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Lancashire School Meals

March 21, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
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Lancashire County Commercial Group is a vital arm of Lancashire County Council, dealing with catering, cleaning and school crossing services throughout Lancashire. Flying Start’s contact is Assistant Director Roger Eakhurst who takes a leading role in the strategic development of the department.

Statistics throw an initial view on the importance of Lancashire County Commercial Group across the county as they organise the service of 55,000 lunches’ daily, clean 750 buildings and see thousands of children safely across the roads to and from their schools.

We chose to concentrate on the catering side of LCCG as they organise the catering for children in over 550 schools in the region.  School lunches are of vital importance, so knowing children’s tastes as well as delivering a healthy, balanced menu is a highly skilled and tricky job. The different age groups that are catered for adds another dimension. Menus are regularly updated, use local and seasonal produce and are designed to take into account tough nutritional standards while offering healthier food choices.

In the primary arena, LCCG have introduced a group of characters known as Healthy Heroes to grab the attention of the children and promote the choice of healthy foods. LCCG work in conjunction with Lancashire Healthy Schools and the Healthy Heroes are also part of their educational programmes. As well as Healthy Heroes, there are a number of promotional menus at each school’s discretion e.g. Fireworks Lunch, Roast Dinner Day, Royal Wedding Regal Lunch etc which bring an element of fun and education to each mealtime.

At secondary level LCCG offer the Express Café brand. Teenagers are offered an extensive range of foods that they can enjoy while still meeting nutritional standards. With the slogan “Fresher, Fitter and Faster” the Express Café offers a choice of four set meals as well as a number of individually priced items and it’s not limited to lunchtimes as all schools offer a break and breakfast service.

LCCG go even further. They also offer catering for other school functions apart from breakfasts and lunches for the pupils. There are many occasions when the school will host a number of different functions from retirements to inset days, working lunches to governors meetings. LCCG is ideally placed to fulfil all catering requirements for any of these events.

During 2012, Lancashire County Commercial Group has been involved in a number of important events. Firstly, a new interactive web site was unveiled to allow users access to information about menus, pricing, nutrition, vacancies etc. There is an interactive games section for younger users to help teach them about healthy eating. LCCG were also fortunate to gain funding from the Schools Food Trust to improve the overall satisfaction of pupils by allowing a market research campaign among students. As a result a number of new products were introduced.

Contacting Lancashire County Commercial Group can be done via their web site http://www.servinglancashire.org.uk/catering/contactUs.php or by calling 01772 646817 or you can write to them at;

Lancashire County Commercial Services
Block A, Clayton Green Business Park
Library Road, Clayton-Le-Woods
Chorley, PR6 7EN

Filed Under: Education, Featured, Showcase features Tagged With: , , ,

Newsround to be honoured at the 2011 British Academy Children’s Awards

November 23, 2011 By sonia Leave a Comment
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London, 23 November:  The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has today announced that Newsround will be awarded the Special Award at this year’s British Academy Children’s Awards which will take place on Sunday, 27 November 2011 at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

The Special Award will be presented to Newsround at the annual British Academy Children’s Awards in celebration of the programme’s 40th Anniversary of broadcasting and in recognition of the significant contribution the programme has made to children’s television for the past four decades.

The Special Award will be presented by former Newsround producer and current BBC political editor Nick Robinson who will be welcoming Newsround’s first presenter John Craven, creator Edward Barnes and current presenter Ore Oduba onto the stage to accept this prestigious award on behalf of Newround.

John Craven comments “Newsround was the first show of its kind in the world and I’m deeply thankful to BAFTA for recognising it as such. Newsround was and always will be my little baby and I couldn’t be more proud of it now it’s all grown up”

Edward Barnes notes “I am deeply honoured and profoundly grateful to BAFTA for this recognition of Newsround – the world’s first regular news bulletin for children. I hope that the importance of a news bulletin which reports the children’s world and also provides children with an insight and understanding of world events, will always be recognised and given a prominent place in children’s television”.

