Families Cambridgeshire March - April 2016

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Cambridgeshire

MARCH / APRIL 2016 ISSUE #35

WIN A YEAR’S SUPPLY OF READING BOOKS

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INSIDE: • CAMBRIDGE LITERARY FESTIVAL - BIGGER THAN EVER!

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M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

Contents & Competitions Its Spring, time to blow away the cobwebs with fresh air and new thinking, spring clean your mind and think a fresh.

I have a jam packed issue for you with plenty to keep little ones busy this Easter, from Easter egg hunts to lambing. This year’s Science Festival is bigger than ever (see page 11), with so many great events to choose from you will want to visit them all, from ‘Chemistry in action’ to ‘slippery slimy science’. Having recently celebrated book week, what better time to visit the Cambridge Literary Festival where you can meet your favourite author, learn how to draw your own kooky characters and @familiescambs

create a giant picture book (see page 13).

You will need to rest tired feet and re-fuel after visiting all these events across Cambridge, so why not head to the newly hatched Reys chicken restaurant on Corn Exchange Street for brunch, lunch or dinner. Have a lovely Easter and don’t forget to mention Families Cambridgeshire when booking your events.

facebook.com/CambridgeshireFamilies

DON’T MISS A COPY! Receive Families Cambridgeshire by post for just £9.30 for 6 issues (1 year) or £18 for 12 issues (2 years). Call or email editor@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk for a subscription form.

Last month’s winner is Marleen de Veij from Histon

WIN

A YEAR’S SUPPLY OF READING BOOKS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR WITH READING CHEST!

Encourage children to develop their love of reading with Reading Chest, an innovative book rental service for primary-age children learning to read.

Reading Chest is a through-the-post book rental service for school approved reading scheme books aimed at children aged 4-9. For a monthly membership fee (from £9.95), children receive regular deliveries of books from Reading Chest’s extensive selection, including Bug Club, Collins Big Cat, Biff, Chip and Kipper Stories, Treetops, Project X, Rigby Star and Phonics Bug. Each delivery comes

complete with a pre-paid return envelope, making it easy for even the busiest of parents to provide their children with some great choices for their daily dose of reading. www.readingchest.co.uk For a chance to win a year’s Bronze Membership. Visit www.familiescambridgeshire.co.uk and tell us one of the books mentioned from the reading collection.

Families Cambridgeshire is part of Families Magazines Ltd a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence. Families ® is a registered trademark of Families Magazines Ltd, Temple House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families Cambridgeshire are fully protected by copyright and non of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of the publisher. We take every care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.’

THE TRADE MAGA

What’s in this issue?

ZINE FOR MUMS

& DADS!

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Cambridgeshir MARCH / APRIL

SEE PAGE 3

SCIENCE FESTIV AL

- BIGGER THAN

4 News & Views 7B aby News What’s new in the baby world plus tried and tested products by our very own mums.

9 Nursery Feature Take a closer look at some of the Nurseries in Cambridgeshire.

10 W hat’s on this Spring Great days out for the family including events at this year’s science festival.

13 T he Cambridge

Literary Festival We take a closer look at what’s happening at this year’s Festival.

15 K ids don’t come with a manual

Seven of the most common parenting mistakes.

17 N ew Engineering

Curriculum at St Faiths Find out why St Faiths are incorporating Engineering into the curriculum.

18 E aster Clubs & Classes Take a look at some of the classes on this Easter.

EDITOR: Lisa Exell 01945 861336 editor@familiescambridgeshire.co.uk DESIGN: Michelle Jones michelle@squarkdesign.co.uk

Vienah - HD Master @ The Brow Boutique Tel: 07950 19 88 44 Website: www.lashes-brows-stylist.co.uk M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

e

2016 ISSUE #35

WIN

A YEAR’S SUPPLY OF READING BOOKS

INSIDE: • CAMBR IDGE

17,000 copies of Families Cambridgeshire available through schools, nurseries, hospitals, clubs and classes, selected shops and restaurants. If you would like copies for your establishment please let us know.

Dear Reader,

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EVER!

News & views

Short News NEW languages App

Learn languages easily and cheaply as a family with the new FlashSticks® app LATEST Not only are languages back APP on the school agenda (now compulsory at primary school and again at GCSE), but research by Harvard University shows young language learners do better in maths and verbal tests than nonlearners and have better cognitive abilities relating to general intelligence, memory and reading.

The FlashSticks® app is free to download on the App or Google Play Store. It works alongside FlashSticks® PostIt® Notes. More information at www.flashsticks.com.

Playground dangers Lead found on playground equipment Paint with up to 40 times the recommended safe levels of lead has been found on playground equipment.

The journal Science of the Total Environment studied the equipment and said that the levels might post a significant risk to children’s health.

The study was carried out by scientists from the University of Plymouth who tested paint in 50 play areas in parks across England.

European rules drawn up in 1977 say that paint used on children’s equipment should contain no more than 0.25% lead. However, the scientists found some parks with up to 10% lead in the paint.

Simply Scrumptious

Now you can make your own Simply Scrumptious cakes. Joanna Gamble from Simply Scrumptious is offering sugar craft and sugar modeling classes.

So now you can wow your friends and family with beautiful sugarcraft flowers and modeling. Learn in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with friends, or take your mum for a mother’s day treat.

To book call 07415 121654 Mother’s www.the-sugar-artist.co.uk

Day 6th Mar ch

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M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

League table criteria change Government announces an end to judging schools on GCSE results From 2017, schools will not be judged and ranked on their raw GCSE results but will instead be measured by a broader range of criteria across eight subjects. The government says this will toughen standards.

Currently, if fewer than 40% of a school’s pupils get five GCSEs at A* to C grades, the school is considered to be “underperforming.” The number of those schools remained stable in the UK at 312.

Head teachers have complained that basing a school’s performance on GCSE results alone was unfair and unrepresentative, as it did not take into account factors such as a school’s intake.

Disadvantaged children often achieved poorer results, with just 36% of children who receive the pupil premium attaining five good GCSEs. Gender differences are apparent, with 60% of girls receiving good GCSE results compared to just 50% of boys.

The new ranking system will see schools judged on a system called Progress 8. This replaces the five or more GCSEs benchmark with a system that studies progress made by students between Key Stage 2 tests (taken at the end of primary school) and performance in eight subjects at the end of secondary school.

Malcolm Trobe of the Association of School and College Leaders said: “Measuring schools on GCSE attainment does not take into account the fact that children are at different points when they start their

secondary education. Schools may be doing a fantastic job in helping struggling pupils make great progress but judging them on GCSE results does not reflect this because it is based on the grades achieved rather than the progress made.

“This particularly penalises schools in challenging areas. It can unfairly stigmatise schools which are actually doing superb work in difficult circumstances and this can be damaging to the morale of school leaders, staff, pupils, parents and communities,” he said.

Jane Murray of West Norfolk Tuition said ‘Children work at different levels, at different ages, as long as the individual child is making good or better progress with their learning then surely the school is doing what they should. . To ask all children to reach the same levels, when some children enter the school at below average standards, is not always possible with 30 children to a class. Children that are struggling to keep up in class need extra support which can only come from one to one or small group tuition, this isn’t always possible in schools due to lack of funds. It will be interesting to see how this latest initiative, Progress 8, will shape up, hopefully it will relieve some of the pressure that young people have been undergoing these past few years’. West Norfolk Tuition help children who may need additional help with the key academic subjects of English, Maths and science. If you feel your child may benefit from some supplementary lessons book an assessment 01366 384778.

