UK Forces Education Guide 3/2015

UK Forces Issue 3 2015

Education Guide

2 Education Guide

Choosing the right school for your child is one of the biggest decisions you’ll face. At Tettenhall College, we understand that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach to education. Every child is unique and we have created a close-knit, family atmosphere where individual needs are catered for.

Based in central England, around three miles to the west of the city of Wolverhampton, the School is situated in the picturesque village of Tettenhall, just a short drive from the Shropshire and Staffordshire countryside and well-served for transport links.

With its own private woodlands, historic buildings and secret gardens, Tettenhall College offers an idyllic setting for pupils from ages 2-18 years, who learn in inspirational surroundings.

With a packed extra-curricular programme, weekend activities and trips and a caring pastoral team onsite, we provide a term-time home, not just a place to sleep.

The School is set to improve even further with major boarding and sports redevelopments taking place to enhance its offering to staff, pupils and the wider community.

Academic achievements at Tettenhall College demonstrate the success of our teaching and learning. Last year was also a record year for A Level A* performers and our overall pass rate was almost 99 per cent. Pupils went on to top universities and instituitions, including Oxford UCL and RADA. GCSE results were also excellent, with pupils achieving top grades. Eleven Year 10 pupils and one Year 9 pupil also took their Maths GCSE a year early, with all achieving top A* and A grades.

Outstanding new facilities, including enhanced sports provision and renovation of historic buildings, will enable the School to retain its unique blend of the traditional and contemporary and widen opportunities for pupils.

Detailed work is underway on new multi-use games areas to further enhance sports facilities at the School. There are also plans for a new floodlit Astroturf pitch, a new tennis and netball area, a high ropes facility and a designated mountain bike trail to complement the recently developed ‘Forest Schools’ area, loved by all pupils who enjoy exciting, outdoor activities in a safe setting.

Café culture is being embraced at the School, with a new coffee shop for parents and sixth formers set to be unveiled for the start of the Autumn term. All these exciting developments will enhance the learning and social environment of the School.

However, it’s the dedication to nurturing each child and helping them achieve their potential and develop their own talents that has helped us to become a successful school with an outstanding reputation.

Inspectors recently singled out the outstanding relationships between staff and pupils in an official report. They highlighted the excellent personal development of pupils, caring staff and successful learning.

The report from the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) stated: “The pupils’ excellent behaviour and the outstanding relationships they enjoy with the staff and each other are conducive to their successful learning.”

It added: “The success of the school lies in the good standard of achievement and excellent personal development of its pupils, from EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) to Year 13.”

Education for younger children was judged as outstanding, with good preparation for senior school and particular praise for EYFS. Teachers were praised for knowing pupils well and being able to respond to individual needs and pastoral care was also stated to be excellent.

This care is particularly evident when boarders, who may be leaving home for the first time, join us. Like all our pupils, Tettenhall College boarders are made welcome from the moment they arrive. Our nurturing atmosphere and our dedicated staff and friendly

pupils help new arrivals settle quickly.

The boarding houses are run by The Housemaster and Housemistress but ample opportunity is given for students to have their say on the routine and rules within the House. In order to promote leadership skills and responsibility, pupils are expected to carry out minor duties to ensure the smooth running of the boarding houses. Our boarding school accommodation is also included in the School’s redevelopment. A major facelift will incorporate 21st Century facilities and ensuite accommodation.

For everyday support, the Housemaster and Housemistress appoint a Head of House and a Prefect Team. These prefects will be responsible for liaising with the House staff regarding everyday boarding matters, act as House representatives and promote active participation in House competitions, trips and excursions.

While we are very proud of these results, we also understand the importance of extra-curricular activities and offer an innovative and varied programme, from games clubs to sports. Pupils are also top performers in English Speaking Board Exams and are encouraged to undertake voluntary work and charitable pursuits.

Music and performing arts are a further strength of Tettenhall College. We even have a Preparatory School rock band and a string quartet in senior school. Alongside performances in our very own theatre, our pupils frequently support full-scale professional productions at The Grand Theatre in Wolverhampton.

Our children have been praised for their excellent behaviour, good manners and confidence, a reflection of our school ethos. We help them develop the confidence and attributes to succeed in whichever path they choose to take.

James Alder is a shining example of how our pupils show skills beyond the classroom after becoming the highest possible rank for his age group in the RAF cadets and also being commended for his achievements at a prestigious city awards.

The high-flying student is now a Flight Sergeant with the cadets and was also recognised in the city when he was nominated for The Wolverhampton Young Citizen Award 2014.

Judges commended him for his outstanding work and fantastic contribution to the cadets and the wider community.

We are proud of every single pupil success and celebrate achievement in a variety of areas, helping our pupils to feel valued.

Headmaster David Williams says: “We are working extremely hard to provide the best education possible by producing well-rounded individuals who know their own minds and can flourish here and in the world beyond”

For further information or to arrange a visit please contact our Admissions Team by emailing admissions@tettcoll.co.uk or calling us on 01902 751119

UK Forces

Education Guide Keeping the Home Fires Burning

6

Helping Children Cope

Welcome to issue 3/2015 of the UK Forces Education Guide What a fab re-launch we had last issue. The response has been phenomenal, and well done to all those who were lucky enough to be winners in our competitions. This issue includes amazing competitions including one from John Adams, giving 2 lucky readers a chance of winning all 4 games – Who Stole The Carrots, Speedy Bees, Pile Up Ponies & My Bear Wears, totalling a Recommended Retail Price of £51.96 per prize. Are you Arty or Crafty? Baker Ross are giving away a competition prize worth £50. Have you a little book worm in the making? Pavilion Books have given us 10 books to review and giveaway, suitable for all ages. Last but not least we have a Mummy & Me cookbook to giveaway. You’ve got to be in it to win it.

This issue revolves around deployment and how your children cope with it.

Inside is an interview with Huggable Heroes, who produce a huggable toy with the image of a loved one on, and are taking the internet by storm especially within the Forces. Peter at Kidscape tells us all about their ZAP courses and how invaluable they are for children who are being bullied and their parents.

Have you heard of the Troops to Teachers Government scheme? I think it sounds amazing for service leavers... are you ready to go back to school? We show you some of last year’s ideas for Elf on the Shelf, an American tradition flooding the UK; a little elf that visits towards Christmas and can be found in different places every morning, hiding, being naughty, even bringing treats. He tells Santa if you’re being naughty or nice each night but don’t touch him or the magic disappears. Hayley Eagle, our resident blogger, is back and telling us about another “Neglected Cookbook” recipe she followed. Last, but by no means least, Tamsin Kelly’s editorial ‘So your Child’s not Mary or Joseph in the Christmas Nativity Play, is a very humorous and down to earth read which has had us all nodding in agreement.

with Deployment

10

Kidscape

15

John Adams WIN

16

GCSE Results

17

Well Done Malala!

17

Joining Your Library

17

Educating Mum and Dad

17

Troops to Teachers

20

Pavilion Books WIN

22

Neglected Cookbooks

24

Mummy & Me Cook WIN

25

Baker Ross WIN

27

My Huggable Hero

28

The Elf on the Shelf

30

Jumping into Christmas

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So your child’s not Mary or Joseph in the Christmas Nativity Play?

