Families South East September 2013

ISSUE NO. 152

EE

FR

SEPTEMBER 2013 ESTABLISHED 1996

®

familiesse.co.uk

south east london

Free Drama Class Watch your child’s self-esteem soar with Perform’s unique drama, dance and singing classes.

Our weekly workshops will do wonders for their social, linguistic and physical development as well as being the best fun they’ll have all week.

Classes for 4 –12 year o lds

Book now for our en chanting

Rapunzel

perform.org.uk

0845 400 1277

autumn half-term ho liday

courses!

News&Views email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk

National Poetry Day

LLe earn tto o Read in 5 W We eeks – ffo or FREE!

Mark this 3 October with a nationwide celebration of poetry. Poetry is for everyone, everywhere, from assemblies, bus-queues, cafes, greengrocers, hospitals and ice-rinks to waiting-rooms, yacht clubs and zoos.

This year’s theme is water, with Coleridge’s great phrase ‘Water, water, everywhere’ as inspiration. Check out the website for a myriad of poems on the subject, together with ideas on how to turn the theme of water into lines of poetry. Participants this year are challenged to smuggle poetry into the most unlikely places, not just in libraries and classrooms but on fishing boats and ferries, via postcards, mobile phones and announcements on station platforms.

Find out more at www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk

Amaze Penge Amaze Penge is a support group for parents and carers of children with additional needs in Penge and Anerley. The group meets from 9.30-11.30am on Tuesdays during term time, at Anerley Methodist Church, Oakfield Road SE20. A £1 donation includes coffee and cake. For more information, call Cherry on 07882 760 828 or email amazepenge@gmail.com.

High Achieving Girls

From 26 August A t to t 30 September S t b your child hild can jjoin thousands of children across the UK taking part in the Reading Eggs Great Literacy Challenge – a nationwide effort to inspire children to read!

This FREE event will give your child 5 WEEKS FREE* access to Reading Eggs – the online reading programme that teaches children aged 3 – 13 the literacy skills needed for lifetime reading success.

Sign up for your FREE trial* today and see for yourself how your child’s reading improves by using Reading Eggs. Whats more, for every new sign up Reading Eggs will donate £1 to our charity partner Tommy’s!

FREE 5 WEEK TRIAL* Hurry, offer ends 30 September, 2013. Register today at

Success at Sydenham High

Congratulations to the girls from southeast London’s Day School Trust schools for achieving truly impressive exam results this summer.

For the second consecutive year, Sydenham High School saw an increase in the number of students gaining top grades at A Level, along with its consistent 100 per cent pass rate. This is bucking the trend nationally.

At Bromley High, 84% of the exams were graded A* to B; Blackheath High saw an increase in A* to B grades with 73% being attained this year, while Streatham and Clapham High students celebrated record A Level results with the number of A*s achieved almost doubling and 20% of all grades at A*.

To see these and other local schools in action, make a note of the Open Day dates on page 8.

www.readingeggs.co.uk/learn *Free trial only available for new customers who sign up at the above address.

Eczema Advice Proudly supporting Tommy’s www.tommys.org

The multi-award winning online reading programme!

®

For back issues and more articles than we can squeeze into each issue, a directory of local companies, competitions and the latest What’s On listings - join us online!

www.familiesse.co.uk 2

families south east - september 2013

National Eczema Week runs from 14-22 September this year. With one in five children in the UK suffering from eczema, for thousands of parents it’s often an upsetting and frustrating condition they have to manage on a daily basis.

Harley Street Dermatologist and eczema specialist, Dr Tabi Leslie, says: “What many parents don’t realise is that simple straight forward steps can make a big difference to your little one’s skin.

“Using a reasonably priced and trusted range of products like E45 creams and emollients means you won’t feel like you need to scrimp on how much or how often you use the products. For best results apply liberally to dry skin and eczema areas.”

For a symptom tracker diary, a free call with a national eczema nurse and advice on common household irritants, along with many other tips, visit www.eczemaadvice.co.uk.

familiesse.co.uk

Events g in is a r d n u F Anyone for coffee?

At 23 years old, Macmillan’s World’s Biggest Coffee Morning, which this year takes place on Friday 27 September, is the original and most successful charity fundraising event of its sort.

It’s not surprising really when all it involves is getting together with family, friends or colleagues for coffee and cake to help Macmillan ensure no one has to face cancer alone. Last year, more than 5 million people took part and raised a record-breaking £15 million.

New for 2013, The Little Book of Treats is packed with mouth-wateringly tasty recipes from celebrities, professional chefs and foodie bloggers, with every penny of the £4 suggested donation going to help make sure that no one faces cancer alone. If you can’t make it to an actual coffee morning, head down to your local M&S Café where 50p from the sale of every coffee on 27 September will go to Macmillan.

For more information and a fundraising pack, go to www.coffee.macmillan.org.uk, call 0845 602 1246 or text COFFEE to 88080.

Midnight walk for children Join the fun and sign up for St Christopher’s Midnight Walk!

The five mile walk will set off from St Christopher’s Hospice in Sydenham at 11pm, raising funds for the hospice’s Candle Project, providing vital support to children who have lost someone close to them. Candle relies on voluntary support to keep being there for children who need help. Why not get a team together of friends or people at work? Perhaps you could also ask your company if they would like to support this event. As well as walkers, volunteers are sought to help marshal the route.

Entry is £15 (including a Midnight Walk t-shirt). Children under 18 must have parental consent, and those aged 11-15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian on the walk. To register or find out more, go to www.stchristophers.org.uk/midnightwalk, or call Rebecca on 020 8768 4570 for paper entry forms.

AT THE BEGINNING of the school holidays, our son jumped off a 12ft wall and fractured both of his ankles. Yes - I know (I can hear you wincing from here). Two ‘long sock’ casts, a pair of crutches, several visits to the brilliant King’s and a big rethink of our summer plans for outdoor fun. Picture a robot with smelly feet and you’ve got it. We’ve never played so much Scrabble, Boggle, Othello, backgammon or cards in such a concentrated timespan - it’s been rather like the ‘70s when there were only three channels on TV and families had to make their own amusement.

Meanwhile that “aaah” you can hear is the collective sigh of parents across southeast London as children clatter into classrooms for a new school year here we go again!

Robina Cowan, editor

IN THIS ISSUE Local News and Views

2-3

Successful schools, eczema advice and putting the fun into fundraising

Education News

4-9

Local schools’ news, helping children at home, and open day dates

Out of School Activities

10-14

Clubs and classes that put the fun into learning new skills

The Book Page

15

Justine Crow’s take on family life, seen through the pages of new books

Family Life

16

A family solicitor on divorce, and wi-fi worries

What’s On

17-19

September events and days out for the whole family

The Back Page

20

Local business contacts to make your life easier

Jeans for Genes Wear your denims on Jeans for Genes Day on 20 September and help change lives.

In aid of Genetic Disorders UK, Jeans for Genes aims to change the world for children with genetic disorders. Individually, genetic disorders are rare but together they affect 1 in 25 children born in the UK - that’s more than 30,000 babies each year.

Their associated health problems mean that genetic disorders are the biggest cause of death of children aged 14 years and under.

Genetic Disorders UK (GDUK) is a new charity that provides much-needed advice and support for individuals and families affected by genetic disorders, available online at www.geneticdisordersuk.org. Jeans for Genes is all about getting together, wearing jeans and donating £1. For a fundraising pack and registration, go to www.jeansforgenesday.org.

Front cover: Boy’s schoolwear from F&F at Tesco,

0800 505555, www.tesco.com/clothing Next Issue out: 4 October, deadline 16 September Families South East - 020 8699 7240 www.familiesse.co.uk editor@familiesse.co.uk © Families South East. 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. Families South East is part of the Families group, established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence.

The Pointer School (Blackheath)

A Prep, Pre-Prep & Nursery School for boys & girls between the ages of 3 and 11 • First Class examination results • Organic food • Breakfast club and after school care (8am-6pm) • Christian Evangelical in ethos • Numerous extra-curricular clubs (36 in total, from fencing to horse riding)

• Large variety of outdoor and PE activities • ‘The Brazilian Kickers’ teach football the Brazilian way • Holiday club (Christmas, Easter and Summer and Half-Term)

OFSTED: “OUTSTANDING IN ALL AREAS“ Telephone: 020 8293 1331

See OFSTED reports on our website

Email: secretary@pointers-school.co.uk

www.pointers-school.co.uk familiesse.co.uk

Founded by Muriel & Della Pointer in 1951

september 2013 - families south east

3

education news

Schools’ news Lesson in writing and life If the girls of year 7 at Sydenham High School want to become authors they should think seriously about first taking a job with a financial magazine.

That was the advice of popular teenage fiction author Gemma Malley (pictured), when she visited the school to talk about how she became an author and the inspiration behind her successful series of dystopian tales set in the future.

The author of seven successful titles, including The Declaration and The Killables, started her career working for a pensions magazine and found the disciplines of learning a topic from scratch, working to a brief and keeping to deadlines a great training ground for when she eventually set about her own writing.

She also revealed that although she was not a science student at school, she has become fascinated by all things scientific as they now play a major role in her storylines. Gemma answered questions from the girls and then signed copies of her books including her latest, The Disappearances, in the school’s Westwood Theatre.

Sydenham High is holding a number of open days this term - see our Open Day listings for dates; call 020 8557 7004, www.syd.gdst.net.

IB success at St Dunstan’s College Year 13 students at St Dunstan’s College celebrated their exam results early in July, following the publication of an excellent set of International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma results. 73% of Higher Level subjects taken by the students were awarded the maximum of 7 or 6 points - equivalent to achieving an A*-A grade at A Level. 93% of subjects were awarded 7, 6 or 5 points. The College’s average IB Diploma score was 36.3 (523 UCAS points, equating to more than two A*s and an A grade at A Level).

St Dunstan’s is the only independent school in southeast London to offer the IB Diploma to sixth form students.