Newsround (or John Craven’s Newsround as it was first known) started on 4 April 1972 in the corner of an existing BBC news office and was created by Edward Barnes, the then deputy head of children’s programmes. The team consisted of three people including John Craven as presenter, and was originally broadcast just twice a week. Over the years the success and the size of the show has grown and Newsround now proudly boasts a larger, more varied team who broadcast 50 bulletins a week across CBBC, BBC One and BBC Two. Newsround is the only news programme for children now attracting an audience of over 800,000.

Over its 40 years of broadcasting, Newsround has held a reputation for reporting on all major UK and global news events and in some cases has broken news stories before anybody else. Newsround was the first British television programme to break the news of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger on 28 January 1986 when the shuttle exploded just 15 minutes before the show aired.

More recently Newsround has begun producing Newsround Specials. These 15 minute documentaries aired on both CBBC and BBC One tackle significant issues or news stories affecting children today. The 2010 special Living with Alcohol won a BAFTA for the Best Children’s Factual Programme last year, and in the past 12 months Newsround has travelled to Afghanistan to report on the lives of children living in Kabul as well as

Filed Under: Education, Family Matters, Featured, Flying Start News

Got a reluctant reader? Read on . . .

November 8, 2011 By sonia Leave a Comment
reluctant readers

Flying Start catches up with T. M. Alexander, mum of three, who left LloydsTSB to pursue writing for children.

My friend used to rifle through book bags, desperate to map the reading stages of the keymovers and shakers in her child’s class. Her mantra – know your enemy. To clarify, we’re talking Year 2 here – the year some precocious infants are spied reading independently. If your child is struggling with Biff and Chip (and will only try reading with mummy if Haribo’s involved), watching his classmate storming through Michael Morpurgo can induce panic. Don’t let it.

There are two issues here, competition and reading.

Let’s dispose of one. Walking, talking and tossing pancakes earlier than the next child are no indication of anything, and neither is reading. So, bear in mind Netmums’ Real Parenting approach and go easy on yourself (and your child), make allies not enemies, and trust your instincts.

It was a mission of mine not to play the playground game. The downside was that I never got invited on the mums’ weekends away. (Is that a downside?) The upsides were that I was unaware of the glut of after school achievements, and the friends I made when my children were small are few and enduring. My eldest is now 16 and apparently unharmed (although he doesn’t know where Middle C is and can’t follow tennis scores).  But he reads.

So, onto reading, which is undoubtedly an essential tool, but not one that demands you wield it by a particular age. Believe me, I have three examples among my three children.

The eldest, a boy, showed no interest in reading, but loved me to read aloud about dinosaurs and tractors. So I bought dinosaur and tractor books, and became an expert in Parasaurolophus and John Deere. Reading is reading, whether it’s the Shreddies’ box or The Simpsons magazine. Eventually he started reading non-fiction books, and stories came later.

The next boy was a parent’s dream. He swallowed chapter books, newspapers andpropaganda from The Liberal Party. But be careful what you wish for. I had the reader everyone else wants, but what I wanted was to see him kicking a ball with muddy knees and a ripped shirt.

My daughter only liked the pictures. Like many reluctant readers, she could read perfectly well but lacked the inclination. I laboured through Gwyneth Rees, Jeremy Strong and so on, reading to her every night. One day I said she looked like Anne of Green Gables. It’s a long novel with old-fashioned language, despite which it was the first chapter book my daughter read alone. She was Year 6. So be patient. Reading for pleasure has to be exactly that, a joy. It can be facilitated, but not controlled.

When I decided to write for children my boys were 7 and 9. Many of their friends either didn’t read or were stuck on Horrid Henry. It’s an enormous leap to go from there to the fantasy worlds of the Philips, Pullman and Reeve. While Jacqueline Wilson bridges the gap well for girls there seemed less for boys, so I created the Tribe series. I used the familiar settings of home and school, broke up the pages by inserting random facts, and split each book into three so the reader didn’t have to wade through 150 pages for the plot to be resolved.

There’s a longer article about how I tried to appeal to reluctant readers on this children’s literature blog:
http://talltalesandshortstories.blogspot.com/2011/07/tm-alexander-talks-tribers-and-writing.html

Filed Under: Education, Featured, Flying Start News, Parenting

Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

October 21, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment
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Steeped in history, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn is one of the top independent schools in the UK. Flying Start finds out why.

