Country Child Spring 18 Dorset and Somerset issue

COUNTRY CHILD Dorset/Somerset

Your Local FREE Family Magazine

Spring 18-Issue: 32

THE EARLY YEARS

Giving our children the best start in life

SPRING INTO STYLE Wardrobe ‘must haves’ for this season

ECO PARENTING

Helpful ways to reduce your family’s carbon footprint

WORK AFTER CHILDREN Challenging prospect or an exciting opportunity?

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES How much is too much?

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WHAT’S ON ■ SHOPPING ■ HOME ■ SCHOOLS ■ FOOD ■ GARDEN ■ COMPETITIONS ■ HEALTH

Give your child the best possible start

Nursery

N G E P O NIN 3 R MOturdayat Sa arch M 30am 9.

Set in an exquisite rural location, our self-contained purpose-built Nursery is surrounded by 62 acres to explore.

Opportunities to experience dance, music, drama, swimming and a multitude of sports.

Parents of children aged 3 and 4 eligible for government funding may use their 30 hours entitlement.

Weekly sessions in our private indoor heated pool helps to grow children’s water confidence. Our qualified swimming coaches ensure it is always great fun too!

Weekly sessions of Forest School set in our nearby beech wood.

A focus on individual attention enabling children to develop and progress at their own pace in a safe and nurturing environment.

Delicious hot and healthy lunches to help energise growing bodies and minds.

Before and after school care to help busy working families (8am - 6pm).

We also run FREE ‘Bushy Tails’ play sessions for under 5s featuring Emma and her Magic Bag! Every Wednesday during term-time. 10.30am - 12noon

Call to book your personal visit

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With Easter just around the corner, we’ve had egg’stra (sorry!) special fun looking out for cracking Easter gifts – have a peek on page 9 to see if any of our suggestions are likely to appeal to you and yours.

BBC’s Mike Dilger is back with a fantastic challenge for us all this season…cameras at the ready, you’re on the hunt for sixlegged critters! Send us in your photos and we’ll be sure to get them up on the Country Child website.

Competition time! We have a brilliant cookbook giveaway for our readers. Head to page 11 to find out how you can be the owner of ‘Cook Clean with Kate’ and wow the family with some delicious and nutritious meals. Good Luck to all who take part.

For families with children who are soon to start their education, choosing the right school can seem a very daunting task. Charlotte Townsend, Head of Clayesmere PrePrep, shares her thoughts and advice with Country Child – take a look on page 17 for a really helpful and informative read.

With after-school clubs taking up much of our time, I recently found myself asking ‘how much is too much’ when it comes to signing up our offspring to extracurricular activities. Have a read on page 31 to see what the experts advise us all.

As ever, we have Bookworms with their recommendations for your children’s next read – head to page 43 to see if any take your fancy. And, with a Royal Wedding on the horizon, we’ve sourced some rather regal treats for the home, have a peek on page 37.

Happy Days...

Welcome to Spring

pring is in the air! Isn’t this a wonderful time of year?

Longer, sunnier, warmer days - at last, we can think about leaving the house without piles of coats, hats, scarves and gloves. Hurrah!

For those of us wanting to be a little ‘greener’ in our day-to-day living, author Zion Lights has some great, achievable tips to get us on our way on page 13 - every little helps!

Country Child’s Jo Leigh and Chris Mcguire share their own experiences of being parents to premature babies – have a read on page 46 for their honest and heart-warming accounts.

With the change of season, our fashion guru, Rachel Bisiker, is back with her suggestions for our kids’ spring wardrobes. Rachel has chosen some fantastic pieces from a whole range of retailers… wallets at the ready!

For mums who may be considering a return to the workplace, Hannah Woolven has done some brilliant research on this mammoth topic and shares her findings, facts and figures with us on page 38.

Meet the team...

PUBLISHER

Jo Leigh jo@countrychild.co.uk

EDITOR

Miranda Avis miranda@countrychild.co.uk Follow us

@countrychildmag @countrychildmagazine

Media Sales Matthew Cull

Writer

Hannah Woolven

Writer

Hanne Bonczoszek

matthewcullmedia@gmail.com

Cover and Feature Photography by

Millie Pilkington

@countrychildmag Neither Country Child Limited (trading as Country Child Magazine) nor any of its predecessors, affiliated companies, directors or employees, shall be liable for the accuracy or reliability of any of the content (including advertisements) published in Country Child Magazine or other information accessed directly or indirectly from Country Child Magazine, nor shall they be liable for the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased or obtained by any consumer, as a result of an advertisement or any other information or offer in connection with the service or products. Country Child Limited shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions contained within any content (including advertisement) published in Country Child Magazine.

CONTRIBUTORS Wallop Primary School, Hampshire, Zion Lights, Mike Dilger, Tory Williams, Becky Travers, Kate Sandat, Charlotte Townsend, Mia Micozzi, Rachel Bisiker, Alona Fogel, Chris McGuire. Artwork Jo Avis

DISTRIBUTION Katherine Shean

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Contents

Spring 2018

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What's In Store Eggs'tra good fun this Easter!

Unfashionably Early Two candid accounts of life on the neo natal unit

Eco Parenting Helpful ways to reduce your family’s carbon footprint.

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Spring into Style Our wardrobe ‘must haves’ for this season.

7 Family Frolics & Fiascos - Writer Hanne B divulges her family antics.

11 Food Glorious Food - Easter recipes with the Power of Protein stirred in.

13 Eco Parenting - Helpful ways to reduce your family’s carbon footprint.

17 The Early Years - Giving our children the best start in life.

19 & 21 Spring into Style - Our wardrobe ‘must haves’ for this season.

23 & 27 Inside Out - Places to go and things to do.

24 & 25 Calendar Pull-Out - What’s on this spring season.

26 Toddler Timetable - Your local library times and activities.

29 Show and Tell - Live entertainment for the family in your area.

31 Extracurricular Activities - How much is too much? Miranda investigates.

33 Great Outdoors - Mike Dilger challenges us to find spring’s iconic critters.

35 Window Shopping - Seeking out some Eco-friendly homes.

37 Interior Ideas - A celebration of our Royal heritage.

38 & 39 Work After Children - Challenging prospect or a new opportunity?

41 Open for Business - News and advice from the business community.

43 Bookworms - Book reviews from children at Wallop Primary School, Stockbridge.

45 Top Marks - All the news from the schools.

46 & 47 Unfashionably Early - Two candid accounts of life on the neo natal unit.

Food Glorious Food Cooking clean and eating healthy.

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Country Child Loves...

A mix of seasonal treats for all the family.

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Inside Out

Places to go and people to see

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Family Frolics & Fiascos

By Hanne B

K

aren is coming over today. She’s going to help me in the garden, as I can’t tell my brambles from my apple trees. Last spring, the kids and I helped out in Karen’s allotment. My son and I planted spinach and lettuce and my daughter took care of the carrots.

The spinach and the lettuce turned out really well, but the carrots never appeared.

Karen’s curiosity got the better of her and after a little detective work, she realised that my daughter had in fact ignored instructions and instead planted the unpopped popcorn from the bowl we’d shared the evening before, while watching WreckIt Ralph. She’d brought them along in her pocket with the very purpose of planting popcorn trees, as apparently ‘It must be expensive to buy popcorn for four boys, so this way they’ll have a more constant supply’.

Despite my family’s sometimes less-thanhelpful contributions, Karen is a patient soul. Plus, she knows that in the past, I’ve actually come up with a few ingenious ideas of how to get the kids involved. So, I’d like to think we learn from each other.

The idea of getting the kids to help in the garden is very different from actually getting the kids to help in the garden.

The idea looks like a photo spread from Country Living. The reality looks like a mud-covered patio and a child, covered in thorns, demanding a trip to A&E. Or, perhaps the kids discover a selection of snails that are suddenly far more interesting than gardening and now the snails need a house, so ‘Have we got some cardboard please…oh, and they need some salad.’

Not garden salad because that’s dirty. No, salad from the fridge and while you’re there, it’s only reasonable that you make a snack. Then they’ll want said snack in front of CBBC. And then it’s just you and the dog in a garden that looks like it’s barely survived a hurricane.

Let me return to my ingenious idea.

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Last time Karen came around to garden, I went out the night before with a pocket full of pirate gems, which I poked into the soil in the raised bed. It took me about ten minutes (although, I could have done it quicker had I not had a glass of wine in my other hand). The next day, the kids spent an hour digging for treasure and, in doing so, finely separating the soil as each gem appeared. By the end, I had a raised bed that would have brought a tear to Alan Titchmarsh’s eye, and all Karen had to do was let her horticultural desires run free.

I’d planned to use the same tactic this year, but my kids are 8 and 6 now and ‘Guys! I think the pirates have buried more treasure in the garden!’ apparently won’t raise the same levels of excitement. My son looked up from ‘Horrible Histories’ and said ‘Pirates, Mum? Really? I think you’ll find that pirates of today are less bothered about burying treasure and more bothered about demanding ransom.

From his raised eyebrow, I know I’ve been given a clue. Last year’s gemstones would no longer cut it. It seemed we’d moved on to the real deal.

As I pour Karen another cup of tea, she has a good giggle about the fact that our children are outside digging for 50 pence pieces.

‘I might as well have hired a gardener at this cost’ I say.

‘Maybe you should go for hardy perennials this year’ Karen giggles.

‘You might be right’ I respond with a smile as I take another piece of Karen’s home-baked Victoria Sponge. I also make a mental note to Google ‘what are hardy perennials?’ once Karen has gone.

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anne Bonczoszek is a local author whose first Children’s book ‘Esther’s Invisible Grandma’ is available via facebook.com/invisiblegrandma. Hanne lives in Salisbury with her husband, her two children and a Cockapoo named Enzo.

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Advertisement Feature

A More Affordable Education

Knighton House School re-base day fees, creating a more affordable education for girls. Headmaster Robin Gainher explains…..

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s a father of three girls my household has always been about, to coin a phrase, girl power; no stereotyping and no gender pocket money pay gaps (BBC take note). By girl power I mean giving girls the confidence to take on the challenges that life will throw at them.

This vision - creating deep seated and lasting confidence in girls and young women - has powered Knighton House School for the last 68 years; providing a ‘home away from home’ where girls can flourish in an atmosphere of security, encouragement, space and freedom.

Without the pressure, social distraction and anxiety that a mixed environment can sometimes bring, girls develop at their own pace.

There are no expectations that pupils should fulfil traditional gender stereotypes in the subjects they study, the activities they participate in or the careers they pursue.

At Knighton, a girl occupies every role: not only taking the leads in a play but also being Directors, Producers, Lighting and Sound Designers. At Knighton, girls lead - whether it is the student council or the hockey team. Pupils are surrounded by positive role models, on the staff, in the parent body, (including our female Chair of Governors) and Alumni.

At a recent Alumni gathering, it was a thrill for me to talk to former pupils, now dynamic young women, successfully pursuing a broad spectrum of careers in medicine, the law, technology, architecture and theatre production, among many others: using the confidence Knighton gave them.