Headmistress, Mrs Davies, commented: “I am absolutely delighted with these results. All the students have worked extremely hard over the past two years and everyone at St Dunstan’s is incredibly proud of them. Our IB students continue to perform well above the worldwide and UK IB averages. Once more, they have won places at top universities including Cambridge, Durham, Bristol, Nottingham and Exeter. The breadth, as well as the depth, offered by the IB Diploma gives students the edge in our increasingly global society, preparing them for successful lives at university and beyond.”

St Dunstan’s College is holding a number of open days this term - see our Open Day listings for dates; call 020 8516 7200 or see www.stdunstans.org.uk.

Sophia Bennett goes back to school Becoming a published author is a dream for many people, and former St Leonards-Mayfield School student Sophia Bennett has certainly achieved hers, as she is now celebrating the release of her fifth teenage fiction book. At the end of the summer term, she paid a special visit to the East Sussex based school to meet current students, who interviewed her on what it takes to be a published writer.

Sophia gave a talk to forty students from years seven to nine about how she became a published author after winning The Times/Chicken House writing competition in 2009. Her newly-published fifth book, You Don’t Know Me, follows the story of four teenage girls who accidentally become famous after a video of them singing is posted online. The book explores themes of friendship and the influence of social media on relationships.

Following Sophia’s talk, four St Leonards-Mayfield students interviewed Sophia on a range of topics, including her past, the inspiration for her characters and stories, and how to forge a career in writing.

Sophia, who now lives in Wandsworth, was a student at St Leonards-Mayfield School from 1977 to 1984 and says of her time there: “English was always my thing at school, and I loved writing. My time at Mayfield was so special because I was surrounded by books, many of which are still among my favourites.”

The school organised Sophia’s visit as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, which included burying a special time capsule containing artefacts to represent life in 2013. It will remain buried near the school’s new sixth form centre until the school’s bicentenary in 2063.

Mayfield is an independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls near London. The next Open Days will be on 19 September and 8 November, with a sixth form open evening on 4 October. For more information, see www.mayfieldgirls.org or call 01435 874642.

Open Morning for Prospective Parents & Girls

www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk

Thamesbecause small schools build big futures

Saturday 5 October 2013

our exceptional independent school for boys and girls

Please visit us at www.jags.org.uk James Allen’s Girls’ School 144 East Dulwich Grove, London SE22 8TE Tel: 020 8693 1181 No need to book 4

families south east - september 2013

OPEN MORNING SATURDAY 5th OCTOBER 10 .0 0 -1 .0 0 For full list of open mornings, enrolment and fee details contact 020 7228 3933 Thames Christian College, Wye Street, London SW11 2HB

familiesse.co.uk

Supporting girls to achieve excellent outcomes

By Louise Simpson, Bromley High School Head “What makes a good school? Of course we want our children to succeed academically but what about the wider aspects of school life?

The atmosphere, the ethos, politeness, enthusiasm and commitment of the pupils; all of these are essential parts of what makes an excellent school, and it is in such a school that your daughter will achieve her potential.

At Bromley High School those ‘extras’ are essential. By providing excellent pastoral care, stimulating and challenging lessons for girls of a wide range of abilities, and by having an outstanding range of extracurricular opportunities, we constantly outperform local schools by every measure.

Here you find happy, communicative, confident and well-rounded girls. Girls whose personal development is nurtured and encouraged by our excellent staff and whose academic performance benefits from all the additional activities that we offer to challenge, motivate and inspire them. Come and see for yourself!”

Bromley High is holding an open morning on 28 September, and a sixth form open evening on 7 October. There are also taster days for prospective pupils.

For details, see www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net or email admissions@bro.gdst.net.

OPEN MORNING SATURDAY 21st SEPTEMBER | 9.00AM www.dulwichpreplondon.org

“A brilliant future” for The John Roan School

familiesse.co.uk

Open Mornings 19 September and 8 November 2013

Sixth Form Open Afternoon An independent Catholic boarding and day school for girls aged 11 to 18

4 October 2013

Si xt ou Vis h r it Fo N rm EW Ce nt re

The John Roan School was lucky enough to be one of the last schools in the country to secure funding through the previous government’s BSF Programme.

Building work started in earnest in July 2012, and staff and pupils will be moving back into the refurbished Maze Hill listed building in the summer of 2014, and the stunning new state-of-the-art building on the Westcombe Park site in September 2014.

Years 7, 8 and the 6th Form will be based in Maze Hill so that every Year 7 student can have a 6th Form mentor. Years 9, 10 and 11 will be based on the Westcombe Park site. Year groups will remain at 210 students, enabling pastoral care to continue to be outstanding. The 6th Form will double in size to 350.

John Roan’s superb sports facilities in Kidbrooke Park Road are ten minutes’ drive away, and the school has its own outward bound centre in Braithwaite in the Lake District which every student is able to visit.

Headteacher Des Malone adds: “We are all delighted with this summer’s continuing upward trend in GCSE results, along with our ‘outstanding’ rating for A level performance. Furthermore, in surveys 96% of students give a high satisfaction rating with the school, as do 94% of parents, and these figures are consistent year on year. We have over 300 years of history, a track record of Oxbridge and Russell Group University entrants, and a brilliant future.”

The John Roan School is a co-educational, Specialist School in Science and Mathematics. For school news, admission criteria and Open Days information, visit www.thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk or call 020 8516 7555.

‘Excellent’

in all areas

Independent Schools Inspectorate Report 2012

The Old Palace, Mayfield, East Sussex TN20 6PH

Come and see for yourself why the Independent Schools Inspectorate gave St Leonards-Mayfield its highest rating. Join us for an open day event or book a personal visit. Call now on 01435 874642 or email admissions@mayfieldgirls.org

www.mayfieldgirls.org september 2013 - families south east

5

education news

Support at home Learn to read with Reading Eggs - free trial

Empowering girls to pursue ideals and knowledge unafraid Senior School Open Day Saturday

28 September

10 am - 1 pm

Sixth Form Open Evening Wednesday

9 October

6.30 pm - 8.30 pm

Register for Open Events at www.schs.gdst.net Senior School (11-18) 42 Abbotswood Road, SW16 1AW 020 8677 8400 enquiry@shc.gdst.net

Children love working and playing on computers, and the online Reading Eggs programme combines interactive reading and writing activities to bring out the best in each child.

The award-winning and highly successful programme, for children aged 3-13, has proven reading results. Over 512 interactive games teach phonics and sight words, supporting what children learn at school and helping them develop the skills and strategies they need for sustained reading success.

The programme supplies one-to-one lessons that match your child’s ability, with detailed assessment reports along the way.

Reading Eggs has been developed by expert educators with over 20 years’ experience; it is used by over two million children worldwide; and over 90% of parents have noticed an improvement in their child’s reading ability since using Reading Eggs.

READER OFFER: From now until 30 September your child can join thousands of children across the UK taking part in the Reading Eggs Great Literacy Challenge a nationwide effort to inspire children to read. This free event will give your child five weeks FREE access* to Reading Eggs. Sign up today and see for yourself how your child’s reading improves. (*Free trial only available for new customers who register at www.readingeggs.co.uk/learn.)

Preparing for the entrance exam season

Independent Co-educational 3-11 years. Founded 1942. ISA & IAPS

Children may have to take the exams but it also requires a battery of skills and knowledge from parents to make sure their children reach exam season possessing a quiet confidence and self-belief, secure in their English and maths knowledge and well-practised in exam techniques.

Fleet Tutors advise: “Start early is the mantra you’ll hear from parents who’ve been through the experience. Whether you use a tutor or do-it-yourself, a steady structured programme prepares a child, not just for exams, but for the big changes they face when they start ‘big’ school in year 7.

Don’t lose sight of your child in all of this. Focus on what they are doing right.

Confidence drives self-belief which encourages learning and also establishes an outlook that will serve them well throughout life.”

Fleet Tutors have been providing private home tutoring for over 35 years. Call 020 8580 3911 or go to www.fleet-tutors.co.uk.

Maths Doctor We all look forward to meeting you at our

Open Mornings Saturday 28th September 10.00-12.30 Tuesday 5th November 9.30-11.00 Tours of the school are held on Tuesday mornings during term time. Bursaries available Please call 020-8670 5865 for further information

Prep Department, 70 Thurlow Park Road, SE21 8HZ Pre Prep Department, Elmcourt Road, SE27 9BZ email: admissions@rosemeadprepschool.org.uk www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk

6

families south east - september 2013

Maths Doctor is an award winning company, run by qualified teachers. Over 500 tutors provide one-to-one maths and physics tuition across the whole of the UK. The service starts with a free online assessment of your child’s level and learning style, which enables Maths Doctor to hand pick the best tutor for your requirements.

To request a tutor, register your details on www.mathsdoctor.co.uk or call 020 7193 1871 to arrange a free, no obligation assessment.

Faster fingers Sign up your child to a touch-typing course and they’ll have a skilll for life. Yes Tuition and Training have developed a course which is fun and effective - children learn in as little as ten hours. Sessions are held out of school and during school holidays in Sydenham.

See www.yes-tuitionandraining.co.uk or call Norman on 020 7515 1707.

familiesse.co.uk

Reading and writing is essential when it comes to the intellectual development of children. But when a child has literacy problems like dyslexia, this development becomes even more challenging.

According to a recent report A Fish in the Tree by The Driver Youth Trust, on average three children in every classroom are dyslexic and struggle with literacy which equates to 1.2 million in the UK. Though dyslexia is categorised as a disability, if you see the signs and catch it early enough, using the right tools and techniques, your child should have a good chance of developing at the same pace as every other pupil in their class. Here are some frequently asked questions that can help you to determine if your child is dyslexic: 1.

2.

3.

4.

Firstly, dyslexia is hereditary so do you or anyone in your family have dyslexia?

Does your child display poor concentration and are they easily distracted?

Is their performance in class below average compared to their classmates?

Do they struggle with their ‘b’s and ‘d’s, ‘p’s and ‘q’s and use them the wrong way round?

