Termtimes 116

N M TU N AU FU

PETERBOROUGH

See page 13

Issue 116 October - November 2015

Which winter coat?

WHY TRICK OR TREAT?

FRIENDS TAKE YOUR

Get into

RUGBY Plus WIN

WIN

Big Match Tickets!

TO

PYO

Pumpkin at SKYLARK

CAMBRIDGE

TICKETS

see pages 16/17

MEET THE CYBERMEN

* Other classes available: Little Monsters (3-4), Active Start (5-6) & Teens to Adults (13 plus ).

Learn the traditional aspects & values of this fun Olympic sport.

FREE UNIFORM WHEN YOU JOIN

(7-12 YEARS)*

juniors taekwondo

LESSONS FOR ALL AGES & ABILITIES

FREE TASTER SESSION

Evolution Tae Kwon Do | Peterborough Martial Arts Academy | 3-4 Wainman Road | Peterborough PE2 7BU www.facebook.com/PeterboroughMartialArtsAcademy T: 01733 235230 www.evolutiontkd.co.uk

The essential FREE publication for you and your children

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Welcome . . .

I would like to wish you the warmest of welcomes to our autumnal issue of Term Times magazine.

S

This has obviously taken on greater significance this year with the Rugby World Cup. The work that goes on at grassroots level by a team of mostly volunteers is genuinely inspirational. To see what our juniors are aiming to be, we have managed to get an interview with Northampton Saints scrumhalf, Lee Dickson.

In addition we have a number of great competitions to cater for the whole family; these include a family VIP experience at the TV Movie fest at the Cresset, a class visit to either Sea life Centre Hunstanton or Great Yarmouth and a family ticket for the Stamford pantomime performance of Beauty and the Beast. We also have a wonderfully useful competition provided by John Lewis Peterborough that should help with the annual winter coat shop.

WINNERS

COMPETITION

ummer is now a distant memory and we are battening down the hatches for the shorter days and colder nights (and if the press is to be believed, a record freeze this winter)! Our two are happily ensconced back in the school routine, although the appearance of homework for the boy has not gone down well!

With our daughter now moving up to year four, we are contending with the first whispers, getting increasingly relevant, about local school open days for year 7. I am in total denial!

Amongst the key indicators in our household that autumn is on its way is the restarting of some of the after-school and weekend clubs. For the boy we are back to enjoying standing on the side-lines watching the spectacle of under-6 tag rugby on a Sunday morning.

Amanda

NAME

LOCATION

COMPETITION

Riley Beckett

Peterborough

Hicks Karate Class

Lewis Sharpe

Cambridgeshire

Ezone party

Kacey Townshend

Spalding

Family Break

Isabelle Smith

Warboys

Books for Schools

Rebecca Ainscow

St Ives

Books for Schools

Katerine Lewarne

Wisbech

Books for Schools

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Birthday notifications

Contents 4/6 8 10 14 16/17 18 19 20 22 24/25 26 29 30

News round-up Family recipe Considering adoption?

Why trick or treat?

What’s on at Skylark Rugby with Lee Dickson Crafty Halloween Bonfire memories Reading for starters Competitions galore Classroom Bake-off!

Get your coat on!

Family walk

Competition Entry

Enter at www.termtimes.ltd.uk

Mentioning the competition you're entering, send your name, age, address, phone number and school name to Term Times, 70 Rutland Road, Stamford, Lincs PE9 1UW or via email to steven@termtimes.ltd.uk

Alternatively, competitions will be posted on our website. Please ask your parents’ permission before entering via the internet. All winners will be picked at random and Term Times decision is final.

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Term Times/Term Times Ltd are independently published and are trading styles of 12th Man Services and Solutions Ltd. Distributed free throughout primary schools in your area. Its aims are to inform families and children of current education issues, forthcoming events, places to visit, attractions etc. Every care is taken to ensure that the information in the magazine is correct at the time of going to press. However, please check opening times/entry fees etc., before setting out on a journey. We also aim to give teachers, parents and children, the opportunity to participate in the content of Term Times. Term Times does not intend to publish any racist, sexist or political matters, nor carry out editorial or advertising that may be considered to be offensive to families. Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of Term Times or the schools that distribute it. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any erroneous or misleading claims or comments made by any contributor. Competition winners will have their details shared with the competition supplier for purposes of fulfilling delivery/provision of the prize. Details of the winners will also be published in a subsequent issue and by entering the competition you grant Term Times permission to publish these. Our thanks go to the schools for their assistance in distributing the magazine, and for their contributions to its contents. We would also like to thank the advertisers who have supported this publication and made it possible. Please support them where you can.

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October The Choir is calling!

NEWS

Ciao Glapthorn!

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orthamptonshire’s Glapthorn C.E. Lower School sprang a pop-up Italian restaurant after the village-based primary school’s Year One and Two children had been growing tomatoes, basil, onions and salad leaves all term in their allotment to ‘grow their own pizzas’.

They have been learning all about Italy as well as developing their gardening skills in preparation for their classroom transformation into a restaurant. The school was lucky enough to host five Italian school

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eterborough Young Singers are committed to providing an opportunity for young people to sing together and meet new friends from across the city. The Junior Choir, for children aged between 7 and 13 years, and the Senior Choir, for young adults between the ages of 13 and 21, perform as distinct groups with appropriate repertoire but do also sing as one voice.

The choirs meet on Saturday mornings, during term time, at a brand new venue at CSK Church, Silver Hill, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8FF. This is a wonderful community-focussed venue and, already this term, the choir has been involved in a ‘fun day’ to mark the formal opening of the Chimes Coffee Shop in the same location.

There are no auditions - just come and join in the fun! Take part in all the exciting projects and regular social events such as bowling and barbecues.

For further information: E:secretary@peterboroughyoungsingers.org.uk or visit www. peterboroughyoungsingers.org.uk or www.facebook.com/PYSHome

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Italian chefs for the afternoon Charlotte, Matthew and Charlotte

children and so received some great tips about making sure their restaurant was authentic. The children designed and made their own pizzas and then transformed into waiters and waitresses to take orders to serve food to family and friends.

The restaurant was a great success with customers keen to return! One customer commented: ‘What a wonderful meal! It was delicious. We were very impressed with the fantastic service from all the waiters and waitresses too. We will recommend your restaurant to all our friends.’

Charlotte, aged 7, said: ‘It was brilliant fun making the pizzas in the morning using some of the things we had grown! Mummy came with her friend from work and had bruschetta and, best of all, we got to eat some pizza at the end!’

For more information on Glapthorn CE Primary School, visit www.glapthornschool.ik.org or call school bursar Joanna Sawyer on 01832 273452.

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Pupils Excel in handwriting competition

ambridge’s King’s Hedges Educational Federation pupils have proved their success by recently winning first, second and third place in a hand-writing competition run by the East of England Agricultural Society.

Pupils were assessed on the neatness and legibility of a short piece of literature, designed to test their motor skills appropriate for their age. The winning pupils, all from KS1, wrote the ‘Five Little Owls’ poem by Barbara Ireson. Their teacher, Miss Natalie Martin, commended the children by saying: ‘We have a big emphasis on handwriting and presentation at King’s Hedges Educational Federation and the children take great pride in their work. The children enjoyed writing the poem and we are delighted for them to have won first, second and third prize.’

