Families Suffolk is a premium free magazine for parents of children aged 0 to 12 in Suffolk and is now looking for a new owner!
Welcome
Design: Stacey Phillips
T: 07951 946736
Printed by: Buxton Press
Next Issue: Sept/Oct 2024
Design: Stacey Phillips
Printed By: Buxton Press
To request copies please contact the Editor.
Next Issue: Nov/Dec 2024
12,000 copies of the magazine are distributed throughout Suffolk. To request copies please contact the
Welcome to our new summer issue.
Welcome
Welcome to our new Autumn issue.
I hope you all had a great summer and you and you families are all now ready for the new school year. September always feels a bit like the start of the New Year for me. A time for new beginnings and the start of something new. So, I would like to wish you all the best for the new school year.
The summer holidays may now be over, but you can always start planning for the October Half Term and we have some great ideas for days out this Autumn on our What's On pages.
It doesn't seem possible that the summer holidays are upon us already. To help you and your family prepare we have put together a brilliant What's On guide - full of great days out and ideas for places to visit this summer. I for one cannot wait to visit the new Quentin Blake Exhibition at Moyse's Hall Museum. It wouldn't be a Summer Edition without the wonderful content Suffolk Museums provide for us, and this year does not disappoint. Please head to pages 11 - 13 to see the fantastic range of activities, events and workshops museums in Suffolk are hosting during the summer holidays.
Please also take a look at the new Summer Reading Quest that Suffolk Libraries are organising this year on pages 16-17.
I hope you have a great summer.
In our Family Law feature, Bates Wells & Braithwaite discuss buying and selling your homes, and the changes that you may see under the new government, and our Public Health feature introduces Suffolk's new Healthy Living Service.
Best Wishes
Families Suffolk magazine is part of the brand-leading Families Magazine franchise group, which was established in 1990 and has 40 local titles around the UK.
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I hope you enjoy. Best Wishes
Stacey Phillips
An exhibition for all ages!
Moyse’s Hall Museum is proud to present a display of work by one of the nation’s favourite illustrators, co-curated with his team. Since 2005, Quentin Blake’s drawings for hospitals and healthcare settings have become a significant part of his work. Because of their clinical function, many of the spaces are not easily accessible to visitors, so relatively few people - only patients and hospital staff - may get the chance to see them.
Created in Quentin Blake’s instantly recognisable style, the drawings provide something for everyone. With swimming babies, helpful dragons, treetop adventures, and poignant landscapes, there are plenty of unexpected delights to discover in Quentin Blake’s Illustrated Hospital.
A delightful exhibition for all ages is coming to The Hold on Ipswich Waterfront in October 2024.
The Snowman™ and The Snowdog features over 40 original illustrations from the film, along with behind-the-scenes drawings and preparatory sketches.
These unique pieces, based on characters created by Raymond Briggs, offer a fascinating insight into the creative processes involved in bringing The Snowman™ back to life for a new generation of viewers.
Any parent, grandparent or carer of a child involved in a sports or activity club will know we’re not saying this lightly, when we say that ‘clubs' are some of our most treasured community assets.
Standing on the side of a soggy, freezing-cold football or hockey field, washing kits, preparing oranges or making teas will fill some parents with dread, but most of us with absolute joy, when we see how much our children benefit from sport and clubs.
Personally, my children, now adults, were into dance so I avoided the cold, wet soggy playing fields but instead had to learn how to sew and make a 27-layer tutu (not well I hasten to add!).
But the benefits to local sports clubs run deep. For starters, the sense of community with many children and adults alike is their chance to socialise on the weekend at a local club. The event for many is a family one. It is rare to find an activity which is open to everyone, age regardless but just look at the success of parkrun.
Travelling to and from games and enduring wins and losses together is part of the community and family bond but is also important beyond families. Vulnerable children and those isolated in society often find a way out through sport. Countless clubs and trusts place themselves in the most troubled communities' centre.
And let’s not forget that physical activity of any kind is fundamental to a healthy lifestyle both in terms of physical health but also mental health.
It’s very easy for children to fall out of love with sport, especially from the teenage years upwards and sometimes this transcends into adulthood, but clubs are a great way to keep that passion going and most youngsters that find a sport or activity they love, will also do better at school as a result of the discipline, the energy and the sense of belonging.