If you feel we should be including anything that has been missed or you would like the opportunity to include some editorial, please e-mail me: sally@ forcespublishing.co.uk by the 13th of November to appear in the next issue.

Please don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

Supporters of Articles and photographs reproduced by kind permission of the contributors

Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd, Hamblin House, Hamblin Court, Rushden, Northants NN10 0RU. Tel: 01933 419994 www.forcespublishing.co.uk Editorial: Sally Haynes Design: Hayley Smith

© No responsibility for the quality of goods or services advertised in this magazine can be accepted by the publishers or printers.

Advertisements are included in good faith.

The MOD or any Service Establishment is not responsible for the advertiser or its advertised product or service.

Cover image: cuckooland Contents image: cuckooland

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My fiancé works away a lot. This has taken a lot of adjusting to as for the first few years that we were together the furthest he ever worked away was a few junctions down on the A14. Now he is regularly in a time zone eight hours ahead of me and to complicate matters more we have a new addition to the family for who the concept of staying awake for “just one more hour so we can FaceTime Daddy before he goes to work” is completely foreign. Tried that one once, it went just as well as you’d expect. However, I’m a glass half full kind of girl and try not to get too bogged down in the negatives, although believe you me they are there. So here for your delectation is my guide to Temporary Single Mummyhood, the good bits and the not so good bits.

Keeping The Home Fires Burning 6 Education Guide

Pro:

Do you remember the last time you managed to put your feet up after putting the baby to bed, having no chores to do and having the whole evening to yourself? Me neither!

Until The Fiancé started going away that is. Sure, once the baby’s sleeping you then have to sort your dinner out, clear up the dinner stuff, get all the baby’s stuff ready for the childminder, shower, blow-dry your hair (full disclosure here – I’m a lazy cow and go to bed with wet hair and straighten it in the morning. My hair has never looked more lacklustre but what I’m lacking in razzle dazzle I make up for in ‘feet up’ time), fold the washing away, order your online food shopping, check your emails and pay your credit card bill, but those 10 minutes to yourself on the sofa after you’ve done all that and before you conk out in front of The Bake Off make it all worth it. Who says you can’t fit ‘me time’ into a busy day?

Con:

Con: Con:

I’m an anxious person at the best of times so you can bet your last fiver that when he went to Afghanistan for a month my nails were chewed to bits and my nerves were frayed. I wish I could say it’s gotten better since becoming a mum but now there is a little person depending on his daddy coming home it’s only gotten worse. It’s a running joke between us that wherever he goes, trouble is bound to follow. He was in Nairobi when the terrorist attack on the shopping mall happened, in Athens when their economy fell apart and the people were rioting, & Kiev mere weeks before Russia invaded. He regales me with tales of carjacking’s while in South Africa, how long Seoul might have before the North Korean missiles hit if war broke out while he was in South Korea, and how close he came to being run over while trying to cross the insane roads in New Delhi. I say

regales but I think the word I’m actually looking for is terrifies.

Pro:

They don’t need to know that instead of putting your Davina McCall exercise video on like you said you would you were actually watching House Of Cards while diving in mouth first into a bag of Cadbury Giant Buttons. If no one else was there to see you do it then it never happened.

Con:

If lucky I might have the time and energy to put a pizza in the oven or boil some pasta and smother it in pesto for dinner when The Fiancé is away. In return I get photos sent my way of whatever delicious meal his work credit card has bought him for dinner. In his defence, I love food and am fascinated by what he eats while away as it’s a world away from my usual dinners so I am literally asking for it. Not that it cushions the blow when I get a photo of some amazing looking steak frites dish while he’s in Paris or a beautifully put together chocolate fondant while I’m eating a Twix. To add insult to injury, his dinner or flight experience is occasionally peppered with a celebrity encounter. He’s sat behind Stevie Wonder in a restaurant in Athens, stood at the luggage carousel next to

“

David Attenborough after a flight from China and walked past Jodie Marsh on a plane. Hey, I’ll take my celebrity encounters where I can get ‘em, whether they’re D-list or just an actual living legend. My dinner companions are far less glamorous: a baby throwing grapes on the floor and the cat sitting outside the kitchen window with a dead bird.

So there you have it, the joys of having a child with a man who is rarely in the country. In all seriousness though, times like these really show you what you’re made of and it’s surprising just how quickly you adapt and just get on with it. While it is hard work and exhausting at times, it’s also inspiring that something you had been dreading for months is actually doable and you came out of it alive and with a whole new respect for yourself and your capabilities. To all the actual single parents out there being the sole provider for their child, I’d like to say you are amazing. It’s exhausting for three weeks at a time so I can only applaud you for doing it full time without the back up of a partner. If you ever want to slap me round the face and tell me to pull myself together and put things in perspective then you have my permission.

“

If you were wise enough to bag yourself a ‘good egg’ then you’ll be familiar with the occasional weekend morning where your other half gets up with the baby while leaving you peacefully snoozing for as long as you like. Inevitably you are probably awake anyway and spend your lie in scrolling through Facebook and catching up with all your Words with Friends games, but that time to yourself whether sleeping or not is much cherished. Well, say goodbye to those for the foreseeable future.

Childless you would have scoffed at the very idea of considering 7am a lie in, now if you wake up to the sounds of babbling at 6:30 instead of 5:30 you consider calling the Vatican to inform them that a miracle has been bestowed upon you. It’s also inevitable and completely unavoidable that the week your husband goes away and mornings are all on you will be the week your offspring (who up until now slept for a solid 12 hours every night) will decide to try out a new, earlier wake up time.

You’re welcome.

times like these really show you what you’re made of and it’s surprising just how quickly you adapt and just get on with it

Education Guide 7

Helping Children Cope with Deployment

By Kate Saines As parents, we are our children’s world. So when one of us is deployed it can be as heartbreaking as it is confusing for our offspring. For not only do children in the military have to cope with missing their parent, but they may also be struggling to understand what is taking their parent away from home.

They might be puzzled about the nature of their work, or find it difficult to place the location of the posting, and its distance. They might also be fearful for their parent’s safety.

And then there’s the issue of timescale!

Cast your mind back to being a child and time was played in slow motion.

Those six week summer holidays used to seem like an age. A six month deployment might seem like a lifetime.

It’s a scary, anxious time for our children. But there are lots of things we can do to help them understand where mum or dad have gone, keep them

in touch and engaged and help them retain that all important bond.

Here are a few ideas.

1

Talk about the deployment before the event

It’s important to be as honest and open as you possibly can, without breaching security. Your child might be worried about their mum or dad leaving because they think they have done something wrong – so explain that it is part of the job to be posted in different places.

Tell them about other children they know whose parents have been deployed. But also ask them to tell you how they are feeling and explain that their concerns are normal. They might worry the parent who is being deployed is abandoning them, so explain how long you are going for and when you will return – including R&R dates.

Show them on a map where mum or dad is going to be posted and talk a bit about what they will be doing there, the routine, where the parent will be sleeping – any details, no matter how mundane, will help the child build up a better picture and help them feel closer to their deployed parent.

