Family Matters December 23

ISSUE 90 • WINTER 2023

PREPARE FOR CHRISTMAS COOKING

SCHOOL NEWS

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YOUR GUIDE TO TIK TOK

WELCOME It feels like autumn has only just arrived but winter is well and truly here! For us, this is our favourite time of year, it’s full of fun events and festive treats, plus with the year ending, it’s a great opportunity to reset and enter the coming year with a positive mindset for 2024!

In this issue, we have everything you need for a fun Christmas season, whether you celebrate or not and some suggestions for what to look forward to next year!

So, for now, enjoy the final edition of Family Matters for 2023 and we’ll see you next year! We hope you have a lovely holiday season, whatever you plan to do.

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Forgotten Christmas traditions

Ways to stay warm this winter

A blended family Christmas

Healthier eating

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Go Green this Christmas!

Did you know that Father Christmas originally wore green? Well, we all know that green is good, so here’s our suggestions on how to have a green Christmas this year.

Choose eco friendly wrapping paper Did you know that bows and ribbons aren’t biodegradable? Glittery paper as fun as it is, isn’t biodegradable either – we all know its what’s inside that counts, so rather than buying pretty wrapping paper that you can’t recycle, why not use brown paper or reuse paper from previous years? You can even make your own gift tags!

Choose your crackers carefully Many crackers aren’t recyclable, so be sure to look out for reusable crackers that can be used year after year or pick up some that don’t contain plastic.

Don’t waste food We’re all guilty of wasting food at Christmas. This year, why not challenge yourself to use up as much of the Christmas food shop as possible by making meal plans to use up any left overs? You can also make sure to choose more sustainable ingredients by using local suppliers.

Picking your tree If you celebrate Christmas (or even if you don’t!), you’ll likely want a tree of some description, and not all of them are environmentally friendly. Many of us use an artificial tree, which is good in one way because you can reuse it and won’t need to replace it every year. However, to reduce your plastic waste, having a real tree is better – the thing is, not all trees are created equal. If you’re going to choose a real tree, make sure to look out for ones that are FSC certified and by buying one locally. Once the season is over, some tree farms will take the trees back to replant for the following year or you can donate them to animal centres or recycle them.

Will you be having an eco-friendly Christmas this year?

Get in touch to share your suggestions for going green on Facebook and Twitter, @ukfamilymatters

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PREPARE THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS DINNER

Whether you celebrate the big day or not, there is something very special about this season’s food, so whether its your first time hosting or you’re a seasoned pro, Christmas dinner is one of the most stressful aspects of the day. There’s no need to let the heat of the kitchen get to you though, here are our tips for creating the perfect Christmas Dinner.

THE CENTREPIECE SOURCING YOUR CENTREPIECE If you’re a meat eating family, you’ll likely have a turkey or something similar for your Christmas dinner. If you can, try and source locally reared meat to help reduce food miles and help local businesses. If you’re doing this, you’ll need to order in advance, so make sure to know how many you need to cook – we all want a decent sized portion! You can arrange for the turkey or alternative to be picked up or delivered to your door ready for the Christmas Eve preparations.

To save a bit of money, you can also check out local supermarkets and opt for a frozen or smaller option. Speak to your local butcher and shop around to get the best prices.

Don’t want turkey? You can use anything you like and there are an amazing range of meat free options too.

GET YOUR SIZING RIGHT So you’ve decided to go for turkey, well how do you know what size to order? Here’s a general idea of what you’ll need to your number of guests 4-6 people, 3kg 8-10 people, 4kg 10-12 people, 5kg 12-14 people, 6kg 16-18 people, 8kg

While it is important to take the number of guests into account, make sure that whatever you choose will also fit into your oven and that you have the space to store it.

Some places offer frozen meats which are usually more economical but can take up a lot of freezer space, so make sure you have somewhere to keep it before its time to start preparing!

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If you’re going for a vegetarian option, you’ll have all the instructions you need on the packaging, but if you’re going for a meat dish, there is a little more preparation.

If you’re going for turkey or other poultry, when you get ready to prepare it, make sure to remove the giblets if they aren’t already and wash thoroughly before starting to cook.

