Families SE London Sept 2017 issue 186

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FR EE

TAKE M E

South East

IN THIS ISSUE Open Days Which Which school school next? next?

Clubs & Classes Out Out of of school school fun fun and and games games

What’s On

ONLINE EDITIONg

Where Where to to go, go, what what to to see, see, what what do do to to this this month month

with workin website links

Issue 186 September 2017

familiesonline.co.uk

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So, a shiny-new look for our magazine, to match the Families website. It’s as smart as a child in a new school uniform don’t you think?

To the new term then, a fresh start, and a big ‘how do you do it?’ to all the teachers who are learning new names by the classful and settling in our children. Let us ease you back into the shock of school runs again, missing PE shoes and homework woes. If it all seems too much, don’t forget there’s a half term on the horizon - we’ll be back in October!

Robina Cowan, editor

LocalNews email your news to editor@familiesse.co.uk

NEWS FOR PARENTS

IN THIS ISSUE 2-3

A Theatre Trip for Every Child

Local News and Views New support groups for families; comedy with baby; terrific teachers; reading with boys; and a team vacancy at Families

4-8

Education News Local schools’ news; autumn Open Days; and succeeding at secondary school

9

The Book Page Justine curls up for the new term with a satchelful of new books for children and parents

Lewisham children now have a wonderful opportunity to experience the magic of theatre at the Albany in Deptford for free thanks to funding from sponsors including Arts Council England, the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and other sponsors.

Multi-award-winning actor Jude Law is one of the patrons. Having grown up in the borough himself he said: “I am delighted to support this terrific initiative which has the potential to positively impact the lives of young children in Lewisham. It is crucial for the future of our communities that we find creative ways to nurture and support the next generation. Theatre has the power to inspire children and we must encourage them to follow their dreams, no matter how big.” www.thealbany.org.uk/everychild

10-14 Clubs & Classes Our of school fun for mini maestros, drama queens and sporty children

15

Family Health Baby weaning; toothcare; the nits are back; and decoding food labels with an app

Mindful Mums 16-19 What’s On Our pick of the best events, shows and workshops to see you through September

Next issue out 5 October, deadline 15 September

A new support network for pregnant women and new mothers is coming to Lewisham.

Lewisham Mindful Mums groups provide free help in staying emotionally well, developing confidence and social connections during pregnancy and in the first year of birth.

Groups take place at Children and Family Centres across the borough, and are run by trained volunteers with their own personal experience of early parenthood. Crèche facilities are available on a pre-booked first come, first serve basis for babies and children from three months to five years old, while young babies can be brought into sessions with their mothers. www.blmind.org.uk/lewisham-services/mindful-mums

Families South East PO Box 11591, London SE26 6WB 020 8699 7240, editor@familiesse.co.uk

www.familiesse.co.uk for back issues and our media pack

Families London South East

@FamiliesSELon

Families South East is part of Families Print Ltd, a franchise company. All franchised magazines in the group are independently owned and operated under licence.

Families is a registered trademark of LCMB Ltd, Remenham House, Regatta Place, Marlow Road, Bourne End, Bucks SL8 5TD. The contents of Families South East are fully protected by copyright and none of the editorial or photographic matter may be reproduced in any form without prior consent of Families South East. Every care is taken in the preparation of this magazine, but the franchise company, Families Print Ltd and Lifecycle Marketing cannot be held responsible for the claims of advertisers nor for the accuracy of the contents, or any consequence thereof.

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You’re having a laugh Bring Your Own Baby Comedy is a baby-friendly comedy club which provides soft flooring, toys, buggy parking, and baby changing so that your baby is happy, while you relax and have a hoot with your friends and some of the funniest comedy stars in the country.

The lunchtime club is coming to Beckenham, East Dulwich, Bromley and Greenwich in September, with a brand new line up of acts each month. Tickets from £8. www.byobcomedy.com

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All aboard The Big Red Bus

Hurray for teachers

A hidden gem located in Charlton Park is helping tackle the isolation which can affect London parents who do not have outside space.

The Big Red Bus Club provides a welcoming and warm environment where parents can discuss parenting concerns and socialise.

Under fives stay and play for free, taking part in a range of activities from arts and crafts to gardening projects - essential for those who may have limited access to outdoor space.

The project has been funded through People’s Health Trust’s Active Communities programme, using money raised by HealthWisdom CIC through The Health Lottery. The initiative also enables parent volunteers to develop skills and confidence with the aim of running sessions themselves.

The Big Red Bus Club is open from 12.30-3pm on termtime weekdays, with extra sessions available for children with additional needs on Mondays. www.thebigredbusclub.com

W H AT ’ S NE W The literacy gender gap The results of a survey asking 904 parents of children ages 4-12 about their bedtime reading routines revealed that 29% of parents with both sons and daughters read more often to their daughters. Many parents also admit that their sons were more interested in playing on the iPad before bedtime instead.

Furthermore, even when we are reading to our sons, we are reading to them less regularly.

This is despite a Scholastic report asserting that 83% of children love being read aloud to.

Meanwhile boys, across the globe, regardless of their ethnicity or socio-economic status, are consistently underperforming in reading tests compared to their female counterparts.

There’s a link there! Visit a good bookshop, pick the brains of your librarian and choose books to share with your son - it will reap rewards.

familiesonline.co.uk

Turning landfill into fashion Muddy Puddles are turning used plastic bottles into fleece-lined, weatherproof EcoSplash clothing to protect bold young adventurers from the elements - clever, huh?

The colourful jackets, trousers and all-in-ones are online now, along with jolly PuddleStomper wellies because, as they say: “We believe that there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong kit.” www.muddypuddles.com

An overwhelming majority of British adults feel that their childhood teachers had a positive impact on their lives - with 71% believing this to be the case.

In a survey of 1000 UK adults, 84% sheepishly wish they had behaved better and appreciated their teachers more; and English teachers come top of the class as the single most influential, having a positive impact on the lives of more than one in three.

The survey was carried out by One4all, the Post Office gift card, whose group marketing manager Aoife Davey commented: “The vast majority, given the chance to offer advice to their younger selves, would strive for a better attitude and set of behaviours within the classroom. Although it may seem that the notion of thanking teachers with gifts at the end of each school year is a relatively new phenomenon, the research reveals that many adults actually wish that they could go back and say thank you to their childhood teachers for all they did during their important school years.” www.one4allgiftcard.co.uk

Can you deliver?

Families South East magazine is looking for distributors to start at the beginning of October.

You supply a cheery smile, and your time, we supply boxed magazines and a list of the schools, cafes, nurseries, libraries etc who have copies - what a team!

The vacancy covers Crystal Palace, West Dulwich, West Norwood, Herne Hill and Beckenham; can be completed during school hours, and we pay for your time.

If you have a car, spare time at the beginning of each month and would like a nice little job while your children are at school, please email editor@familiesse.co.uk for more details.

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EDUCATION NEWS

BROMLEY HIGH SCHOOL ‘ E X C E P T I O N A L ’ ( I S I 2 0 1 6)

Saturday 7th October

OPEN DAY

4+, 7+ and 11+Tasters 9.30am to 1.00pm

A PPLY O NLINE adm issions@b ro .gdst.net

Bishop Bi Bish Bisho Bis Chal Cha Ch Chall C Challo Challon Challone Challoner S Sc Sch Scho Schoo School Shortlands Shortla Shortlan Sh Sho Shor Short Shortl Shortland

www.bro m l eyhigh .gdst.net Alleyn’s Junior School

A Catholic Independent School for Girls & Boys 3 -18 Years

We - lleyn's

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Open Ope Open Mor Op Morn Mo M Mornin Morni Morning SSatu Sat Sa Saturda Saturday Saturd atur 30th 330 30t Septem Septe Se SSeptember Sep Sept Septemb Septembe 2 20 201 2017 99.00am 9.00 9..00a to 9.0 t 1.00pm 1.

1.0 1.00 1.00p 1 Contact: admissions@bishopchallonerschool.com www.bishopchallonerschool.com

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Open Events on 23 September, 5 October and 14 November

Co-educational excellence in a caring community for children aged 4 to 11.

Visit our website for open event details. www.alleyns.org.uk @AlleynsJunior I 020 8557 1519 Townley Road, Dulwich SE22 8SU

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EDUCATION NEWS

Rosemead Preparatory, Dulwich, appoints new Head In its 80 year history, Philip Soutar will be the sixth Head at Rosemead Preparatory this September. What can parents first expect? Mr. Soutar said: “I am very much a people person so they will see an awful lot of me. I am also looking forward to overseeing the ongoing physical improvements of the school and contributing to the growth of drama and music. ‘I see the ethos of the school, ‘Inspiring Brilliant Futures’, continuing on, that is the heart and soul of the school.” www.rosemeadprepschool.org.uk

Now we’re cooking

After school childcare Mini Champions based in Sydenham St Michael’s Church provides out of school childcare to children of St Michaels, Adamsrill, Kelvin Grove and Holy Trinity. The service runs from the end of the school day until 6pm and includes healthy snacks upon arrival, various activity stations including Arts & Craft, IT, Reading Corner, Games Station, Board/ Card Games along with Music and outdoor play.

The club also provides a warm meal at 4.30pm. In addition Holiday club spaces are available during the school holidays. For further information call 078098 63082 or email info@minichampions.co.uk, www.minichampions.co.uk.

Don’t judge schools by SATS data alone, says NAHT

Bromley High’s Year 6 rise to the John Lewis Innovation Challenge A cohort of Year 6 pupils from Bromley High School took 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th places in this year’s John Lewis Innovation challenge.

The brief was to design a community hub for the benefit of John Lewis and the community, which involved submitting a mix of film, artwork and the written word. The winning team’s design provided local start-up businesses with the opportunity to showcase and sell their products with the possibility of running concurrent workshops. Amelia Rand, Grace Wu, Olivia Hillman and Zara Aslam won a tablet each and a 3D printer for the school. Each pupil in a shortlisted team won an individual ‘Technology Will Save Us’ kit (akin to a Fitbit, but one they have to code before they use it) worth £60. In total, the school’s shortlisted entries won a total of £900 of John Lewis vouchers. www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net

familiesonline.co.uk

Russell Hobby, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT has advised taking SATS data ‘with a pinch of salt’.

