Education Supplement, 19 May 2016, Issue 951

8/16/2019 Education Supplement, 19 May 2016, Issue 951

1/16

Jewish19 May 2

SUPPLEMENT

Ed

it

a n

Edited by Brigit Grant


2/16

Each year as March approaches, anxiousparents and children across the countrywait with baited breath to see if they

will be fortunate enough to secure a placeat one of our already overstretched and over-subscribed Jewish secondary schools.

Seen by the affected families as a simple equa-tion of too many children and not enough schoolplaces, it can be an extremely fraught and stressfultime.

Yet this has become a persistent problem yearon year, exacerbated perhaps by the economicdownturn from 2008, the rise in anti-Semitismand the sharp increase in Jewish primary schoolprovision.

In Barnet alone, the council projections forpupil growth indicate a need for around 600 extra

secondary school places by the end of thedecade. Hosting the country’s largest Jewish pop-ulation, suffice to say the demand for Jewish

schools follows this trend.This September, Borehamwood’s Yavneh

College will open its doors to an extra 30 children,but while this is welcome news for some ofthose currently scrambling for places, it does notaddress the long-term issue.

While the Partnership for Jewish Schools(PaJeS), established to provide services, supportand strategy to Jewish schools across the UK,would not be pinned down as to whether itbelieves there is a specific need for a new Jewishsecondary school, nor whether one will definitelyopen, spokeswoman Jessica Boxer did say thatextensive research is being carried out to betterinform the discussion.

She also highlighted one caveat to the complexlandscape.

“There probably are enough places at Jewishschools at the moment, but they are not perfectlydistributed in line with the demand,” she admitted.

When King Solomon High School was openedin Ilford in 1993, its remit was to offer acomprehensive education to Jewish children inRedbridge and the surrounding areas. In2016, while it is still oversubscribed,only a third of its 1,000 places areoccupied by Jewish students.Attempts have been made inrecent years to encourage fam-ilies to consider the commutefrom north-west London.

Yet not content with thissolution, mother-of-three andHendon resident Eve Sacks tookthe matter into her own hands,spearheading a campaign to estab-lish a new Jewish school to meet

demand and to offer choice.“We embarked on the process becausewe felt that there was a gap in the Jewish second-

ary school landscape in London; a schooModern Orthodox open-minded outlook

high standards of Jewish studies, ida par with the best American

high schools,” she admits.With plans to submit

school proposal to thement for Education lyear, with a view to a five-form entry sceither Edgware or in September 201believes this is a long-

proposition.“Our proposal wi

resolve the issue by injeextra 150 places into the stat

sector, giving parents a better csecuring a place at the school tbest meets the needs of their children,” s

“We have felt that there is a genuinement at the prospect of a Modern Osecondary school that offers pupils a strolar and Jewish education.

“We are not merely responding to a sof school places. We are driven by a pvision and we have spent a good deal refining the values that we would like tothe school. We are using this vision to guiwe move forward.”

The team behind the Modern OSecondary School (MOSS) application wnext March if they have managed to secuing, following which they will commesearch for a site.

Yet they a re not alone in hoping to ea new Jewish secondary school. In Janua

announced that the newly-created Nekadmheaded by Rosh Pinah school chairman Rotenberg, would be applying to open theHigh School – a free Orthodox Jewish seschool – in Barnet, within the next two ye

The project, in partnership with LOutstanding Education Services, aims “a truly integrated secular and Jewish cuwhich is rich, varied and challenging,” it sits website.

According to a recent update on its Fapage, almost all necessary paperwork hbeen submitted to the DfE; “however, thcouple of preliminary legal/technical issneed to be addressed at this point which apletely outside of our control,” it states.

While it is not impossible for the DfE both applications, it is believed to be u

E2 The Jewish News 19 May 2016 www.jewishne

EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT

Wherewillallourchildrengo?

?

Eve Sacks

The shortage of secondary places has led to Yavneh College saying it will open its doors to an extra 30 children this September

With more Jewish pupils than there are secondary

schools to accommodate them, Caron Kemp

examines our community’s big education concerns


3/16


4/16

Timing is everything and I was lucky enoughto start working in children’s publishingat the same time as the first Harry Potter

novel was launched in 1997. This kick-starteda new golden age in children’s literature and,in 2001, a children’s book, Philip Pullman’sThe Amber Spyglass , won the Whitbread (for-mer Booker Prize) for the first time.

With the sales for children’s books rising to£349 million in 2014 – the highest level since thatfirst Harry Potter – the market just continues togrow, as does the breadth of books, with 10,000new children’s titles published in the UK every year.