Calculate the exact time you need to cook your meat – you can work this out based on the weight, as a general rule, if you’re cooking a turkey in a pre heated oven, you will require 20 minutes cooking time per kg plus an extra 70 minutes.

So, a 5kg turkey will need to cook for around 2 hours and 50 minutes and then be left to rest before serving.

Depending on your preference, you may need to make alterations to that process – for instance, if you want to marinate their meat, you will need to allow a different amount of time to those that are cooking with bacon or vegetables on top. Plan when you want to serve, so you know what time to get started.

GET COOKING Once you’ve sorted out how long you need to cook it and how, make sure to keep an eye on the oven while your meat is cooking. If you have a thermometer, test it, you’ll know its cooked when it reaches 60 degrees. Don’t worry though, it will continue to cook during the resting stage.

SERVING DINNER

You can get smaller cuts of meat, around 1-2kg for those of you having a quieter gathering this year.

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THE PREPARATION

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Once everything is cooked, you’ll need a plan on how you are going to serve. Some families like to carve at the table, others like to do it in the kitchen, plate up and then serve guests.

However you want to do it, here is our guide on how to best carve a turkey: Start with the drumsticks, then the wings Cut off the dark meat following the direction of the bone Remove the breast meat and slice Carve the white meat in downward slices And don’t forget the stuffing!

HOW TO REDUCE WASTE OVER CHRISTMAS Did you know that around 130 million sprouts alone are wasted over the Christmas period? It is thought that we throw away the equivalent of 3 million turkeys in leftover food in December – that’s a scary amount of food – so this year, try to reduce your food waste with our suggestions.

TURKEY As we’ve already gone over how to prepare the perfect turkey, we’ll start with this one. There are loads of ways to use up the remainder of the turkey in curries and sandwiches, but did you know it can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months? That way you don’t have to get bored of turkey sandwiches and spread the joy of Christmas into the New Year! Carve the remaining meat and put it in an air tight container for fridge storage. To eliminate any dryness, pop it in the oven with some stock and bake for 10 minutes. If you do freeze it, make sure to eat within 24 hours of defrosting.

CHEESE Is it even Christmas without a cheeseboard?

We always end up with cheese, crackers and fruit left over by the end of the day. Rather than throw it away, wrap in baking paper and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Some cheeses can even be frozen. Hard cheese will need to be sliced or grated and then stored in a freezer bag – they are handy for making sauces at a later date or for some cheese on toast!

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Forgotten Christmas traditions to try this year While each family has their own ways of celebrating at this time of year, there are some collective traditions that we all seem to abide by – like eating mince pies, creating our Christmas puddings on a set day, and putting up a tree. Did you know that over the centuries there are several Christmas traditions that have gone out of fashion or been forgotten completely? Here are some of the forgotten Christmas traditions we think should make a comeback.

Sugar plums

The Lord of Misrule

Sugar plums feature in several Christmas stories and poems, like Twas the Night Before Christmas and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Sugar Plums however aren’t actually plums, they’re more of a sweet and in the 1800s were created using caraway seeds or cardamom pods covered in sugar.

More modern versions involve dried fruits and nuts

Granted, only royalty did this but it was still a lot of fun. The Lord of Misrule was popular at court, the jester would be named in charge for the Christmas season and would spend their time coming up with silly rules for other members of the court to do. Eventually Henry VIII banned it but it was brought back by his predecessor before Elizabeth I banned it for good.

Putting fruit cake under your pillow In our opinion, fruit cake belongs in our bellies but there was once a tradition that claims that if you had a slice of fruit cake, you should save some and put it under your pillow so that you would dream of your future spouse. To this day, fruit cake remains part of the festive menu.

Telling ghost stories Back in Victorian times, one tradition was to tell scary stories to each other at Christmas time.

This is likely why A Christmas Carol, one of the most famous stories set at this time of year is essentially a ghost story.

Burning the Ashen Faggot This tradition dates back to the Saxon ages and was especially popular in the west of England. On Christmas Eve, a bundle of ash branches, known as the faggot, would be rolled into the house and placed on the fire. It would be tied with nine cloths, traditionally tied by unmarried women and set alight. It would be big enough to burn for a long time and would be watched as the first of the cloths to catch light would mean the woman who tied it would be married first in the coming year.

