Famvoy iss57 lowres

57

mar/apr 2014 issue

free The useful magazine for families with young children in York, Harrogate, Tadcaster, Wetherby and Selby

SwimmingCarr2013 A6.pdf_Layout 1 10/12/2013 14:27 Page 1

Baby & Tots Swimming Lessons

with Linzi

Carr Junior School ★ Small classes ★ Baby - Pre school ★ Warm, Private pool ★ Fun, play based swimming

Learn to swim, gain water confidence and a inzi safety through fun filled classes with Li Linzi

Our dance and movement classes are a great introduction to physical exercise for kids aged 6 months to 4 years Singing Dancing Skipping Hopping Music Instruments Colours Numbers Balance Confidence Coordination Interaction Fun Certificates Contact Katie to find out where your local classes are...

T: 0113 287 6252 M: 07834 266350 www.kids2dance.co.uk

Mondays: 10.30 - 11.30am m Thursdays & Fridays: 9.30 - 11.30 am More Classes for older children att Robert Wilkinson School Mondays from 4pm and Tues from 5.15pm

To book your place contact ss.co o.u uk Linzi 07583 936246 info@linzifitness.co.uk

Swimming Teachers Association - fully qualified instructor tructor Royal Life Saving Society – fully qualified Lifeguard

CREATING THRILLS & SKILLS FOR LIFE FINE YORKSHIRE FISH AND CHIPS FOR ALL THE FAMILY!

Kids eat for £1

at the Wetherby Whaler York!

As a family-run business with more than 40 years’ experience, the Wetherby Whaler has a tradition of value for money and delicious fish and chips.

The restaurant at the Wetherby Whaler in York is the perfect place for a family treat!

Terms and conditions: This voucher is only redeemable at the Wetherby Whaler York, Nether Poppleton, York, YO26 6RA restaurant. This offer is valid from 4th March 2014 - 4th April 2014. The offer is only redeemable on a kid’s meal. One voucher per meal. No cash or product alternative is available. No voucher photocopies accepted. The voucher is not transferable.

Each child must be accompanied by one full paying adult. Offer excludes Sunday 30th March 2014. To receive the offer, children must be under 12 years old.

Wetherby Whaler

@wetherbywhaler

Wetherby Whaler York, Nether Poppleton, York, YO26 6RA

TEL: 01904 784500

w w w. w e t h e r b y w h a l e r. c o . u k 2 Families

Vale of York

With outstanding Performing Arts tuition, your very own movie screened at the cinema, free Trinity exams and our WestEnd show - what are you waiting for?

PQA York and PQA Harrogate are enrolling now.

Academies run on Saturdays To enrol your child and for further information please visit www.pqacademy.com or call us now on 084567 32022

welcome to families It’s that time of year again – time to clear things out. I’m reliably informed the loft and garage are to capacity so there’s nothing more for it – I’m having to actually get rid of things.

I’m trying to de-clutter my whole house. I’ve started with my office and every scrap of unnecessary ‘stuff’ has been removed. The decorating has been done and I have a vision of working and living in minimalistic bliss.

I’ve flatly refused to put anything back into my office unless I really need it. This means I spend all day running upstairs to the room where all the ‘stuff’ is being held and rummaging around for random items. The spare room’s a tip – but my office looks great!

I’m not sure how this will apply as I work my way through the rest of the house but I’m hopeful. And I’m hoping it might rub off on the rest of the family too.

Happy spring!

families

Editor of Families VOY

in this issue p4

magazine

news

p13

p6 education news P8 competitions & giveaways P9 the parent business p14 P10 childcare P12 bake off P13 starting school P14 school dinners P16 spring has sprung P19 ask the doctor P20 what’s on P23 beta mum

p20 10% off any booking!

Tel: 01405 860831 editor@familiesvoy.co.uk www.familiesvoy.co.uk Circulation: 18,000 Deadline:

The deadline for the May/June 2014 edition is early April 2014

Front cover: www.mothercare.com Designed by: MOOIdesign

Tel: 01405 869045 Printed by: Warners Midlands PLC www.warners.co.uk Copyright Families in the Vale of York Mar/Apr 2014. Colour transparencies and any other original materials submitted for publication are sent at owners’ own risk and, while every care is taken, neither Families nor its agents accept liability for loss or damage.

Families in the Vale of York is part of a group established in 1990 and headed by Families South West. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under license. We take care preparing this magazine but the publishers and distributors cannot be held responsible for the claims of the advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents nor for any consequence.

The perfect present

01423 815024 @HarrogateClimb Harrogate Climbing Centre

Call now quoting FAM01 to claim your 10% discount* 01423 815024

Discover more at harrogateclimbingcentre.com Hornbeam Park Avenue, Hornbeam Park, Harrogate HG2 8QT *This voucher must to be provided at the start of the session. Terms & Conditions apply.

See website for details.

Families Vale of York

3

news Day Book World Day hits s World Book

This year’ March, and they the shelves on 6 Which books

lp! he need your life? Which ur have changed yo are you, make sc u, yo ill ildren devour books thr books do your ch you laugh? Which minate your favourites now at No again and again? y.com. www.worldbookda ration of books is the biggest celeb book tokens y Da ok Bo rld Wo of llions and millions ing anywhere, with mi kids plus events tak for s ok bo e fre at ss mi n’t Do s. given out, gre op raries and booksh place in schools, lib keep up to date with the exciting e to oks. out – register onlin d to get your free bo Big Booky Events an

The Ultimate Sale Table Tots are excited to announce they will be holding a Baby Fair and Nearly New sale at Lightwater Valley this spring.

Entrants will be able to secure a discount of up to £11 per adult on the day of the sale – 26th April when they enter via the sale in the shopping village.

The sale will take place between 11am and 3pm leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the rides too. To book a table or to find out more information visit www.tabletots.co.uk

Major new researc h into early detecti on o f a u ti s m a n d The world-leading A D H D is seeking babies ‘Babylab’ at Birk wide study of th beck, University e early emergenc of London, is lau e of autism nching a ne Professor M

w Europeand ADHD. With ark Johnson an d his team are over £2.5 million ADHD Risk in Sibli now embarking in funding, ngs (STAARS) pr up on the Studying Au oje to identify the ea tism and rliest signs of thes ct, which will map brain develop ment from birth in e lifelong social co The research wi order m munication and ll focus on infan attention disorde ts who have old infants are at pa rs. er siblings with rticularly high ris autism or ADHD k for these disor ders. as these Although parent sm not diagnosed un ay notice symptoms of these co nditions from inf til they are in nurse ancy, children ar ry or school. e often Earlier diagnosis of these children effective intervent would help mak e it possible to ions that may pr design earlier an event symptoms of life for individu d more fro als with autism/A DHD and their fam m developing, and improve the quality Can you and your ilies. baby help? Exp enses are paid an special day with d mothers we m their child, which et said they spen they really enjoy t a very ed.

To read more ab out the STAARS project and to ta ke part go to www .staars.org

Jo Jingles Charity Parties

To celebrate 18 years of Jo Jingles, local Class leader Paula Ridley will be holding two charity birthday parties to help raise funds for a water tank project in Kenya.

“The parties will be held at The Manygates Adult Education Centre in Sandal on Friday 11th April and at St. Benedict’s Parish Centre in Garforth on Saturday 12th April,” says Paula, “and both venues are allowing us to use their facilities free of charge.”

“Each Wednesday evening during term time I swap my red polo shirt for a blue polo shirt and help out at our local Boys’ Brigade,” says Paula.

“In October of this year, along, with other members of our company I will be visiting a charity, the Isaiah Trust, in Kisumu, Kenya. We’ll be involved in various projects one of which it to install a water tank to provide running water to one of the Trust’s houses and irrigation to some of their fields. At present, the Trust doesn’t have the money to do this so, in addition to raising funds for our trip, we have committed to raise the £1500 required for this water tank project.

“This is where the wonderful families at Jo Jingles come in. Tickets to the parties will be £10 (or £15 for a family) and will include two strips of raffle tickets, jingling activites, crafts, lunch or tea and a visit from Big Jo.” All Jinglers - past and present are welcome. Get in touch with Paula to purchase your tickets. All money raised will go to the water tank project.

01977 650455 leeds.jojingles.com

4 Families

Vale of York

Labels4Kids Labels4Kids can cater for any of your requirements after the closure of Cash’s name tapes. The new website includes the introduction of the snappy school pack, containing vinyl labels for all your non-clothing items, two bag tags and snap on snappy tags etched with a name. Snappy tags have the added benefit of being removable and reusable.

Other new lines include personalised TSA luggage straps with security locks and sew on labels with pre-sealed edges to stop fraying. Sign up for the newsletter for updates and offers right to your inbox. You can also ‘like’ the Labels4Kids facebook page for competitions and more offers. Go

to www.labels4kids.com/fam and use “pass” for 10% off.