2

Make a recording of the deployed parent’s voice before they leave

RAFA offer Storybook Wings, please take a look at www.rafa.org.uk/whatwe-do/storybook-wings for more details.

It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate, or slick, just a recording of them reading the child’s favourite story, telling a few jokes, or just chatting about general, everyday events.

Whoever is at home with them can then play this at bedtime, or when the child shows signs of missing their deployed mum or dad.

10 Education Guide

Leave little notes hidden in places, such as their toy box or in their school bag, so they have reminders of you to keep them going until they get to speak to you the first time. This is particularly useful if you are on a posting with limited communication.

3

Make a countdown calendar

As mentioned, it’s hard for children – especially younger ones – to understand the concept of time. But using a calendar or diary to help them count down the days until their parent returns from duty will provide a way to help them understand a little better.

Put other events on the calendar for them to get excited about too, so they have some treats on which to focus.

These might be parties, or day trips or visits to see family members – whatever they are they will help break up what could appear to be a lengthy period. Don’t forget to include R&R dates too.

4

Encourage the children to write letters and send parcels

Letter writing is out of fashion these days, but it’s an incredibly personal form of communication that works especially well with children. Not only does it help the child feel ‘in touch’ with their deployed parent, it will be treasured by the recipient.

For, even if your child is a tot and can barely manage a scribble – that abstract doodle will still mean the world to both parties. A child who has just started school might have just learned to write, so sending a note with their name proudly scribed in Crayola will mark the milestone perfectly.

“They might be puzzled about the nature of their work, or find it difficult to place the location of the posting, and its distance.”

Older children can write letters explaining what they’ve been doing, or draw pictures capturing the goings on at home. Encourage your children to be as creative as possible and make sure the deployed parent writes back to them! Receiving a letter addressed to them will make them feel very special.

When you send parcels, ask the children to make contributions. If their offerings aren’t what you might consider ‘appropriate’ – a bashed up old conker, or the Thomas the Tank

continued on the next page...

Education Guide 11

Engine magazine – try not to intervene.

The item will mean something to your child, and it will give your partner a flavour of what your child has been doing and thinking. And, who knows, the Adventures of Thomas might give your partner a welcome reprieve from the stresses of their posting.

5

Make a diary

Deployment means the parent can feel very out of touch with their family, and miss out on important milestones or events. So keeping a diary – either in a written form or through a video – can help them feel in touch.

What’s more, it’ll keep give the children an outlet for the emotions they are experiencing as a result of their parent’s deployment, whilst also enabling them to ‘help’ their parent feel in touch.

One military wife has taken this concept one step further and started a vlog chronicling her and her son’s life while her husband is away.

Jules who is behind The Giggles Family Blog and Vlog started the venture when her son, Joshua, was born.

“My husband started having to go away more and then we got the news he would only be home weekends for the year, [so] I started making a video diary,” she explained.

She describes it as a way of keeping the family close. “I think the videos show my husband – or wider family – how the week has been, the ups the downs and how we grow and change.”

6

Have a routine and keep busy

While it’s important to devote time to writing letters, making parcels and generally keeping the deployed parent in touch with family life, it’s also essential to keep a semblance of normality.

Children thrive on routine and ensuring that things like bedtime remain the same, meal times happen regularly, clubs are still attended and life generally happens in the same order as before will be incredibly comforting.

Deployment is an upheaval, but the security of your normal routine will cushion the blow.

Planning lots of activities and keeping busy will also ensure the time passes much more quickly and will give the children other things on which to focus.

Eugenie Tomlin, a military wife and mother of two children, said she and her family would go round the bend if all they did was religiously tick off the days until deployment ended.

“Six or twelve months are a totally unmanageable length of time if your attitude is ‘I’ve just got to get through it’,” she said.

“I find the time needs to be divided up into ‘manageable’ chunks with exciting things and particular occasions to look forward to – not just the daily routine throughout.

“But it is important to love your daily routine too, or the days and weeks can drag and create negative feelings.”

If you are stuck for ideas of what do with the children, there are plenty of resources available. Contact your local welfare team for information on trips and events which have been organised especially for children of deployed parents.

Some other ideas...

• Don’t forget Skype and Facetime – regular communication, which is free and fun for the children to use.

• Tell your child’s teacher about the deployment so they can prepare for or cope with any sudden changes in behaviour and report back to you if necessary.

• Check out the range of books on offer which deal with deployment. My Daddy’s Going Away, and Mummy’s Home by Christopher MacGregor will provide a reassuring read, My Dad’s Deployment: A deployment reunion activity book by Julie Labelle and Christina Rodriguez is more practical and I Miss You by Beth Andrews helps deal with the stress involved.

• There are also plenty of online resources, including the Our Little Heroes charity which you can find by visiting www.ourlittleheroes.org.uk or on Facebook.

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• Take a look at www.huggableheroes. co.uk which you can read more about in this issue.

Bromsgrove - Boarding Houses are Homes After over 450 years of being a successful but relatively small School, Bromsgrove has, in the last few years, become one of Britain’s largest independents with 1,600 day and boarding pupils aged 2 to 18, including over 500 boarders. That growth in pupil numbers has been wedded to a build programme of titanic scope and the passion, vision and flair that transformed the School intellectually, culturally and on the games fields is now manifested in Bromsgrove’s modern boarding facilities.

The youngest boarders at the school have a new House for 70 boys and girls aged 7-13. Creating a home away from home for very young boarders is a challenge in any school, but it is a challenge met head-on in Page House. The building and facilities speak for themselves, but it is the atmosphere and the people that really make Page stand out as a leading example of modern Prep School boarding. The boarders in Page House are cared for in a warm, supportive environment modelled as much as possible on an ordinary, if huge, family home. Visitors often comment on the atmosphere of Page House and it is difficult to define what individual factors add up to the friendly, supportive, fun, welcoming environment of which we are so proud. Gone are the days of long dormitories with rows of beds and little personal space; the boarding house of today (and tomorrow) features smaller bedrooms, suitably decorated for the age of the children living in the rooms, and enough common areas that there is always somewhere to spend time with friends or have quiet time alone.

At the other end of the age range, Sixth Form boarders at Bromsgrove have also recently moved into their new boarding house. Many schools will have faced the challenge of recreating parts of their boarding environment whilst maintaining the dignity and grandeur of the buildings that they have inherited from the past. Few however, will

have had the opportunity to do so on the size and scale of Bromsgrove School’s redevelopment of Housman Hall, the former home of Poet A.E Housman, himself a former pupil of the School. The new and refurbished accommodation and facilities on offer at Housman Hall match the quality of the house spirit – this is a perfect environment for Sixth Formers to finish their school years and begin the next part of their journey. The sense of space and the comfortable homely surroundings coupled with the fact that this is a Sixth Form only, co-educational boarding house gives it the perfect pre-University feel. Pupils have the chance to grow in confidence, become more independent and prepare for life beyond school whilst having the guidance and support of the tutor team and Housemothers at hand at all times.

Changing schools and the upheaval it brings is a big deal for any child, but when it’s an ongoing event due to deployment, how does it affect our children?