We have numerous clubs that are based at our centres - but also many others across Suffolk. A great place to find a club is on our partner's website: activesuffolk.org.uk
ASK THE EXPERTS at Abbeycroft
Claire Turnbull from Abbeycroft says:
Most people in the UK don’t currently get enough exercise for good health. Getting more active as a family is the best way to get your kids moving. And this can help you as parents to be more active and healthy too!
We act as role models for our children so when they see us being active they’re more likely to want to take partespecially if we don’t view it as a chore!
You'll find you’re spending more, quality time together when you exercise as a family and this will help keep you all motivated, plus a little healthy family competition is great!
The biggest factor for getting children to be more active though is enjoyment. As a family, the key is to focus on having fun and trying new things. There’s no need to worry about how good you are at a particular activity and how fit you are - it’s much more about how you feel. And if you’re all enjoying yourselves, chances are you’re more likely to keep it up.
Our family membership really is great place to start - but essentially we promote all activity and sport - so whatever you do as a family - just love it!
WBuying and Selling your home – all change?
Karen Healy, Head of Residential Property at Bates Wells & Braithwaite Ipswich, looks at the conveyancing process and whether there might be changes with the
e have a new government. Labour has won the election at a time when property prices have dipped over the past two years, as squeezed households put off moving home. Keir Starmer promises that stability will be the cornerstone of his economic policy and that he will accelerate the delivery of high quality infrastructure and housing through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. He has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes in his first term, keep mortgage rates low and help first-time buyers. For most experts, the future of interest rates is likely to have a much larger bearing on house prices than Labour's policies but most agree that more available houses could keep prices lower.
No matter who is in government, moving house remains a life-changing event. It can be stressful; perhaps the move corresponds with other shifts in lifestyle; needing
expanding family. For most of us, our home will also be our most valuable financial asset and one which we will want to pass on to the next generation.
Buying and selling can be complex and often time sensitive. We have found in recent months that mortgage offers which expire due to the time it has taken for the chain to be ready to exchange contracts are not being renewed on the same terms. This is leading to a lot of additional stress and chains are collapsing for this reason. We have also seen a rise in remortgages, as fixed rates come to an end, and homeowners are forced to remortgage to secure stability and control over their finances.
In spite of all these pressure points, the UK is still a nation of homeowners and so, at Bates Wells & Braithwaite, we aim to work with you to ensure that buying and selling your home is as painless and stress free as possible.
The conveyancing process is the process of exchanging the legal ownership of a property. In brief:
• Once you have accepted an offer on your property, a solicitor needs to be instructed.
• The buyer may arrange a survey and their solicitor will carry out searches, raise pre-contract enquiries and review mortgage offers.
• The seller’s solicitor responds to the enquiries.
• After reviewing responses, searches and any mortgage offer, the buyer’s solicitor will report to the buyer.
• All being well, contracts can be exchanged contracts and a date for completion is fixed. Both parties are then legally committed to the transaction. On completion, sale monies will change hands and the parties physically move to their new home.
• Following completion, the buyer’s solicitor deals with the payment of Stamp Duty, and registers the property in the name of the buyer at HM Land Registry.
At Bates Wells & Braithwaite we know that buying a home is not just a commercial transaction, but a personal lifestyle choice. You are buying a “home” not just a house. And because we are not just property lawyers, we can advise on wider aspects such as how to minimise the risks if you are buying with a partner but are not married or how best to leave your home to loved ones in your will. It is all about being on your side as you shape your future for you and your family.
If we can help you with buying or selling your home, contact me at karen.healy@bates-wells.co.uk or call
Introducing Suffolk’s Healthy Living Service!
How we can help
We can help ease some of the worries around healthy eating and healthy living to support you to be able to raise a happy and healthy child.
The Healthy Living Service includes one-to-one family work, group work, workshops and health promotions, the service can also help find the right support for you in your community and digital support and resources.
Who is eligible:
Children and young people aged 0-19 years who live in Suffolk with a BMI on the 91st centile to the 97.9th centile are eligible for support.
Your BMI is a measurement that uses height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy.
You can check your child’s BMI using the NHS BMI calculator.
Visit: www.nhs.uk/BMI
How to get in touch
For all enquiries, information and advice, you can contact us via email at: healthylivingservice @suffolk.gov.uk
Telephone: 01473 263700
4.