Swimming Lessons • • • • •

Save the date for Real Nappy Week!

Taking place 28 April - 4 May this year, Real Nappy Week is all about celebrating reusables – for those who are already converted to cloth and those not yet tempted.

Get involved in nationwide events, competitions and a whole lot more - there are loads of events where you can meet people who use real nappies, get great advice as well as get your hands on nappies to see how they work.

Choosing the right nappy can be an important decision for new parents, and real nappies are now more popular than ever. They can save you upwards of £500 per child (more if you use your nappies on a second child), are better for the environment, save on waste to landfill, are comfortable for your baby and, best of all, are super stylish. Available in a choice of fabrics including cotton, bamboo, microfibre and fleece, and in a choice of styles for different occasions, they also come in a range of patterns, designs and colours. You can even buy bespoke!

All Ages and Abilities Group lessons One to One Lessons Lessons Local to you Gift Vouchers

Call Debbie or Ray: 01757 247047 or 07730 886436

Email : d.feeney@swimtime.org Learn to swim, be safe, have fun!

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ww

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g

Real Nappy Week 2014

.s w im ti m e . o

www.goreal.org.uk/real-nappy-week

If you’re already thinking ahead to the long summer break and worrying about how to juggle childcare then a new York-based company may just have the solution you’re looking for.

School Holiday Solutions offers an innovative approach to solving the dilemma of childcare over the long holidays.

“Time at home with family is precious,’’ says co-founder Jane Linney, “but the pressures of work and school conspire to reduce the time we spend together.”

With this in mind, Jane and partner Catherine Morin have founded a flexible childcare service based in the family home and tailored to the needs of each individual family.

“SHS places French and Swiss Au Pairs with families for the holiday period making sure that families’ needs are catered for with a thorough sourcing, profiling and interviewing process,” says Jane.

Not only is SHS an extremely cost-effective childcare option – Au Pairs are paid around £70 a week- your children are looked after at home and you’ll also get help with housework and some babysitting too.

“We offer a variety of different Au Pair services, as one size doesn’t fit all,” adds Jane. “Families might want an Au Pair Plus who will do extra hours or a Study Buddy Au Pair who will dedicate some of his or her time to improving your child’s foreign language skills – it’s amazing how quickly children can pick up or improve on their language skills when they are hearing it every day!”

To find out more about how SHS could help your family this summer visit www.schoolholidaysolutions.co.uk or call 01904 499314

www.recording4fun.co.uk

r Popstia ng Recorid Par t es!

We bring our professional mobile recording studio to your home or party venue! Be ‘Real Popstars’ celebrate and sing your favourite songs together and record a CD with our Chart Topping Music Producers!

Call: 07580 662 308 or 01405 469 453 email: recording4funstudio@gmail.com

• Perfect for Birthday’s • For ages 7 upwards • Kids, Teens & Adults too!

• Groups from 5 to 20 Singers • As seen on Britain’s Got Talent!

• Mobile all across Yorkshire

Families Vale of York

5

education

news Brackenfield teacher wins Rugby League Award “Professional, reliable childcare from Bright Beginnings” Qualified Nannies Maternity Practitioners Nursery Staff Mobile Creches Babysitting Parent helpers Tel: 01904 691698 or 0782 333 2627 Email: info@bbchildcareuk .com www.bb-childcare.co.uk

Holiday Academies for 5-16 year olds in your area.

Quote ASFM14 for 10% off! www.activatesport.co.uk

01785 711 572

Brackenfield School in Harrogate is celebrating the success of their Year 5 teacher, Alison Balsamini MBE for winning the Outstanding Contribution to Schools Rugby League Award.

Chosen from a strong field of candidates, this national award recognises Alison’s contribution to Ruby League since 2006 when she formed a Rugby League team in Settle. Her team went on to become North Yorkshire champions and won the National title in 2009.

Since joining Brackenfield she has again founded a team that has gone on to enter the Champion Schools competition.

President of the RFU, David Oxley MBE, came to Harrogate to present Alison Balsamini with the award in front of the school and praised Alison for her achievements in the sport.

“This is a fabulous achievement for Alison who already has an MBE for her outstanding contribution to education,” said principal Anthony Comerford. “It is also great for Brackenfield since our children, both boys and girls, benefit enormously from her coaching.” www.brackenfieldschool.co.uk

BGS Pupils sing at the UK’s biggest School Choir Concert Youngsters from independent prep school Belmont Grosvenor joined thousands of pupils from schools across the country to take part in the UK’s biggest School Choir Concert.

For the third year running, a group of 40 children joined in Young Voices 2014 to sing in a mass concert at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena.

Young Voices, the largest children’s choir in the world, aims to inspire and motivate young people and children and introduce them to music and singing.

This year, the Belmont Grosvenor singers, from years 4 to 6, joined Stacey Solomon from BBC’s The One Show, who was performing at the event and sang songs including Mr Blue Sky, You Raise Me Up and Son of a Preacher Man. Headteacher Jane Merriman, who accompanied the pupils to Sheffield, said all the Belmont Grosvenor School youngsters had thoroughly enjoyed the event.

“This was a fabulous experience for our pupils to work with world-renowned conductor David Lawrence and to perform in such a large arena.

I am sure all of them have been inspired by the occasion and the memories will remain with them for many years to come,” she said. www.belmontgrosvenor.co.uk

Bankfield expansion will meet needs of busy working mums Bankfield School in Harrogate has expanded its Early Years provision, with new facilities and full-day and flexible childcare for two to four year-olds, five days a week during term-time.

The move to full wrap-around care has been made to meet the needs of busy parents – and, in particular, the growing number of working mothers commuting to and from Harrogate on a daily basis.

The brand new indoor space is designed to cater for the needs of two-year-olds and an extended new outdoor play area has been created to provide extensive green play space for all the children.

“For working Mums, we offer the reassurance that their child will be cared for in a traditional home from home environment,” says Headteacher Alison Collings.

“The youngsters enjoy their learning journey through exploration, fun and play and the investment in the new indoor facilities will mean there are specific areas for each Bankfield age group. The new outdoor play area is a great addition to our already outstanding facilities where all the children can play together.” www.hlc.org.uk

6 Families

Vale of York

Nursery inspections get tough

Ofsted are to toughen up their inspections of nurseries, day-care facilities and pre-schools, as figures show that over 150,000 children are enrolled in substandard settings. In future, all nurseries will be expected to achieve an outstanding or good rating, while those with lower ratings will potentially face closure.

Nurseries will now be in line with schools, in that there will no longer be a ‘satisfactory’ category. Instead, nurseries considered to be under-performing must improve dramatically within two years, while those rated as inadequate will be re-inspected in a matter of weeks, with the prospect of being deregistered and ultimately closed.

‘I wouldn’t have wanted my child to go to an inadequate nursery and I don’t believe that any other parent would either,’ said Sir Michael Wilshaw, chief executive of Ofsted. ‘So we’re going to be less tolerant. When we go back to re-inspect an inadequate setting and it hasn’t improved, it’s likely that we may take steps to cancel the registration.’

This is all part of Ofsted’s overhaul of the early years inspection system, amid fears that too many young children are languishing in inadequate and substandard care. But is this move as positive as it sounds? Davina Ludlow, director of daynurseries.co.uk, said, ‘While we believe that every child deserves the very best education, we are concerned about the impact this ‘downgrade’ could have on nurseries and hard-working staff members. The change being brought in by Ofsted risks adversely impacting staff motivation, resulting in more harm than good.’

Free maths and English activities 15th LeAarpniringl!centres provide

Explore ition h and 11+ tu maths, Englis l abilities. al of ds ol ar to 5-14 ye ily sily around fam Explore fits ea ys da 7 en op s are life; the centre able to n re ild ch ith a week, w drop-in basis. a on k ee w ice a y. There attend up to tw mmunity Open Da ar olds be hosting a Co ll ye wi 14 re – 5 plo r Ex fo s ril racy workshop On the 15th Ap lite d ll your an ca hs so at d m ite e tiv lim will be free interac re Learning centres. Spaces are plo across all the Ex . it serve your place re to re nt ce al 4 406 355 or vis loc centre call 0190 rk Yo e th at trial To book a free ning.co.uk. www.explorelear

building for the future!

Bankfield Pre-prep Expansion Now offering full day and flexible child care for 2,3,4 year olds from 8am – 6pm • Well qualified and highly experienced staff • A stimulating and nurturing environment • Access to the facilities at Harrogate Ladies’ College, including the Sports Hall, Theatre and Chapel • Extensive outdoor space • Secure and homely • Outstanding Ofsted and ISI inspection • Early Years funding Open Mornings: every Friday 9.30am – 11am. Visits by appointment only

You are welcome to visit at any time please contact us:

tel: 01423 504543 e-mail: admissions@hlc.org.uk

www.hlc.org.uk

BRACKENFIELD SCHOOL Harrogate The only fully independent preparatory school in the town of Harrogate for boys and girls aged 2 -11

Scratch My Pi arrives in York

Scratch My Pi is an exciting new computing club launched by IT teacher Robyn Duckworth that aims to help children develop their programming skills.