5. Do they have difficulty following instructions especially if they are written?

6. When reading out loud, do they miss words or add words that are not included?

7. Do they take longer to read compared to other children their age?

8. Are their oral skills noticeably more developed compared to their reading and writing skills?

9. During activities, do they prefer to keep to themselves rather than play with others?

10. Do they have a headache or tummy ache on the days they have a particular lesson that they do not like?

BROMLEY HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES 130 YEARS OF

Excellence Us she will Thrive

With

OPEN MORNING Saturday September 28th 2013, 9.30 am ‐ 1.00 pm

SIXTH FORM OPEN EVENING Monday 7th October 2013 from 6.45 pm

Find out more about life at Bromley High School

4+, 7+, 11+, 13 + and 16+

S BH

130

Is my child dyslexic?

Fees Assistance & Scholarships available in the Senior School admissions@bro.gdst.net Tel: 020 8781 7000 www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net/fse1

Should your child experience most of these indicators, it is likely that they have some degree of dyslexia. Identifying that your child has dyslexia is the first step and early identification is crucial. With a combination of technology and techniques, your child has every opportunity to overcome dyslexia at school, at home and ultimately, at work.

Texthelp, a manufacturer of dyslexia support software, offers advice on solutions that can help your child with their dyslexia. For more information, see http://texthelp.com/uk/campaigns/readwrite-gold.

The nits are coming...

It’s a new term, and millions of head lice are rubbing their little legs together with glee at the thought of lots of children’s heads to feast on.

New research reveals that a whopping 63% of primary school children have been infested with lice. The survey also reveals that 50% of parents do not tell friends when their child has head lice, with 1 in 10 admitting it is because they are too embarrassed.

Usefully, shampoo makers Vosene have launched an interactive ‘Nitwatch Heat Map, which tracks head lice outbreaks as they happen, allowing parents to find out instantly if an infestation hits their area. The map tracks Twitter conversations all over the country, including those with the hashtag #nitwatch. Parents can also ‘register a concern’ on the website, where they’ll be entered into a free prize draw for the chance to win a mini Vosene Kids 3in1 Shampoo & Defence Spray set and a back to school goodie bag.

Find the map at www.vosene.co.uk/nitwatch, and be prepared with the comb and lotions...

familiesse.co.uk

Outperforming expectations on a daily basis Junior School Open Day Saturday

21 September

10 am - 12 noon

Register for Open Events at www.schs.gdst.net

Nursery and Junior School (3-11) Wavertree Road, SW2 3SR 020 8674 6912 enquiry@shj.gdst.net

september 2013 - families south east

7

education news

open days Check the schools’ websites or telephone for more details and admissions criteria. For more schools and more dates, see our What’s On guide at familiesse.co.uk.

Sydenham High School GDST 28 September, 8 October, 6 + 13 November, Junior school 15 Westow Hill SE26, 020 8557 7000 21 September, 3 October, 5 + 12 November, Senior school 19 Westow Hill SE26, 020 8557 7000, www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net Streatham + Clapham High School GDST 21 September Nursery and Junior school, Wavertree Road SW2, 020 8674 6912 28 September Senior school 9 October Sixth Form, 42 Abbotswood Road SW16, 020 8677 8400, www.schs.gdst.net.

Bromley High School GDST 28 September whole school, 7 October sixth form, Blackbrook Lane BR1, 020 8781, 7000, www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net

Alleyn’s School 21 September, 7 + 19 November Juniors 28 September, 12 October, 6 November Seniors, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22, 020 8557 1519, www.alleyns.org.uk St Dunstan’s College 19 September Nursery and Reception, 2 + 3 October Nursery and Pre-Prep, 5 October, 16 November Senior School 7 November Prep, Stanstead Road SE6, 020 8516 7200, www.stdunstans.org.uk St Leonards-Mayfield 19 September, 8 November whole school 4 October Sixth form.

The Old Palace, Mayfield, E Sussex TN20 6PH, 01435 874642, www.mayfieldgirls.org

James Allen’s Girls’ School

Dulwich Prep London 21 September Nursery and Reception 8 Gallery Road SE21, Years 1-8 42 Alleyn Park SE21, 020 8670 3217, www.dulwichpreplondon.org

Thames Christian College

James Allen’s Girls’ School 5 October, 144 East Dulwich Grove SE22, 020 8693 1181, www.jags.org.uk Thames Christian College 5 October, Wye Street SW11 2HB, 020 7228 3933, www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk

Rosemead Preparatory School 28 September, 5 November, and tours on Tuesday mornings by appointment Prep department 70 Thurlow Park Road SE21 Pre prep Elmcourt Road SE27, 020 8670 5865, www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk

Co-educational academic excellence

Oakfield Preparatory School Group tours held once a month, 125-128 Thurlow Park Road SE21 8HP, 020 8670 4206, www.oakfield.dulwich.sch.uk

Your child’s future starts here

Junior School Open Mornings 2013 Thursday 19 September Nursery & Reception Wednesday 2 October & Thursday 3 October Nursery & Pre-Prep Thursday 7 November Stanstead Road, London, SE6 4TY Prep www.stdunstans.org.uk (At all events tours start at 09.00 & 11.00) Charity number: 312747

To book your place, please contact Rosemary Scard on 020 8516 7225 or rscard@sdmail.org.uk

ALLEYN’S Open Days Saturday 21 September 10.00am – 12.30pm JUNIOR SCHOOL Thursday 7 November 1.30pm – 3.00pm The best start for boys and girls

www.alleyns.org.uk

8

Tuesday 19 November 1.30pm – 3.00pm

Please email juniorregistration@alleyns.org.uk or call 020 8557 1519 to obtain a prospectus or for any other information.

families south east - september 2013

Senior School Open Days 2013 Saturday 5 October, 9.30 -11.30 Saturday 16 November, 9.30 -11.30

St Dunstan’s College Co-educational Independent day school for 3 -18 year olds Charity number: 312747

www.stdunstans.org.uk

Stanstead Road, London, SE6 4TY

familiesse.co.uk

An outstanding* education that goes way beyond exams *Inspection Report 2012

Open Days Junior: Sat 28 Sept 10am - 1.00pm Senior: Sat 21 Sept 10am - 1.00pm See website for additional dates in October and November

020 8557 7004

l tia m n se 0a es 1.0 m g -1 a kin .15 1.45 o o 9 1 - bober 9.00s g ct er nins 3 Octob r o r M Thu s 9 O r ste ion ed Ta cept r 7 W Re Yea

www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net admissions@syd.gdst.net 19 Westwood Hill London SE26 6BL Junior School

Senior School

Sixth Form

Q: ‘A major step towards education without boundaries is classrooms without walls.’ discuss.

A:

In September 2014, The John Roan will have a brand new, flexible, state-of-the-art building at our Westcombe Park site, while our 1928 facility at Maze Hill will have undergone extensive redevelopment. Our innovative, future-proof learning environments will include classroom walls that can be re-arranged for maximum flexibility, and wireless connectivity that’s able to stream 30 videos in 30 classrooms with no loss of quality.

To learn more, go to: www.thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk

NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS OPEN IN familiesse.co.uk

2014 september 2013 - families south east

9

Out of school in southeast London -

Could your child

benefit from extra maths lessons?

Find out with a 500+ FREE assessment qualified tutors from the UK’s across award-winning the UK maths tuition service.

Call 020 7193 1871

Clubs & Classes for children From funky moves to French fun classes, tennis to top-up maths, children come alive after school and on Saturdays to gain new skills, confidence and friends.

There are more clubs and classes in southeast London than we can shake a hockey stick at - and more than we can pack into these pages; but these are a brilliant place to start.

For even more, hop onto our website with this link http://bit.ly/16sZwoY

mathsdoctor.co.uk

WANTED

Music, dance and drama Stagecoach

Cool kids who love to

ROCK!

Our fun & educational group keyboard lessons are a fantastic way to start making music Inspiring reception classes, 4-5 years Action-packed junior classes, 5-8 years SEPTEMBER TRIALS AND HALF TERM TASTER DAYS BOOKING NOW

www.funkymonkey.info 0800 107 7949 Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes... ‘bringing music to children’

Stagecoach has been established for over 25 years and is the most well known and successful of the theatre school franchises. Classes are fun, energetic and challenging, developing the confidence and self esteem of all students regardless of age or experience.

Your local Stagecoach Theatre Arts school is currently enrolling for the Autumn Term. All students receive classes in dance, drama and singing in a disciplined and creative environment.

Call your local principal now for more information.

Classes are currently available in Beckenham 020 8541 0833, Dulwich 020 8949 4116, Sydenham 020 8949 1116 and Blackheath 020 8417 0010, www.stagecoach.co.uk.

Established

1979

Freedom Academy

The springboard to confidence for your child • Exciting physical play programme • Specially designed equipment • Supervised by trained staff • Develops a child’s confidence, balance and co-ordination • First steps to an active life • Great fun! • Parties available For more information please call Julia on: 020 8464 4433 julia.forrest@tumbletots.com Classes in: Battersea, Clapham, Dulwich, Blackheath www.tumbletots.com/dulwich

Freedom Academy has launched its Children’s Agency. Pupils are already starring in the ‘Lion King’, and ‘Oliver!’ ‘Thriller Live’, productions at The National Theatre, filmed a number of series for CBBC and can also be seen in various TV commercials.

The afterschool arts school will be adding a Friday Performing Arts session from January 2014, to allow children who attend alternative weekend classes a chance to take part in many performances and opportunities.

Freedom Academy are looking forward to starting rehearsals for this year’s Christmas show ‘Peter Pan’, to be staged at the fantastic 350 seat Michael Croft Theatre, Alleyns School - exciting! For more information and bookings, see www.freedomacademy.co.uk or call 020 8244 4873.

Explore the fantastic fairytale forest with Perform This term, Perform children in southeast London will not just be having fun acting, singing and dancing each week, they’ll be exploring the magical and wonderfully exciting Fairytale Forest too. Meet many of the well loved characters from classic fairytales and countless cool new friends like the Funky Fairy.

Perform’s Principal Lucy Quick says “Fairytale Forest is the most exciting theme yet. Not only are Fairytales amazingly dramatic stories, but according to child psychologists, when children deal with dramatic situations through drama, it equips them to deal with real-life situations so much better”.

