Carbonara

That's all rather inconclusive, though, isn't it? No mention of why teachers are leaving. Are good teachers leaving in despair? Are bad teachers being eased out? It's just a ragbag collection of gossip and facts. Interesting about the disparity between community schools and free schools wrt to FSMs, though. But wholly predictable.

You don't need to use a third party scheme like ACCOR / Busy Bees etc at all. For a small employer (your company) the costs will balance out the savings. All that is needed (I think - check it all through with your company accountant) is that you set it up as a salary sacrifice, and instead of the nursery invoicing you for the amount of allowed off-settable fees, they invoice your employer and the employer pays that part of the nursery bill, and deducts that amount from your salary. My employer, a small third sector company, paid the nursery direct. I received a letter changing my T&C, outlining the terms of the salary sacrifice. I think you can find all this on the HMRC website. The downsides of salary sacrifice schemes like this are that any redundancy, pension, maternity etc entitlements are based on your new (lower) taxed salary. This is unlikely to be an issue for you, though.

Poor, poor girl. How horrific.

Selective schooling can (but doesn't have to) have a detrimental effect on comprehensive schools because if the top achieving 20% or 25% of children are removed into a Grammar then the comprehensive is no longer 'comprehensive'. Indeed I understand that in many parts of Kent they are called 'high schools' because of this. Of course the educational experience and quality of teaching can be as good, and children can achieve just as much - but if there are fewer high ability pupils then the provision for them to be able to do, say, two modern languages, or Latin, or 3 seperate science subjects all at GCSE may be compromised because the school capacity doesn't make it possible to offer that curriculum. I know people in particular parts of Kent who are struggling with this having children who narrowly missed out on a grammar place, grammar places being so over-subscribed. To the point where passing the 11+ doesn't guarantee a place - entry being reliant on passing at a certain competitive benchmark which changes each year. I guess research is all, and it's good that the full spectrum of provision is strong in your chosen areas - good luck to all those who are Kentward-bound and Kent-dwellers!

Haven't moved yet. Looking. But rising costs against static income is making life very hard. ED has access to excellent schools, and schools are different, better, than when we grew up in Camberwell. I personally wouldn't move to Kent because the grammar system is all very well if you are certain of a place, but it has such a detrimental effect on many of the other schools that the risk is so great. I prefer a genuine comprehensive with a good stream for academic high achievers and a range of options for everyone. Maybe I am wrong - do Kent-bound emigres check the alternatives to the grammars? Anyway, Kent and Surrey are too far out for us, we want to live in London, and not to replace downsizing savings to higher commuting bills, or have to pay for even more childcare to cover extra commuting time.

She is still 3? 3 year olds shouldn't be doing anything academic that could allow anyone to judge where they stood amongst peers, they should be playing, learning to socialise and discovering the world. I would avoid moving a child at 7 if it depends on exams and tests. Have you looked at Rosemead?

Sorry to hear that, susyp, Your partner is being very selfish and inconsiderate, in the circumstances.

Over 8 years of school hols we have variously tried the following: Take your leave from work in relays Work up some flexi time in lieu Take unpaid leave Look for a childminder who has teachers children - they often have spaces in the summer holidays Look for holiday camps - for example Supercamps run very good playschemes at Streatham and Clapham School in Streatham, and also in Wimbledon Advertise for a summer au pair / temporary nanny Swap childcare days with friends who have children the same age - you have theirs, they have yours, for half weeks Ask grandparents or other relatives to come for a week or so As they get older you may find that friends made through school open up new oportunities as they can spend days with the families of schoolfriends, and you reciprocate. Or swap childcare days with 'stay at home' parents in the holidays for babysitting dates at the weekend throughout the year.

Sydenham. To reduce mortgage - bigger house, less financial pressure on family.

Decathlon at Surrey Quays / Canada Water have a small range of balance bikes, and you can try them out over big distances in the shop. Very good value. Balance bikes are the way to instant stabiliser-free bike riding, and very good for small children.

What do you call a woman who uses the rythm method? Mum! Do barrier methods not appeal?

She sounds thoroughly uncivilised and savage!

Sol, they always keep them in the right year group for age, so he would go into Yr4. Bear in mind you might need to be flexible and accept whatever places were available because your local schools could well be full. I think a year's travelling would be great, but I would find time for regular writing and maybe try and keep on top of the maths.