The Knighton House School experience is a superb start to any

girl’s education. But as a father of three I am also aware of the sacrifices parents make to give their children the best possible start.

Over the past six years, in independent schools the average annual fee has increased by 21%, while wage inflation has increased by just 6%.

So I am pleased to announce, with the full support of our forwardthinking Governing body, a re-basing of the Knighton House day fees, by approximately 20%, to 2010 levels.

Importantly these new lower fees are fixed for 2 years — allowing parents to plan ahead. The aim of this fee review is to ensure the very best experience for Knighton House pupils while improving the accessibility of a Knighton House education, especially to local children.

Knighton House School, near Blandford in Dorset, is a prep school for girls aged 7-13 and a pre-prep for boys and girls aged 3-7. Come and meet our new Headmaster Robin Gainher and see the school by booking an appointment through enquiries@knightonhouse.co.uk. Alternatively come along to one of our Working Open Morning Wednesday 7th March and see the school at work. knightonhouse.co.uk

Knighton House School

WITHIN REACH Recent fee reduction by 20% makes the very best education for girls more accessible

Knighton House School, Durweston, Dorset DT11 0PY. Call 01258 452065 or email enquiries@knightonhouse.co.uk www.knightonhouse.co.uk

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What´s in Store Eggs'cellent Easter

Eggs

are a great source of protein, iron, zinc, copper, B2, B6 and B12!

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 1. Sainsbury's Home Easter Bingo £6. sainsburys.co.uk  2. Crack the ceramic egg like you would a boiled egg and inside you'll find everything you need to grow a sunflower, basil or lavender plant. A lovely alternative to a chocolate Easter egg. £10 shop.designist.ie  3. Beech Egg Holder - Crack On. Hand crafted solid beech egg holder for six eggs. £19.95 annabeljames.co.uk  4. Enamel Egg Run is reminiscent of a seaside helter skelter! A brilliant way of storing and displaying your fresh eggs in date order. Every time your hens lay a lovely egg simply add it to the run. £17.50 coastalhome.co.uk  5. Fred Funny Side Up Robot Egg Mould. Mould two eggs into attractive egg art. £6.95 kitchencraft.co.uk  6. Egg-A-Matic Chick Egg Mould is a polypropylene plastic mould with two sets of plastic feet so your chicks can stand up for themselves. £6.77 amazon.co.uk  7. Hop To It Easter Egg Hunt Kit. £8.49 talkingtables.co.uk  8. BIA Egg Coddler - Raining Eggs By Clare Mackie is a brilliant and easy way to poach eggs. £10.50 notjustjugs.com  9. Egg-Cellent Job Jar of mini eggs is the perfect way to say "Thank You", "Well Done" or "Congratulations" £10 thegreatgiftcompany.co.uk  10. Floral Easter Bunny Ears Headband £10 paperchase.co.uk

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A co-educational, day and boarding school from 2 -13 For more information, or to arrange a tour, please contact Lally Holme on 01747 857914. ‘If anyone is going to bring out what your child is good at, Port Regis will.’ GOOD SCHOOLS GUIDE

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Minibus routes available

Food

GLORIOUSFood

The Power of Protein

Kate Sandat talks to Country Child about the benefits of using protein powder in our meals and offers one lucky reader a chance to win a signed copy of her book, Cook Clean with Kate, including a pouch of her recommended brand of whey protein powder.

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ike carbs and fat, protein is a macronutrient that our body needs to survive and is made up of building blocks called ‘amino acids.’ Our bodies don’t produce protein naturally so we have to consume it in order to fuel our bodies correctly.

Protein is commonly known to be responsible for healthy hair, skin (collagen) and nails as well as building muscle, but it also plays a vital role in hormone balance, cartilage and blood formation. Children in particular need to get enough protein for the development of their muscles, tissues, and enzymes as it helps to support these systems.

Protein powder is a great way to help families reach their daily targets for protein intake but as with any growing market, when it comes to choosing the perfect protein powder, the choice can be a bit overwhelming. Knowing what to buy, when to consume it and getting to grips with the hype can be confusing to say the least. More details on this can be found on the Country Child website. There you'll find more about Whey, Hemp, Brown Rice and Pea Protein powders.

Protein powder should only ever be seen as a supplement to your family’s diet, rather than as a meal replacement. If you’re worried that your children are missing out on this vital food group, protein powder

WIN

is a great way to sneakily add it in. If you have children that aren’t particularly keen on meat or fish and you are worried about their protein intake, then supplementing protein via smoothies, porridge, waffles or cakes etc can be a great way to ensure that their correct dietary requirements are being met. Kate says "As a mum, protein powder gives me peace of mind that my kids are getting sufficient protein intake. It’s also reassuring to know that they are leaving the house in the morning with a full tummy, feeling satisfied and ready to fire on all cylinders for the busy school day ahead."

Note: Protein powder is a booming industry and there are a huge number of brands currently on the market. Many of the brands out there are high in artificial substances and added sugars to make the protein powder look and taste more appealing and as parents we all want to avoid extra hidden nasties like sugars when choosing products for our children. Sucrose and maltodextrin are just a couple of added ingredients you are wise to avoid when choosing a protein powder. Choose a protein supplement that is as clean as possible and if there is anything you can’t pronounce on the list of ingredients, then that’s a good sign that you need to avoid it.

To get you started, win Kate's book and a pouch of protein powder by simply emailing your answer to the question below, with contact details to: info@countrychild.co.uk by the 9th April 2018.

Q: Which brand of protein powder does Kate recommend?

The winner will be choosen at random, editor's decision is final and prize can not be exchanged for any monetary value.

Protein Waffles Easter Breakfast

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affles are an all time breakfast favourite of Kate's, especially at the weekend! "Adding protein to your children’s breakfast is a win, win." says Kate.

Ingredients - 50g gluten-free porridge oats - 2 large organic eggs - 2 ripe bananas, mashed - 1 scoop vanilla flavour protein powder - 2 tbsp Coconut Collaborative natural yoghurt - 1 tsp cinnamon (optional) - Pinch salt. Serves 2

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lace the oats in a food processor and whizz to fine crumbs. Heat the waffle machine or pan until hot.

Place the eggs in a bowl and beat them with an electric whisk for approximately five minutes until they have doubled in volume and are creamy. Add the oats and the rest of the ingredients to the eggs and stir until everything is combined. Pour the mixture into the pan or waffle machine, being careful not to over fill it or the mixture will seep out the sides. Cook for approximately three to five minutes until the waffle is golden.

Simply serve the waffles with your favourite toppings such as; fresh berries, nut butter, maple syrup, organic chocolate, chopped nuts, seeds or shredded coconut. Kate’s Top Tips: Always grease your waffle maker with a little melted oil or butter to prevent the waffles sticking to the machine and making an awful mess!

Wakey Shakey Rise and Shine Smoothie

K

ate says "This delicious Chocolate, Avocado & Chia Seed Smoothie is a really quick breakfast to whizz up, full of healthy fats and protein, giving your children an amazing start to their day. It’s ultra creamy and thick and there are no obvious signs of the healthy goodness within, giving it the green light for little fussy eaters!"

Ingredients - A few ice cubes - 120ml coconut or almond milk - avocado third - 1 tsp chia seeds - 1

large medjool date, stone removed - 1 scoop chocolate protein powder - water Simply place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Kate’s top tips: Try different protein powders, but my children love the Whole Life Whey brand. For your first attempt, I suggest you start with less avocado as you don’t want to put your children off from the start! Gradually increase the amount of avocado until you reach one third.

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Eco Parenting

Dubbed Britain’s Greenest Mother, author Zion Lights talks Eco Parenting and shares 5 Easy Things we can all do to be more ‘green’.

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ere’s a question I get asked a lot: what is green parenting? ‘Green’ is a tricky term in some ways, because it represents different concepts and movements, but simply put, being green is about reducing your carbon footprint There are many easy ways in which you can do this.

Before I became a parent, I had a two-bin compost system, an upcycled compost toilet in the garden (we called it the Humble-loo), and I composted or recycled almost everything.

All that changed with the life-altering event that is motherhood, but at the same time the stakes had never been higher in my mind. Here I was desperate to create a better, healthier world for my newborn daughter, and there were the nappies piling up in the corner… What’s a busy parent to do?

Here are five tips to help you on your way.

Try resuable nappies. If you have a baby in disposable nappies, consider trying the alternative: cloth nappies! Also called washable nappies or reusable nappies, cloth has come a long way from the original design of basic cotton pad plus safety pin. Cloth nappies now come in vibrant colours, are easy to use, machine washable and great for the environment as using them reduces the vast quantity of nappies that get sent to landfill sites or for incineration. Cloth nappy groups have popped up around the UK so it’s worth finding a local one to join as well - there are often cheap second hand reusable nappies available for your foray into this carbonfootprint-reducing lifestyle change. Don’t worry if you can’t use cloth all the time – you only need to reduce the number of nappies you use by one a day to send hundreds less to landfill or incineration in a year. Start with one and see how you find it – and you might find that your household produces much less waste On the topic of waste, consider composting anything you can’t recycle. Composting is an incredible natural process that creates a valuable resource, and it’s really simple - just get hold of a compost bin. Many local councils subsidise these so it shouldn’t cost you much, or ask around on your local Freecycle and Freegle groups and check local seller listings. Look for a bin with a well-fitted lid, dig it into the soil in your garden, and start using it instead of your regular black bin! Worms will find their way into the bin through the bottom of the bin and set up camp in there. A shady or partially-shady spot is fine if your garden doesn’t get much sun, but your compost will decompose quicker with warmth.

If you don’t have any outdoor space, look into getting a wormery, which is like a compost bin but fully contained so it doesn’t need soil to work. Wormeries house a specific type of worm (redworms) that live inside them all the time.

There are small versions of these that can be kept indoors for composting small quantities of waste materials.

Next, think about the way you travel: we all know that air pollution is bad, but what can we do about it? If you use a

car, can you drive one day less a week? Can you walk to work or on the school run, take the bus, or cycle? Perhaps there is an option to car share with friends or colleagues? Again, even doing this once a week will reduce your carbon footprint and the amount of traffic on the road. Also, servicing your car regularly will keep it from polluting the environment more than is necessary, and driving without excess baggage (e.g. a full boot) burns less fuel which is better for the environment.

And when you take your next holiday, skip the flight and consider a staycation!

Finally, on to my favourite tip: if you want to be a green parent, get out in the green! Nature or ‘wild time’ has been found to benefit adults as much as children, reducing stress and anxiety, improving health and general mood – there’s masses of research to support this. Why not start by taking a weekly walk around the neighbourhood and to the local park?

If you have a baby or young child, try babywearing, which put simply is carrying your child in a sling or baby carrier.

There are babywearing groups around the UK too, so you can try different types of carries out and pick up a good quality one second hand. Keeping your baby close to you can help to foster a strong bond – as green parenting is about nurturing, after all, and changing the world one step at a time.

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H A N F O R D traditionally modern www.hanfordschool.co.uk or call Karen on 01258 860219

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FAMILY GET TOGETHER?

