Stagecoach Cambridge and Cambourne Stagecoach Cambridge and Cambourne are excited to announce their <strong>2019</strong> holiday workshop schedule! There are two different workshops available each week, one for 4-7 years and another for 6-16 years (split into age related groups). They work towards a performance for family and friends on the final day of the course. Students are taught singing, acting and dancing by our friendly, enthusiastic, experienced and DBS (formerly CRB) checked teachers. The classes are high energy and fun and whether you are looking to learn new skills, make friends or build confidence Stagecoach has something to offer your child. The week culminates in a performance on stage with lights and costumes. The sessions run from 9.45am-2.00pm for 4-7 years and 10.00am-4.00pm for 6-15-year olds daily. Childcare vouchers are accepted, and sibling discounts apply. The classes run at Easter at Coleridge Community College and Summer at both Coleridge and Cambourne Village Colleges. To book please visit www.stagecoach.co.uk/cambridge or call 01223 359974. Urban Dance Academy Learn authentic street dance from industry professionals at the award winning Urban Dance Academy Want to spend a day learning new or improving your street dance skills?? We welcome students aged 4-18yrs with varied abilities who share a passion for dance as well as having fun and making new friends. Join us at UDA to take advantage of our talented teachers welcoming a community of dancers whether you’re a total beginner or an experienced dancer looking to further your training. All teachers are DBS checked, PLI insured and first aid trained. Book now or for all enquiries contact info@myuda.co.uk www.myuda.co.uk Jill Bridger School of Dance The Jill Bridger School of Dance’s caring and nurturing ethos is not only reflected in its well-known pre-school Melody Bear classes but in its Senior Department too. Our older students enter Royal Academy of Dance ballet exams and have the opportunity to participate in our Student Assistant training programme. The programme is an innovative training scheme designed to guide, support and recognise teenagers helping in toddler and preschool dance classes. In addition to teaching the principles of class assisting it develops students’ general skills such as leadership, organisation, planning and communication. This is the first step in the Melody Movement Early Learning teacher training certificate, a programme accredited by the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre (CDMT). It is a tool that our students can use to enhance their further education and career paths. We have three student performance shows annually. In a climate where our young people have many pressures and stresses, we are delighted that our teenagers are finding time to enjoy ballet – and to share their love of dance with our younger children too. To find out more visit www.danceschool.biz or call 01480 469711 Department of Education When I became Education Secretary, I spent my first weekend in post asking everyone I met what they wanted for their children. Invariably the answer that came back was “I want my child to be happy”. That’s hardly surprising and it’s why I’ve spent a lot of my time as Education Secretary thinking about children’s health and wellbeing. This was behind my decision to make health education – including mental health – universal from 2020. If we get this right, then we are building strong foundations on which every child will have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. When I hear about issues causing children undue stress or anxiety, it concerns me. It’s been clear for some time now that there are some misapprehensions about the purpose of the SATs – or National Curriculum tests to give them their proper name – that children take at the end of primary school. In some cases, children aged as young as 10 or 11 are experiencing ‘exam stress’. I know for some schools and parents the return to the classroom after halfterm will bring an increased focus on the tests in May, so it’s important to set things straight about what SATs are for and what effects they have. I’ve heard disturbing stories of children not being allowed out to play by their parents because they are too busy revising; I’ve heard of special exam prep homework, ‘how-to’ guides, cramming and tutoring, even some children spending their Christmas holidays looking at old tests. Last year a poll found that up to 30% of schools are asking pupils to revise for SATs at home and one in five are sending them home with previous papers. I’ve also heard about schools feeling the need to put on stress-busting sessions and running special activities to distract pupils from the pressure. None of this is necessary, and it doesn’t happen everywhere. If one in five are sending kids home with previous papers, it is important to note that four in five aren’t. Earlier this year I visited an outstanding primary school. When I spoke to the headteacher about how they prepare children for SATs, she had a message I found inspiring in its simplicity. She said they just tell pupils to do their best, “but then that’s what we always tell them,” she added. I know this is replicated in many thousands of schools all over the country – and I want it to be the norm. It is good for children to want to do their best, to show what they can do, and to think that this does matter. But it is not at all the same thing as feeling undue pressure. Of course, these tests give parents an idea of how well their children are doing in English and maths and, in some cases what additional support they may need at secondary school. But they should never be a cause for upset or anxiety for children or parents. SATs are not public exams – they are tests, and there is a difference. These are not A Levels or GCSEs with results that count on an individual basis in the long term. Their core purpose is to help ensure primary schools are teaching our children the key skills and knowledge in maths and English that they will need to go on to succeed at secondary school. Cambridge Gymnastics Academy Cambridge Gymnastics Academy C.I.C is a not for profit organization based in Arbury, formed in May 2012. We had a vision, to provide affordable gymnastics lessons for all people to attend, no matter age, gender, income or disability. The club has since evolved, with an incredibly dedicated staff team and in May 2016, CGA opened its doors to an incredible new facility, with a foam pit and sunken trampoline. Recognition of our success and work within the community was acknowledged in 2017 when we won ‘Community Club of the Year’ from Living Sport and in 2018 won the ‘Impact to Sports’ Award. Classes are available from 6 week old babies to over 50’s. There is an elite pathway for the more advanced gymnast. Holiday camps & parties are available to 4.5 – 15 year old’s. Coaches are qualified up to National level with British Gymnastics and have attended safeguarding and first aid courses. For further information head to www.cambridgegymnastics.co.uk or call 07971864653. For gymnastics venues in the wider community head to www.cgagymnasticssatellites.co.uk And I don’t want SATs to be a source of stress for teachers either – accountability and the measurement of schools are clearly vital so that we can continue to drive up standards across our schools, but in recent years Key Stage 2 tests have seen to be high stakes. That is why we are reforming and simplifying the accountability system, to make sure that results and data are only ever the starting point for a conversation about school performance. We want parents to be able to see how their school is performing and be confident in this without their children feeling under pressure. Exams and tests have their place in education and they always will. GCSEs and A Levels are an important measure of what pupils have learned in their schooling to that point and it’s right that they are treated seriously – these are the measures that employers, universities and others will take into account. But you won’t be asked how you did in your SATs during a job interview. The truth is that pupils only need to treat SATs in the same way that they treat other work like a spelling or times table test – they just need to do their best. The last thing I want is for 10 and 11-year-olds to be fearful or nervous about taking a test. I want them to do their best in SATs, just as I want them to do their best in every class. 8 Primary Times Cambridgeshire . Spring <strong>2019</strong>
Primary Times Cambridgeshire . Spring <strong>2019</strong> 9