On the publication of the latest results in July, he commented: “SATs data only gives parents part of the picture when judging a pupil’s success or a school’s effectiveness.

League tables are the least helpful way of knowing if a school is the right place for your child. Just looking at data misses the majority of the real work that schools do to help young people achieve their full potential.”

In a recent speech, Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said: “Rather than just intensifying the focus on data, Ofsted inspections must explore what is behind the data, asking how results have been achieved.”

James Bowen, Director of NAHT Edge added: “We need to remember that these results simply reflect how a small proportion of a school’s pupils performed in a one-off 45 minute test.

They are at best a tiny snapshot of a very specific area of a child’s development.” www.naht.org.uk

Unique recipes for learning are contained in a new cook book published by Charlton Manor primary school.

Now We’re Cooking outlines innovative lesson plans which use food and cooking to engage and motivate pupils in subject areas across the curriculum. The book has been written by Charlton Manor headteacher Tim Baker with Katherine Tate, an education and nutritional consultant known as the Food Teacher, and teaching specialist Marie Reynolds. Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has given it the thumbs up by writing the foreword.

Now We’re Cooking includes detailed lesson plans covering subject areas in English, maths, science, art and design, geography and history.

Copies are available for £20 + £2 p&p from the school’s website. www.charltonmanorprimary.co.uk

Success for Alleyn’s U12 Cricketers Alleyn’s Under 12 Cricketers won the London Cup this summer, in a thrilling four teams finale also involving Dulwich College, Emanuel and St Paul’s Cathedral School. The Alleyn’s team, comprised of boys and girls, beat Emanuel in the final to take the title.

Rob Ody, Alleyn’s Head of Boys’ Physical Education and Games, said: “It is a fine achievement for our boys and girls and we are very proud of them.” www.alleyns.org.uk

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EDUCATION NEWS

Open Days The school where your child will spend most of their teen years will have a huge influence on their development and character. Your choices are important - which is where Open Days come in. Take your son or daughter with you; they will see things through a different set of eyes, and their opinion matters.

Not all open day dates were available when we went to press: check the websites of the schools you’re interested in for more information and where necessary, to book first.

FOREST HILL SCHOOL

PLUMSTEAD MANOR SCHOOL

Dacres Road, Forest Hill SE23 2XN, 020 8699 9343, www.foresthillschool.co.uk

Old Mill Road, SE18 1QF, 020 3260 3333, www.plumsteadmanor.com

GREENWICH FREE SCHOOL

PRENDERGAST LADYWELL SCHOOL

26 and 27 September, 3 October 403 Shooters Hill Road SE18 4LH, 020 8319 3692, www.greenwichfreeschool.co.uk

HABERDASHERS’ ASKE’S HATCHAM COLLEGE 20 September Pepys Road, New Cross SE14 5SF, 020 7652 9510, www.haaf.org.uk

HARRIS ACADEMY GREENWICH Middle Park Avenue, Eltham SE9 5EQ, 020 8859 0133, www.harrisgreenwich.org.uk

HARRIS ACADEMY PECKHAM

12, 14, 19, 21 and 26 September whole school ages 4-18 Adelaide Avenue, SE4 1LE, 020 8690 3710, www.prendergast-school.com

ROYAL GREENWICH TRUST SCHOOL 765 Woolwich Road SE7 8LJ, 020 8312 5480, www.rgtrustschool.net

SEDGEHILL SCHOOL 25, 27 and 28 September, 10 October Sedgehill Road, Catford SE6 3QW, 020 8698 8911, www.sedgehillschool.co.uk

CONISBOROUGH COLLEGE

112 Peckham Road SE15 5DZ, 020 7703 4417, www.harrispeckham.org.uk

STATIONERS’ CROWN WOODS ACADEMY

472 New Cross Road SE14 6TJ, 020 8305 6100, www.as.lewisham.sch.uk

19, 22, 26 and 28 September Conisborough Crescent, Catford SE6 2SE, 020 8461 9600, www.conisboroughcollege.co.uk

INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY OF GREENWICH

16, 19, 20 and 27 September, 12 October, 17 October and 7 November sixth form 145 Bexley Road, Eltham SE9 2PT, 020 8850 7678, www.scwa.org.uk

ARK GLOBE ACADEMY

DEPTFORD GREEN SCHOOL

4, 5 and 7 October secondary school, 28 September sixth form Harper Road SE1 6AG, 020 7407 6877, www.globeacademy.org

Edward Street, New Cross SE14 6AN, 020 8691 3236, www.deptfordgreen.lewisham.sch.uk

ADDEY AND STANHOPE SCHOOL

ELMGREEN SCHOOL

CHARTER SCHOOL Red Post Hill, Herne Hill SE24 9JH, 020 7346 6600, www.charter.southwark.sch.uk

CHARTER SCHOOL EAST DULWICH

19 and 25 September, 3 and 11 October senior school, 19 October sixth form Elmcourt Road, Tulse Hill SE27 9BZ, www.the-elmgreen-school.org.uk

ELTHAM HILL SCHOOL

19 and 28 September, 3 October 11 Southampton Way SE5 7EW, 020 3873 2290, www.chartereastdulwich.org.uk

CORELLI COLLEGE CO-OPERATIVE ACADEMY

23 and 27 September, 5 October year 7, 6 and 30 November sixth form Eltham Hill SE9 5EE, 020 8859 2843, www.elthamhill.com

ARK EVELYN GRACE ACADEMY

Corelli Road, Blackheath SE3 8EP, 020 8516 7977, www.corellicollege.org.uk

25, 26, 27 and 28 September 255 Shakespeare Road, Herne Hill SE24 0QN, 020 7737 9520, www.evelyngraceacademy.org

18 - 22 September 21 Meadowcourt Road, Lee SE3 9DU, 020 3096 0781, www.iaog.org.uk

THE JOHN ROAN SCHOOL Maze Hill, Blackheath SE3 7UD, 020 8516 7555, www.thejohnroan.greenwich.sch.uk

KINGSDALE FOUNDATION SCHOOL 13, 16, 20, 27 and 30 September, 4 and 7 October Alleyn Park, Dulwich SE21 8SQ, 020 8766 7051, www.kingsdalefoundationschool.org.uk

ST MICHAEL’S CATHOLIC COLLEGE Llewellyn Street, Bermondsey SE16 4UN, 020 7237 6432, www.stmichaelscollege.org.uk

ST PAUL’S ACADEMY Finchale Road, Abbey Wood SE2 9X, 020 8311 3868, www.stpaulsacademy.org.uk

SYDENHAM SCHOOL 12, 20 and 23 September, 5 October Dartmouth Road, Sydenham SE26 4RD, 020 8699 6731, www.sydenham.lewisham.sch.uk

THOMAS TALLIS SCHOOL 27 September and 3 October Kidbrooke Park Road, Blackheath SE3 9PX, 020 8856 0115, www.thomastallisschool.com

ST THOMAS MORE RC COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL 27 September Footscray Road SE9 2SU, 020 8850 6700, www.stmcomprehensive.org

ST URSULA’S CONVENT SCHOOL 23 September 70 Crooms Hill, Greenwich SE10 8HN, www.stursulas.com

PICTU R E YOU RSELF AT

James Allen’s Girls’ School !"#$%&"'%(()*&)"*"'+*,((-#%++!

IAPS co-educational school for 3-11 years

DISCOVER MORE AT OUR OPEN MORNINGS 27 SEPTEM BER*

7 OCTOBER

19 OCTOBER*

Additional tours available at Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior School 100% bursaries available from 11+ JAGS ranked 10th in table of top UK schools based on A-level results 2016 *Senior School only

FIND OUT MORE AT WW W.JAGS.ORG.UK JAMES ALLEN’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL 144 EAST DULWICH GROVE LONDON SE22 8TE | 020 8693 1181 JAGS is a company limited by guarantee and incorporated in England number 6618970, registered charity number 1124853 / JAGSschool

6 Families South East

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EDUCATION NEWS

I N D E P E N D E N T S C H OOLS ALLEYN’S SCHOOL

JAMES ALLEN’S GIRLS’ SCHOOL (JAGS)

13 and 30 September, 8 November 11+ and 13+ entry, 12 and 30 September sixth form, 23 September, 5 October and 14 November juniors Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU, 020 8557 1519, www.alleyns.org.uk

27 September, 7 October, 19 October 144 East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8TE, 020 8693 1181, www.jags.org.uk

BISHOP CHALLONER SCHOOL

63-39 Eltham Road SE12 8UF, 020 8318 4327, www.riverstonschool.co.uk

30 September whole school 228 Bromley Road, Shortlands, Kent BR2 0BS, 020 8460 3546, www.bishopchallonerschool.com

BLACKHEATH HIGH SCHOOL GDST 14 October senior school, ‘school in action’ visits 8 and 15 November Vanbrugh Park, Blackheath SE3 7AG, 020 8853 2929, www.blackheathhighschool.gdst.net

BROMLEY HIGH SCHOOL GDST 7 October plus regular Taster Events Blackbrook Lane, Bromley, Kent BR1 2TW, 020 8781 7025, www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net

COLFE’S SCHOOL 23 September, 11 November senior school, 23 September juniors Horn Park Lane, Lee SE12 8AW, 020 8852 2283, www.colfes.com

RIVERSTON SCHOOL

SYDENHAM HIGH SCHOOL GDST 23 September seniors, 30 September juniors, 3 October sixth form 19 Westwood Hill, Sydenham SE26 6BL, 020 8557 7000, www.sydenhamhighschool.gdst.net

THAMES CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 26 September Wye Street, Clapham Junction SW11 2HB, 020 7228 3933, www.thameschristiancollege.org.uk

TRINITY SCHOOL 7 October Shirley Park, Croydon CR9 7AT, 020 8656 9541, www.trinity-school.org