Whilst the majority learn to adapt and are used to making new friends, there are always children who really struggle.

For those who lack confidence and perhaps don’t make friends that easily, can unfortunately, become easy targets for bullies.

Speaking with Peter from Kidscape, I am aware of just how closely they work with forces families and the vital support they offer them. ZAP is a one-day workshop for children and young people aged 9-16, who have experienced bullying, along with their parents or carers. This invaluable free course, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, is an informative, practical, day which offers young people a range of strategies to help them deal with bullying situations safely and assertively. It also gives parents an opportunity to gain expert knowledge on how to effectively support their child.

How easy is it to just say ‘ignore them’, ‘hit them back’ or ‘just tell a teacher’! This course helps educate both the child and parent to deal

‘ignore them’

‘just tell a teacher’ with situations. As a parent myself, I always wonder how I would deal with it. The thought of senior school and a life which is now dictated by online media, constant What’s App’s and text messages, frightens the life out of me.

When will our children get a break?

If anything happened when we were at school, it would finish when we left school and you wouldn’t have to deal with it until the morning when you were back in. Now cyber bullying and ever improving phone technology means children these days can never get away from it.

ZAP provides skills which are learnt through interactive activities and the ethos of the workshop is based on acceptance and friendship. The team at Kidscape will provide training methods which will enable the most nervous and withdrawn child to feel comfortable in participating

ZAP PARENT ‘ZAP changed my son’s life and he never looked back. A month after the course he found the confidence to sing a solo at the school concert.’

ZAP YOUNG PERSON ‘Thank you for making me realise that the bullying wasn’t my fault and that I was worth a lot more than I thought’

Kidscape offer free ZAP courses in London, Birmingham and Newcastle Upon Tyne, please visit their website www.kidscape.org.uk for more information.

Education Guide 15

Count, Colour, Order and Match with this Educational Games collection.

Introducing a brand new selection of educational games aimed at kids aged 3-6 years, designed to encourage learning as well as fun! Based around concepts such as counting and basic strategy, colour and shape recognition, ordering, matching and co-operative play, the range teaches these learnings via fun game formats.

For more information about John Adams’ Educational Games, please go to: www.johnadams.co.uk or follow us on twitter @JohnAdams_Toys

Who Stole the Carrots? Is the fun matching game where a magic tree stump holds all the answers! Oh dear - Mr Bit has lost his carrots! Are his friends playing a prank on him, or are there thieves in the woods? The game begins when players throw the dice - if it matches the colour and animal shown on the suspect card, players must post the card in to the magic tree stump to reveal if that animal is guilty. The winner is the first person to find three carrot thieves! Who Stole the Carrots? comes with “magic” tree stump post box, two foam dice, 27 playing cards, as well as instructions.

Speedy Bees is the fast, frantic, flower collecting game! It’s a busy day in Honeybee Valley; the bees need to collect pollen from as many flowers as possible in order to make the honey, but to get the correct flavour they have to visit the flowers in the right order!

Players must spin the spinner which points to the colour sequence in which to visit the flowers, and then race to press their bee onto the flower shapes, stacking them in the correct colour order. The speediest bee wins the game! Speedy Bees comes complete with four bees, 20 flowers, spinner, 16 honeypot counters and instructions for play.

Pile Up Ponies is the crazy, stacking, horse racing game! The setting is a madcap pony steeple chase race, where ponies carry their jockeys down the course! The game starts when players roll the die to move their ponies along the track. If players land on one of their team’s pieces they can stack up and ride down the field together. Players must try to land their jockey on top of any of their ponies to double their move score, but they’d better watch out for the fences! The winner is the first one to get all their ponies past the finishing post first! The game comes complete with race course die, 12 ponies, four jockeys and instructions!

My Bear Wears is a fun filled, dice rolling, clothes wearing, bear matching game!!

The bears in this game love to dress up and they’re playing with their dressing up box today! There are socks, hats, gloves, waistcoats, ties and scarves in lots of different colours to play with. Players must roll the foam dice and match the outfits shown to those the bears are wearing on their playing cards. The first person to make three matches is the winner! My Bear Wears includes four foam bear dice, 24 playing cards and instructions.

Competition!

2 lucky readers will receive a copy of each of the above games which includes: Who Stole the Carrots? (SSP £12.99), Speedy Bees (SSP £12.99), My Bear Wears (SSP £12.99), and Pile up Ponies (SSP £12.99).

For your chance to win, simply answer the following question....

What age range are these John Adams games aimed at?

Send your entries to: competitions@forcespublishing.co.uk and include your name, address and telephone number so you can be contacted.

Closing Date: 02/11/15

16 Education Guide

GCSE Results

Reports say GCSE passes are up but top grades are down. (4th year in a row) GCSE grades A* to C have risen slightly this year (to 69% from 68.8% last year – up 0.2% percent) but top A* & A grades have edged down by 0.1% percent to 6.6% percent.

Well Done Malala!

Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012 for insisting girls have the right to an education in Pakistan.

After recovering from her injuries, she received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 and take a look at this amazing Tweet from her father Ziauddin Yousafzai...

Michael Turner, director general of the Joint Council for Qualifications, (the umbrella body representing exam boards) said ‘At a national level, there is very little change in this years results’

Joining Your Library It’s free!

Only full library members can borrow items to take home, reserve items using the Library Catalogue and use their online information resources from home or anywhere via the internet.

Become a full library member • If you are over 18, you can complete the online Full library member application form, which will be sent to the library of your choice. They will then contact you when your card is ready to be collected from the library.

• If you are under 18, please visit a library to join - you must have a parent or guardian present.

Full library members can: • Borrow books, e-books and other items from all public libraries.

• Reserve items using the Library Catalogue and online resources.

• Access the e-Library.

Virtual library membership If you wish to access e-books and every resource within an e-Library without becoming a full library member, you can become a Virtual library member via your local libraries website.

Educating Mum and Dad: Website helps parents offer career guidance Parents are being given a helping hand thanks to a website which offers impartial advice and support on the career options for their children.

www.parentadviser.co.uk Education Guide 17

Opportunities for all to Excel Boys & Girls 9 to 18 – Full Boarding & Day Strathallan is unique not just because it consistently delivers outstanding academic success but it offers a wonderful allround education. Located in 153 acres of beautiful countryside, the facilities at Strathallan are magnificent. We are a full boarding school with 12% international pupils from 33 different countries, offering an all-round education. Our focus is very much on our 556 pupils. With a 7 day week and no set exeats (weekends pupils have to leave the campus as the school is closed) this makes a wonderful environment to allow children to grow and develop. Most of our teaching staff live on campus with their families.

The aim of our founder, Harry Riley, in 1913 was that the School should offer such a variety of academic work, games and activities that there is the opportunity for all pupils to excel at something and therefore gain in experience and confidence for their own advantage and the service of others.

Choosing the right school for your child is not easy. Each child is unique and has individual needs. The school you choose has to be responsive to those needs – and strive to create an environment in which school days are positive and fulfilling, laying firm foundations for the future.

At Strathallan, we offer the best of both worlds – a small, caring community combined with top-class facilities.