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Since 2004 Andy and Alo Brake have slowly but meticulously converted Axnoller into three holiday homes each with their own private indoor pools, steam rooms, saunas and gyms. Axnoller provides a unique setting which has seen numerous high-profile personalities reside including Sean Bean, David Walliams, Jack Whitehall, and many more.

Of the three properties, Axnoller House is their jewel in the crown. Showcasing an eclectic mix of contemporary and antique décor, the houses ensure luxury throughout.

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Mother's Day 11th March 2018 ROCK AND SOUL

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Perfect for busy Mums on the run that needs that quick mood boost All jewellery comes with a free 2ml essential oil and are priced from £12.50. Ideal and well priced as a Mother's Day Gift. rockandsoul.store

how your affection with this fun write on Speech Bubble Light, designed in a speech bubble to make your message speak out! An amusing family item to get the compliments and kind words flowing.

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HOW GREAT THOU ART

merging fine artist, army wife and mother to three boys, Daisy Rogers is now based in Over Wallop, Hampshire and is available for family or portrait commissions in pastel portraiture or oils. A great gift for this Mother's Day. Recently she has also launched a new luxury stationery collection of muchloved countryside/shooting characters including pheasants, grouse, dogs and stags. Meet her at her first Open Studio exhibition on the 10th March by appointment. Or check out her work here: daisyrogers.co.uk

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UNLOCKING POTENTIAL Whenever anyone visits Warminster School there’s one thing everyone agrees on, and that’s our sense of community.

Visitors always comment on how special it is, how unusual.

And it’s not just our teaching staff – from prep pupils to catering staff, our sense of warmth and our values are evident in whoever you cross paths with – be it our groundsmen, matrons, sports coaches or sixth formers. Because we all work together closely to keep those values alive.

We embrace all of our pupils – whatever their talents.

Working together to create a safe and nurturing environment where our pupils can fulfil their full potential.

Please reserve your place online for our next Open Day so you can discover just how special our sense of community is.

01985 210160 admissions@warminsterschool.org.uk www.warminsterschool.org.uk

16

The Early Years Local PrePrep Head, Charlotte Townsend explains to Country Child just how important these formative years are.

V

ery often in both my professional and motherly roles, I am asked about the importance of investing in a child’s education in the early years. Parents have wide-ranging views, but my strongly held one is that the early years are the most important of all. Get it right from the start and a child can be set up for life.

From the moment I decided to join the teaching profession, I was interested in the early years. I believed then, and continue to do so, that the first years a child spends away from their home and the nurture of their parents are of enormous importance. These are the years when we can build trust, confidence and independence.

My interest in the nature of how young children learn, and the opportunities to engage them, led me to specialise in Early Years during my PGCE, and I continue to study this fascinating age group as I pursue my Masters.

What has always been deeply gratifying in my role with young children is that, although one encounters a few parents who question the importance of the early years of education, there are many more who hold the same views and passions as I do.

As a teacher, I believe I chose a vocation with an innate responsibility. I chose to guide and nurture children; young people who are easily influenced, impressionable, vulnerable perhaps, yet open to experience. We know that children learn from what they see and hear. They mimic what is modeled and look to those around them to guide them on their way. The younger the child, the greater the impact that we as adults can have. The greater the influence, the greater the responsibility, and we must be aware that we have every power to make or break these very first years in terms of building confidence and happiness.

When young children start their education, they embark on an exciting journey that we hope will last far beyond the end of the schooling. That journey will take them from their first steps of the Early Years Foundation Stage, via the crucial years when they make life choices as adolescents and young adults, to a lifetime spent building on those choices. The first years are called the Early Years Foundation Stage for a very good reason: young adults make life-influencing decisions based on learning and experience that they have accumulated from their first days in school and nursery, choices that will dictate who they are and who they become. A secure foundation is a prerequisite of later success. The early years of a child’s education pave the way for later life, feeding their desire to learn and experience the wonders of the world around them.

At Clayesmore we have recently introduced our ‘Attitudes to Learning’ initiative. The strapline we attach to it, ‘Where will your learning take you?’, makes its aim very clear. Our role is to encourage and support every child in fulfilling their learning

Photography: Millie Pilkington for Pinewood School journey and thus reaching their full potential. At an early age, attitudes to learning could equally be called ‘Attitudes to Life’. We encourage the children to live by them in their learning and in their day by day existence. The attitudes we have selected underpin our beliefs as a school, which is why we introduce them from Nursery upwards.

The six key attitudes: Creativity, Courage, Curiosity, Collaboration, Conscientiousness and Consideration challenge and support children in developing these attitudes wherever they can, both in the classroom and beyond. The great outdoors offers challenge and enormous opportunity to test out any one of these attitudes to learning. In Forest School the children can experience the art of courage in trying new things. They show their wonderful creativity and collaboration in their den building, their curiosity in finding out about the natural world around them, while showing conscientiousness in their learning and understanding of what is safe to touch and what is not. They learn consideration for their world, and appreciate how precious it can be.

The great outdoors is a natural choice of learning environment, but I am a great believer in creating meaningful learning experiences wherever they are, jumping on opportunities as they arise. Poetry is so much easier to write when the poem is inspired by a pumpkin which you have just held, smelt, opened, dug out the flesh from, tasted and then designed and turned into a work of art to display.

Likewise, maths becomes more understandable when it has a purpose, from creating enough buns for your friends to eat, to adding the right amount of ingredients together to make the perfect magic potion! Learning to write is a lot more fun when you can do it big scale, with plenty of sensory feedback. Who needs a pencil when you can use your fingers in shaving foam, sticks in mud, letters in the sand and large ‘jedi’ style writing wands in the air? Learning needs to be challenging and experiential, it needs to connect with children’s interests. It needs to be interesting and enjoyable so that it instils in them a desire to pursue ideas and discover more.

When a child leaves the familiar comfort zone of their own homes, they need to feel secure, nurtured and appreciated in the place they go to. Their wellbeing and happiness, at the centre, so their urge to discover and experience new things can be fulfilled at every opportunity. Surround them with people who understand them, care for them, appreciate them and are passionate about their happiness and learning, and they will thrive.

A child's Early Years are not to be glossed over but celebrated for all the opportunities that they offer. Getting that choice right is one of the most important things you can do for your child.

17

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Tel: 01792 792 639 Email: enquiries@gokartdaddy.com

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18

Spring into Style She’s back! Rachel Bisiker from Kids Arcade showcases the best in childrens spring/summer fashion

Retro Easter Fun

Left to right:  Hakolo jacket from £43.45 thebonniemod.com  Kids Original Red Sandal, £40 salt-watersandals.com  Scamp & Dude Leopard print sweatshirt £36 alexandalexa. com  Hundred Pieces Flash Striped T-shirt £39 smallable.com Loose fit Joules Jeans £27.95 joules.com  Red suede Trainers from £16 marksandspencers.com  Bobo Choses checked blue skirt, £46 cubscartel.com  Striped sweatshirt £50 molo.com  Long sleeve raglan star t-shirt £20 stberts.com  Centre Picture: Star sweatshirt £35 stberts.com

Go for a print with a nod to the retro for outdoor adventures with your kids this Spring..

19

15% discount when purchased in advance FREE PARKING

28 MAY 2018 BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY 10AM - 6PM

TICKETS & INFORMATION 01749 813899 ADULTS £12.50 - CHILD £4 - FAMILY £30

Organised & run by volunteers to raise funds for West Country Children’s Charities

An exciting learning adventure, inside and outside the classroom!

To find out more, call us on 01202 883818 or visit www.dumpton.com

‘Independent Co-educational Day School age 2-13’ Dumpton School is a company limited by guarantee, Registered in England and Wales No. 936623, Registered Charity No. 306222, Registered Office: Deans Grove House, Wimborne, Dorset, BH21 7AF

20

An Ofsted ‘Outstandin g’ and ISI ‘Excellent’ sc hool in the heart of the Dorset countryside

Spring into Style cont...

Classic

Mother’s Day Dress the children in their Sunday Best and celebrate Mother’s Day in soft hues and a classic style.

Model wears:  Alice blouse from £25 and Charlotte pale pink shorts £30 aliceaparis.com. Left to right:  Pink Frill bodysuit £12 mamasandpapas.com  Molo Eagle sweatshirt £49 fiveboysclothing.com  Grey high tops from £22 next.com  Liberty print dress £45 juniperberrykids.com  Grey Linen dress £38 and plain white T-shirt £15 dottydungarees.com  Nitin Shirt from £50 velveteenclothing.com  Brown chinos £22.99 mango.com

A pril Showe rs

PACA-MAC Turquoise & yellow jacket £79 minirodini.com  Yellow puddle pac jacket £24 muddypuddles.com  Bobo Choses Forest rain mac £115 sistersguild.co.uk  Navy blue pac a mac £19 mamasandpapas.com  Yellow Fishermans hooded mac from £22 marksandspencers.com

PICKS

21

introduces

AN OUTDOOR ADVENTURE OBSTACLE TRAIL FOR ANY AGE.

FANTASTIC FUN IN ANY WEATHER;

GREAT ON A SUNNY DAY, BUT EVEN MORE FUN IN THE RAIN.

MUD WASHES OFF, MEMORIES LAST A LIFETIME!

MORE THAN 30 different obstacles

01929 505030

DORSETMUDTRAIL.CO.UK

22

!

Date for the Diary

Inside Out

Dorset Polo Festival is on the 16th June.

A fantastic display of polo for all the family.

Things to do Places to go

Organise a Muddy Puddle Walk

T

his Spring will see the return of the UK’s muddiest fundraising event for little ones. Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk for Save the Children.

Last year saw 160,000 children across the UK take part, raising an incredible £243,000 for Save the Children’s vital work, and this year the charity hopes even more people will sign up, take part and donate. Between 23 and 29 April 2018, nurseries, early years groups, families and children up and down the country are being encouraged to take part in a Muddy Puddle Walk to raise money for the international children’s charity.

Organising a Muddy Puddle Walk is a great way for your little ones to explore the world around them and jump in muddy puddles. Whether you splash in puddles along a trail at the park or get creative and make your own puddles indoors from paper and foil - your Muddy Puddle Walk will be a fun day to spend together that littles ones won’t forget.

Raise funds in the way that suits you, help walkers get sponsored, ask for a donation to take part or even bake Muddy Puddle cupcakes to sell on the day! The money you raise will help Save the Children’s work to transform the lives of children in the UK and around the world, helping vulnerable children have a safe place to play and learn.

Sign up now at muddypuddlewalk.org for your free Muddy Puddle Walk Fundraising Pack full of fun Peppa Pig inspired activities to help you get started. 23 - 29 April.