“The club and the workshops will teach programming to KS2 children in a fun way,” says Robyn.

“We’ll be using Scratch - an easy to use computer program and linking it to the Raspberry Pi (a creditcard sized computer). This means we can control lights, LEDs, motors, robots, switches, sensors etc to create a range of projects.

“The aim is to help children develop their creativity and imagination using the idea of programming as a tool. Think of us teaching writing - but it’s what they do with the writing that makes the difference. Everything we do at the club also fits in nicely with the new computing curriculum in primary schools.”

The computing club runs on Saturday mornings at Acomb library and is suitable for children aged 8-11. If you can’t commit to Saturday mornings, there’ll also be some one-off workshops during holiday periods.

You can find out more by visiting www.scratchmypi.co.uk or calling Robyn on 01904 848814 or 07776 207597.

OPEN MORNINGS

Friday 14th March Thursday 5th & Friday 6th June 10.00 am – 11.30 am ✓High academic standards ✓Traditional values ✓Warm family atmosphere ✓Excellent broad curriculum

01423 508558

www.brackenfieldschool.co.uk 128 Duchy Road, Harrogate, HG1 2HE Families Vale of York

7

& s n io it t e p Com

s y a w givea Easter Fun at Treasures of Wetherby

Zhara Armostrong of Treasures is getting ready for the appearance of a very special guest over the Easter Break.

Freya Rabbit from the Sylvanian Chocolate Rabbit Family will be visiting the shop again this year on Easter Saturday from 11am – 3.30 pm.

“There’ll be plenty of photo opportunities,”says Zhara, “and of course some great Sylvanian prizes to win on the day.”

w in

a Playmobil Egg with Treasures of Wetherby

Treasures is giving away 3 of these lovely Playmobil gift eggs to lucky readers. Just go to www.familiesvoy. co.uk/competitions to find out more and enter.

Full Ts & Cs online. Closing date 31st March.

Peter Pan Family Ticket Offer “Second to the right,” said Peter, “and then

straight on to the Scarborough Spa.” Deplidge UK Productions Ltd are excited to be bringing The Russian Ice Stars to Scarborough Spa this April and it’s sure to be a treat for all the family.

The new adaptation of this famous fantasy adventure by J.M. Barrie promises lots of magical adventure as Wendy, Michael and John are visited in the nursery by Peter Pan who teaches them to fly with the help of Tinker Bell, and takes them on a magical journey to Never Land.

Packed with all your favorite characters including Tiger Lilly, Mr Smee and the vengeful Captain Hook whose appetite for revenge is perfectly recreated in this spectacular adaptation on ice.

So fly to where dreams are born, and time is never planned, think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever! www.russianicestars.com Families readers can book a

family ticket for £55 – just quote Offer ‘Family Offer’ when booking. r e d a e Tickets are valid for 2 adults & 2 R s e i children. Visit www.scarboroughspa.co.uk Famil or call the Box Office on 01723 821 888 Based on the story by J.M. Barrie. By arrangement with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and Samuel French Ltd.

For more Easter ideas and a closer look at the Playmobil Eggs, go P 17.

Children’s Parties

at Ashville College, Harrogate

• • • • • • • • •

Hall hire & catering options Dedicated party co-ordinator Pool parties Football parties Roller Disco parties Face painting Bouncy Castle Enjoy-a-ball activities Peppa Pig lookalike appearances Contact our events team on 01423 724 827 or email parties@ashville.co.uk

After the success of last year’s summer adventure season, Stockeld Park, will be hosting two new adventures this year during the Easter and Spring breaks.

Beginning on 5th April you’ll be able to practice your skating skills on the roller rink, explore the interactive playgrounds deep within the Enchanted Forest, get lost in a huge maze, bounce around on giant inflatables, or even try your hand at go- karts and the electric scooter trail.

This Easter holiday families will be able to take part in special daily egg hunts and search for giant eggs and oversized bunnies in Enchanted Forest. You can also help Little Bo Peep on a quest in the maze, see real lambs and chickens in the parkland and take part in Easter themed crafts.

“We have ‘eggstra’ special events on Easter Sunday and Monday,” says Stockeld’s Amy Thornton. “Back by popular demand is The Magic Hatter, we’ll have an Easter Catwalk, Face Painting and a Mum’s Vs Dad’s Egg and Spoon Race.”

If that’s not enough you can visit the magical gift emporium, ice cream parlour, indoor play zone and the craft area or just relax in the Woodland Café whilst the kids run off some energy.

We’re certain that you’ll find plenty to keep all your little bunnies happy all Easter long!

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Ashville College, Green Lane, Harrogate HG2 9JP www.ashvilletrading.co.uk

Egg-cellent Adventures at Stockeld Park this Easter

Open up the world for your child with our Montessori Nurseries Tel: Fulford 01904 642666 Tel: Strensall 01904 490339 www.yorkmontessori.com

8 Families

Vale of York

a Family Season card for Stockeld Park

Stockeld Park will be open daily from 5th – 22nd April, 10am – 6pm (8pm on Saturdays for the roller disco) and to make sure you don’t miss any Stockeld Adventures we have a Family Season Card up for grabs.

To be in with a chance of winning a Family Season Card worth £150 just go to www.familiesvoy.co.uk/ competitions and follow the instructions there.

The Card will cover Easter (5th – 22nd April), Spring (24th May – 1st June) and Summer (19th July – 1st September) Adventures at Stockeld Park. You’ll also win a Stockeld goodie bag too!

Full Ts &Cs online. Closing date 31st March. www.stockeldpark.co.uk

I have and I’ll be offering all the support and skills she needs to make it work.”

theparentbusiness

New Franchisee Kat has been taking her own daughter to Kids2Dance for over a year.

Katie Turner is the brains, and the dancing feet behind Kids 2 Dance. She launched the pre-school dance classes 18 months ago and they’ve gone from strength to strength.

Her rock solid reputation for providing fun and educational dance sessions mean she’s now filling classes and waiting lists in every venue she has. With demand increasing Katie has decided it’s time to go global. Well, almost.

“I’m thrilled to be taking on this new adventure and am excited to bring Kids2dance to the York area,” says Kat. “Having experienced the classes first hand with my daughter, I believe kids2dance is a wonderful, fun, energetic and enjoyable experience for both youngsters and parents alike.”

“I’m getting enormous demand for classes in Harrogate, York and also in Selby. It’s demand I can’t keep up with,” explains Katie. “I’ve been successful and now I want to help other people have a successful business.”

Katie recently launched the Kids 2 Dance franchise and has just taken on her first franchisee in York.

“I’m so excited to have my very first franchisee who will be running classes across York.

I’ve found someone who has the same passion for dance as

Dance franchise out right across the North Yorkshire area and is now looking for similar people to take up franchise opportunities throughout the region.

From there she’d like to expand across the North of England but the key for this ambitious mum is getting the right people to join her team.

“You’ve got to love kids and you’ve got to love dancing.

However, the sort of person I’m looking for doesn’t have to be a qualified dance teacher. They do need to be enthusiastic and ambitious – it’s going to be hard work. But I will be a hands on franchisor which is why I want to recruit in Yorkshire.”

Kids 2 Dance is a tried and tested formula that works. The classes are divided up into pre-walkers and walkers and the children are introduced to a range of dances packed with lots of fun. However, Katie has combined her experience as a successful dance teacher and a mum to create a programme that’s educational as well as energetic. This is development through dance and laughter, according to Katie.

“My kids don’t know they’re learning. They think they’re having fun with ribbons, scarves and pom poms but while they’re dancing, they’re learning letters, sounds, numbers, counting and colours. We’re preparing them for school while they’re having fun!”

Katie’s enthusiasm is infectious and she truly believes that expanding into the competitive world of franchised businesses will work - even if it takes a little time.

“The growth of Kids 2 Dance might not happen immediately, but I will get there and I’ll get there when the right people come on board. I want to take over the world and get everyone dancing!”

To find out more about franchise opportunities and classes with Kids 2 Dance in Harrogate, York & Selby email info@kids2dance.co,uk or call 07834 266350.

Katie aims to roll the Kids 2

Maths & English tuition centres Why choose Explore for your child?

• Courses mapped to the National Curriculum.

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• Ofsted registered.

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Free trial session - book today!

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Inside Sainsbury’s, Monks Cross

www.explorelearning.co.uk Families Vale of York

9

childcare choosing your

Childcare costs are increasing – but it’s quality that matters the most for any parent.

Joanna Moorhead looks at what option might suit you best, plus what’s new in 2014 According to a recent survey from findababysitter.com, childcare costs are soaring – up by 19% over the last year.

