In the deep murky waters of a garden pond Glub the tadpole woke up from his bed of pondweed. His lot on life was swimming around, munching algae and not much else. But the last few weeks were different. Last week he’d grown front legs, and the week before that he’d grown back ones. He…
Funny thing, daydreams. They come along and ambush you when least expected. Sometimes, in the midst of activity, you pause a second and are suddenly whooshed away to unknown, unexpected realms. Winters are an especially good time to be caught out. James didn’t know whether it was the grey sky outside as he sat with…
It is not often that I look up at Earth. The steep sides of the valley obscure the view, which means connecting to the telescope at Olympus Mons. But today I thought I would check it out to see if it was still there. And yes, it is still there. Pale little twinkle, letting me…
Progress by Linda Taglialavore ‘Brothers, we’re here today to sort out our plan of action. We are Stours,’ he raged, ‘and we stick together.’ He slammed his empty tankard down on the table with a crash. Some little drops of froth laid upon his beard. Ethan folded his arms across his chest in a defiant…
The Hold-Up by Diane Cattermole That was then, and this is now. I knew Joe back then, when we were young and life was right on the pulse; wild and free as the wind. The tale that comes to mind, that you might care to hear, is the one where, far out west, where the…
Last week, some of our Accounting students had their AAT exam at ACL Brentwood. Tutor Joanne bought some lovely balloons and waited outside to wish all her student good luck. ‘I wanted my students to smile going into an exam for which they were prepared, but really nervous about, not least as they had…
Weekly Challenge: Play a Maths game that you have at home e.g. Monopoly, Connect Four, dice and card games Design your own Maths game Check out & recommend a new Maths app or website Use Lego/K’nex/Duplo to enhance numeracy skills Maths on the go- make everyday activities maths focused Parent Top Tips: Dust off those…
Schools and nurseries are out!!! Normally at this time of year our children would all be looking forward to a six-week break, and we would we worrying how we entertain them for those weeks. The reality is for a lot of parents we have been doing this for 18 weeks now. This year as parents…
What do your children need? Reading Together Talking Together Communication is the key We all know the importance of communication with children and young people. Some children’s personalities are upfront about communicating their emotions, whilst others may not have the skills or choose not to share. Rather than thinking of children as little people who…
What can I be? Whatever age your children: self-esteem, self-image and having a mindset of self-worth unlocks future possibilities. For children up to the age of 7: What can I be when I grow up – they have so many ideas! Don’t limit your children’s thoughts – let them dream big, as they grow and…