Mud and Memories

D

orset Mud Trail is a new outdoor adventure trail and fantastic fun in any weather; great on a sunny day, but even more fun in the rain. A 3km trail features 30 different obstacles from Monkey Rings to Rope Bridges. Refreshments available too. Dogs welcome on leads. From £5 but book dorsetmudtrail.co.uk

Egg'citing Stuff

H

ere is an Easter Egg Hunt you are not going to want to miss. The Toy Barn, Sherborne will be holding its very popular event on Good Friday and this year they are asking you to dress up! There's unlimited play on all the climbing frames, swings, wendy houses and trampolines. So pop down as your favourite character; a pirate, super hero or princess... the choice is yours.

Refreshments and cake will be on sale too, all in aid of the Samaritans charity.

Tickets cost £7.50. 30 Mar toy-barn.co.uk

G

ig in a Barn successfully runs from Ashley Wood Farm, Tisbury in Wiltshire and usually requires a babysitter, but not anymore!

Forget sending the kids off with family, this time at Family Gig in a Barn you can bring them too!

Nothing else has changed, there's still three brilliant local bands, with new House/ Soul/ Funk/ Hip Hop DJ Emma, who will turn the tunes and make your toes tap!

Headline act Bare Jams founded by local boys, originally at school together at Gillingham, have now grown into the 7 headed party phenomenon, playing a self described mix of underground Rock Pop with a tasteful hint of Reggae, Ska and more. A Fresh organic party vibe, perfect for all the family.

Gig in a Barn founder and event organiser, Rosie Barrett explains, "Our opening band are the reason why I do what I do, to give opportunities to young musicians waiting for a break.

Kinmont are a local young band, made up of sister and brother with their cousins from London.

Kinmont have been playing together at family gatherings for a couple of years now and draw on some of the best influences like Bowie, Queen, Clapton and have family connections to guitarist John Holbrook from Stornaway."

Family Gig in a Barn is being run as a Fundraiser for Wardour Catholic Primary School to help them raise £20,000 for a new Yurt classroom as part of their Forest school project. All profits will go direct to the school and the event is being co-organised by Belle Rose Events and Friends of Wardour. Limited bar and street food available plus glow sticks, temporary tattoos, glitter and neon body paint for all. Tickets £12 adults, £5 kids or family of 4 £30. 17 Mar. Online tickets at: belleroseevents.co.uk

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FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 Swanage Blues Festival Shaftesbury Snowdrops Dippy on Tour Dorchester

2 Swanage Blues Festival Bruton School for Girls, Open Morning Shaftesbury Snowdrops

3 Clayesmore Open Morning Swanage Blues Festival Stroud School, Romsey, Open Day Moyles Court Open Day Family Saturday Hauser & Wirth Somerset

4 Little Pickles Market Tidworth Leisure Centre Swanage Blues Festival Bath Half Marathon

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5 Shaftesbury Snowdrops Dippy on Tour Dorset Museum, Dorchester Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

6 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

7 Knighton School Open Working Morning Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

8 International Women's Day Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

9 Chafyn Grove Open Morning Talbot Heath Open Morning St Marys Shaftesbury Open Morning Prince's Mead Open Afternoon

10 Little Pickles Market Sarum Academy Bruton School for Girls, (Prep) Open Morning British Science Week Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum Spring Steam Midsomer Norton Station Peter and the Wolf, Lighthouse Poole

11 MOTHERS DAY! British Science Week Falmer Palmer Free Entry for Mums! Mother's Day at Monkey World

12 British Science Week Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

13 Hampshire Collegiate Open Morning British Science Week

14 British Science Week Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

15 British Science Week Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum Star Gazing, Cranbourne Chase

16 British Science Week Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

17 Preparing for Spring, Knoll Gardens British Science Week Family Gig in a Barn, Ashley Wood Farm, Tisbury Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum Spring Steam Midsomer Norton Station

18 British Science Week I Believe in Unicorns Dorchester Shaftesbury Super Sunday

29 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

20 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

21 Sea Shanty & Sea Folk Festival, Poole

22 Tollard Talks, Tollard Royal

23 Salisbury's French Market Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk

24 Willow Workshop, Knoll Gardens Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk Easter Trail at Hestercombe

25 Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk Spring Steam Midsomer Norton Station

26 Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk Easter Trail at Hestercombe Make-it Monday!

Easter, Bishops Palace, Wells

27 Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk Easter Trail at Hestercombe

28 Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk Easter Trail at Hestercombe

29 Clay Festival, Messums Wiltshire Peppa Pig’s Muddy Puddle Walk

30 GOOD FRIDAY Toy Barn Easter Egg Hunt Clay Festival, Messums Wiltshire

31 Clay Festival, Messums Wiltshire The 9th Annual Big Bournemouth Beer Festival Easter at Lulworth Easter Egg Hunts at Farmer Palmer's Bugs and Buds Knoll Gardens

1 Larmer Tree Gardens Open The 9th Annual Big Bournemouth Beer Festival Easter at Lulworth

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

2 EASTER MONDAY Larmer Tree Easter Trail Easter at Lulworth Easter Egg Hunts at Farmer Palmer's

3 Clay Days, Pottery Parlour Easter at the Tank Museum Easter Trail at Hestercombe

4 Easter at the Tank Museum 'Make A Fish' craft session, Dorchseter Arts, Easter Trail at Hestercombe

5 Clay Days, Pottery Parlour Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum Easter Trail at Hestercombe

6 Easter at the Tank Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum Easter Trail at Hestercombe

7 Family Saturday Hauser & Wirth Somerset Spring Action Day, Castle Coombe Easter Trail at Hestercombe

8 Bournemouth Bay Run Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum Easter Trail at Hestercombe

9 Easter at the Tank Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

10 Easter at the Tank Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

11 Easter at the Tank Museum Paw Patrol's Skye and Rubble Adventure Wonderland

12 Easter at the Tank Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

13 Easter at the Tank Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

14 Easter at the Tank Museum Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

15 Larmer Tree Wedding Fair Shaftesbury Cobbles Market Easter at the Tank Museum

16 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

17 Dippy on Tour 18 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Dorset County Museum Museum

19 Tollard Talks, Tollard Royal

20 Clems Fairs Dinosaur Bones, Radstock Museum

21 Bigger Pickles (3yrs+) Sarum Academy, Salisbury Leweston Forest School Activity Morning Clems Fairs

22 Shaftesbury Super Sunday Jay Foreman's Disgusting Songs for Revolting Children, Dorchester Arts

23 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

24 Guided Walk.

Knoll Gardens

26 Bat Walk, Knoll Gardens

27 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

28 Music in the Garden with Gerauschhersteller.

Knoll Gardens Bugs and Buds Knoll Gardens

29 BetFred ‘City Bowl’ Family Day, Salisbury Racecourse Little Pickles Market Amesbury Sports & Community Centre

25 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

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CALENDAR SPRING 2018 TUESDAY

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30 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

1 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum Awful Auntie, Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

2 Knighton School Open Working Morning Awful Auntie, Bristol Hippodrome Theatre 9 Peppa Pig's Adventure, Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

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(01747) 15 Baby Swans 16 Baby (01747) 14 Silent Cinema Swans 851151hatching in 863322 Film School hatching in Hauser & Wirth Abbotsbury Abbotsbury Somerset Bunnies CChild (01258)

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21 Baby Swans hatching in Abbotsbury

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FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

3 Rookwood School Taster Day Awful Auntie, Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

4 St Marys Shaftesbury Open Morning Sherborne Abbey Festival Teddy Rocks Festival, Blandford Forum

5 Family Saturday Hauser & Wirth Somerset Sherborne Abbey Festival Teddy Rocks Festival, Blandford Forum Gin Festival Bournemouth Lyme Regis Fossil Festival Downton Cuckoo Fair 2018

6 Sherborne Abbey Festival Teddy Rocks Festival, Blandford Forum Gin Festival Bournemouth Lyme Regis Fossil Festival Melon Madness!

Monkey World

10 Peppa Pig's Adventure, Bristol Hippodrome Theatre

11 Dippy on Tour Dorset County Museum

12 Sexeys Boarding Open 13 Dippy on Tour Morning, Hazlegrove Spring Dorset County Open Days Grand Pier Fizz Museum Festival, Weston Super Mare

17 Baby Swans hatching in Abbotsbury

18 Hazlegrove Spring Open Days Salisbury Cathedral Open Day Prince's Mead Open Afternoon

19 Great British Dog Walk, New Forest Hazlegrove Spring Open Days Baby Swans hatching in Abbotsbury

20 Shaftesbury Super Sunday Baby Swans hatching in Abbotsbury Shaftesbury Cobbles Market

24 Chelsea Flower Show

25 Chelsea Flower Show Lyme Regis Jazz and Blues Festival

26 Evening Racing “Back On The Track” - 80s & 90s Hits!, Salisbury Racecourse Bugs and Buds Knoll Gardens Lyme Regis Jazz and Blues Festival Tractor Ted Big Machines Weekend

27 Baby Swans hatching Abbotsbury Lyme Regis Jazz and Blues Festival Fayre in the Square, Weymouth

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31 Clay Days, 30 Peppa Pig 28 Sherborne 29 Clay Pottery Parlour at Adventure Days, Pottery Castle Country Wonderland Parlour Fair Lyme Regis Jazz and Blues Hamb CChild Easter BIG 02/02/2012 19:32 Page 1 Festival

WWW.HAMBLEDON.NET

NO SALE

NO FEE 25

Toddler Timetable Monday

Tuesday

9.30-11.30 Toddler Workshop, Shaftesbury Arts Centre toddlerworkshop.co.uk

9-10.30 Scarecrows Pre School 9-11.30 Messy Church Toddler Group, Toddler Group Cheselbourne Child Okeford Com Centre Vlillage school 9.30-11.30 Little Rascals Durweston 9.30-11 Tummies, Tiddlers and Village Hall Toddlers, St George’s Primary 9-11.30 Stower Vale Baby & Toddlers, School, Bourton Stower Provost School Hall 9.30-11 Sandroyd Pre Prep Parent and Toddler Group 9.30-11.30 Pimperne B&T Group, Village Hall 9.30-11.30 Jigsaw Toddler

Wednesday

l A v sti

9.30-11 Stay & Play, Tisbury Children’s Centre

Fe

9.45-11.30 Tiddlers & Toddlers, Lecture Hall, Mere

Group, Sturminster Newton Methodist Church

9.30-11.30 Baby & 9.30 - 11 Mini Explorers, St Toddlers, Child Okeford Mary's Catholic Sch, Marnhull Community Centre 9.30-11.30 Piddle Valley Tiddlers, First School, TT

10-11 Toddler Gym, Motcombe Park Sport Centre

l a i c e p S

9.30-11.30 Play and Learn, Mere Children’s Centre 9.30-11.30 Little Cherubs Group, St Mary’s School Room, Gillingham 9.30-12 Bumps and Babes, Tisbury Children’s Centre

9.30-11.30 Toddler Workshop 10-11 Toddler Gym, Motcombe Park Shaftesbury Arts Centre Sport Centre toddlerworkshop.co.uk

10-11.30 Monkey Doodle, Wylye Village Hall, Wylye

9.45-10.30 Squirrels Sing & Dance, Hazlegrove Prep TT

2-3.30 Stay n Play, Community Kids Pre School, Bruton 2.15-2.45 Rhyme Time, Warminster Library

10.30-11 Baby & Toddler Rhyme & Story Time, Wincanton Library 10.30-11 Library Gets Lively, Sherborne Library

9-11 Little Preppers Parent and Toddler Group, Sherborne PrePrep

10-12 Evercreatures, Evercreech Village Hall

9.15-11.15 Bumps, Babes & Bigs

9.30-11.30 Marnhull Baby Parent & Toddler Group, Okeford & Toddlers, Marnhull Village Fitzpaine Sch Hall Hall 9.30-11 Stay and Play at Ludwell Primary School 10-11.15 Knighton House School, Baby & Toddler Group

9.30-11 Sandroyd Pre Prep Swim & Play Baby, Toddler & Parent Session 9.30-11.30 Jigsaw Toddler Group, Sturminster Newton Methodist Church

9.30 Pre School Music, Just Dance,

10-11 Time Together Castle Wincanton.

