News & Views

Superheroes Stay and Play and Fun Run

On Friday 26th May, at 1.30pm Visit Christ Church Cathedral School for a Superheroes stay and play session and fun run!

Founded by Henry VIII, Christ Church Cathedral School (CCCS) is a Prep School for boys aged 3 - 13, with a Co-ed Nursery. They offer boarding for Cathedral Choristers and flexi-boarding for day boys aged 8 – 13.

The Nursery is housed in a 16th century building, comprising four welcoming classrooms with a lovely garden. It’s a special place, where the children’s happiness and development are at the heart of everything. Children benefit from a seamless transition from Nursery to Pre-Prep and beyond. They pride themselves on exceptional academic and musical achievements - over 60% of their boys achieved music scholarships and exhibitions to their chosen secondary schools in 2022. As a small school, CCCS is renowned for its small class sizes and family-oriented approach. Contact the Registrar, Mrs Laura Kemp, for more information or to arrange an individual tour on 01865 242561 or registrar@cccs.org.uk www.cccs.org.uk

Enjoy family fun at Cogges, open every day!

A great place to relax, learn and play over the long weekends and spring holidays. Meet the animals – friendly goats, ponies, chickens and rabbits – with new Cotswold Lions joining the flock. See baking on the range in the Manor House, and enjoy the warmer weather with 17 acres of open space, meadows and adventure play to explore. Stop for lunch, or bring a picnic!

Roll up, roll up! It’s the Cogges Summer Fete! Fun family games from Splat the Rat to Coconut Shy, face painting, archery and falconry displays on 17th & 18th June; a great way to celebrate Father’s Day weekend! Look out for crafty activities, interactive theatre and hands-on creative workshops coming soon. Check out what’s on: www.Cogges.org.uk

National Vegetarian Week

Reduce your meat intake to help the planet National Vegetarian Week takes place from 15th to 21st May and will highlight how switching to vegetarian meals can reduce your carbon footprint and benefit the planet.

The National Food Strategy says the UK should eat thirty percent less meat by 2030. For people who eat meat every day, this can be achieved by going meat-free on just two days a week.

Evidence shows that plant-based food is better for the planet, has far less carbon emissions than meat and for households on tight budgets it can also be a cheaper, healthier choice.

During the week, you will be able to download a FREE digital book ‘Make Meals Better by Miles’ featuring recipes from famous chefs including Deliciously Ella, Miguel Barclay, Kwoklyn Wan, Jackie Kearney and Max La Manna. More info: www.nationalvegetarianweek.org

Family fun with National Children’s Gardening Week

This summer, why not get involved in National Children’s Gardening week?

Happening from 25th May to 2nd June, in the ‘warm’ half term at the end of May, means that pretty much throughout the UK children can plant all their favourite plants with less fear of weather damage or the need for complicated protective growing.

As well as simply good outdoor fun, gardening has been shown to have many benefits to health and wellbeing including being more physically active and feeling happier and more connected with the natural world.

There are many ways to get involved with National Children’s Gardening Week from DIY activities at home, to attending an event at local garden centres. More info: www.childrensgardeningweek.co.uk

Hands-on discovery with Science Oxford this spring

Be inspired by our amazing world this spring! Family Days at the Science Oxford Centre in Headington run every Saturday – get hands-on in the Exploration Zone, experiment at the outdoor Water Lab, and pick up an Explorer Backpack to investigate the woodland. You can relax and refuel in the café, or bring a picnic!

For ages 5-9 and their grown up, Nature Club is buzzing with indoor-outdoor activities for World ‘Bee Day’ in May, and the ‘Big Bug Hunt’ for National Insect Week in June. ‘Super Senses’ will be tingling at Science Club in Oxford & Abingdon, and ‘Music Makers’ create their own instruments and make some noise! Young coders take the controls at ‘Self Driving Cars’ for June’s futuristic Creative Computing Club (ages 9-12). Book ahead: scienceoxford.com

Bereavement benefits for unmarried co-habiting parents

Bereavement benefits have been extended to apply to unmarried couples with dependent children, opening up the payment to thousands more families.

From 9th February, the eligibility criteria for Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance have been extended to include co-habiting parents, not just married couples. The benefits are intended to help parents with the financial impact of losing a partner.

It means that more children who lose a parent will be equally supported, no matter the legal relationship status of their parents.

