Primary Times Gloucestershire - June back to school mini-edition

Family What’s On Guide

40,366 COPIES FOR FAMILIES OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Gloucestershire

www.primarytimes.co.uk/gloucestershire

An amazing, fun week of online learning via your device, delivered by The Cheltenham Science Festival @Home from Tuesday 2 June

Bringing the

Science back home Your new

Gloucestershire Primary Times:

The Online

Family Guide

Lockdown fun with our bumperfor bumper for the kids pages

More News

More Gloucestershire!

Turn to Page 4.

MINI-EDITION JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL 2 JUNE-17 JULY 2020

The Complete 11+ Programme The Gloucestershire 11+ Grammar School Handbook The ultimate guide to do it yourself grammar school preparation from application to the test and beyond!

Available from Amazon and at our events.

Grammar School (11+) At Home Mock Test Saturday 13th June 2020

Grammar School (11+) Venue Mock Test (Subject to government advice) Saturday 25th July 2020, Cheltenham

Book our events: event.bookitbee.com/cotswold-education For full details visit www.cotswoldeducation.co.uk or call 07976 218062 for a no obligation chat.

Highly qualified, friendly staff leading a well established local learning community of children, parents and educational professionals.

Exclusive Offer! Book online using discount code PTOFFER for 10% off our Mock Tests!

EJS

Edward Jenner School

Making Learning Happen

Has your child been happy and settled working from home?

Have you enjoyed learning together? aAt EJS we offer part time places to support and extend your child’s learning, especially in Science, Maths and Technology.

Registered for children aged 5 to 16 years

Space to learn and play Full and part time places available

Please phone or email:

01452 380808

office@edwardjennerschool.org

44 London Road, Gloucester GL1 3NZ

www.edwardjennerschool.org.uk

2 JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL MINI EDITION

Primary Times Gloucestershire

News

Life’s on screen at Birdland

Live online teaching keeps Coberley pupils connected

D

id you know the head keeper of Birdlands Park and Gardens in Bourton-on-the-Water is keeping audiences informed and entertained over on their Facebook page? Alistair Keen posts weekly videos on different topics, showcasing some of the garden’s amazing birds.

Don’t worry if you’ve missed any so far, as over on the blog page, you can see the full schedule of videos and links (https://www.birdland.co.uk/ live-streamed-keeper-talks-at-birdland/).

So get comfy and enjoy Birdland Park & Gardens virtually. You can also see what the King Penguins and Humboldts are up to right now on a live webcam overlooking the Penguin Shore feature. Head over to the website for the latest videos and updates from the Park. The team at Birdland and its residents can’t wait to welcome you back soon.

F

orward thinking has helped one Gloucestershire primary school and its pupils adapt quickly to education during lockdown, according to head Andrew Milner, and teachers have remained in daily contact with its pupils throughout the coronavirus crisis. He says that Coberley C of E Primary School, a rural school of 70 pupils near Cheltenham, was already considering using GooAndrew Milner gle Classroom, an education platform operated by the well-known search engine, to reduce photocopying.

“In the last week of school [in March] my Year 4 to Year 6 teachers went to self-isolate so I spent a week practising how Google Classroom would work,” says Mr Milner. “I used the system for an older class and we had the infrastructure in place quite quickly: they were sending work, we were sending it back. We very quickly went from playing with the system to going all out. Younger classes were online twice a day and we held classes on Google Meets.”

The school lent iPads and Chrome Book laptops to families who did not have devices and provided dongles for those with no internet connection, allowing teachers to continue to host remote classes from 9am to 3pm.

“I still see every child, every day,” Mr Milner continues. “This is the shake-up education has always needed. Children have adapted to working at home and we now need to be innovative when normality comes back.”

Birdland W: www.birdland.co.uk

A new way of reading

‘B

ring A Book To Life’ is a new reading experience for children aged 6-8 and 9-12yrs. Founded by a Gloucestershire-based primary teacher, it intends to inspire and enrich reading through high quality themed texts and complementary items such as stationery, toys and facts linked closely to the story. It releases a new theme each month and boxes can be bought on a month by month basis or through various subscriptions.