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SPENDING CHRISTMAS

as a blended family One of the big things about this time of year is spending time with your family, but that isn’t always easy or possible for the modern family. How do you keep everyone together and make sure we all manage to spend time together without causing upset, especially for blended families or parents who are separated. Not only that, but how do you seamlessly integrate step siblings or parents into your traditions without excluding them or dismissing the little things that are special to them? It is a difficult thing to negotiate, so we’ve compiled a few ways to help the festive season go as smoothly as possible.

Don’t expect miracles Yes, this is a miraculous time of year but don’t expect too much when it comes to your first try at having a blended Christmas.

Don’t expect your day to be perfect, much of the stress at this time of year comes from pressuring yourself to make it perfect and having a new or adapted kind of Christmas will be stressful enough. Just go with the flow and enjoy the day.

Plan ahead Before the festive season gets into full swing, get everyone together and have a discussion about the plans for Christmas. That way, you can be clear on everyone’s expectations and come up with a compromise that suits the whole family. Perhaps you have children who don’t know whether they should spend the day with you or your ex, maybe there are step children who have recently joined the family who don’t know where they stand. You might hae a whole set of in laws you’ll need to cater for. Whatever your situation, it’s important to sit down together in advance of Christmas Day to talk through everything, that way you can avoid arguments and disappointment.

Create new traditions It won’t always be possible to do everything as you did before, especially if you’re integrating families, but don’t see it as saying goodbye to your familiar favourite activities but more of an opportunity to create something special together.

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Board games for the whole family The Christmas season is the perfect time to sit together with a board game, so here are some of these suggestions for great games for the whole family.

The Independent put together a list of great board games for the family to play in 2023, and we agree with most of their list, so here are our favourites to play at Christmas.

Monopoly This claimed the top spot on the Independent’s list and was named as overall best board game – while it might not be everyone’s favourite, it does feel rather reminiscent of childhood Christmases! It is a game the whole family can get involved with and it can even last all day!

Herd Mentality Coming in at number two, Herd Mentality is similar to Family Fortunes and is great for groups of 4 upwards. All you need is a pen and some paper to play.

Cluedo Another classic, this one is another option the whole family can get involved in. The newer editions have a new character too, so it’ll be refreshing for those that have played before.

Zingo If you want to have fun while also learning, Zingo is a great option. It’s similar to bingo and is great for younger children.

Pictionary The newer editions use smartphones for a whole new spin on interaction, but the older ones with a pen and paper are just as fun.

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COST EFFECTIVE WAYS

to stay warm this winter Energy bills are still much higher than we’re happy with, so here are some ways you can stay warm this winter and won’t break your budget.

Use hot water bottles or electric blankets

Electric blankets are a cost effective way to keep your bedroom warm, especially if you have it on for an hour or two before going to bed. Alternatively you can use a hot water bottle, which are relatively cheap to buy and retain their heat for several hours.

Be clever with using the heating

If you’re worried about the cost of gas or electric, you can be clever about how you heat your home.

For instance, you can heat one room and spend most of your time there, like the main family room. It is recommended that you keep your home at 18 degrees if you can but you can easily turn off the heating to hallways or rooms that aren’t often used to reduce your energy bills.

Layer up

It’s one of the easiest things we can do, but also one of the last things we think of. Rather than wearing one piece of thick clothing, try layering up. Base layers like long sleeved tops and thermal vests are fairly inexpensive and by layering, you can easily maintain a comfortable temperature.

Eat well

Frozen or tinned fruit and veg are a good way to keep up your five a day while they are out of season and you can use a slow cooker, microwave or air fryer to further cut energy bills compared to using the oven.

Get rid of draughts

If you have areas of your home that are draughty, try and block them using draught excluders or improvise with cushions or items of clothing.

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Do you have any other suggestions for keeping warm this winter? Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter @ukfamilymatters

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Win Prizes

Win four tickets to see Wendy: A Peter Pan Story Continuing “The Egg’s proud tradition of delivering beautiful Christmas treats” (The Stage), WENDY: A PETER PAN STORY fuses a much-loved tale with 21st century theatre to create an unforgettable adventure for all ages.

