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by Lisa
What to Do if School is Not Working
When your child is having trouble at school it can be really challenging for the whole family. The first thing you need to do is to try to establish if the problem is with another pupil, their teacher or the school itself. Common problems include falling out with friends, finding schoolwork too hard and being bullied.
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By Claire Winter
Talking to your Child
The first thing you need to do is talk to your child to get to the bottom of the issue. Let them know that you care and want to help. Ask them if there is anything you could do to make their situation easier and explain you are going to help them work through their problems.
Explore whether you can come up with a solution without involving your child’s school but, if you can’t resolve the problem as a family, the next step is to arrange a meeting with your child’s class teacher. If you find out the issue is bullying, you should always speak to the school. Don't leave your child to sort it out by himself. You can get some good advice about dealing with bullying from the charity the Anti-Bullying Alliance or the NSPCC.
Whilst you are working towards resolving the issue, emphasise the importance of afterschool clubs or activities away from school. Having friends and hobbies outside of school will distract them and give them something to look forward to.
Talking to their Teacher
During the meeting, explain the situation and ask the teacher what they can do to help. It’s good to ask when they will update you on the steps they have taken to resolve the
problem. Remember though that some issues may take time to resolve; extra support or help with schoolwork may need to be organised or a friendship issue sorted out. Some schools use planners and diaries to update parents and you could suggest communicating this way so you can get regular updates
Talk to the Head Teacher
If your child’s class teacher is unable to resolve your issue, you can request a formal meeting with the Head Teacher. It’s helpful to keep a record of your dialogue; if you write a letter or email, keep a copy of your correspondence. If you phone or speak face to face, make a note of the date and write down what you both say during the conversation. Your information may help if you need to get in touch with the school again.
Making a Formal Complaint
In the unlikely event that you are still not happy that your child’s issue is being resolved, you can check out the school’s complaints procedure on its website and make a formal written complaint to your child’s Head Teacher and then to the school’s governors or academy trustees. For further information, visit www. gov.uk/complain-about-school
Changing Schools
Whilst no parent wants to disrupt their child’s education by moving them to another school, it is a fact that sometimes your child and a particular school is just not a good fit. If your child still has a number of years ahead at their school, it may not be worth struggling along if their unhappiness is affecting their wellbeing and you are confident that everything possible has been done to try to make things better.
If you are considering moving your child to another school, do discuss it with your child’s current Head Teacher first. Bear in mind that the least disruptive time to make a change is at the end of the school year and make sure you allow time to research alternative school options. It’s not advisable to withdraw your child from a school before you have formally been offered a place at an alternative setting. Take heart though. Schools are generally expert at working with parents to resolve a wide range of issues and concerns and their overriding priority is the wellbeing of their students. So don’t be afraid to talk to them – and talk some more, if necessary!
It’s very likely that whatever issues your child has can and will be resolved.
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What’s On Things to do this Easter - Drama, music & sport something for everyone in Cambridgeshire
All Stars Cricket WHERE: Venues across Cambridgeshire Children aged 5-8 years old can get a great first experience in cricket with sessions accredited by the England & Wales Cricket Board. Help your child develop key skills in a fun and safe environment where parents can join in too. Kids receive a brandnew kit bag full of goodies and attend 8 weekly sessions. Book ahead, sessions begin May 2020. www.allstarscricket.co.uk
Baby Sensory (0 – 13 months) WHERE: Ely, Cambridge, Cambourne, Trumpington Weekly sessions Multi-award-winning classes specifically designed from birth; packed with sounds, smells, sights, textures, music, dance, signing and massage. Book 4 or 10 sessions. New clients can book a No Obligation Trial session. £34 for 4 sessions £80 for 10 sessions New Clients - £8.50 for 1 no obligation trial session www.babysensory.com/en/ ClassDetails/cambridge cambridge@babysensory.co.uk 07850 163930
PERFORM weekly drama, dance and singing classes WHERE: Hills Road Sports Centre: Wednesdays Newnham Croft Primary School: Saturdays Confidence building fun for 4-12s. A unique mix of drama, dance and singing specially formulated to bring out every child's true potential. Classes are kept small to ensure lots of individual attention. No-obligation, FREE trial sessions. Call today! 020 7255 9120 www.perform.org.uk/try enquiries@perform.org.uk