Cary Primary School 10am Munchkins at Buckhorn Weston Village Hall

10-11.30 Friday Fun Cllub, Whitesheet Academy, Zeals 10-11 Toddler Gym, Motcombe Park Sport Centre

10-12 Motcombe Toddlers, 10-12 North Barrow P& T Grp, 10.15-10.45 Library Gets Lively, Gillingham Library

Village Hall

10-12 Toddler Stay and play, Shaftesbury Child Centre 9.30-10.15 Emma & The Magic

2-2.45 Tiny Tots Gymnastics, Bag, St Andrew’s Primary School, Tisbury Leisure Centre Fontmell 2.30-3 Rhyme-time, Shaftesbury Library

11-12 Mini Movers at Tisbury Sports Centre 1-2.30pm Little Humphries Baby and Toddler Group, Holwell Nursery, Sherborne TT

10-12 Caterpillars Parent & Toddler Group, Fovant Rainbow Centre

2-3pm Bumps and Babies Mere Children’s Centre

10.30-12 Sunny Hill Prep Toddler Group, Bruton

2.30-3pm Story & Rhyme Time at Milborne Port Library

2-2.30 Rhyme Time, Blandford 2-3.30 Squirrels P&T Group Library Hazlegrove TT

Library

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Blandford Dorchester Gillingham

10am-6.30pm 10am-5.30pm 10am-1pm

9.30am-5pm 9.30am-7pm 9.30am-6.30pm

Closed 9.30am-1pm Closed

9.30am-6.30pm 9.30am-5.30pm 9.30am-5pm

9.30am-4pm 9am-4pm 9.30am-4pm

Mere Milborne Port

10am-7pm Closed

9.30am-1pm Closed

9.30am-5pm Closed

Shaftesbury

10am-5pm

9.30am-5pm 9.30am-1pm 2-5.30pm 9.30am-5pm

Closed

9.30am-6.30pm

Stalbridge

2-5pm

12am-12.30pm

3.30pm-6.30pm

Sherborne

10am-7pm

10am-12.30pm 2-5pm 9.30am-1.30pm

9.30am-1pm 9.30am-7pm 9.30am6.30pm 9.30am-5pm 9.30am-1pm 2-5.30pm 9.30am12.30pm 2-5pm

Closed

9.30am-7pm

Sturminster Newton Tisbury

9.30am-12.30pm

2-5pm

Closed

2-5pm 5.30-7.30pm 9.30-1.30pm 2.30-5pm

Closed

10am-1pm

9.30-1.30pm 2.30-5pm

9.30am-1.30pm 2.30-5pm

10am-6.30pm 10am-7pm

9.30am-1pm 9.30am-5pm

Closed 9am-12.30pm

Wincanton Wimborne Warminster

26

10-12 Toddler Group, Batcombe Jubilee Village Hall

Friday

9-11 Leweston Pre-Prep, Parent & Toddler Group and Toddler Tunes

10.30-12 Bushy Tails Playtime, Motcombe Memorial Hall Clayesmore Emma and her Magic Bag

10.15-10.45 Rhyme 10-11 Emma & The Magic Bag Times, Gillingham Library Music, Shaftesbury Arts Centre 10-11 Messy Play, Youth Centre, Sturminster Newton 10-11.30 Toddler Time, 10-11 Music & Messy play Zeals 10-11.30am, Little Wrigglers Climb Aboard, West Village Church Congregational Church Stalbridge Stour 11.30-12.15 Pre-School Ballet, TLW Dance Shaftesbury

Thursday

9.30am5.30pm 9.30am-12.30pm 2-5pm 2-6.30pm Closed 2-5pm 5.30-7.30pm Closed 9.30am 1.30pm 2.30-5pm 9.30am-6.30pm 9.30am-5pm 9.30am-7pm 9.30am-5pm

9.30am-1pm 9.30am12.30pm 9.30am-1pm 9.30am12.30pm 9.30am-4pm 9am-12.30pm Closed 9.30am-12pm 9.30am-4pm 9.30am-4pm

S

FREE Family Fun

haftesbury Fringe is being held from 29th June to the 1st July and for the first time, this year they will offer free entertainment for the entire family by planning a devoted children’s hub!

“Some of the children’s hub highlights will include a singsong with a choir, children’s theatre and interactive workshops.

The kind support of our local sponsors will allow us to host a day-long programme in the Abbey Gardens on the 1st July with children's activities at no charge.” says Fringe Committee Member Georgie Kirby.

The Fringe team is now encouraging children, parents and guardians to share their ideas and suggestions for the Children’s Hub by email to info@shaftesburyfringe.co.uk.

Inside Out

WIN

Bank Holiday Must

T Things to do Places to go

he 22nd Sherborne Castle Country Fair will be held in the grounds of Sherborne Castle and is a popular yearly event. There are always many events, country activities, stands and entertainment, including one of the best Rare Breed Shows in the country. This fun-filled day out for all ages includes the lakeside Dragon Boat Racing, Circus, Gundog Retriever Trials in the Deer Park, Dog Shows, Scurries and Main Ring Events. Tickets from £4 and under 5's free!

28 May sherbournecountryfair.co.uk

Country Child have two family tickets to giveaway!

Simply email your answer to the question below, with contact details to: info@countrychild.co.uk by the 1st May 2018.

Q: How many years has the show raised money for charity?

The winner will be choosen at random, editors decision is final and prize can not be exchanged for any monetary value.

The Great British Dog Walk

N

ational charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People has announced that their much-loved series of dog walks is to continue, for a fourth year, in 2018. 20 fun-filled countryside walks will be held at picturesque locations between March and July this year. These walks help ensure more hearing dogs can be trained to bring life-changing benefits to deaf children and adults.

The walks are firmly established as a UK favourite among Britain’s dog-loving nation. Last year, around 3,000 dogs of all shapes and sizes, along with 5,000 adults, took part in the nationwide dog walks. These scenic venues, which include nine National Trust locations, have been handpicked by the charity to make sure the Great British Dog Walk is an ideal event for dog-lovers, families, couples, independent walkers and organised walking groups.

There is a free special limited-edition Great British Dog Walk doggie bandana for each adult ticket purchased and you can meet working hearing dogs at every walk. Each venue will have fun activities for all the family, as well as stalls with gifts and refreshments.

The effects of hearing loss can be devastating. The inability to take part in everyday life can lead deaf people to feel isolated, excluded and anxious. Hearing dogs alert their owners to crucial sounds like the smoke alarm, as well as everyday sounds such as the doorbell. They also provide a warmth of companionship that can boost a recipient’s confidence, often helping them to reconnect with the community around them, and lead their lives to the full.

Tickets cost £10 and children under 16 are free. To sign-up to your nearest Great British Dog Walk visit: greatbritishdogwalk.org

27

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Creative Courage For Life Stagecoach Performing Arts is the trading name of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited. Stagecoach Theatre Arts schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals. Stagecoach and Creative Courage For Life are registered trademarks of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Limited.

28

Eccentric As Ever

I

n 2018 the atmosphere at the Curious Arts Festival will be as dreamy and eccentric as ever. Find yourself learning how to write a Petrarchan sonnet, create a vintage doll's house from scratch or joining a LOVE workshop among many other offerings and experiences.

Expect illuminating adventures, lively literary chat, cocktail masterclasses, cartoon clubs, the return of MJ's pop-up choir, a fine array of food and drink, fireworks and much, much more. Early Bird Tickets now on sale.

20-22 July. curiousartsfestival.com

Show and Tell A guide to local live entertainment

Who's Afraid?

P

eter and the Wolf features new music inspired by Prokofiev’s classic, combined with imaginative puppetry, physical comedy and fun interaction. Join Peter on an hilarious adventure through the fields and forest as he discovers new sounds and noises including singing birds, waddling ducks, sneaky cats and a rocking wolf. 10 March lighthousepoole.co.uk

WIN Tickets to a National Show!

W

e've teamed up with the amazing leading children's theatre team Fiery Light, in collaboration with licensor Entertainment One, to offer two families the chance to see two national shows that are touring aroung the UK. You can choose between one of two shows, the first is a brand new live show; Peppa Pig’s Adventure, featuring a new story, loads of songs and heaps of fun!

Join Peppa as she gets ready to go on an exciting camping trip to the woods with George and her school friends, including Pedro Pony, Suzy Sheep and Gerald Giraffe. With lunch-boxes packed and Daddy Pig driving the bus, Peppa and her friends are excited about their outdoor adventure, full of games, laughter and live music!

The happy campers soon settle down to sleep and listen to the gentle pitter patter of rain. Safe and warm inside their tents the excited group can look forward to morning time, when there will be lots of muddy puddles to play in!

In partnership with licensor Entertainment One (eOne), Peppa Pig’s Adventure marks the ninth consecutive year of Peppa Pig live theatre tours since 2009 and the fifth Peppa Pig stage production in total. Richard Lewis once again takes the helm for this new live stage adaptation of eOne’s popular animated TV series which he directs and has adapted for the theatre. The show features music from BAFTA award-winning composer Mani Svavarsson.

Audiences will enjoy interactive fun, songs and games with Peppa Pig and her friends. Peppa Pig’s Adventure promises to be the perfect theatre show for all pre-schoolers. Suitable for ages 3+. peppapiglive.com

Or perhaps the chance to see the first-ever Teletubbies Live Stage show would be your choice?

The iconic, world-famous Teletubbies, who this year celebrate their 20th anniversary, are to star in the show “Big Hugs,” created especially for the youngest audience.

Join Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po in a captivating stage show full of love, laughter, music and “Big Hugs,” as they explore the magical world of Teletubbyland. Look out for the Tubby Phone, Noo-Noo and Sun Baby in a fun, bright and safe world, which captures young children’s imaginations and encourages them to explore the world around them.

Young audiences will have the opportunity to join in and enjoy beloved features from the TV series along with brand new songs

by Mani Svavarsson.

Featuring full-sized Teletubbies characters, bright colours, puppetry, movement, songs and actions, Teletubbies Live is the perfect show for introducing young children to the fun and magic of theatre. teletubbieslive.com

Simply email your answer to the question below, with contact details and which show you prefer to: info@countrychild.co.uk by the 1st April 2018.