Growing your own saves you pounds Cambridge residents are saving an average £352 a year by digging for their dinner plate, according to new research by the UK’s ultimate grow your own event – The Edible Garden Show.

The study by the show, which takes place 11-13 March at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre in Stoneleigh alongside Good Life Live, revealed home-grown food has never been more fashionable – and with good reason. In the city over two-thirds (69%) of people have grown their own produce in the last five years with 56% planning to in 2016.

For information about this great value for money family day out visit: www.theediblegardenshow.co.uk

Families

LOVES!

News & views

Campaign to find foster carers for teenagers Cambridgeshire County Council recently launched a campaign to find foster carers for local teenagers in care.

For children and young people in care, being away from their own families is often a very difficult and unsettling time in their lives and this can present a wide range of challenges to their carers. However, caring for teenagers can also be hugely rewarding as it involves helping them during an important and exciting time in both their personal and academic lives.

Local foster carer Lynn, has experienced many of these challenges and rewards. She said “over the 2 years that my husband and I

have been fostering we’ve cared for teenagers who have been through a wide range of experiences and have come from very different backgrounds. We have often found that they have very low self-esteem and a negative view of their futures. It can be difficult, but we work hard to gain their trust and show them that they can have a positive future to look forward to” To be a foster carer you need to be over 21.

You don’t need to own your home, but you do need to have a spare room. Foster carers can be single, married, in a civil partnership or living with a partner. Applications are welcomed from people of all ethnic backgrounds and from people who have their own children, as well as those who haven’t raised children of their own.

Foster carers are offered comprehensive training, 24 hour support and generous allowances. Carers can also earn additional payments as they develop their skills and experience.

If you live in Cambridgeshire and feel you may be able to support a teenager please get in touch today on 0800 052 0078 or visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/fostering.

Newly-hatched chicken restaurant Forget KFC and Nandos, Reys is a wellconceived, quality chicken restaurant; with a reference to ‘renard/reynard’ (French and old English for ‘fox’) no ordinary chicken will ever taste as good, once you have eaten one of Reys birds.

Newly-hatched on the corner of Corn Exchange Street and Wheeler Street, Reys’ specialty is exceptionally great-tasting rotisserie chicken, all slowly-roasted, self-basted and sensationally succulent. The idea for Reys was conceived in Paris, where the Reys founders tasted chicken like never before. From there, the team flame-grilled in Northampton’s tiniest kitchen, fought fire in a garden pit in York and crossed from Cornwall to Carcassonne in search of the best breeds and the perfect recipe to create the tastiest of birds.

Only the best chickens are used, sourced from the slow-growing Hubbard breed in the West Country. We loved that the children’s menu was child size portions of the adult menu rather than

Familie s

LOVES !

the usual pizza, pasta and chicken nuggets. There were highchairs and a few baby/toddler toys for the younger tots, no colouring pencils or activity sheets for the slightly older children, but the open kitchen with the impressive 25- bird rotisserie spit, which is in full view, was enough to keep my boys entertained! www.reys.co.uk Family friendly ★★★★✩ Family food ★★★★★

Open day Saturday 23rd April St Christopher School in Letchworth Garden City, help children between the ages of 3 and 18 become selfdisciplined, self-motivated, creative thinkers and develop them as independent learners who are able to make informed choices.

They have high expectations of all within the School and expect excellent behaviour and maximum effort. St Christopher also expects everyone to work together, to enjoy their time at School and have fun working hard.

For more information visit www.stchris.co.uk

Wear your hat on Wear a Hat Day – 24th March If you’ve not already saved the day, save it now! Wear A Hat Day is a fun-filled, annual brain tumour awareness and fund raising event helping to support research. The organiser, Brain Tumour Research, is asking families and children and schools across the UK to put Thursday 24th March in their diaries and don a hat to support the cause.

Schools, nurseries, organisations and individuals can all find out how to register and take part at www.wearahatday.org

Jamie Oliver’s Victory over McDonald’s Celebrity Chef has claimed he has forced the burger giant to change its recipe.

Jamie Oliver is no stranger to a controversial but well-meaning campaign.

He has frequently lambasted the food industry for failing to provide nutritious school meals for our children and the government for avoiding legislation to cut down on sugar in food.

However he took on even more of a giant when he criticized McDonald’s for using meat suitable for animals in its burgers.

One of the ingredients in hamburgers from the worldwide chain in the US is a processed food type that Oliver calls ‘pink slime.’ He was shocked when he discovered that ammonium hydroxide was being used to convert fatty beef offcuts – the kind usually suitable only for dog food – into a ‘beeffiller’ for the burgers.

Though the filler is not used in the UK, Oliver has denounced the process on his show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.

“Basically, we’re taking a product that would be sold at the cheapest form for dogs and after this process we can give it to humans,” he explained.

The burger chain has now removed the beef filler from its burger patties.

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ANNOYING OR DEADLY?

How intolerances and allergies can make your child’s life a misery

By Radhika Holmstrom veryone’s heard of an ‘allergic reaction’.

But what does that actually mean? And what is the difference between an allergy and an intolerance?

To start with, an ‘allergic reaction’ isn’t actually caused by the ‘allergen’. It’s caused by a person’s own immune system reacting to something which most people find completely harmless.

Unfortunately, these defence chemicals also produce symptoms like inflammation and irritation. At the worst end of the spectrum there’s anaphylactic shock, with a rash, swelling in the throat – which can cut off the airways – and plummeting blood pressure.

E

Could it be my child – and what should I do?

If your child’s showing an allergic-type reaction to particular foods, the sensible thing is to get them to the GP and then press for a referral to a consultant if you need to.

If they do turn out to have a serious allergy, they’re likely to be prescribed an EpiPen, which injects adrenaline into the body to relax their airways and muscles so they can start breathing again (remember the EpiPen should be renewed regularly

and you must get your child to the hospital as an emergency as soon as you have used it). But the main course of action from here on is just avoiding the allergen.

Intolerance It’s also important to know that a lot of people who think they’ve got an allergy actually have a food ‘intolerance’. They do get a reaction of some sort but not an allergic one. Intolerances are harder to identifyand there are only a few reliable tests.

But the good thing is that although they can be very nasty on the gut, with bloating and stomach cramps, they’re not actually life-threatening.

Once again, though, do talk to the GP and try to get a referral to a dietitian or similar – especially if you suspect that the problem lies with gluten because in fact the culprit may be coeliac disease.

Don’t DIY At their worst, allergies can be deadly – and at their mildest, both allergies and intolerances are pretty annoying. Nobody really wants to spend their time scrutinising lists of ingredients. If you do suspect your child has one, don’t try and diagnose it yourself, or with the help of a ‘kit’ from a company.

Get the professionals on board to help work out what the problem is. You may well find it’s quite different from the one you suspected; and you may even find that your child doesn’t have an allergy or intolerance at all.

RadhikaHolmstromhas a strong background in health journalism. She has also written for many consumer and specialist magazines.