From the first day, we offer a supportive, nurturing community and we challenge our children, encouraging them to be as good as they can be. We allow them to thrive within a supportive environment. It is a world where children make friends easily and where our staff ensure exceptional standards of care both within and beyond the classroom. Our pupils are nurtured, motivated and inspired; it is a home from home where they feel safe and happy and therefore excel in and out the classroom.

Most importantly, our children leave Strathallan confident, happy and ready to fact the next stage of their education.

Providing fantastic opportunities for every pupil to achieve, through a clear and committed focus on the individual, pupils enjoy a high level of nurturing support from teachers who are passionate about their subjects - as well as being high-quality practitioners.

All this gives them the very finest preparation for the future.

And the results are there for all to see…

The A-Level results have been consistently high over the last 4 years, making Strathallan one of the top co-ed A-Level schools in Scotland.

But it doesn’t stop there…

All boarding houses provide modern accommodation. Senior Houses feature individual study-bedrooms for privacy, with common room and leisure facilities for socialising and relaxation There is wireless broadband throughout.

The Junior House is designed to cater for children who wish to enter the School at ages 9 to 13 and is situated within its own campus. . It is a home from home where they feel safe and happy and therefore excel in and out the classroom. Like our senior pupils, our juniors have access to everything which Strathallan has to offer. This enables them to grow up to be independent, confident, responsible and happy individuals who make the most of our world of opportunity and easily find their feet in the senior part of the School.

There are extensive playing fields surrounding the buildings and these include six rugby pitches, four cricket squares, two floodlit synthetic hockey pitches, nine hard tennis courts, two netball courts and a nine-hole golf course; including very successful Tennis and Clay Pigeon Shooting Academies that allow pupils to compete at national levels in these sports.

Just two hours away from London Although having the luxury of the surrounding Scottish countryside, it only takes about two hours to get from London Heathrow to the School, which is much more convenient than many other boarding schools located within the UK. It takes just over 35 minutes to get from Edinburgh Airport to the School and flight duration from London to Edinburgh is less than 1 hour!

And Strathallan is a truly exceptional School. In every way.

We’ll leave the last word to a former parent…

‘We are convinced that we made the right decision in placing our daughter at Strathallan.

The School has been instrumental in her achieving her highest academic potential and ultimately gaining a place at Cambridge, quite apart from having a wonderful time - which I know she will look back on with great fondness for the rest of her life.’

We encourage families to visit us - for more information please contact Tessa Howard-Vyse on +44 (0) 1738 812546 or marketing@stathallan.co.uk to discuss a Visit or a Taster Day: http://www.strathallan.co.uk

Troops to Teachers

Have you ever considered a career in teaching? Are you planning on leaving the Forces in the next 2 years or left within the last 5? If the answers are yes, then read on to find out how Troops to Teachers can help make your dream a reality.

“As part of our plan for education we need excellent teachers in every classroom so we can extend opportunity to all and prepare children for life in modern Britain.

“The Troops to Teachers scheme is helping schools harness the wealth of experience service leavers bring – including leadership, teamwork, resilience and the ability to inspire and engage.”

- Schools Minister Nick Gibb

Factual Background • Troops to Teachers is an initial teaching training programme that provides an opportunity for the very best undergraduate service leavers to transfer their knowledge and skills to schools where they can make a difference to the achievement of pupils. At the end of the programme, successful trainees achieve a degree and qualified teacher status (QTS).

• Troops to Teachers was originally announced in the 2010 Schools White Paper. The Troops to Teachers programme was launched on 7 June 2013 and was run by a consortium of universities led by the University of Brighton in partnership with the Ministry of Defence and NCTL. The programme is being expanded from February 2015 for an additional two cohorts.

• The Troops to Teachers scheme was designed in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Department for Education (DfE) and the Teaching Agency and other stakeholders including SkillForce and the National College of School Leadership.

• Troops to Teachers recognises that exceptional service leavers have invaluable skills and experiences to bring in to teaching, especially if they have trained other people as part of their role.

• They know how to motivate, communicate, handle a situation, and they have the confidence and composure to earn respect. They enjoy working with young learners, and training, instructing and helping others to learn. They also have experience of working in a variety of different contexts.

• Troops to Teachers forms part of the Department for Education’s commitment to the cross-government Military Covenant which helps ensure that service leavers get the support they need to make a successful transition back into civilian life. For further information, please visit the department’s website.

Key Points-Undergraduate Programme • Details about the scheme, eligibility criteria and how to apply are available at www.brighton.ac.uk/troopstoteachers

• Troops to Teachers is about recruiting the very best service leavers into teaching (including those with the highest qualifications, qualities and experiences) who have the potential to become outstanding teachers.

• The programme is equivalent to the final two years (240 Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme CATS - credits) of an honours degree.

• Trainees spend two years on the programme, employed by a school for four days a week with the remaining day spent on academic study. At the end of the programme, successful candidates will receive a degree with qualified teacher status (QTS).

• Candidates go through a rigorous selection and assessment process and must also meet the appropriate ITT eligibility criteria before they are accepted onto the programme.

• There are currently two cohorts training in schools. The third cohort will begin training in September 2015 with a second tranche in late October.

• Following an open procurement exercise which started in October 2014,

University of Brighton was chosen to run the programme expansion.

Eligibility To be eligible for the Troops to Teachers programme, applicants will; • be an undergraduate i.e. not already have a degree. Service leavers who already have a degree can access other initial teacher training (ITT) and may be entitled to a bursary uplift subject to their chosen route if they meet the relevant eligibility criteria (see below).

• need to be leaving the Armed Forces within the next two years or have left the Armed Forces within the last five years.

• need to provide a MoD Certificate of Service and show it to their ITT provider as evidence that they have left the Armed Forces. In the interim, confirmation in writing from their manager should suffice until the MoD Certificate of Service comes through.

• need to meet the appropriate initial teacher training (ITT) eligibility criteria.

– see below

• as with other ITT courses, applicants are required to pass the Professional Skills Tests before they enter training, and those graduating from the programme will need to meet the Teachers’ Standards fully and attain QTS before they can be employed as qualified teachers.

• Link to the ITT entry criteria can be found here http://bit.ly/1DnyTRm

Qualifications Required • All entrants must demonstrate that they hold either a minimum of 120 subject specialist CATS credits (or equivalent) or a minimum of 240 subject-related CATS credits (or equivalent) for entry on to the programme.

• These may include previously gained qualifications or additional vocational qualifications, such as Defence Train the Trainer (DTTT) or Defence Instructional Training (DIT).

Case study Mike Parry, 29, is a former Army Corporal who is tra ining as a Religious Education teacher at a school in Haywards Heath, West Sussex and is due to complete the course in December.

He spent four years in the Forces, and before signing up he did two years of a university course before dropping out. Thos e two years helped qualify him for the Troops to Teachers course.

Mike Parry said: “When I left the Army I decided I wanted a solid career and something I enjoyed – I used to teach gro ups in the Army an it was something I d really liked – so this seemed quite a na step forward. tural “This course has ma de sense of the two years I spent at university and, frank ly, I don’t know where I would be now if the Troops to Teachers course didn’t exist.