Every parent knows that what matters most about any sort of childcare is its quality – it’s vital that your child is safe, happy and in a stimulating environment while you’re at work – but the money matters too. So what are the factors you need to take into account when you’re choosing childcare in readiness for returning to work?

A nanny might suit you if...

• You’re a reasonably high earner – nannies can be

expensive, though they’re a lot more affordable if you share them with another family. As well as basic pay, there are a lot of extras to be aware of when you employ a nanny – particularly her tax, which you are required to pay, but also car insurance if she’s driving your car, and the costs of all the outings and visits your child is taken on.

• You work irregular hours. That’s because you can pay

www.shutterstock.com/ Alliance

a nanny to work the hours you work, whereas a nursery or childminder will be less flexible about time

• You have two or more children, or have one baby and hope to have another very soon, because you’ll pay your nanny for her time, not for the number of children she’s looking after

Organisations offering advice and information on childcare include: Childcare.co.uk is an online social networking platform for parents, childcare providers and private tutors. www.childcare.co.uk The Family and Childcare Trust is a campaigning organisation with a helpful bank of information for parent. www.familyandchildcaretrust.org The Pre-school Learning Alliance is England’s largest early years membership organisation. www.pre-school.org.uk Working Families aims to help parents and carers achieve a work-life balance. More at www. workingfamilies.org.uk

• You have quite rigorous ideas about, for example, the food you want your child to eat, and the schedule you want for his or her day. You can be a lot more prescriptive as a parent with a nanny than you can with a nursery or childminder, where your child will have to fit into a preexisting schedule established by the institution or minder.

A nursery might suit you if...

• You have an only child or this is your youngest child and you are unlikely to have more in the near future – because a nursery will give him or her plenty of opportunities to play with other children

• Your child is not a small baby, and so many benefit

particularly from the organised activities a nursery can offer

• You like the idea of a setting where events are regulated in a way that involves a lot of carers, rather than just one.

The Little Gym® Harrogate • 1 Cardale Park • Harrogate • HG3 1RY 01423 701560 • Harrogate@thelittlegym.co.uk • www.thelittlegym.co.uk

Vale of York

• Free universal childcare for all pre-school children is being promised by Labour in their election manifesto. If they’re elected to power next time round, the Labour leadership is likely to make a dramatic announcement about the way childcare will be organised in Britain in the coming years • The new tax-free childcare scheme comes into effect from 2015. Under that, parents will be able to claim 20% of the cost of registered childcare up to £1,200 per child per year. Both parents must be working to qualify, or a single parent must be in employment.

• Last year’s report from the Department of

• Under the Children and Families Bill, currently

– most childminders are mothers themselves

Contact us now for more information on 01423 701560.

10 Families

will be offered 15 hours of free childcare each week, because the eligibility criteria are being expanded. See your local authority website for more information – they’ll be publishing full details of who’s eligible and how to find a place

• You like the idea of another mother caring for your child

are usually the best-value option)

• You have two or more children and would like them to

The Little Gym is a place where children develop their co-ordination, balance, confidence, listening and social skills whilst having heaps of FUN! The Little Gym provider of the world’s leading gymnastics based programme for children aged 4 months to 12 years is available in Harrogate!

primary school gymnastics

• From September this year, more two-year-olds

see a lot of each other through the day

A childminder might suit you if...

• You work part-time or are not a high earner (childminders

Develop your child’s skills and confidence

preschool/ kindergarten gymnastics

Childcare is always a political hot potato – and with a General Election looming in just over a year’s time, politicians are saying more and doing more about it. Here’s what’s new on the childcare horizon:

Education that proposed making changes to the child to staff ratios in nurseries and for childminders was shelved after the Liberal Democrats objected, but the government has consulted on relaxing ratios and quality criteria for out-of-school childcare with the aim of making it easier for schools to offer provision. At the moment the issue is with the Department for Education, and an announcement is expected soon.

www.thelittlegym.co.uk

parent/child classes

What’s happening in 2014?

holiday camps

birthday parties

going through Parliament, Ofsted will be made ‘the sole arbiter of quality’. This means that local authorities will not be able to impose their own quality conditions on providers who offer childcare under the existing scheme offering free places for three and four year olds (provided these providers are not rated ‘inadequate’ by Ofsted). Some parents will see this as a good thing, as it could lead to a wider choice of providers; or they might see it as a bad thing, as local authorities will be able to do less to force childcarers to improve their services.

childcare Sutton Trust, an educational charity, which states there are 5 key conditions for ‘highquality settings’: • knowledgeable/capable practitioners who have strong leaders • low staff turnover • effective staff deployment • appropriate/stimulating environments • engaged families

After another ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspection, Helen Gration explains what should be expected from the very best nursery provision.

May I be immodest for a few moments of my professional life? You see, the staff at my York Montessori Nursery in Strensall deserve it. They recently achieved their second ‘Outstanding’ judgement in all areas from Ofsted and they are quite simply wonderful!

The Ofsted report will tell you that: “Staff’s knowledge of individual children is second to none”, that “the nursery has a very strong caring ethos,” and that “the management and staff team are driven

to continually improve the nursery and the outcomes for children’s learning” but the fact of the matter is we care and we care greatly.

We provide this important link between home and parents’ work every day, with our full attention and endeavour.

Despite negative headlines about childcare, high-quality settings can provide a valuable addition to a child’s life.

My colleague at the National Day Nurseries Association, Professor Kathy Sylva, has published a report for the

Each child deserves to receive such attention whilst away from their parents. Loving care should be just that. So, I feel such pride for the team at our Montessori nursery who consistently and devotedly cherish their role and seek out ways to inspire each of the different characters that enter our rooms daily.

As practitioners we are there to ensure that the child’s learning and desire for life is promoted at every opportunity.

Thankfully, the Ofsted Inspector recognised that.

Our children are amazing, inspiring, enjoyable and fascinating.

Dr Maria Montessori said that “To assist a child, we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely,” and that is something we continually work at. Anyone who has spent time in a child’s company will agree they do not give up! Have you ever watched a baby pushing himself to crawl? Children are curious and ingenious: our toddlers creating pancakes in the outdoor ‘mud kitchen’ can tell you all about that! They take risks and they’re persistent: the pre-schoolers working out mathematical concepts to stack a pile of wooden blocks into a castle, a motor car, or Everest will demonstrate that!

So our vital job is to allow them to flourish. We must be diligent of their needs and their achievements, meticulous in our planning, in order that each child explores, invents and challenges. They will build our future villages, cities, indeed the world. We treat them with great respect and they return it in bucket-loads. Working with them at an outstanding level is our privilege.

HELEN GRATION is Managing Director, York Montessori Nursery Ltd & Regional Chair (Yorks & Humberside) Board of Trustees, National Day Nurseries Association

Families Vale of York

11

Baking by

Rachel Bentley, editor of our sister magazine Families Pennines, talks to Frances Quinn - Great British Bake Off 2013 winner- about designing for Joules, being on baking leave and why she doesn’t draw a line between the two.

I am glued to the screen – just one of BBC 2’s TV audience of 9.1 million viewers for the final of 2013’s Great British Bake Off (GBBO). The judges have made their decision and Frances Quinn beats off tough competition to triumph. I am in awe of how she stood the strain and managed to keep it all together over the summer. It is one of the first things I ask when we talk.

“Yes, it was stressful – especially the judges’ comments,” famously Frances was told to be aware of ’style over substance’ during the show, “those can hit you hard.”

^Frances Quinn

PHOTO: Rachel Bentley, Families Pennines

PHOTO: France Quinn>

This is a lady with a lot of style AND substance. A designer for top clothing brand, Joules, she is taking time out to pursue bakingoriented challenges, but the 31 year old from Market Harborough has developed her love of baking combined with design over many years.

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12 Families

Vale of York

The youngest of 5, the kitchen played a big part in family life – a space used for living and never a room to be anxious in. And from a young age she would go and make a batch of flapjack – there was always a lunch box to be filled!

Though she had older siblings interested in cooking and baking, Frances admits to being the keenest foodie in the family, “Even during a holiday 6 years ago, I can still recall precisely what we had for pudding!”

Just as I, and many parents, are concerned over sugar and additives in our children’s food, in her baking, Frances strives to use natural ingredients – lower sugar and natural colourings with few additives. She used dried fruit and vegetables to make flowers and confetti for her Wedding Cake in the GBBO final – including thinly sliced pineapple, sweet potato, beetroot, mango and rhubarb.

“I use ginger or chocolate for colouring, perhaps with a bit of gold leaf, like my owl-shaped shortbread with almonds, rather than brightly coloured, sweetie covered cakes.”

At Joules she used colour in design, and workmates could tell which colours she named for the ranges she designed on – they all had reference to food! She’d take bakes to work and test out themed cake designs on colleagues. Joules asked her to include her bakes on its blog. The company has been very supportive and she is currently on baking leave.