As well as promising ‘the best fun of the week’, Perform specializes in helping children develop the 4 C’s. Confidence, Communication, Co-ordination and Concentration and according to parents and teachers all over London and the southeast ‘you can always tell a Perform child’.

Classes are in Beckenham, Blackheath, Bromley, Dulwich, Greenwich, Hither Green and West Wickham; and any interested 4-8 year old can try out the classes by attending a free trial session. 0845 400 1277.

READER OFFER: Perform are bringing new afterschool classes to East Dulwich from 25 September. As well as a free trial session, lucky Families readers are offered 10% off the fees by quoting FAMS231013.

TWO IAL TR WEEK LABLE I A AV

CO 020 8447 4530

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families south east - september 2013

Venues in Bexleyheath Chislehurst and more

JIGSAW WEEKEND PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOLS familiesse.co.uk

Jigsaw Performing Arts years, teaching electronic keyboard alongside reading and writing music in a small group). The format is designed to encourage an all-round music experience that kids just love.

There will also be wonderful taster days in the October half term, which book up quickly. This all adds up to affordable, educational music lessons with a difference. For a trial class visit www.funkymonkey.info or call Ali Edwards on 0800 107 7949.

Jigsaw Performing Arts a parent’s tale “The competition for children’s free time is ferocious.

Tennis, ballet, cookery - they can do it all and did!

They tried everything, and as they discarded one activity after another, my bank balance shrank, the pile of unused equipment and clothing grew. So when my daughter asked to join a Jigsaw performing arts class, I was reluctant to say the least. Classes every week seemed like a huge commitment - for both of us, and Polly - a shy, timid 7 year old - had never shown any great desire to tread the boards - what on earth could she possibly get out of it?

Well, I was wrong. Eight years on it’s the best investment I ever made in my daughter’s future.

Jigsaw helped her achieve so much. Apart from having a huge amount of fun, the outstanding teachers helped Polly gain tremendous confidence, develop great social skills and learn how to work in a team.”

Jigsaw Arts has many schools in London and the southeast, for students aged 3-18. To find one, go to www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk or call 020 8447 4530.

Diddi dancing preschoolers Diddi dance is the only pre-school dance programme to explore 14 different dance styles from reggae and hip hop to ballroom and Bollywood. Classes are ideally suited for 2-4 year-olds, however early movers from as young as 16 months really enjoy the sessions.

A free trial class is offered and then booking is made in half term blocks through the new online booking system.

Parties and nursery sessions are available as well as weekly classes. For classes in SE1-SE18, call Anne-Marie 079 7398 2790. For classes in SE19 SE26, call Nicola 07832 913282. Or read more at www.diddidance.com.

Lucy Sparkles Lucy Sparkles provides drama, music and dance classes and parties for children aged 0 - 6. The teachers are real musicians and/ or actors, providing live guitar or keyboard music fun. For more information and a free taster class, phone Lucy on 07903 913429, email info@lucysparkles.com or visit www.lucysparkles.com.

READER OFFER: Lucy Sparkles are offering Families readers 10% off all parties with an SE15 or SE22 postcode and 5 % off all parties with an SE postcode until the end of the year.

*

SINGING

Little Aces Junior Champs Grand Slammers age 3-4

age 5-7

age 8-11

fun filled tennis games and activities indoors with sponge balls and mini tennis rackets

FREE introductory session phone

07877 391005

www.tennis-4-kids.com email: gordon@tennis-4-kids.com

A unique postnatal Salsa classes for new mums carrying their babies in a sling is now also in Greenwich. This is a fun and easy cardio workout that burns fat and releases endorphins as well as tones your entire body and stimulates your baby’s mind.

Latino Bambino also runs dance sessions for Toddlers ages 1-4 full of Latin/ Tropical rhythms and colourful props. From goo-goo ga-ga to Cha Cha Cha! Southeast London parents can also benefit from their Children’s Party Entertainment with a Latin flavour for a real ‘Fiesta’ atmosphere. Classes every Friday in SE10 and Wednesday in SE16; visit www.latinobambino.com or call 07961838349 to find out more.

Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes are always on the look out for funky new pupils to enrol on their innovative music scheme in SE/ SW London.

Funky Monkey offer both Reception classes (4-5 years, encouraging musical understanding and introducing keyboard skills) and Junior classes (5-8

ACTING

age 2.5-3

Shake it, Royal Baby of Greenwich!

Tinkling the ivories with Funky Monkey

Ages 2.5 yrs - 19 yrs

Tiny Tots

*

STREET DANCE

*

GLEE CLUB

BOOK A FREE TRIAL CLASS TODAY!

*

PERFORMING ARTS South East London

Week long courses jammed full of acting,info@freedomacademy.co.uk song and dance!

TEL: 0208 244 4873 www.freedomacademy.co.uk

familiesse.co.uk

september 2013 - families south east

11

Imagination for the Everyday Early years Drama www.theatretots.com

+ Weekly classes in Lee, Blackheath and Hither Green

+ Schools, nurseries and parties too! info@theatretots.com - 07801072776

Latino Bambino

Theatrebugs ‘Confidence through Creativity’ After two years of bugtastic nursery classes, holiday workshops, birthday parties and under 5’s clubs, Theatrebugs Greenwich is proud to announce the launch of its first action packed all singing, all dancing, all acting after school club that will really knock your socks off!

For 31⁄2 to 6 year olds, and a different theme each term, the team squeeze lots of fun, games, drama, song and dance into a one hour, jam packed class.

They’ll have a bucket load of fun while you watch their focus and vocabulary improve, their confidence bloom and their imagination soar! They will jump into magical stories and become pirates, sharks, hedgehogs, fairies, princesses and maybe even dinosaurs, who knows what could happen? Your child gets the attention they deserve from fully trained, enhanced CRB checked teachers Every Friday from 13th September, (unlucky for some, but not for Theatrebugs) at the Elsie Marshall Memorial Hall in Blackheath. To sign up, email binabrown@theatrebugs.co.uk or call 07531 804 242.

For Theatrebugs classes in East Dulwich, Herne Hill, West Wickham and Clapham, call 0800 975 5290, www.theatrebugs.co.uk.

Offspringers

Olé Kids Bo

ok y cla our ss

Spanish classes for children and parents

Join us for fun, energy packed and culturally rich Spanish classes Half Moon Pub- Herne Hill Thursdays 4.30 pm (children 6 months to 5 years old) Quote: ‘FSE’ for a free trial!

FREE weekend Spanish workshops for children Iberica Restaurant Canary Wharf 1 to 4 pm (for families eating at the restaurant only) Spanish/Latin flauvored Parties Private classes all ages Schools and nurseries Telephone : 020 7386 0376/07734 900221 Email : info@olekids.com www.olekids.com

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families south east - september 2013

Offspringers is a new Charlton-based company offering creative dance for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Run by an ex-professional dancer, the classes combine rhythm, movement, story-telling and song within interactive dance sessions designed to stimulate children’s imagination, music appreciation, coordination, self awareness, language and social interaction - not to mention smiles!

Within each session, independent learning and creativity is encouraged by the use of an engaging yet flexible curriculum which encourages the input and ideas of the children.

Sign up online to Offspringers’ blog to receive regular posts including movement games to try at home, class content updates, news, views and signposts to dance-inspired activities and outings for you and your child. 07900 216633, www.offspringers.com.

Tumble Tots says: “I am so excited to be launching in Brockley where I spent much time of my twenties. I adore the area and I really want to create a musical community of kids who love to play music in Brockley!”.

To book a place, call 0779 933 2562 or visit www.thestringsclub.org to join the mailing list for latest updates, offer and top tips.

Sparkle Music Sparkle Music offers quality Kodaly inspired music classes. The gentle pre-crawling baby classes give parents the chance to learn a range of songs, rhymes and musical activities to enjoy with their baby.

Sessions include playsongs, soothing lullabies, multi-sensory props and instruments to explore and listen to. Through a progressive and lively curriculum, the classes for 2, 3 and 4 year-olds teach about pulse, rhythm and melody through singing, imaginative movement, the careful use of instruments, role play, musical games and stories. Classes now in SE6. First class free! Call Anna on 0771 123 8352/ email anna@sparkle-music.co.uk, www.sparkle-music.co.uk.

Award-winning Boppin’ Bunnies Local company Boppin’ Bunnies has been named ‘Best Local Activity for the Under 5s’ in this year’s What’s On for Little Ones’ Awards.

Boppin’ Bunnies was set up by musician and local mum of two Anna Shepherd, to run live music-making weekly classes using their own original music. There are classes in Greenwich, Blackheath, Eltham, Charlton, Sidcup, Honor Oak and New Cross. Email for a free taster session! info@boppinbunnies.co.uk www.boppinbunnies.co.uk.

New - The Strings Club If music be the food of love then here’s a way to anticipate a feast! Join the award-winning Strings Club - fun-filled instrumental courses for children aged 4-12 - and find your own recipe for musical harmony.

Simply choose from Guitar, Violin, Ukulele or Cello complete beginners to advanced.

Beginning 12 Septembe in Brockley, The Strings Club 10-week course will inspire your child to love playing music. An instrumental hire-scheme also enables your child to begin playing straight away as well as taking it home to practise. All Strings Club courses are led by top strings tutors (DBS-cleared) and culminate in a grand end of course concert.

Founder of The Strings Club, Amy Cunningham

Freedom Acadamy familiesse.co.uk

Sports and movement Tennis-4-Kids Tennis-4-kids have a new website, designed to make things a lot easier for all users. They explained: “We have introduced colour coding for different age groups which will make navigation around the site much more user friendly.

There is a specific section for our holiday sessions and clearer information on where and when we hold our regular term time sessions. Updating information will be quicker and easier so should generally be up to date. We used a local company (Lancasters) to design the site and are very pleased with the results and feedback.”

Perform

Tumble Tots is ‘best activity’

Sparkle Music

Tumble Tots was crowned winner of Best Activity Provider 2013 at Tommy’s Baby-Friendly Awards.