DULWICH COLLEGE 14, 20 and 29 September, 18 October and 15 November year 7, 13 September, 11 October and 9 November year 9 Dulwich Common SE21 7LD, 020 8299 9263, www.dulwich.org.uk

ST DUNSTAN’S COLLEGE 30 September, 18 November Seniors, 11 October sixth form Stanstead Road, Catford SE6 4TY, 020 8516 7200, www.stdunstans.org.uk

PRENDERGAST

LADYWELL SCHOOL

Your Choice, Your Future

We invite you to join us at our

OPEN DAYS Open Evening

It is an exciting time to join Prendergast Ladywell School

Open Mornings

● Strong Leadership; strong vision ● High standards and high expectations ● Academic excellence - progress for all ● Outstanding care - outstanding facilities ● A family school at the heart of the community

Tuesday 12 September - 6:00 to 8:00pm Thursday 14 September - 9:15 to 10:30am Tuesday 19 September - 9:15 to 10:30am Thursday 21 September - 9:15 to 10:30am Tuesday 26 September - 9:15 to 10:30am ‘‘We look forward to meeting you’’ Niall Hand - Headteacher

Manwood Road, London, SE41SA Leathersellers-federation.com @prendergast_PLS

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Leathersellers’

FEDERATION OF SCHOOLS EDUCATION FROM FOUR TO EIGHTEEN

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EDUCATION NEWS

Explore Learning are helping children of all abilities

succeed in secondary school September brings with it a new class or even a move to a different school for your child. For some, this is a very exciting time; at Explore Learning we hear our students chatting away about moving to ‘big school’ and planning trips to buy new uniforms and stationery. For others, you can see they are a little more anxious. Even those that are very confident ask questions about what it will be like when they move schools. How will they be able to tackle the new, harder work?

It’s important to talk to children about what they are excited about as well as what they are concerned about. Let them know that it is ok to be worried about change, but it’s also good to take on a new challenge and confront your fears by trying new things.

At Explore Learning, we offer a course tailored to children in Year 6 to Year 9 called Succeed in Secondary which is specifically designed to help your family with the transition. We support children with the skills they need to excel in secondary school including debating, essay writing, delivering presentations, persuasive language, analysing and many more. Students get to grips with these skills though a whole range of topics including real life skills like budgeting and writing CVs. It’s the perfect course to help your child to fearlessly take

on the challenge of secondary school.

Alongside this course we’ll help you navigate the process of selecting a new school. We’re confident you won’t be disappointed so why not book your free trial today?

Explore Learning’s secondary top tips •

Keep them organised! Get your child to check their timetable each night and pack everything they need for the next day- one less thing for them to worry about.

•

Their new teacher will have had information about your child from their previous teacher, however if there is something you feel is important that the teacher knows about your child, do drop them a letter/ e-mail or ask for a quick chat.

•

Moving schools or class can result in your child missing their friends. Ask them questions about new people they have met to encourage them to make new friends. Arrange to meet up with their old classmates outside of school so they can still see them.

•

It’s really important to remember that if don’t get your first choice of school,you can find out about your options.Keep an open mind - and try not to show any concerns you have about a school to your child.

•

Talk to families who already go there and arrange a visit to the school if you’ve not already been. You may find the school is the perfect place for your child. You can put your child’s name on the waiting list for the school you want to go to. This is no guarantee, but not everyone takes up the place they have been offered so you may get a place through the waiting list.

Explore Learning offers tailored maths and English tuition from expert staff, and exam preparation workshops and parent information evenings throughout the year so that everyone feels confident at home.

There are local centres in Lewisham, New Cross Gate, Sydenham, Abbey Wood, Brixton and Greenwich - all of which offer FREE trial sessions. Book yours by calling 030 3003 4006, or online. www.explorelearning.co.uk

We’re giving them the con dence to tackle the new school year fearlessly!

EducationInvestor

Awards 2016

8 Families South East

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The Bookseller Crow

is a fantastic, volume stuffed shop run by some of the most knowledgeable bookworms in the business.

Call in for the feel of a real bookshop, or if you’re too busy, pick up the phone or head to their website for a fast mailorder service. Justine Crow recommends this month’s best titles.

On my very first day at school, I was made to stand under the clock in the hall for peeping through my hands during the Lord’s Prayer. I’m not from a religious family - the local C of E just happened to be the closest primary. Later I told my mother we said a special prayer for parents: “Our father, artist of heaven who gives us some bread but delivers us a ladle and wine in the kingdom. Our Mum.” That’s nice, she laughed. How did they know? But I never let on that I got a tongue lashing for being ignorant of protocol and at the ripe old age of four was made an example of in front of the entire school. Not bad for day one, eh?

I AM ABSOLUTELY TOO SMALL FOR SCHOOL

by Lauren Child rrp £6.99. A welcome board book edition of a modern classic, little Lola need not fear the wrath of Mrs Iyengar these days. No public hangings for curiosity (afterall, I only wanted to see what the grown-ups looked like with their eyes shut).

Instead, Charlie tries to put his sister’s mind at rest by telling her what she’ll learn and how much fun she will have when she finally enters the classroom. Thank the Lord teaching styles have moved on since the Stone Age. LOIS LOOKS FOR BOB AT HOME by Gerry Turley Nosy Crow rrp £6.99. More board book distractions here, this time with brilliant flaps to lift, a mouse called Daphne and a dog called Hank, plus the eponymous moggie and her budgerigar chum. I especially like the accompanying Lois Looks for Bob at the Park, ditto price etc, featuring an old chequered tea flask - took me right back to the relief of Wagon Wheels and Brooke Bond Loose Leaf on a rug under the plum tree in the garden after all that wretched grumpiness at school.

THE NIGHT BOX by Louise Grieg & Ashling Lindsay - Egmont rrp £6.99. This utterly beautifully illustrated story - the simplicity of empty rabbit slippers while the family cat mooches past a mirror as Max’s mama tucks him in made me gasp - aims to take the sting out of bedtime, but not quite the mystery out of darkness.

THE PAVEE AND THE BUFFER GIRL by Siobhan Dowd, illustrated by Emma Shoard - Bucket List rrp £12.99. All the fuss is about The Guggenheim Mystery, the long-awaited follow-up to the late author’s top kids’ novel, The London Eye Mystery, but Dowd was an accomplished writer who also came up with the idea for A Monster Calls, completed by Patrick Ness after her death. This

edition of her first published fiction has the recognisable theme of being an outsider in a new school (the bullying in the film version of A Monster Calls was unbearable) delivered in a friendly typeface illustrated with a signature brush-stroke style.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PUZZLES by Aleksandra Artymowska - Big Picture Press rrp £14.99.

Inspired by the veritable Jules himself, this glorious tome has epic distractions featuring everything from brownstones and paddle-steamers to junks, lily pads and dragon box kites.

THE USBORNE ART ACTIVITY PAD, in association with the National Gallery - rrp £7.99. I’m not a massive fan of the recent colouring book fad - quite aside from their ubiquity, what does spending hours filling in other people’s black & white designs actually teach us, apart from patience? Boring old publishers.

This is so much more than a pad to fray your felt-tips on; full of fascinating facts about all sorts of famous visual and 3D art, each tear-off page has activities and puzzles inspired by Matisse, Monet and many more.

THE USBORNE CREATIVE WRITER’S HANDBOOK - rrp £9.99. However, the craze for creative writing journals and ideas books is to be applauded. Clever old publishers. This is a particularly helpful addition to the canon because it encourages all kinds of literary expression and not just straight-forward storytelling, including poetry and lyrics, blogs and reporting. Contrary to what you may think given my profession (if bookselling is still considered thus), I have no objection to screens and the consumption of digital content thereof. I mean, at least nine-tenths of your Overground carriage is reading something, even if it is Aunty Joyce’s Facebook page. And you only have to glance at your youngster doing homework to understand why the bottom has fallen out of the market for touch-typing courses.

HOW TO BE A YOUNG WRITER by Christopher Edge - Oxford £9.99. More advice here from a very successful author with tips for “beating the fear of the blank page,” plotting and structure, “killer openings” and “perfect endings.” After that awful start at school, I was sort of restored to favour when Mrs Iyengar realised, with all the clanking clarity of an outside overhead lavatory flush, that I could already read and write thanks to those non-conforming parents of mine. So she gave me all the dinner-money slips to fill out.

GET CREATIVE by Jacqueline Wilson, Doubleday rrp £6.99. A basic day-to-day up-beat thought-capturing journal, illustrated by sidekick Nick Sharratt, with suggestions for projects from some of her most loved characters including Tracy Beaker and Hetty Feather.

BEING A WRITER by Travis Elborough - Frances Lincoln rrp £15.00. Obviously not a kids’ book per se but you could argue that it contains writers that, ahem, once were. As an anthology for aspiring authors, it is most illuminating on what constitutes the art of writing itself and I don’t think any of us are too young or to old to consider that. Looks down at phone. Scrolls through feed idly...

THE BOYS’ GUIDE TO GROWING UP by Phil Wilkinson - Wren & Rook £6.99. Yikes. It has to be done. And unless you want your small male of the species to get what he needs to know from trial and error on his tablet - and I’ll never forget the hell that descended on my poor friend’s 7 year old son when he Googled ‘sex’ in the hope of some enlightenment - this at least covers all the main changes with a chatty, unpatronising approach that prefers to give growing up a positive spin. Ditto The Girls’ Guide to Growing Up by Anita Naik, same price and publisher, very different hormones....

FAMILY LONDON by Jimi Famurewa - Frances Lincoln rrp £9.99. Bafflingly, despite my status as a supreme under-achiever who left school before the ink was dry on her O’ Levels, my lot have turned into academic grafters. But better still, they also embrace the ole Crow-Bowie mantra of throwing the homework on the fire and taking the car down town when the pressure gets too much. This brilliant little guide has so many fresh ideas for doing just that, from leaping about at the Parkour Academy (my kind of school) in E14 or resting with a coffee in a café full of vintage pinball machines in W4 (my kind of latte), swimming in a lake in Ruislip to feeding animals housed in railway carriages just off the Holloway Road. My favourite suggestion is the Wellcome Collection, full of fascinating scientific and medical oddities where I can embrace my inner nerd and picture a different career path - as Napoleon said, “Imagination rules the world.” And, guess what, here in Euston among the artefacts you can see Bonaparte’s toothbrush. Old Boney actually looked after his teeth. Now that’s what I call an education.