Award-winning writer James Baldwin’s adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s classic story speaks of the innocence and wonder of childhood and the importance of imagination and creativity.

Win 4 tickets for our exciting new Tree Tops Adventure course at Ashton Court!

Over three courses of increasing height each ending in an exciting zip wire or quick jump! Based in the beautiful forest at Ashton Court your 90 min adventure will progress through 3 courses each higher and more challenging than the last! Equipped with safety equipment and our fantastic Belay X system you’ll be swinging through the trees in total safety and maximum fun!

The prize will be four tickets for the 6pm performance on Saturday 6th January.

Win a family pass at AirHop Ultimate bouncing fun for kids and big kids.

Bounce across over 140 interconnected trampolines which span right across the floor and up the walls on our Main Court – or challenge your friends on our famous Obstacle Course, Dodgeball court, Battle Beams or the AR Trampolines. Challenge your inner winner!

Family Ticket to Planet Volt for one of our 2 hour play sessions

Rather than bouncing off the walls at home – bounce off the airbag, scrabble through tunnels, tackle the assault course, be the last kid standing on the sweeper! Time to get amped kids!

2 adults and up to 3 children. Include 2x pizza's during the session.

TO ENTER VISIT www.familymatters-uk.co.uk/competitions, click on the Competitions button and complete the form.

It couldn’t be easier!

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TikTok: A guide for parents TikTok is everywhere at the moment and parents and kids alike are sharing clips and learning viral dances. The app is said to have over 1 billion users and according to Ofcom, is the most popular social media app among under 16s – but is it safe and what can we do to keep our kids safe while they are using it?

Things to know The minimum age for TikTok, like most social media accounts, is 13, however, we all know kids younger than that have their own profiles.

Once you have an account and are signed in, you can search for popular videos and creators or follow friends. You also have the option to create your own content. Because of this, parents should be aware that their children may inadvertently see inappropriate content and unless privacy and security settings are properly used, anyone can see your child and the content they are making.

Parents should also be aware that when you download the app, you can see all the content without creating an account, though they can’t make their own content without signing in.

Accounts are also public, but only approved followers can send messages. Because of the viral nature of some of the videos, children who are creating their own content may be tempted to take risks to get more followers and likes, which in turn will expose them to more people and potential predators.

How to keep your child safe while using TikTok TikTok can be fun and we don’t want to take away something the kids enjoy, but there are plenty of ways you can make sure they’re safe while using the app.

Set up a private account Setting a private account means that videos can only be seen by the creator and no one else, you can also approve or deny followers and limit incoming messages. However, even with a private account, your profile picture, user name and bio are still visible to all users.

All users under 18 will have their accounts set to private by default.

Make sure to keep an open communication with your child, so they know to talk to you about anything they have seen that has upset them so you can report content and block those creators or followers.

You can also turn on Digital Wellbeing settings and Restricted Mode which will help protect your child.

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LEARN SOMETHING NEW

in 2024

Photo by ZU photography on Unsplash

So, picture this: You, yes you, diving headfirst into the world of a brand new hobby or skill. It's not just about learning the art of juggling or mastering the perfect soufflé (although those would be pretty cool too), it's about unlocking a treasure trove of benefits that go way beyond just the surface level.

Life can get monotonous, right? Work, chores, repeat. Learning a new hobby is like injecting a burst of excitement into the daily grind. It's not just about picking up a guitar or trying your hand at salsa dancing; it's about flexing those brain muscles too.

Cognitive gymnastics if you will. Plus, it's an escape from stress. Seriously, have you ever tried painting to vent out your frustrations? It's like therapy with a side of creativity.

And let's not forget the social scene. Joining a cooking club or a yoga class isn't just about the activity; it's about meeting new people who share your passion. Instant camaraderie, anyone? It's like building your own little community, and who doesn't love a squad of like-minded enthusiasts?