And yet it’s still a struggle to get children toread. With limited free time and ever more ‘screentime’, our children are less and less likely to pickup a book.

Nearly three-quarters of households own atablet computer and yet three in 10 children in theUK do not own a single book of their own, accord-ing to the National Literacy Trust. The Trustbelieves that children who don’t own books“are less likely to have positive experiences of reading, less likely to do well at school and lesslikely to be engaged in reading in any form”.

In fact, the issue of accessibility is huge. Withthe current lack of funding for libraries, andbudget tightening in schools, as well as theclosure of high street bookshops, it is becomingmore difficult for children to find books they like.With 73 percent of children saying they wouldread more if they could find more books they like,it falls to parents to provide the selection andin doing so, encourage their children to read. But“how?“, I hear you cry.

Children copy behaviour, be it eatingvegetables, keeping fit or reading books.Parents shouldn’t expect their children tobe great readers if they don’t see an examplethey can follow. And that means print. Chil-dren can’t decipher whether a parent is read-ing a book on an e-reader or playing a game,so reading be it an actual book, newspaper ormagazine is optimal.

Talking about books is also key, so when read-ing to your children discuss everything from theplot points to the funny bits, and try relating whatthey have read to real life. Accessibility as previ-ously stated is crucial, so have books around thehouse and when you are out think about takingyour children to book swaps, libraries and charityshops. Nothing gets a child more excited than theopportunity to meet an author, so you could alsotake them to book signings and literary festivals.Remember: enthusiasm mounts with exposure.

But why is reading so important for children?Of course, we know that reading boosts generaleducational achievement – in subjects such asmaths as well as literacy – which has a greaterimpact on achievement than their parents’socio-economic status ever will. What you mightnot realise is that it also acts as a de-stress – byas much as 60 percent for the average readerand, most importantly, provides emotional andsocial benefits. It also helps the understandingof others and gives a moral compass. In essence,it teaches humanity.

In any children’s book, there are likely to bekey decisions made by the protagonist on whatis right or wrong, how to make friends, who totrust, how to ‘grow’ as a person. Even in themost ‘funny’ reads, the characters impart someof this to children. Charlie And The ChocolateFactory shows children how to behave by the

misbehaviour of the revolting children whowin golden tickets, and they suffer the conse-quences of their actions. Harry Potter grows asa person from books one to seven, learningabout friendship, self-belief, community, deter-mination, and facing fears – and yes, the ad-ventures are pretty exciting, too.

As someone once said, children who readbecome adults who think. As much as learningabout others, children also look for themselves

in books – they want to see that they arenot alone. Books can be as much a

finding place as an escape from thereality they are living, especially for

teenagers.They can see themselves

in the books they read,as well as seeing their


With computers and tablets dominating most

children’s lives, books have been shelved. Reading consultant Clare Zin

explains why reading is essential – and how to make it interesting


A NovelExperience

friends, and learn how to deal with issues almostby osmosis – not being directly spoon-fed – butby seeing how a character deals with the situa-tion. From dealing with a mother’s cancer in AMonster Calls by Patrick Ness to dealing with‘difference’ in Wonder by RJ Palacio, there aremany different issues in many different stories.One of my many tasks as a children’s readingconsultant is to find topics embedded in chil-dren’s stories that can subtly help the child inquestion.

There are some brilliant ideas coming frompublishers and charities, too – from the ReadingAgency’s Reading Well scheme for teenagerswith mental health issues, to the publisher Bar-rington Stoke, which specialises in producingbooks for those who are reluctant to read or havereading difficulties such as dyslexia. Publishersare realising that more and more children wantthat ‘mirror’ in their books, and are attemptingto address missing diversity.

The winner of the Best Older Fiction in the

Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 20Lisa Williamson’s The Art of Being Noyoung adult novel about a boy wantina girl, dealing with sexuality and genders in the publishing world are more sthe illustrator Rebecca Cobb neatlweaves a mix of diversity in her grfriends in The Something picture book ing a child in a wheelchair without dratention to it.

Of course, there is still much more tpromote diversity in children’s publishingget children reading. But if they can findthat speaks directly to them, that doesn’the answers, but makes them think abquestions, then they’ve taken the first that magical reading path.

• For f urther information, strategies to encour your child to be a ‘reader for life’, themed booand book reviews, visit Clare Zinkin’s website awww.MinervaReads.com

SIBLINGS:

The Only Child Club by Anne FineConveying the hilarious truth about siblings, this is abook for newly independent readers that confronts theissues of having and not having siblings for the agegroup who are most likely to feel it. Ryan, an only child,invites the other ‘only children’ in his class to be inThe Only Child Club. They need to decide what it isthat siblings actually do and come up with the most

hilarious ideas (age 5+ years).