The programme is designed to develop children’s physical skills of agility, balance, co-ordination and climbing, and fostering confidence and self-esteem.

Each weekly session combines fun, excitement and challenge on brightly coloured Tumble Tots equipment in a safe and caring environment. All sessions are run by staff specially trained to get the best out of your child. It is structured according to the different ages and stages of a child’s development. For classes in Blackheath, Dulwich, Battersea and Clapham, call Julia on 020 8464 4433, www.tumbletots.com/dulwich.

Tennis-4-Kids offer a fun-filled introduction to tennis for children aged 21⁄2 to 11 years. Sessions are played indoors with small rackets, sponge balls and a scaled-down court. For details or to book a free introductory session, call Gordon on 07877 391 005, email gordon@tennis-4-kids.com or log onto www.tennis-4-kids.com.

Drop in tennis Sydenham Tennis Club run weekly drop-in sessions for 9 to 12 year-olds every Wednesdays from 4.30 during term-time, and 9.30am on Saturdays for over 12s. These sessions are supervised by a qualified coach and are suitable for children who have played tennis before and are able to rally. There’s no need to book, and the sessions are free for members, and £5 for non-members.

Membership of the tennis club is only £48 pa for juniors and the club is now giving junior members a discount on coaching lessons. There is lots of information about junior tennis at Sydenham at www.sltcc.co.uk.

n m u t Au rm eenrolling T w o n

familiesse.co.uk

september 2013 - families south east

13

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Sparkle Music

OlĂŠ Kids

Theatrebugs

Languages OlĂŠ Kids What will we discover Inside the story sock?

What do you think is hiding?

Come here and take a look...

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OlĂŠ Kids offer well thought out Spanish classes for children of all ages in groups, private classes, nurseries and schools. The classes are run completely in Spanish. Because they learn through immersion, children soon start using Spanish as a tool for communicating whilst they do what they like doing best: games, songs, stories and activities that bring them closer to Spanish and Latin American cultures.

Bilingual and beginners can learn in the same space from day one since there is a clear structure that helps them feel comfortable whatever their level of language.

Also contact OlĂŠ Kids to spice up your birthday parties with a Spanish/ Latin American flavour.

And their weekend workshops at Iberica Canary Wharf while you eat are a real treat. 020 7386 0376 or 07734 900221, www.olekids.com.

French and Spanish Le Club Français and El Club Espaùol teach French and Spanish in a fun way through games, songs, plays etc, giving the children the opportunity to speak and understand the language without them realising.

Each class also teaches the way of life through food, customs and celebrating festivals etc.

The informal and friendly classes provide an environment for children to develop their self-esteem and self-confidence where they quickly acquire enough knowledge to enjoy using the language for communication and expression.

Children from 3 to 11 can benefit from the classes.

Members also have access to Babelzone website where the children can listen to songs, stories and play games in their own time. All teachers are native French or Spanish as it the best way of teaching a language; it also gives children a head start in understanding and speaking the language with the right accent. There is always a free trial session, classes are competitively priced and sibling discounts

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families south east - september 2013

are available. For more information or bookings, email Severine, severinecoupe@aol.com or call 020 8699 7665.

Story Sock Story Sock is a class for 2-4 year olds like no other.

Using a combination of art, craft, songs, games and props, stories are explored and brought to life to encourage confidence, independence, and (most importantly) an enthusiasm for books and reading.

There are regular weekly classes in Blackheath and Greenwich as well as children’s parties, tailored to any theme. For more information or to book a free trial session call Katy on 07957 136270 or email katy@storysock.co.uk.

German Saturday school Deutsche Samstagsschule Greenwich opened last year and has already doubled in size. It is run by local parents as a not for profit organisation to help children from German speaking families practise and improve the German they learn at home and widen their knowledge of German culture and traditions in a fun and friendly environment.

To meet demand, a second pre-school class opened this April, with a class for older children (7-10 years old) opening this September. A few places are still available for the 5-10 year olds, but there is a waiting list for children aged 3 to 4.

The classes and regular social events give children and their families an opportunity to meet and make friends with other German families. The German Baker van also visits the school every Saturday during term time, so pupils and local residents can stock up on authentic German cake, pretzels, bread and other foods popular in Germany and Austria. For enrolment, waiting list, membership enquiries or to find out more, visit www.dssgreenwich.org.uk or email info@dssgreenwich.org.uk.

familiesse.co.uk

The Bookseller Crow

is a fantastic, volume stuffed shop run by some of the most knowledgeable bookworms in the business.

Call in for the feel of a real bookshop, or if you’re too busy, pick up the phone or point your mouse at their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles.

One of the recurring themes when it comes to ding-dongs between me and the kids’ dad is ‘time management’. Once I’m done trying to kill him each time he uses the phrase, I remind myself that it is a desk-bound executive’s catchword, the shibboleth of someone who maybe does a lot but doesn’t have to go very far to do it. I, on the other hand, always seem to be a chore behind schedule because whatever the job is, it always takes longer thanks to unforeseen complications - traffic, cat sick, tantrums etc. Hence defrosting the fridge goes from a simple unplugging to wholesale palaver involving towels, a vast lump of ice with what looks like a woolly mammoth embedded within and Trasha causing a bloodbath with a bag of melting fruits of the forest.

By the time I’ve finished clearing up the various putrefied liquids, the tip has shut and the car boot remains full of the rubbish from yesterday’s to do list.

THE POWER OF DOING LESS by Fergus O’Connell Capstone rrp £9.99. Billed as “short, sharp and fun to read”, it is the promise that I will reap the benefits of work-sharing that gets my attention. Quite how that extends to duties such as fridge maintenance remains to be seen - you can’t fit two heads in simultaneously afterall. But ultimately, is housework a priority? This guy says to only do the really important stuff and everything else can hang. This could be an experiment which is heavenly joy in the short term but self-defeating in a fortnight’s time when I can’t get the front door open for shoes piled up against it.

MISSING OUT: IN PRAISE OF THE UNLIVED LIFE by Adam Phillips - Penguin rrp £9.99. So, with the boot defiantly full of bulging black bin bags and the hoover on strike, I’ll have lots of time to sit back and undertake existence-enhancing pursuits instead. Like reading. Reading real books that don’t contain recipes or solutions to problems. Books like this that, um, help me to analyse where I went wrong and then encourage me to poke up with the consequences. Oh for goodness sakes, pass me the cocktail shaker!

SAVE WITH JAMIE by Jamie Oliver - Penguin rrp £26. “Shop smart, cook clever, waste less,” he says. No finished copy of this by deadline but by gosh our boy can talk up a promise, eh?

If it does half of what it says on the tin, it’ll be worthy of its place next to the spice rack, but the emphasis on budgeting looks a tedge skewed when it comes to the price-tag. Ouch.

THE HUNGRY STUDENT COOKBOOK by Charlotte Pike, Quercus rrp £7.99 is somewhat, ahem, cheaper though no less useful. If someone you know is about to enter the world of the communal kitchen, 150 dinner ideas with accessible ingredients might not mitigate the shock of being in debt in perpetuity for the sake of two lectures a week and no paid work at the end of three years, but it will go some way preventing death by pot noodle.

JUNKET IS NICE by Dorothy Kunhardt - NYRB rrp £9.99.

These vintage editions feel like proper books, with cloth spines and everything. Junket may be a thing of the past - just that similar British staple of yore, blancmange - but an excellent children’s picture book that combines repetition with silliness goes on forever.

CHANGING THE GUARD AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE by A.A. Milne & E.H. Shepherd - Egmont rrp £12.99. Posh, archaic, precious, irrelevant, I’m sorry but open this up just once and it is irresistible. And it is never to soon to teach your child “James James Morrison Morrison Weatherby George Dupree...”

BUN B’S RAP COLORING & ACTIVITY BOOK rrp £7.99.

And you can give ‘em all the Christopher Robin in the universe but they’ll still go through their hip hop and stoopid back-to-front hat phase. And I know - the ‘u’ is missing. But breathe deep and fingers crossed they’ll grow out of it and get into Bob Dylan next.

THE VERY NOISY HOUSE by Julie Rhodes and Korky Paul Frances Lincoln rrp £11.99. I do like a Korky Paul showcase and this doesn’t disappoint with its tale of consequences that begins with the clomp clomp of an old lady and rises upwards to a cacophonic crescendo, then room-by-room the racket

dwindles until we are left with clomp clomp all over again. All good clean exhausting fun.

LITTLE MOUSE’S BIG BOOK OF BEASTS by Emily Gravett Macmillan rrp £11.99. This wondrously detailed bonkers story comes with torn pages and nibbled corners, rolled up newspaper and books-within-books. Ingenious and scatterbrained, it does my OCD no good at all. Where’s that hoover?

ABC & DO by Leo Singh & Karen Wall - Egmont rrp £12.99.

Yet another terrific Egmont title in the bag this month - a smart lift-the-flapper that reveals that A is for Apple and B is for Bite and that F is for a fridge much fuller than mine now that it has been D for defrosted.

And the same publisher has come up with this cheery series of OLIVE & MOSS board books too featuring Colette the Cow, Louis the Lion, Michael the Monkey and Margot and Mo, rrp £5.99, on the topics of colour, shapes, noises and numbers respectively. But before Egmont get too bigheaded, can I report that KATE & WILLIAM, A ROYAL FAIRYTALE by Ink Robin & Adam Larkum, rrp £6.99 is the most pedestrian fairy tale I have ever encountered. They’ve left out all the interesting bits about castles burning down, divorces, wicked stepmothers and naughty princes and left us with the same old yawnsome tedium we get from that pile of glossy dross in the dentist’s waiting room.

HOW TO WASH A WOOLLY MAMMOTH by Michelle Robinson & Kate Hindley - Simon & Schuster rrp 6.99. Hahaha!

This is more like it! The expression on the aforementioned extinct mammal’s face when the kid shoves him in the tub is one of exquisite bafflement. As well it might be when not five minutes earlier it was trapped in a glacier at the back of my fridge. Actually, it wasn’t really a mammoth. When the ice finally succumbed, I found a kebab on a stick. And mysteriously the entire household denied all knowledge of it. So it just arrived, got frozen and blocked the little drainhole all of its own volition.