‘In an age of keyboards, it is wonderful to see the school still putting such emphasis on hand-writing. That the top three entries in this competition all come from King’s Hedges Primary is a tribute to the school,’ said Geoff Dodgson, a trustee of the East of England Agricultural Society and Senior Consultant at Cambridge-based marketing agency Ware Anthony Rust. ‘It was a pleasure to meet the children and be greeted so politely and enthusiastically.’

Headteacher Josephine Angel reflected on the presentation by adding: ‘It is great to see that our pupils are recognised and rewarded for their hard work and attention to detail in their handwriting skills.’

Happy Birthday First Class Learning!

F

irst Class Learning in Peterborough South has gone from strength to strength since it was established two years ago this term.

First Class Learning provides out-of-school classes to help children with their English and their maths or with just one of these subjects. Some children come because they need additional help to catch up with their peers in school. Others come because they are not stretched enough in school and want something different to extend their learning.

Parents feel First Class Learning provides a cost-effective way of boosting their child’s learning experience.

Each child attending FCL Peterborough South has individually tailored work set for them to do in class - from worksheets or workbooks. Each child’s work will vary in complexity according to their personal level, regardless of their age. FCL learners take home further work to complete at home. At FCL, regular short learning periods are considered better than longer, intense learning periods, so the work set usually takes a child between 15 and 20 minutes to do.

One FCL class is held on a Monday, between 4-6pm, at the Hampton Vale Community Centre, Stewartby Avenue, Hampton Vale PE7 8NJ. The second class is on a Tuesday, between 4-6pm, at the Church of Christ the Servant King, Silver Hill, Hampton Central PE7 8FF. For more information, call Ruth Ekblom on 01733 602502 or 07957 893287 or email peterboroughsouth@firstclasslearning.co.uk

Little Voices Shine

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upils at Little Voices Performing Arts School in Peterborough have recently achieved some outstanding exam results with LAMDA (The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art). Children from the ages of four to eighteen took exams in communication, acting and musical theatre from Entry Level right up to Grade 8 - and over 90% of them achieved distinction.

Training weekly at venues across Peterborough and Stamford, the children from Little Voices performed scenes from The Sound Of Music, Enchanted, Matilda, Annie and Bugsy Malone to name but a few.

Julie Armstrong, Principal at Little Voices, said: ‘I am absolutely thrilled with what the children have achieved. Our 100% pass rate still stands and these are our best ever exam results by far.’

When asked about the children’s success, Julie told us that the hard work and dedication of the pupils, along with expert tuition and small class sizes, have all played a part in helping them to achieve such fabulous results. ‘I am exceptionally proud of each and every one of them,’ she said.

For more details about Little Voices visit www.littlevoices.org.uk/peterborough

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SANTA’S BARN IS BACK AT THE PETERBOROUGH ARENA Come along and enjoy our NO QUEUE all family fun wonderland.

Don’t wait around to see Santa, have fun and play before making your way to the Grotto at your pre-booked time!

FUN, GAMES, BAKING, REAL SNOW AREA, ARTS & CRAFTS AND ... HO, HO, HO MUCH MORE!

PRE-BOOKED ENTRY ONLY - TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Book your tickets by 31 October and you will be entered into the draw to WIN a Family Pass to Shrek’s Adventure in London.

Winner announced November 2015.

AVAILABLE FOR SCHOOL GROUPS AND XMAS PARTIES

Follow us at Facebook/santasbarn and visit www.santasbarn.co.uk www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

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October

NEWS continued ...

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Santa Pod’s day of action!

aturday, 31 October, is the bike never fails to amaze and the spookiest day of the year - show will round off with a fire but a trip to Santa Pod Raceway burnout display where daredevil in Northamptonshire for the racers will strap themselves in annual Flame & Thunder show before their petrol-doused, rear will make it one of the most tyres are ignited. action-packed too!

Fresh off the back of winning You’ll do well to fit everything the UK Monster Truck Nationals, into a single day! Nitro fans will Tony Dixon and the unstoppable be pleased to see a couple of Top Swamp Thing Monster Truck Fuel Dragsters duke it out for will be accompanied by Drew the last time this year. If header Thornton in Santa Pod’s resident flames aren’t enough to satisfy truck Podzilla. pyromaniacs, then perhaps the Flame & Thunder isn’t all added attraction of THREE jet about cars and bikes as there’s all cars will do the trick. As well as manner of entertainment going celebrating Halloween and the on. The live stage will be alive end of another year at Santa and kicking with Bloxed Beats Pod, there will be bonfire night performing well-known hits, celebrations with an enormous complete with backing music, bonfire and a huge fireworks with nothing but their mouths. display!

The kids are well catered for The drag strip will be a hive of with stage shows, walk-about activity all day with everything characters and their own disco from the wacky to the wonderful with a prize for the best fancy taking to the hallowed quarter- dress! Circus Whiz will also mile. There’s a selection of race be operating their circus skills vehicles from right through workshops. the ranks of National drag Add to all that a pyrotechnic racing lined up to put in some air display, freestyle motocross, exhibition runs. The fastest man live wrestling, wall of death, on two wheels, Eric Teboul, and steam engines, show cars, his hydrogen-powered rocket monster truck and drift rides.

Day tickets available from just £20 pp (plus booking fees) and kids under 16 go free! Find out more or book at: www.santapod.com

P Posh Trials

eterborough United are holding development trials for Reception and Year One boys on October 31 (9am-11am) at Fulbridge Academy, Peterborough PE1 3JQ .

Please contact Michael Fox via email to register your child TO: mfox86@hotmail.co.uk

Birthday girl!

Becki Gray On 26 October Lots of love Mummy,Daddy and Rhys xxx

Firework Fiesta set to light up Peterborough

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utumn is just around the corner and the organisers of Peterborough’s Firework Fiesta are well into plans for this year’s bonfire night extravaganza which takes place on Saturday, 7 November, at the Peterborough Arena, East of England Showground.

BGL Group is once again sponsoring the event, which is now established as the region’s premier firework display and a leading local charity fundraiser.

Visitors can look forward to a truly spectacular display of fireworks by Titanium, the company behind national celebration fireworks such as the Commonwealth Games and New Year displays in London and Edinburgh, live music hosted by Heart FM, food outlets, fairground rides and great family entertainment.

BGL’s Chief Executive, Matthew Donaldson, told us “We are proud and delighted to sponsor the event for the fourth consecutive year; it's a superb event, great family entertainment and a real highlight in Peterborough's

calendar. It’s a privilege to support an event that raises funds and helps to make a difference to so many local charities and good causes.”

Last year the event, which is organised by the Rotary Clubs of Peterborough and Peterborough Minster and Round Table, attracted over 8,000 visitors and raised £22,600 which was distributed to a multitude of charities and good causes in Peterborough.

Advance tickets for Firework Fiesta go on sale in October, priced £3 for children aged under 15 (under 2 years are free); £7 for adults and can be purchased from the Ticket Factory or from the following outlets (cash only): Van Hage Garden Centre, Queensgate Information Desk (upper ground floor), Peterborough Visitor Information Centre (Bridge Street), The Cresset (Bretton), Notcutts Garden Centre, Ferry Meadows Visitor Centre and Caravan Park.