Q: Which theatre team produces both shows?

The winner will be choosen at random, editor's decision is final and prize can not be exchanged for any monetary value.

29

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Extracurricular Activities Photography: Millie Pilkington

How much is too much? Miranda investigates...

F

ollowing a recent school drop off, I was chatting with a group of fellow mums in the playground. Talk turned to after-school clubs and activities, and we tried to establish which of our children were doing what, where and when – with the ultimate goal, I suppose, of working out whether lift sharing was going to be an option! “Emily doesn’t have a single free night during the week, since she’s started learning the piano” chimed one mum. This declaration was swiftly followed by a comment from another member of the group, “Our weekends are choc full with swimming, karate and rugby – we’re practically living in the car these days!” The proclamations continued and what had started as a laid-back conversation quickly became, dare I say it, rather competitive; tennis club, cricket practice, piano lessons, drama class, chess group, ballet school…the list went on… and on. As I drove away, I couldn’t help but wonder if this is how it’s meant to be? Naturally, as parents, we want the best for our offspring but is there, or should there be, a limit when it comes to furnishing our young with these extra-curricular interests? Are some of us, perhaps, piling the plates too high? It was time to put the kettle on, fire up the laptop and do some investigating…

As with many things in life, it would appear there is no easy answer, no hard and fast rule; what works for one child may not work for the next. But, when it comes to striking the right balance, David Elkind, author of The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon is of the belief that children should have ‘the same amount of unstructured time as they have structured time.’

Whilst an element of organised activity in our children’s lives is a good thing, ‘downtime and good old-fashioned fun’ has an equally important role to play throughout the childhood years.

As I scrolled through a host of websites, a recurring piece of advice kept popping up; experts suggest we stop, ‘take five’ and ask ourselves for whom we are actually doing this relentless ricocheting from one club to the next? Liat Hughes Joshi, parenting expert and

author of New Old-Fashioned Parenting is of the opinion that we need to let our offspring be who they want to be; ‘We need to stop treating our children as projects. Much as we might want them to be Grade 8 pianists, we have to accept the fact that it might not be what they want. There’s a tendency these days to sign our children up to endless activities and try to shape them into the person that we want them to be.’ And let’s not forget the financial impact that these ‘endless activities’ can have on our pockets. On average, a child’s extracurricular activities, whether sporting, academic or musical costs the family £800 a year, with as many as one in ten parents finding up to £2000 for those extra lessons.

After-school clubs are proven to nurture confidence, build new skills, enable new friendships and broaden horizons. And, of course, time spent engaging in these endorphin-raising activities is time away from the myriad screens that our young have access to these days. However, research shows that children who play an active role in deciding what clubs and activities they do, feel both included and empowered. And, let’s face it, watching our offspring beaming with delight at something they love doing takes some beating.

With childhood obesity at an all-time high, parents should surely be praised for encouraging their offspring to don their trainers and get active on the courts, pitches, track and fields. As one mum explains, ‘My son is like a coiled spring if he doesn’t get out on the football pitch and burn off some energy twice a week. He spends the majority of the day inside a classroom, I firmly believe this structured coaching is a necessary part of his week. And I’m sure he’s more amenable because of it!”

To coin the phrase ‘all in moderation’ is perhaps our best chance of getting this area of parenting right. And, as for the parents out there who may well have the next Beckham, Adlington, Radcliffe or Fontaine in their house, good luck, and here’s to them bringing home the bacon!

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32

The Great Outdoors Six-legged critters are out in force during the spring months. Mike Dilger shares some of his favourites with Country Child; how many will you find?

I

t’s patently obvious that children have a huge affinity with insects, but why might this be the case? Well, kids are invariably ‘closer’ to the ground and younger eyes tend to be much sharper than those of their bespectacled parents. Youngsters also tend to be tactile by nature, and as many insects are happy to pose on a small palm or a grubby finger, this has undoubtedly helped their PR. Finally, young minds have not yet been polluted by the ‘out of touch’ mindset of some ignorant elders that all insects are there to be reviled.

Whatever the reasons, this adoration should be celebrated, and what better way to enjoy spring’s first warm days than getting out with your children to perpetuate their sense of wonder at all things six-legged!

Spending as long as three or four years underground as white root-eating grubs, the month of May suddenly sees their emergence from the soil, having transformed along the way into fully-fledged beetles. At least an inch in length, the chunky adults are easily recognised by a black head, brown ridged wing-cases and amazing antennae that look like bushy eyebrows. Often drawn to a light at night, Cockchafers are as noisy as they are distinctive, and sound reminiscent of a World War II doodlebug as they buzz into view. (Pictured top left.)

The word ‘butterfly’ supposedly comes from ‘butter-coloured fly’, which has in turn been attributed to the handsome male Brimstones often seen fluttering along hedgerows and glades on the first warm days of spring. Having freshly emerged from hibernation, the footloose and fancy-free males are on a mission to find virgin females. Once mated, the paler females must then track down either Purging Buckthorn or Alder Buckthorn for egg-laying, these shrubs being the only two plants on which her fastidious caterpillars will survive.

Bumblebees can be tricky to identify as many look similar, but with a gingery thorax, black abdomen and white bottom, the Tree Bumblebee stands out from the crowd.

The Queens are commonly seen in gardens across southern England as they emerge from hibernation, but remarkably this bumblebee

was only recorded in the UK for the first time in 2001. Since then it’s spread its wings and is also the only British bumble to regularly nest above ground, often choosing trees or nest boxes to rear their brood.

Any ‘small torts’ seen on the wing in early spring will, like the Brimstone, have overwintered as adult butterflies. Capable of producing two broods in a good year, their caterpillars’ only requirement, after hatching, will be a big patch of stinging nettles in full sun, on which to feed. Despite many caterpillars being attacked by parasitic flies and wasps, each year enough should survive to ensure that this enchanting insect remains one of our commonest butterflies.

So named as they tend to make an appearance around St Mark’s day (on the 25th April), these shiny, black flies can be found in large numbers around woodland edges, fields and wetlands. They are easily identified on the wing due to a combination of a slow, drifting flight and habit of dangling their legs underneath in a characteristic fashion.

The fly’s food of choice is nectar, making it an important pollinator of a whole range of plants.

Mike Dilger is a Naturalist, Writer and Presenter and best known as the Wild Man from The One Show. Despite having travelled the world, he is every bit as passionate about the wildlife on his and his family’s doorstep.

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Princesses...

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Crowning Glory

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2018_SPRING ISSUE.pdf 1 05/02/2018 14:52:13

Work After Children

T

The majority of mothers work. In 2014, almost as many women with children (74%) participated in the labour force as women with no children (75%). But what challenges does this throw up for mothers?

For those who have seen the BBC TV comedy series “Motherland”, many will identify with the portrayal of the working mother – desperately trying to arrange childcare, struggling to get her children to school on time so that she, in turn, can get to work (and stay there all day), and all the while a husband who seems to constantly be away on stag parties and work events.

But with more women than men completing tertiary education, and with women more likely to be among top earners before the average childbearing age of 30, we know that the female of the species have a great deal to offer the UK workplace.

Indeed, a recent McKinsey study revealed that improving work access for women is worth £150 billion to the economy.

However, having a family changes things for working women.

Indeed, women are almost four times more likely to choose part time work than men, and are suffering the financial and career progression penalties to match - with females over 30 being on average up to £10k per year worse off than their male counterparts. And for those women who would prefer to be available for the school run, or whose wages simply don’t justify wrap-around childcare, it can be tricky to find work that ticks all the boxes. Skilled mums may find themselves doing jobs that are below their skill level or simply don’t match their training.

However, many mothers are already turning this problem on its head.

With strategies like becoming self-employed, creating new businesses, negotiating flexible working hours, or job sharing, women are keeping themselves valuable in the workplace – and employers would be wise to harness this well-educated, determined female workforce. According to McKinsey, companies across all sectors with the most women on their boards of directors significantly and consistently outperform those with no female representation. And Leeds University Business School reports that having at least one female director on the board appears to cut a company’s chances of going bust by about 20%. Having two or three female directors lowers the risk even more.

It’s clear that companies benefit from having women in positions of seniority – but for women, the balance between a high-powered career and a family can seem impossible. The opportunity for flexible working could be the key to unlocking female potential.

Interestingly, it's not just mums who want to work flexibly.

The biggest survey ever into flexible working indicates that 87%

C

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Y

CM

MY

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CMY

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38

Returning to the workplace after having children can be a challenge, but does it also create new opportunities? With women setting up their own businesses, choosing career changes and creating Talent Partnerships, the outlook may be more positive than we think.

Hannah Woolven investigates...

of full-timers, across gender and generations, want it too. UK employees - not just those with care-giving responsibilities -have the legal right to ask for flexible working arrangements after 26 weeks of employment. In 2012, 77% of working women used flexible work arrangements – as did 70% of men.

One savvy mother of two, Sara Horsfall, has set up a company called Ginibee, the UK's first B2B platform, making Talent Partnerships accessible, accepted and the norm. Sara envisions a future in which job sharing, or “Talent Partnerships” will pave the way for women to get back to work at a higher seniority level than they are currently able, and not to have to choose between career and life in the first place. It was during Sara’s own career break to have her children that she created this successful start-up business. Ginibee is now changing other women’s lives by enabling employers to access and retain their talent. On her website, ginibee.com, you can register for free to access Ginibee's job share matching platform and form a full-time Talent Partnership of your own.

With the retirement age for women rising, many women will still have 35 years or more in the working world after child-bearing. What will the future of work hold for you?

At a glance facts...

There are more women on UK Boards than ever before.

Today, there are no all-male boards in the FTSE 100 and only 15 in the FTSE 250. Companies with most women on their boards of directors outperform those with no women by 41% in terms of return on equity and by 56% in terms of operating results.

The number of women working has been rising for 40 years.

According to the Office for National Statistics, over the past 40 years there has been a rise in the percentage of women aged 16 to 64 in employment, from 53% in 1971 to 70% in 2016.

Women’s representation in managerial and senior leadership roles is slightly higher than the EU average Over one-third of legislators, senior officials, and managers are women.

Women are underrepresented in STEM fields In 2012, only 19% of computing and 23% of engineering graduates were women.

More women (41%) work part-time than men (11%).

On average, part-time employees earn less, per hour, than full-time workers.

The gender pay gap for full and part-time workers in the UK was 19.2% in 2015 - meaning that women currently make approximately 80% of men’s median hourly wages Among the top 10% of earners, the majority are men.

Women are more likely to be among the top earners when they are under or close to age 30 (the average age of women at childbirth).

39

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Book in for a lesson on your own or with the whole family.

dor

Bring yourself or your family to our club for a great day of polo. dorsetpolo.co.uk

A relaxed & friendly club overlooking Poole Harbour.

Coming this summer “Dorset Po Offering polo lessons, club membership, chukkas and matches. out with lots of polo, a dog ● Great ponies available to hire. dor ● Book in for a lesson DORSET POLO CLUB on your own or with the whole family. ● Corporate entertainment and training days also available.