Yeah, right. Exquisite bafflement all round then.

DUSTBIN DAD by Peter Bently and Russell Ayto - Simon & Schuster rrp £6.99. This particular dad’s capacity for eating anything and everything is familiar. When I was small, all the adults in my life were shameless when it came to nicking the food off our plates and we children learned to eat pretty damn swiftly once the grub was served. It doesn’t take a therapist to work out why I am so greedy.

GOING SWIMMING; GOING TO PLAYSCHOOL by Sarah Garland - Frances Lincoln rrp £5.99. Ah. So here we are. Nice new board book editions of old favourites for the new term and when it comes to littleys, as a swimming teacher, I’m telling you now, it is ALL in the preparation. If your tyke has never encountered the booming clamour of a pool before, don’t expect it to slide into the water without a fuss. And please, please, please wipe its nose first.

MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN by Tom Jones - Virgin rrp £12.99. It may be a new start for our kids but if the prospect of Autumn cheeses you off as much as it does me, you are going to need more than mouldy pumpkins and cornershop sparklers to buck you up. Using the formula of his previous Tired of London, Tired of Life, the author takes us around the country month-by-month with all sorts of distractions such as eating kippers at Craster and participating in the Pagham pram race to seeing the tulips in Spalding, visiting the Stanley Spencer Gallery at Cookham (something I’ve hung my nose over for ages) or riding the Anderton boat lift in Cheshire; his selection is enchantingly eccentric and absolutely my kind of list of things to do. I better get down that tip and empty the boot before we set off, eh? Mindyou, late to catch a ferry, the master of time management (for it was he) once packed two bags of rubbish that I’d put out for the bin men. We didn’t work out what the smell was until we got to France.

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk www.booksellercrow.co.uk familiesse.co.uk

september 2013 - families south east

15

“I want a divorce. How do I go about it?”

By Mandeep Clair Firstly, you need to be married for one year and must be convinced that your marriage has irretrievably broken down. It is further necessary to base the divorce on what is known as a “fact”. The most commonly used are adultery, unreasonable behaviour, two years’ separation with the other spouse’s consent or five years’ separation. The person applying for the divorce (i.e. “the Petitioner”) cannot rely on his/ her own adultery or unreasonable behaviour. In order for there to be a straightforward undefended divorce, it is necessary where adultery is alleged for the other spouse (“the Respondent”), to admit to it. Conversely, it is unnecessary for the Respondent to admit to unreasonable behaviour.

Whatever the basis for the divorce, both spouses must agree that they cannot reconcile in order for there to be an undefended divorce. You cannot file a joint petition together to end the marriage.

To start the process, the Petitioner must file a petition at the court. The court then sends a copy of the petition to the Respondent together with a form for completion. This form asks various questions such as whether the Respondent will defend the divorce. It is very rare for a divorce to be defended as it usually does not achieve anything. Allegations of bad behaviour in a divorce petition are very rarely important in dealing with other matters such as arrangements for children or money.

Once the Petitioner has received the Respondent’s duly completed Acknowledgment form, it should then be possible for the Petitioner to make the next application which is for the Decree Nisi. The court will consider this application and provided that the divorce papers are all in order, it will fix a date for the pronouncement of the Decree Nisi. The Decree Nisi is a certificate to say that the Petitioner is entitled to a divorce.

Six weeks and one day after the Decree Nisi, it is open to the Petitioner to apply for the decree Absolute. It is only once the Decree Absolute has been pronounced that the marriage is dissolved and there is a divorce.

Provided that both parties do what is required of them promptly, an undefended divorce usually takes about six months to complete and there is ordinarily no need for anyone to attend court personally and it can be dealt with in the post.

It is really for the Petitioner to progress the divorce. It will not happen automatically just because the court has issued the divorce petition.

For example, the court will not chase the Respondent to return the completed Acknowledgement form or indeed the Petitioner to make the application for the decree nisi at the relevant time.

If the Respondent fails to provide the completed and signed Acknowledgement form, the court would

require convincing evidence that the Respondent has actually received the divorce papers before allowing the proceedings to progress. Sometimes it is necessary for a process server to be instructed to personally give the papers to the Respondent. The process server would then provide a statement to the court to confirm that this has happened and the Petitioner should then be able to submit to the court the application for the decree nisi even if the Respondent does not reply to the divorce papers within the requisite time limit.

About the author Mandeep Clair is a mediator, collaborative lawyer and an experienced family solicitor at South East London Solicitors Grant Saw. The practice offers friendly, professional family mediation and legal services including an initial fixed fee appointment of £100 inclusive of VAT for legal advice in respect of relationship breakdown and/or issues concerning children. If you then go on to instruct us to deal with your case, we will credit this payment back to you on your next bill. Please call 020 8858 6971 or email mclair@grantsaw.co.uk.

Wiped out by wi-fi?

If you are experiencing otherwise unaccountable symptoms of tiredness, skin rashes, poor sleep, irritability, memory problems, lack of concentration, headaches, dizziness or depression, they may relate to electromotive force (EMF) exposure.

Research studies have shown that prolonged exposure to wi-fi signals, mobile and cordless phones can have adverse effects on our health, with children and teenagers being more vulnerable. In May 2011 The Council of Europe classified EMR from mobile phones as “possibly carcinogenic” and stated that precautions are needed to avoid similar social tragedies such as those surrounding asbestos, tobacco and unleaded petrol.

Simple tips to keep your family safe (just in case it isn’t) • •

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Always turn off your wi-fi router off at night (just a switch) Never put your mobile close to your baby’s head, nor let them use it as a toy. Think twice about whether your cordless baby monitor is necessary, or place it as far as possible from baby. These devices also emit EMR; they work with wi-fi after all Carry your phone in your bag, not your pocket. Manufacturers’ small print warns users to keep mobiles away from the body, even though advertising campaigns show the opposite The NHS advises children and teenagers to text or make short, essential calls only. The further away from the body/ ears the better Persuade your teenager not to sleep next to their phone at night (and especially not keep it under their pillow for secret texting) Do not use your phone as an alarm clock next to your head Go back to a corded house phone. Radiation from cordless (DECT) phones is intense, and in some cases higher than a mobile phone (models/ devices vary in intensity - check SAR levels) Use your internet through the mains. No re-wiring is required, simply buy two Ethernet boxes to plug in computers and laptops to your regular electricity socket Get informed. Families has collated lots of useful websites, articles, reports and videos, online at www.familiesonline.co.uk/radiation.

ElectroDOT The electroDOT from Phi Harmonics is programmed to harmonise EMFs from the electronic equipment that we use regularly. Its powerful natural energy signature locks onto and ‘entrains’ these signals, changing them from potential conflict into harmony with the natural electromagnetism of our own bodies. The tiny, self-adhesive electroDOT can be attached to mobile phones, computers, anything electronic, where it has been shown to reduce thermal heating.

ElectroDOT users report more energy, greater concentration, better sleep, fewer headaches, a sense of calm and a cooler head. For orders or more information, see www.energydots.net or call 01803 782008.

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families south east - september 2013

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Diary Dates for Grown Ups DANNIE ABSIE IN CONVERSATION

FOREST HILL FASHION WEEK

11 September, DULWICH BOOKS, 6 Croxted Road, West Dulwich SE21, 020 8670 1920, www.dulwichbooks.co.uk Dulwich Books is honoured to welcome Dannie Abse to discuss and read from his latest book of poetry, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Speak, Old Parrotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, published in the same year as the poetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 90th birthday. Over his long and remarkable career, Dannie has published many acclaimed poetry collections as well as works of fiction, criticism, autobiography and plays. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Presenceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, an elegy for his wife, received the 2008 Wales Book of the Year award, while â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Running Lateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; won the Roland Mathias Prize. Dannieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s poetry is informed by his work as a doctor, Jewish culture and the speech rhythms and legends of his native Wales, his verse characterised by an almost medical care and precision. Tickets ÂŁ10 includes a copy of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Speak, Old Parrotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and refreshments on the night, 7pm start.

20-25 September, various venues in FOREST HILL SE23, www.foresthillfashion.com The first FHFW was so chic and well attended, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another on its way!

This time itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in association with the Horniman Museum, who are putting on an entire â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Museum at Nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fashion special. Retailers, suppliers, designers and jewellers will showcase their talents at the FHFW launch at the Horniman Museum from 6-9pm on 20 September. Other events include workshops, a fashion market, performances and catwalks. See the full listing online.

DIABETES UK - THE BIG EVENT 14 September, NOVOTEL HOTEL, 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith W6 8DR, 020 7424 1000, www.diabetes.org.uk/thebigevent The Big Event is Diabetes UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship event for people with diabetes and their families. It is organised for those affected by both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, whether they are newly diagnosed, need a refresher or are a parent or carer. It will be an action-packed day and there will be 16 workshops covering all aspects of diabetes including the latest research, what care to expect, diabetes at school, rights at work, coping with emotional issues and advice on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 9.30am5pm, tickets from ÂŁ10 include lunch, refreshments and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities.

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INTUITIVE PAINTING THE WHISTLING STUDIO, Camberwell SE5, 07947 104 135, www.intuitivepainting.com You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need any experience or artistic talent to join an Intuitive Painting course - start with the desire to explore your creativity without judgement or expectation. Sessions are designed to dissolve creative blocks and allow people to paint as a spiritual practice, allowing for play and spontaneity.

Each session lasts three hours, beginning with a talk about an aspect of creativity, and finishing with a sharing of experiences. All materials are provided. Taster sessions ÂŁ30 for one; introductory courses ÂŁ180 for a six week block.

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NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY NCT TABLE TOP SALE 21 September, St JOHNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHURCH, Penge SE20 7EQ, www.nct.org.uk/nns Pre loved baby and childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothes and toys, at bargain prices. Run by Beckenham and Borders NCT. 10.30am-1pm. ÂŁ1 entry on the door.