Whilst she focuses on health, parenting and learning issues, she has also written widely on environmental and ethical issues.

She is a visiting lecturer at Middlesex University, lecturing to undergraduates and postgraduates on feature-writing.

St Christopher School Truly Independent

OPEN MORNING Saturday 23rd April 9.30am – 1.00pm Highly successful Day and Boarding school Excellent Independent Education for girls and boys from Nursery to Sixth Form Outstanding results at Junior School, Senior School and Sixth Form Fantastic facilities on a 38 acre site For further details, or to arrange a private tour of the school, please contact Michelle on 01462 650947 or admissions@stchris.co.uk We look forward to meeting you.

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08/02/2016 12:03

Families Pregnancy & Baby News

Exercise in Pregnancy Reduces Gestational Diabetes We all know how important it is to look after your body during pregnancy… not just for the health of your baby, but for your own health too. After all, carrying your baby, going through labour, and looking after a newborn is hardly a walk in the park, so we need to make sure our bodies are as healthy as they can possibly be!

One of the most common side-effects of pregnancy is Gestational Diabetes – a condition that in itself isn’t too serious, but is associated with disorders such as preeclampsia, hypertension and preterm birth – and, long-term, could lead to a higher risk of developing type-2 diabetes. But research shows we can reduce our risk of gestational diabetes simply by exercising.

The review in question, presented in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, looked at the effect of exercise during pregnancy. In the study, the team looked at the results of adding exercise into

the lives of healthy, pregnant women who were previously doing little to no exercise, and found that the added exercise actually reduced their risk of gestational diabetes by 30%. And if that’s not enough, it also reduced the chances of excessive weight-gain during pregnancy. So head out for a brisk walk, or introduce some swimming, or light jogging into your life, and you’ll be helping to keep your pregnant body as healthy as possible in preparation for your special little arrival.

Comment by Dr Sally Norton. UK Health Expert. NHS Weight Loss Surgeon.

Founder of www.vavistalife.com

Science Festival 2016 investigates the bonds between mother and baby The link between a mother and her baby is profound, and ongoing research discussed at this year’s Cambridge Science Festival (7-20 March) suggests the extent of mother and baby brain interaction could be much deeper than we thought.

During the event, Baby-mum brain interaction: hands-on brains-on experience, researchers from the Baby-LINC (Learning through Interpersonal Neural Communication) lab use the latest wireless

WHAT’S NEW

EEG (electroencephalography) brain imaging technology. By measuring brain activity in both mother and baby at the same time, their research is revealing how the electrical activity between two brains can become naturally synchronised during play, and how this synchronisation helps babies to learn.

Speaking about the on-going study, researcher Dr Victoria Leong, from the Centre for Neuroscience in Education at the University of Cambridge, states that mothers and infants share a close emotional bond that shapes some aspects of early brain development, and it seems that disturbances to this early bond can produce long-lasting effects.

Further information can be found at: www.sciencefestival. cam.ac.uk

Bugaboo blankets

This spring, Bugaboo has updated its blanket portfolio with the new Bugaboo Soft Wool Blanket made from the finest Merino wool suitable for even the most sensitive skin. Merino wool is breathable, while absorbing and releasing moisture in warm conditions and creating an extra layer of insulation during colder days. Merino wool naturally repels dirt and the easy-care finish allows you to wipe away small spills, or put the blanket in the washing machine and tumble dryer. For a retailer near you, please visit bugaboo.com/retail-locator.

TRIED & TESTED

Weaning made easy

Weaning is made easy with the Béaba Babycook® allowing parents to create nutritious, balanced and creative meals for little ones in 15 minutes. The Béaba Babycook® is an all-in-one steamer blender that allows parents to give their tots the best nutritional start in life when introducing their first solids. Parents can cook a range of perfectly balanced, blended food for the foodies of the future. The innovative, compact design is practical as well as functional, and will fit perfectly into any kitchen. Béaba understands how important healthy eating is especially for little ones when they start eating proper food, so they get all the vitamins and minerals they need. The quick and easy cooking process means less time in the kitchen and more time with little ones, with meals ready from fridge to highchair in minutes. Simply steam a variety of nutritional and healthy ingredients: vegetables, fruit, fish and meat; rice, pasta and quinoa then blend the delicious combination to the preferred texture, whilst retaining all the vital nutrients.

The defrosting and reheating option is perfect for meal planning, simply pop the meal to reheat in and steam, safe in the knowledge that nutrients and vitamins won’t be lost. The Béaba Babycook® is available at John Lewis, Amazon and JoJo Maman Bebe. (RRP £109.95)

★★★★★ M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

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Bring Bring a Friend Bring a Friend a Friend We understand that even the most curious minds sometimes crave home comforts, so your teddy is always welcome in class.

Most children join us age 3, for Nursery. Reception places are more limited. To join in September 2017 register before 28 August 2016 (Reception) and 15 December 2016 (Nursery) Find out more Phone 01223 403940 Online www.perse.co.uk

birth to pre-school free-range fun for your child

facebook.c om/ bumpkinsn ursery

Learning through play: Music, Dancing, Art and Craft, Story time, Cookery, Dressing Up, Role-play, French and Spanish; NEW Montessori equipment for the pre-schoolers

*pop over to our website to discover how we chose our nursery room names

Most children join us age 3, Most children join us age 3, WeWe understand that even for Nursery. Reception places understand that even for Nursery. Reception places Age-appropriate rooms and Activities: are more limited. To join in are more limited. To join in Caterpillar, Ladybird, Bumblebee, the most curious minds September 20152015 register the most curious minds Butterfly, Grasshopper and Dragonfly September register beforebefore 28 August 20142014 (Reception) rooms* 28 August (Reception) sometimes crave home and 31 20142014 (Nursery). sometimes crave Most children join home us age 3, andDecember 31 December (Nursery). all-weather playgrounds and large We understand that even for Nursery.

Reception places open grass areas to run, jump and skip! comforts, so so your teddy Find Find out more comforts, teddy are moreyour limited.

To join in out more The great outdoors is a very important part of life at the most curious minds PhonePhone 01223 403940 September 2015 register 01223 403940 Bumpkins; even babies go for walks around the farm in the is always welcome in(Reception) class. www.perse.co.uk comfort of the Bumpkins buggy is always welcome in class. OnlineOnline before 28 August 2014 www.perse.co.uk sometimes crave home

comforts, so your teddy is always welcome in class.

Pre-school care Building independence in your child as they grow, in preparation for “big� school

Home cooked food using only the best local ingredients Individual care and support for each and every child Bumpkins offers a loving family environment created by qualified happy staff

Open 7.30am - 6.30pm, Bumpkins is based on a working farm in Whaddon, nr Royston, just 12 miles from Cambridge.

For all children aged 3 months - 5 years old.

Bumpkins Day Nursery

caring with a difference

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and 31 December 2014 (Nursery).

