Families Suffolk Magazine: May - June 24-Print Edition

Your local guide to family days out and places to visit during May and June.

The importance of water safety and learning to swim.

Plus... Suffolk Libraries introduce their new Summer Reading Challenge. Cover image supplied by: St

Joseph's College

CONTACT US:

EDITOR: Stacey Phillips

T: 07951 946736

E: editor@familiessuffolk.co.uk

Design: Stacey Phillips

Printed by: Buxton Press

Next Issue: July/August 2024

12,000 copies of the magazine are distributed throughout Suffolk. To request copies please contact the Editor.

Welcome

Welcome to our new Spring/Summer issue.

As I write this welcome note it's hard to believe summer is just around the corner, the weather really needs to improve, it's been a very wet and cold April. Fingers crossed we do eventually start to see some good weather as we have some great events happening over the next few months. Take a look at our What's On Guide to help you plan your family days out.

We have a great article in this issue from Abbeycroft promoting the importance of water safety and learning to swim in our Active Families Feature. In our 'Meet the Head' article we are introduced to the incoming Head of Framlingham College Prep School, Simon Roche. Plus find out why over half of the ITFC squad are from St Joseph's College in our Education Feature.

I hope you enjoy.

Best Wishes

Stacey Phillips

WHAT'S ON

TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TOP PICKS FOR FAMILY DAYS OUT AND PLACES TO VISIT IN MAY & JUNE 2024

The Hadleigh Show

WHERE: Holbecks Park, Hadleigh, IP7 5PE

WHEN: Sat 18th May www.hadleighshow.co.uk

The Big Afternoon

WHERE: New Wolsey Theatre, Civic Drive, Ipswich, IP1 2AS

WHEN: Sat 25th May | 2pm-4pm www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

Springtime Family Activities

WHERE: St Edmundsbury Cathedral Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LS

WHEN: Tue 28th & Wed 29th May www.stedscathedral.org/whats-on

Quentin Blake: The Illustrated Hospital Exhibition

WHERE: Moyse’s Hall Museum, Cornhill, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1DX

WHEN: From Tue 4th June www.moyseshall.org

East Anglian Stortytelling Festival

WHERE: The Food Museum, Stowmarket, IP14 1DL

WHEN: Friday 17th - Sunday 19th May www.foodmuseum.org.uk

Kids Rule! At Framlingham Castle

WHERE: Church Street, Framlingham IP13 9BP

WHEN: Sat 25th May - Sun 2nd June www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/ places/framlingham-castle/

Wild in the Stour Valley

WHERE: Friars Meadow, Sudbury, CO10 2SS

WHEN: Fri 31st May www.riverstourtrust.org/events

TOTFest 2024 - Suffolk!

WHERE: Newmarket Racecourse, The Rowley Mile, Newmarket, CB8 0TF

WHEN: Sun 9th June

www.totfestfestival.com/suffolk

Grease The Musical

WHERE: Ipswich Regent, IP4 1HE

WHEN: Tue 21st - Sat 25th May

www.ipswichtheatres.co.uk

The Suffolk Show

WHERE: Trinity Park, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich IP3 8UH

WHEN: Wed 29th & Thu 30th May

Get ready to experience the ultimate celebration of Suffolk's finest. From countryside favourites and family fun to mouthwatering food and daring displays.

Get active and have a blast at the Sports Village at this year's show! With a wide range of activities to choose from, including rock climbing, nerf gun battles, cycling course, yoga sessions and much more. Whether you're a foodie, animal lover, or thrill-seeker, there's something for everyone at this year's Suffolk Show!

www.suffolkshow.co.uk

DRAGON FEST 2024

WHERE: West Stow Anglo Saxon Village, IP28 6HG

WHEN: Sat 22nd - Sun 23rd June www.weststow.org

EXHIBITION: Brick Wonders

Around the World in LEGO® Bricks COMING TO SUFFOLK THIS SUMMER...

