, Claygate 01932 22 33 09 Caterham, South Croydon 020 3251 1061 Cobham, Weybridge 020 8224 0096 Dorking, Leatherhead 01483 84 13 03 Guildford 01483 82 19 32 Kingston, Surbiton 020 8224 3971 Redhill, Reigate, East Grinstead 01372 729750 Richmond, Twickenham 020 8847 4031 Woking 01932 42 92 40 www.monkeymusic.co.uk

Nurseries & Pre-School Education Active Learning Dorking, Kingston 0800 081 1620 www.activelearningchildcare.co.uk The Ark at Ripley Court School Ripley 01483 225217 www.ripleycourt.co.uk/nursery Ashdown House School Forest Row, East Sussex 01342 822574 www.ashdownhouse.co.uk Barfield School Farnham 01252 782271 www.barfieldschool.com Bramley School Tadworth 01737 812004 www.bramleyschool.co.uk Bright Stars at Cranmore School West Horsley 01483 280340 www.cranmoreprep.co.uk Brightsparks Day Nurseries Croydon 020 8667 0687 www.brightsparksdaynurseries.co.uk Brightsparks Day Nurseries Old Coulsdon 01737 552646 www.brightsparksdaynurseries.co.uk Brightsparks Day Nurseries Purley 020 8660 2340 www.brightsparksdaynurseries.co.uk Brightsparks Day Nurseries Selsdon 020 8651 3191 www.brightsparksdaynurseries.co.uk Chinthurst School Tadworth 01737 812011 www.chinthurstschool.co.uk Croydon High School Croydon 020 8260 7508 www.croydonhigh.gdst.net Glenesk School East Horsley 01483 282329 www.gleneskschool.co.uk Greenacre School for Girls Banstead 01737 352114 www.greenacre.surrey.sch.uk The Hawthorns School Bletchingley 01883 743048 www.hawthorns.com Hopscotch Day Nursery Belmont 020 8770 0761 www.hopscotchdaynursery.co.uk Hopscotch Day Nursery Sutton 020 8770 0761 www.hopscotchdaynursery.co.uk International School Of London (ISL) Surrey Woking 01483 750409 www.islsurrey.org Laleham Lea Preparatory School Purley 020 8660 3351 www.lalehamlea.co.uk Merrileas Nursery, Parkside School Cobham 01932 869973 www.parkside-school.co.uk Notre Dame Preparatory School Cobham 01932 869991 www.notredame.co.uk

32 75 59 75 73 60 31 31 31 31 62 77 62 67 76 30 30 65

74 31 72

on the WEB @

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Check it out!

Old Palace Of John Whitgift School 70 Croydon 020 8688 2027 www.oldpalace.croydon.sch.uk Parkside School 31 Cobham 01932 862749 www.parkside-school.co.uk Play BC Preschool 32 Wallington 020 8088 4808 www.playbc.co.uk Positive Steps Day Nursery & Pre-School 32 Guildford 01483 569112 West Byfleet 01932 347061 www.positivestepsnurseries.co.uk Reigate St Mary’s School 77 Reigate 01737 222231 www.reigategrammar.org Royal Russell School 76 Croydon 020 8651 5884 www.royalrussell.co.uk St George’s School 73 Weybridge 01932 839400 www.stgeorgesweybridge.com Staines Preparatory School 66 Staines 01784 450909 www.stainesprep.co.uk Starfish Nursery 30 Guildford 01483 877975 www.brighthorizons.co.uk Sutton High School 60 Sutton 020 8642 0594 www.suttonhigh.gdst.net Teddies Nurseries Godalming 30 Godalming 01483 861401 www.brighthorizons.co.uk

Photography

Jackie King Photography 10 Surrey 07754 757716 www.jackieking.net Mummy Roff’s Ginger Snaps Photography 11 Surrey 07970 787351 www.facebook.com/mummyroffsgingersnaps