She is often asked will she pursue baking OR clothing design.

“I don’t want to choose, I think they mesh together. I don’t want to be boxed in and hope to keep on creating in both spheres. “ And the future?

“There is a book deal in the ‘piping bag’ line!! It has all been incredible.”

As we finish, I head straight for the family kitchen, hide the candy-coated-chocolate-bean cake decorations to the back of the cupboard - and begin to rethink baking with the kids!

See Frances’s website for bake ideas www.francesquinn.co.uk

start school?

What’s the right age to

A fierce battle has broken out between the Department of Education and a group of campaigners who say British children are being disadvantaged by going to school aged four. Joanna Moorhead investigates.

What is it that children start much too fundamentally re-thinking our early years policies.” early at four, that stems their creativity Specifically, the Too Much Too Soon campaign is calling for: and reduces their chance of good • the early years to be re-established as a exam results further down the line?

According to a growing group of educationalists, thinkers, teachers and parents, the blight on the lives of young children is...school. Or at least, it’s too much school too soon – and that, according to the backers of a new campaign, is exactly what’s happening to thousands of British fouryear-olds each year.

The argument put forward by the Save Childhood Movement, which is running the ‘Too Much, Too Soon’ campaign in favour of waiting until children are six before they go to school, is that young children need the chance to play, and should not be shoehorned into ‘learning’ too early. The campaigners say that in other parts of the world, early childhood is recognised as a valuable phase of development in its own right – whereas in Britain, it’s seen solely as preparation for school.

Misconceptions There’s a misconception in Britain, say the campaigners, that starting early with school means settling down to learn more quickly, and achieving more in the long term. But, they say, that’s not borne out by what happens in other countries. “Children who enter school at six or seven – after several years of high quality nursery education – consistently achieve better educational results as well as higher levels of wellbeing,” said 127 senior educational figures in a letter to the Daily Telegraph in September. “The success of the Scandinavian system suggests that many problems in English education – such as the widening gap in achievement between rich and poor, problems with boys’ literacy, and the ‘summerborns’ issue – could be addressed by

unique development stage in its own right

• protection for the rights of young children to develop naturally

• an end to baseline testing • a new emphasis on the importance of play

Link with mental health For the Too Much Too Soon lobby, the emphasis on formal education from a young age is part of a mindset that sees testing and academic pressure as good for young people – whereas they believe it’s harmful rather than helpful. They point out, for example, that the now-implemented Year One Phonics Screening Check in English primary schools is unnecessary and say there’s little correlation between the results of the phonics check and a child’s reading achievements at the end of Year 2.

They point out, too, that prescriptions of Ritalin for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, have quadrupled in the last ten years, and many believe the drug is being used to ‘normalise’ behaviour that may partly have come from having too many expectations heaped on them at too young an age. Mental health disorders among children and young people are also on the rise – again, the question the campaigners ask is whether that could be linked with early pressure at school.

The Department for Education has hit back at the Too Much Too Soon campaign, saying it amounts to a call for dumbing down. Those behind it were a “powerful and badly misguided lobby who are responsible for the devaluation of exams and the culture of low expectations in state schools,” according to a DoE spokesman. “We need a system that aims to prepare pupils to solve hard problems in calculus or be a poet or engineer – a system freed from the grip of those who bleat bogus pop-psychology about ‘self image’, which is an excuse for not teaching poor children how to add up.”

For over 20 years, Brayton Busy Bees has been offering high quality care for children aged 2 to 5 years • • • • •

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Sessions available during term time: Full day (9am-3pm), Mornings (9-12), Afternoons (12-3) For more information: • Talk to Alyson or Mel on 07932 907943 • Visit braytonbusybees.co.uk • Email admin@braytonbusybees.co.uk Based at The Methodist Chapel, Chapel Lane (off Brayton Lane), Brayton Registered Charity No. 1041141 | Pre-School Learning Alliance No. 30385

Families Vale of York

13

What’s on the plate

in your school dining hall?

The campaign for better food in Britain’s schools is getting yet another boost – but what else needs to be done, and how can parents help?

Joanna Moorhead investigates.

It’s almost a decade since Jamie Oliver began his indefatigable campaign to revolutionise school lunches, taking TV cameras into schools and drafting in army cooks to teach the nation’s dinner ladies how to make good food on a large scale and to a tight budget.

There’s no doubt that Oliver shone a torch into a dark corner of the school larder and found it wanting, and there’s no doubt at all that he had all the right instincts about educating children about good food and healthy eating, and educating teachers and support staff about why good food and understanding its production and preparation should be part of every child’s education.

What, though, has the campaign achieved? Where has it left school food today – and what are the outstanding issues that still need to be tackled? Summer 2013 saw a government-commissioned school food review by the founders of the Leon restaurant chain – it called for a ban on packed lunches, which it says are almost always less nutritious than a cooked meal, and it called on heads to lower the prices of lunches to boost take-up. Hot on the heels of that report came an announcement that all children in Key Stage One

‘the even trickier subject of how you actually get children to make healthy choices. Even when healthy food is offered, around a third of pupils don’t choose it.’

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Vale of York

(reception, Year One and Year Two) will get free school dinners from September 2014, whatever the family’s income level.

It’s a major step towards the really big task on the menu: getting more children to actually eat school food. Only around 38% of secondary school pupils, and 44% of primary pupils, currently take the option of school lunches, while the rest bring in their own: and that matters because a study carried out at Leeds University in 2010 found that only a paltry 1% of packed lunches meet basic dietary standards. In other words, it’s extremely challenging for parents to put together a lunchbox that’s anywhere near as healthy as the food the school provides; and though many parents believe it’s cheaper to provide their own, another study found that in fact it probably costs around £2 a lunch, a sum very similar to the cost of a school-provided lunch.

But if school food wins out against packed lunches, what’s on the dining room menu still has a way to go. Only around 25% of schools provide at least one portion of fruit and veg per pupil per day, and – despite all those years of the Oliver campaign – a shocking 50% of all secondary schools continue to offer pizzas and starchy food cooked in oil on most days – although revised food-based standards are going to also be rolled out next year.

Beyond all this, though, there’s the even trickier subject of how you actually get children to make

healthy choices. Even when healthy food is offered, around a third of pupils don’t choose it.

One huge advance the Oliver campaign has brought about is the realisation among parents that they have a voice in the school dining room, and that policies on how food is sourced, how it’s prepared and what’s on offer can be shaped by their intervention. Here are some of the more imaginative and successful changes already in operation at some schools in the UK – if you like the sound of them, why not talk to staff and governors at your child’s school to see if a similar project is possible there?

• School farms are in the middle of a huge revival. In 2006, there were only 60 of them in Britain; today, there are more than 100, and at least 100 more schools have plans in operation to open one. And the big boom isn’t in rural settings, it’s in urban ones; schools in the very middle of cities now have patches of land where vegetables are grown and where chickens and other animals can be housed. Some schools even send their own animals to slaughter and put meat and homemade sausages on canteen menus or sell them through school shops.

Children learn at close quarters about how food is produced; they then go on to learn how it’s prepared and cooked, and then they find out how it tastes.

If you’re interested in trying to get the ball rolling on a farm at your

school, start by visiting farms at similar-sized and similarly-located schools; see www.farmgarden. org.uk, the website of the School Farms Network, for more ideas.

• At some schools, parents and carers are invited to eat alongside children one day each term or one day each year. It’s easier to talk to your child about the food they had at school if you’ve got a sense of where they eat, what the place smells like, and what the system is for them to choose their meal.

• More schools than in the past now have cooking classes and cookery clubs, and at secondary schools cooking is on the curriculum. If a school farm is too ambitious, growing some or all the ingredients for the cookery classes is usually possible – even using home-grown herbs help children make the connection

between growing and eating.

• Pupil visits to farms are a regular part of the school year in many areas. If your school isn’t organising trips to a farm, ask why not. Make sure the farm trip includes informative input on how animals are reared, and how crops are grown – and what happens to the meat and vegetables once they leave the farm.

• In some schools, the dining hall is now known by a more exciting name (‘Le Bistro’, perhaps) and children eat from china plates and have virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dribble on their salad.

To make food more attractive, you have to boost the quality of the whole eating experience. If your child’s school is still providing plastic lunch trays or grubby melamine plates, ask them to think about an overhaul.

‘Pupil visits to farms are a regular part of the school year in many areas. If your school isn’t organising trips to a farm, ask why not.’

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Families Vale of York

15

Mothering Sunday

has sprung

…. Mothers really do know best!

Mothering Sunday is on March 30 and here at Families we think we should be celebrating the universal wisdom of mothers. Often our advice goes unheeded but we are (nearly) always right. We’ve asked our readers via Twitter and Facebook to share the best advice given by their mothers.