Authors have been raving about it including Jenny McLachlan, author of ‘The Land of Roar!’, who says, “What a magical idea: bringing books to life with special objects. Children will feel like they are stepping into the world of their favourite books.”

Making reading fun with gift filled book boxes for ages 6-8 and 9-12.

Bring a Book to Life W: www.bringabooktolife.com

Dear Reader

www.bringabooktolife.com email: info@bringabooktolife.com

Primary Times is independently published and distributed free through primary schools in Gloucestershire. It aims to inform families and children about current educational issues, forthcoming events, courses, attractions and to give teachers, pupils and parents the opportunity to participate in the magazine by adding to its contents or by joining in the competitions. It is NOT our intention to publish any racist, sexist or politically based material whatsoever. We also undertake not to carry any advertising which we would consider to be offensive to young families or harmful to the best interests of young children.

Primary Times would like to thank all the schools in Gloucestershire for their assistance in distributing the magazine and for their contributions to its contents. We would also like to thank all the advertisers who have supported this publication and therefore made it possible. Please support their endeavours when and where you can. The copyright on all written material, logos and advertising artwork produced by our studio remains with Primary Times or with the relevant contributor. Before entering a competition in this magazine, please see our terms and conditions at primarytimes.co.uk/gloucestershire/tcs.

Entry into the competition is deemed as acceptance of these conditions. Primary Times currently publishes over 2.7 million copies per issue under franchise licences throughout Britain.

Gloucestershire Primary Times Published under franchise from Primary Times Ltd by

Starfish Publishing Ltd

Editorial, design, sales and distribution: Mike Gartside Sub-editor and proof-reading: Tom Phillips All enquiries:

01452 937 123 mike.gartside@primarytimes.co.uk

Family What’s On Guide

40,366 COPIES FOR FAMILIES OF PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

Gloucestershire

www.primarytimes.co.uk/glo ucestershire

An amazing, fun week online learning via yourof device, delivered by Cheltenham Science The

Festival @Home from Tuesday 2 June

Although lockdown is be to school of Reception ing eased, with the return sands of Gloucestershir, Y1 and Y6 classes, thouare still home-schoolinge primary school pupils they will see a classroo , with little certainty that m before the end of the school year.

I hope this mini, digita shire Primary Times, rel l edition of Gloucesterstart of the Summer Te eased to coincide with the rm, will give parents an teachers a taste of some d resources provided to theof the fabulous online ucation and leisure org m by Gloucestershire edanisations. I’ve also devis a few fun activities to ke ed with a full two pages of ep children entertained our regular art competi ‘For the Kids’, including tio Here and there, we also n, Artytude! optimism, with some pro offer glimpses of offering “real life” even viders mid July - going ahead ts from subject to the latest go only ment advice, of course.vernI will continue to post updates our online feeds: www.p via ytimes.co.uk/gloucesterimarFacebook.com/Primar rshire, yTimes Gloucestershire and #P and look forward to seein TGlos g you again in print as soon as cir cumstances allow.

Mike (publisher an d editor)

Bringing the

Science

back home Your new

Gloucestershire Primary Times:

The Online Family Guide Lockdown fun with our bumperfor bumperfo r the kids pages

More News More Gloucestershire!

Turn to Page 4.

MINI-EDITION JUNE BACK

TO SCHOOL

2 JUNE-17 JULY 2020

Gloucestershire Primary Times

JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL MINI EDITION 3

nce Festival ie c S m a h n e lt e Ch @Home June Tue 2 – Sun 7 vals.com/ festi www.cheltenham-home science

Bringing the

Science

Andy Miah dances with drones

back home

With socially distanced explosions, quantum chocolate and hands-on experiments at home, The Cheltenham Science Festival is back in (nearly) all its glory from Tuesday 2 June. It promises a week of extraordinary online activities for children aged 7 and over.

M

arieke Navin had already printed the programme for Cheltenham Science Festival when she had to cancel all its live events as coronavirus put the country under a cloud. Head of programming for the festival, she had already lined up high-profile scientists, experts, entertainers and broadcasters to appear, and now, with her colleagues, faced some difficult decisions.

