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GET THE BEST START TO SWIMMING

Learning to swim is the essential life skill we give to every child we teach. There are lots of skills to learn, four swim strokes to master and distance challenges to win. Children feel so proud of what they achieve with Angela’s Swim School.

Learning to swim when your young is the best way to build confidence, strength and stamina. So, children join our Parent & Baby lessons from 4 months old, with specialist follow-on lessons for toddlers and preschoolers before moving through the more advanced levels.

To help children learn to swim properly, Angela’s Swim School has developed the Swimstylers – inspirational characters who bring our teaching programme to life. They show children step-by-step all that’s needed to become confident and capable swimmers.

The six Swimstylers feature on class names and badge awards so charting progress with them is really easy. Children start as total non-swimmers and end up as strong multilength swimmers.

Angela’s Swim School is a major provider of child and adult lessons in the Southeast, with pools nearby in Cobham and East Horsley.

Find out more at www.angelasswimschool.co.uk.

WIN WITH PGL

Best known for school group breaks since 1957, we’re here to let you in on a secret –PGL offer Family Adventure Holidays and Kids Adventure Holidays too!

Family Adventure Holidays Whether you’re planning a break for just you and the kids, looking to join with friends or solo parenting, PGL is the choice for you! Take part in family activities as a group by day, then discover free-time activities and sociable evenings together with other families by night. Everything you need is included, so there is nothing left to do but have fun!

Kids Adventure Holidays Let your children fly solo and discover their maverick mode on a residential kids adventure holiday this May half term, summer or October half term! Our experienced on-site teams look after their every need and supply them with an action-packed schedule to keep even the most energetic busy! We even offer ‘first timer’ and ‘introductory’ breaks – where all the children are in the same boat, having not travelled with us before.

ADVENTURE HOLIDAYS

Enter our competition, find out more and book online for May half term, Summer and October today at pgl.co.uk/PTWIN.

May and Summer Holiday Fun for Kids!

Are you in need of childcare this May Half-Term and Summer Holiday? Well look no further as Mega Camps in Epsom are here to help. Dedicated to providing the best childcare activity camps for children aged 4-14 during the half-term & school holidays we have seen our attendance grow year on year.

At Mega Camps we understand that all children are different and therefore we offer an amazing range of sports, arts & crafts and Mega activities each day, these include Wet N Wild, Animal Zoo Workshops, Wall Climbing, Archery, Bungee Trampolining, Dance Workshops, Nerf Wars, Inflatable Fun, and much more.

All our staff are enhanced DBS checked and fully qualified within their role to ensure that every child has the best experience possible.

Whether you want to send your child for multiple weeks or single days we’ve got an offer suited for you. Offers are currently available and spaces are limited.

To view your local Mega Camps venue and to book some May Half-Term or Summer Holiday fun simply visit our website: www.megacamps.net

Win a FREE DAY for your child at Mega Camps during the school holidays

Mega Camps provide childcare during the school holidays at multiple locations for children ages 4-14. They pride themselves on putting on a wide range of activities for the children such as Wet N Wild, Animal Workshops, Nerf Wars, Wall Climbing, Dance Workshops and much more.

To be in with a chance to win a free day at Mega Camps for your child simply answer the question below:

How many followers do Mega Camps have on their Facebook page? A) 2000-5000 followers B) 5001-9000 followers C) 9001-12,000 followers D) 12001+ followers

WIN, WIN WIN!

Head to www.primarytimes.co.uk/essex/competitions to enter. The selected winner with the correct answer will be awarded with a free day at Mega Camps for their child (valid until 05/08/2022).

The World’s Number One Water Activity Parks

Liquid Leisure has two world leading water activity parks in the South East for you visit. Both the Windsor and Shepperton sites have the very popular Aqua Parks, which are a great way to get the kids out and enjoying exercising in the outdoors. Windsor has other water sports to try, such as water skiing and wakeboarding (like snowboarding on water). Shepperton has some paddle sports to get involved with, such as kayaking and stand up paddleboarding. Both sites have open water swimming, for those who are training to become the next triathlon stars or for those that are looking for a new way to get fit. So, get outdoors and have fun getting fit at a Liquid Leisure near you.

Your Child’s First Day

Deep breath... it’s your child’s first day in Reception. The chances are they have had a happy, busy day but occasionally, once the initial excitement of starting school wears off and tiredness sets in, you may find yourself with a wobbly child.

Stay calm and positive if your child shows signs of being upset when leaving you. If you have any concerns, no matter how small, speak to your child’s teacher (away from little ears!). If there is an issue with transition points, such as being left in the morning, the teacher will be able to put in place strategies to help: for example, giving your child a task to carry out when they arrive.

At Barrow Hills, we have timetabled ‘show and tell’ sessions. Encouraging children to share something special from home – be it an object or an activity – increases their confidence and benefits their social skills as they enjoy engaging with and listening to their peers.

Talking to your child about their day is important. Your school may operate an online ‘learning journal’ where the teacher posts pictures of your child undertaking various activities. This can be a peg to hang questions on. Saying, “What were you making with the playdough?” is more likely to receive an enthusiastic response than the more general, “What did you do today?” You child may behave beautifully in school but exhibit challenging behaviour at home. This is not uncommon; after working hard during the day, children may let it all go when they get back to familiar surroundings.

Rest and relaxation is important. Bear that in mind when choosing any afterschool activities. Sticking to your bedtime routine also matters. ‘Lights-out’ may be when your child decides to tell you all about his or her day at school. Factor in time for these conversations.

There can be a lot of changing, doing up zips and putting on aprons in Reception, so practising these skills (when you have plenty of time!) will help your child foster their sense of mastery.

During the Reception year, the children will be taught life skills such as ‘what makes a good friend’; but anything you can do to encourage your child to master the arts of sharing and taking turns will support their social interactions in class. Play dates in a neutral environment (a trip to a local park), rather than inviting children back to your house where your child may become territorial, can also be beneficial.

Finally, remember that teething problems are entirely normal – this is a significant step in your child’s lifelong learning journey. The school’s teaching team will be there to offer caring support to your child… and to you.

Rachel Harris, Reception Teacher, Barrow Hills School