• Claire’s mum always says, “You shouldn’t need a specific day to celebrate mothers and that mums should be appreciated every day”. This is of course true, but who can resist giving your children the opportunity to present you breakfast in bed with their beautiful homemade gifts and cards, even if the carefully prepared meal usually consists of a cold cup of tea and some soggy cereal on a tray?

• This one is not for the fainthearted! Karen says that her mother said she could, “Try anything once”. There’s nothing wrong with encouraging our children to be adventurous but I might get them to sign a disclaimer with the added caveat of no illegal activity.

• Lois says, “When I was having a moan about someone, she told me that the faults we most dislike in other people are often the ones we have ourselves”. A great bit of maternal advice for any child.

• Layla May says her Mum used to have: “There are no problems in life, only opportunities.” stuck up on her wall. A good one to remember when your children have scribbled on the furniture, have said no for the 100th time or they have kept you up all night.

• Thanks to Melissa, owner of Messy Monets, whose mum told her, “You can do anything!”

• “Take a deep breath and count to 20....” a simple but great bit of advice from the matriarch in Emily’s family.

• Phoebe’s mum used to convince her to do things that she didn’t want to do by saying, “feel the fear and do it anyway”.

• Thanks to Nandie, who had a major career change later on in life, for: “It’s never too late.

Just go for it. Follow your dreams and if it turns out it’s not for you, try something else.”

• Nikki, a local Zumbini and Zumba instructor has a great bit of wisdom that was passed down from her mother in Wales, “Trust your instinct - you know your children better than anyone”.

• Lastly thanks to Petra, whose mother Janet has come up with my favourite bit of advice: “It’s 5’o’clock somewhere”.

Indulge your Mum this Mother’s Day We love this Ladies Indulgent Gift Box newly launched this year by local gift company Say it Personally.

“Any ladies indulgent hamper has to contain chocolate,” says Liz Waite of Say it Personally, ”but our friends at York-based Choc-Affair have so much choice it was difficult to decide what to include in this gift box - we needed several tasting sessions!

“Finally we chose a Solid Milk Chocolate Heart with White Chocolate decoration and their creamy Peach & Raspberry White Chocolate.”

Also included in the hamper is a stylish 35cl bottle of Brittains Premium Vodka in their best selling Strawberry and Rhubarb flavour, which can be enjoyed as a shot, over ice or in cocktails. And to complete the set, they’ve included a hanging heart decoration with filigree dove design.

Beautifully packaged in a burgundy gift box with hand-tied hearts ribbons we think any mum would love to receive this.

To order your gift box or see the wide range of gifts on offer visit

www.sayitpersonally.co.uk 16 Families

Vale of York

Make a Bee Garden

by Robin Dean, The Red Beehive Company Of all the insects that visit our gardens, none are more iconic and important to us than bees, and they come in a surprising range of sizes, colours and shapes. Honey and bumble bees are instantly recognizable to most of us as they buzz around, but how many of us could identify some of the other species of bee?

Whether we can identify them or not, one thing is common to all species, and that is they all need our help. Most bees would just like a little nectar and pollen, and a lovely Easter holiday project would be to plant up a “Bee Garden”. There are a number of plants to choose from that are robust and require minimum care, beyond a drink of water now and again, and will do splendidly in a small window box, planter or large pot. Snowdrops, Crocus, Primrose and Bluebells (remember Bluebells are protected, so don’t go digging them up from a local woodland area!) all make for a spectacular spring display. Rosemary, Sage and Lavender are also highly attractive to bees, and chives have flowers to tempt them - as well as making a tasty contribution to the kitchen! A Catnip plant or two will keep your cat happy, as well as the having the local bees dropping in for a nectar and pollen snack.

Now you have given them some food, why not make a bee hotel as well. For those of you concerned about encouraging bees to live in the garden, don’t be. Bees that live in bee hotels are solitary bees, and unlike the social bees (honey and bumble bees) don’t make honey so therefore don’t have anything to defend. This makes them really docile and perfectly safe to have around children and pets.

To construct your bee hotel: • You will need some bamboo (around 1.5cm in diameter),

string or garden wire, and a small saw (to cut the bamboo).

• Cut the bamboo into 15cm lengths, cutting each piece

just before a node to give you a hollow tube with a natural sealed end.

• Bind the bamboo pieces together with the string or garden wire, with the open ends all facing in the same direction.

• Take the bundle out into the garden and find a secure

place to fasten your bee hotel to. The open ends should face anywhere between east and south to get the early morning sun, with a clear flight path into the hotel.

easter An Alternative

We know chocolate is lovely but some children can end up with mountains of the stuff at this time of year. We asked Zhara Armstrong of Treasures to come up with some suggestions to avoid chocolate overload this Easter.

1.

2.

3.

Playmobil

Gift

4.

Eggs

A great alternative to chocolate eggs.

There are 4 new super choices this year and these toys will be around for a lot longer than a chocolate egg. They’re great to play with on their own but can also be added to other Playmobil sets your child may already own. The egg also doubles as a money box or you can just use it to store your lovely Playmobil pieces. To be in with a chance of winning a Playmobil Egg see P8.

Priced £5.99 each suitable from 3 years.

1. Native American girl with a deer, two raccoons and two bunnies with some forest flowers.

2. Lovely winged fairy with an enchanted tree, flowers and butterflies.

3. Big American biker with an even bigger motorcycle.

4. Robo spy agent with a mini space glider.

Lottie Doll An innovative new fashion doll for girls aged 3 – 9 years, Lottie is flexible and poseable and presented beautifully in a gift box. With plenty of detail on her clothes, she is easy to dress and undress, has no make-up, heels or jewellery. Accessory sets and clothes are sold separately.

Treasures have a launch offer of £14.99 for each doll (normal selling price £16.99), accessories set are £7.99.

Lego Fans have been telling us how much

they enjoyed the Lego Movie and the Lego movie mini-figures (£2.29) and movie play sets are a bit hit. There’s plenty to choose from and these will make a great Easter gift for Lego fans.

Getaway Glider £11.99, Cloud Cuckoo Palace £17.99 and Bad Cops Pursuit £24.99 The new City Lego Monster truck at £7.99 is also an ideal Easter gift for 5 years+ lego 4

Tagamoto Great if your child is not a Lego fan. These cars are really popular on our Treasures play tables. The starter sets is £14.99 and extra cars (lots of designs to choose from) are £7.99.

The larger Enforcer set is my favourite though (£29.99) with 2 cars including a police car and toll booth there is plenty going on.

Create Your Own Monster Cars

Something for more creative for boys. It includes 5 fantastic sticker sheets and is suitable from 6 years. Price £7.25 at Treasures.

www.treasurestoys.co.uk Families Vale of York

17

18 Families

Vale of York

ask the

S

Clare Spencer is a local GP with experience in obstetrics and gynaecology. She lives near Harrogate with her husband and 3 children.

Clare juggles life working part time and being a mum.

doctor

carlet fever - It is the time of year for this infection, most common in late winter

or early spring. In this article I will talk about what to look out for and its treatments.

I saw a school age child recently who had been unwell for a week with a raised temperature. She was feeling poorly and had a sore throat. There had been flushed cheeks but these had settled during the week. I was thinking that she may just have a viral throat infection or tonsillitis until I discovered that the child had what is known as a strawberry tongue.

This is a tongue that literally does look like a strawberry. It is redder than usual and can have small pale spots. Google it on Google images and you will see what I mean.

This finding helped me to diagnose scarlet fever. Instead of giving the usual viral infection advice (paracetamol and fluids), I was able to give antibiotics to make her better.

Scarlet fever is caused by a bacteria type called streptococcus. This infects the body, usually the throat. It is the time of the year for infection – it is most common in late winter or early spring. The bacteria can pass from person to person in droplets by breathing out, coughing and sneezing. It can also be passed around on bed linen, clothes and towels.

if your child has asthma where attacks have been triggered by anti-inflammatory medicines, or in children with chicken pox as it may increase the risk of serious skin complications. Children with high temperatures should not be wrapped up – they need to be kept cool. They should be given lots to drink to prevent dehydration. It doesn’t matter so much if they don’t eat for short periods, but it does matter if they It takes 2-4 days to develop don’t drink. the symptoms after infection by the bacteria. First, there is Years ago, scarlet fever was usually a sore throat and high feared as a disease with serious temperature. In some people the complications. These are now scarlet rash then develops. This extremely rare because of starts as small red spots on the treatment with antibiotics. They neck and upper chest, but then can still be very serious and spreads and the face becomes include ear infections, throat flushed except for round the abscesses, sinus infections, eyes, lips and nose. The cause pneumonia and meningitis. of the rash is a toxin released by Deaths from scarlet fever are the bacteria but not everyone now extremely rare. When the gets a rash. There may also body is infected, the immune be headaches, vomiting and system launches attack to get general unwellness. The tongue rid of it. Late complications can can look like a strawberry. occur (again rarely) because of this immune attack and include The rash lasts just under a week rheumatic fever, which can and the skin may peel and look damage the heart, and kidney a bit like sun burn. It can come damage. back after 3 weeks.