The Bookseller Crow, 50 Westow St. Crystal Palace, London SE19 3AF Telephone: 020 8771 8831 email: info@booksellercrow.co.uk Twitter @booksellercrow www.booksellercrow.co.uk familiesonline.co.uk

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CLUBS & CLASSES

School After Out of School C Childcare Childcare Mini Champions is a comfortable, safe, friendly and stimulating environment for your child to enjoy after school.

Olé Kids

Spanish classes for children and parents

lasses hool dance c funky presc oys for girls and b

Offering Offering activities Offering toenrich enrich activities to to activities enrich young minds: young minds: minds: Games, Sports, young Games, Sports, Sports, Games, Baking, Arts Arts & access, Baking, &Craft, Craft,ITMusic, IT access, Study support and & Craft,stations IT access, Arts support Study stations and more! lots more!

Study lots support stations

Bilingual and beginners.

Children learn languages through immersion and play. !Group classes across London !Spanish in Nurseries !After School Clubs !Private classes at home !Birthday parties

and lots more!

School

holiday AFTER SCHOOL HOURS care 3.00pm-6.00pm c provided Collecting from St Michaels, Adamsrill, Kelvin Grove & Holy Trinity. Contact us for other schools

Free weekend workshops at Iberica Canary Wharf while you eat www.ibericalondon.co.uk

a place for children to flourish

After School £11 per day

Club day* Holiday Club Breakfast per per day £19.50 per day £4 * Warm meal, snack

!Adult Spanish Classes

p

* warm meal, snack and drinks included

and drinks included.

a Facebook: olekidslondon Twitter: ole_kids

classes held across SE London for more information and to book call Anne-Marie : 07973 982790 email: info@diddidance.com

Telephone : 020 7386 0376 Mobile: 07734900221 Email : info@olekids.com www.olekids.com

HOURS: 3.15pm-6pm DAYS: Monday-Friday Church, Champion Road, Sydenham SE26 4HH ADDRESS: St Michaels ADDRESS: St Michaels Church, Champion Road, Sydenham SE26 4HH GET IN TOUCH: www.minichampions.co.uk info@minichampions.co.uk Tel: 07809 863082 Tel: 07944 477300

www.minichampions.co.uk

info@minichampions.co.uk Tel: 07809 863082 Tel: 07340 811109

22:56

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T 1 4/2/2013 5:05:13 PM

1 4/2/2013 5:05:13 PM

Half Term 23-27 October in Nunhead Ages 5-8 10am-3pm Ages 8-11 10am-4pm £160 per child includes one FREE pizza lunch from 400 Rabbits

www.infinitejest.co.uk Led by members of the infinite Jest Theatre Company

Tiny Tots

Improvisation Physical Theatre Costume Design Stage Combat Song & Dance

age 2.5-3

Little Aces

age 3-4

Junior Champs age 5-7

Grand Slammers age 8-11

fun filled tennis games and activities indoors with sponge balls and mini tennis rackets

FREE introductory session phone 07877 391005

www.tennis-4-kids.com email: gordon@tennis-4-kids.com

INSPIRE YOUR CHILD through music -

Learn new skills

-

Build confidence

-

Make new friends

Jigsaw Performing Arts Schools

SCHOOLS IN:

Bexleyheath Deptford Bridge Dulwich ✴ ✴ ✴

3–18 years

Award winning, Ofsted registered Holiday Camps and Term Time courses for children aged 4-11

Quote FAMILIESSE2017 for up to 10% off! thestringsclub.org/brockley | 0121 296 9204

10 Families South East

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020 8447 4530 www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk

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Schoolwear from www.marksandspencer.com

Too much, too soon?

Are we pushing our kids too far by signing them up to lots of clubs and classes or offering valuable advantages?

By Sally J. Hall

Children need to have plenty going on to stop getting bored and parents are aware of the value of after-school clubs to ensure their children are stimulated.

But with a vast range on offer, it can be tempting to sign them up for a different activity every evening.

We might not all be able to afford much but there’s no doubt a couple of well-chosen activities can be great for areas that the school can’t cover.

What age is best to start classes?

• Early years: They get very tired so keep outside activities to a minimum.

A good run in the park lets off steam.

An art, singing or baby ballet-type class with the emphasis on play is great.

• Infant school: Add a low-key activity; singing, music, dancing, sports and swimming are great.

• Junior school: As tests loom, add an educational class if your child is struggling with one subject.

•

Senior school: It’s easier to add activities as energy and independence increases.

What’s on the menu?

• Mini Mozart?

Even for musical geniuses, from seven years, a 30 minute class is plenty, with ten minutes of daily practice.

What do clubs and classes offer your child?

• Mixing with children from other areas will widen their social circle • A chance to take part in activities not offered at school • A potential career • Teamwork skills • Increases confidence • Persistence and patience.

•

Fitness Fanatic Sports and dance are great for fitness and flexibility though for younger kids, avoid classes that are too aggressive or pressurised.

•

Mastermind If one subject is a struggle, one-to-one tuition can pay dividends.

•

Mini Thespian Kids thrive in acting and singing classes and may go on to theatre school. It builds confidence.

But - play is important too Educational Psychologist Peter Gray wrote that we should allow children more time playing and that more time in the classroom can be detrimental, because kids’ “Judgement, wisdom and creative ability... come from life experiences,” he says. “For children, those experiences are embedded in play.”

•

Alternatives Check the clubs and classes section of the Families website to see what’s near you. From archery to zoology, you’ll find something for every child.

Sally J. Hall is a writer and editor who has written for all the main parenting titles as well as The Independent and The Mail. She is author of Eco Baby and contributing author to Watch My Baby Grow (Dorling Kindersley).

THEATRE PERFORMANCES - LAMDA EXAMS - TECHNIQUE CLASSES

ACTING, SINGING & DANCE

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS 2007 - 2017

CREATING STARS OF THE FUTURE AGES 3 TO 19

BOOK A FREE TRIAL CLASS TODAY!

PHONE: 07530 061 658 WWW.FREEDOMACADEMY.CO.UK

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CLUBS & CLASSES

SE London

Clubs and Classes Stagecoach Stagecoach Theatre Arts is the original and largest network of part-time performing arts schools in the world. The classes offer quality training in drama, dance and singing to local young people from 4-16, after school and at weekends.

The classes are designed to build confidence and develop communication through performance skills, with either a demonstration class or play at the end of each term, and holiday workshops.

Thanks to demand for places, a new Stagecoach is coming to Forest Hill from September, run by Claire Guy, who is already successful principal of Stagecoach in Dulwich; see more at www.stagecoach.co.uk/foresthill.

For more Stagecoach in southeast London: 020 8949 4116 Dulwich, 020 7112 8242 Blackheath, 020 8541 0833 Beckenham, 020 7228 0981 Sydenham, 0744 253 2386 Upper Norwood, www.stagecoach.co.uk

Perform weekly drama, dance and singing classes Perform is a unique children’s drama school that has a special emphasis on child development. Perform uses a mix of drama, dance and singing to bring out every child’s full potential. Run by highly experienced actor-teachers, in small groups, Perform classes focus on developing the 4 Cs: Confidence, Communication, Coordination, and Concentration.

The curriculum ensures plenty of fun, using a mix of energetic games, catchy songs and funky dances. All class materials are written by Perform, with apps, CDs and videos that the children can play at home to keep the magic alive.

Each term sees a brand new theme to keep imaginations buzzing. This autumn, 4-7s will be venturing Under the Sea on a colourful aquatic adventure while 7-12s will be working rocktastic fairytale adaptation, Cinderella Rocks. The new term runs until 17 December in Dulwich, Forest Hill, Greenwich, Hither Green, Blackheath and Beckenham. Perform offer no-obligation FREE trial sessions for newcomers.

020 7255 9120, enquiries@perform.org.uk, or www.perform.org.uk/try

Stagecoach Dulwich

Diddi Dance

Pre-school fun with diddi dance diddi dance is the only pre-school dance programme to explore 16 different dance styles from reggae and hip hop to ballroom and Bollywood. Classes are ideally suited for 2-4 year-olds, however early movers from as young as 16 months really enjoy the sessions. A free trial class is offered and then booking is made in half term blocks through new online booking system.

Classes run across southeast London, with the newest opening on Saturdays from September at Under 1 Roof in Woolwich.

079 7398 2790 or 07832 913282, www.diddidance.com Dancing for all South London Dance Studios in Herne Hill provides outstanding ballet, tap, modern and commercial dance classes for all ages.

Teachers are inspiring and nurturing and classes develop skills for life.

Lower school classes focus on the creative aspects of dance, whilst older students develop technique, artistry and performance skills.

Specialist boys’ training is available. Adult dance classes are fun, and can improve fitness, posture and coordination.

NEW L O SCHO

Stagecoach Forest Hill

Our fun and engaging weekly classes are for 4 - 18 year olds. Children are given both structure and freedom as they learn how to sing, dance and act.

Age: 4 - 6 year olds Age: 6 - 18 year olds

Time: Saturdays 09.30 - 11.00 Time: Saturdays 10.00 - 13.00

Date: 16 September Venue: Horniman Primary School, Horniman Drive SE23 3BP

stagecoach.co.uk/foresthill

020 8949 4116

12 Families South East

Stagecoach Performing Arts Schools are operated under franchise and are independently owned by their Principals.

Stagecoach is a registered trademark of Stagecoach Theatre Arts Ltd.

is delighted to be opening a new school near you

familiesonline.co.uk

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Perform

South London Dance

Children achieve consistently outstanding results in the highly regarded Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance examinations, and full-scale dance shows are regularly presented.

Students who show exceptional potential can audition for West End shows and can go on to train at top vocational colleges.