Find out more Phone 01223 403940 Online www.perse.co.uk

Come and see us in action, any day of the week! www.whitehallschool.com tel: 01487 840966

Come and see for yourself the difference that Bumpkins can offer you and your child.

email: office@whitehallschool.com nursery@whitehallschool.com

Call us today to arrange a visit

Whitehall School, Somersham, Cambridgeshire PE28 3EH

01223 208 777 www.bumpkinsnursery.co.uk

M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

Families Information

The Perse Pelican Nursery & Pre-Prep The Pelican Nursery and Pre-Prep is where a Perse education begins. From their very first visit, we strive to make each child’s experience of school happy and exciting. It is a pleasure to see them skip eagerly into the Pelican, where classroom routines are quickly established, friends made, balanced meals eaten, grazed knees cleaned and – where needed - lost teddies located.

Most girls and boys join us age 3, in Nursery, but we also take a small number into Reception.

We encourage daily, small steps, building on curiosity and developing confidence. Whenever asked if they prefer easy or hard lessons, Pelicans always respond with the latter! They relish challenge and aim high, knowing there is always someone nearby to support them.

The Pelican is exempt from the National

Curriculum, so we can tailor teaching to each child’s interests and abilities and take learning much further. Fresh air and fun are frequently on the timetable; both Nursery and Reception classes have special outdoor classrooms for open-air learning.

Children do best when there is a strong partnership between home and school, so we hold regular curriculum evenings to explain our approach and help parents support their child’s learning.

Come and see for yourself – I would be delighted to show you around. To book a place on our summer open morning, on Friday 29 April, or to arrange an individual visit, please call Mrs Hipperson on 01223 403940. www.perse.co.uk Sarah Waddington, Head

Whitehall School Nursery Whitehall School Nursery is a unique, home-from-home setting which has been rated as “Outstanding” by Ofsted. We pride ourselves on being a calm and caring environment where children are recognised and celebrated as individuals. We provide a stimulating, engaging and varied environment for children from 6 months with a maximum number of 14 children.

The rooms are set out to encourage selfreliance with equipment easily accessible to the children. The garden areas are fenced to give the Nursery their own outside space within the school grounds and are used extensively for time to explore the natural world, for gardening and to play. Being a small setting we are able to closely follow the routines which babies have already

established at home and we have a strong ethos of working with parents as partners, creating strong relationships with both children and their families. Children explore all aspects of practical life and sensory learning and are introduced to the fundaments of language and numeracy through play and exploration.

Our staff are carefully selected for their caring and loving nature and the day includes outdoor activities, gardening, yoga, art, sensory play, singing and a wide range of child-led activities from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. An early start is available from 7.00 am and the Nursery is open for 50 weeks of the year. www.whitehallschool.com T: 01487 840966 E: office@whitehallschool.com

Bumpkins Day Nursery Based on a working farm in Whaddon, South Cambridgeshire, Bumpkins Day Nursery offers quality daycare for children aged three months to five years. We have large age-appropriate rooms and activities from birth to pre-school, where your child builds their independence in preparation for “big” school.

We believe that children learn best by doing and having fun, and that developing a love of learning from an early age creates strong individuals who are happy and secure.

The great outdoors is a very important part of life at Bumpkins, and we are lucky to have access to large areas of grassed meadows, fields and an all-weather surfaced garden. Even the babies go for walks around the farm in the comfort of the Bumpkins buggy. The children feed the Bumpkins hens and we use their eggs

for cooking. We also plant vegetables in our veg patch, something all the children enjoy helping with. Farmer Roger is our landlord and his potatoes taste so much nicer when you have watched them grow and perhaps even helped to dig them up!

All our food is locally sourced, freshly prepared and home cooked with very low food miles, as all our suppliers are within a four mile radius. We would love to show you the Bumpkins Difference, to arrange a visit call 01223 208 777 www.bumpkinsnursery.co.uk Our close proximity to Melbourn Science Park and train stations at Meldreth, Shepreth and Royston with fast links into London means we attract families from Cambourne, Cambridge and Huntingdon as well as our local villages.

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Families Fun

Fam i

l ie

FAVES s ! Easter Egg Hunt

Mucky Pups Mad March Hares

WHEN? 25 – 28 March, 11am-3:30pm

WHERE? Anglessey Abbey – Cambridge

WHEN? 9 March, 10:15-11:45am

HOW MUCH? £2.50 per child Bunny’s been up to his old tricks again!

He’s hidden his precious Cadbury’s Easter treats around Anglesey Abbey.Now it’s up to you and your family to find them. www.english-heritage.org.uk

WHERE? Wicken Fen - Ely

HOW MUCH? Tickets £4.75 Seasonal fun, craft and adventure for under 5’s.For children aged 3+.Booking essential.01353 720274 www.nationaltrust.org.uk Fre

e!

Easter Egg Hunt

Introduction to Geocaching

WHEN? 25 March -10 April

WHERE? Maize Maze Skylark – March

WHEN? 13 March, 10:30-12 pm

HOW MUCH? Children £7 Feed the lambs and go on an Easter Egg hunt every day then enjoy the usual fun yard activities. www.skylarkmaizemaze.co.uk

WHERE? Ferry Meadows Country Park - Peterborough HOW MUCH? FREE - suggested donation £2 Find out how to get started with the hi-tech treasure hunt activity called geocaching.

Everything you need to do will be explained in this session. There will also be the opportunity to find some caches in the Park. 01733 234193 or e-mail visitor.services@ neneparktrust.org.uk to book www.neneparktrust.org.uk

W hat’s On … for k ids of a

WHERE? Sacrewell Farm – Peterborough

WHERE? Kings Lynn Corn Exchange HOW MUCH? Tickets from £18.00 Bill Kenwright’s production of Tim Rice and the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling family musical continues on its record breaking tour. Retelling the Biblical story of Jospeh(Joe McElderry), his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours. www. kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

WHERE? Peckover House & Garden Wisbech HOW MUCH? £2.50 per child plus normal admission A special children’s trail for Easter, with a Cadbury chocolate egg prize! Sponsored

by Cadbury’s. 01945 583463 or visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/peckover

ll ages!

WHEN? 25 – 28 March

WHEN? 15-19 March

WHEN? 25- 28 March, 11-4pm

places Things to do, e h ad to go, fun to b s... this Christma

Big Bunny Hunt

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat

Easter Trail

HOW MUCH? £3 per child Hidden around the farm are the Bunny’s Easter Eggs, the challenge is to find one to give to the Big Bunny in exchange for a chocolate surprise, but first you have to find the bunny in his cosy burrow www.Sacrewell.org.uk

Lambing at Wimpole WHEN? April

WHERE? Wimpole Farm - Cambridge HOW MUCH? Normal admission prices Lambing season gets underway at Wimpole Hall’s home farm this month, visitors can watch newborns take their first steps and learn all about lambing. www.nationaltrust.org.uk/ wimpole-estate

Peppa Pig

WHEN? 2-3 April

WHERE? Cambridge Corn Exchange HOW MUCH? Family ticket £58 Surprise! Peppa Pig, George and their friends are back in Cambridge in a brand new live stage show, Peppa Pig’s Surprise.

Cambridge 01223 357851 www.cornex. co.uk

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FAVES s !

The Gruffalo’s Child WHEN? 29 March -3 April

Wizard of Oz

WHEN? 18-20 March

WHERE? Key Theatre, Peterborough.

HOW MUCH? Tickets £15.50 One wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s child ignores her father’s warning and tiptoes out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he?