But she knew immediately that, if any event could survive the lockdown, it was this one.

After all, if the past two months have taught us anything, it is that communication and teaching can be highly effective when carried out via a computer screen and what could be a more appropriate subject to enjoy through such high tech methods than science itself?

While children won’t be able to get up on stage with scientists and presenters such as ‘The Sky at Night’s Maggie Aderin-Pocock, “food and farts” science broadcaster Stefan Gates, Brian Cox or Andrea Seller (who promises an explosive, do-not-try-this-at-home chemistry experience), they can at least explore safe hands-on science in their kitchens and living rooms, under adult supervision, of course, and enjoy the more spectacular explosions onscreen.

“We didn’t want to just cancel,” says Marieke. “We’re a science festival and felt strongly that we had to show that science can rise to challenge of the pandemic and put something on at home. I was able to keep to the same dates,

appeal to older primary school children. See our Family Guide for full listings.

While all events are free, Cheltenham Science Festival is inviting participants to donate whatever they feel able to via https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ cheltscifestathome.

although we have pared back the number of events from a few hundred to about 60.

“Our family events are all about having fun with children, parents, grandparents or whoever you’re on lockdown with.

It’s all about being curious. We cover physics, chemistry and biology in a broad spread of events, breaking down barriers

“Our family events are all about having fun with children, parents, grandparents – whoever you’re on lockdown with.”

Marieke Navin

4 JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL MINI EDITION

so children can try demonstrations around science at home.”

Events are broadcast on the Cheltenham Festivals YouTube channel (a quick Google search will take you there) and feature interactive chat with the presenter via the channel’s comments section.

Children can enjoy delights such as: The Quantum Mechanical Chocolate Factory, a Willy Wonka-like tour of chocolate, food and snacks, with experiments you can try at home; Dr Maggie’s Grand Tour of the Solar System, in which Maggie Aderin-Pocock answers your questions about our immediate planetary neighbourhood; and Nate Adams’ Sound of Science, a “gorgeous” show promising breathtaking visuals interwoven with music played by Adams and his band.

The main family events start at 10am most days, while some other lectures and events will

Primary Times Gloucestershire

Defying gravity at Cheltenham Science Festival

To donate visit: www.crowdfunder. co.uk/ cheltscifestathome.

TheOnline Family Guide

Universilly Challenged, Cheltenham Science Festival @Home, Fri 5 June

Greene leads a spellbinding journey across time, from our most refined understanding of the universe’s beginning to the very end. 7pm.

COVID-19 UPDATE

The few non-online events listed here are expected to go ahead but are subject to the latest government guidelines and may have to cancel at short notice. Please check Facebook.com/PrimaryTimesGloucestershire for the latest updates, follow public advice and check with venues or organisers directly before travelling.

JUNE TUE 2 JUN-THU 31 DEC WWT HOME LEARNING HUB Online, wwt.org.uk/family-activities • Fun science and geography at-home learning resources for primary children.

TUE 2-SUN 7 JUN CHELTENHAM SCIENCE FESTIVAL @HOME (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • The Cheltenham Science Festival at Home runs throughout the first week of June. See Feature, Page 4. All events are free, but families wishing to contribute financial support

can do so on www.crowdfunder. co.uk/cheltscifestathome. The key family events are listed here, marked CSF.

THU 4 JUN FAMILY SHOW: DR MAGGIE’S GRAND TOUR OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM (CSF) Online, , www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Maggie Aderin-Pocock of ‘The Sky at Night’ leads an epic adventure through the Solar System. 10am.

THU 4 JUN BRIAN GREENE: UNTIL THE END OF TIME (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Brian

FRI 5 JUN FAMILY SHOW: SOUND OF SCIENCE (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Join Nate Adams for an extravaganza of fiery, colourful and explosive science demonstrations.

Featuring original electropop with incredible visuals from the Sound of Science band. 10am.