“It has worked out perfectly for me. Th e university side is brilliant and keeps me topped up with information – it’s a relaxing way to work really and a really good wa y of studying.

“When you leave the Forces there are a lot of jobs you can into, but there are ve go ry few careers. That’ s what I was lookin for: something that g had a long-term fut ure, as well as being something I enjoyed .”

• Service leavers with degrees can apply to a number of initial teacher training graduate courses, which lead to qualified teacher status (QTS):

1. School Direct (tuition fee) or provider-led teacher training course - eligible graduate service leavers will receive an additional £2,000 uplift to their training bursary, where existing training bursary eligibility has been established. Please note tuition fees are chargeable 2. School Direct (Salaried) - to apply, service leavers need to have served for 3 or more years. They will receive

a salary and in addition, schools will receive a £2,000 uplift to the training and salary grant for eligible graduate service leavers which will be paid to Lead Schools shortly after the end of the ITT Year in August.

To access the funding service leavers will need to provide an MoD Certificate of Service (CoS). The CoS is printed on security watermarked light card and is embossed with a hologram depicting the MOD crest. For further information regarding post-graduate funding for service leavers please contact: FA.TEAM@education.gsi.gov.uk

Troops To Teachers Post Graduate Offer • To be eligible for the Troops to Teachers post graduate offer, a service leaver must be within the two years before or five years after leaving the Armed Forces.

Should the above not answer your query then please contact Troopsto. teachers2015@education.gsi.gov.uk For further information please visit https://getintoteaching.education.gov.uk/ explore-my-options/training/troops-to-teachers

Education Guide 21

Pavilion Books Patch’s Grand Dog Show

How To Become A Cowboy

Lets Go Outside

Authors: Sally Muir & Joanna Osbourne ISBN 9781843652984 RRP £11.99

Author: Alice Lickens ISBN 9781843652410 RRP £9.99

Author: Steph Scott & Katie Akers ISBN 9781849942768 RRP £9.99

Ideal for ages: 3-6 years old This heart-warming story about a dog called Patch. Patch is lonely, and not really very good at any tricks. He’s not particularly handsome, or clever, or witty and he never quite fits in.

When a dog show comes to town, he stumps up the courage to enter himself in - and guess what, he takes them all by surprise, even himself! All the characters are knitted along with all the hand-made props and sets. There are juggling dogs, singing dogs, circus artists and lots of humour along the way to keep young and older minds entertained.

Ideal for ages: 3 and above – this book is great for even the oldest wannabe Cowboys & Cowgirls!

A beautifully illustrated guide to becoming a Cowboy, included within this exciting activity book is: A map of a cowboys favourite stomping ground, A dress your own cowboy paper doll (including cut-out clothes, spurs, woollies & chaps), Talk like a cowboy guide, Try cooking like a cowboy reallife recipes and a sheet of supercool stickers AND you can even pick & choose your own ranch name.

An ideal book for aspiring cowboys & cowgirls.

Ideal for ages 3-7 years old A fun-packed activity book for children.

It’s time to put down the consoles, tablets and ipods, turn off the TV and start your adventures outside. If you only have a limited time to play outside or a week long camping trip this is the book for you! Packed with imaginative ideas for harnessing nature, including spotting trees, birds, animals, bugs and butterflies, flowers and clouds to learning woodland skills such as knots, den building and climbing. This book really will inspire young adventurers back outside to unleash their imagination.

Arm Candy Rain Author: Manya Stojic ISBN 9781843653059 RRP £6.99

A Christmas Carol Author: Charles Dickens, Illustrated by Quentin Blake ISBN 9781843653035 RRP £12.99 Ideal for ages: 8 and above. A classic story bought to life by Quentin Blake. Ebenezer Scrooge, a meanspirited miser, is visited by three ghosts one Christmas Eve. The ghosts show Scrooge the true value of Christmas: charity, good humour and love for his fellow man.

This beautiful book will be ideal for a special Christmas present.

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Ideal for ages: Early Readers This bright and vibrant book offers an informal but educational approach to senses & the environment. The scene is set in Africa where various animals talk you through the effects of Rain.

Great for first time readers.

Author: Laura Strutt ISBN 9781910496152 RRP £9.99 Ideal for ages: There is no designated age on this book, we think this would be ideal for 9+ this could be good for younger children too but we think they’d need some adult assistance. In all honesty I’m 32 and I’d love a copy!

A beautiful book, including photographs teaching you how to make a huge range of differently styled bracelets.

Each style includes a step by step guide, a ‘you will need’ list and customisation tips. I would highly recommend this book, it’s really easy to follow and the designs and styles are really up-to-date.

Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Author: Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by Michael Foreman ISBN 9781843653080 RRP £9.99 Ideal for ages: 8 and above A new edition of a timeless classic.

Celebrating its 150th Anniversary this year. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland introduces children to a whole world of humour, fun and invention. Featuring more iconic characters and locations than any other children’s story, Alice’s world introduces today’s children to the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, the evil Queen of Hearts, the tea party and, of course, the rabbit hole that starts it all.

Cool Architecture Author: Simon Armstrong ISBN 9781909396791 RRP £9.99

Cool Philosophy Author: Daniel Tatarsky ISBN 9781909396777 RRP £9.99 Ideal for ages: 10 and up Ever thought ‘why did I do that?’ or ‘what’s the point of this?’ you’re already a philosopher! Inside this philosophystuffed book are 50 fact-tastic ways to advance your thinking skills, so you’ll never be scratching your head in bemusement ever again. Featuring the key philosophic principles of every philosopher you’ve heard of (and some you haven’t), from prominent ancient Greek thinkers such as Aristotle and Socrates to modern-day thinkers such as Bertrand Russell and Thomas Kuhn, this book is stuffed to the gills with amazing facts, tricks, and stats to help you discover everything you need to know about what philosophy is, in a way you’ll never forget. Packed with colourful illustrations and handy diagrams, it will enable readers to learn (and understand!) the key principles and concepts from the world’s greatest thinkers and minds, as well as amazing techniques to make one’s brain work smarter.

WIN! Send us a quick email (to competitions@ forcespublishing.co.uk) saying which book you’d like to win and why and we’ll pick out a name at random the first week of November, all books in this feature are up for grabs so get e-mailing. (don’t forget to include a telephone number – so we can let you know you’ve won and an address to send it to if you win!)

Ideal for ages: 10 and up Want to know more about the buildings around you? Interested in how the Egyptians built the pyramids, and how on earth a dome stays up? Packed with absorbing facts and quirky illustrations, this book tells you everything you need to know about architecture around the world, from the simple dwellings created by the earliest humans to today’s most innovative buildings, via forbidding medieval strongholds, great 18th-Centruy palaces, and the classic Art Deco skyscrapers of New York.

Learn about the great architectural movements and the personalities that created them, and explore the most iconic buildings in the world, from the Parthenon in Greece to the (current) world’s tallest skyscraper, the Khalifa Tower in Dubai. The possibilities are endless. This book is a perfect introduction to what’s cool about the fascinating world of architecture.