01223 503333 www. cambridgeartstheatre.com

HOW MUCH? Tickets from £16 West End Wildcats present the classic story of Dorothy and her friends, complete with all the songs we all know and love. Contact the Key Theatre box office: 01733 207 239 vivacity-peterborough.com

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Build a Den on the fen

WHEN? 30 March, 10.30am or 2pm WHERE? Wicken Fen - Ely

HOW MUCH? Tickets £5.25 Little dens for minibeasts and big dens for you. Plus games and challenges inspired by sticks. For children aged 3-10 years. Booking essential. 0844 249 1895

Please quote Families when booking any of these events

WHERE? Cambridge Arts Theatre

Families Fun

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Sciences, Wilberforce Road, CB3 0WA “A mathematician, like a poet or a painter, is a maker of patterns”, G H Hardy famously wrote, and mathematics is a creative art.

Develop your problem-solving skills with hands-on mathematical activities and games. From the antiRubik’s Cube to origami.

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Things to e h ad to go, fun to b .. at this year’s.

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Open afternoon at the Institute of Astronomy Fre

WHEN? 19 March, 2pm – 6pm

Chemistry in action

WHEN? 12 March, 10am – 4.30pm

WHERE? Department of Chemistry,Lensfield Road, CB2 1EW Look beyond the ordinary, Magnetic levitation – get excited by materials that start floating when you cool them down. Play with materials that absorb 800 times their weight in water, and others where water bounces right off!

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ee!

WHEN? 7-20 March HOW MUCH? All events are FREE Children, young people and families are invited to be a part of this year’s Cambridge Science Festival with a packed series of talks, games, experiments, theatre shows, demonstrations and hands-on activities. The biggest day for families is always the first Saturday of the Festival. A vast range of events showcase the diverse areas of science. In this special ‘What’s on’ we have dedicated the page to a selection of events at the festival this year.

For a full list of Family events visit www.familiescambridgeshire. co.uk Bookings are now open at: www.cam.ac.uk/science-festival or phone: 01223 766766.

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4pm

Crash, Bang, Squelch! CHaOS at the Science Festival e!

WHEN? 12 March, 10am – 5pm

WHERE? Department of Zoology,New Museums Site,Downing Street, CB2 3EJ Get to grips with exciting, fascinating and just plain weird science that shows you how the world works. Enthusiastic students from CHaOS show what goes on in our experiments.

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WHERE? Institute of Astronomy,Madingley Rise,Madingley Road, CB3 0HA The Institute of Astronomy opens its doors for an afternoon of handson activities, demonstrations, talks and displays all around our lovely wooded site. Meet the scientists and their telescope, and learn more about both astronomy and the research they do.

University of Cambridge

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Conservation hub

WHEN? 12 March, 10am – 4pm Drop in WHERE? David Attenborough Building,New Museums Site, CB2 3QZ Visit the new David Attenborough Building for hands-on activities and talks that get you up close to the cutting edge of conservation. It’s going to be wild!

Turbo-power: See how jet engines and turbo machines work Fre

Fixed-wing aircraft –

WHEN? 19 March, 11am – 4pm

WHEN? 12 March, 10am –

WHERE? University Centre, Granta Place,Mill Lane, CB2 1RU Make a model aircraft that uses the energy stored in a rubber strip to drive it through the air. Optimise your design to manage this limited energy source and achieve a stable flight.

Explore how wings work and how aircraft and birds control their flight.

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WHERE? Whittle Laboratory, Madingley Road, CB3 0DY See some of the exciting jet engine and gas turbine experiments that are done at the Whittle Laboratory. with tours of laboratories (including the chance to see one of the first ever steamturbine engines) and take part in hands-on activities that show you how turbo-machines work.

Hands-on maths fair

WHEN?19 March, 11.30am – 4pm

WHERE? Centre for Mathematical

Please mention Families Cambridgeshire when booking

Polar science family day

WHEN? 12 March, 11am – 3.30pm

WHERE? The Polar Museum,Lensfield Road, CB2 1ER A day full of polar science activities and experiments brought to you by the British Antarctic Survey and the Polar Museum. Learn polar survival skills and find out about the latest discoveries in Antarctic science.

I’m just big boned... in search of the world’s largest bones Fre

e!

WHEN? 13 March, 2.30pm – 3.30pm Pre-book

WHERE? Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue, CB3 9DA Join evolutionary biologist and broadcaster Ben Garrod as he explores the animal kingdom from the inside out, from the smallest skeleton on Earth to the biggest. In his talk on super-strong deer bones and elephants on tip toes.

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Discover the world of cancer research WHEN? 20 March, 11am – 4pm

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FAVES s !

WHERE? Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute, Robinson Way, CB2 0RE Take a journey along a cancer image trail, and join scientists to discover how cancer develops, grows and spreads. Get hands on with games to build your own cell and identify mutations in DNA. Put on a lab coat, isolate DNA or stain tissue samples and look at them under a microscope.

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Families Fun

Family Fun Guaranteed!

ewmarket Racecourse is once again putting on its annual programme of action packed events for children and families and what’s more the racecourse is launching an exciting new family event at the Rowley Mile Racecourse on the 13th and 14th May - Horseplay!

This fun new family race day will allow children to learn all about the magnificent horse through role play and interactive learning. There will be plenty of ‘horseplay’ activities for the whole family to enjoy, plus there will be the opportunity to learn all about what it takes to become a jockey.

If you can’t make the event in May, then there are still plenty of opportunities to enjoy a family day at the races. Our Summer Saturdays, at the picturesque Adnams July Course, are designed especially with families in mind and are brimming with free entertainment, offering a great value day out.

Don’t forget under 18’s are admitted free of charge and adult tickets start from just £10pp for the family enclosure.

Keep an eye on the website for further information. www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk

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Book your tickets by visiting www.newmarketracecourses.co.uk or calling 0344 5793010

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Advertorial

DATES FOR THE DIARY

TOP TIPS FOR FAMILIES

1

Which enclosure do I choose?

Family Enclosure; These tickets will allow access to the family enclosure only. There are a few food outlets available, but a lot of families like to bring their own picnics. There is also a play area on the July Course. Prices from £10pp, children go FREE. Grandstand and Paddock enclosure; There are an array of bars and restaurantsto choose from and you will be able to get up close to the horses as they prepare for their big race in the parade ring.

You also have access to the family enclosure with these tickets ; prices from £16, children go FREE. Premier enclosure; These are our top tiered tickets and allow access to all areas of the racecourse. Prices from £25, children go FREE. What do I wear?

Wear something that you will feel comfortable in. Lots of people like to dress up for the races, especially for the Premier enclosure, but the Family and Grandstand & Paddock enclosures are more relaxed. There may be a short walk from the car parks, so bear this in mind when you choose your footwear.

What do I need to bring?