CAKE & BAKE SHOW 13-15 September, EARLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COURT, Warwick Road SW5 9TA, 0844 854 1364, www.thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk Meet the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favourite baking stars including The Fabulous Baker Brothers Tom and Henry Herbert, Great British Bake Off champion John Whaite, patissier to the stars Eric Lanlard, world renowned baker Richard Bertinet, chef and TV presenter Simon Rimmer and Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Bakery judges Peter Sidwell and Mich Turner plus many more.

The Cake Catwalk will wow with intricate sugar work and inspiring couture creations, plus live catwalk shows with an edible twist. Other features at the show include celebrity demo stages, hands-on experiential stands and live cake decorating in action. Those looking to kit out their kitchen will find hundreds of stands stocked with the latest sugarcraft and baking equipment as well as delicious cakes, breads and pies. Entry free for under 5s, children ÂŁ7, adults ÂŁ14.50.

From 2 October, Albrighton Community Centre, East Dulwich SE22; from 18 October Pilgrimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Way Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Centre, Peckham SE15, 07968 964194, www.livewellnutrition.co.uk It really is true that you are what you eat, and nutrition can have a great effect on how you feel, both mentally and physically. The Mini Cooking Club is a registered charity providing relaxed and friendly workshops across London, filled with practical and realistic advice, tips and recipes.

The October dates will focus on optimum nutrition during pregnancy and after birth to support a healthy start to life. Topics covered include healthy eating, weight, foods to avoid, any specialised diets, breastfeeding, weaning, as well as a workshop on exercise and cooking activities. This is a free, six week programme for pregnant women in Southwark.

BUMPS, BABIES AND BEYOND FAIR 5 October, St JOHNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHURCH, Eden Park Avenue, BECKENHAM BR3, 0844 234 6046, www.nct.org.uk/branches/beckenham NCT Beckenham is organising a baby fair, bringing together pregnancy, baby, toddler and preschool related businesses under one roof to help parents with young children, with discussions and talks, a raffle and goody bags.

TOTS ON TUESDAY AT STREATHAM & CLAPHAM JUNIOR SCHOOL

A great place to meet other parents and carers A fun time for babies and toddlers (up to 4 years) ? An opportunity to socialise and share ideas and support ? A stimulating and safe environment ? Stay and play while enjoying a coffee (or tea!) ?

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Tots on Tuesday takes place at 10 am until 12 noon every Tuesday morning during term time.

Streatham & Clapham Junior School Wavertree Rd, Streatham Hill SW2 3SR 020 8674 6912 www.schs.gdst.net

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september 2013 - families south east

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LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM

NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM

MoreWhat’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesse.co.uk then click What's On

Theatre, Shows and Music FAMILY SHOWS AT THE ALBANY THE ALBANY, Douglas Way, Deptford SE8 4AG, 020 8692 4446, www.thealbany.org.uk All tickets £7 or £24 for a family unless otherwise stated.

CIRCUS FAMILY WORKSHOP, 22 September. Have fun tumbling, flying, swinging and spinning with your children in this family workshop.

12noon and 2.30pm, £7.

DISCO KIDS, 22 September. The outside comes inside for a boogie wonderland. Dress as your favourite garden character or creepy crawly and wriggle the afternoon away. 2-5pm, under 7s, tickets £5.50 or £20 for families.

HOW TO CATCH A STAR, 29 September. Once there was a boy and he loved stars very much. Every night he watched stars from his bedroom window and wished he had one of his own. One day, he decided he would try to catch a star. But first he had to think of a plan.

Follow Boy on his incredible journey across land, sea and skies in his search for a very special starry friend. Based on the bestselling book by Oliver Jeffers. 1 and 3pm, ages 3+, £7 or Family Ticket £24.

BIG RED BATH, 6 October. Splish! Splosh! Splash! Bubbles burst, bubbles rise and a frothy feast of animals jump right in to join in the fun.

Take a bubbly, barmy bath time adventure around the world and home again celebrating all things bath time. Adapted from the book by Julia Jarman, this fun family show blends music and song in a unique new take on this well-loved story. 1 and 3pm, ages 2+ £7 or Family Ticket £24.

UNICORN THEATRE 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7645 0560, www.unicorntheatre.com GET UP AT THE WEEKEND. Join the Unicorn Play Club every Saturday from midday. Take part in free activities in the foyer such as rocket building, cake decorat8ing or even Olympic musical chairs.

OTHELLO - THE REMIX, 12 - 29 Sept. The Q Brothers return to the UK with their fresh take on the powerful tale of betrayal, jealousy and self-doubt. The production’s fired-up hip-hop proves that Shakespeare

himself was the original master of rhythm and rhyme. Ages 13+.

DORA, 13 Sept - 17 Nov. Letting go of things can be hard but sometimes giving something away can make you even happier. Dora’s story celebrates the pleasure in giving and receiving, and will charm children and adults alike. Ages 4+.

SENSACIONAL, 21 Sept - 14 Nov. Bursting with colour and joy, this interactive and immersive experience captivates younger audiences.

Suitable for 18 months - 4 years.

LUNA, 5 Oct - 3 Nov. Luna is bored up in the sky by heself with nobody to play with. Although she is surrounded by stars, they never quite understand her - it’s certainly lonely being the only moon. An enchanting theatrical experience about friendship, the moon and being brave in the dark. Suitable for ages 2+.

DISCOVERY LUNCHTIME CONCERT 27 September, LSO St LUKE’S, Music Education Centre, 161 Old Street EC1V 9NG, 020 7638 8891, www.lso.co.uk A London Symphony Orchestra concert of Russian music created for family audiences. 12.30pm start, free.

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THEATRE ROYAL, Drury Lane WC2B 5JF, 0844 858 8877, www.charlieandthechocolatefactory.com Five golden tickets are hidden beneath the wrappers of Mr Willy Wonka’s delicious chocolate bars - five golden tickets which will change the lives of those who find them. The winning children are invited through the gates of Mr Wonka’s Chocolate factory to see all the secrets and magic inside, and to meet Mr Wonka and his staff of Oompa-Loompas. For Charlie Bucket, a poor boy living within sight of the factory, winning the fifth and final golden ticket is just the beginning of an unforgettable adventure. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of Roald Dahl’s original story is brought to life in a spectacular musical starring Douglas Hodge. Tickets from £25.

Events & Attractions PARTY IN THE PARK 14 September, FORDHAM PARK, New Cross SE14, email newcrosspeople’slibrary@gmail.com A fun filled day of music, dance spoken word, food, drink and craft stalls, children’s games, arts and crafts, community games and much more.

THE MAYOR’S THAMES FESTIVAL 6-15 September, www.thamesfestival.org One of London’s biggest and best free, outdoor arts festivals, which has now been extended to a 10-day celebration for the first time. There’ll be river-themed art, music and educational events both on the Thames and along its banks and bridges as well as 340 boats taking part in the Great River Race.

FAMILY EVENTS AT THE HORNIMAN HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space.

AMAZON ADVENTURE, until November. Experience the world’s largest and most biologically diverse river with its extraordinary animals, exotic plants and fascinating cultures, with unusual creatures including mysterious pink dolphins, piranhas and anacondas, live rays and tetra fish. Discover the environmental dangers facing the Amazon and its inhabitants such as overfishing, poaching and logging. Fittingly, the

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families south east - september 2013

displays and audio are bilingual English/ Spanish. Admission free for accompanied under 3s, £3 children, £6 adults, £15 families.

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND 21-22 September, various venues, www.openhouselondon.org.uk See some of London’s best-loved architectural delights. Open Housze weekend offers a chance to visit around 750 iconic buildings, venture on guided tours, discover exciting future projects and take part in debates. There are also film screenings, family activities, a photography competition and more.

BATTERSEA POWER STATION 21+22 September, BATTERSEA POWER STATION SW11, www.openhouselondon.org.uk Built in the 1930s as a coal-powered fire station and powering over one fifth of London at its peak, Battersea Power Station will host site visits as part of Open House London for the first time. It will be the last opportunity to see one of London’s most iconic buildings before it undergoes a mixed-use redevelopment with shops, cafes, restaurants and bars set amongst 3,500 new homes and 18 acres of green space.

TRANSPORT MUSEUM EVENTS LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM, 39 Wellington Street, Covent Garden WC2E 7BB, 020 7379 6433, www.ltmuseum.co.uk From buses to tubes, original posters to workers and travellers’ stories, London Transport Museum explores the heritage of London and its transport system. Open 10am-6pm Saturdays to Thursdays, from 11am Fridays. Admission free for under 16s; under 12s to be accompanied.

ALL ABOARD! Let your under 6 ‘drive’ a scaled-down bus, train, tube or taxi, complete with passengers. They can also take control of the transport system, moving buses and trains around the museum’s miniature London.

FAMILY STATION. Pick up a free coin bag and choose some activities to do as you explore the Museum. Whether you fold your own bus and drive it between the vehicles, design your own poster-postcards or take photos through flickr frames, there is something here for families with children of all ages.

LOOK FOR LONGER, until December 2013. Enjoy playing a cryptic Underground game in the galleries where you try to find the 75 London Underground and DLR stations hidden within interactive graphics. You can also play at home at www.lookforlonger.com.

THE GOLDEN HINDE GOLDEN HINDE, St Mary’s Overie Dock SE1, 020 7403 0123, www.goldenhinde.com The full-size replica of Sir Frances Drake’s 16th century galleon is great fun for children with a piratical bent, and an opportunity to lean about life on the high seas during the Tudor era. Costumed staff add to the experience, and at weekends you can book children’s parties.

Self-guided admission £4.40 children, £6 adults, £18 families.

THAMES FESTIVAL WEEKEND, 14 Sept. Experience the life of a Tudor sailor on a guided tour, visiting the various areas and learning of the history of the ship. 12pm to 4pm.

FAMILY OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE, 28 September. Children will be dressed as Tudor sailors and become members of the crew. After learning the ship’s rules, they will be trained in navigation, barber surgery and gunning, before bedding down to sleep amongst the weapons on the Gun Deck. A Tudor style dinner and continental breakfast is provided. Ages 6+.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank.

Examine intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank. Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors.