Whatever Happened to my Sister?by Simona CiraoloA touching picture book for any younger siblingwhose older sister has started on the transition out of childhood. It portrays the shift in relationship withgreat skill, from the depiction of the older sister in hotpants and skimpy top reaching into a cupboard, withthe words “My sister was never so tall. Did it happenovernight?” to the little girl shut out of her sister’s room,as her sister peruses magazines and listens on head-phones. An uplifting ending, but a good insight into theever transient relationship of siblings.

Books that address specific issu


5/16

www.jewishnews.co.uk 19 May 2016 The Jewish Ne

DISABILITY:

We Are Giants by Amber Lee DoddA brilliant, page-turning debut novel for ages nine to 12 yearsabout moving house and school to a different area, and beingdifferent. Sydney loves her mum Amy, even if she is different fromall the other mothers. Sydney’s mum has dwarfism, and althoughSydney sees it as a wonderful thing and wishes she could stop

growing to be more like her mum, other children don’t see it inquite the same way. Told from Sydney’s point of view, this is agripping story about making new friends and dealing with bullies,applicable to everyone who feels a bit different inside.

Katy by Jacqueline WilsonA modern day version of What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge. Katy isa strong-willed child, one of a large family of six. Jacqueline Wilsonportrays the modern family dynamic with aplomb – a stepmother,the arguments and escapades of modern-day children, the annoyinglittle sister. Then, a terrible accident leaves Katy wheelchair- bound.Unlike the original story, there is no fairy tale ending. The effect onKaty’s and the rest of the family’s emotions is devastating but veryreal – and her recovery is dealt with well. For ages 10 plus.

BEREAVEMENT:

The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher EdgeAlbie (named after Einstein) by his scientist parents, is a curious

Year 6 boy, who is g rieving for his mother who di ed just twoweeks before the book begins. To assuage his sadness, and todiscover where she might have gone after death, he explores theidea of parallel universes – could she be alive in a different timeand space? An intriguing book, highly emotive, but with touchesof humour. Highly recommend for ages 8+.

SEXTING AND FRIENDSHIP:

Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca SteadThree interlocking narratives make for a compelling story of friendshipand inhibitions. Bridge, aged 11, survived a horrific car accident andis pondering the meaning of life after missing so much school. Shermis exploring love as he witnesses the break-up of his long-marriedgrandparents’ and a third narrative – a mystery troubled youngster.

The book deals with internet safety, self-image, and peer pressureas the three progress into adolescence. Highly readable and realisticdialogue make this an exceptional read for 12+ years.

MENTAL HEALTH

Panther by David OwenDerrick is overweight. He eats out of a sense of helplessnessbecause his sister is held in the grip of deep depression, and every-one around her is tainted in some way. Derrick becomes obsessedwith finding a wild panther, rumoured to be wandering the allotmentsand parks of south London. If he can catch and tame a wild beast,then surely he can exert control over what’s happening in the rest of his life? This is a highly emotional novel, dealing with depression andthe wider effects on family and friends. Hard-hitting. For ages 15+.

TEENAGE PREGNANCYTrouble by Non PrattA dual narrative told from the perspective of 15-year-old Hannah,and Aaron, the new boy at school. This smart and funny novel stayswith the reader long after it’s finished, and deals w ith what happenswhen Hannah gets pregnant, and Aaron, despite not being thefather offers to be the ‘pretend dad’. With great dialogue, beauti-fully portrayed relationships, not only between young people, butalso between parents and children, this is a phenomenal read.

Wolfson Hillel Primary School is a thriving

United Synagogue school in Southgate, London.

Ofsted said “Pupils are proud of their school and get on very well

together. As a result, the school is a very harmonious community.

From the time they enter the school in the Early Years Foundation Stag

children become confident and eager learners. In lessons, pupils show

good attitudes to learning and respond well to their teacherspupils

achieve well to reach standards in English and mathematics that are

well above average by the time they leave.”

Parents’ views “Our school has been transformed by a dynamic Head

who has put in place strong leadership teams & clear strategies to

support the individual learning journey of each and every child, allowing

them to flourish. The new school curriculum has allowed for some huge

creative teaching where all children are engaged. We are so proud tha

we and our children are part of this thriving school community.”