Remember to bring a few pounds if you fancy a bet on the horses and of course a camera to capture those winning moments! The racecourses are both accessible for prams and there are baby changing facilities available.

l HORSEPLAY,

Rowley Mile Racecourse Friday 13th & Saturday 14th May

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l SUMMER SATURDAYS, Adnams July Course Saturday 18th June Saturday 25th June Saturday 16th July Saturday 23rd July Saturday 30th July Saturday 6th August Saturday 13th August

Families Fun

Cambridge Literary Festival hildren are in for a treat at this year’s Cambridge Literary Festival 2016. With a bigger than ever weekend of events for children of all ages which is full of everything from Horrible Science to Geek Girl, James Bond to Roman Mysteries and Mr Gum to the Walker Books Big Draw for budding young illustrators. With the help of BAFTA and MOBO award winner Akala and his Hip-Hop Shakespeare talk The Cambridge Literary Festival will be paying their respects to William Shakespeare on the 400th anniversary of his death. Here at Families Cambridgeshire we have selected a few of our favourite events and we recommend you book now to avoid disappointment. All children’s events take place in the Cambridge Union and only cost £6. There are lots of events for grown-ups too! For full details visit www.cambridgeliteraryfestival.com

C

THURSDAY 7 APRIL

You’re A Bad Man, Mr Gum!

by Andy Stanton l 1–2pm l Age 6+ Mr Gum is a complete horror who hates children, animals and fun not to mention corn on the cob. This book is about him, an angry fairy who lives in his bathtub, Jake the dog and a little girl called Polly.

You’re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! is the first hilarious book in the internationally best-selling series by Andy Stanton, winning the Blue Peter Book Award (twice) and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. Join Andy to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mr Gum’s first publication.

The Bolds

Julian Clary & David Roberts l 2.30–3.30pm l Age 7+ Comedian, entertainer and writer, Julian Clary, and award-winning illustrator, David Roberts, introduce their latest book, The Bolds to the Rescue, about a family of hyenas living in an ordinary suburban street. An unmissable event packed with wildly hilarious readings in Julian’s unique style, live drawing from David, and lots of laughter.

FRIDAY 8TH APRIL

The Dinosaur That Pooped

By Alastair Watson l 10.15–11am l Age 5+ Created from The Dinosaur That Pooped picture book series, host Alastair Watson brings the books to life with help from The Dinosaur himself!

Expect dinosaur impressions, live drawing, a dinosaur rhyme, and gross games like Guess Poo. The event includes exclusive video clips from The Dinosaur That Pooped creators, McBusted’s Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter.

WARNING: CONTAINS DINOSAUR POO!

The Wimpy Kid Show

l 11.30am–12.30pm l Age 8+ Great family entertainment and a must for all Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans. Alastair Watson brings the books to life with fun activities including The Wimpy Kid Draw-Along and The Wimp Wars! Quiz. The event also includes exclusive clips of author Jeff Kinney talking about writing the books, his involvement with the films and demonstrating how he draws the characters.

The Walker Books Big Draw

With Petr Horacek l 1–2.30pm l Ages 5-9 Ready, set, DRAW! Roll up your sleeves, prepare to get messy and create a GIANT picture book with your friends, in this hands-on event combining storytelling and art. In this session for younger children, Kate Greenaway Medal shortlisted author and illustrator Petr Horacek (Suzy Goose, Puffin Peter) will share some of the secrets behind his bold and imaginative books. Every drawing tells a story… so come along and create your own!

Jolly Foul Play

By Robin Stevens l 3–4pm l Age 8+ When the Head Girl of Deep dean School is murdered with a hockey stick, it’s up to Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong to investigate. Join Robin Stevens for an event filled with murder mysteries, dastardly villains and bun breaks! Hear Robin read from the book and share her inspiration behind the series, and create your very own detective story.

Horrible Science

By Nick Arnold l 1–2pm l Age 6+ If you think that science is boring, think again! This wacky comedy show brings Nick Arnold’s multi-award winning Horrible Science series to life. Packed with all things gross, grisly and gratifyingly gruesome, it celebrates the best belly-churning bits of science. Nick Arnold offers awful answers and foul facts about the world around us in this horribly hilarious event.

SATURDAY 9TH APRIL

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam

By Tracey Corderoy l 10–11am l Age 4+ Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam have swapped a life of crime for baking cakes in their café. But now there’s a new robber in town – the infamous Kitty-le-Claw!

When there’s a midnight robbery at the bank, can the two baker dogs save the day? Join Tracey

Corderoy for an action-packed event filled with read-aloud rhyme and storytelling.

The Walker Books Big Draw

With Gary Northfield l 3–4.30pm l Ages 10-14 Calling all budding young artists! Do you dream of becoming a famous illustrator?

Come along and learn how to design kooky characters, invent animated adventures and create a GIANT picture book with your friends.

In this session for older children, much-loved cartoonist Gary Northfield (Beano, Horrible Histories, National Geographic) and author of Julius Zebra will reveal some of the tricks of his trade. An event for those who love to draw just as much as those who think they can’t!

Hip-Hop Shakespeare Akala

l 1–2pm l £12/£6 l Age 10+ If Shakespeare were alive today, would he write hip-hop like Jay Z and Eminem? BAFTA and MOBO Award winner Akala thinks that he would. In this lively and entertaining event, Akala marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death whilst demonstrating the startling similarities between Shakespeare and hip-hop. Guaranteed to inspire, surprise and engage a new audience with Shakespeare. A passionate and fast-paced event for all ages. With thanks to St John’s College School

Tales from Shakespeare

By Marcia Williams l 2.30–3.30pm l Age 8 + 2016 commemorates 400 years since the death of William Shakespeare. In this special Shakespeare-themed event, cartoonist and children’s author Marcia Williams will bring the Bard’s work vividly to life. Come up on stage if you dare and help Marcia re-enact The Tempest, using masks, props and plenty of drama.

SUNDAY 10TH APRIL

The Magical World of Beatrix Potter – a 150th Anniversary Celebration

l 10–11am l Age 2+ Naughty Peter Rabbit has gone missing! Dive into the magical world of Beatrix Potter, help some of her classic characters organise a search party to find Britain’s best-loved rabbit, and listen to The Tale of Peter Rabbit narrated by a live storyteller. Beatrix Potter has sold over 45 million books worldwide. Join in, 150 years after her birth to celebrate this incredible woman, artist, botanist, visionary, trailblazer and, of course, author. An event for the whole family. All ages welcome.

Book at: adcticketing.com 01223 300085 cambridgeliteraryfestival.com Twitter@camlitfest Facebook Cambridge Literary Festival Please mention Families Cambridgeshire when booking.

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An HMC Independent Co-educational Day School for Pupils Aged 4-18

Providing an all-round education that inspires...

Wisbech Grammar School invite you to join us for our 2016 Open Events:

Year 5 Taster Day On Saturday 23 April 09.30 - 15.00

Preparatory School Open Day On Saturday 23 April 10.00-12.00

To register or for more information, please contact our Admissions Team:

e: Admissions@WisbechGrammar.com w: MagdaleneHousePrep.com 14

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t: 01945 586 750

Families Advertorial

KIDS DON’T COME WITH A MANUAL ike many new parents, we assumed that we would ‘instinctively’ know how best to raise our own children, after all doesn’t parenting come naturally? How wrong we were! We both had very different parenting styles and couldn’t agree on the best way to raise our children to make them responsible and self-disciplined.

We discovered that we were making plenty of mistakes without even realising it and that most people around us were also falling into the same common parenting pitfalls. In fact between the two of us, Carole and I have made every common parenting mistake on the list below (and still do from time to time!). So our objective is to help increase your awareness of the effect that such mistakes can have on your children, so that you can identify areas where you might want to improve your skills and continue along your parenting journey with a renewed sense of confidence.