I think the polie should distribute more accurate information. A text saying 'a Yr 6 child at a S London school was offered a lift on the pretext of the bus strike. Please emphasise to your children that they must not accept any such offers, and should report them' would perhaps have been more useful. It hadn't occurred to me that the strike would present an opportunity - that would have been a good reminder.

Schools will only hold a place open for a certain amount of time. A vacant place will be filled with someone from a waiting list. Then when you return, you will need to find a new school place for your child. The child will be placed in the year group according to age, even if a year's education has been missed. Then support given as necessary, with booster classes or SENCO / Learning Mentor support. The LA will of course educate a returning child, but cannot guarantee that it will be in the same school. In areas where schools are not over-subscribed and new people do not arrive all the time, it may be that the place is still available on return. I know a family who took children abroad for 8 months due to work and lost a place in an excellent state school, and then went to a less good one on return. The whole move and move again experience was unsettling rather than enriching. Talk to your Head. It may be that you can hold the place if you travel over the summer hols and some of the Sept term. A child who had arrived with extended family as a refugee went back for 3 months and then was re-admitted. But some schools withdraw a place after 10 days unauthorised absence.

Brierley are a community team attached to KCH. Call them direct - hopefully they will be able to take you on but as others say KCH also run a very good team of community midwives and have a good record and statistics on homebirth. If you can't find a number try the self-referring number for KCH midwives service on 0203 299 3796 Have you joined the NCT and booked for ante-natal classes? they will give you good support and preparation for a homebirth. Good luck!

He is 9 months old, and his character may go through numerous switches and changes before he becomes an adult. Don't assume what he will be like, or you will fall into the trap of projecting - and boys suffer enough from being the target of societies and individuals projections. By the time a child is 18m he may well have heard a regular stream of 'ha ha, typical boy' / 'ooh, you've got your hands full - what a terror' / 'boys will be boys' etc etc. My former 'talk to anyone about everything and fear nothing' toddler is now shy and reserved in less familiar company, and is quiet and self-contained - completely happy but in a different way from what we expected from his toddler years.

A browse round the Apple store in Cvt Gdn, walk over Hungerford bridge to the S Bank, RFH / check out some Uderbelly events, walk along to Borough Market, have coffee somewhere cool en route? Look at the S Bank website and see what is on.

Sheringham, Cromer, Broadstairs, Weymouth, Eastbourne? Holt very nice, but terrible public transport or a ?15 taxi fare from the nearest train station. And no public transport to the nearest nice beaches or crazy golf (as the OP asked for a train-friendly destination)

Snappy Snaps

The advice is usually to hang on to an offer until another becomes available. Have you put yourself on the waiting list for all schools you would reasonably consider? Not just the original 6 on your preferred list? You don't want to end up with a school even further away than the offered school. Are you on the waiting list for your nearest school?

I wouldn't explain 'stranger danger' to a 4 year old. There are any number of reasons why a 4 year old should stay within sight, so I would concentrate on instilling the habit. 4 year olds have a weird (but fantastic) relationship with dramatic / scary stories like 'bad men' and aren't always very perturbed about the possibility of a horrible accident. Just tell her that if she goes too far away, or into the road on her scooter she is not old enough to have one, and you will take it off her and make her walk holding your hand. Then do it - the first and every time she scoots off. Get her to get used to obeying the order to 'Stop'. Say 'we're practicing stopping when I say so' - and have a few practices. Then praise her and say she needs to stop, straight away if you shout 'stop'. If she doesn't you will know she isn't old enough to be out and about. Take the scooter and make her walk, hand held.

As I said before, there are numerous investigations into allegations, and all the others last year have remained cionfidential. In the interests of the children in the school. The fact that teachers used the internet to make this public suggests a campaign against the management or leadership of the school, or maybe against former colleagues, who knows. But since there are proper channels for the scrutiny of exam procedure, why is it being repeatedly raked up on anonymous forums? Also, beware unintended consequences. If it is a campaign against the management, what of innocent hardworking teachers who could be caught in the crossfire and allegations? Anyone thinking of KD as a school for their child should surely ask the school what is happening and how exam integrity will be protected. Not stir it up, with the potential damage for current pupils, on internet forums.

Nice as it is, how is Arundel en route to Brighton from E Dulwich?

What didn't you like about Epping Forest and what would make a great experience for you? Have a look at Kitt's Cottage Camping, Palace Farm Camping, Welsummer, St Ives farm, Clippenham Camping and see if any of those appeal. CampsiteUK have a comprehensive list with lots of user reviews, and you can search by map, or other categories.