Tickets are also available on the gate at £5 (child) and £10 (adult).

For more details visit www.fireworkfiesta.co.uk

WIN One of three family tickets to Horrible Christmas at Cambridge Corn Exchange!

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oming to the Cambridge Corn Exchange - the terrible tale of Christmas as it's never been told before.

Horrible Histories proudly presents, Horrible Christmas, from 14 December to 9 January.

From Victorian villains to Medieval Monks, Puritan

Parties to Tudor Treats, join this hair-raising adventure through the history of Christmas in the company of Charles Dickens, Oliver Cromwell, King Henry VIII, St Nicholas and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!

It’s a horrible history of Christmas that will send you crackers!

For a chance to win one of three family tickets, enter your details following the instructions on page 3. Closing date: 28 October.

Please note a family ticket is valid for 4 people (maximum 2 adults).

Winners can choose any mid-week (Monday – Thursday) performance, subject to availability.

For more details visit www.cornex.co.uk or call 01223 357851 6

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MAKE YOUR CHILD A POP STAR! Does your child have star quality?

Do something different and book a pop party!

Experience a fun day out, perfect for all occasions, the ultimate recording studio experience! Create your own music CD to take home on the day.

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Let’s try vegetable quesadillas

Always ensure a parent is on hand to help before following this recipe 1 small to medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1–2cm dice 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into 1–2cm dice kernels from 1 sweetcorn cob 1 red onion, peeled and finely diced ½ tsp ground cumin ¼ tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp paprika

As well as being a great main course; these also make a colourful sharing platter for a larger gathering. Serve them with a dollop of soured cream and guacamole.

Teatime Treats

a good pinch of smoked paprika 1–2 red chillies (depending on heat and your preference for it), deseeded and finely chopped 4 large flour tortillas 150g Cheddar, grated large handful of coriander leaves finely chopped light olive oil for roasting, frying and brushing salt and pepper

SERVES 4

COMPETITION

WIN

For a chance to win one of the Spring and Summer Veg Riverford Companions, please enter your details following the instructions on page 3. Two lucky readers will be drawn at random to receive a copy of the publication. Closing date is 28 October.

 Heat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Toss the squash, pepper, corn, onion, spices, chilli and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large baking dish. Season with salt and pepper.  Roast the veg in the oven for 35–40 minutes, until tender, tossing once halfway through so it cooks evenly. Remove from the oven and turn the temperature down low, to approximately 130°C/Gas 1.  Brush each tortilla on one side with a little oil and put one into a large nonstick frying pan, oil-side down. Sprinkle some cheese over one half, then the veg mixture, then a few coriander leaves.  Fold the other half of the tortilla over to make a semi-circle, gently pressing down with your hands to flatten it slightly. Cook for a couple of minutes, until the underside of the tortilla is crisp and golden brown (keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn). Carefully turn it over and cook the other side until crisp and golden. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remainder.

Cut each one in half to serve.

Other great recipes can be used from the Riverford Companion: Spring and Summer Veg. The next book in the Riverford Companion series, Autumn and Winter Veg, is due out October, 2015, £16.99. Available from www.riverford.co.uk/cookbook or call 01803 227227.

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Considering adoption?

National Adoption Week 2015 will focus on the large number of children aged four and over who are still in care and waiting to be adopted.

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tarting on 19 October, National Adoption Week takes place every year and aims to raise the profile of adoption and the children who wait in the care system.

This year’s theme is ‘Too old at 4?’. Children older than four typically wait longer in the care system than younger children – a situation local adoption agency Adoption Connections wants to help change.

Adoption Connections is the adoption service of St. Francis’ Children’s Society (SFCS), and is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. With offices in Peterborough and Milton Keynes, SFCS approve and support new adopters across the region.

Adoption Connections is committed to finding families for children who are sadly deemed ‘hard to place’. This includes children over the age of four as well as sibling groups of two or more children, those with physical disabilities or other additional needs, and children

from a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

There are widespread misconceptions that children in these categories are harder to care for than others. Subsequently, they spend longer in temporary foster placements and wait longest for the stability of a permanent, loving home.

To combat this growing issue, Adoption Connections has launched their Diversity Project, which seeks to raise the profile of ‘hard to place’ children. The Project actively encourages adopters to put aside any preconceptions they may have and consider whether they could provide a family for these children. It also offers a wide range of specialist services to support these adoptive families.

Sarah is a ‘Diversity adopter’ – she is a single adopter who lives locally with her adopted son Steven. She became a mum in 2014 with the help of Adoption Connections.

If you’re touched by the stories you hear in National Adop tion Week, Adoption Connection s would love to hear from you.Advice and support is offered to anyone considering adoption - without pre ssure or obligation.

‘I always knew I wanted children’, she said. ‘It didn’t happen naturally, so I decided to adopt. I’m divorced but I work as a social worker, so was aware that you can be single and still adopt. I also knew adoption agencies have difficulty placing boys from ethnic backgrounds within permanent families’.

‘The whole process took just over a year – from my first phone call, through the preparation and approvals process, to Steven coming to live with me. It feels so right and natural. Having a child has exceeded my expectations – my life is more fulfilled and I would definitely recommend adoption.’

 For an informal chat, call 01733 475581 or email enquiries@sfcs.org.uk www.sfcs.org.uk/adoption-connections

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Eat well in no time

1 Cram your meals full of good wholesome veggies especially when cooking for the kids. It’s amazing what you can get in! Try finely chopping some spinach into a lasagne or Bolognese sauce, or adding in courgettes, carrots, peas and sweet corn to any meal. Getting a veggie box delivered will increase your family’s veggie intake and it’s delivered free. What could be easier!

It’s not always easy finding time to serve fresh, seasonal food, let alone something cooked from scratch. The team from Riverford’s organic farm at Sacrewell near Peterborough has been helping families to eat better for over twenty-five years.

Here are their tips for fuss-free and healthy eating.

 Going Carb Free? (or Gluten Intolerant) - for those who are looking for an alternative to rice, try using grated cauliflower as the rice in any meal, slightly toasted with a pinch of herbs, garlic and pepper! Or if you are gluten intolerant, try courgettey spaghetti, using ribbons of courgettes instead of pasta spaghetti or you may like to try layered leeks as the pasta in a lasagne.  Cooking from scratch - getting back to basics is by far the best way to eat. You know what’s going in your food and are able to monitor much more closely the amounts of salt and sugar in the family meals.  Eat with the seasons - there is nothing better than the taste of home-grown veggies rather than produce artificially-ripened or transported thousands of miles.

Eating seasonally promotes fresh, often UK-grown produce, picked when it’s at its best with minimal artificial involvement. 

To find out more, visit www.riverford.co.uk or call 01803 227227

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Involve your children - this can be a little timeconsuming and they do make mess but it’s important. What you teach them now will build them firm foundations for their future. Let them chop, grate, slice, spread, touch food, sample it and talk about where veggies and fruit come from.

You are the adult, in charge of what they eat and ultimately their view of food for the future - so use this time wisely!