Suffolk Archives at The Hold, Ipswich, IP4 1LR Fri 12th July 2024 - Mon 30th September 2024

Wonders from around the globe will be presented in half a million LEGO® bricks at this spectacular and unmissable exhibition.

Created by Warren Elsmore, Brick Wonders recreates breath taking sights and structures from around the world. Beginning with the seven wonders of the ancient world, the exhibition takes in historic, modern and natural wonders of the seven continents.

Suitable for all ages. Children under 4 go free.

To book visit: www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/whats-on/

Experience ultimate bouncing fun at Jump In Adventure and Trampoline Park Ipswich.

The perfect day out for the whole family, come rain or shine!

Bouncers of all ages can defy gravity on the wall-to-wall trampolines, practice their tricks into the giant airbag, or challenge their friends on the battle beam and wipeout zone.

Jump In Ipswich is also home to a huge soft play area for little ones to enjoy! They can explore the multiple levels of slides, tunnels, and other activities. Or play make believe on the miniature boulevard of shops and cafés!

Planning a party? Choose a Jump In party package for a 100%-fun-zero-stress experience! All you need to do is choose a date and time, invite your guests, and leave the rest up to Jump In, completely hassle free. Packages start at £17 per person.

Jump In is the perfect place for your next group booking.

School trips, youth groups days out, and corporate team building can all be catered to. Standard and bespoke packages are available, as well as exclusive hire.

An unmissable exhibition is coming to The Hold on Ipswich Waterfront. Brick Wonders, created by Warren Elsmore, will showcase wonders from around the world including the seven wonders of the ancient world, as well as historic, modern, and natural wonders. Don't miss out on visiting this breathtaking display of structures and sights - all built using half a million LEGO® bricks!

Fri 12 July - Sun 29 September Adults: £5 Children over 4: £4 Group ticket (2 adults, 2 children): £14

To book tickets, please scan the QR code or visit: www.suffolkarchives.co.uk/whatson

See if you can find all the animals in this fun, family-friendly exhibition! Make your own animal artworks in the creative studio. We have exciting events planned for the summer, including a trail, workshops and more! Follow us on social media @IpswichMuseums for updates and announcements.

Suffolk Libraries introduces its brand-new summer reading adventure, Reading Quest. Children and families can sign up from 13 July 2024 in any Suffolk Libraries location. Grab your map, explore Suffolk and share books throughout the summer. suffolklibraries.co.uk/reading-quest

The importance of water safety and learning to swim

A child can drown in as little as 2cm of water! Drowning is one of the most common causes of accidental death in children. These are horrifying facts and why water safety is vital for your family’s safety.

Learning to swim goes hand in hand with being safe in and around water. However, water safety means so much more than knowing how to swim! Accidental drownings can be largely avoided through vigilant supervision, swimming skills, and water safety training.

As part of a well-rounded learn-to-swim program, you and your children should learn when and where it is safe to swim. Water safety is all about preventing aquatic accidents and deaths so that you and your family can enjoy the many pleasures and benefits of being in and around water.

Know Your Abilities

One key factor in water safety is knowing your swimming abilities. Unfortunately, many people put themselves in harm’s way when they overestimate their ability. This is particularly true of children and teens; constant, uninterrupted adult supervision is critical. At least one adult should be in charge when playing in or near the water.

Sadly, many drowning victims had no intention of going into the water. Instead, they may have been fishing in a small boat and fell overboard while not wearing a flotation device. Or, perhaps they were enjoying the view from a quayside when they fell in. Learning how to swim and being watersafe is key to helping to prevent drowning and other waterrelated emergencies.

Know Your Environment

Familiarise yourself with aquatic environments when you visit a pool or the seaside. Know the water depths; your water entry should be feet first the first time. Many catastrophic diving injuries could be avoided by understanding what is below the water’s surface. Know if a lifeguard is on duty, and understand all local risks. Shallow water is safer for beginners and feet-first entries, while deep water is safer for diving and strong swimmers. The sea/ocean requires knowledge of potentially dangerous tides and currents and is for expert swimmers only.