Now, for children, learning a new skill is like unlocking superpowers. Okay, maybe not flying, but close enough. Take sports, for instance. Teamwork, communication, resilience – they're basically the Avengers of life skills. Plus, trying out different things help kids discover what they love. Imagine finding your passion early on; that's like a head start in the game of life. And let's not forget the screen time epidemic. Hobbies pull kids away from the glowing screens and throw them into a world of creativity and exploration. It's like a mini adventure without leaving the house.

So, if you're an adult craving a break from the humdrum or your child is on the brink of discovering hidden talents, diving into a new hobby or skill is a win-win. It's not just about the activity; it's about the journey and the awesome perks that come with it. So go ahead, pick up that paintbrush, strum that guitar or learn karate and let the good times roll! ukfamilymatters |

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HOW TO GET THE WHOLE

family eating healthier Obviously, we all want to eat better and getting kids to eat something nutritious rather than crisps and sweets has long proved difficult. It isn’t just for our physical health that we should eat healthier, but it is also better for our mental health, especially in developing a positive relationship with food – something very important for the kids. With the New Year coming up and the temptation to slide into fad diets, here are some ways you can get the whole family eating healthier without relying on unhealthy and unhelpful diets.

Make small changes Changing your diet and attitude towards food won’t happen over night, so don’t beat yourself up about it and focus on making small changes instead. Rather than completely cutting out certain foods, try only having them once or twice a week or introduce something like a rainbow day, where you challenge each other to eat as many colours of the rainbow as possible in one day to help you substitute more fruit and veg into the whole family’s diet.

Look at what you’re drinking It is hard to persuade young children to just drink water rather than squash and juice. In fact, it’s hard to persuade adults, teenagers and pensioners to drink water rather than tea, coffee and sugary drinks like squash and fizzy drinks. One way you can do this is by using the above method by making small changes throughout the week, another way is to create a challenge with a reward at the end for the person who drinks the most water.

Play with your food I know we discourage playing with your food but one way to get kids in particular to eat a more varied diet is to make it fun by being a bit arty with your food. You can create edible caterpillars and snakes by putting food onto a skewer or chopstick or making fun shapes and faces out of your meals to encourage the kids to get involved and eat.

Make food prep a family affair If you’ve not got a lot of space, this one will be more stressful but getting the whole family involved in food preparation will make them more interested in what they are eating and more engaged with food in general. Also, it is never too soon to teach your children, or perhaps even your partner, how to create a nutritious meal!

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LATEST SCHOOL NEWS

EVENTS

DIARY DATES

YOUR SUCCESSES

News and Reviews GET YOUR BEST FESTIVE JUMPER READY FOR CHRISTMAS JUMPER DAY!

BEAU SHINES AS A BAPP PLAY STAR

Save the Children’s Christmas Jumper Day is back for another year! Taking place on 7th December, it’s a great opportunity to not only get in the Christmas spirit but also to help raise funds and awareness for Save the Children.

As part of their nurture provision at Welton Primary School, they offer children the opportunity to work with external providers during school time to help support the children to shine.

The school were thrilled to receive a letter from Bath Area Play Project (BAPP) nominating one of the students, Beau, for an award. Each year, they acknowledge and celebrate students who demonstrate an enthusiasm for learning, creativity and the positive impact they have on their peers.

Beau has been nominated for this award in which they cited that he ‘consistently exhibited exceptional qualities that align perfectly with their vision. His ability to inspire others makes him a shining example of what it means to be a play star. Well done Beau.

We expect your schools and work places will be doing something to mark the day (even if it isn’t on 7th) but if not, it is easy to organise and take part. All you have to do is sign up at savethechildren.org.uk – you’ll then receive your fundraising pack ready for the big day. Then all you need to do is wear your favourite Christmas jumper, donate and send the funds over via your profile at Save the Children.

Are you taking part in Christmas Jumper Day? We’d love to see your outfits, make sure to post them on Facebook or Twitter and tag us @ukfamilymatters!

ST JOHN’S WINS PRIMARY SCIENCE QUALITY MARK Pupils at St John’s Primary School in Midsomer Norton are celebrating success in science after receiving the Primary Science Quality Mark once again. The award celebrates the school’s commitment to excellence in science leadership, teaching and learning.

