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Primary Times in South London 7 Southbrook Mews London SE12 8LG Tel: 020 8318 0400 Email: office@primarytimes.biz Website: www.primarytimes.co.uk Twitter: @PT_LondonSandE Instagram: @primarytimesse

Publishing Editor: Peter Watson Sales: Andrew Langridge, Kathy Jordan, Catherine Dillon & Gill Pearce Listings: Catherine Draisey & Hayley Hughes Production: Alison Watson Office Manager: Chris Blower Administrators: Claire Wood & Tina Love Proof Reading: Christopher Fox Editorial Assistant: Eleanor Getting Social Media: Rachel Benson

Primary Times is independently published and distributed free in primary and junior schools throughout the boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham & Southwark. Its aims are to inform families and children of current educational issues, forthcoming events, courses and attractions and to give teachers, pupils and parents the opportunity to participate in the magazine by adding to its contents or joining in the competitions which we run. It is NOT our intention to publish any racist, sexist or politically based material whatsoever. We also undertake not to carry any advertising which we would consider to be offensive to young families or harmful to the best interests of young children. The opinions expressed in either the editorial or advertisements within this publication are not necessarily those held by the editor or publisher. While we take great care with the compilation of information within this magazine, neither the editor nor publisher will accept any liability for the accuracy of the editorial or advertising contained within the publication. We welcome listings being sent to us for inclusion in our What’s On section. Free listings are dependent on available space and we cannot guarantee to print all the listings we are sent. Please send them to listings@primarytimes. biz . Primary Times would like to thank all the schools in the boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham & Southwark for their assistance in distributing the magazine and for their contributions to its contents. We would also like to thank all the advertisers who have supported this publication and therefore made it possible. Please support their endeavours when and where you can. No part of this magazine, including the advertisements within it may be reproduced, in part or in whole, without the express written permission of the Publishing Editor. Primary Times is currently publishing over 2.5 million copies per issue under franchise licences throughout England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Primary Times South London is operated under franchise licence.

Welcome to our Spring/Easter magazine. I’m writing this letter to you in lovely sunshine, a blue sky, not too much cloud and not so cold that I have to wear a thick jumper. Long may it continue. Spring has a real positive feel to it, with flowers and tree blossom starting, warmer days breaking through and lots of fun days out to look forward to in the school holidays. Do look through all our hundreds of listings. Some of them are free to enter but all include contact details so do check the events before visiting. We prepare our listings a long time in advance and details do change. Spring is a busy time of the year. Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday is on 22 March. Easter Weekend is 10-13 April. The London Marathon is on Sunday 26 April. Brighton Fringe is from 1-31 May. Then there’s St Patrick’s Day on Tuesday 17 March and St George’s Day on Thursday 23 April. Not forgetting Save the Frogs Day on Saturday 25 April! Don’t forget that the May Day Bank Holiday has changed from Monday 4 May to Friday 8 May to celebrate the 75th VE Day anniversary. Whatever you are celebrating, enjoy the next few weeks. We always have lots of great competitions for you to enter but sometimes we can’t give the prizes out to the actual winner as they haven’t included contact details for themselves. We don’t pass contact details on to any other companies so please do remember to include them with your competition entries. Entries can be sent by post or by email. See our Competitions Page for more details. We’ll be back the week beginning Monday 11 May. Happy Easter! Peter and the Primary Times Team

This magazine is audited by BPA Worldwide 46,410 copies - Easter Edition 2019

Latest News .............................4

What’s On................................. 6

Family Theatre .........................8

Spring Adventures....................... 11

Out of School Activities ............. 16

Education News ..................... 19

Competitions .......................... 21

All Your Own Work! ................23

We told you in the last issue about the Laugh Out Loud Awards (“The Lollies”), a set of awards created by Scholastic, to celebrate the funniest children’s books. The winners have now been announced. The award is now in its fourth successful year. The Lollies were awarded in three categories: Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book, Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6–8s and Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9–13s. The winners were selected from a shortlist drawn up by a panel of judges, which included head judge, Michael Rosen, children’s novelist, poet and former Children’s Laureate. Teachers and their classes, parents and children were then encouraged to get involved to read and discuss the books and cast their vote for their favourites in each category to determine the winning titles. Teachers were able to cast votes online on behalf of their class, and children were also able to vote via the PopJam app. Winners of The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards The winners are: Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book Ten Fat Sausages by Michelle Robinson and Tor Freeman Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 6–8 year olds The World’s Worst Children 3 by David Walliams and Tony Ross Best Laugh Out Loud Book for 9–13 year olds I Bet I Can Make You Laugh by Joshua Seigal and Tim Wesson Head Lollies Judge, Michael Rosen, told Primary Times, “Funny books are a fantastic springboard into reading for pleasure for all children that’s why the Lollies Book Awards are so important. The prize is unique in that winners are selected by children themselves, and as such holds up a mirror for what they are looking for in books and what they really want to read. The prize creates a real buzz and many talking points about humour, children and of course literacy.”

