School

Autumn term – 100 words

June 22, 2023 By Ellen

Autumn term New shoes Pencil cases Scratchy shirts with names on them Who’s my teacher? Will my friends still like me? What is that at the bottom of the bag, from before A lifetime ago Different teacher: different world A world when it ran like a machine A bad-tempered machine Homework, gym kit, lunches, […]

Someone died – 100 words

June 19, 2023 By Ellen

Someone died Once, classroom comrades, knees, in shorts, were as familiar as my own… that hurried way his head met his neck. He never grew out of it – a ghost of the child, in a man’s jowls. But today, ‘short illness, much sadness’ and I mourn, not for the man I hardly knew, […]

The Importance of Sensory Play in Early Child Development

February 3, 2023 By Ellen

In the early years foundation stage (which covers playgroup, nursery, and reception), children are taught about the wider world and explore their five senses. They use them to make their own discoveries as well as to develop and strengthen their brain. The range of activities that they explore for this are referred to as sensory […]

A class act – 100 words

January 5, 2023 By Ellen

A class act If I was a school bag, where would I hide With my grubby treasures and my slightly funky smell of biscuits and corridors with rows of hooks? I’d be protecting the crumpled letter – Dear Parent or Carer from October – the tops of pencils, the empty maths sets, the homework project, […]

Helping Your Child Transition Into Sixth Form

October 9, 2022 By Ellen

Sixth Form is going to mean a big change in your child’s studies, which is why you should be helping them with this transition as best you can. Many private schools and public schools will ensure the jump from senior school to Sixth Form is as seamless as it can be, with many resources out […]