BB100

At the open day the Head said they get the local vicar to come and draw the names out of the hat.

Some lovely news for a change - congratulations Ruth and family

Hope you are ok - something like that can really shake you up for a while - and many thanks for the tip off.

I agree Debi some comments on the Standard article have gone too far, are too personal and is fast becoming a witch hunt. The exam board will easily get to the truth if cheating is widespread. We need to let them investigate, as innocent until proven guilty.

I wanted to believe it was a malicious person but after reading the Evening Standard article I have to admit that my child kept telling me during exam seasons that the classes kept having supply staff because the teachers went into the exam halls instead of teaching. When I complained about it I was told the subject teachers like to be in the exam hall because the children get so nervous and need reassurance! Despite this, there really are some brilliant teachers at the school and if it's true then they really didn't need to do this. I feel very sorry for those new soon-to-be Year 7 parents who will now not know what to think about sending their child there for September. All I can say in reassurance to those parents is to look at the posts from Kingsdale parents above who are very happy with it and those anonymous teachers who care about the school and the children.

I went to Oxford Circus a few weeks ago by bus and it was an awful journey standing up and crushed for nearly an hour. I wished I went by train - much quicker.

Anyone seen the front page of the SLP today? Kingsdale is being investigated for exam malpractice by 3 exam boards. Apparently the exam boards have received allegations by 'anonymous persons'. It would be very sad if someone is maliciously trying to damage the good reputation the school has built.

Interesting statistics DJKillaQueen. Not sure that the socio-economic status and population size of the country could entirely explain such a big difference in reoffending rates though.

katgod Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- To be honest I > am/was a sceptic about learning through play, but > it works, they learn by osmosis somehow. There is an enormous amount of research on learning through play, which I won't bore you with, but the theory is that children learn and operate at their highest level during play because it makes sense, is more interesting and the experences are richer and more complex. The most enriching type of learning through play is with adult support and extension rather than just letting children play freely. This is what Reception is meant be, but there are very few teachers that actually understand early years.

There can be a lot of advantages to deferring a school place. The adult-child ratio in preschools and nurseries are much better and so a child can receive much more attention than in a Reception class. The resources and activities provided tend also be more varied and less formal, the day can be much more interesting for the children and there tends to be more freedom. Of course, that does depend on what nursery and also what Reception class but I've spent a lot of time in many different Reception and nursery classes and the children always seem much happier in nursery than in Reception.

Try to ask open questions like: what outings to you do during the week? rather than questions that will probably get you the right answer like: do you go to the park? What other children do they look after? What working hours? How does she make sure she gets a break during the day? You don't want a frazzeled childminder or one that makes them nap for three hours either. How does she make sure your child will be safe? Childminders do not have to have written policies any more but Ofsted expect them to have a verbal one How will she make sure your child will have healthy options?

When I was a child my mother used to tap the cat on the nose with a rolled up newspaper. We had three cats and none of them jumped on the table because of it. I think the water pistol sounds the next best alternative.

Male teachers always seem to get the wine. One year a female friend of mine worked with a male teacher and so got lots of wine too - she said it was the best year ever! A nice box of biscuits can be more welcome than sweets and chocolates too.

silverfox Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Being too polite to people in debates, especially > when they resort to swearing/insults as a last > resort Wouldn't like to hear you being rude then Silverfox ;-). My regret is ever finding the thing in the first place - all Kingsdales fault.

It's true about the snow though - many families were snowed in unable to move their cars for days.

I do know of a home schooled group of teenagers in SE23. I will let them know.

evangelical and evangelising is not the same thing.

brummie Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- Over 30years I have argued with > the door knockers, invited them in for a row, > slammed the door and sworn at them so if you had just been polite in the first place..................

It maybe a good time to introduce the potty to get him familiar with it if he is telling you he is about to poo. However, I wouldn't rush out and buy pants just yet as the wee control can happen a lot later. Give him lots of praise when he tells you and encourage him to sit on the potty for a few minutes. Children vary greatly in their development so the best rule of thumb is to go with the child.

ClaireClaire Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Maybe this will help > > http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/2007/03/15 > /faq-what?s-wrong-with-suggesting-that-women-take- > precautions-to-prevent-being-raped/ Oh, ClaireClaire that is flawed reasoning. There are also thieves everywhere who will steal, whatever we do about it, but we still conceal our valuables to protect ourselves. Rape is the lowest form of theft and whilst there is never any excuse for such a vile act, you can't control the rapist or the thief but you can do things to protect yourself and one of them is not to put your valuable assets on display. Insisting that you should be able to wear whatever you want is not asking for it, it's naivety. Sue - so what is the point then?

I really don't understand this. It's ok for the police to tell us not to leave our handbags and mobiles on display where thieves can nick them but when it comes to the most valuable thing we have - our bodies - it is not ok for the police to advise us on ways to protect ourselves. If someone left their diamond ring on a table in a bar whilst they were having a drink and it got stolen, who would say 'I have a right to have it on the bar on display and for no one to steal it???' It's about protecting yourself from crime, not exercising rights. We have rights not to be mugged but it happens to someone everyday and the best you can do is to take measures to protect yourself ie. keep your valuables covered up. I don't see anyone marching the streets with all their life savings in a clear plastic bag protesting that they have a right to do so. Or have I just missed the point entirely?

All the cuts to children's services and and benefits is going to make the problem even worse. http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/rss/1067692/Early-years-cuts-stall-poverty-drop/

Which one is worse though. Shoes shaped by another child's foot or shoes too tight or with a hole that lets the water in?

Hi Chantelle, I've Pm you

I don't know and have never thought to google it as I just accepted it as a given. I looked at the Red Cross which says: Donations we can?t accept We cannot sell anything that it would be unsafe for you to buy ? anything that is broken, dangerous, unhygienic, where its safety cannot be proven or it would be illegal for us to sell. Please do not bring these items to us as we will have to incur costs for their disposal. In particular, we can?t accept: medication or solvents crash helmets, hard hats or protective headgear and clothes toys, nightwear or upholstered items that don?t have the relevant safety labels used dentures, jewellery for pierced body-parts, cosmetics and toiletries used children?s shoes, clothing with drawstrings, cots, prams or nursery furniture I assume second-hand children's shoes are classed as unhygenic or unsafe as they could be ill-fitted??? Maybe there is some EU regulation but there are plenty of UK charities shipping shoes to other countries so really if it's good enough for them.....