Words: Olivia Frances

With a history that dates back almost 500 years, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn, Lancashire is now a thriving, co-educational school that offers the best in modern education to boys and girls aged from three to 18 years.

It is one of the leading co-educational independent day schools in the North West, offering its 600 pupils a first-class academic and extra-curricular education, as well as excellent pastoral care all on one site.

There are four component parts to Queen Elizabeth’s: The infant school covers the whole of the foundation stage, plus years one and two; the junior school provides a strong foundation for the future for years three to six; its senior school takes pupils through to GCSE; the dedicated sixth form for A level study is located in the spacious Singleton House. An extended hours facility is available for ages three to 11 years from 7.45am up to 6pm, which also operates as a holiday club during half term and throughout the summer.

Co-educational since 2001, girls have been educated at Queen Elizabeth’s for many years and have been an integral part of the sixth form since 1976. A testament to the school’s reputation and its pupils, a number of past female students have gone on to contribute hugely to school life, including taking on senior responsibilities at the school such as Head and Deputy Head positions.

The issue of co-education generates more heat than almost any other among schools. Parents often get drawn into the debate and a number have strong views, but most just want to find a good school for their child. Queen Elizabeth’s Headmaster Simon Corns, a member of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC), which represents the Heads of over 250 of the leading independent schools in the UK, wrote an article addressing the issue of co-education recently stating: “Presented often as a clinching argument, we are frequently told that the reason boys and girls must be educated separately is that they learn differently. This is of course a very good argument for educating them together – so they recognise the different way in which the sexes learn.”

Queen Elizabeth’s is featured in the Good Schools Guide. A review snapshot from this found that the pupils were “bright, industrious and confident without appearing complacent or alarmingly sophisticated.” It went on to say that the house system enables pupils of all abilities to play competitive sport and the sports department organises combined year teams and has had a highly successful netball team, with the current head inheriting a golden crown. The under 16s netball team was town and county champions in 2010 and the previous year, with the under 15s finalists in the Under 15s HMC North West competition.

The school also participates in a range of charitable activities throughout the year – including raising money for Children in Need and Help For Heroes – which are managed by the Charities Committee.

Open days at Queen Elizabeth’s tend to run throughout the month of October; however visits to any part of the school, including the Infant and Junior School, can be arranged at any time.

Filed Under: Education, Featured, School Profile Showcase Tagged With: , , , ,

Why choose private?

October 11, 2011 By admin 3 Comments
private or public school

Flying Start discusses the many benefits that private education can offer your child

Words: Olivia Frances

One of the most important decisions a parent has to make is where and how to educate their child. And when it comes to the subject of education, arguably the biggest question to have to face is ‘private or public school?’

You don’t want to be hit with unnecessary tuition fees if the cost won’t benefit your child, but independent schools certainly offer many alternatives that are worth considering. Smaller class sizes, superior facilities and extra-curricular opportunities are just a few among a number of many benefits that private education can offer your child.

Smaller class sizes offer pupils increased individual attention, which improves the learning environment and is thought to boost academic performance. The Independent Schools Council (ISC) serves the associations that represent 1,234 independent schools and educate more than 500,000 children in the UK, Ireland and overseas. The ISC Census 2011 found that the pupil-teacher ratio is 9.4:1, compared to an average of 16.6:1 in maintained mainstream schools.

The census also found that although ISC schools vary in size – from fewer than 50 pupils to over 1,700 – most schools have fewer than 350 pupils, with the average school having around 410 pupils. Smaller classes and a higher quantity of teaching staff may also allow class sizes to be tailored according to pupils’ individual needs.

Since independent schools don’t have to follow the National Curriculum, there is a wider range of extra-curricular activities for pupils to choose from, including clubs, societies and excursions. In addition, many private schools organise a range of trips including foreign exchanges and skiing outside term time, giving children more opportunity to experience life outside the school gates.

Being self-governed means that private schools are able to offer more diversity, not just in the way of activities for pupils, but parents also have more to choose from. Independent schools vary in the type of education that is offered, from boarding, to single-sex, to various faith schools, to nursery. The flexibility of children being able to board ad-hoc for example suits the support that parents who work full time or travel with work may need.