We will be holding open mornings for prospective parents on

16/6, 11/10, 17/11, 7/12 at 9.30a.m. Please contact the

Admissions Manager on 020 8882 6487 to book a place or if

you are unable to make these dates to book an appointment.

www.wolfsonhillel.enfield.sch.uk

Nursery & Pre-SchoolHeadteacher: Ms Danielle Boder Cert. Ed. AETC

Deputy/SENCO: Mrs Michelle Peters B.Ed (Hons)

BUSHEY GAN offers your children aged 2 to rising 5 a warm,

friendly, stimulating and safe environment in which to play,

learn and develop. We are proud to be a double outstanding

nursery school with caring, qualified and experienced staff.

We offer an outstanding secular and Jewish education as

well as a large outdoor play area with safety flooring.

Opening Hours – Term Time

Monday, Wednesday & Thursday: 9:30am - 3pm

Tuesday & Friday: 9:30am – 12:30pm

Lunch Club – Milky meals

Free places for 3 & 4 year olds | Nursery Vouchers accepted

Visit our website: www.busheyganim.org.uk

to register for September 2016 onwards

Call or email to book a visit (ID required)

177-189 Sparrows Herne, Bushey, Hertfordshire, WD23 1AJ

Email: [email protected] • Tel: 020 8386 1515 • Mob: 07733 068358


6/16

Last week, I received a handwritten note in thepost from a cousin thanking me for alovely Seder. My first reaction was

‘how very unnecessary’ but that soonchanged to ‘how very old-fashionedand lovely’; after all, the seder hadtaken me two days to prepare and

one day to clean up afterwards,so it was nice to know that myhard work had been appreciated.

Yesterday evening, I received myfirst emailed thank you note for abatmitzvah present. My first reactionwas ‘how very modern/economical/ecological’, but that soon changed to ‘howvery impersonal’ and I felt a bit sad that thiswas probably the way forward.

It doesn’t seem that long ago when it was essential

to handwrite the covering letter for a job applica-tion, but the advice today is that only the

signature should be written by hand.So what do we need handwriting

for these days and how impor-tant is it that we teach our chil-dren good handwriting skills?

Surely they don’t need to twirltheir ‘y’ once they can find iton their computer keyboard?

Handwriting specialist LeeDein thinks that it is very impor-

tant. “ It is a life skill in fact,”she says. “Speaking and listening

are perhaps the more obvious meth-ods of communication, but writing isequally important. Neat, legible hand-

writing increases self-confidence and self-esteem


If the ‘h’ looks more like an ‘n’ and the

‘f’ resembles an ‘s’, it’s time to improve

your child’s penmanship – and Debra

Barnes has a helpful recommendation


off the wal

Before and after: Lee’s handwriting results

and creates a positive impression. As a speech ther-apist who has taught many children the art of goodspeaking, I believe pupils should also be taught theart of clear, legible handwriting.”

Inspired by her experiences as a speech andlanguage therapist, working with dyslexic chidren,and as a parent of four – all JFS pupils – Lee recog-nised an urgent need for a simple and logical hand-writing programme and created the Magic LinkHandwriting Programme.

“One day, a mother asked me to only teach herchild handwriting,” Lee explains. “I invented thismethod purely through ‘seeing the obvious’. Forexample, the first step teaches the child how to holda pencil correctly. This came about as most childrenhave the most shocking pencil grip! The next stepteaches letter heights –again, this felt obvious as somany pupils had letters which were all the same size,making it difficult to make out whether they werewriting an ‘n’ or an ‘h’, a ‘d’ or an ‘a’.”

According to Lee, children with neat and legiblehandwriting appear more confident, happier, enjoywriting tasks and achieve better marks at school.

“I have many referrals from tutors who report thatpupils who have been on my handwriting programmeare all offered places in the school of their choice. I’vealso noticed a definite link between good handwritingand an improvement in spelling, because children areable to proofread what they write and spot their ownmistakes and self-correct.”

Lee was recently able to help a seven-year-old

child who was receiving occupational therwhose headteacher was advising that he beanother school with a special needs unit.

“He had awful illegible handwriting,” rec“But after six weeks on my programme, hwriting is now one of the best in his class an

just been reassessed as being ‘highly intelligthe school are happy for him to stay where

“It has been a joy seeing his increasedence and self-esteem and his paredelighted. They knew all along that their bright and this is now reflected in his hanHis life has taken on a completely new direche has a bright future ahead. It has been insatisfying for me to be a part of this.”

Of course, many adults also have bad hansuch as doctors who are notorious for theiscrawl, although Lee believes they aren’t theprits. “It is dentists, accountants and everytoo. The reason doctors are targeted is becaneed to write prescriptions and their handw‘on show’. Many other professionals get awout handwriting and use computers so theskills is hidden from view. I believe the reasohave bad handwriting is simply because it hbeen taught in a clear, structured and logic

Lee’s Magic Link Handwriting methodtaught via a software programme, in private groups or at school.