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PETERBOROUGH

Helping children to achieve more The Children’s University gives 7 to 14 year olds (and 5 to 6 year olds with their families) the opportunity to experience high quality learning activities outside normal school hours.

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t graduation ceremonies last year children were presented with over 300 certificates, celebrating an amazing 7,500 hours of extra learning at school clubs and validated Learning Destinations.

“The children’s self confidence soars when they join the CU as they are able to take part in some genuinely exciting and often unique learning opportunities outside school. The excitement and enthusiasm the children bring to their independent “The graduation ceremonies learning is a joy to see!” are brilliant fun and I feel really proud of myself, but the best thing about the CU is the amazing experiences I’ve had. At the Raptor Foundation I flew a giant owl and learnt all about its natural habitat.” Max, aged 9

Activities included everything from ballet to bushcraft, giving as many children as possible the opportunity to learn something new.

For a comprehensive list of local and national Learning Destinations, visit www.childrensuniversity.co.uk

For more information on becoming a validated Learning Destination or about school membership, please contact Lisa Thomas, Peterborough Children’s University Manager on 01733 864784, or email l.thomas@beeches.peterborough.sch.uk

Drama & singing lessons for your little star!

Let your little one shine!

Apply for your child’s

FREE TRIAL LESSON peterborough@littlevoices.org.uk T: 07801953643

NOW ENROLLING IN: STAMFORD, WERRINGTON & STANGROUND

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Halloween explored

By Chris Carr

Why do we go ‘trick or treating’? Why do ghosts come out on Halloween? What does it even mean?

Halloween is a short way of saying All Hallows’ Eve. The day after 1 November in the Christian calendar is All Saints’ Day when all the saints are celebrated.

So the day before is the eve of that celebration.

But it’s actually very much older. When Europe became Christian about 1,500 years ago the Church took many of the pre-Christian festivals and made them fit with Christianity. For instance, if you had been Roman you would have celebrated Saturnalia in mid-December by bringing green branches into the house and giving gifts to your family. If you had been living in Britain before the Romans came you would have enjoyed the Winter Solstice when the days start to get longer.

Halloween is like that. It started as a Celtic festival called Samhain (say Sow-in) which was held in the month we call October. This was the night when it was thought that the curtain which separates our world from the world of the dead is at its thinnest.

This is the night when the dead can come to visit us. But to those ancient Britons it wasn’t a time to be scared of ghosts. It was a time to remember your ancestors. An extra place was set at the evening meal to welcome any ancestor who wanted to join the family. All Saints’ Day was also known as All Souls’ Day, a day to pray for and remember all those who had died so carried on the much older ritual.

What of ‘tricks and treats’ then? This is a tradition from America which is actually an old custom from Britain. On 1 November wealthy people would give very poor people a special cake called a Soul Cake. In return for the cake, the poor person would pray for

the soul of the person who gave them the cake. In the 1800s, lots of people moved to America from Scotland and Ireland where the Soul Cake tradition was still carried on. In America, it was changed to children asking for sweets. It only came back to Britain in the 1980s when American TV shows became popular.

So perhaps this year you might like to go back to the old ways: think about a relative who is no longer here; perhaps research some of your family tree to find out about your ancestors and, instead of ‘trick or treating’, how about donating some food at your local Food Bank like those rich people from the Middle Ages?

And perhaps leave some food and drink out - you never know who might visit. ● Chris Carr is a living historian with an interest in historical food. She can be seen each year at the Peterborough Heritage Festival and other local events. Chris is available for visits to schools and gives talks to groups of all ages.

See www.brigaandfriends.co.uk for more details.

FIRST CLASS LEARNING ENGLISH AND MATHS TUITION

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Disabled access coach with a lift available.

Peterborough based

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Since re-opening in April this year, Lincoln Castle has welcomed over 170,000 visitors, well above expectations.

In addition to the sheer spectacle of the restored grounds and castle the venue has hosted a wide range of events so far.

New world-class heritage visitor attraction for Lincoln

T

he hugely popular Horrible Histories tour performed in the grounds in June, and Britain’s Got Talent winners, street dance crew Diversity, attracted almost 4,000 visitors to see a specially commissioned performance.

Still to come this October, the Dungeons and Dark Holes activities run from Tuesday 27 - Thursday 29 October. Younger visitors will be able to test out their bravery with a scary look at how prisoners were kept at Lincoln Castle through the ages! Activities include dressing up like a prisoner, tasting some grizzly gruel and craft activities to make and take home.

Suitable for ages 6–11, the sessions cost £8 per child. Other October highlights in the calendar include the return of the extremely popular Lincoln Sausage Festival on the 24th October– as the Castle celebrates the county’s most iconic export and visitors tuck into more than 30,000 individual sausages! Plus on the 30 and 31 October, Frequency Festival 2015 comes to a impressive finale with After Dark

at the Castle - a spectacular night of light, sounds, lasers and projections. Witness the story of Magna Carta with a brand new night-time show ‘The One, the Few and The Many’ and journey through history as laser and lights show the power of the King, the Barons and the Citizens on the lawns and walls of the Castle.

Lincoln Castle makes for a great family day out though at any time. Open all year round, the magnificent fortress has much to offer. Explore the towers and dungeons of the Medieval Wall Walk – with the complete perimeter wall open to the public for the very first time. A brand new audio commentary will guide you as you enjoy spectacular and unique views over Lincoln and the magnificent cathedral.

Visit the imposing Victorian Prison and extraordinary separate system chapel. Come

face to face with convicts and hear their stories with new interpretation including films, panels and digital interactive screens.

And of course, see Magna Carta. Immerse yourself in the story of King John, the barons and the birth of the Great Charter in the wraparound cinematic experience of the David P J Ross Magna Carta Vault. Sealed

by King John in 1215, Magna Carta is widely regarded as the foundation stone of democracy.

 For more details on events, opening times and admission prices please visit www.lincolncastle.com

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Get into RUGBY With the Rugby World Cup in full swing, what better time to start looking into this sporting hobby for your child. Children, both girls and boys, can take up rugby classes through clubs and class providers.

R

ugby is not all about scrums, rucks and mauls as for younger children (generally up to 9 years old), the sport is non-contact. While parents may naturally be concerned about the physical aspect of the game, the non-contact version ensures sessions are enjoyable – with tears kept to a minimum!

Tag rugby is one form of non-contact played by youngsters, encouraging the principles of the game such as passing, teamwork and having energetic fun. Coaches encourage the children through many different games and training routines to dodge, evade and pass, whilst the other player tries to rip off one of the two velcro tags. Once the tag has been taken off, the tackler shouts ‘Tag’ and the tackled player passes backwards to a player on their own team.

As the children get older this is modified so that the tackles are counted, and after 6 tags possession is surrendered.

Whatever age group your child starts at, the game allows children to gain confidence,

learn different rules of the game and also gain good manners away from the family home.

Much of the rugby code of conduct is based on respect to other players and referees. At an early age, respect shown to the coaches is encouraged, combined with sportsmanship, and discipline that will stand them in good stead in the future, both off and on the field.

When choosing a club, the first step is to contact your local team and see when the sessions appropriate to your child’s age groups will take place. Normally sessions are on Sunday mornings and last for 60-90 minutes.