FRI 5 JUN UNIVERSILLY CHALLENGED WITH JONNY BERLINER AND SIMON WATT (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Perhaps the older, more scientifically inclined primary school pupil might enjoy this “anarcho-nerd” pub quiz promising pun-based science frivolity. 7pm.

SAT 6 JUN THE BIG COMPOSTING EXPERIMENT (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Mark Miodownik and Danielle Purkiss with Lesley Greene reveal the results of the Big Compost Experiment, a nationwide citizen science experiment testing whether biodegradables are really the answer to the plastic waste crisis. 12 noon.

SUN 7 JUN DANCING WITH DRONES (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Andy Miah investigates how drones will affect the future of our species. 12 noon.

SUN 7 JUN LEGO LATES: BUILD THE UNIVERSE WORKSHOP (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Design your own universe, with Lego.

With Ben Still. 6pm.

SUN 7 JUN ROBIN INCE AND JOSIE LONG’S CHELTENHAM SHAMBLES (CSF) Online, www.youtube.com/user/ cheltenhamfestivals • Festival finale of comedy, science and music with two acclaimed comics plus special guest. 7pm.

TUE 9 JUN MEET THE TURACOS Online, www.facebook.com/ birdlandparkandgardens/ • Head keeper of Birdland, Alistair Keen, holds weekly livestreamed videos on the wildlife attraction’s Facebook page

Gloucestershire Primary Times

showcasing some of its amazing birds. 12 noon.

MON 22-FRI 26 JUN GRAMMAR SCHOOL 11+ ONLINE SHORT COURSE Online, www.cotswoldeducation. co.uk • Short online 11+ course for Year 5 students. Helps children gain confidence and learn new skills in an interactive environment with a live experienced education professional.

07976 218062. event.bookitbee. com/cotswold-education

JULY MON 20 JUL-FRI 21 AUG ST EDWARD’S SUMMER CAMP St Edward’s School, Cheltenham, www.camp4211.co.uk • A creative alternative to sports-based summer camps, this is open for children aged 3 to 6 (pre-school to Year 1), plus vulnerable children and children of key workers. 07825 630751, info@camp4211.co.uk, SAT 25 JUL GRAMMAR SCHOOL 11+ VENUE MOCK TEST Cheltenham venue to be announced, www.cotswoldeducation. co.uk • This mock 11+ test held in real exam conditions will take place if government advice allows. 07976 218062. event.bookitbee.com/cotswold-education MON 27 JUL-FRI 14 AUG DINGLEWELL SUMMER CAMP Dinglewell School, Gloucester, www. camp4211.co.uk • A creative alternative to sports-based summer camps, this is open for children aged 3 to 6 (pre-school to Year 1), plus vulnerable children and children of key workers. 07825 630751, info@ camp4211.co.uk,

SEPTEMBER TUE 1 SEP-SUN 1 NOV SHEEP SHOW Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham GL54 5FL, www.cotswoldfarmpark.co.uk • Find out all about sheep and enjoy the facilities on the farm. 10.30am-5pm.

SAT 12 SEP GLOUCESTERSHIRE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS ENTRANCE TEST Independent Schools in Gloucester, Cheltenham and Stroud, www. marling.school, www.strschool. co.uk, www.denmarkroad.org, www. ribstonhall.gloucs.sch.uk, www. stroudhigh.gloucs.sch.uk, www. cryptschool.org, www.patesgs.org • Register by 12 noon, 30 June to take part in entrance exams for the 2021 intake for these Gloucestershire grammar schools. See schools’ websites for full information.

JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL MINI EDITION 5

eFor th

Home-schooling special

The joke’s on us Q: Why is 6 afraid of 7?

A: Because 7, 8, 9!

Alternative

universe

(or spot the difference) In the first picture, Rockin’ Rory and the Rebels are playing a storming set to their adoring crowd and everything is going roaringly but - oh no! - in another world their manager has messed up royally and things are now going roaringly wrong. Can you spot 10 things that might not be going all right on the night? (Answers below)

A sea of colour

Try colouring in this beautiful picture of tropical fish in a coral reef. Use the picture, below right, to help you choose the colours.