For instance, there’s great value in discipline-based activities that create a quality product over a period of time and
Ensure staff members are professionals with relevant skills
Consider the mix of activities. The benefits of exercise are
If you are stuck between two similar activities, consider the usefulness, e.g. drumming lessons might be cool, but the
Research shows Kumon students are over a year ahead of the national average in maths at the end of school.*primary
Where every pupil
flourishes
At Framlingham College we celebrate every individual. Our size, structure and ethos mean that our entire focus is on understanding, guiding and inspiring each child individually – so they can find their self-belief, discover their own talents and challenge themselves to achieve more than they thought possible.
PREP SCHOOL OPEN MORNING
Friday 12 October 2024 10:00 – 13:00
COOL FOR SCHOOL!
Whether starting school for the first time or moving onto ‘big’ school, Suffolk Libraries have the books to help. Available to borrow free of charge from your local library!
Check out these titles in your local library or visit us online for more suggestions at www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/school
How to be great at spelling
By Zuzu Jordan
For children, learning how to spell isn’t just about passing school tests but being able to write words correctly in their extended writing. As adults, spelling is essential to effective writing, both in the professional world and on social media. There are many tools that can help, such as auto correct, predictive text and even AI (Artificial Intelligence). However, children do not have ready access to these at school where they are expected to spell independently. Learning is key.
Here are some techniques:
Ensure that they know all the 40+ phonemes: some children need repetition of the phonics taught in early years. Children will be taught the 26 letters of the alphabet, 44 different sounds called phonemes and the corresponding graphemes (the written symbols that represent a sound). Making sure they are secure in their phonics understanding can make a difference in their ability to spell words that follow patterns and rules.
Learn the exceptions to the rules: the many words that do not follow patterns can be confusing. Knowing what these words are and discussing how they are the ‘tricky’ words brings them to your child’s attention so they are mindful of them when writing. Also choose English over American spellings.
Rhyming games can really help: children find similarities between words and this expands the number of words they can spell. For example, if they can spell ‘rain’ then they can spell ‘gain.’
Looking for words within words: this is a great way of breaking up larger words eg the word ‘independent’ has the words ‘in,’ ‘pen,’ ‘dependent,’ ‘dent.’
Equally, most words can be broken into syllables and each syllable usually has a vowel (or sometimes the letter ‘y’).
Seeing the shape of the word helps visual learners: for example, the word ‘tall’ has one tall letter and a short letter followed by two tall letters.
Mnemonics is like making up a story to help spell a word: for the word ‘because’ use the mnemonic ‘big elephants can always upset small elephants.’
The traditional method of ‘look, say, cover, write and check’ works for some children but comes with a warning: not all children respond to this method and the words don’t always enter their long-term memory. Practising writing the word out helps your child become familiar with the shape of the word. Rainbow spelling is another visual way of learning spellings: maybe use one colour for a specific sound and different colours for the other letters.
Using technology and apps: the app Squeebles Spelling Test starts with a list from the national curriculum and you can upload your own words. Children can then practise their spellings independently.
Use different materials to practise writing the words: like paint or foam or in sand. Scrabble-like tiles can be bought from most hobby shops and are great for kinaesthetic learners as they can physically move the letters in the correct order. Equally, playing games like Scrabble and Hangman is also helpful.
Ultimately a multi-faceted approach will bring the best results when supporting your child’s spelling journey.
Rhyming and mnemonics
Rhyming is a powerful tool to raise phonics awareness and help remember tricky facts. For example, ‘wakey wakey rise and shine, 7 x 7 is 49’.
Mnemonics is another memory strategy that can be used in all subjects. It turns information into songs, acronyms, rhymes and other forms. The spelling of ‘necessary’ can be remembered with this mnemonic: Never Eat Cake, Eat Salmon Sandwiches And Remain Young. A quick internet search shows many useful mnemonics to help your child in lots of subjects.
Zuzu Jordan is a Mastery for Maths specialist who has taught primary aged children for sixteen years and is interested in early years and home learning. For free homework and home learning resources, find her on Instagram at edumate_uk.
MEMORY GAMES
Boosting your child’s cognitive development through memory games will improve concentration and foster their problem-solving skills.
Kim’s Game involves showing children a range of objects, hiding them and seeing how many they can remember. Number sequence memory game helps with numerical memory by getting your child to repeat a sequence of numbers and then extending it each time. Story recall is excellent for reading comprehension. Incorporating these games into daily routines will help them to learn how to retain important information at school.
There’s never been a more exciting time to join us at St Jo’s. Find out more about our Sport, Academic and Performing Arts initiatives at our Open Morning on Saturday 21 September.