The PGSM is a comprehensive evidence based professional development programme that effectively develops science leadership, making sure that teachers have the knowledge and support they need to transform science education for future generations.

Whilst working towards the award, the school organised a very successful and well supported STEM fair, which parents attended to view the many experiments and presentations the children had put together.

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MINI POLICE IN PEASEDOWN The 2023/24 Mini Police Squad at Peasedown St John Primary School have now received their uniforms and are ready to fulfil their duties. The Mini-Police scheme is a police engagement programme that has been running successfully at Peasedown St John School for the past four years with children in Year 5. Children must apply and be interviewed for the role and successful children receive a uniform and attend regular training sessions led by PCSOs Louise and Tony. Throughout the year they learn about traffic and speed awareness, receive First Aid training and more. Speaking about the scheme, headteacher at Peasedown St John Primary School, Ruth Noall, said: “We are very fortunate to have the Mini Police programme at our school. Over the years, we have seen how the children build their confidence, learn new skills and understand more about our local community policing team through fun and engaging activities.

“This is a fantastic way for the school to support and engage with our village community. This new cohort are incredibly excited and look very smart in their uniform. I am looking forward to watching them take part in the programme over the coming weeks and months.”

B&NES SNOW PLOUGH VISIT

PUTTING DOWN NEW ROOTS AT WELTON

In early October, the children at Cameley Primary School were treated to a visit from a local snow plough thanks to B&NES Council Road Safety Team. The children were taught how spreading road salt makes roads safer for drivers and were given safety information and tips, such as which vehicle lights to look out for, how to avoid vehicle blind spots and to ensure they are dressed suitably - “Be bright. Be seen”. They were also encouraged to ask their grown-ups to check their tyres are Winter ready. All the children agreed their favourite part of the visit was hearing the very loud horn!

This year has seen the exciting development of a partnership between Welton Primary School and Root Connections, a local community interest company based at Manor Farm, Stratton on the Fosse. The project began in September when Welton teachers visited ‘Roots’, met the team as part of their INSET and began to forge plans for an exciting collaboration which intertwined outdoor learning and the wider curriculum. The relationship has developed over the past few months with half the school already having visited the amazing setting at Manor Farm and taking part in a wide range of seasonal activities in the outdoor environment. The partnership is particularly exciting as it enables pupils to experience the school values of collaboration, aspiration, respect, courage, uniqueness and responsibility through a real life experience.

Reception teacher Jenny Blackmore felt the experience really benefited her class, “My class loved their trip to Root Connections, it was fantastic to spend the whole morning outside and even the rain didn't stop us having a great learning experience! Cathy and David taylored our visit to fit in with our learning at school, in an outdoor way. The children particularly enjoyed gathering different natural materials to use for some artwork. Being able to roam the fields and find treasures from the numerous different trees was made all the better by the happy sheep who followed us from a distance.”

In addition to this new collaboration, Welton Primary School were able to secure a grant from Radstock and Westfield Big Local to purchase two class sets of waterproof trousers. This will enable children to visit Roots whatever the weather and explore the wonderful Welton school grounds which back onto the Collier’s Way Path as well as the Wellow Brook River. The school would like to express their gratitude over this generous donation which will enable children to explore the outdoors all year round.

Welton School children and staff will be running a stall at the upcoming Root Connections Christmas Market to be held on Saturday 25th November 11am-3pm. To find out more visit their website https://www.rootconnections.co.uk/.

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LOCAL SCHOOL RECOGNISED FOR ITS OUTSTANDING IMPROVEMENTS The school’s support for children with special educational needs is good as is the school's redesigned early years curriculum.

Inspectors recognised that children are ‘ready for their next phase in learning’ and are ‘confident and independent learners’.

Peasedown St John Primary School is celebrating after a recent Ofsted inspection graded the school as Good in all areas.

As part of the two-day inspection in September, inspectors spent time in lessons and spoke to children, parents, staff and school leaders. They commented that ‘pupils enjoy attending Peasedown St John Primary School. They put into practice the school’s values of ‘curiosity, aspiration, resilience and empathy’.