TOO HARD? Children under 7 will find the yellow clues easier and the longer words are Y5 statutory spelling level.

ANSWERS - Alternative Universe The drummer’s left cymbal is blue.

He now has multiple cymbals on his right hand side The lighting panel on the left has some yellow lights The lighting panel on the right has two fewer lights The loud speaker on the right has an extra speaker cone.

The bass player’s hair is yellow The guitarist has a purple headstock The singer is standing on a bright red box And, you may not have noticed the bear playing guitar appears to have joined the band on the right hand side.

Worst of all for Rory, there’s hardly anyone in the audience and they’re all looking at the bear.

6 JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL MINI EDITION

Primary Times Gloucestershire

he kidsf kidsf

Print out these pages for maximum fun!

- two whole pages of fun!

THEBUZZWORD

PAINT A PICTUR E AND

WIN A BOOK

Artytude!

Well done to Tess , aged 5, from St Briavels and Isla, 8, from Char lton Kings for th ei r wonderful paintings of My Pet in Springtim e - they have both received a ch ildren’s book for their hard work.

Tess

Isla

The next competition the me is

ACROSS

DOWN

1 A tropical animal very fond of mud (12) 7 The building block of all writing and spelling (6) 8 The main component of any book, magazine or website (5) 9 A happy saying when you give someone a nice surprise (2,2) 11 The tiny building block of all matter (4) 12 A general name for monkeys, gorillas and other non-human primates (3) 13 Not always children’s favourite breakfast cereal (6) 14 Great for hanging things on (3) 17 Used by Shakespeare and Shania Twain: ‘... ado about nothing’ or ‘That don’t impress me ...’

19 Something you eat your ice cream from could be described like this.

20 This animal walked the earth before being wiped out 65 million years ago (8) 21 You might call your female sibling this.

1 Something most families are looking forward to this year. (7) 2 This nation’s favourite vegetable, perhaps? (6) 3 Dr Who and other space explorers travel through this (6) 4 Something you need a lot of will power to resist (10) 5 What Harry Potter and other wizards call a human (6) 6 It happens every day at dusk (6) 10 A surprise attack (6) 14 Finish this expression: “putting you through your ...” (5) 15 What fish breath through (5) 16 Old-fashioned word for among (4) 18 To be able, or another word for tin (3) 19 The initials of the USA’s intelligence organisation, featured in lots of movies and television thrillers (3)

A FUN THING I’ VE DONE DURING LOCKD OWN (ONLINE OR OF FLINE)

Send in your pain ting or drawing as a high resolution image to m ike.gartside@pr im arytimes. co.uk by Monda y 13 July.

Don’t forget to inc lude your name, age, school and ho address so we ca me n send you the pr ize. See primaryt gloucestershire/tc imes.co.uk/ s for competition terms and conditio ns.

Every entry pri

nted wins a pri

ze!

See our Facebook page, Primary Times Gloucestershire for all answers, three weeks Gloucestershire, after publication.

Colour crunching This is just like sudoku: fill the empty boxes with a colour, green, blue, red or yellow. Each box, each row and each column contains all four colours but the same colour cannot appear twice in the same box, row or column. To make it easier, why not match a number, 1 to 4, to each colour?

Gloucestershire Primary Times

JUNE BACK TO SCHOOL MINI EDITION 7

Gloucestershire Grammar Schools’ Entrance Test for 2021 entry

REGISTER in May/JUNE 2020

Sir Thomas Rich’s Gloucester

The Crypt School Gloucester

Denmark Road High School Gloucester Ribston Hall High School Gloucester

Register in Year 5 to sit Entrance Test in Year 6 Register online: 18 May until noon on 30 June 2020 Test Day: Saturday 12 September 2020

Marling School Stroud

Boys: www.marling.school www.strschool.co.uk

Stroud High School Stroud Pate’s Grammar School Cheltenham

Girls: www.denmarkroad.org www.ribstonhall.gloucs.sch.uk www.stroudhigh.gloucs.sch.uk

Mixed: www.cryptschool.org www.patesgs.org See school websites for details and Open Events