ASK THE EXPERTS

at Abbeycroft

Claire Turnbull from Abbeycroft says:

Here are the benefits of learning to swim with us: Swimming is a life skill…which could save your child’s life.

Swimming provides an opportunity for your child to be active bringing lots of physical health benefits; healthy heart and lungs; improved strength and flexibility; improved balance and posture.

As part of our swim academy programme your child progresses through the award scheme providing your child with a sense of pride as they are recognised for their achievements leading to increased self-confidence and self belief.

You are in good hands with our trusted, highly qualified and passionate instructors.

Lastly but equally as important… your child will have lots of fun learning to swim in a safe and secure environment.

www.acleisure.com/swimming

Is your child fully vaccinated?

Catching up is easy, at any age

You may have read or heard that cases of measles are increasing in England. While cases in Suffolk are currently low (at time of publication), we should prepare for and protect against the potential for increased cases. If your child has not been fully vaccinated (2 doses) with the MMR vaccine it is a good time to get this done to protect them.

ASTHMA

Asthma is a common, long-term condition which affects the airways in the lungs. Asthma causes the airways to become tight, which makes it harder to breathe.

Simple treatments can help to keep asthma well controlled in most children. Severity of asthma symptoms varies between children, from very mild to severe.

Triggers for asthma include colds and flu, pollen, exercise, house dust, mites, pets like cats and dogs, stress, cigarette smoke and exhaust fumes from vehicles.

A good way to avoid excess exhaust fumes from vehicles is to always switch your engine off when parked.

Keeping a personal log and action plan is important in proactively managing asthma. It is also important to make sure children have enough medications.

The Healthy Suffolk website has more information about asthma in children including signs and symptoms, triggers, and treatment and management, as well as other common childhood illnesses. Visit: www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/ conditions/asthma/manage/asthma-review

You can look in the ‘immunisation’ section in your child’s red book (Personal Child Health Record) to see if they have received their MMR vaccinations.

If your child is missing ANY vaccination, book an appointment to get them up to date. This can be done at a vaccination clinic or your GP. If you would like to book a place on a clinic, please call 0300 555 5055 or for more information visit; www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/ ChildhoodVaccinations.

Getting your child vaccinated is free and the best way to protect them.

ANO FAULT DIVORCE – TWO YEARS ON FROM THIS GROUNDBREAKING REFORM, OUR FAMILY LAW TEAM REFLECTS ON ITS IMPACT ON THE DIVORCE PROCESS

s from the 6th April 2022, no-fault divorce law came into effect in England and Wales, meaning that divorcing couples no longer have to assign blame to each other to be able to end the marriage. This major development, welcomed by family lawyers, is part of a wider shake up of the divorce process under the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. It was undoubtedly the most significant update to the country’s divorce laws in almost fifty years.

Until this much-awaited reform, divorcing couple had to cite one of five key reasons for the break-up: 1. Adultery; 2. Unreasonable behaviour; 3. Desertion; 4. Living apart for two years and both parties agreed to the divorce; and 5. Living apart for five years – agreement was not required from the other party. Adultery and unreasonable behaviour were the most commonly used in the absence of a long period of separation. Both involved an element of blame.

The

Bates Wells & Braithwaite Family Law team reflects on the impact of this reform

Managing Partner Denise Head begins:

“The divorce laws had to change. The concept of blame, particularly in citing “adultery” conjures up an Edwardian age with sleuthing photographers lurking behind hedgerow waiting to catch a party in a compromising situation. However, there is still very much an emotional need to allocate blame. It is after all still very unusual for a couple to be entirely mutual when it comes to the decision to separate. The new regime takes away laying “blame” but not the fact that the more wounded partner thinks it should have an impact on the final settlement. Of course, it doesn’t (except rarely) but perhaps even more interestingly it never did! “Fault” may have allowed the divorce process to be triggered but almost never had an impact on the outcome. But it may take a few more years for that fact to permeate.”