When it comes to single-sex independent schools, research has found that their pupils excel in exams. Helen Wright, president of the Girls’ Schools Association, which represents the UK’s independent girls’ schools, says: “Academically, single sex independent schools top the league tables despite the fact that co-ed schools are in the majority in the UK. This does not mean that children in co-ed schools cannot match the examination performance of those in single sex schools – of course they can, and do. But what it does mean is that single sex schools punch well above their weight when it comes to public examination results, and this pedigree matters to parents – and young people.”

There are of course fees to also consider when it comes to private education and according to the ISC, the overall average term fee is £4,393 (excluding nursery fees), with the average boarding fee at £8,384 and the average day fee at £3,736. However, most private schools do offer means-tested bursary schemes and scholarships can also be made available. Almost 165,000 pupils now receive help with their fees and among the schools that completed the ISC Census in 2010 and 2011, the number of pupils receiving help with their fees rose by 2.2 per cent. The value of this help totals more than £660m per year, so help is at hand.

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Private education has the capacity to provide parents and children with a community environment and opportunities that they might not have the chance to experience elsewhere. The real argument, however, covers the intangibles about growing up and becoming a confident young adult. This includes all the things it is difficult to measure and quantify, but which form the essence of who we are as individuals. These are the elements of education that are the most important because it is these aspects that contribute most significantly to children’s happiness and confidence, as well as to their ability to make their way in the world with a strong, secure sense of self.

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Private or Public? Please feel free to have your say below.

We are currently compiling a directory of Independent Schools. For an example of how you will soon be able to find your nearest school, please type in one of the following area examples:

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The Changing Face of Educational Play

June 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment
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“And the dinosaur said move out the way”…“It had a big round head with 3 eyes”…“1 person could be the bear, the other people have to stay in their tent”……“I would get a cube, and another cube, stick it on the back and then…!”…”What’s it called? The square thing in 3D? Cube? Yes cube!”…“We put it in the tube and then it would go down with the water because the water pushes it with gravity.”

The ability that children have to turn imagination and play into learning is a source of wonder for any adult.  Who’d have thought that a group of Early Years and Key Stage 1 children from Bedgrove Primary School in Aylesbury would have met learning objectives relating to physical development and discovery through games of dinosaurs, pirates, bears and dens?  But that’s exactly what happened when they tried the new range that is changing the face of education play.  Bedgrove met Poddely!

Teacher Jenny Barnett tells us more:  “The children chose to use Poddely during a Child Initiated Learning session outside. A group began building a ‘bridge trail’ using Poddely and a range of other resources. This activity allowed for a range of learning opportunities. The children worked together in a large group for a sustained period of time (approx 25 mins), as teachers we were able to observe the groups interactions and those children demonstrating leadership skills. The children experimented with how to best construct the trail discussing the merits of particular parts for height, sturdiness and safety. These quotes were heard as part of the conversation: “Don’t use the prisms, they don’t work as well as the cubes because they are not sturdy”… “Choose the side of the cube with fewer holes – this makes it more stable”  As the children were building they were testing the safety of their structures using their hands and feet. They adjusted the structure as needed according to how much weight they could put on it. Once completed, the children devised the ruling ‘only one person on a plank at a time’. The children continued to adapt and extend the structure, introducing water and marble-runs, continually thinking of new ideas over a number of days.”

When Playforce, the UK’s premier playground equipment supplier, decided to launch Poddely as a new brand at Nursery World 2011 the education sector sat up and took note.  The videos of the children talking about their experiences of Poddely (still available to view on www.poddely.com or www.facebook.com/poddely) admittedly caused a stir with their cryptic, entertaining ‘kids say the funniest things’ approach.  However, the real buzz happened when practitioners saw the product for the first time and, more importantly, saw how the children reacted to it.