Most will be happy for you to come along to try a couple of sessions first. This is a good way to evaluate how they get on and interact with others. Coaches will also be able to give you an understanding of the progression through the teams available and what special events take place in the year - most clubs will hold family days.

Is wearing the correct gear important?

Minis rugby groups (as well as Mum and Dad) can get cold in the winter months and

so wearing warm and durable sports gear is a sensible option. Boots, hats and gloves are a must to have. Many clubs run a shop for branded items and also offer a secondhand box that is useful for picking up good, cheap boots. A good idea is to ask your coach when a gum shield is normally required.

Don’t forget the snacks and drinks for your youngster. They will burn a lot of energy and need some good sustenance to keep them going. The sessions will have regular drink breaks but best to have the odd chocolate bar at hand for afterwards.

While costs vary per club, most are in the region of £60 for a season.

You may have the next Jonny Wilkinson out there – but, if not, they will have great fun playing the game with their friends.

More details about the code of conduct and children playing rugby can be found at www.rfu.com

Photograph courtesy of www.redhatphoto.com

Let’s meet… Lee Dickson

The Northampton Saints and England scrum-half is tackled

by Term Times about being a professional rugby player…

Tell us about the first school you attended? My school was Barnard Castle school in County Durham. It was an amazing school and I have some wonderful memories. It was a great sports school.

What was your favourite subject (other than PE)?

My favourite was classical civilisation .

First sporting team you played for? My school, Barnard Castle.

How much do you weigh and how tall are you?

Height 5ft 11ins, weight 84kg.

Do you have an interesting diet? It’s not that interesting really- just normal stuff. Lots of meat, vegetables and salad. I do have a sweet tooth, though, so sweets are a killer for me.

Any major injuries so far in your career? A few. I have broken my jaw, had two shoulder operations and one knee reconstruction.

How many times do you handle the ball in a typical game? Over a 100 times at a guess.

How much training do you do in a typical day?

We do about four hours of physical training a day and then we do a lot of classroom work as well.

See Lee and his teammates in action!

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WIN

Peanut butter or chocolate spread sandwiches for lunch? Peanut butter all the way.

Favourite childhood toy and do you still have it? Action Man and soldiers. I don't have them now but my boys have just started playing with army soldiers.

Sporting childhood hero/moment you remember and why? George Gregan, the Aussie scrumhalf. When Australia won the World Cup he was just unreal. He was a real general of the pack.

What did you really want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be in the army as my dad is in the army and I was keen to follow in his footsteps.

teacher. He really believed in me when other people didn't. He worked day and night with me at school.

Having to choose to play for either Scotland or England was a big decision. Are your Scottish relatives still talking to you? Yes, the Scottish lot are still talking to me. It was a very hard decision to make but I feel it was the right one for me back then.

What life skills has rugby taught you? How important it is to be a good communicator, to work well in a team, always believe in yourself and your team mates and how vital it is that we always stick together.

Are you a good spectator when watching your children play sport? Yes and no. I try to bite my tongue but sometimes I find myself shouting from the side-lines. I am also not good at watching my wife play netball.

What advice would you give primary school children interested in getting involved in rugby?

Always smile and enjoy it. If you don't love it you shouldn't play it. Work hard and put the time in to become the best.

What three words would you use to inspire the next generation of rugby stars reading this?

Who was the greatest positive influence on your rugby career and why? Martin Pepper my school Believe, perseverance and dedication.

A FANTASTIC FAMILY TICKET FOR FOUR

To see a Northampton Saints live game! Simply tell us the position Lee plays in? Follow the instructions on page 3 to enter. Closing date: 28 October. All tickets subject to availability and does not include the fixtures of Exeter (New Year’s weekend) or Leicester (Aviva Premiership R20). www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

 Empty milk bo ttles  LED candles or glow sticks (you can find packs in Poundshops)

 Using the orange paint, cover the inside of the jar

all over and leave it to dry. If need be you can put on a second layer to make it look REALLY orange.

 Paint on your scary Halloween face on the outside of the jar. A common one is using triangles for eyes and the nose and a BIG cheesy grin.

 Experiment with what you want to use to make your own pumpkins. I even used a plastic cup upside down! Just make sure Mum doesn’t need it back afterwards!  To make some ghosts you need to remove the label from the milk bottles and ensure they’ve been washed out to get rid of all the left-over milk. Then just paint on a spooky faces on the biggest side you have. I use the one opposite to the handle.

To light up your new items you can use ‘fake’ LED candles inside them or put in a glow stick. I don’t recommend using real candles as they are very hot and we don't want burnt fingers.

Make your own Halloween lights

What you need:  Orange and black paint  Paintbrush  Empty jars

O’ Making your own Jack can it t bu fun Lantern is a lot of y the ly, sad , and ssy me be very e hav t no y don't last long. So wh e som ng usi e on g kin a go at ma d every old jars that can be use come? to rs yea Halloween for

If you’re in a painting mood, you can always visit Andronicas Ceramics Studio at Peterborough Garden Park, where there are lots of pumpkins ready for painting just like the one in the middle of the photo and, if you mention you found out about the shop from Term Times, you might get a little treat! For more details visit:

www.studiocafepeterborough.com

by Jess Morris

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Remember, remember...

'Must have'

book

Peter’s Railway The Great Train Robbery

by Christopher Vine The Peter’s Railway stories tell the tale of Peter and his Grandpa as they build a steam railway across their farm and overcome the obstacles and issues they encounter along the way.

The Great Train Robbery is the latest paperback book in this unique series of charming books for children aged from six to 12 who love trains.

The story follows the children, Peter, Harry and Kitty as they not only protect their amazing miniature railway, but also foil a terrible robbery and catch the dangerous villains. At the end of the adventure, the children are presented with a huge reward.

It is 48 pages of fun, adventure and mayhem. It also includes one of author Christopher Vine’s characteristic, technical pages that simply explains how Peter’s burglar alarm works.

"The Peter’s Railway books are my way of passing on my passion to a younger generation and if they help ignite an engineering spark in any of my readers then I will have done what I set out to do." - author, Christopher Vine Formerly an engineer with Rolls Royce, Chris is hugely passionate about engineering, anything mechanical and especially steam railways. He wants to make engineering interesting and accessible to kids at a young age.

At just £4.99, and filled with John Wardle’s wonderful watercolour pictures, The Great Train Robbery is available from railway gift shops, book shops, Amazon.co.uk and, for signed and dedicated copies, PetersRailway.com

Briga and Friends Making History Live!

KS2 Teachers:

• Are you teaching pre-history?

• Do you know the Neolithic from the Iron Age?

• Need help?

• We offer workshops and seminars to help teachers understand the ancient world.

From one to one sessions of 1 hour to full days for the whole teaching staff.

Pre-history, Roma n, Medieval and Tudor days.

Just let us know you r requirements.

History days for children: • Handle artefacts • Learn about daily life • Try the food

k dfriends.co.u rigaan www.b Join in the discussion at: E: briga@brigaanfriends.co.uk T: 01778 341213

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... the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot

By Kate Chapman Yep, it’s coming round to that time of year again; the children are all settled back into school and the leaves are turning from green, to yellow, orange and brown, which means summer is long gone and it’s time to say ‘hello autumn’ once more.