Kwan Music WHERE: Great Shelford WHEN: Weekly or Fortnightly Music Lessons Engaging, fun and supportive one-to-one tuition in Piano, Bassoon, Organ, Musicianship, Music Theory and Composition. GCSE and A Level. Individual lessons to suit your needs. Nuture a love of music with the guidance of an experienced musician and teacher. From £80 for 4 lessons. Free trial session available. www.kwanmusic.co.uk musicoaktree@zohomail.eu
Razzamataz Cambridge WHERE: The Shirley Centre, Chesterton WHEN: 25 April – 18 July Performing arts training for Razz Tots (2-3yrs), Minis (4-5yrs), Juniors (6-8), Inters (9-11yrs) to Razz Seniors (12-18yrs), with access to talented performers through specialist workshops and classes. Small classes to nurture a child’s confidence and selfesteem, plus a lot of fun. From £36 for 6 weeks. Free taster session available. www.cambridge.razzamataz. co.uk 01223 755113 or 07895 347239
Stagecoach Performing Arts WHERE: Coleridge Campus, Cambridge WHEN: Easter Club 6-9 April This Easter enlighten the kids with Dazzling Detectives for 4-7 years (£105) and The Midnight Mystery for 6-15 years (£140). Kids can make friends, have fun and learn new skills. Usual weekly singing/ acting/dancing classes resume fourth week April. 01223 359974 www.stagecoach.co.uk
Paxton Lakes Sailing Club WHERE: Little Paxton WHEN: 14 - 17 April Official RYA training centre that welcomes people 8 years +, with large selection of boats and equipment available. Courses have maximum 12 places with qualified instructors to ensure personal attention. Adult £125.00 Child £100.00 for 4 half-day sessions plus £6.99 for log book. www.paxtonlakes.org.uk/index. php/sailing-school
King’s Camps – MultiActive 5-Day Camp WHERE: The Perse School WHEN: 30 March - 3 April: 9.30-16.00 For ages 5 to 11. Get them active with Multi Active! Packed with tons of fun of games and amazing activities, children are grouped by age to enjoy age-appropriate sessions! A typical day on camp includes whole-camp warmups, high energy team games and lots of new sports. Not to mention our camp highlights; Wet Wednesdays, the Lunch Time Challenge and The Kings Games! £122/per week mornings (8.30- 12.40) £183/per week standard day (9.30-16.00) 0114 263 2160 www.kingscamps.org
Fenland Music Centre Association WHERE: March Community Centre Orchestras and Ensembles for all ages and abilities. Meet every Friday evening (during school term time) between 6pm and 9pm. See their website for further details. www. fenlandmusiccentre.org.uk
Multi-Active Holiday Courses WHERE: Venues across Cambridgeshire including St. Neots, Huntington, St. Ives and Peterborough WHEN: 6-9 & 14-17 April: 9.00-16.00 Fun action-packed week of activities for children aged 4-13 years old. All venues have suitable indoor and outdoor facilities; activities take place indoors when raining. Prices from £15.00 for half-day (8-12.30 or 12.30-17.30) £18.99 for full-day (9.00-16.00) £26.99 for extended hours (8.00- 17.30) www.multi-active.co.uk 01462 351582
Firetech Camps WHERE: Hills Road 6th form WHEN: Dates throughout April: 10.00 - 16.00 Children from age 9 are encouraged to ‘make the future’. Courses taking place in Cambridge include: video game design; junior augmented reality and; virtual reality and junior coder. Extended hours available. From £240 www.firetechcamp. com 0203 950 7310
Cambridge United Trust Disability Classes WHERE: Impington Village College Sports Centre WHEN: Saturdays & Sundays Disability sport sessions provided by Cambridge United Community Trust including: Ambulant Cerebral Palsy Football; Blind and Visually Impaired Football; Autistic & Learning disabilities/difficulties Football; Deaf and Hearingimpaired Football; Down's Syndrome Football; Frame Football; Amputee Football ; Kids' Pan-Disability Football; Powerchair Football; Disability Sport testimonials; and Women & Girls Pan-Disability Football £3 per session - first two weeks FREE www.cuctrust.co.uk/ disability-sport 07948 407950
Holiday Bushcraft Club WHEN: dates throughout April: 8.30-16.00 WHERE: Milton Country Park, Wandlebury Country Park & Nature Reserve Sessions focus on practical bushcraft and survival skills with tool use (under adult supervision). Following the forest school approach, kids can undertake activities cooperatively in groups to strengthen social development and problem-solving skills. Suitable for children age 5 -12. £38 per day www. wildthymeandembers.co.uk/ holiday-bushcraft-club
WORKSHOPS 2020 Suitable for ages 4 -18 years Realise the unique potential in your child at Stagecoach.
Cambridge Cambourne Venue: Coleridge Campus, Radegund Road, Cambridge CB1 3RJ Venue: Cambourne Village College, Sheepfold Lane, Cambourne CB23 6FR
Date: 06 Apr - 09 Apr 2020 Dazzling Detectives 4 -7 years The Midnight Mystery 6 -15 years Date: 03 Aug - 07 Aug 2020 Stagecoach Superheroes 4 -7 years Disney’s Moana Jr 8 -18 years
Date: 20 Jul - 24 Jul 2020 Join The Circus 4 -7 years Victorious Villians 6 -15 years
Date: 27 Jul - 31 Jul 2020 Knight Fever 4 -7 years Schools Out For Summer 6 -15 years
Date: 10 Aug - 14 Aug 2020 Boogie Wonderland 6 -15 years Legally Blonde Jr 13-18 years
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