A relaxed & friendly club overlooking Poole Harbour. Offering polo lessons, Family Fun Day club membership, chukkas and matches. Great ponies available to hire.

Coming this summer “Dorset Polo Festival’ Saturday 24th June, a fun family day 16th June Book in for a lesson on yourDORSET own or with the wholePOLO family. CLUB ● ●

out with lots of polo, a dog show, trade stands and countryside displays.

Shows, displays,

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dorsetpolofestival.co.uk A relaxeddorsetpolo.co.uk & friendly club overlooking● Poole Harbour. Offering polo lessons, club membership, chukkas and matches. Great ponies available to hire.

Book in for a lesson on your own or with the whole family.

dorsetpolo.co.uk

trade stands, oh and lots of polo!

NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS

OPEN for Business Y

Charitable Giving MONEY MATTERS and Tax

ou may be familiar with the Gift Aid scheme, which enables taxpayers to donate money to charity with basic rate tax relief for the charity and, if applicable, higher or additional rate tax relief for the individual.

There are, however, other schemes for gifting assets in addition to Gift Aid which can, in certain circumstances, provide a more tax efficient method of charitable giving.

Many people have significant assets that they would like to give to charity but do not have access to cash and so cannot use the Gift Aid scheme. Where an individual holds land, shares or similar assets, they can choose to gift the assets directly to a charity rather than sell them and gift the proceeds. This can be especially beneficial where selling the assets held would realise a significant capital gain, as the gift of assets to a registered charity constitutes an exempt disposal for capital gains tax purposes. The individual can claim income tax relief on the full market value of the assets donated at their marginal rate of tax, although there is no additional tax relief available for the charity.

Most large charities will have the ability to accept gifts of assets, but smaller charities may be reluctant to do so due to administrative or regulatory costs. To overcome this potential obstacle, the rules allow an individual to sell the assets on behalf of the charity and transfer the proceeds, subject to documentation being kept of both the donation and the charity's request to sell the assets before the actual sale is made.

A further tax relief applies if an individual decides to make a gift to charity in their will when they die. There is no Inheritance Tax on gifts to charities, museums, universities or community amateur sports clubs. Moreover, if an individual bequeaths at least 10% of the taxable value of their estate to registered charities or community amateur sports clubs, the remaining taxable assets can be subject to Inheritance Tax at the reduced rate of tax of 36% rather than the standard tax rate of 40%, which can represent a considerable saving.

This is only general advice and should not be relied upon; for specific advice tailored to your personal circumstances please contact: Lee Keeling at Andrews and Palmer, The Square, Gillingham, SP8 4AR Tel: 01747 823147 andpal.co.uk Lee@andpal.co.uk

C H A R T E R E D A C C O U N TA N T S

Vintage and Vale are a new property search business for people looking to move to the Salisbury area (30 miles radius). Party on a Plate is a new personal party planning solution based in Wiltshire. Tales for You is a new Free personalised story generator and poems podcast for children. Send your requests to storykid.net

Any Mum's New Essential

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rom the brains behind one of our favourite botanical ranges comes a new product brand in the form of Rock and Soul.

Emily Jolie (Soul) has been in the essential oils industry since 2006, creating mood enhancing mist sprays and now launches, alongside business partner Betsy Huggins (Rock), aromatherapy diffusing jewellery. Betsy has worked in retail and creative startups pre family and together have now merged the two skills to create a fantastic range of bracelets that ooze well-being, in addition to positive vibes.

The porous lava beads hold the essential oil whose aroma wafts their way through your day, allowing for a cheeky boost when required and is a great pick me up, essential for any woman that may be rushing from one place to the next. The Higher Ground essence, of which there are four, is a real anti anxiety amulet, so breathe deeply for the best results in feeling calmer, revitalized or uplifted. Which ever you require.

Another additional benefit of the jewellery is that 20% of the sale goes to the mental health charity MIND. Emily and Betsy aim to launch new product ranges such as necklaces in order to support the chairty more so show your support and visit rockandsoul.store

Breastfed Babies

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oors Valley celebrates 30 years and pledges to support breastfeeding mums by signing up to the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme promoted by the Families and Babies (FAB) breastfeeding support charity.

While many premises in the county support breastfeeding, those displaying the pink sticker declaring ‘We Welcome Breastfeeding Here’ have pledged to be especially welcoming to nursing mothers, ensuring its facilities can be enjoyed by everyone.

For more information on Families and Babies Support Group and to find your local Breastfeeding group visit familiesandbabies.org.uk

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Apprenticeship Accolade

uperior, a Dorset manufacturer of high integrity O-rings and seals, has been announced as the national winner of the ‘Medium Employer of the Year’ category at the National Apprenticeship Awards 2017.

On winning, Tim Brown, managing director of Superior, commented: “We are extremely proud to be recognised against so many other fantastic manufacturing companies across the country that offer apprenticeships. Our apprentices are a key part of Superior’s future and success; we will continue to grow the amount of apprentices we take on each year.”

Boasting its own company-run Academy, Superior offers apprenticeships to students from as young as 16, through to graduates, giving apprentices the chance to learn about engineering, science and manufacturing.

The company currently has 20 apprentices going through the Academy, with students working in various roles that include design, manufacturing, maintenance, quality, process engineering, precision engineering and working in the laboratory.

The award-winning manufacturing company based in Dorset has also been recognised in the prestigious Centrica Top 100 Apprenticeship Employer list for the second year running. This list is compiled annually by the National Apprenticeship Service and was announced at the National Apprenticeship Awards. superiorltd.com/academy

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It’s my year!

Summer camps

Bruton, Somerset BA10 0BA 01749 812 307 www.millonthebrue.co.uk

Offering the highest standards in Landscape Design, Construction and Maintenance GARDEN DESIGN • WALLING • DECKING • PAVING • PLANTING LIGHTING • IRRIGATION • ADVICE & CONSULTATION

Take a look at our NEW portfolio of work at www.greenhavenlandscapes.co.uk

Tel: 01258 861490 Mobile: 07792 892999

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Email: info@greenhavenlandscapes.co.uk

BOOKWORMS

Wallop Primary School, Stockbridge, Hampshire

about the different dogs and seeing the great photographs.

I think anybody who likes animals would love to read this book as they can learn a lot. My favourite part is ‘Dog in boots’ because you can see a photograph of all the dogs and they are different colours.

By Scarlett Kirsopp Age 7

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allop Primary School is situated in the picturesque village of Nether Wallop. We have a large catchment area which includes the villages of Over Wallop and Middle Wallop. The three villages; Nether, Over and Middle Wallop, the School of Army Aviation and the surrounding countryside make up our wonderful intake of children.

At Wallop Primary School, our purpose is to equip children with the skills they need to prepare for life in the 21st Century.

Our children must leave us, at whatever stage this may be during their school life, with the skills they need to be a learner for the rest of their lives. We are refocusing our efforts on teaching children core values and making sure that when we talk to them about these values, we begin to see them in action too.

Scorpia by Anthony Horowitz I liked Alex Rider: Scorpia because it is packed with action and adventure so I recommend it to children age 9+. You should read this because it will make you want to read more with every page which passes. Also, it has spies, gadgets and villains! If you like James Bond, you will love Alex Rider’s adventures in the world of MI6.

By Henry-James Thompson Age 11

because it has a lot of thrill and action which kept me interested until the very last page.

By Rachel Howarth Age 10

The Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver I recommend this book because it has everything whether you like adventure stories, horror, survival or even something calmer. It is about a boy age 12 called Torak and his wolf. You may get put off by the first chapters if you don’t like gore but it is worth sticking with it. As you read, you will have the excitement you’ve never had before and you will always want to turn the page. It reminds me a lot of Harry Potter so I think everyone will enjoy it.

By Rosie-Marie Thompson Age 9

Ratburger by David Walliams This book is very funny and will keep you laughing your socks off until the very last page. I have never read a funnier book! It has jokes on every page and is perfect for someone who likes jokes and silliness. My favourite part was when the evil mother shows up but I don’t want to give away what happens.

By Kaycie-Lea Cockerill Age 8

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allop Primary School, School Ln, Nether Wallop, Stockbridge SO20 8EH  01264 78121 c.evans@wallop.hants.sch.uk

Ice Race by Sean Callery I really like this book because it is about huskies which are my favourite. I liked learning

Dangerous Reality by Malorie Blackman Dangerous reality is a fantastic book full of mystery and electronics – what more could a child want? I would recommend this book to older children because it is a bit scary and action-packed which appeals to more mature readers. I would rate this book four and a half stars out of five

The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson I like this book because it has paper chains on the cover and it is about a girl who goes on big adventures and plays lots of games. My favourite page is where the Paper Dolls get chopped and then amazingly reforms. This book is magical and exciting. When I picked up the book, the front cover made me want to read on.

By Annabelle Hancill, Age 5

Be A Bookworm This page provides an opportunity for local schools to promote themselves through their pupils' book reviews. If you would like us to feature your school, please email info@countrychild. co.uk for further details.

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[Grab your reader’s attention with a great quote ĨƌŽŵ ƚŚĞ ĚŽĐƵŵĞŶƚ Žƌ ƵƐĞ ƚŚŝƐ ƐƉĂĐĞ ƚŽ ĞŵƉŚĂƐŝnjĞŶƚ͘ dŽ ƉůĂĐĞ ƚŚŝƐ ƚĞdžƚ ďŽdž ĂŶLJǁŚĞƌĞ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ƉĂŐĞ͕ ũƵƐƚ ĚƌĂŐ ŝƚ͘΁

"Saving is a very fine thing, especially when your parents have done it for you" - Sir Winston Churchill DĂƌƚLJŶ ,Ƶƌůů͕ ŚĂƌƚĞƌĞĚ &ŝŶĂŶĐŝĂů WůĂŶŶĞƌ͕ ĨƌŽŵ WĞƚĞƌ ,ĂƌĚŝŶŐ tĞĂůƚŚ DĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ ĞdžƉůĂŝŶƐ ŚŽǁ ǁĞ ĐĂŶ ŐŝǀĞ ŽƵƌ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ Ă ŚĞĂĚ ƐƚĂƌƚ ŝŶ ůŝĨĞ͘

We all want the best for the children in our lives. We don’t know what their future will hold, but we do want to make sure they have every opportunity to do well and be happy, whatever they eventually decide to do. Of course, money isn’t everything but it can help to give our children a head start. It can give them a good education, open up opportunities and help them get established when they grow up. Starting to save money now might be the difference between whether or not they can afford to do what they would like when the time comes. It’s one way that you can give them the best start in life.

The simple fact of the matter is that the financial world in which our children are growing up is a very different and difficult one. If saving for our children was once regarded as an aspiration, it is increasingly becoming a necessity if we want them to have the best possible start to their adult lives. Consider for a moment some of the things they might want to do and that you might want to help become a reality. Think then about how much some of these things cost today. The average cost of UK full-time tuition fees in 2016/17 was £9,188* and a recent survey** calculated that the cost of studying in the UK is around £22,000 per year. Given these figures, it is no surprise that many graduates complete their education saddled with debt.