As ever, the advice is, if in Treatment is a 10-day course doubt, speak to your doctor. of penicillin. If you child is If you suspect scarlet fever – if allergic, there are alternatives. you child has a rash and sore Paracetamol and ibuprofen will throat, please see you doctor help them to feel better. Note, for assessment. If your child ibuprofen is not recommended

is taking antibiotics but is still unwell or develops other symptoms, go back and see the GP. The rules for school exclusion from the Health Protection Agency are that the child can return to school after 24 hours of antibiotics – depending on how they are feeling of course. Most people are immune to scarlet fever by the time they reach adulthood. If there is contact in pregnancy, there is no evidence that catching scarlet fever will harm the fetus. If the infection is at the end of pregnancy there is a risk that the infection can be passed to the baby and so antibiotics are given in labour.

Just as an aside, the Health Protection Agency has a useful table on guidance on infection control in school and other childcare settings at www.hpa. org.uk. It is a useful resource for checking guidance of when it is OK to send children to school and whenFamilies to keep Vale themofoff for 19 York the main common infectious diseases of childhood.

Further information References www.patient.co.uk www.hpa.org.uk www.nhs.uk

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19

Easter fun at Stockeld Park

www.stockeldpark.co.uk

what’son

in mar/apr14

We’ve ordered everything according to start date – be sure to look out for all the events which run for several weeks / weekends too. And be sure to check before you set off. These were correct as we went to print but may have changed. Check if you need to book ahead too.

j n E oy

Easter at Leeds Museums and Galleries!

Ongoing

29 Mar

Toy Stories

Piglets Adventure Park re-opens

York Castle Museum www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk Until Nov 2nd

Royals: Then & Now BENINGBROUGH HALL & GARDENS www.nationaltrust.org.uk 2 Mar 11am – 4pm

Craft Fair HENSHAWS ARTS & CRAFTS CENTRE www.henshawsacc.org.uk 3,10,17,24,31 Mar & 7,14,21,28 Apr 10.30 – 11.30am

Tots Sports Sessions EAST RIDDLESDEN HALL www.nationaltrustorg.uk cool!

wow

!

Fantastic Easter egg hunts, springtime crafts, hopping games and nature fun! www.leeds.gov.uk/museumsandgalleries

leedsmuseumsandgalleries @leedsmuseums

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Families Penines 87mmx130mm AW.indd 1

THE FARMER’S CART www.farmerscart.co.uk 29 & 30 Mar

Mother’s Day Crafts EAST RIDDLESDEN HALL www.nationaltrustorg.uk 30 March

Mother’s Day – Mums go FREE RIPLEY CASTLE www.ripleycastle.co.uk 30 March

Mother’s Day Craft Market

7 March

HARLOW CARR www.rhs.org.uk

Free Day Friday

1-12 Apr

HARLOW CARR www.rhs.org.uk

Easter Activity Days

22 & 23 Mar

THORP PERROW www.thorpperrow.com

Science Through Stunts

5- 21 Apr 12pm - 2pm

NATIONAL RAILWAY MUSEUM www.nrm.org.uk

Easter games and trails with the Easter Bunny

23 Mar

Lotherton Hall

Sport Relief Run

5 – 21 Apr

Nostell Priory www.nationaltrustorg.uk

Easter at Ripley Castle

04/02/2014 15:45

RIPLEY CASTLE www.ripleycastle.co.uk

Easter Trail THORP PERROW www.thorpperrow.com 5, 6, 8-13,15 - 21 Apr 11am 12.30pm & 2pm - 3.30pm

Easter Eggstravaganza!

Temple Newsam House

Table Tots 1st Mar 1-3pm

Lock Lane Sports Centre Lock Lane, Castleford, WF10 2JU 2nd March1-3pm

Horizon Community College

5 – 22 April

Dodworth Road, Barnsley, S70 6PD

Easter Events

9th March 1-3pm

Stockeld Park Daily events include Giant Egg & Bunny Hunts, a Bo Peep Maze Quest with activity cards to fill in along the way as well as lots of Easter Crafting fun.

Brighouse High School

5 - 22 Apr

Golden Egg Hunt FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk 5 - 22 Apr

Talking Without Speaking Trail FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk 5-22 Apr

Wonderful Windows FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk 5 – 27 Apr

Easter Activities RIEVAULX TERRACE & TEMPLES www.nationaltrust.org.uk 5-27 Apr

Space is Ace EUREKA! www.eureka.org.uk

Finkil Street, Brighouse, HD6 2NY 16th March 1-3pm

Trinity University Brownberrie Lane, Horsforth, LS18 5HD 22nd March 2-4pm

Hull Indoor Sports Centre National Avenue, Hull, HU5 4JF 26th april 11am-3pm

Lightwater Valley 8 Apr 1pm - 3pm

Make Easter biscuits Thwaite Mills

FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

9 Apr

Leeds Art Gallery Apr 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm

Foody Fun Yorkshire Abbey House Museum

See real live lambs & chickens in our parkland and take part in Easter themed crafts.

We have ‘eggstra’ special events on Easter Sunday and Monday, with The Magic Hatter, Fairy Enchantica and the Easter Bunny. Join in the Easter Catwalk and Egg and Spoon Challenge!

Have an active Easter Adventure!

Leeds City Museum

FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Artspace: Look into your world

Every day this Easter at Stockeld Park we are hosting a unique egg hunt with Bunnies and Giant hand painted Eggs hidden in our Enchanted Forest. You can also come and help Little Bo Peep find her sheep on a quest in our maze.

Egg Lab

Springtime Crafts

7 - 20 Apr

Open daily: 10am - 6pm, Saturdays: 10am - 8pm

8, 9,15 & 16 Apr 10am 12pm & 2pm - 4pm

9 Apr 11am - 3pm

Lotherton Hall

Open daily 5th - 22nd April

Kirkstall Abbey

Spring Family Nature Walk

Springtime Crafts

The Easter Adventure

Mini Eggs

6 Apr

7 Apr 11am - 4pm

begin

Leeds Industrial Museum

Den Building*

HENSHAWS ARTS & CRAFTS CENTRE www.henshawsacc.org.uk

Where magic is made & adventures

8 & 15 Apr 10am - 11am

Easter Activities

Craft Fair

PARK

All sewn up!

5 – 27 Apr

6 Apr 11am – 4pm

STOCKELD

8 -10 Apr 1pm - 3pm

8 & 16 April 11am-12pm & 1-2pm

NUNNINGTON HALL www.nationaltrust.org.uk

W NE

Abbey House Museum

5 – 23 Apr

Lotherton Hall Llama Walks around the Rocks!

Brimham Rocks www.nationaltrust.org.uk 9 Apr 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm

Silly Science: Yorkshire Inventions Abbey House Museum 9 &15 Apr 11am-1pm & 2-4pm

Geocaching Taster Day FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk 9 & 16 Apr

Kids Outdoor Climbing Days BRIMHAM ROCKS www.nationaltrustorg.uk

Outdoor fun & indoor play, there are so many ways to enjoy your day!

Stockeld Park is perfectly located between Harrogate & Leeds, LS22 4AN T: 01937 586333

www.stockeldpark.co.uk

See our website for full details on our opening times, prices & events.

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10 Apr

15 Apr 1pm - 3pm

50 Things Thursday

Be a Victorian servant

BRIMHAM ROCKS www.nationaltrustorg.uk 10 & 17 Apr 2pm - 3pm

How does your garden grow?

Thwaite Mills 15 Apr 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm

Easter Animal Craft

Kirkstall Abbey

Abbey House Museum

11 Apr 10am-12pm & 2pm-4pm

15 - 17 Apr 1pm - 3pm

Animal Magic; Yorkshire Animals

Make a sun print

Abbey House Museum 12 Apr

Family Outdoor Climbing Days BRIMHAM ROCKS www.nationaltrustorg.uk

Leeds Industrial Museum 15 - 21 Apr 11am 12.30pm & 2pm - 3.30pm

King Henry the Egg: Decorate an ‘egg’ character Temple Newsam House

18, 20 & 21 Apr 10am - 12pm & 2pm-4pm 19 Apr 2pm-4pm

Bunny Fun with the Easter Bunny Abbey House Museum 18 – 21 Apr

A Royal Eggsplorer Challenge BENINGBROUGH HALL & GARDENS www.nationaltrust.org.uk 18 – 21 Apr

Castle Howard Easter CASTLE HOWARD www.castlehoward.co.uk 18 -21 Apr 10am – 5pm

Cadbury Easter Fun

12 & 13 Apr

16 Apr 12pm - 2pm

Egg-citing Easter Fun

FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

18 – 21 Apr

RIEVAULX TERRACE & TEMPLES www.nationaltrust.org.uk 13 Apr 12pm - 2pm

Springtime Crafts

Lotherton Hall 16 Apr 10am - 12pm & 2pm - 4pm

Lotherton Hall

Silly Science: Eggsperiments

14 – 21 April

Abbey House Museum

Stockeld Park Easter Face Painting

18 Apr

14 – 25 Apr

Easter Trail HARDCASTLE CRAGS www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Cadbury Easter Egg Trail BRIMHAM ROCKS www.nationaltrustorg.uk

Mr Bumble’s Easter Trail & Crafts EAST RIDDLESDEN HALL www.nationaltrustorg.uk 19 Apr 11.30am - 3.30pm

freya rabbit visit treasures of wetherby 19 Apr 11am - 12.15pm

Annual Egg Roll Leeds City Museum 20 Apr

Springtime Fun Trail FREE Yorkshire Sculpture Park www.ysp.co.uk 20 & 21 April

The ‘Eggcellent’ Magic Hatter

Activate Sport run Multi Sport and Sport Specific holiday clubs and academies for 5 to 16 year olds. Courses run from 9.30 to 5.30 with optional extended hours. Academies are 3 to 5 days long with every course featuring a visit from an International Athlete or Sporting Role Model.