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Here are seven of the most common mistakes that loving parents make

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Over-praising and using positive reinforcement: using phrases such as ‘good boy’ and ‘good girl’ and praising everything children do well to reinforce their good behaviour is a very common trait. Unfortunately, using such ‘evaluative praise’ and descriptively praising every good behaviour is a form of reward that they will come to expect as motivation to want to do things in the longer-term.

Getting Angry and shouting: When we raise our voice or yell at our children, this puts them in ‘fight or flight’ mode - this is the body’s response to stress, which means that their logical brain shuts down and they essentially can’t ‘hear’ us anymore.

When our children are in ‘fight or flight’ mode, we can get angry at them and shout until we are ‘blue in the face’, but the message still will not get through, so all the lecturing typically done in these circumstances is a waste of energy! If they do comply with our requests, it will only be out of fear and it will have very little impact on helping to improve their behaviour in the long-term.

Over-protecting: in this day and age, parents are becoming more anxious and overprotecting children. By over-protecting them, we prevent them from making enough mistakes, which if handled well, are invaluable opportunities for learning. Although protecting our children and stopping them from making mistakes may sound like a positive thing, we are in fact inadvertently denying them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for their own actions. We are also preventing them from building their ‘frustration’ muscle by not allowing them to face difficult emotions such as anger and disappointment.

Punishing: although we must make our children accountable for their actions, there are far more effective ways of achieving this than resorting to punishment and fear tactics, particularly if the punishment is corporal. Research

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shows that children who are regularly punished will only comply with their parent’s instructions and requests out of fear, so the effect is only short-term. In the long-term, punishment not only damages the relationship and connection we have with our children, but it can also cause them to become resentful towards us and increasingly aggressive, and in many cases, they will learn to lie as a means of avoiding future punishment.

Reassuring children: it seems like a natural thing for parents to want to reassure their children, by telling them that everything is going to be okay.

For example, if they happen to break their favourite toy, it’s a common reaction to want to ‘swoop in’ and try to reassure our children and ‘fix’ the problem for them, so we may say “I hate to see you so upset because you broke your favourite toy, don’t worry, I will buy you another one”. We may think that we are helping by doing this, but the reality is that we are not allowing children to deal with their feelings.

Children need to be given opportunities to practice patience and get used to experiencing feelings of sadness and frustration as this will help to prepare them for the pressures of adult life.

Discounting children’s feelings: for example, by using phrases such as “Come on, it’s not that bad”, “Only babies cry” or “Boys don’t cry”.

Discounting our children’s emotions in this way can create serious anxiety in the long-term, because it can cause them to become unsure of themselves and distrustful of their own emotions.

Being a tiger parent: tiger parents tend to be pushy and have a strong focus on achievement and academics. This style of parenting has become increasingly prevalent over the last decade and some children may react positively to it and excel academically. However, other children may end up being ‘crushed’ by it and be affected for the rest of

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their lives. There is a wealth of scientific research and anecdotal evidence to suggest that this can lead to serious anxiety for children and that they usually end up unhappy.

Long term effects

Whether we are too strict or too lenient, neither approach is effective for raising our children to become resilient and autonomous adults in the long-term. If we ‘over-protect’ them, we are not allowing them to make mistakes or experience frustration and if we are being overly strict and getting angry at them, we are not modelling the fact that we can control our own emotions through our own behaviour towards them.

We may only see the effects of our mistakes later on when our children become adolescent, by which time it is much harder to repair any damage that’s already been done.

So what can we do about this?

What we must remember is that all children require a more balanced and consistent approach to parenting, and all have emotional needs that is our responsibility as parents to fulfil. That’s why it’s so important to try to avoid these common pitfalls, in order to maximise our child’s chances of growing up to be a responsible, self-reliant and happy adult.

We have discovered better alternatives to yelling/shouting, getting angry, rewarding, punishment etc. which you can find more information about in our book ‘Kids Don’t Come With a Manual - The Essential Guide to a Happy Family Life’.

M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

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WEST NORFOLK TUITION Jane and her team of qualified teachers have worked in schools in West Norfolk and offer tailored after school tuition classes for children aged five and above that need help with the following:

l School Work l Boosting grades l Exam preparation l 11+ entrance exams Does your child need extra local tuition after school?

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Jane and her team of qualified teachers have worked in schools in West Norfolk and offer tailored after school tuition classes for children aged five and above who may be struggling with school work, want to boost their grades, need extra help preparing for up and coming exams or want to get into a specific school.

Contact Jane today to discuss your child’s needs and visit our Contact Jane today to discuss your child’s needs education centre. and visit our education centre.

JANE MURRAY, CENTRE DIRECTOR Units 5-6 Castle Yard, Wesleyan Lodge Mews,High Street, Downham Market, PE38 9HF t: 01366 384778 m: 07774 551452 westnorfolktuition@gmail.com/www.westnorfolktuition.co.uk

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07767 305413 PEARLSUE@ROCKETMAIL.COM WWW.TEAMGEMS.CO.UK

Families Education

sponsored by

NEW ENGINEERING CURRICULUM AT ST FAITHS

Children look for solutions to global humanitarian and sustainability concerns in the new Engineering Curriculum at St Faiths. ere at St Faith’s in Cambridge, we are into the curriculum for all pupils in Years 3-8. It is a excited to be the first school in the UK to great initiative and can enable the girls and boys tackle the nationwide shortage of engineers by to apply the things they learn in science, maths incorporating Engineering into the core curriculum, and computing in really exciting, creative ways. for our primary age pupils.

Engineering is about being creative and helping to We had to devise our own schemes of work solve problems that are important to society, from – with expert support – because an engineering sustainable energy, to developing new medicines, curriculum for primary-age pupils simply did from microchips to megastructures. Engineering not exist. We were able to develop a robust careers provide a way of making a difference to engineering curriculum in consultation the world - and getting well paid while with Cambridge University’s doing so.”

Department of Engineering, Research shows that most with additional input from children have a rough idea Research shows international engineering of their future career that most children companies based in path by the age of 10, of a have a rough ide Cambridge, and in yet engineering is not accordance with the Royal normally studied as a their future career path Academy of Engineering subject in its own right until by the age of 10 guidelines. In fact we have GCSE. Out of 3,000 postbacking for the initiative from graduates currently studying the highest level: both Professor engineering in the UK, only 50 Dame Ann Dowling (President of the Royal are British and more than 80% come from Academy of Engineering) and the James Dyson countries outside the EU1. Although engineering Foundation have praised our introduction. accounts for a quarter (24.9%) of UK turnover, Professor Dame Ann Dowling, President of the there is a current annual shortfall of 55,000 Royal Academy of Engineering, commented “I am workers with engineering skills. In addition, only delighted that St Faith’s is introducing Engineering 8.7 per cent of professional engineers in the UK

H

are women.The dearth of female engineers is a challenge right around the world, but UK figures are the lowest in Europe.