There is a respectful and positive culture where pupils are polite and courteous.’ The report goes on to praise the school’s high expectations for behaviour and comments that ‘classrooms are calm and orderly,’ ‘pupils play well together’ and ‘pupils feel safe at school’.

The school’s curriculum is praised for being ‘ambitious’ and for identifying the ‘small steps of knowledge pupils need to learn’.

Teachers are praised for using ‘assessment well to make sure that pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding.’ Pupils are encouraged to explain their learning and ‘are beginning to do this, using precise vocabulary’.

The report highlights the range of enrichment opportunities offered, including school clubs for tennis, sketching and sewing and a range of trips and visitors. Children told inspectors that ‘they are proud of the responsibilities they have in school such as office angels, librarians and computer technicians.’

The school’s personal development offer is praised for helping children to ‘challenge bias and discrimination’ and for teaching children to recognise ‘the importance of being respectful and the importance of law’.

Peasedown St John Primary School joined the Midsomer Norton Partnership Trust in April 2019 following an Ofsted judgement of Inadequate. Since then, school leaders and staff have worked tirelessly, with the support of the Trust, to bring about the improvements required. The report exemplifies the rapid improvements that the school has made, recognising that Trust leaders ‘offer appropriate support and challenge to ensure the school continues to improve.’

Head Teacher, Ruth Noall, who was appointed to the role in April 2023, commented, ‘we are delighted that Peasedown St John Primary School has been recognised as a Good school.

The improvements have been outstanding and we are now in a really strong position to ensure the school continues to develop and to go from strength to strength. I am incredibly proud to be the head of such a vibrant school where the whole team works together to ensure all our children can achieve excellence. Well done to everyone who has played a part in our school’s journey!’

WESTFIELD PRIMARY ST VIGOR AND ST JOHN SCHOOL WIN SOUTH WELCOME SWALLOW WEST IN BLOOM AWARD Members of SWALLOW, the charity that supports teenagers and adults with learning disabilities had a great time talking to the children at St Vigor and St John Church School in Chilcompton. The school have signed up to the charity’s #Thirtyfor30 challenge to raise money for them, so SWALLOW members spoke to them about the charity and how their efforts will help.

If you also want to join in with the #Thirtyfor30 challenge, you can get in touch with Swallow on funraising@ swallowcharity.org

Westfield Primary School’s Garden Club have been awarded Best Composting in the South West at the most recent South West in Bloom competition.

The school received Outstanding from the RHS Judges who visited as part of Westfield’s community entry into South West in Bloom. They also congratulated the school on their other outdoor areas, including a woodland learning area, wildlife pond, fruit trees and Miners’ Tribute Garden. The school placed third in the region.

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PAULTON PUPILS WIN BEST SCHOOL GARDEN IN BATH IN BLOOM! Paulton Junior School is celebrating after their Gardening Club won GOLD for Best School Garden in this year’s Bath in Bloom competition.

Year 6 gardening club members William, Miya and Bartosz received the prizes on behalf of the club in a special assembly attended by the In Bloom judges and local councillors.

We also grow strawberries, blackcurrants and vegetable beds, growing a lot of plants from seed.

“Surplus plants and produce are sold with all the proceeds going back into the kitty to do it all again with another set of children the following year.”

The school received a trophy, certificate, engraved gardening fork, a bag of bulbs and a £100 cheque which will go towards maintaining the garden.

Paulton Junior School works with the Pride in Paulton volunteers to plant bulbs in the verges of Park Road every year, which raises awareness for the Purple4Polio campaign organised by the local Rotary Club.

Mrs Shackleton, who runs the gardening club, told local reporters: “Our beautiful garden is an ever changing space full of colour and busy gardeners. We have a rainbow shaped flower bed to grow different coloured flowers, a productive fruit garden, a potting shed, greenhouse and seating areas.

Mrs Shackleton said: “Our school garden is amazing and we are very pleased that our efforts have resulted in being judged Gold and best school garden, but this is only because our school gardeners are a fantastic bunch of children who work really hard to make this special space the best it can be.”