Education Guide 23

P

opular music, or more specifically, The Beatles, would have you believe that all you need is love. I’m going to stick my neck out and disagree with those mop top boys from Liverpool and say that actually no, love is not all you need.

Had they never eaten custard? If they had indeed eaten custard, what were they thinking making such a claim and not giving custard its rightful place in music history? Outrageous. I’m not someone who’s down on love, I get emotional listening to Beyonce singing about how awesome Jay-Z is (if those two ever split then I will lose all faith in humanity) and I’m pretty crazy about The Fiance, but a life without custard in it is not one I want to even consider. Custard, or Creme Anglaise if you’re running a gastropub, is easily my favourite topping for a dessert.

It takes me back to being little on a Sunday night where after tucking in to a roast, me and my brother would anxiously await the cooking of the custard to go on top of the crumbles, made with rhubarb grown in our garden. I know it isn’t culinary or very foodie, but I won’t hear a bad word said about Birds custard powder or the nuking of it in the microwave, it’s the taste of my childhood, and very likely if you’re English, the taste of yours too. Watching it bubble away in the microwave always seemed to take hours, and then being told by my mum to wait five minutes for it to cool down was pure torture. Was always worth waiting though. Since then though I’ve made custard from scratch (best recipe is from Jamies Cook, absolutely heavenly) and bought those fresh pots from the supermarket that are flecked with vanilla seeds and it’s hard to disagree that these are miles

Neglected Cookbook s Resident F

ood Blogge

agle

All You Need Is Custard better than the powdered stuff.

I certainly wouldn’t turn down Birds custard anytime soon though. Or a carton of Ambrosia.

Which nicely leads us to the crux of the matter, last nights dinner.

Last night I had some friends round for dinner, and the one food that we can all agree on and eat is Italian, leading me to naturally cook from Nigellisima. Nigella is a friend to any cook who has invited people over for dinner on a work night as her recipes don’t require much faffing around and are designed to be easy to cook and tasty to eat. Italian sausage and chicken tray bake with gnocchi gratin certainly did the trick, although the Tesco near my work had no Italian

24 Education Guide

r Hayley E

sausages so I had to sub with pork and red onion sausages (red onion seemed the most Italian out of all the flavoured sausages) which I recommend you try as they were mighty tasty and went pretty well with the lemon zest and rosemary that I chucked all over them.

Add in some chicken thighs and olive oil then cook on a high heat in the oven and hey presto, crispy chicken skin and a tasty, easy dinner. The gnocchi gratin was simple too, the boiled gnocchi is cooked in the oven in a mascarpone and Parmesan sauce and emerges from the oven with a beautiful golden crust and soft, spongy gnocchi that have soaked up the rich sauce. You don’t need me to tell you it’s good, but really, it is. If you were to give me the whole tray of gratin,a spoon and some privacy, this would be gone in

w w w. n e g l e c t e d c o o k b o o k s . wo r d p r e s s . c o m

approximately five minutes. I’d have to work out all day every day for the next year to work the calories off, but it would so be worth it. If there’s one thing you take away from this blog, let it be that you must try this dish.

For dessert, I went with a variation on the classic English crumble, which was plum and Amaretti crumble, again from Nigellisima. This looks beautiful even before it goes in the oven, with the cooked, sugary plums nestling in their ruby red juices and the sandy rubble with Amaretti crumbs sitting on top. While this dessert wasn’t perfect (plums weren’t quite ripe enough so weren’t as soft as I’d like them) it was pretty darn good and the almond-ey taste of the crushed biscuits went really well with the sweet yet sharp plums. The Fiance did make a genius suggestion of replacing the plums with cherries in future, which I would be more than happy to try one day. All this was naturally served with custard, I’d never serve crumble with anything else. Having made everything else from scratch, I didn’t have the willpower or indeed the ingredients to make a custard so I went with Ambrosia, which although lacking in vanilla seeds, does still taste delicious and totally hit the spot. On a cold, wet, windy day, nothing says comfort and home like custard does. Perhaps one day there will be a song in the charts paying tribute to the mighty custard, but I don’t hold out much hope.

PS- We were so hungry that everything was eaten up before I remembered to take a photo, so you will just have to make do with a beaming Nigella instead.

A fabulous introduction to cooking for those aged 5 and over, Mummy & Me Cook will show parents and children how much fun and enjoyment they can take from cooking together.

With over 20 healthy recipes and fun activities featured alongside fabulous food facts, among the highlights are recipes for breakfast pancakes, smoothies and chocolate brownies.

Introducing children to staple ingredients, such as eggs, flour and chocolate; and showing them how to use measurements; this family cookbook will help children learn about cooking their own food while also having fun and discovering the joys of preparing their own.

Get your hands on a copy!

The UK Forces Education Guide have a copy of this fabulous book to give away to one lucky reader!

For your chance to win simply answer the following question....

How many is a bakers dozen?

Send your entries to: competitions@forcespublishing.co.uk and include your name, address and telephone number so you can be contacted.

Closing Date: 02/11/15

Education Guide 25

You could win all of this...

Baker Ross

Baker Ross is giving away a bumper selection of craft kits from its brand new range. The arts and crafts company, which specialises in creative products and toys for children, has just launched it’s exciting new collection of products, including goodies for Autumn, Halloween and Christmas, and you can get a taster right here. Many of the kits and products have an educational spin, helping children to develop their skills while having fun. Ideal for weekend craft sessions or for brightening up the hours after school, there’s plenty to choose from. See more at www.bakerross.co.uk

Leaf Mosaic Coaster Kits £3.96 3D Tree Photo Frame Kits £3.60 Rocket Stained Glass Effect Decorations £3.96 Wooden Trophy Magnets £2.79 Polystyrene Owls £2.50 Woodland Animals Cross Stitch Kits £3.49 Hedgehog Cushion Sewing Kits £4.70 Halloween Foam Glasses Kits £3.96 Spider Finger Puppet Kits £2.99 Dragon Ceramic Coin Banks £2.75 Snowman Mosaic Coaster Kits £3.60 Reindeer Handprint Crown Kits £3.49 Christmas Bucket Buddy Kits £3.60 Christmas Character Cracker Kits £2.99 Snowman House Kits £1.99 Christmas Owl Stocking Sewing Kits £3.60

Baker Ross have two of these huge craft bundles (worth £50) to give away to two lucky UK Forces Education Guide readers!

For your chance to win, simply answer the following question...

What are the names of the four seasons?

Send your entries to: competitions@forcespublishing.co.uk and include your name, address and telephone number so you can be contacted. Closing Date: 02/11/15

Education Guide 27

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Education EducationGuide Guide 3131

Girls Gingerbread Sweatshirt from Matalan from £9.00 to £10.00

Xmas Reindeer Fairisle with Scarf Jumper from BHS from £12.00

g n i p m Ju

Demo Boys Knitted Fairisle Christmas Jumper

from very.co.uk From £12-£17

into

Christmas

Xmas Reindeer Face Jumper from BHS From £14-£18

Make this festive season better with a nice warm sweater!

With the chilly weather fast approaching and Christmas just around the corner what better way to keep the frostbite at bay then to wrap your little ones up in a fabulously festive jumper!