Consultant Nicky Coates joins in: “Those that opposed the reform were mainly concerned that “no-fault” would make divorce easier and quicker. The truth is that it hasn’t. There was an expected backlog of divorces as couples waited to take advantage of the new rules which caused a slight spike in 2022 but the fact is that divorce can now take longer than under the old regime owing to the statutory 20 week cooling off period. Also sadly, the family courts continue to be crippled by delays which has nothing to do with the reforms but lack of funding. There was hope that backlogs could be helped by advances in online applications but as the recent story of the London law firm employee who accidentally opened the wrong file and irretrievably divorced the wrong couple by mistake – technology might not be the answer.”

No fault divorce may have reduced the need for blame but divorce is still a complex process taking place when

Partner Scott Emsden continues: “My practice focuses mainly on children and I feel reasonably optimistic that dispensing with the negativity associated with the need for one spouse to bear the full brunt of the blame for the relationship breakdown, must surely be a healthier, kinder and more constructive start for two people separating, and most importantly, for the welfare of their children. I can’t say it happens in every case but I do believe the reform has helped at least some couples to focus on how to manage the transition for their children of living in one household to two. Anything that helps put a child’s needs first is a positive in my opinion.”

Where every pupil

explores

At Framlingham College we celebrate every individual. Our size, structure and ethos mean that our entire focus is on understanding, guiding and inspiring each child individually – so they can find their self-belief, discover their own talents and challenge themselves to achieve more than they thought possible.

PREP SCHOOL OPEN MORNING

Saturday 12 October 2024 10:00 – 13:00

THE head Meet

In this issue we talk to Simon Roche, incoming Head of Framlingham College Prep School Simon Roche will join Framlingham College as Head of the Prep School in September 2024. Here he tells us a little more about himself.

Where

did your teaching career begin?

I've been teaching for over 20 years, first working as a gap student at a prep school where I did absolutely everything from organising the brass ensemble to marking out the lines on the cricket pitches. Not long after university I got my first job in a city comprehensive in South Leeds teaching drama, which was a hugely formative educational experience. From there, I went into independent education – teaching English - and boarding predominantly, and I also worked abroad for a time in an international school. So, I've done state school, I've done prep as a gapper, I’ve done senior school from Year 7 and I'm also a Governor at the prep school that I went to, so I'm completely embroiled in education and love it.

What or who inspired you to teach?

I've got one slightly negative inspiration in that when I went off to my big boarding school after prep school, I didn't have a great time. I think everyone has the right to happiness and so I've always used my experience as motivation for me as a teacher, and as a leader, to make sure that the pupils I look after are happy and enjoying their time at school.

I also had some very good teachers along the way. Mr Armstrong was an old history teacher of mine, and I really liked the way he knew me as a person, the way he stretched me academically and the feeling that he always had my back. That made me want to work hard for him, so thank you, Mr Armstrong, if you're out there somewhere!

How would people describe you?

I think at my current school, pupils would describe me as energized, empathetic, and good-humoured, but with very high standards.

What or who inspired you to teach?

I think first and foremost you’ve got to know your pupils; you’ve got to care about them as individuals and about their development. Teaching is about relationships and trust; once you get that right learning can flourish. It is also important to set very high standards for the pupils. No one ever raised themselves up to low standards! If you generate a culture of high standards in the classroom and have high expectations across all areas of school life, then - providing the pupils know you're on their side - they'll generally go for it.

What attracted you to Framlingham College Prep School?

I went to a rural co-ed prep school, and they were the happiest days of my young life. Framlingham College Prep is very similar to that school, and I suppose that’s something that led me back to co-ed prep. I’m hugely drawn to the school’s commitment to developing the children as individuals and creating a nurturing environment in which every pupil can strive to be the best version of themselves. As a Head, I want to be a key figure in these young people’s lives, which can often be hard to achieve in bigger senior schools. Equally, the school is in such an amazing rural setting, and I really want to utilise the environment as a place to inspire the children.