After education comes the cost of setting up a home. According to a recent report, the average deposit on a house for a first-time buyer is now £32,000 (source: Mortgage solutions.co.uk January 2017) which means many young adults continue to live in the parental home into their 30’s. Without a helping hand, their hopes and dreams might remain just that but, with sensible financial planning, you can make them more achievable. However you want to invest, you need to choose a simple, flexible and tax-efficient way that gives them the potential to provide for their future. Perhaps a Junior Individual Savings Account is the right solution or it might be a Unit Trust portfolio: both allow you to save regular amounts each month or invest a lump sum whenever you wish. Intergenerational financial planning means the whole family can contribute too, including grandparents. This way, families can share their combined wealth for the benefit of the younger generation, helping to give their loved ones a head start.

How much do you need to invest? Quite simply, as much as you can afford. The important thing is to start investing as soon as you can so that your money has plenty of time to grow. As with all financial planning, seeking professional advice is key and will help you make the right decision so you can shape the future of the children in your life. *Source: Studentloancalculator.co.uk 26 March 2017 ** Source: bbc.co.uk/business March 2017

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TOP

Marks

News In Brief

 Knighton House School announce cutting day fees by 20%  Sandroyd School pupil wins the National Junior Language Challenge competition 

Village, primary, pre prep, private or state we want to know your school news, email: info@countrychild.co.uk

New Head of Boarding

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exey’s School in Bruton, Somerset has announced Mr Matt Kiely as the new Head of Boarding to oversee operations across its three boarding houses. As a residential, non-teaching role, his full-time focus will be on Sexey’s boarding provision to over 200 boarders.

Mr Kiely joins Sexey’s from Reddam House in Reading, Berkshire, where he was Housemaster and Teacher of PE and Geography. And previously as Head of Boarding at Walden School in Essex and Alexanders College in Suffolk, where he led boarding through a successful renaissance and inspection. He is also a graduate of both Loughborough and Durham Universities and has taught in South Africa and played representative rugby and basketball.

Commenting on his appointment, Mrs Gill Kelly, Interim Headteacher at Sexey’s School said, "As one of the largest state boarding schools in the country, we take our responsibility of care towards our boarders very seriously. I’m therefore absolutely delighted to be welcoming Matt’s calibre and experience to our community and look forward to working with him alongside other members of our Senior Leadership Team."

Sexey’s also welcomes Mrs Emma Radford-James as its new Head of Science, who joins Sexey’s from Rednock School, Dursley, Gloucestershire, where she also held a Head of Science position.

Dippy On Tour

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3D printed life-size replica skull of the Natural History Museum’s world famous Diplodocus, Dippy, was unveiled at Dorset's Port Regis School recently,.

The presentation was made by the Jurassic Coast Trust who are partners with Dorset County Museum which is chaperoning Dippy on the first leg of his UK tour and Port Regis was thrilled to be the first venue to celebrate the tour.

The pupils learnt about the Jurassic Coast – the birthplace of palaeontology, what made dinosaurs extinct, and some Dippy vital statistics, including the 292 bones he has which need to be assembled in a precise order; that he measures 21.3 metres in length, and that you can still see footprints made by Dippy’s sauropod relatives at Keates Quarry in Worth Matravers. The pupils will also be making the trip to the museum to see the real Dippy in the next few weeks, who is sure to make a big impression.

Shoe Designs That Last

MINI EXPLORERS FREE parent and toddler SESSIONS

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he All Hallows School in Somerset's Creative Design department have set up a fantastic new initiative with Clarks shoe company for pupils to design their own shoes.

Berin Nelson, Head of Creative Design at All Hallows Prep School, welcomed representatives of Clarks to help launch their new shoe design project for Year 5 pupils. Clarks explained to the pupils the complicated process of shoe design and the technical processes behind the creation of every shoe.

The children were also introduced to the extensive design process behind making shoes, including an explanation of the thought process behind the Clarks 2019 design line. Their inspirational talk generated lots of very interesting questions and when the Clarks team were asked about their own shoes – the children were intrigued to hear

that many of them were wearing shoes that they had designed.

Pupils have now been assigned three design briefs: a shoe to walk on the moon, a shoe to wear to Glastonbury Festival, or a shoe to make their teacher look cool! "We are extremely grateful to the team at Clarks for coming to inspire and educate our pupils about the complicated processes involved in creating shoes. A great way of bringing creative design to life through a project which everyone can relate to, as shoes are so important to our daily life, regardless of where we live or how old we are."

EVER Y TUESDAY t Mary’s Catholic Primary (TERM TIME ONLY) School, in Marnhull, Dorset 9.30Parent - 11 AM and are opening a new Toddler group this term.

20.2.18 - MESSY PLAY The group will be led by Mrs Ellie Myatt, their EYFS teacher 27.2.18 - MARK MAKING and will be an opportunity for 06.3.18 - FINE MOTOR FUN parents to meet together, working 13.3.18 - THE GREAT with their children on aOUTDOORS range of activities both inside and 20.3.18 - EARLY MATHSout.

The sessions will run on a 27.3.18 - RHYTHM AND RHYME Tuesday morning from 9:30am – 11:00am and will be free! Each week will offer a different theme, FAMILY PLAY AND EARLY LEARNING SESSIONS AT from STMessy Play, Mark Making, MARY’S CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL, Fine OLD MILL LANE,MARNHULL, DT10 1JX Motor Fun, Great Outdoors, Early 01258 820417 OR OFFICE@STMARYMARNHULL.DORSET.SCH.UK Maths and Rhythm and Rhyme.The group will be open to all, so book now with the school office on  01258 820417

OUTSTANDING SCHOOL 2017

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Unfashionably Early…

The roller coaster of welcoming a premature baby into in the world is something that two members of the Country Child team have experienced. Here, Chris McGuire and Jo Leigh each share their candid accounts of life with their pre-term babies.

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hris McGuire, blogger of the The Out of Depth Dad and writer for Country Child reports...

I’ve vivid memories of hopping on one foot, half asleep, trying to get my trousers on. It was the middle of the night and my partner’s waters had broken. It felt so unreal, none of this was supposed to happen for another five weeks – at least! Yet, unreal or not, we needed to get to the hospital and quickly!

During a pregnancy, there’s a lot of time think. You imagine how the birth will go, what the baby will be like and how it will feel to be ‘a parent’. What we hadn’t considered was having a premature child. Why would we? Yet, like it or not, a premature baby was what we had.

There’s a moment when reality hits you. For me, it was a few hours after Sam’s traumatic birth. I felt oddly distant as I spoke (in hushed tones) to the neonatal nurse, Sam’s mum was recovering in another ward. But, as I watched Sam in his incubator, I had a sudden sense of his vulnerability.

“Can I hold his hand?” I asked.

“Of course,” the nurse replied. “He’s YOUR son.”

She was right, he WAS my son. I’d be thrown, distanced, by the equipment and the shock of Sam’s sudden arrival. This wasn’t what I’d expected (or wanted) for his birth, yet despite all of that I was his dad and it was time to step up. I slid my hand into the box, he gripped my finger: “Mummy and Daddy love you very much, and it’s all going to be OK.” In the end, thank God, it was all OK. We spent three and a half weeks in the neonatal unit, where Sam experienced the most amazing, inspirational and dedicated

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care. The oddness of the situation, and how different it was from our long-held expectations soon faded. Instead, we become preoccupied with a series of hurdles and tasks that must be fulfilled before life in the outside world can be achieved.

For Sam, after a worrying few days, the main issue became getting him to feed on his own - without the aid of a tube. For his mum and I, this small activity turned into an Everest-like obstacle to be overcome. Day after day we’d take one step forward, then two back as our boy grappled with the complexities of a party he’d shown up unfashionably early for.

During those weeks, we watched, with no small amount of envy, as other children ‘graduated’ – our phrase, not that of unit.

We would observe other babies, buckled into pristine car seats, and proudly marched from the ward, and hope that one day that would be our Sam. When, at last, Sam’s turn came I experienced two strong emotions. Firstly, I felt pride. Pride for all that Sam had achieved; for every hurdle he’d overcome in those weeks before his actual ‘due-date’. Secondly, I felt gratitude. I was grateful for the work done for us by the medical staff, a debt I cannot repay.

Sam is now a thriving toddler and those weeks in the hospital are a distant and slightly surreal memory. It’s important to say that all those moments we’d imagined before Sam was born, put on hold by his prematurity, did with time come into fruition.

Sam’s mum and I were so fortunate. We didn’t lose anything by his being premature – not in the long run. We did, however, gain a sense of perspective – something we return to when parenting feels tough – of just how lucky we, as a family, actually are.

Jo Leigh, Publisher relates...

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ecoming a parent to a premature baby is such a unique experience and, if I’m honest, it wasn’t something I had given much thought to… until the days before my daughter was born. My waters broke five weeks early so we had to get used to the concept, and fast.

With the realisation that I was going into early labour, my husband and I were given a tour of the neo natal unit. A very quiet and respectful ward with many machines and incubators everywhere; an unnerving sight, but fortunately one we were privy to - unlike some parents for whom this is thrust upon in very stressful circumstances.

After the birth, and once the panic that all was as best as it could be was over, it was amazing how quickly we grew accustomed to the different noises around us on the ward.

From the beeps and alarms to the chat of the doctors and nurses, the ward quickly became our new home.

For five weeks, I travelled morning and night to be with my daughter; ever-ready to fight for a parking space in order to get there for her tube feeds, to hold her tiny hand and, for the most part, just look at her. Looking back, it felt like I had started a new job in those early weeks, learning new hospital and parenting protocols, but alongside some lovely families, I began to enjoy (yes, I know!) life in the ward.

We, as families could share our juggles and our individual experiences and these people have become good friends, with whom we still meet up with today.

This inner parental strength came also from all the nurses and doctors, who are mainly trained in neo natal care and were always very happy to help, support and care for not only the babies but for the families too. Due to poor funding, some of the equipment is donated or bought by charity funding. We received outstanding and thorough reports on our child’s daily routine and performance and I can 100% reassure any family that is feeling any trepidation about a neo natal unit. Some babies we saw were born at 28 weeks old and have come out the other side, not looking back.

Slowly, but surely, we got there and I’m forever thankful for the support shown by the hospital, friends and family.

We are eternally grateful that we were one of the lucky ones who did get to go home with their baby.

Forest School Activity Morning Saturday 21 April 10am Open Morning Bank Holiday Monday 7 may 11:30am A top class education at a price that will surprise you A vibrant and dynamic mix of boys and girls on a beautiful parkland site Full, weekly and flexi boarding for girls from age 7 Wrap around care from 8am to 6pm Daily transport from Beaminster, Blandford, Dorcehster, Shafetsbury, Wincanton and Yeovil

To arrange a visit contact: admissions@leweston.dorset.sch.uk call 01963 211015 www.leweston.co.uk

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With over 500 courses on offer, there’s Something for Everyone 8th July to 4th August 2018 01672 892388 | summerschool.co.uk 48