I don’t dislike this time of year though. It’s not quite cold enough to warrant the full hat, scarf and gloves on the school run and autumn comfort food is some of my favourite.

But this season also brings with it another tradition I enjoy Bonfire Night.

As a child I recall November 5 being a big deal at my primary school – there’d be a massive mound building at the far end of the school field for weeks before it was due to be lit. We’d watch with anticipation as it slowly grew bigger and bigger as everyone in the village brought along their trailers of rubbish to tip on onto the mounting pile.

While us pupils would excitedly build the Guy – bringing our dads’ old clothes in to school to stitch together and stuff with scrunched-up, smelly old newspapers before he was proudly hoisted atop the finished bonfire.

The night itself always bought our village community together - everyone would gather on the field dressed in practically all the clothes they owned. There we’d stand scratching our legs because our mums had made us put our thick, woolly tights on under our jeans (even the boys) to keep the cold at bay.

We’d munch on hotdogs, toffee apples and desperately try to cut up leathery, baked bean-topped jacket potatoes with plastic knives and forks while balancing them in polystyrene trays on our knees before the main event.

And what an event it was. We ‘oooohhhed’ and ‘aaaaahhhed’ at the Catherine wheels - which, looking back, were pretty lame.

We’d write our name in the sky with sparklers and then cover our ears and duck behind our parents’ legs when the big bangers went off - although these tiny little rockets were nothing compared to the multi-explosion ones available today.

Nevertheless, they still impressed us as they lit up the sky in a rainbow of neon colours.

Now it’s our turn to take our little ones to bonfire parties. I love seeing it through their eyes and watching their faces light up as the rockets explode and the wonder as they twirl their own sparklers through the air.

Health and safety has put the kibosh on a lot of displays, but nothing - except perhaps the size of the bangs - has really changed since I was little.

Kate Chapman is a freelance journalist whose work appears in a variety of newspapers and magazines.

She also writes the blog Yellowbelly Mummy, charting the ups and downs of being a mum-of-two in rural Lincolnshire. /yellowbellymummy Follow her adventures by visiting: www.yellowbellymummy.wordpress.com

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Beginning School, Beginning Reading When children begin school, learning to read is one of the most important things they will do and will also be a hot topic for discussion amongst parents in the playground.

T

eachers alone cannot teach children to read. Children are likely to spend more time reading individually with their parents than teachers and so it is important that parents feel confident when helping their children learn to read.

The method of teaching reading changes over the years. The current way of teaching reading is primarily through phonics. Learning to read using phonics isn’t a new concept, but in the past, it has been used in combination with other methods, such as ‘look and say’ and predicting or guessing words based on pictures or context.

Different schools use different phonics programmes, but it is likely that your child will learn their letter sounds in small groups together and then work on blending them to make words. The first sound group is usually ‘s, a, t, p, i, n.’ Later on they will learn sounds such as ‘ai, ee, igh, oa, oo,’. Once children know some sounds, they will be encouraged to blend them together to make words, such as, ‘r – ai – n.’

For more reading advice and access to a wide range of reading scheme books go to www.readingchest.co.uk

As your child’s reading develops, make sure they understand what they are reading. There is the danger that children

will happily decode all the words on a page but not take in or understand what they have read. To check your child’s comprehension, comment on things and ask questions as they read.

There are lots of websites to help with sound pronunciation, such as www.oxfordowl.co.uk (follow the link for ‘expert help’). This might seem obvious, but when sounding out ‘mat’, it is important to sound out the ‘m’ at the beginning as ‘mm’ sound rather than ‘muh’.

Don’t worry if your child’s reading level is below some of their peers and don’t try to push your child up through the book bands too quickly. Children learn to read at different rates - with some starting school being able to read fluently, whilst others might not recognise any letters.

This will all even out within a few years.

It is developing the love of reading rather than the skill of reading which is the most important. Children who have a love of reading will have the biggest advantage in the end – so enjoy your child’s reading journey with them!

By Liz Read

Worried about your child?

Are you and/or your children struggling with emotional issues or difficult experiences.

As a counsellor, psychologist and play therapist, I can provide the space and time to explore these issues so that you can get back to some sense of “normality.”

Call me now to see how I can help T. 01733 808495 T. 07802 401010 enquiries@paulacashcounselling.com www.paulacashcounselling.com

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A MONTH OF DRIVE-IN MOVIES 15 0 2 ER

OB T C O FROZEN

Friday 9th - 7.30pm

LIFE OF BRIAN Sunday 18th - 7.30pm

GHOSTBUSTERS Wednesday 28th - 7.30pm

DIRTY DANCING Saturday 10th - 7.30pm

BACK TO THE FUTURE 3 Wednesday 21st - 7.30pm

GHOST Thursday 29th - 7.30pm

SKYFALL Sunday 11th - 7.30pm

HARRY POTTER Friday 23rd - 7.30pm

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET Frday 30th - 9.00pm

DESPICABLE ME 2 Friday 16th - 7.30pm

MAMMA MIA Saturday 24th - 7.30pm

SHAUN OF THE DEAD Saturday 31st - 9.00pm

GREASE Saturday 17th - 7.30pm

PULP FICTION Sunday 25th - 7.30pm

www.ticketsource.co.uk/driveinmovie Eye Rd, Peterborough PE1 4YZ www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

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Meet the stars!

An incredible convention is being staged in Peterborough giving you the opportunity to get close to the best-loved stars and performers famous for their roles in some of the world’s favourite fantasy and sci-fi shows.

F

rom Doctor Who to Star Wars, Blake’s 7 to Bond, the TV and Movie Fest at the Cresset, Bretton, Peterborough, on Sunday, 25 October, 2015 (9am-5pm), will provide fiction, fantasy and fun for fans of all ages.

Get to meet the 5th Doctor Who, Peter Davison, who also starred in All Creatures Great and Small; Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce from Blake’s 7; Shane Rimmer (Thunderbirds); and Peter Purves (Blue Peter).

Coinciding with the release of the new Star Wars film, coming along to the Fest will be Garrick Hagon (Biggs Darklighter) and Stephen Calcutt (Darth Vader and Chewbacca stand-in). Joining them will be James Bond beauty Nina Muschallik, Derek Martin who played Charlie Slater in East Enders, Francesca Folan from Red Dwarf and a host other well-know names of the large and small screen.

Look out too for the menacing Cybermen who commanded the fleets of spaceships - called the Cyber Legions - that invaded London, only to be thwarted by Doctor Who! See the sets, props and costumes of these TV programmes and films and listen to talks from those involved. This will be a great chance to take photos, get autographs and collect memorabilia.

Family admission (two adults and two children) to TV and Movie Fest costs £25 with adults £10 (from 10am) plus a further £5 if you enter from 9am. Children (5-16) cost £6. Tickets from the Cresset (01733 265705) or from www.tenthplanetevents.co.uk

COMPETITION

WIN

Here’s your chance to be photographed with the Cybermen Legion - and to win a goody bag PLUS free entry for the winner’s family. Two runners up will each receive a goody bag and free family entry to the event.

Question: What number Doctor Who did Peter Davison play?

Enter by following the instructions on page 3. Closing date is 18 October, 2015.