What advice would you give to parents choosing a school?

I think the most important thing is to remember that good schools are built on the people within them. It is very tempting to compare facilities and offerings, and I would guard against that. Most importantly, talk to the children at the school. Are they happy and engaged? What are the things they're doing at school? What are they excited about? Ask yourself if you can see your children in their place. The choice is bespoke to your child: if it feels right for yours, it usually is.

Colchester Royal Grammar School 11+ Open Evening

Tuesday 25th June, 6.30pm – 9pm

Colchester Royal Grammar School (CRGS) is a selective day school for boys aged 11-18 years, with a co-ed Sixth Form and Boarding.

Named East Anglia State School of the Decade by The Sunday Times in 2021, CRGS focuses on students not only attaining the highest academic success but also on their personal development in line with the school’s core values: Compassion, Respect, Generosity and Support.

Pupils say 'school is a safe and enjoyable place to be’ (Ofsted, Feb 2022) and the wide range of student-led, staff-supported clubs and societies all help to encourage and shape the equality, diversity and inclusion work.

The Student Support Hub offers support from the school counsellor, the school mental health nurse, and the school Chaplain.

We look forward to welcoming you to our 11+ Open Evening on Tuesday 25th June, 6.30pm-9pm. crgs.co.uk

Why is over half of the ITFC squad from St Joseph’s College?

The collaboration between St Joseph’s College and Ipswich Town Football Club (ITFC) offers our students exceptional prospects for football advancement within both academic and club settings.

This partnership ensures students benefit from professional coaching, mentorship, and insights into the operations of a professional football club. Whilst enjoying the forwardlooking educational philosophy and warm community environment that St Jo’s offers.

The success of this partnership is clearly illustrated by the footballing careers and prospects of past and present St Joseph’s College students playing for ITFC.

"The ITFC Women’s Squad features seven athletes from St Jo’s. They include two current students, Sixth Formers Evie Williams and Leah Mitchell, and five ‘Old Birkfeldians’, Summer Hughes, Sophie Peskett, Kyra Robertson, Nina Meollo and Maria Boswell, the team captain. Meanwhile, the ITFC academy currently has four players on a performance pathway at the College, facilitating their growth as players and supporting their ambitions.

Our objective is to nurture and sustain these collaborative ties over the long term, aiding aspiring players in pursuing their dual career ambitions and ensuring they thrive as young adults. This involves broadening avenues for talent recognition, facilitating routes into professional football and fostering closer integration between the College and ITFC, whilst providing a nurturing community in which students not only become independent learners but they also feel happy and well-supported.

Mr Cole Skuse, St Jo’s Head Football Coach.

"Why is St Joseph’s College football provision so successful?

Director of Football, Miss Paige Shorten explains why football at St Joseph’s College continues to excel:

Last year our U18 girls’ squad were national champions of the English Schools Football Association (ESFA) and this year our U15 boys’ squad are through to the final at West Bromwich Albion Stadium.

The success of St Joseph's College’s football provision is built upon a holistic approach to football development. Our experienced and knowledgeable coaches operate within a supportive environment that encourages growth in the person as much as in the player.

There is a growing emphasis on investing player time with our multidiscipline team. This includes ex-professionals Cole and Paige, together with Mr Damon Artiss, the school’s Athletic Development Coach.

The St Joseph’s training staff pointed to the competitive training model pupils enjoyed throughout the year and to the comprehensive fixture list. Students were encouraged to be hard working and respectful of one another. They celebrated each other's successes and supported their team when success was not instant. Every student-athlete was valued and supported regardless of skill level or background.

We are ever conscious, too, that opportunities will continue down the line; life after St Jo’s is always considered. We are determined to provide an environment in which students can excel, both on and off the pitch, for talented athletes and those playing for the joy of the game alike.