Designed in collaboration with practitioners, researchers, designers and, most importantly, children, Poddely is a portable, ever changing resource that can offer both child and practitioner-led play. It delivers learning outcomes in a fun way, without boundaries and allowing free-flowing, non-prescriptive play and learning.  Ideal for Early Years as well as Key Stage 1 and 2, Poddely presents unique opportunities for interaction and learning across the age-groups.  Importantly, Poddely has been designed following extensive research and practical experience of working within primary schools and early years settings.  Designed for both outside and inside use, Poddely comes with a handy, portable storage solution, as well as suggestions for projects to get everyone started.  The website contains links to ideas and examples of schools using the equipment, as well as lots of pictures – providing bags of inspiration for any setting.

For more information about Poddely and the schools using it go to www.poddely.com.

Filed Under: Education

Create Your Own Treasure Basket

June 16, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment
children_of_mixed_ages_enjoying_a_Playscope_treasure_basket

Most of us enjoy and benefit from spending time outdoors in the long balmy days (and nights) of summer. Whether it’s something to do with how time seems to stretch, the vibrant colours, or the scents and sounds wafting on the breeze, but summer is a great time for recharging our batteries and reconnecting with our senses. Making mud pies, climbing trees, making rose petal perfume and playing with ‘Grannies button box’ were just some of the vivid childhood play memories that parents and practitioners retold as part of a national Sensory Play Research project.

Not only is this sort of play hugely satisfying for children, but it’s also good for them as each sensory experience creates and reinforces vital connections in the brain. Sensory play is literally play that excites the senses. This is characterised by deep focus and concentration, but as adults caught up in the throes of everyday life, we rarely give ourselves time to reconnect fully with our senses. It is in moments of quiet reflection, like a summer walk, that we can free-up our minds to face the challenges of the day. With children too, deeply absorbing, sensory-rich play provides memorable opportunities to think, re-enact, create and problem solve. But children’s structured lives often leave little free time for exploration and ‘going with the flow’.

Multi-sensory experiences are great for brain development and yet the visual appeal of most children’s toys is often at the expense of exciting our other vitally important senses. Like sensory-rich play outdoors, a Treasure Basket offers plenty to stimulate all the senses. A Treasure Basket is a basket of natural items and household objects, carefully picked for their sensory-appeal. Take a wooden spoon, smooth pebble, shiny shell, soft knitted purse, intriguing leather hoop or pungent lavender bag – these open-ended objects have no right or wrong way of being played with, making them perfect for children aged six months to six years and beyond. Concentrated play with a Treasure Basket for an hour or more is not unusual, but with the addition of a sand tray, some toddlers have played happily for up to three hours! Watching this gives an insight into the wonders and limitless possibilities of play and an illustration of just how focussed children can be – if it’s something that interests them of course!

So what do you need to create your own Treasure Basket?

You will need a sturdy basket, ideally round and measuring 10 – 14” diameter and 4 – 5” deep. This should contain about 50 ‘treasures’, each carefully picked for their interest and sensory appeal. This could include metal, stone, cardboard, wood, rubber, fabric and a mix of shapes and colours. When selecting ‘treasures’ think about the attraction of objects that move in different ways, have different weights or enable children to explore concepts like ‘same and different’. For example a short handled wooden spoon, teaspoon and scoop are all essentially spoons, but look, feel and work differently.

It’s important to be safety conscious so make sure that none of the objects have loose parts or are small enough to cause a choking hazard. Avoid painted or varnished items (in case these contain toxins) and always check for sharp edges. But remember the aim is to gather an exciting collection of objects with a ‘wow factor’ rather than a sterile resource. Avoid including plastic or actual toys as these take away from the special, open-ended qualities of the resource. Invite friends, relatives and siblings to get the collecting or making bug too. Once they discover what sorts of objects make good treasures they won’t be able to look at ‘kitchenalia’ in the same way!

When your collection is complete put away other toys and make time for uninterrupted play. Put the Treasure Basket on the floor, (ideally on a cosy mat) either inside or outdoors and sit back and watch what your baby or child does. (If offering to a baby make sure that they are safely supported by cushions if needed.) Rather than asking questions, offering particular objects or influencing play, just sit back and enjoy watching your child show you what they are interested in, what types of objects they like and how they play with the resource. Lots of children prefer metal – possibly because of its’ sound, coldness or shiny qualities. Even very young children typically play for an hour or more, but it is essential for an adult to supervise play. Use this time to see if they respond differently each time they play; if they discover a new ‘favourite’ item to explore; or if their play evolves.