• For more details, go to m giclinkh ndwriting

Lee Dein

Tech Camps for Kids & Teens

AS SEEN ON

CREATE

GAME

BUILDCODE

OFSTED REGISTEREDCHILDCARE VOUCHERS ACCEPTED

StructuredLearning

Locationsacross UK

Years’Experience

Pupil TutorRatio

01628 621216funtech.co.uk

Build a robot, design an app, type super-fast, dive into Minecraftand much more – FUN, CREATIVE & CHALLENGING!

Minecraft Educational Lego Robotics 3D Game DesignTouch Typing Coding Level 1

Writings


7/16


For young people and adults with a learning dis-ability, being supported to develop new skillsand stay active as part of the local community canbe a life-changing experience. This includes build-ing confidence, reducing anxiety and stress, andoverall helping to develop independence.

Whether it is through entering further educa-tion, joining a group or class, or taking partin community-based activities, the benefitsof learning, staying socially active and being con-nected with the community are great.

But according to Sarah Taie, positive behavioursupport and autism service manager at SweetTreeHome Care Services, many families are unaware

of the opportunities and support services that areavailable to them.

“SweetTree’s learning disabilities team providesthe highest quality care and support possibleat home and in the community for people withmild, moderate and severe learning disabilities,”says Sarah.

“The team supports those with autism and dif-fering behaviours following a positive behavioursupport model. This person-centred approachuses proactive interventions and the teaching of new skills to replace negative behaviours.”

The SweetTree model aims to improve qualityof life for both service users and their families byhelping to reduce social barriers, enabling indi-viduals to lead a more active and fulfilling life.

Sarah explains: “Supporting people to reachtheir full potential is a key aim of SweetTree’slearning disabilities service and we achieveit by helping clients to build their confidenceand through the development of new skills, whileoverall supporting them to lead an active andfulfilling life.

“As a team, we work hard to help signpostsupport services and opportunities to families.This includes offering advice on a range ofissues, from further education and self-directedsupport, to voluntary work, supported employ-ment, supported living, leisure activities, advocacy

and benefits advice.”SweetTree has strong links with the local

community, enabling clients to access a widevariety of new experiences and learning.

SweetTree Fields Farm is a care farm in northLondon that has been specially designed to cre-ate positive experiences within a safe, nurturingand social environment. It offers activities rangingfrom gardening and horticulture, to woodworkand animal care, suitable for people of all agesand abilities. The activities on offer are a great wayto develop new skills, while meeting new peopleand building confidence, all within a beautifuloutdoor setting.

SweetTree works closely with Jewish charityKisharon, which provides innovative supportfor Jewish people with learning disabilities fromage two and beyond through its nursery, school,college, adult day centres and supportedliving programme.

Kisharon chief executive Bev Jacobson says:“Kisharon’s ethos mirrors SweetTree’s, as educa-tion is at the heart of all we do. We strive toprovide equal opportunities so individuals candevelop as much independence as possible andlive fully inclusive community lives”.

Sarah adds: “We know that it is generallynot the learning disability that prevents peoplefrom taking on new challenges, or living more

independently, but the restrictions in the nity surrounding them. Having specialist can help overcome many of these issu

relieve any fears that families can have.“Helping families make the transitio

school into adulthood, which can be a and uncertain time, is just one of the wayhelp. Signposting services and providing esupport that helps individuals to accesseducation and stay connected with thecommunity, is another.”

• For more information about the support offeSweetTree, call 020 7644 9554 or see sweettr

The Sweet Tree of KnowledgeEducation is for everyone, but for those who face bigger challenges acquiring it, there’s specialist sup

For more information or to book a tour please contact Lynda Dullop, Director of Admissions:[email protected] or 020 8955 8938

Discover your potential in Immanuel College’s Sixth Form.A-levels offered in Drama, Photography, French, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, as well Maths, English and all sciences in

teaching groups as small as 6. Experience the famous Jewish and Israel Education programmes and Poland Trip.Immanuel is in the top 3% of English schools for university entry. Scholarships up to 50% are available for talented candida

We also have one or two places left in Reception in our expanding Preparatory School.


8/16

There is nothing quite like painting the wallson a sunny morning. Dressed appropriately

in their extremely cute full cover aprons adornedwith smiley face stick men, some of the childrenat Nagila Pre-School were doing a great job of decorating the playground wall with water on theirbrushes. Meanwhile in the sandpit, a ‘sand/snowcastle’ was under construction with the foreman –a little girl, naturally – encouraging her team toshovel more sand.