The Bereavement Support Payment of almost £10,000 will benefit unmarried parents going forward and will retrospectively apply to many unmarried parents who were bereaved between 2018 and now. To make a retrospective claim, parents must act by 9th February 2024. More info: bit.ly/BenefitsGovUK

Clean Air Day 2023

Targeting air pollution, this year Clean Air Day will be on Thursday 15th June and brings together communities, businesses, education and the health sector aiming to:

• Improve public understanding of air pollution, both indoors and outdoors

• Build awareness of how air pollution affects our health

• Explain some of the easy things we can all do to tackle air pollution to help protect the environment and our health.

There are dozens of online events all day on the Clean Air Day website aimed at individuals, schools and businesses, as well as hundreds of events around the country for everyone to join. It’s the opportunity to try something different - from travelling without a car to closing your school’s street and having a street party. More info: www.bit.ly/CleanAirDayUK

Government to expand free childcare

Free childcare for working parents in England will be expanded to cover all children under five by September 2025, the government has announced as part of a wider program to get people back in work.

THE NEW HELP FOR PARENTS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN STAGES.

• Eligible working parents of two-year-olds will get 15 hours of free childcare per week from April 2024

• Children between nine months and two years old will get 15 hours of free childcare from September 2024

• All eligible under-5s will get 30 hours of free childcare from September 2025. The rising cost of childcare has been widely seen as a deterrent for some parents to go back to work or work full time.

Childcare in the UK is among the most expensive in the world and the government has been under pressure to provide more help for parents. More info: bit.ly/GovChildcare

Book a FREE summer term class with Perform

Summer term is here and there’s no better time for your child to try Perform. Packed with self-esteem boosting activities, Perform weekly classes round off the academic year with a fun and relaxed focus on developing confidence, communication, coordination and concentration. Using a mix of drama, dance and singing, these high-energy classes for all abilities are designed to allow even the most reticent children to shine.

This term, 4-7s will be setting sail on the Jammy Dodger for an adventure with the

Evidence not needed for short mental health absence

Schools do not need to routinely seek medical evidence to authorise short-term pupil absences that result from mental health issues, according to new government guidance.

It comes as a report on the wellbeing of children and young people found the level of probable disorders has remained at ‘elevated’ levels since the pandemic and warned anxiousness increased in pupils of all ages last year.

In advice on dealing with absences caused by mental health issues published recently, the Department for Education (DfE) reiterated that schools are expected to ensure regular attendance. However, it added that there was no need to ‘routinely’ ask for medical evidence to support an authorised absence for mental health reasons.

In instances where children’s mental health causes them to be absent in the long-term or repeatedly, it ‘may be appropriate’ to seek medical evidence according to the guidance. More info: bit.ly/DofEAbsence

Mermaids & Pirates. Meanwhile, 7-12s will enjoy a laugh-out-loud adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in The Dream. The curriculum has an emphasis on fun with free apps and videos to watch at home.

Classes are for all abilities and every child is welcome to try a free class in West Oxford Community Centre, Oxford (Wednesdays); The Northcourt Centre, Abingdon (Saturdays and Thursdays); Didcot Methodist Church Hall (Fridays); Benson Youth Hall, Wallingford (Saturdays); Kingsmere Community Centre, Bicester (Wednesdays); Marston United Reformed Church, Oxford (Saturdays). Just visit www.perform.org.uk/try

Perform fun continues into the summer holidays with Wizard of Oz holiday courses at West Oxford Community Centre from 7th - 11th August. Don’t miss the Perform in the Park summer festival of children’s theatre, [see more on page 9.

Visit performinthepark.uk to book.

Join In During Walk To School Week

A generation ago, seventy percent of us walked to school - now it’s less than half. So Walk to School Week was started to encourage more kids to get out of the car and walk to school. Walk to School Week is held from 15th to 19th May and is organised by the UK charity Living Streets to celebrate the health and wellbeing benefits of walking.

Families will be encouraged to walk, cycle, scoot or ‘Park and Stride’ to see the big differences that can come from small stepsfrom healthier and happier children to fewer cars outside the school gates.

Free interactive wall charts and stickers are available to download. Schools can also obtain classroom packs to help teach children about the benefits of being active,with daily reward stickers and special rewards for those who travelled actively every day.

More info: www.livingstreets.org.uk/walkto-school