“Britain needs many more engineers and we simply can’t get them,” confirms Sir James Dyson, whose £8m building is nearing completion at Cambridge University’s Department of Engineering.“Like St Faith’s, the Dyson Foundation is addressing this problem by promoting high quality engineering education. The more primary schools that teach Engineering, whether as part of the ongoing timetable like St Faith’s or as stand alone projects like those offered by the Dyson Foundation, the more successful we will be in nurturing the UK’s next generation of talented and creative engineers.”

The new engineering curriculum at St Faith’s is delivered by a female engineering graduate who has worked in the industry and has taught Science at secondary level. Engineering lessons at the school involve pupils working in project teams, rather than individually, to best nurture the collaborative skills required by a 21st Century workforce. The ‘Design Make Evaluate’ stages involved in every project encourage the children to reflect on their progress, as they look for solutions to global humanitarian and sustainability concerns.

For more information on St Faith’s visit: www.stfaiths.co.uk M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

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visit us razzamataz.co.uk

We would like to invite you to a FREE ONE WEEK trial session, limited places!

We are the ideal place for children aged 4-18 years old with an interest in performing to learn Pop Singing, Street Dance, Musical Theatre & Drama!

Call us to book your FREE ONE WEEK trial session! Quote ref FAM03

Taking Co s ngus okict bonta W NO NOW tair ls deou forfor ourer ofmm Su mm Su and ol er ho Sc ol ho Sc olli enr ng 2016 W NO for Sept!

Make you birthday Razztastic with Razz Performance Party!

Receive a FREE uniform when you enrol!

DISCOVER SAILING AT PAXTON LAKES SAILING CLUB (NEAR ST NEOTS)

CAMBRIDGESHIRE’S FRIENDLIEST SAILING CLUB We’re an official RYA Training Centre and welcome people of all abilities. We have a large selection of club-owned boats & equipment available.

Booking now for Easter Holiday & May Half-Term Adults £125 Children £85 All equipment included.

For more information contact Pat Overs 07812 124690 (evenings only) sailing.courses@paxtonlakes.org.uk www.paxtonlakes.org.uk

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Families Listing

Ea s t er

Clubs & s Clasa,sme usic,

D ra m tion sport & educa

…so me th ing fo

r e veryo ne!

Kings Camps

The Leys School, Cambridge When: 4 - 8 April Price: See website

With superb facilities and a passion for getting kids active, Kings Camps offer a choice of fun and exciting activity weeks for children aged 4 – 11 years. Ofsted inspected. www.kingscamps.org

The Oxford and Cambridge Singing School

St Catherines’s College, Cambridge When: 29 – 31 March Price: See website

Holiday courses for children aged 7 -13 who love to sing. A unique opportunity to learn and perform classical music with a dedicated team of singers and voice coaches. www.theoxfordandcambridgesingingschool. co.uk email:wickhamsamantha@yahoo.com

Fire Tech Camp Cambridge

When: 29 March – 1 April half days (am & pm) Price: £200

Video game design, mobile app design and Minecraft Maker are just a few of the workshops available this Easter designed to turn children from passive consumers into active creators of exiting technology. Ages 9 – 17 020 1934002 www.firetechcamp.com

Stagecoach - Drama, Dance and Singing for ages 4-18 years Coleridge Campus, Cambridge

When: 4 – 8 April Ages 4-7 9.45 – 2.00 (Join the Circus) Ages 6-16 10.00 – 4.00 (Musical Madness) Price: Prices vary depending on age group.

Stagecoach offers 5 day courses providing quality training in the performing arts for children aged 4 to 16 years. The aim is to develop young potential through singing, acting and dance, helping to develop confidence, physical awareness communication and articulation. www.stagecoach.co.uk/cambridge or call 01223 359974

Paxton Lakes Sailing Club Learn how to sail

25-29 Glisson Road, Cambridge

and movement, improving confidence.

Call 01223 778655 for prices www.edendance.co.uk

Paxton Lakes, Little Paxton.

Razzamataz

CRC Sports Centre, Cambridge

When: 5-8 April

Price: Adult £125:00 Child £85:00 An official RYA training centre that welcomes people of all ages and abilities, with a large selection boats & equipment available. www.paxtonlakes.org.uk

Perform Drama, Dance & Singing Hills Road Sports & Tennis Centre, Cambridge

Razzamataz Cambridge is the ideal place for boys and girls aged 4-18 with an interest in performing arts and is proud to put the welfare of its students at the heart of everything it does. Cambridge@razzamataz. co.uk or call Emma Louise on 07895 347239/ 01223 755113

St Faith’s School, Cambridge

When: Days are from 8.30am-5.30pm Price: From £39 per day or £154.00 per week

Price: See website As all parents know, each and every child is different and so are the things they enjoy to do.. Whatever your child is like you’ll know that the most important thing is that they are happy and fulfilled in what they do. To book a FREE fun trial session call 020 7255 9120 or go to www.perform.org.uk

Eden Dance

Chesterton Sports Centre, Cambridge When: See website Price: See website

Eden dance prides itself on offering small classes and personal attention. Encouraging students of all ages and skill levels to express themselves through music

When: See website Price: See website Join Bodywork Company Theatre school and be part of something special!

Classes for children aged 3-18 years in Jazz, Classical Ballet (RAD), Tap, Contemporary, Street Dance, Musical Theatre, and Singing. Bodywork Theatre School also offers PreVocational programmes for students interested in pursuing a career in the Performing Arts. For information please call 01223 314461 or visit: www.bodyworkcompany.co.uk or email us: theatreschool@bodyworkds.co.uk

When: See website Price: See website

Barracudas Activity Day Camps

When: Wednesdays 4-5 pm and 5-6 pm

Bodywork Company

See & cla our clubs s on o ses listin ur w g www ebsite : camb .families ridgs h ir e . co.uk

Barracudas offer multi-activity daycamps for children aged between 4½ to 16 years. They have been running activity day camps for over 22 years now, and have an experienced team who make sure your children always have a brilliant time. www.barracudas.co.uk For the more clubs and classes visit our website www.familiescambridgeshire. co.uk and don’t forget to mention Families Cambridgeshire when booking a class.

THE UK’S NO.1

FROM

£30 PER DAY

HOLIDAY FUN! MONDAY - FRIDAY 8AM TO 6PM

WITH ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 4 - 14

01235 467300 • WWW.SUPERCAMPS.CO.UK M A RCH / A PR I L 2016

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CHILDCARE VOUCHERS ACCEPTED

STAGECOACH CAMBRIDGE & CAMBOURNE

Acting, singing and dance classes for 4 to 16 year olds.

Stagecoach Cambridge and Cambourne Easter and Summer Camps 4 - 7 years 9.45am - 2.00pm 6 - 16 years 10.00am - 4.00pm

EASTER & SUMMER CAMPS 4th - 8th April - Coleridge Campus, Cambridge 25th - 29th July - Coleridge Campus, Cambridge 1st - 5th August - Coleridge Campus, Cambridge 8th - 12th August - Cambourne Village College 15th - 19th August - Coleridge Campus, Cambridge Sibling discounts available.

For more information and enrolments visit:

www.stagecoach.co.uk/cambridge/holiday-workshops cambridge@stagecoach.co.uk 01223 359974 Theatre Arts Schools

Stagecoach Stagecoach Theatre Arts Schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principles. Stagecoach is a registered trademark of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Ltd.

QUALITY TRAINING ESTABLISHED 1988