Traditionally, Mondays are not that enjoyable,but for the children at Nagila it is just another dayat a place they love to be. And they are happy totell you so, because these pre-schoolers are veryvocal about the things they like, right down to theirfavourite teachers.

While the little ones may have their favourites,parents would be hard-pressed to single out any-

body for special praise at Edgware & District Re-form Synagogue Nursery because they are allfriendly, warm and welcoming and, as managerMilissa Seiler points out, “look after the childrenas though they were their own”. And isn’t thatwhat every Jewish mother wants to hear?

With one teaching professional to every six chil-dren, the level of care exceeds expectation andnothing gets missed.

“We got ‘outstanding’ in our Ofsted report,which is always reassuring,” says Milissa, who hasbeen at the nursery since 1998. “Confirmation thatwe are doing the right thing is always helpful, butwe know we are offering a safe, secure and stimu-lating setting for our children.”

Purpose-built with its own outdoor play area,there is enough space for multiple activities to takeplace at once so, while the group outside water-painted and built castles, inside, paper Israel flagswere being assembled with glue – which takesserious supervision.

With letter and number work, computer skills,cooking and woodwork as part of their early-learn-ing experience, Nagila pupils are ready for primaryschool, and parents who want their children to befaith-aware, appreciate the inclusion of Jewish fes-tival and Shabbat celebrations.

“Parents are also invited to join us for theseoccasions as we consider them to be our partnersand the most important educators of their ownchildren,” says Milissa who has places for 40 chil-dren at a nursery that truly lives up to its Hebrewname – Rejoice.

• For more information, contact Milissa Seiler on020 8238 1022


Brigit Grant went to see the little ones having fun at Nagila Pre-Schoo


Anurserythat lives upto its nam

ElectricSummer

CAN YOUR SON CREATE incredible electronicworlds using T Flip-Flop switches and half-bath cir-cuits? Does your daughter eat Bézier curves forbreakfast and script with her eyes closed? If noneof this makes any sense to you fear not, as manyparents feel like they are trapped outsidethe Aldous Huxley-style brave new world theirchildren inhabit. But parental technophobiadoesn’t change the fact that after-school codingclubs have never been more popular and children

as young as six are making their own Powerpointpresentations, which may give you a clue as to how

your kids might like to spend their summer. Not allsix weeks of it, as family time is essential during theAugust hiatus but, at some point during the holi-days, your children could be learning essential ITskills, along with animation and website design, 3Dprinting and drone coding at a FunTech Day Campin Hampstead and at St Albans or Northwood.

“As well as developing new academic and techskills, our camps are also a fantastic opportunityto meet similar creative, ambitious young

people,” explains FunTech’s Philip Barber, whocould intrigue the most reticent computer-user withhis enthusiasm for virtual reality technology.

“It is also worth remembering parents oftenstruggle to get their children off the computer totake a screen break and get some fresh air. Withour tutors – who are some of the best in the country– day campers are encouraged to push boundarieson screen as they learn, but are also taken outsideto nearby playing fields for ball games and generalletting off steam.”

Suffice it to say that each day is very well plannedat these Ofsted-registered FunTech academies,which allow would-be technological masters (andmistresses) to get a head start in subjects thatfascinate them. Remember that Minecraft Red-stone, Game Pro with Oculus Rift and Java Codermay sound like characters from Star Wars to you,

but for the young people who share your housethey are important.

“We encourage parents to contact us if theyneed reassurance over any matter, or if they wouldlike to simply discuss their children’s suitability forone of our classes,” says Philip.

“FunTech has been trusted by thousands ofparents to not only provide their children witha truly memorable teaching experience in theschool holidays, but to do so in a safe and stimu-lating environment with tutors who are highlytrained in their area of expertise, as well as in first

aid and special educational needs.”Available for those aged six to 18, F

Camps will not only keep your children oin a way they will enjoy this summer but, wgo back to school, their computer and tecskills will be at a more advanced level. Anare willing to share some of what they havat the end of each day, so will you.

• To find out more about FunTech summer cam

visit: funtechsummercamps com camps , or cal01628 621215


9/16



10/16



“I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT and I don’tmind the instructor being strict because myswimming has got better and better.”

If Poolside Manor need a glowing reference,eight-year-old Kai would be the child to askas he had his goggles down long before hislesson was due to start. “I was three when Ihad my first lesson... or was I four?” heasked his mother.