020 7978 8624, info@southlondondancestudios.co.uk www.southlondondancestudios.co.uk Olé Kids As Spanish is rapidly becoming the more popular language choice in UK schools, Olé kids is the perfect way to introduce children to the language early at home, in schools and nurseries. The original classes are designed to introduce Spanish language and culture in the most natural and friendly way possible. The team told us: “We make sure Spanish is not taught as a ‘school subject’ but rather as it is intended: a tool for communication. Our qualified, DBS checked, fun and motivated teachers bring Spain to life in any situation.

Get ready to sing and dance, read and write and have the perfect excuse for holidays in sunny countries!”

020 7386 0376, www.olekids.com

ses s a l C ow n ing book

Jigsaw Arts

Celebrating their 10 year anniversary Freedom Academy of Performing Arts is a local independent performing arts school established in 2007 to offer top quality affordable tuition in acting, singing and dance for ages 3 to 18 years. Since those first workshops and continuing to this day, Freedom Academy has grown immensely with over 200 children now attending each year. However, their ethos remains to be a fully inclusive theatre school and go above and beyond the norm by offering students top class tuition in all genres of singing, drama and dance and continuous opportunities within the Performing Arts.

Whether a child would like to grow in confidence, make new friends or gain more experience and opportunities Freedom Academy can help them achieve their goals.

From Classical to Street Dance, Pop to Musical Theatre, Song Writing to Acting for Camera students cover a wide range of genres in fun technique classes working towards group LAMDA acting and musical theatre exams,

Freedom Acadamy

yearly full scale theatre productions and the international dance rewards scheme. Taught by industry professionals and guest workshop leaders from the world of TV, Theatre and Film Freedom Academy pride themselves in having the best tutors in the business.

Freedom Academy has become the perfect spring board for students to go on to train at top full time schools and they are proud to have trained and mentored a large number of students who now attend the prestigious Brit School.

It doesn’t end there... Freedom’s kids have performed to millions on prime time national television. ITV’s “Keep It In The Family”, BBC’s “The Voice Kids”, “Pitch Battle”, ‘CBBC’ and in the feature film “Pan” with Hugh Jackman and have wowed audiences in the west end show The Lion King, national tour of Oliver! and productions at The Globe, National Theatre, O2 and The Southbank Centre. To join them onstage why not book a free trial. www.freedomacademy.co.uk

Call your local Stagecoach: Dulwich 020 8949 4116 Blackheath 020 7112 8242 Sydenham 020 7228 0981 Upper Norwood 0744 253 2386 www.stagecoach.co.uk

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Infinite Jest

Tennis-4-Kids

Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes

The perfect weekend activity this autumn A new school year is here, which means that children across London and the Home Counties are taking to the stage as Jigsaw begins an exciting new term of drama, singing and dance classes; the perfect activity to escape the cold, wet October weekends.

Performing arts classes are an excellent way to build confidence and social skills and are lots of fun. For more information or to book a two-week trial, visit www.jigsaw-arts.co.uk or call 020 8447 4530.

The Strings Club

Explore Learning

Tennis for all South East London Tennis offer affordable, quality tennis coaching through weekly sessions at local tennis courts, primary school programmes and holiday courses. Coaching includes pre-booked and drop-in sessions, offering everything from mini tennis sessions for children, to evening play and cardio tennis for adults, and wheelchair tennis.

0773 993 6999, www.southeastlondontennis.com The Strings Club

Fun-filled tennis Tennis-4-Kids offer a fun-filled introduction to tennis for children aged 21⁄2 to 11 years.

Sessions are played indoors with small rackets, sponge balls and a scaled-down court, after school, on Saturdays and Sundays, and during some school holidays. When the weather is up to it, older children are coached outdoors.

Two new classes have been added to the schedule: Saturday mornings for 21⁄2 - 3 yearolds, and after school on Mondays for 7-11 year-olds, both in East Dulwich.

07877 391 005, gordon@tennis-4-kids.com, www.tennis-4-kids.com Half term drama camps SE London Theatre Company Infinite Jest are running two more week-long drama camps this half term (from 23 - 27 October) inspired by one of Shakespeare’s plays. They’ll be at the Green Community Centre, Nunhead (10-4 Mon-Fri, ages 8-11) and the Mary Magdalene Church Hall, Nunhead (10-3 Mon-Fri, ages 5-8). £160 per child includes a FREE pizza lunch from 400 Rabbits on the show day! See the website for more details and to book. www.infinitejest.co.uk Musical keyboards Funky Monkey Keyboard Classes run funpacked classes teaching 4-9 year-olds how to read and write music in small groups, up to a recognised grade, providing a springboard for other instruments later on. New players can try a class for free, or join a holiday course.

0800 107 7949, www.funkymonkey.info

A string to their bow The Strings Club’s Discovery Days offer an opportunity for children to try out two new instruments and receive two 20 minute lessons - for FREE! The next Discovery Day is taking place on Saturday 16 September in Brockley from 10.30am to 12pm.

Through their award-winning Term Time Courses - weekly, small group music lessons on ukulele, violin, guitar and cello - The Strings Club encourage children aged 4-11 to learn an instrument and develop a range of skills from technical proficiency on their chosen instrument to key communication skills including teamwork, listening and focus. Each 10-week term children are nominated by their Strings Club Course Leader for a Music Medal, giving them something really worthwhile to work towards. Children as young as aged 4-5, enrolled onto a Minis Course, are also encouraged to complete their Minis Awards for which they receive a very special Minis certificate at the end of each term.

The Strings Club boast some of the UK’s best strings teachers who are hand-picked for their experience, friendliness and professionalism. Whether at a term time course, holiday camp or party, children of all abilities have the opportunity to discover, develop and engage with music in a rewarding, safe and fun way.

Call 0121 296 9204 or see www.thestringsclub.org

School support Explore Learning’s passion is to help students achieve their potential and be the best they can by supporting children both academically and attitudinally.

They told Families: “We get to know each child as an individual and help them to fall in love with learning. Our goal - to build confident, fearless learners who are hungry for knowledge.

We’ve delivered award-winning maths and English tuition to over 175,000 children across the UK. This summer we encouraged children and parents to learn new skills together, showing off what they’ve achieved back at school this September.”

There are over 120 centres across the UK. To find your nearest one and book a FREE trial. www.explorelearning.co.uk or call 020 3909 2119 YES Tuition and Training teach intensive touch typing, using their own highly successful programme. Classes are held on Saturdays and every school holiday and they are fun! Most children are touch typing in just 10 hours, helping enormously with their school work and using a PC at home. There are particular benefits for those with dyslexia or dyspraxia.

020 7515 1707, www.yes-tuitionandtraining.co.uk

Exceptional dance classes for children and adults

Ballet Tap Modern Street Jazz National Contemporary

130 Herne Hill, SE24 9QL 020 7978 8624 info@southlondondancestudios.co.uk

www.southlondondancestudios.co.uk

14 Families South East

17-19 Blackwater Street East Dulwich SE22 8SD

020 7720 1144 familiesonline.co.uk

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F A M I LY H E A LT H

Blitz the nits Spouts are out New research by children’s food brand Kiddylicious Little Bistro revealed that 71% of parents in the UK were unaware that the use of spouts, typically found in baby food pouches, can have a detrimental effect on their baby’s speech development and teeth formation.

According to Dr Nigel Carter OBE, Dentist, CEO of the Oral Health Foundation and Chair of Platform for Better Oral Health in Europe: “Spouts, which are featured on the packaging of some convenience foods, may cause problems with the correct development of teeth with poor positioning and crowding. Prolonged sucking on spouts could lead to the upper jaw failing to grow properly which may cause crowding of the teeth, which could result in a need for braces or orthodontic treatments later on. Just like with valved and hard spout drinking bottles, spouted baby foods should be discouraged and we suggest parents encourage their children to start free flow drinking from an early age and to focus on earlier food eating, rather than relying on smooth purees and spouted food products.”

Kiddylicious introduce balanced tastes, textures and shapes with the finest ingredients in their range of meals and snacks for babies and toddlers. Find them in the baby aisle at all major supermarkets and www.kiddylicious.com.

Babycup Baby & Toddler First Cups come in packs of four, £7.99 from JoJo Maman Bébé instore and online www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk.

Oral care from birth When should you first take your child to the dentist? Renowned ‘singing dentist’ Dr Milad Shadrooh recommends parents: “wipe their baby’s mouths and gums before teething starts - and I’d love it if mothers did not wait for their baby’s first tooth to appear before taking them to the dentist!”

With the alarming statistic of one in four five year-olds having tooth decay and the high cost of dental extractions, most in hospital under general anaesthetic, the sooner good habits are established, the better.

Brush-Baby is an oral care brand for babies from birth up to six years, providing specialist gum wipes, teether toothbrushes, brushes for toddlers and toothpastes. Products are

available from JoJo Maman Bébé, pharmacies and supermarkets, with cleaning tips at www.brushbaby.co.uk.

A food expert in your phone Food labels can be baffling, particularly when you need or choose to avoid certain ingredients.

New app Whatsinit? was formed in 2015 when Temi Alanamu and Rob Renton were made redundant from their jobs in London and financial constraints meant that they had to increasingly depend on cheap, processed food. On reading the ingredients labels, they realised that they had no clue what many of the ingredients actually meant.

So an idea was born. Whatsinit? has been created in partnership with doctors, nurses, dietitians, nutritionists, trainers and naturalists. With its dynamic food label search feature you can scan ingredients lists onto your phone in seconds, and see whether they're safe, so-so or to be avoided. At a glance, all food ingredients are colour-coded, with a short summary as well as a detailed description that also includes aliases, nutrients and potential minor or chronic side effects. You can also personalise according to your individual needs, using the allergies, intolerances and dislikes function.

Best of all, it’s free, from the App Store and Google Play, www.whatsinitapp.com.

familiesonline.co.uk

New term, new pupils, and a new outbreak of head lice in the classroom - ugh (but it will happen).

Research tells us that at any one time between 10% and 20% of UK children have head lice; the trend for group selfies has been blamed for teenage lice cases; and 47% of parents have picked up head lice from their children (you have been warned). Meanwhile science tells us that more traditional treatments are no longer working as lice are developing a resistance to insecticides.