We here at the UK Forces Education Guide have picked out our favourites for the upcoming season.

Bluezoo Snowman Sequin Knitted Dress from Debenhams £18

Rudolf Christmas Jumper from BHS price TBC

Bluezoo Polar Bear Knit from Debenhams from £12

Fairisle Crew Navy Pattern Jumper from Primark UK £8

Education Guide 35

So Your Child’s Not Mary or Joseph In The Christmas Nativity Play?

by Tamsin Kelly

Finding out what part the teacher had given you in the Christmas nativity play, used to be like waiting to be picked for the rounders team.

only talk loudly, but sing and dance, and the rest of us who were natural born sheep or angels – or a cuckoo in my case. Or a wall in my sister’s.

The confident, attractive children all got the best parts, leaving the rest of us trying not to show how forlorn we felt as the roles rapidly deteriorated to ‘fourth narrator’ and ‘sixth king’.

’At the risk of not sounding very politically correct, I find nativity plays quite difficult now because my son really is a natural for the back row – he’s a head taller than everyone else, has an innate ability to do all the hand movements and singing at the wrong time and loves pulling monstrous faces.

Not any more. Now teachers seem to try their hardest to give the big roles to the children least expecting it. As the titchiest, buck toothed, spec-wearing child in my class, I’d have been a dead cert as Mary. ’The prettiest girl in the class would always be Mary and the most popular boy would be Joseph,’ recalls fellow mum Stella. ‘The world was divided into the Marys and the Josephs, future masters of the universe who could not

36 Education Guide

’And yet every year he’s put in the front.

Last year I was next to one woman passionately complaining he was totally blocking her view of her daughter. I ended up apologising to her for my son’s size and gaucheness.’

Julia’s son was given the prestige part of the Inn Keeper last year. ‘He was cock a hoop when he first told me, but

gradually got more and more anxious about it, even though he was word perfect on his lines,’ she says.‘ He was a bundle of nerves on the morning, and although I tried to buoy him up that he’d be fine and enjoy it, on the afternoon he was a picture of misery, muttering at the floor. I know his teacher thought she was doing the best thing for him – at parents’ evenings she always talks about building up his confidence – but actually some sixyear-olds just are shy. I know I was at his age and it was unbearable seeing him being thrust into the limelight like that.’

But my friend James - as a father of four a slightly weary nativity play spectator - is all for promoting the least talented. ‘I get so sick of seeing these supposed acting prodigies just showing off,’ he says. ‘Some of them really are

“he’s a head taller than everyone else, has an innate ability to do all the hand movements and singing at the wrong time and loves pulling monstrous faces” ghastly. A really memorable nativity play should have all the children doing all the wrong things at the wrong time.’

As a primary school teacher, my friend Carrie can shed some light on the promotion of the limelight shy children over the show-time kids. ‘Teachers get really upset when parents write in complaining that their child hasn’t got a good part – and yes they really do, not that it’s going to make a jot of difference - because a lot of thought goes into picking the children for the big parts.

The Dos And Dont’s Of Audience Appreciation

8 Don’t arrive late or leave after your child’s done his bit, however overworked and overstressed you are.

8 Don’t be embarrassed if you well up with emotion. Attending nativity plays is one of the big pluses of parenthood.

8 Don’t stand up in front of everyone else with your video camera, or worse, stand on your chair.

3 Do switch off your mobile phone.

You’d think forgetfulness was the number one social sin by the appalled looks from the rest of the audience.

8 Don’t gossip about the children, especially within ear shot of their parents, unless it’s to say something enormously appreciative.

3 Do try not to look too smug if your child has bagged a speaking part.

8 Don’t try and smuggle your baby or toddler into the ‘quiet show.’

8 Don’t only applaud your own child.

8 Don’t save seats in the front row for all your friends and family.

3 Do try and catch your child’s eye early on, especially if they can’t see properly from underneath their shepherd tea towel, so they don’t spend the time miserably scanning the audience wondering where you are.

3 Do tell the exhausted teacher how brilliant the play was.

’It’s often a case of choosing those who deserve a chance because of their good behaviour in the classroom or who might not get a chance to shine otherwise. If the same children got the big roles every year, it would b a shame for all the other children and their parents. Actually Mary and Joseph are rarely important roles, just there to hoodwink the parents, and the donkey is the fun one that all the kids want.’

Overwhelmed by the number of children having to troupe on and off stage, one school has the cunning ruse of giving children back stage parts making the props. My friend’s six-yearold daughter solemnly explained that ‘every part is important – even if you’re not on stage’. But some parents weren’t having that – so the prop makers will now be decked out as Christmas elves for the final bow.

Whatever role your child has, there are still ways of stealing the show – intentionally or not. The wannabe contestants on Britain’s Got Talent will still shine, even from the back row, thanks to their mega-watt smiling and ability to master the teacher’s carefully choreographed hand gestures. And from the massed ranks of children in the winning combs of baggy white tights, PE T-shirts and tinsel tiaras, the star is sure to be the one picking his nose and daydreaming.

Education Guide 37

Queen Victoria School, Dunblane Wendy Bellars, Head

Admissions deadline 15th January Queen Victoria School (QVS) is a co-educational boarding school fully funded by the Ministry of Defence to provide stability and continuity of education for the children of UK Armed Forces personnel who are Scottish, or who have served in Scotland or who have been members of a Scottish regiment.

QVS is tri-Service and most of its pupils have at least one actively serving parent when they enter the school. Our main intake is into the Scottish system’s Primary 7 year; there is no exact equivalent with the English system, but the majority of our P7 intake are aged ten or eleven when they join us. That said, there is a wide age range within the year groups. Many of our pupils have come from educationally disrupted backgrounds as they have moved from school to school and education system to education system, according to their families’ postings.

possible sense and aiming to achieve success academically, in sport, music, drama and many other extra-curricular areas.

A very special and unique dimension of this school for military families is the ceremonial side, which preserves the very best of the School’s traditions.

Marching as part of the School on one of its six Parade Sundays a year, and on Grand Day – the final day of the academic year – is one of the proudest moments of a Victorian’s life (as well as that of his or her parents)! The Pipes, Drums and Dancers of QVS are internationally renowned, having played at tattoos both at home and abroad, most recently in the Basel Christmas Tattoo 2013 and The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo 2012.

Set in 45 acres of beautiful Perthshire countryside, Queen Victoria School is easily accessible by road, rail or air.

Pastoral care is given a very high priority along with careers guidance There is no substitute for visiting a and personal and social education. school, meeting its pupils and staff Queen Victoria School aims to and picking up the atmosphere. promote the welfare and happiness Our admissions deadline is the 15th of each individual child and develop January If you would like to know their self-esteem. In addition, there more before travelling to Dunblane is a very full programme of sporting, to visit us, however, and to cultural and spiritual development. request a DVD, please contact our Admissions Secretary on +44 (0) Queen Victoria School is a unique 131 310 2927. Alternatively, you boarding school which seeks to can write to: Admissions Secretary, achieve the best that is possible Queen Victoria School, Dunblane, for its pupils, priding itself on Perthshire FK15 0JY, or visit our developing them in the widest website www.qvs.org.uk