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WIN A Sea Life school class trip!

Sea Life at Norfolk’s Hunstanton and Great Yarmouth is a fantastic day out all year round - so why not win a trip for your school class to experience the creatures of the ocean and their habitats?

B

e amazed by the many strange, beautiful and fascinating creatures of the deep as you journey around the centre. Prepare for astonishing close up views of everything from humble starfish to tropical sharks. The centres are currently home to over 50 different displays, including a Tropical Ocean display and tunnel where you can see the sea creatures, the sharks and the sea turtles up close! Don’t miss feeding time at the Humboldt Penguin Pool or the factual talks about the rays, sharks and turtles.

Both centres will be turning the spotlight on scary critters of the deep this Halloween, as well as meeting creepy crabs, batfish, wolffish and other appropriately named creatures.

Then visitors will learn that it is we humans who are the real monsters! The special package of fright-fest’ entertainment is running from Saturday 24 Oct to Sunday 1 November and will also highlight the horrors that pollution, over-fishing and other human follies are inflicting on the marine world.

There will be lots of fishy fun too, including spooky fact finding, scary face painting and ghostly crafts!

COMPETITION To win a school class trip to either Sea Life in Hunstanton or Great Yarmouth simply answer this question.

Which sea creature in the ocean tank can hold its breath for up to two hours while taking a nap?

A – Black tip reef shark B - Stingray C - Green sea turtle Enter via post, email or the Term Times website. The winning entrant will be randomly selected. The closing date is 28 October. There’s a runner-up prize of a Family ticket (four people).

A GREAT DAY OUT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY!

TERMS The competition winner is dependent upon the winning school accepting and fulfilling the prize. The school is responsible for arranging transport to either Hunstanton or Great Yarmouth Sea Life and also the safety/welfare of all participants while on the trip. Up to 30 school children and six accompanying teachers/parents can gain entry within the prize. The prize is valid for redemption until 31 January, 2016.

Puffin Book Review Max at Night

by Ed Vere, paperback, £6-99 Max the Brave is tired and ready for bed. But when he cannot find the moon to say goodnight to, he sets out to find it - not as easy as he had hoped. Witty and heart-warming, this beautifully illustrated book is the ideal bedtime read. It’s the perfect follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Max the Brave.

Percy Jackson and the Greek Heroes

by Rick Riordan, hardback, £12-99 In this gripping follow-up to Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods, demigod Percy Jackson tells the stories of 12 of the original Greek heroes in all their bloodthirsty glory. Want to know who cut off Medusa’s head? Which hero was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus, the winged horse? Percy has all the answers.

WIN

A New Hero

by Curtis Jobling, paperback, £6-99

Pantomime family tickets

Polka Dot Pantomimes will be back to Stamford Arts Centre from Thursday, 7th January to Sunday, 10th January, with the hugely popular Beauty and the Beast! To be in with a chance to win one of three sets of family tickets to a selected performance answer the following question:

In the popular 1992 animated film of Beauty and the Beast, what is special about a particular teapot that lives in the Beast’s castle?

Follow entry instructions on page 3. Closing date 28 October.

Remember, the Arts Centre has special performances just for schools on Thursday, 7 January at 10.30am and Friday, 8 January at 10.30am.

For more details, visit www.stamfordartscentre.com or call the box office 01780 763203.

WIN BOOKS FOR YOUR SCHOOL

The first book in a new fiction series based on the best-selling game sensation, World of Warriors.

On the run from bullies, Richard ‘Trick’ Hope is transported to the mystical Wildlands where the greatest warriors throughout history have been summoned to fight in a battle for survival. Trick has been chosen to form a band of the seven top warriors to defeat the evil Boneshaker. The stakes couldn’t be higher - defeat Boneshaker or never see home again!

TO EN TER: This competition is for anyone to participate in, with three winning entries gaining these books for their school. Visit our website to enter or post your details to our address on page 3.

Closing date 28 October, 2015.

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Mixing together

Bake Off The Great Shirley

by Kirsty Morris from Shirley Primary School.

FIRST AID 5 1 0 2 S E T A D E COURS PAEDIATRIC

12 &13 October 9 &10 November 7 & 8 December £75 PER PERSON T: 01733 351909 E: denise@fenlandfirstaid.co.uk Venue: Centre 68, Westgate Church, Peterborough

www.fenlandfirstaid.co.uk 26

BOOK NOW

How do you excite children about science? How do you enthuse teachers about teaching science? How do you make a memorable day for children and allow them show their creative thinking and problemsolving? Answer: Bake!

Shirley School in Chesterton, Cambridge, all took part in a ‘Science Day’, also known as ‘The Great Shirley Bake Off’. The aims were simple: enthuse children and teachers about science and allow children to use their scientific enquiry skills in a practical context.

The day started with an assembly, led by the school caterers, ABM. The children were introduced to their task: to design and make a biscuit which could be carried in a pocket without breaking, could be dunked in tea without disintegrating, was healthy and tasted good. Children had the whole day to experiment, design and make their biscuit, ready to present the final piece for judging by a team from ABM at the end of the day.

After the assembly, children enthusiastically set to work experimenting with a range of biscuits to find which recipe would best fit the bill. Would the shortbread dunk best? Or would it be the custard cream? How would they make sure they kept the other variables the same to make a fair test? Which biscuit could be dropped from the highest height without breaking? Children collected their results, focusing on accuracy, so they could share their results with other groups and together choose which Choosing the recipe recipe to use for their biscuit.

The next challenge was designing. Children used the results of their experiments to design a winning biscuit, and then made the chosen design from each class in the ‘Bake Off’ tent with our experts from ABM. It was hard to stick to the design and not use all of the ingredients provided!

After a last-minute rush, the biscuits were ready to present for judging. Children were not only asked to present their biscuit, but also to explain their choices based on their scientific investigations. They all did a great job justifying their decisions, and produced a delicious selection of biscuits! The winners of the best biscuit category were year 1, for their double layer shortbread creation, and the winners of the best scientists, year 6, for their great explanation of how they kept their experiments fair and made sure their results were accurate.

A great, action-packed day of science, designing and making really helped children to see the importance of science in everyday life and practise their scientific skills with the whole school. We look forward to another science day in 2016!

www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

Great Gifts!

Pablo & Jane and the Hot Air Contraption

Join Harry Spotter on

31st October

By Jose Domingo, hard-back, £15-99.

WIN YOURSELF A COPY! Term Times has 5 books to give away. Enter your details via instructions on page 3. Closing date 28 October.

For more details on other titles from Nobrow press and how to order visit www.nobrow.net

Dare to ride The Wizard Express

7pm departure This engaging and hilarious spooky comic book story uses look-and-find elements for reader participation.

A strange green glow is coming from the old house up on the hill and when Pablo and Jane decide to enquire they make an unexpected discovery.

Zapped into the Monster Dimension by the evil cat, Dr Felinibus, they must now find a way home in the broken Hot Air Time Machine - with a little help from their friend Dr. Jules.

Glow Sticks,GoodieBags & Fun Halloween costume encouraged £13.50 per person

Help Pablo, Jane and Dr Jules as they race for their lives through Lopsided London, Terrifying Transylvania, Horrid Hawaii to find the missing parts of their machine and avoid the terrors of the Monster Dimension.