Regardless of when his lessons commencedat the Finchley pool, he is now a veteran alongwith lots of other equally enthusiastic childrenwho have lessons there. As my own daughter

Madison got to sample the teaching first hand,I can see how it has become London’s leadingindependent swimming tuition centre and the

fact it’s a family-run business with long-servingstaff is reassuring.

“Maureen Lipman opened Poolside Manorin 1988,” says receptionist Sharon who hasbeen there forever. “It’s a great place to workand we have so much going on.” And theydo.From term-time tuition for children to swim-ming classes for parents & toddlers, adults andschool groups of all abilities, there are also hol-iday crash courses, aquafit session and just to

Teaching kids to be confidentin the water is essential, butwhere they learn also matters

SwimminglyWell

keep themselves b usy, there’s the Multi-ActvityCamps for 3-11 year-olds held at neighbouringSt Mary’s Primary School.

“Our programmes are never the same aseach week is themed differently,” explainsSharon. “They do everything - sports, craft andart, dance, drama, games and visiting perform-ers come in.” The children also get to swimwhich gives it a big advantage over other holi-

day camps. The pool itself has an exshallow end to build beginner confidethe length is scaled by a purpose-built

gallery for spectators. Watching Madiprove her front crawl in a single sesscertainly encouraging, but did she wcome back? “I’d like to do the crashwhich is 30 minutes every day,” she saidwe’ll be seeing a lot more of Poolside M

Pondering a crash course at Poolside Manor

Mothers and Toddlers waterside welcome

If your kids love the water make a bir thday splash with a pool party followed by tea

British Emunah Fund - Registered charity number 215398

Please support our educational work inIsrael by donating at emunah.org.uk orcalling 020 8203 6066.

Follow British Emunah

British Emunah:

EDUCATING ISRAEL’SAT RISK CHILDREN

We provide specialist

educational support at

our residential homes

Our two vocational high

schools help girls with

special educational needs

and social problems

We provide pre–school

education & parenting

skills classes


11/16

www.jewishnews.co.uk 19 May 2016 The Jewish New

A UK Jewish Film initiative giving young people a chance to make movies and docum

history provided a unique opportunity. Brigit Grant spoke to the lucky participants

A Reel Education

MICHAEL ITALIAANDER was five whenhe saw his first film. His parents tookhim to The Forester’s picturehouse

nicknamed The Fair between Bow andAldgate and together they sat on oldbenches and ate peanuts. Michael can’tremember exactly which film he saw, but hisrecollections of the cinemas that thrived inthe area in 1928 are pin-sharp andhe joyfully shares his big screen memorieswhen a sixpence got you two features,a cartoon, a newsreel and full accompani-ment on the Wurlitzer organ.

It is Michael’s recollec-tions along with those of

other elderly Jewish peoplethat have been recorded forposterity as part of a

unique UK Jewish Film-based education projectrun in partnership withJewish Care and sup-ported by the HeritageLottery Fund.

Called Lights, Chutzpah,Action! which could be a mantra for the en-tire Jewish film business, the project offeredyoung people the opportunity to researchthe involvement of British Jewry in film andcinema heritage in the UK and create theirown short films about the findings.

The group of young volunteers who gotthis whirlwind education in film making werefrom the Noam Masorti Youth Movementand their programme included researchvisits to the British Film Institute and The

Jewish Museum ; training in oral historyskills; working with professional filmmakers;making short films and getting talks fromprofessional journalists.

Hilla Abramov, 25 from Hampstead GardenSuburb had just finished her Masters in Contem-porary French Philosophy when she got a placeon the programme and has only good things tosay about it.

“The mentors were all incredibly helpful andgave us practical insight into the film and edit-ing process and we also got introduced to lotsof different people in the business which was

incredibly useful.”So useful that Hilla now has

her first job as a runner on aTV documentary series andthough Noah Libson is just

doing A’ Levels at JFS, his ex-perience on the project hasalso got him thinking about acareer in film.

“The part of LCA I enjoyedthe most was the opportunityto use highly professionalequipment and have thechance to develop film ideasand interview people,” says

Noah. “I feel like the experiencehas definitely enhanced my techni-cal skills, and given me invaluableknowledge about film production.”

Lights, Chutzpah, Action ! was adream project for those who wantedto get a taste of the industry rightdown to a premiere, as that is howthe films will be showcased in July a ta celebratory screening event at The

Phoenix Cinema in East Finchley.“This was an incredible project and the

group have made some really cool films,”says Rachel Burns, Education Manager atUK Jewish Film. “Part of what they did in-cluded a fabulous heritage coach tour of cinemas from the East End to East Finchleyvisiting classic venues such as The Troxy.One of the young people’s films in factfocuses on two people’s memories of TheTroxy. The funding for this has run for 10months and in this sense has been a one off,but a key objective of UKJF’s education pro-

gramme is to create better aware- ness of British-Jewish heritage, looking aversity of the community, its history, origcontribution to British society.”