All programmes are written and delivered by qualified professional instructors with a wealth of experience and instructors are CRB checked and trained to ensure your children have the best care with maximum enjoyment. High quality sport and activities are offered in a fun and safe environment whilst coaching is age-appropriate and offers lots of choice for both boys and girls to extend their skills and release their potential.

Clubs running this Easter in our area are:

Ashville College, Harrogate 14-17 April ANDREW FLINTOFF CRICKET ACADEMY (4 days) 14-16 April INTERNATIONAL NETBALL ROADSHOW (3 days)

Stockeld Park 20 & 21 Apr

Easter Fun Days NEWBY HALL & GARDENS www.newbyhallandgardens.com 20 & 21 April

Egg & Spoon Easter Challenge Stockeld Park 20 & 21 April

Easter Catwalk Stockeld Park 20 & 21 Apr

Egg-citing Bank Holiday Fun NUNNINGTON HALL www.nationaltrust.org.uk 21 Apr 1.30pm

Easter Eggspolits FOUNTAINS ABBEY www.fountainsabbey.org.uk 25 – 16 Apr & 2 – 5 May

Spring Steam Gala NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS RAILWAY www.nrm.co.uk

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York Sport @ University of York 7-15 April ANDREW FLINTOFF CRICKET ACADEMY (5 days) 9-11 April INTERNATIONAL NETBALL ROADSHOW (3 days) 14-17 April GOLD MEDAL ACADEMY (4 days)

theatre 4 & 5 Mar

12 & 13 Apr

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK

Charlie & Lola’s Extremely New Play

What the Ladybird Heard

8 Mar

Teddy Bear’s Picnic LEEDS CITY VARIETIES www.cityvarieties.co.uk

WAKEFIELD THEATRE ROYAL AND OPERA HOUSE www.wakefieldtheatres.co.uk 13 Mar

9 Mar

Three Little Pigs – Northern Ballet

WAKEFIELD THEATRE ROYAL AND OPERA HOUSE www.wakefieldtheatres.co.uk

Hull Truck Theatre www.hulltruck.co.uk

Old Macdonald

15 Mar

Three Little Pigs – Northern Ballet

14 & 15 Apr CAST www.castindoncaster.com 15 & 16 Apr

20 Mar – 10 May

Charlie & Lola’s Extremely New Play

ALHAMBRA THEATRE BRADFORD www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

HARROGATE THEATRE www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

22 - 26 Apr

15 – 19 Apr

Monday’s Child YORK THEATRE ROYAL www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

25 & 26 March

Peppa pig’s Big Splash HARROGATE THEATRE www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

27 Mar

What the Ladybird Heard WEST YORKSHIRE PLAYHOUSE www.wyp.org.uk 16 Apr

Polar Bear - Mouth Open, Story Jump Out

Three Little Pigs – Northern Ballet

WEST YORKSHIRE PLAYHOUSE www.wyp.org.uk

ALHAMBRA THEATRE BRADFORD www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

16-19 Apr

29 Mar

13 The musical -Pick Me up Theatre

Three Little Pigs – Northern Ballet

JOSEPH ROWNTREE THEATRE www.jrtheatre.co.uk

CAST www.castindoncaster.com

17 Apr

29 Mar

Forest of Fables YORK THEATRE ROYAL www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

4 – 6 Apr

Dinosaur Zoo ST. GEORGE’S HALL www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

7 – 19 Apr

Les Miserables – Schools Edition The Hive, York www.positickets.co.uk

8 Apr

Three Little Pigs – Northern Ballet LAWRENCE BATLEY THEATRE www.lbt-uk.org 19 Apr

Cbeebies Live – The Big Band SHEFFIELD ARENA www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk 23 & 24 Apr

Charlie & Lola’s Bestest Play CAST www.castindoncaster.com

Three Little Pigs – Northern Ballet

24 – 26 Apr

HARROGATE THEATRE www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

ST. GEORGE’S HALL www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

The Gruffalo

9 – 12 Apr

24 – 26 Apr

Scarborough Spa

Charlie & Lola’s Extremely New Play

Peter Pan on Ice * See our reader offer on P8

10-12 Apr

Grease – Flying Ducks Youth theatre

JOSEPH ROWNTREE THEATRE www.jrtheatre.co.uk www.flyingducksyouththeatre.com

Ah, life has a way of neatly demonstrating its ups and downs; its elegant ying and yang; its thrilling swings and vomit-inducing roundabouts.

The Wizard of Oz

JUNCTION www.junctiongoole.co.uk

The Lion King

beta mum

Hull Truck Theatre www.hulltruck.co.uk 25 Apr

The Magic Circus POCKLINGTON ARTS CENTRE www.pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk

Good old life reminded me of this just the other morning. I threw open the curtains to reveal a beautiful spring dawn. And what’s more, it wasn’t even raining.

And there they were - little hopeful green daffodil shoots in the garden. I don’t mind telling you, I went all poetic. Aw, I thought, look at those early harbingers of longer days, of warmer breezes and of thinner pullovers. I pondered for a while on the valiant nature of those little daffs - all full of potent life, pushing themselves up towards the chill, bright light through the cold, damp earth. As I gazed, I moved sideways slightly - and stepped slap bang into something cold and damp that the dog had sicked up. Ah, ebb and flow.

But of course, it’s not just dog puke that can even life out for us. Children do that wonderfully well.

I’ve introduced you to my friend Lindsay before. Her daughter’s a bright little button - ten going on 20.

But recently, while in public, Lindsay felt Annabel’s intelligent remarks had tipped over into rudeness.

Anxious to show that she was a good parent, Lindsay decided a touch of reigningin was in order. ‘Annabel!’ she admonished, ‘Don’t be so cocky.’ ‘Mum!’ gasped

Annabel, ‘Is ‘cocky’ a swear word?’ Lindsay assured her that it wasn’t and turned back to the other adults, having established her parenting credentials.

There was a short pause.

‘So…. Mum? Is ‘cock’ a swear word then?’ Good impressions shattered.

I’ve also mentioned cheeky Violet before in these pages - my friend Vicky’s younger daughter. Vicky and her husband bought an antique nest of tables the other day, obviously at some considerable expense. Strictly against the rules and apparently in distinct ‘showing off in front of friends’ mode, Violet climbed theatrically onto the largest of the table trio - and broke the top clean off. Her mum Vicky was livid. ‘What on earth did you think you were playing at?’ she bellowed, ‘As well as breaking an antique and irreplaceable table, that we’ve only just bought, you could have hurt yourself.

You need to start to behave properly and think before you do stupid things.’

‘Well…’ came the reply from her 7-year-old daughter, ‘YOU danced on the bar on your last birthday - and you fell off and broke your foot.’

Karma. From the mouths of babes.

Jacey Lamerton is a York-based designer/maker and runs Get Your Frocks Off!, which specialises in creating must-haves from cast-offs.

Her affordable, wearable clothing and accessories are upcycled from unwanted fabrics. Get info, discounts, nonsense by following Get Your Frocks Off! on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

More wit and ramblings appear on the blog - getyourfrocksoff. wordpress.com.

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ASHVILLE COLLEGE Harrogate

Outstanding Sporting Provision

Extra Curricular Opportunties

Swimming lessons from Reception

Choice of over 50 different clubs and activities

National finalist in Rugby and Cricket

Ashville Pre-prep and Junior School Outstanding education for boys and girls aged 4 - 11

Open Doors

All areas of the school will be open to visitors Thu 27th & Fri 28th March 9.30am - 11.30am

Nurturing Environment

Academic Excellence

Small class sizes and individual support

Results are 88% higher than the national average

Green Lane, Harrogate HG2 9JP 01423 566 358 w ashville@ashville.co.uk www.ashville.co.uk 24 Families

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