WELTON PRIMARY SCHOOL REMEMBERS As part of Remembrance, children at Welton Primary School were learning about the importance of why we show respect and empathy towards others during this time. Throughout the week, children were in class discussing why we remember, who we remember and what we do to mark remembrance. Many of the classes spent time discussing the importance of Armistice day and how the simple poppy, that grew in Flanders Field, has evolved over time to show respect to all of the fallen.

This learning concluded on Friday where the school was joined for a special assembly by two active members of the Army and an ex grenadier guard.

These guests spent time talking with the children about how the Army values linked to the values we have at Welton Primary, what it is like to be a female in the army and the importance of remembering. These topics evoked some really well-thought out questions by the pupils that helped them to make links to their learning.

As well as this, children made wreaths that were laid in the service and then put out on our school railings as an act of remembrance. We also dressed in our Beavers, Cubs, Brownies, Rainbows, Girl Guides and Boys Brigade uniforms and other pupils wore red to honor the occasion. Our Remembrance activities ended with the children creating their very own poppy on the playground as a sign of respect for the fallen. Mr Lyle, Head of School at Welton, said, “It was a fantastic way to end our learning around Remembrance. Children showed fantastic respect and empathy throughout the day and we hope it is something they will continue to remember throughout their lives.”

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WELTON PRIMARY SCHOOL RAISE £1,200 Welton Primary School pupils completed a fundraising event last summer to raise money for Dorothy House, a charity chosen by the pupils themselves. Together they raised £1,200 and presented Shula Dennard from Dorothy House a cheque, when she visited the school in October.

COUNCIL GRITTING LORRY MAKES SCHOOL VISIT “Our road gritters keep our priority highways running throughout the colder winter weather and this was a really positive way to get children engaged and thinking about how they can stay safe on our roads this winter.”

The gritter, the largest in the council’s fleet and fitted with a snow plough, made the short journey to the school from Clutton and is one of nine gritting vehicles operating from the council’s highways depot.

Pupils at a Temple Cloud primary school were paid a visit by one of Bath & North East Somerset Council’s road gritting lorries as part of a highway safety educational talk.

The visit to Cameley C of E V C Primary School was arranged by Bath & North East Somerset Council along with its contractor, VolkerHighways, as part of ongoing educational efforts by the council’s Road Safety Team. Each class had the opportunity to see the gritter up close as they were taught road safety information and tips.

Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport said: “Thank you to Cameley School for having us, and a big thank you to the pupils who asked our staff amazing questions.

Pupils were shown how the gritter works, taught how spreading road salt makes roads safer for road users and were given safety information and tips, like which vehicle lights to look out for and how to avoid vehicle blind spots.

A spokesperson from the school said: “Thank you for bringing your snow plough to Cameley school. The children really enjoyed the extremely informative talk and learning how to keep themselves safe in winter near the roads.

“They will certainly remember “Be bright, be seen”, what a blind spot is and have all asked their grownups to check their tyres!

They loved hearing the horn’s sound and the whole visit gave a general excited buzz around the school.”

With winter approaching the council will soon be operating its winter service, and recently completed a dry run to test its gritters after their summer servicing in readiness for colder weather.

FARRINGTON CHILDREN VISIT STONEHENGE

REDUCE, REUSE AND RECYCLE AT CLUTTON PRIMARY SCHOOL

The year 3 and 4 children from Farrington Gurney C of E primary school recently visited Stonehenge. The children took part in an interactive experience where they were transported back in time four and a half thousand years ago to when Stonehenge was first built. They looked at ‘round houses’ which were built to replicate the homes which were lived in at the time. The children got to see the impressive stones close up and even tried to move a Sarsen stone but with no luck, not surprisingly, given the fact it would have taken a hundred people to move one at the time it was built!

Children in Cherry Class at Clutton school have been enjoying new outdoor easels, made from the recycled COVID screens that used to be installed in the school office. When the COVID screens were taken down, staff in early years spotted them and saw their potential. Sturdy wooden bases were added and the screens were turned into outdoor easels, perfect for creative play outside. Reception children have been using chalk pens on the easels with imaginative results! They are a lovely addition to the outdoor provision and are a perfect way to demonstrate to the children how things can be recycled and reused.

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