Open 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

OPEN HOUSE WEEKEND, 21-22 Sept. Enjoy 30-minute guided tours of parts of the Bank not generally accessible to the public. No booking required. Come early to avoid the queue.

CARTOONS & CARICATURES, Until 9 November. Published and unpublished material from the Bank of England’s own collection of prints and drawings. 5.30pm-9pm.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM EVENTS GEFFRYE MUSEUM, Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk Special workshops and quizzes inspire creativity and provide amusement for accompanied 5-11 year-olds on the first Saturday of each month and during school holidays. Places allocated 30 minutes in advance of each workshop. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays.

MARVELLOUS MAGNETS, 21 Sept. Create ceramic-inspired magnets for your home. 2 - 4pm.

TEA PARTY HEADRESSES, 22 Sept. Craft a terrific tea party headress using card and other materials. 2 - 4pm.

SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science, engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. Open daily 10am-6pm except 24-26 December.

LAUNCHPAD SCIENCE SHOWS. The largest free interactive science gallery in the UK is packed with exhibits which allow visitors to launch a rocket, turn their head into a sound box and control a magnetic cloud.

Ages 8-14, free.

WHO AM I? Find out what makes you special through interactive activities which use the latest in brain science and genetics. Free.

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IMP

ERIAL WAR MUSEUM

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM

TOWER OF LONDON TOWER OF LONDON, EC3N 4AB, 0844 482 7777, www.hrp.org.uk/toweroflondon Tower open 9am-5.30pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 10am Sundays and Mondays. Admission free for under 5s, children £10.45, adults £19.80; book for less online.

THE PEOPLE OF THE MINT, 2 Sept - 25 October. Find out more about the lives of the men who lived and worked at the Mint - where did the gold and silver come from and how was it turned into coins?

FORTRESS TOWER, throughout September. Welcome to the greatest fortress in the land! Knights and squires prepare to do battle for the Kingdom of France.

COINS AND KINGS: THE ROYAL MINT AT THE TOWER. Discover the history of the Mint at the Tower including Isaac Newton’s efforts to rid London of counterfeiters when he was Warden of the Mint.

FIT FOR A KING. Discover 500 years of spectacular arms and armour worn by kings and royal princes in this stunning exhibition on the first floor of the White Tower. Learn about the personalities, power and physical size of our nation’s kings, from the Tudors, and the notorious Henry VIII, to today’s royal family through the historic collection.

NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM NATIONAL ARMY MUSEUM, Royal Hospital Road SW3 4HT, 020 7881 6606, www.nam.ac.uk The history of British land forces from 1485 to the present day, with costumes, paintings, artefacts and special displays telling the stories of men and women who served in British armies across the globe. Open 10am-5.30pm daily, admission free.

A SOLDIER’S LIFE, every Sat. Drop in to the museum’s Saturday workshops and learn about the life of a soldier. 2pm and 3.30pm.

IF THE INVADER COMES, 21 Sept. A day of hands-on activities giving a taste of life in the Home Guard. Take part in drill, have a go at putting out fires, learn about unexploded bombs and marvel as the gun and searchlight teams scan the skies for danger. Finish it all off with a sing song round the piano! 10.30am - 4.30pm.

HMS BELFAST On the THAMES by Morgans Lane, Tooley Street SE1 2JH, www.iwm.org.uk. (Thames Clipper London Bridge City Pier) Discover the exciting stories of those who served HMS Belfast; exploring the nine decks where sailors once hurried up and down its ladders, or take a look at the mess desk where her 950-strong crew ate and slept. Open 10am-6pm, admission free for under 16s, £14.50 adults.

GUN TURRET EXPERIENCE. Immerse yourself in the new Gun Turret Experience, a chance to see what fighting at sea would have really been like. Overlooking the front of the ship, or Fo’c’sle, is the forward most of HMS Belfast’s Triple Gun Turrets. Lights, audio, videos and projections will recreate the experience, highlighting the hectic and cramped conditions that would have seen twenty-six men in this confined space at any one time.

Entry included in general admission price.

DAZZLE CAMOUFLAGE, 13-14 and 10-22 August. How do you hide a ship at sea? Learn how dazzle camouflage was used to keep HMS Belfast from being discovered by other ships and take part in a creative animation workshop to create your very own camouflage. 11am-12.30pm and 2-4pm, free with general admission.

IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Lambeth Road, London SE1, 020 7416 5000, www.iwm.org.uk IWM London’s brand new First World War galleries mark the 100 year anniversary of the start of the first world war. Large object displays in the new atrium accompany shops and a cafe opening directly onto Geraldine Mary Harmsworth park.

A FAMILY IN WARTIME explores the lives of William and Alice Allpress and their ten children, and what life in London was like during the war.

A Family in Wartime is brought to life through interactive exhibits, photographs, recorded interviews with the family, archive film footage, paintings, personal documents and an intricate model of the Allpress family home. Admission free.

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: SPIES, until January 2015. A major new family exhibition based on the popular children’s book series written by Terry Deary. Visitors will be immersed into the world of Second World War spy-craft, including codes and cyphers, disguises, camouflage, forgeries and gadgets. Tickets £2.95 children, £5.50 adults.

INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLOCAUST, 21+22 September. A starting point for families with children aged 11 and above to reflect on key themes of the Holocaust, including identity, loss and friendship, through replica objects, discussion and the use of archive photographs. The sessions are an opportunity for families to participate in a discussion on the Holocaust that aims to help inform parents’ decisions on visiting the Holocaust Exhibition. The sessions do not contain any graphic imagery. The Holocaust Exhibition is recommended for children aged 14 and above. For further information on the content of the sessions, please contact Grant Rogers,

familiesse.co.uk

Informal Learning Manager on grogers@iwm.org.uk or 020 7416 5329.

V&A MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PA, 020 8983 5200, www.museumofchildhood.org.uk This gem of a museum is fascinating for families with young children.

The collection includes dolls, dolls’ houses, puppets, teddy bears, games, childcare, clothing, furniture and art and photography.

Everyday drop-in activities include storytelling, arts and crafts, and trails.

There’s dressing-up, role play and an under 3’s area, an indoor sandpit, and regular special events. If it’s sunny there’s an outdoor space to enjoy a picnic. Open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, West India Quay E14, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life.

MUSEUM OF LONDON EVENTS MUSEUM OF LONDON, London Wall EC2Y 5HN, 020 7001 9844, www.museumoflondon.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. Regular programmes of weekend and holiday events and workshops help visitors find out more about London’s history, covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life.

ROYAL MUSEUMS GREENWICH National Maritime Museum, Queen’s House, Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark, Greenwich SE10, 020 8858 4422, www.rmg.co.uk Royal Museums Greenwich holds the world’s largest maritime collection. It is housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site and incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17thcentury Queen’s House, and Cutty Sark. The Museums works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people, and is also a major centre of education and research. Open 10am-5pm daily. General admission is free; some buildings, special exhibitions and events have an admission fee.

EXPLORE SATURDAYS. Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that brings maritime history to life. Suitable for ages 6+. Noon, 1, 2 and 3pm start, free.

DISCOVER SUNDAYS. Be inspired by the museum’s galleries and take part in free design, craft, illustration and music workshops designed for families. Suitable for all ages. 11.30am-1.30pm and 2-5pm, free.

PLAY TUESDAYS. Young children can have fun with their families as they explore the museum through making, music, dance and drama. 10.30 and 11.30am, 1 and 2pm, suitable for under 5s; collect a ticket from the admissions desk.

THE SECRET LIFE OF STARS. A spectacular show, narrated by Patrick Stewart, explores the fascinating life history of the stars, from the smallest red dwarf to the largest blue giant. Using state-of-the-art digital simulation, it charts the life of a star from birth to death and beyond, and looks at what impact this has on the universe around us. Ages 5+, tickets £4.50 children, £6.50 adults, £17.50 families.

SPACE SAFARI, weekends and holiday weekdays. Join teddy bear Ted for live music and rhyme as he journeys throughout the solar system looking for the Great Bear in the sky in a show designed especially for younger children and presented by a Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer.

Tickets £4.50 children, £6.50 adults, £17.50 families.

CUTTY SARK CUTTY SARK, King William Walk, Greenwich SE10 9HT, 020 8858 2698, www.rmg.co.uk/cuttysark The world famous 19th century tea clipper offers visitors four levels to explore. Take in the views from the main deck and steer at the ship’s wheel, meet the crew who worked on board, explore the various cargoes from wool to whiskey, and see how tea was loaded on board through interactive displays, props, information boards and animations. Family friendly events run at weekends and during school holidays. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Sundays, admission £6.50 children, £12 adults, from £20 families. Bundled tickets are available with the other Royal Museum Greenwich attractions.

EXPLORE SATURDAYS. Meet a character from the past and take part in an exciting performance that brings maritime history to life. Suitable for ages 6+. Noon, 1, 2 and 3pm start, free with admission ticket.

DAMRU DRUMS, 5+6 October. Make and decorate a traditional drum inspired by the ship’s voyages to India and the cargoes she collected there.

Drop in workshop suitable for all ages. 11.30am and 2pm start, suitable for all ages.

AHOY CAPTAIN! 6 October. Meet Captain Woodget, Cutty Sark’s longest serving master, and hear tales of his voyages across the high seas. 11am, 12noon, 1.30 and 2.30pm.

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Next issue out Adult & Children’s Entertainer Magic, Plate Spinning Balloon Modelling Interactive Games Karaoke, Mini Disco

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4 October 2013 Education features, half term fun, Halloween events – advertise yours and put the word out to over 40,000 interested local parents!

Deadline 16 September

Maths & English tuition centre For 5 to 14 year olds of all abilities t Courses mapped to the National Curriculum. t Adapts to the individual needs of your child. t Convenient for families - Open 7 days a week. t Award-winning tuition - voted Education Investor Supplementary Education Provider of the Year.

“Explore Learning members’ improvement in maths was 30% higher than that of the comparison group after controlling for gender, age, year group and special educational needs.”

Independent Efficacy Study by the Institute of Education at Reading University (2013). See www.explorelearning.co.uk/efficacy.

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