Places To Visit

Brooklands Museum IBC, 48 Weybridge 01932 857381 www.brooklandsmuseum.com Fishers Adventure Farm Park 51 Wisborough Green, Sussex 01403 700063 www.fishersfarmpark.co.uk Guildford Spectrum Leisure Complex 53 Guildford 01483 443322 www.guildfordspectrum.co.uk

Hampton Court Palace East Molesey 020 3166 6000 www.hrp.org.uk Hampton Court Palace Ice Rink East Molesey 02920 230130 www.thehamptoncourticerink.co.uk Hever Castle Hever, Near Edenbridge, Kent 01732 865224 www.hevercastle.co.uk Lapland UK Whitmoor Forest, Ascot, Berkshire 0871 620 7063 www.laplanduk.co.uk Polesden Lacey (National Trust) Dorking 01372 452048 www.nationaltrust.org.uk/polesden-lacey The Savill Garden Windsor, Berkshire 01784 435544 www.theroyallandscape.co.uk Watercress Line New Alresford, Hampshire 01962 733 810 www.watercressline.co.uk

51

Fishers Adventure Farm Park Wisborough Green, Sussex 01403 700063 www.fishersfarmpark.co.uk

51

Fleet Tutors Surrey 0845 644 5452 www.fleet-tutors.co.uk

71

Surrey County Council Surrey www.pledge4plastics.co.uk

39

My Name Label Nationwide 0870 850 7897 www.mynamelabel.co.uk

61

Flippers N Fins Cranleigh 01483 279879 www.flippersnfins.com

21

GBMAA Surrey 0800 849 6334 www.gbmaa.com

15

Play Centres

Private Tuition

Recycling

School Uniforms Snorkelling

Sports Classes

49 50

London Karate 15 Kingston, Putney, Richmond, Weybridge 07538 497798 www.londonkarate.co.uk Ready Steady Go Kids 14 Banstead, Chessington, Epsom, Ewell, Kingston, Richmond, Sutton 0800 690 6591 www.rsgk.co.uk

Swimming Classes 47

43 52 52

Atlantis Swim School 21 Chessington, Croydon, Epsom, Purley, Worcester Park 020 8335 3536 www.atlantisswimschool.co.uk de Stafford Sports Centre 19 Caterham 01883 344 355 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk Greenwich Leisure Limited IFC, 20 London, Surrey www.better.org.uk Little Dippers 21 Oxshott 0844 482 0222 www.littledippers.co.uk Surrey Swim School 20 Banstead, Leatherhead, Reigate 01737 211160 07790 413054 www.surreyswimschool.co.uk The Swimming Academy 21 Guildford, Tongham, Witley 01252 512981 07919 264050 www.theswimmingacademy.com Tandridge Leisure Centre 19 Oxted 01883 716 717 www.tandridgeleisure.co.uk

Swimming Equipment Flippers N Fins Cranleigh 01483 279879 www.flippersnfins.com

21

Little Dippers Oxshott 0844 482 0222 www.littledippers.co.uk

21

Epsom Playhouse Epsom 01372 742555 www.epsomplayhouse.co.uk G Live Guildford 0844 7701 797 www.glive.co.uk National Theatre London 020 7452 3000 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk New Victoria Theatre Woking Woking 0844 871 7645 www.atgtickets.com Polka Theatre for Children Wimbledon 020 8543 4888 www.polkatheatre.com Rose Theatre Kingston 08444 821 556 www.rosetheatrekingston.org

54

Swimming Pools

Theatres & Entertainment Venues

Underwater Photography Flippers N Fins Cranleigh 01483 279879 www.flippersnfins.com Little Dippers Oxshott 0844 482 0222 www.littledippers.co.uk

OBC, 54 55 57 57 56

21 21

This directory is to help ensure easy reference to the local businesses which support ABC Magazine.

It is also a list of where you can pick up a free copy - 90% of advertisers also distribute.

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