Britons are spending huge sums on head lice treatments, with £23m spent in 2013, according to research, so what are we to do?

Hi tech: a breakthrough chemical-free treatment called the Licetec V-Comb Electrical Lice Comb literally vacuums both the lice and eggs straight off the hair. It acts as both a comb and vacuum to remove the lice and eggs into a capture filter which is illuminated by an LED so you can see the results. Replace the filter and the comb is ready for the next outbreak. £49.98 from www.healthcare4all.co.uk The natural approach: Puressentiel head lice treatments include natural plant oils and are clinically proven to treat lice within minutes and without the side effects of chemicals on children’s scalps. Puressentiel Lice Repellent Spray and Anti-Lice Treatment Lotion with Comb are available from independent pharmacies, Boots and online at www.puressentiel.com By the book: Everything you need to know about headlice - their biology, life cycle, evolution, behaviour and ridding your lives of them old and new are in The Little Book of Nits - an intriguing book by the acclaimed ‘bug man’ Richard Jones, and our own book reviewer Justine Crow. £7.99 from Bloomsbury and Bookseller Crow instore and online, www.booksellercrow.co.uk.

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ON BLACKHEATH

LONDON ZOO STAMPEDE

THE CENTRE FOR WILDLIFE GARDENING

What’sOn

Find even more activities: www.familiesonline.co.uk then click What's On

T H E GR EAT O UT D OOR S

28 Marsden Road SE15 4EE, 020 7252 9186, www.wildlondon.org.uk WILDLIFE ON SATURDAYS, Drop in to free, fun family activities run by London Wildlife Trust on Saturdays at the Centre for Wildlife Gardening. The sessions are jam packed with fun activities including pond dipping, bug hunting, wild crafts, stories, games, songs, making wildlife habitats and bushcraft. 10.30am - 12.30pm for younger children (up to 7); 1.30pm - 4.30pm for older children (7 and up), all courses for parents/ children together.

WOODLANDS FARM TRUST SYDENHAM HILL WOOD

SWIM SAFE

SYDENHAM HILL WOOD and COX’S WALK SE26 6LS, www.wildlondon.org.uk

16 September, SERPENTINE LIDO, Hyde Park W2 2UH, www.swimsafe.org.uk Swim Safe offers free outdoor swimming and water safety sessions for children aged 7-14. During the hour-long session, children learn how to stay safe when swimming outdoors, which is often more challenging than swimming in a pool. Children must be able to swim 25m unaided. Swim Safe sessions are run by qualified swimming teachers and lifeguards, supported by a team of trained volunteers.

Sydenham Hill Wood is part ancient woodland, one of the largest remaining fragments of the Great North Wood which once stretched from Deptford to Selhurst. Now managed by the London Wildlife Trust and volunteers, it is a wildlife oasis in urban south London, with the remnants of a Victorian railway line to explore, and many species of plants, birds and bugs.

OPEN DAY, 10 September. Celebrate 35 years of nature conservation with London Wildlife Trust. Volunteers will be holding guided walks and pond dipping events, local folk musicians will add the music, slices of cake will be available, and a tombola to raise money for the Woods’ wildlife. 11am-4pm, free.

CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE COUNTRY FAIR 10 September, CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE, Hill Hoath Road, Chiddingstone, Kent TN8 7AD, 01892 870347, www.chiddingstonecastle.org.uk Celebrate countryside traditions and sports - such as horse and hound displays, laser clay pigeon shooting, a dog show including terrier racing (take your terrier too), fly fishing and the chance to stroke miniature Shetland ponies. Admire the vintage tractors, play on a giant bouncy castle, join in the family giant wool sack race, and browse the marquee stalls and refreshment outlets. Open 11am - 5pm, admission free for under 5s, children £2, adults £5.

revitalise your website

lots of fresh ideas for websites, blogs & shops

020 8658 9975

www.lancasters.co.uk 16 Families South East

331 Shooters Hill, Welling, Kent DA16 3RP, 020 8319 8900, www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org Woodlands Farm is an 89-acre working city farm, run predominantly by volunteers. Find out about farming life and farm animals as well as a chance to experience the countryside on London’s doorstep. Open 9.30am-4.30pm Tuesdays to Sundays, entry free - donations welcome.

20th ANNIVERSARY FAMILY FUN DAY, 10 September. Find out all about the farm through a variety of activities and trails, in a fun day for all the family. 11am-3pm

HEVER CASTLE & GARDENS HEVER, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 7NG, 01732 865224, www.hevercastle.co.uk Surrounded by award-winning gardens and dating back to the 13th century, historic Hever Castle provides a picturesque setting for a fantastic day out. Children will love the new adventure playground - bigger than a four bedroom house, it has its own moat, drawbridge and three turrets. Hever admission from £14.20 adults, from £9 children (5-15); family ticket £38.90.

LONDON ZOO STAMPEDE 17 September, ZSL LONDON ZOO, Outer Circle, Regent’s Park, London, Greater London, NW1 4RY, 0344 225 1826 www.zsl.org The popular Stampede 10k is back and whether you’re looking for a new challenge or want to add something different to your Sunday morning run, this provides you with the perfect opportunity to walk, run or jog, as well as visit your favourite animals as a post workout reward. £34 registration fee includes entry into the Zoo after the event has taken place, a commemorative medal for all finishers and a friendly team to support you along the way.

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ON BLACKHEATH 2017 9+10 September , BLACKHEATH SE3, www.onblackheath.com Created in partnership with John Lewis, OnBlackheath was created as the perfect festival for unwinding and putting a smile on your face; showcasing the best in local and international artists, serving up amazing food, and offering a world of fun for all ages.

This year’s musical line up includes Travis, The Libertines, KT Tunstall, Jake Bugg, cracking dance acts and world-famous Djs. There will be adventures, stories and craft activities for children, plus a village green sports day. Also joining the children’s line-up will be Children’s Laureate (2007-2009) novelist, poet and author of the enduring classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Michael Wayne Rosen. Other key highlights include appearances by the legendary Basil Brush, and the BBC CBeebies show Mister Maker, teaching and entertaining pre-schoolers in fun and imaginative ways. Open noon to 10.30pm Saturday, to 10pm Sunday. Day tickets £49.50, weekend £90, under 5s free, children’s tickets from £10.

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CHIDDINGSTONE CASTLE

HORNIMAN BUTTERFLY HOUSE

MUSEUM OF LONDON

MU SEUMS & EVENT S THE HORNIMAN MUSEUM HORNIMAN MUSEUM and gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ, 020 8699 1872, www.horniman.ac.uk Museum open 10.30am-5.30pm daily, general admission free, charges apply for special exhibitions and the aquarium. The museum’s music gallery and hands-on base, regular weekend and holiday drop-ins and workshops allow family visitors to explore the collection through arts and crafts, music, stories and hands-on sessions. All this within 16 acres of beautiful green space which has the oldest nature trail in London, an animal corner and a Farmers’ Market every Saturday.

THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE. Get up close with hundreds of beautiful butterflies in the Horniman’s tropical indoor garden.

The specially-planted habitat is the perfect place to experience butterflies free-flying all around you and to discover amazing facts about the life-cycle and behaviour of these fascinating creatures.

Open from 10am daily, entry by timed ticket, family tickets £13.50.

ROBOT ZOO, until 29 October. Come face to face with a robotic rhino, a squid with 18-foot tentacles and a huge housefly with a vacuum cleaner for a mouth. Robot Zoo houses larger-than-life robot animals made from familiar machine parts and gadgets, in an exciting hands-on family exhibition revealing some of nature’s most amazing adaptations. Interactive games and challenges explain how a chameleon changes colour, what makes grasshoppers leap so high, and why a platypus looks so strange.

Children £4.40, adults £7.70, families £18.70.

THE FOUNDLING MUSEUM 40 Brunswick Square, Camden Town WC1N 1AZ, 020 7841 3600, www.foundlingmuseum.org.uk Britain’s first home for abandoned children and London’s first public art gallery reveals the stories of the Foundling Hospital’s founder Thomas Coram, the artist William Hogarth and composer George Frideric Handel. It houses significant collections of eighteenth-century art, interiors, social history and music. Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays and from 11am Sundays.

Admission free for under 16s, £8.25 adults.

BACH TO BABY, 14 September and 12 October. The awardwinning classical concert series for babies, toddlers and parents, performed by pianist Miaomiao Yu along with other internationallyrenowned musicians. 10.30am, children free, adults £12.

SOUTH LONDON BOTANICAL INSTITUTE 323 South Norwood Road, Herne Hill SE24 9AQ, 020 8674 5787, www.slbi.org.uk, www.londonopenhouse.org LONDON OPEN HOUSE, 17 September. Visit the house and garden, learn more about the Institute’s founder, botany, view the collections and eat delicious tea and cake. 1-5pm drop-in, free.

BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM BANK OF ENGLAND MUSEUM, Threadneedle Street, London EC2R, 020 7601 5545, www.bankofengland.co.uk/museum The Bank of England Museum tells the story of the Bank of England from its foundation in 1694 to its role today as the UK’s central bank. Examine intricately-designed banknotes, feel the weight of a genuine gold bar and see the pikes and muskets that were once used to defend the Bank. Children’s activity sheets provide fun for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm Mondays to Fridays, admission free.

SCIENCE MUSEUM SCIENCE MUSEUM, Exhibition Road SW7 2DD, 0870 870 4868, www.sciencemuseum.org.uk Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science, engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. Open daily 10am-6pm except 24-26 December.

WONDERLAB: THE STATOIL GALLERY. The UK’s biggest interactive science gallery is filled with specially-commissioned exhibits and artworks, live science shows, explosive demonstrations and immersive experiences led by the museum’s talent team of science communicators. Day pass £8 adult, £6 child, £22.50 families.