4-18 yrs

Every Saturday 9.30 -12.30

Innova Performing Arts Studios

John Mansfield Centre Peterborough

For over two decades we’ve championed an exhilarating approach to theatre school education in theatrical arts for young people - teaching our children how to dance, act and sing in performing arts classes.

Our stage school brings out the best in students, builds confidence and gives aspiring young actors opportunities of a lifetime via our large scale London shows and smaller local shows each year.

We are proud to announce our theatrical partnership with Goldmans management. All Theatretrain pupils can audition for a top london child agency for tv, film, commercial & theatre roles.

Amazing opportunity for local children, and clients include Disney, ITV, Sky, Sky Atlantic, CBeebies and the BBC.

NEXT PERFORMANCE: DISNEYLAND PARIS PARADE To book your child for a trial session or for details please contact Michelle: T: 07808728243 E: peterborough@theatretrain.co.uk www.theatretrain.co.uk www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

27

Fun Days and more at Snap!

Snap! 4 Kids Ltd has an exciting calendar of events this autumn with the focus, as always, on creative learning and play.

A

visiting music specialist will run weekly musical sessions, introducing Snap! children to a variety of instruments, creating new music, joining in with all their favourite songs, developing their aural capability and, most importantly, having great fun!

Creative storytelling takes place regularly with all age groups. Sometimes Snap! 4 Kids take existing stories, exploring and expanding events within them. Sometimes they take objects, found or made, and try looking at them differently. And sometimes they try improvising new stories, to enable young imaginations to take flight.

As an extension of these activities, from this October to next July they are launching the Animation Project. Building on creative storytelling, using Lego characters or those made from plasticine or found materials, Snap! children 3 years and over, will learn stop motion animation techniques to create short animated stories. Once these short adventures have been filmed and edited, animators will work with a professional composer to add in sounds effects, dialogue and music. When the animations have been completed Snap! 4 Kids plan to launch the UK's first Animated Film Festival for film makers 5 years and under – and all parents will be invited to share in the fun!

Two Family Fun Days in October are open to all.

The first will be held at their Cambridge city setting on Saturday, 24 October (11-2). The second will be at their nursery in Hauxton on Saturday, 31 October (11-2).

If you are looking for childcare and want to know more about how the Snap! 4 Kids family would look after your family, call 01223 477413 for the Cambridge setting, 01223 870966 for Hauxton, or on info@snap4kids.co.uk

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Cute & Cosy with Queensgate Autumn is here and the colder months are just around the corner. We have picked out the top coats and jackets to keep your little ones snug throughout the chilly season, all available at Queensgate Shopping Centre.

BHS, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Boys Red Spiderman Coat (from £32)

Next, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Elephant Print Mac (£20)

H&M, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Coat (£39.99) Next, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Dinosaur Coat (£27)

Monsoon, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Aurora Rose Reversible Jacket (£18)

Queensgate Gift Card (£5-1000) John Lewis, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Little Joule Girls’ Quilted Jacket (£54.95-£59.95)

WIN John Lewis, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Jigsaw Junior Girls Faux Fur Trim Coat (£75-£79)

A COSY COAT FOR YOUR LITTLE ONE with JOHN LEWIS

John Lewis, Queensgate Shopping Centre – Hatley Boys’ Farm Tractors Rain Jacket (£32)

We have teamed up with the children’s wear department in John Lewis at Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough, to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a brand new coat for their little one John Lewis, Queensgate Shopping this winter, worth up to £35!

Centre – Polarn O. Pyret Children’s To enter, send us your details following the instructions on page 3. Closing date 28 October. If the child’s coat you wish to purchase costs more than £35, this amount will be deducted from RRP, with the remainder to be paid.

Quilted Coat (£55)

ACTION-PACKED

HALF-TERM SPORTS CAMPS

in Peterborough for boys & girls aged 5 - 12 years Our fun holiday sport camps during autumn half-term are a great experience for children to enjoy sport activities in a safe environment.

ONLY£15 PER DAY BOOK NOW FOOTBALL Our football activity includes fun warm-up games, skills coaching, minitournaments and penalty shootouts.

MULTI SPORT A chance for your child to try their hand at everything from football, basketball, rugby & cricket to athletics, tri-golf and more.

All activities are

SPORT GAMES This includes fun games supervised by our like dodgeball, benchball, Robin Hood, experienced, qualified, team races and freezeball. coaching team.

For more details of venues, dates and times visit our website Book single or multiple days • 10% discount for bookings of 3 days and over

Call Scott from Key Sports on 07790 016886 or email: keysports@hotmail.co.uk

www.keysportscoaching.co.uk www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

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FAMILY WALKS

Hunstanton to Thornham

By Ian Beacham

Determine the direction in which any breeze is blowing and do this wonderful Norfolk coastal walk with the wind at your back. It’s equally enjoyable for children of all ages at any time of the year but, from October to December, the skeins of pink-footed geese flying overhead add even more interest.

T

his is the Norfolk coast at its best with cliffs, sandy beaches, dunes, pine forest, creeks and salt marshes – and the sea never too far away. From the end of the golf course at Holmenext-the-Sea (where there are public

toilets nearby) to well past the two nature reserves, there is a wooden board-walk to make the going easier; then it’s a firm path heading inland to the lovely village of Thornham. It’s hard to get lost here! Just follow the finger-post signs.

If the tide is out, stroll along the beach from Hunstanton to study the cliffs’ unusual geological formation of chalk and sandstone and then make the most of the wide expanse of sand where the sea is just a distant silver line on the horizon. Enjoy the time to study the huge amount of bird life while collecting a variety of shells from the shore and cones in the woods.

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It’s a walk you’ll want to do time and time again – in every season of the year.

Map: OS Explorer 250 en, rmation Centre, The Gre Start (or finish): Tourist Info Hunstanton. next to Finish (or start): Bus stop FACT FILE am.

Orange Tree pub, Thornh in ks par Parking: Plenty of car in Hunstanton and in streets Thornham. k Coast The route: Follow Norfol in rn) aco g win (sho s sign Path ost all the way. either direction. Flat alm around 2.5 hours.

About six miles. Will take ry sthopper bus service (eve Getting back: Excellent Coa . hour winter) half-hour summer; every Three es and pubs in Hunstanton. caf of s Lot Refreshments: fway at hal é Caf . am rnh Tho in d pubs and deli serving foo ly in n weekends in winter, dai Holme Nature Reserve ope summer. and old nstanton’s unusual cliffs What to look out for: Hu sands; rm fi s, riou glo ; use lightho shipwreck underneath; a ations of geese form h wit lly ecia esp y ivit immense bird act and winter; dunes to play in; flying over in autumn and es. superb views of the marsh 30

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  Youngsters will love clambering over the rocks at Hunstanton.  Hunstanton’s dramatic cliffs. The dunes near Thornham are perfect for a game of hide and seek. Admire the wildfowl and waders on Holme Bird Observatory’s Broad Water. Large ships once entered this channel at Thornham to unload coal. Peaceful creeks are left when the tide goes out.

www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition

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www.termtimes.ltd.uk Autumn edition