An International Dining Experience Make the most of the long weekend and spend this Easter with the family enjoying a wonderful feast at JRC Global Buffet. If you love great food and don’t want to spend a fortune, JRC Buffet is the perfect place for an Egg-citing Easter. With hundreds of freshly prepared dishes from all over the world, you’ll find all your old favourites as well as new dishes for you to enjoy. Families love

visiting JRC Buffet as there’s something for everyone – it’s also a great opportunity for parents to encourage their children to be adventurous and try new flavours. Even the fussiest eater will find new dishes they’ll love. With a wide selection of Live Cooking Stations, where expert chefs prepare dishes right in front of your eyes, it’s a dining experience like no other. If you aren’t too full from trying all the main dishes, you’ll love the wide selection of mouth-watering desserts, all beautifully presented. Visitors, young and old, love dipping marshmallows and fresh fruit into the Chocolate Fountain and Easter’s the perfect excuse to overindulge. As a special Easter treat, kids can eat for £1 at JRC all through the Easter holidays. The offer is valid from 5.30 to 8.30pm, Monday to Thursday from Monday 6 April to Thursday 16 April. Terms and conditions apply. To hear about the latest news and offers, visit www.jrc-globalbuffet.com and sign up to the newsletter.

Family Fun at Catford Mews This Spring enjoy the perfect family outing at Catford Mews, London’s newest independent entertainment venue. With a fantastic selection of family friendly movies, both old and new, there is something for everyone. Showing from 20 March is Pixar’s latest movie, Onward. Set in a suburban fantasy world, Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there. The sequel to Peter Rabbit is out on 27 March, so Catford Mews will be following Peter Rabbit and his friends on The Runaway. Their £3 family favourite screenings continue every Sunday at 11am. Don’t miss the chance to revisit Shrek in his swamp on the 15 March, Alvin and the Chipmunks on the 22 March and re-watch Princess Bride with the whole family on 29 March. Alongside child friendly screenings, Catford Mews will be hosting more of the popular Animating Education workshops for children who want to learn the art of filmmaking. Learn what it takes to create a great performance in this one-day course. Children will be able to perform in all roles – director, actor, camera, sound and clapper loader. Participants will write and shoot their short film in a single day. In addition to events and screenings, guests will be able to enjoy drinks from Compound Coffee, plus treats from the Catford Mews food stalls including Daun’s Deli, Patty Man, and FUSÉ. The closest stations to Catford Mews are Catford and Catford Bridge Station. For more information, visit www.catford-mews.co.uk.

Dinosaurs Come to Croydon Brickosaurs arrive at Centrale & Whitgift this Easter! From Thursday 2 to Monday 20 April, the South London shopping centre will be transported back to the Jurassic period and become home to 15 incredible dinosaur models, all made up of thousands of toy bricks that have been carefully put together by skilled brick builders.

Brickosaurs is offering families in Croydon some ferocious fun this Easter with a special dinosaur-themed trail. Customers can pick up a trail map from the Whitgift Information Centre and follow the dinosaur feet, collecting egg stamps from all 15 models to win a special prize. In addition to the dinosaur trail, there will be lots of other activities for families to get stuck into. From Giant LEGO® and DUPLO® pits to dinosaur egg decorating, there will be something for big and little LEGO builders alike to enjoy. Centrale & Whitgift has again partnered with Croydon BID to bring this roarsome event to life. In addition, the popular shopping centre has teamed up with Specialist Autism Services and is encouraging shoppers to donate their old LEGO® bricks as a contribution to the Autism Bricks UK initiative. Autism Bricks UK collects new and preloved LEGO® bricks, restoring them to their former glory so people can continue to enjoy them. So, head down to Centrale & Whitgift from 2 – 20 April for the Brickosaurs Trail. To find out more about the event, visit www. centraleandwhitgift.co.uk

Customise Your Plimsolls with Mythical Canvas Looking for a product to help develop your child’s creativity, aid development and boost their confidence in a fun way? Then look no further! With Mythical Canvas, kids can use their incredible imagination to customise a special pair of plimsolls with vibrant, colourful designs, bringing their drawings to life. Through art, we can inspire kids to follow their dreams and have the self-confidence to create their reality.

Designed by the company founder, who is also a primary school teacher, Mythical Canvas was born as a result of his passion for kids to feel free to be creative. Having this ethos and being exposed to art from a young age helped his development and he wants to give kids the same opportunity. Mythical Canvas is starting a ‘No Mistakes in Art’ movement, believing that there are no mistakes, only learning opportunities and that they are key to growth. Join them on their journey. Your kids will love the Mythical Canvas Combo Pack, which includes a pair of white canvas plimsolls with changeable straps (extra straps are provided), fabric pens and stencils, all for £29.99. Mythical Canvas love seeing all of the kids’ creative designs and encourage them to customise their plimsolls with the pens provided, switch straps, have fun and remember… there are no mistakes in art! For more information, visit www.mythicalcanvas.co.uk or check out their social media accounts @mythicalcanvas.