OUR LIVES IN DATA. Information about our lives is increasingly being captured, analysed and used, transforming the world around us. From toys that can understand a child’s personality and smarter public transport planning to new genomic technology that is helping uncover the causes of rare diseases and cancer, big data’s invisible revolution has begun. Ages 8 to adult, free.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 5BD, 020 7942 5000, www.nhm.ac.uk Dinosaurs, volcanoes, precious gems and creepy crawlies discover the diversity of the natural world through the nation’s finest collection of natural history specimens. Fascinating exhibitions display up to 70 million plants, animals, fossils, rocks and minerals, with a hands-on education centre where you can meet real scientists at work. Museum open 10am-5.50pm, admission free.

INVESTIGATE FOR FAMILIES, every weekend. Get a feel for how scientists work by having a go yourself. Explore hundreds of real nature specimens that form the evidence Museum scientists use in their daily work. Drop-in, ages 3-11, 11am-5pm.

WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR. Enjoy the world’s best nature photography revealing the astonishing diversity of life on our planet, from urban foxes to mountain hares.

COLOUR AND VISION. Discover the earliest life on Earth and trace the evolutionary history of colour and vision. Find out how early interactions gave rise to the wide variety of colours that we now see in the natural world. Adults £12, children £6.

DINO SNORES, once a month on Saturdays. Discover what really happens at the museum when the staff and visitors have gone home. Children aged 7-11 years, from 7pm to 9.50am the following day. Tickets £60.

T.REX GRILL. A fun new dinosaur-themed restaurant, primarily aimed at families with children aged 12 and under, transports visitors back millions of years to dine with dinosaurs. The animatronic velociraptors are a big hit alongside a dinosaur themed menu which includes T.rex burgers, fish and stone-baked pizza and dino topped ice creams.

MUSEUM OF LONDON MUSEUM OF LONDON, 150 London Wall EC2Y 5HN, www.museumoflondon.org.uk JUNK, until 1 October. Junk shows how our current awareness of the need to recycle paper, metal, glass, plastic and food is nothing new. Witness the ingenious ways Londoners have reused household objects, such as the Romans who repaired their pots with lead, iron wires and adhesives made from tree bark, early 18th century shoes made entirely from re-used materials, and the bells of monasteries that were melted down and turned into cannons.

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WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD

ZERAFFA GIRAFFA

MoreWhat’sOn Find even more activities: www.familiesonline.co.uk then click What's On

MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS MUSEUM OF LONDON DOCKLANDS, Warehouse 1, West India Quay E14 4AL, www.museumoflondon.org.uk/docklands Find out more about London’s history, through displays covering events such as the Great Plague, Londoners’ jobs and occupations, and Roman life. Open daily 10am-6pm, admission free. On Sundays, museum hosts help visitors explore the galleries through fun, hands-on activities at 11am and 2pm.

SILK STORIES, 16 September. Create your own unique patterns inspired by London’s Huguenot silk designers. Learn about these settlers, who they were and the skills they brought with them to the city in this art workshop. Noon - 1.30pm and 2.30 - 4pm, ages 5+, free.

BUILDING BRIDGES, 23 September. Add to the museum’s collaborative river scene and design bridges that span the Thames and connect Londoners together. Noon - 1.30pm and 2.30 - 4pm, ages 5+, free.

TREASURES FROM THE THAMES, 23 + 24 September. A free family-friendly weekend of workshops, crafts and performances celebrating the River Thames. Featuring ‘Liquid History’ a performance by Gestalt Arts exploring the story of London through five objects found on its shores, as well as river-themed performances devised by local young people. Noon-4pm, ages 5+, free.

FULHAM PALACE Bishop’s Avenue, Fulham SW6 6EA, 020 7736 3233, www.fulhampalace.org The Museum of Fulham Palace charts the long history of the palace site, from Prehistoric times and Roman settlement, through Medieval, Tudor, Georgian and Victorian bishops to the present day. The museum collection includes paintings, archaeology and artefacts. Open noon-4pm Sundays, 12.30-3.30pm Mondays to Thursdays, admission free.

GARDEN WALK, 7 September. Join the Palace for a tour of the garden and discover more about its history and the rare plants grown there today. £6 per person, accompanied children free, no booking necessary.

HANDS-ON ARCHAEOLOGY, 24 September. Get up close and personal with archaeology at Fulham Palace, and learn more about the rich and varied history of this ancient site. This drop-in session is for archaeology enthusiasts of all ages, and is free.

1pm-3pm.

PALACE EXPLORERS, Fun and creative facilitated sessions geared specifically to 2-4 year olds and their adults. Explore and learn together through a specific theme, with arts and crafts, storytelling and dressing up, games, gardening, singing and whole host of other delights! Book first.

GEFFRYE MUSEUM EVENTS GEFFRYE MUSEUM, Kingsland Road E2 8EA, 020 7739 9893, www.geffrye-museum.org.uk Special workshops and quizzes inspire creativity and provide amusement for accompanied 5-11 year-olds on the first Saturday of each month and during school holidays. Places allocated 30 minutes in advance of each workshop. Museum open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Saturdays, from noon Sundays.

FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE MUSEUM St THOMAS’S HOSPITAL, 2 Lambeth Palace Road SE1 7EW, 020 7188 4400, www.florence-nightingale.co.uk Known as ‘The Lady with the Lamp’, Florence Nightingale was a pioneering nurse, writer, and noted statistician. The Florence Nightingale Museum celebrates her life and work, through personal material associated with Florence Nightingale, items relating to the Crimean War and nursing artefacts. Open 10am7pm daily, admission £7.50 adults, £3.80 children.

THE MAKING OF HARRY POTTER WARNER BROS. STUDIO TOUR LONDON, Studio Tour Drive, Leavesden WD25 7LR, 0345 084 0900, www.wbstudiotour.co.uk The Forbidden Forest may be strictly off-limits to Hogwarts students, but for the first time this March, visitors to Warner Bros.

Studio Tour London are invited to defy Professor Dumbledore’s orders and follow the footsteps of Harry, Ron and Hermione deep into the grounds of the Forbidden Forest. The unique attraction offers visitors the ultimate chance to get up close to authentic sets, discover the magic behind spellbinding special effects and explore the behind-the-scenes secrets of the Harry Potter film series.

18 Families South East

THE 02 02 ARENA, Peninsula Square, Greenwich SE10 0DX, www.the02.co.uk/events UP AT THE 02. Dressed in full explorer attire, climb onto the roof of the 02 on a journey to the viewing platform where spectacular views of the city await. Ages 9+, tickets from £30, booking recommended.

STAR WARS IDENTITIES, Until September. Rediscover the unforgettable characters of Star Wars in a whole new way, through an exclusive collection of 200 props, models, costumes and artwork from the Star Wars films. Explore what makes the characters of Star Wars who they are, and take on an interactive identity quest to discover your own personalised Star Wars character. Tickets from £10 children, £20 adults, £48 families.

THEATRE SHOWS

VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM V&A MUSEUM, Cromwell Road SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000, www.vam.ac.uk/families Pick up a family trail from the Information Desk and explore the museum through puzzles, drawing and observation. Suitable for 7-12 year-olds. There are also hundreds of exciting hands-on exhibits containing plenty to touch and try out. Museum open 10am-5.45pm daily, admission free.

BACK-PACKS, Saturdays. Pick up a back pack and explore the museum with fantastic jigsaws, stories, puzzles and games.

10.30am-5pm.

CHILD OF THE DIVIDE

WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD

GREENWICH THEATRE

until 10 September, LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftsbury Avenue W1D 7ES, 0330 333 4812, www.whattheladybirdheardlive.co.uk

GREENWICH THEATRE, Crooms Hill SE10 8ES, 020 8858 7755, www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK, 24 September. Enter the imaginative world of Alice in Wonderland creator, Lewis Carroll, in this brand new, highly original, ultra-modern adaptation inspired by his much loved classic poem. Fresh from the West End, this show features five high-energy actors, life-like puppets, fantastical characters, and lashings of daft humour. Ages 4+, tickets £11 children, £16 adults.

Two crafty robbers, one tiny ladybird, and a whole farmyard of fun!

Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow. But they reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: the Ladybird has a plan of her own! Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks’ award-winning picture book bursts onto the West End stage with plenty of colour and verve. Ages 3+.

BLACKHEATH HALLS 23 Lee Road, Blackheath SE3 9RQ, 020 8318 9758, www.blackheathhalls.com WIND IN THE WILLOWS, 9 September. From the peaceful pleasures of Ratty's beloved river bank to the fearful frights and wicked weasels of the Wild Wood, join Mole and Ratty on their marvellous adventures, along with gruff old Badger and magnificent Mr.Toad. A beautiful new adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's much loved classic by award winning theatre company Box Tale Soup, Wind in the Willows features handmade puppets, props and costume, and a charming original score. Ages 5-11, tickets £8.50.

OPEN HOUSE 2017, 16 September. Blackheath Halls will be taking part in the Open House London events this year with architectural tours, taster performances and other activities.

All activities will be free of charge.

BILLY GOATS GRUFF, 7 October. Who's that trip trapping over my bridge? This is the simple story of three hungry goats and a grumpy old troll, told with a gently ecological message. Watch out for the dance of the goats, the flying troll and load and loads of rubbish. Garlic Theatre create a magical world to entrance and delight a young audience with puppets, live music, storytelling and singing. Ages 3-6, tickets £8.50.

HAVEN'T STOPPED DANCING YET, 7 October. An Autumn party for all grown-ups who want to dance to the music they remember the first time round! With a mix of disco, soul & funk from the 70s and 80s, dance line ups, free retro sweets and ice pops, it is certain to be a fun night to remember for anyone up for a party. 7.30pm start, tickets £18 on the door, £15 in advance.

UNICORN THEATRE 147 Tooley Street SE1 2HZ, 020 7845 0580, www.unicorntheatre.com OPEN HOUSE, 16 September. The Unicorn Theatre was built by Keith Williams Architects and was opened by Lord Attenborough on 1 December 2005. The building comprises a 350 seat theatre, a theatre studio, education, teaching and rehearsal spaces, public café, and is the most far reaching child focused educative and theatrical cultural institution in the UK. Step behind the scenes for an exclusive, free guided tour.