Now that you’ve gathered all the ‘treasures’ for your basket you may be wondering what is it about your collection of objects that makes it become a basket of awe and wonder with limitless possibilities and benefits for children? It’s the very fact that the basket is brimming full of open-ended resources, with no right or wrong way of being played with that encourages children to explore, problem solve, create and discover to their hearts’ content. Children rarely see a wooden spoon as just that, so expect to see a knitted purse become a bag, a dolly’s hat, a submarine, a boat or even a hot air balloon basket, as children see the potential of each treasure! Every time a child encounters a sensory experience, like touching an item in the basket, it develops and reinforces connections in the brain. These are at the root of all development, as well as being essential for making and recalling memories.

Treasure Basket play is great for supporting the Early years and primary curriculum in a fun, ‘hands-on’ way – particularly good for boys. The treasures also support children’s language and communication skills by giving meaning to words. It is only when a child has experienced heavy, soft, cold, etc that they can really understand what the word means. Similarly no amount of words and pictures would really help you understand snow until you’d actually experienced it. For babies and young children they improve fine motor skills (fingers and hands) and hand-eye coordination – both essential for reading and writing in the future. Older children relish the vocabulary and thinking skills introduced. A Treasure Basket offers countless opportunities for developing problem solving and maths, e.g. sorting, counting, exploring pattern and shape. It’s also perfect for introducing learning about different countries, cultures and the properties of materials, for example, metal may feel cold but if held quickly warms up; heavy and light; floats and sinks. A humble coaster made from recycled corn on the cob leaves introduces learning in a hands-on way. A Treasure Basket encourages sharing and develops children’s focus and concentration. It enables them to follow their own interests so is inclusive and great for personal, social and emotional development. Watch two to six year olds playing with a Treasure Basket and you will see that their play changes from discovering what different objects are like and what they can do with them, to exploring what they can become. If you are invited to enjoy an imaginary picnic or travel in a spaceship you will be seeing this in action!

Hopefully you will be energised and inspired to start your own Treasure Basket collection! For more ideas on what to include, safety guidance and examples of children’s play, go to www.playtoz.co.uk. You can also share your stories and photos of your Treasure Basket and how your child plays with it. I’d love to hear your stories…

Sue Gascoyne – Educational trainer and founder of Play to Z Ltd

Filed Under: Education, Parenting

English Heritage Throws Open The Doors For a Teachers’ Weekend

April 1, 2011 By admin 1 Comment
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Teachers and their own children are invited to enjoy a free weekend of fun and exploration at English Heritage sites throughout the country on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May as abbeys, castles and historic houses open their doors for the first ever English Heritage  Teachers’ Weekend.

Lucia Crothall, Education Marketing Manager for English Heritage explains, “We know how pressured teachers are today, and how hard it can be to find new places to take the children to  so we’ve thrown our doors open at the weekend so they can combine a day out with their own children with the chance  to explore our sites, and see  their amazing potential for educational visits!”

Around  400 sites will be taking part in the initiative, from English Heritage’s Hadrian’s Wall sites in the North to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.  English Heritage’s regional education teams will also be welcoming teachers on exclusive tours at six key properties at 11am on 7 May: Carlisle Castle, Dover Castle, Totnes Castle, Kenilworth Castle, Audley End House & Gardens and Apsley House.

“This is a great opportunity for teachers to try out places they have never visited themselves or never thought of taking their class to visit.  We’re sure that once they see their potential and find out about the free ideas and resources we offer they’ll be back with the rest of the school– especially when they realise that visiting with an educational group is free of charge,” adds Sandra Stancliffe, Education Director.

Teachers should pre-register by 22 April 2011 to secure their complimentary visit  at http://services.english-heritage.org.uk/educationbookings.  The free pass will cover up to four children aged up to 18.

More information about English Heritage’s free educational visits and Discovery Visits is available online at www.english-heritage.org.uk/education

Filed Under: Education, Parenting