LAIKA, 24 September - 12 November. Meet Laika, the space dog and first living creature to orbit earth, in a moving sci-fi adventure, inventively and beautifully told using puppetry, movement and music. Ages 6-12, tickets from £10.

BEOWULF, 1 October - 5 November. Writer Chris Thorpe shines a new perspective on the longest surviving epic poem, drawing out connections between the ancient and the modern worlds in this tale of heroism, fear, bravery and anguish in the battle of life. £8 children, £10 adults.

SOUTHBANK SOUTHBANK CENTRE, Belvedere Road SE1 8XX, 0844 847 9944, www.southbankcentre.co.uk MONSKI MOUSE’S BABY DISCO DANCE HALL, Sundays until 24 September. Get your heads, shoulders, knees and toes wiggling and jiggling to a quirky inspired DJ set. Playing a selection of retro hits and children’s music, Monski Mouse and her dancers, encourage parents and carers to party and play hard with their little ones, while they are still young enough to not be embarrassed by ‘dad-dancing’ or the ‘mum-step’. Ages 0-5, tickets from £8.50, www.udderbellyfestival.com.

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THE HUNTING OF THE SNARK

MUSIC MAZE WORKSHOP, 30 September. Join a three hour workshop creating a piece of contemporary music, ready to perform on the Riverside Cafe stage. Ages 8-11 years, 10.30am1.30pm.

SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside SE1 9DT, 020 7401 9919, www.shakespearesglobe.com Learn about Shakespeare’s world and his plays through interactive activities and demonstrations. Ages 5+, £10 family tickets available for a limited period.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, until 15 October. Set in Mexico, in 1910, Shakespeare’s classic tale of antagonistic romance and madcap humour explodes on to the Globe stage with a fusion of Latin music, desert flowers and revolutionary politics in this bold new production. Tickets from £5.

POLKA THEATRE POLKA THEATRE, 240 Broadway, Wimbledon SW19 1SB, 020 8543 4888, www.polkatheatre.com CHILD OF THE DIVIDE, 29 September - 15 October. Summer 1947 and 16 million people are on the move between India and the newly-formed Pakistan. Amid the upheaval young Pal’s fingers slip from his father’s hand, and his destiny changes forever. Taken in by a Muslim family, he is given a new name, a new faith and a new life. But when his real father returns to claim him, Pali must decide who he is: the Hindu boy he was born to be, the Muslim boy he has become, or simply a child of the divide. Ages 7+, tickets £10 children, £13.50 adults.

WIND IN THE WILLOWS

WOW! SAID THE OWL

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE, 14 Dagmar Passage, Cross Street N1 2DN, 020 7226 1787, www.littleangeltheatre.com

ROH, Bow Street, London WC2E 9D, 07304 4000, www.roh.org.uk FAMILY SUNDAYS, Last Sunday of each month. Explore the Royal Opera House, its artists and the world of opera and ballet.

Sundays are packed full of creative and practical activities for all the family including informal performances from Royal Ballet dancers, plus interactive singing and dance activities. Ages 6+, 12-4pm, £5 adults, £3 children.

FIRST OPERA: WELCOME PERFORMANCES. Welcome Performances are for families who have never been to a ballet or opera at the Royal Opera House before. You don’t need to know anything about either - just come along and give it a try. Tickets £5-£20.

WOW! SAID THE OWL, 2 September - 5 November. The acclaimed children’s book by award-winning author, Tim Hopgood, is brought to life through a blend of beautiful storytelling, puppetry and music. Directed by Joy Haynes, this show will delight and excite very young audiences. Ages 2-5, tickets £10.50 children, £12.50 adults; all tickets £5 at 5pm on Fridays.

ZERAFFA GIRAFFA, 21 September - 4 November. An emotionally engaging tale that explores what it is like to be different. Based on the book by award-winning children’s author Dianne Hofmeyr, Zeraffa Giraffa is inspired by the astonishing true tale of a real giraffe. This adaptation has beautiful hand-made puppets and an original musical score that will bring you along Zeraffa’s epic journey across land and sea. Ages 4-8, tickets £12 children, £14 adults; all tickets £5 at 5pm on Fridays.

RUSTY NAILS AND OTHER HEROES, 23+24 September. An award-winning cross-over between theatre, visual art and animation. A wordless poetic performance in which worthless finds, picked up from street corners and rescued from the gutter change into actors. A live performed animation. The movie and the making of at the same time! Ages 6-12, with evening performances suitable for ages 10 to adult. Tickets £10 children, £12 adults.

CHURCHILL THEATRE BROMLEY CHURCHILL THEATRE, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA, 0844 871 7620, www.churchilltheatre.co.uk THE RAILWAY CHILDREN, 26 September - 1 October.

E. Nesbit’s classic novel The Railway Children is brought thrillingly to life in a stunning stage production. Complete with beautiful period costumes and ingenious designs, this new production promises an uplifting theatrical experience for all ages, packed with intrigue, adventure, joy and jubilation. Children’s tickets from £15, adults £19.

ART ACTIVITIES DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY DULWICH PICTURE GALLERY, Gallery Road, Dulwich Village SE21 7AD, 020 8693 5254, www.dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk Open 10am-5pm Tuesdays to Fridays, from 11am weekends and bank holidays. Admission free for accompanied children, £8 adults. Listed activities free for families with a gallery ticket or £3 per child.

SARGENT: THE WATERCOLOURS, until 8 October. Renowned as the portraitist of his generation, Anglo-American artist John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) also devoted time to developing his talent in watercolour, undertaking several painting expeditions to Europe in the early twentieth century. This exhibition brings together 80 paintings from private and public collections, revealing Sargent’s idiosyncratic view of the world and the scale of his achievement.

ART PLAY, first and last Sunday of each month. Creative drop-in workshops for adults and children, with a different activity each session. Make anything and everything from bunting to block printing and all things in between. 2-3.45pm.

FREE FAMILY TRAIL. Ask a gallery assistant or stop by at the Gallery Friends desk for a free trail; updated frequently and available for the permanent and temporary exhibitions.

ART AT SIR JOHN SOANE’S HOUSE SIR JOHN SOANE’S MUSEUM, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields WC2A 3PB, 020 7440 4263, www.soane.org Tucked away in Lincoln’s Inn Fields at the heart of London, this magical, mysterious museum encourages young visitors to explore Soane’s treasures and develop new skills with specialist guidance. Sir John Soane (1753- 1737) was an inveterate collector, filling every nook and cranny of his beautiful home with items that fascinated him. From fossils to classical fragments from Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome and from contemporary paintings to architectural models, drawings and literature, he intended that after his death both his house and its extraordinary contents should be used to educate and inspire. Free drop-in activities run on the third Saturday of every month, with activities for all ages and families can take part together from 1.30-4.40pm.

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THE NATIONAL GALLERY

SOMERSET HOUSE

TRAFALGAR SQUARE WC2N 5DN, 020 7747 2885, www.nationalgallery.org.uk Open daily 10am-6pm, Fridays to 9pm, admission free.

With over 2,300 paintings in the collection, there are hundreds of reasons to visit the gallery, along with free hands-on art workshops and magic carpet storytellling for families at weekends and during school holidays. No need to book, but places are limited and allocated on arrival up to one hour before the start.

SOMERSET HOUSE, Strand WC2, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk Art and culture in the heart of London in a stunning riverside setting. Open daily, admission free with a charge for some exhibitions. Free family workshops run on occasional Saturdays check the website for details. Children aged 6-12 years must be accompanied by an adult.

PERFUME: A SENSORY JOURNEY THROUGH CONTEMPORARY SCENT, until 17 September. Discover a vibrant new scent scene through multi-sensory installations and workshops. Among fragrances of greatest interest for children is Killian Wells’ Dark Ride which simulates the scent of a water park, and Lyn Harris’s Charcoal which, as you might expect, somewhat resembles the aromas of a summer barbecue. Admission £9 children, £11 adults.

THE WALLACE COLLECTION THE WALLACE COLLECTION, Hertford House, Manchester Square W1U 3BN, 020 7563 9500, www.wallacecollection.org The Wallace Collection displays wonderful works of art collected in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries by the first four Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, the son of the 4th Marquess, in their main London townhouse.

Family multi-media tours and trails bring the exhibits to life for younger visitors. Open 10am-5pm daily, admission free.

NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, St Martin’s Place WC2H 0HE, 020 7306 0055, www.npg.org.uk The gallery features thousands of portraits of the most famous people in British history, from the 16th century to the present day.

Open 10am-6pm daily.

DROP IN FAMILY SUNDAYS. On the third Sunday of every month, families are invited to drop-in with children aged 3+ to take part in portrait-related events.

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REGISTER FOR WEAR A HAT DAY 2018

Children’s events Sep-Nov 2017

WIND IN THE WILLOWS

BILLY GOATS GRUFF

SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER 11am & 3pm

SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER 11am & 3pm

THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER

ALADDIN

SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER 11.30am & 3pm

SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER 11am & 3pm

Register for Wear A Hat Day 2018 and start planning your event!

Wear A Hat Day is the UK’s premier brain tumour research fundraising event.

It takes place on Thursday 29th March 2018. March is also UK Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Schools and families across the country get involved to help raise funds for research into brain tumors’.

Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK that is purely dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours.

Taking part can be as simple as putting on a hat and donating on the day, but most families like to create entertaining fundraising events. Many schools for example have inventive hat competitions, parades and fashion shows and raise hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

On average, organisations raise £250, with small ones £50 and some raising more than £2,000! Whatever target you set yourselves aim to smash it!!

More information, event ideas and fundraising tips can be found online: www.wearahatday.org.

Register now on www.wearahatday.org and start planning your hattastic fundraising event.

Your fundraising pack will be sent out in early 2018 and will include leaflets, posters, balloons, wristbands and badges to help promote your event and smash your fundraising target!

Greenwich Office Norman House 110-114 Norman Road London SE10 9EH

20 Families South East

All tickets £8.50. Book online at www.blackheathhalls.com Book more and save money or contact the box office on 020 8463 0100 Together we will find a cure

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Brain tumors kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer… yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Families are being left devastated by his dreadful disease. This is unacceptable!