UK Jewish Film’s Hackney Roots projeneyroots.org) produced a freely availablresource that is supported by workshschools, and they are developing other project along these lines in other areas.

“ With further funding, we would be deto continue collecting memories of Jewand cinema,” adds Rachel. “To broaddeepen our knowledge and understandfurther is always our goal.”

• The film interviews will also be hosted on a bewebsite with downloadable learning resources

available to schools and youth groups.For more information see ukj wishfilm org

T he T r o xy o pened in 1933 w it h King Ko ng

...a nd t he T r o x y a s it i s


12/16

Ihave nothing but admiration for parents whospend hours at soft play centres but, for me,it was always perdition with inflatables. There

is just something about those windowless envi-roments with acoustics enhancing the screamsof happy children that always made me want toslam my foot on t he accelerator whenever I saw

the sign to ClownTown or Kidzone.I didn’t, of course, as it is our duty as parents togive little ones time in germ-ridden ball pools, butfor that sacrifice I made sure all other outings wereadult as well as kid-friendly. This began with MarcelDuchamp at Tate Modern when my daughter was18 months’ old. What she made of Dali andPicasso wasn’t easy to assess, but she loved crawl-ing down the sloping floor of the Turbine Hallentrance and was welcomed into the members’bar with her equally small friend, Poppy.


Tired of bouncy castles, Brigit Grant decided

to show her daughter more interesting ways

to have fun and broaden her knowledge


By the time she was two, she was atthe Serpentine Gallery looking atpaintings that did nothing for meeither, but at three knew the onesshe liked at The Royal AcademySummer Exhibition (13 June –21 August). The Hampton Court

Flower Show (5 – 10 July) hasbecome a perennial for her as dadloves flowers and she can now namesome in Latin, but not as confidently asshe can list the hits of Earth, Wind & Fire.

Music can unite children and adults likeno other medium and, being considerablyolder than the parents of her nine-year-oldfriends, means we have taught our daughter tohum both Bowie and Bieber. This morning shewas singing along to Carole King’s So Far Away ,in preparation for British Summer Time’s CaroleKing concert in Hyde Park on 3 July. Performingher legendary Tapestry album in its entirety livefor the first time is a monumental event f or King’sfans, including my daughter who doesn’t like to

go to concerts unless she knows the repShe also swots up on the singers’ backand was amazed to discover Carole is“Lots of great songwriters are,” I said, tshe replied; “Wow, so Stevie Wonder is J

Prepping for Stevie’s BST Songs in of Life concert at Hyde Park on 10 Jbig job for anyone, but with a line-

includes Pharrell Williams and CorinnRae, it’s going to be a concert weremember. “As good as Nile Rodgbetter than Tom Jones,” confirms myter who does go on primarily child-outings.

Somewhere like Paradise Wildlife Broxbourne, which is the nearest phome to see a snow leopard, tickle a tmeet a meercat. With opportunities to a zookeeper, have a jungle sleepover atea with the tigers, it certainly has thover coffee at soft play.

Ro yal Academy Summer Exhibitio n

Making Picasso fun for Madison

C ar o le King and St ev ie W o nde

A musical educat io n at Br it ish Summer t ime

“As go o d as Nile Ro dger s?”

Earth W ind and F ire w ith Ma

d ison

Whatabout us?

TO ENTER go to the competition page Jewishnews.co.uk

W IN

WIN a family ticket for four toParadise Wildlife Park

a pair of tickets to BST’sCAROLE KING on 3 July

a pair of tickets to BST Take That on 9 July 20

COMPETITION

WIN

For more information on British Summer Time

www.bst-hydepark.comFriday, 1 July – Massive Attack / Patti Smith

Saturday, 2 July – Florence + The Machine / Kendrick Lamar

Sunday, 3 July – Carole King / Don Henley / Louise Goffin

Friday, 8 July – Mumford & Sons / Alabama Shakes

Saturday, 9 July – Take That / Olly Murs / Ella Eyre

Sunday, 10 July – Stevie Wonder / Pharrell Williams / Corinne

For Paradise Wildlife Park, visit www.pwpark.c

or call 01992 470490

Student Membership3 Month Membership only £99

1st June 2016 – 14th August 2016 only Terms and Condions apply

Must be over 16 years of age

Proof of student status will be required

No freeze permied during 3 month period

Last purchase date 14th August 2016

Summer Off er

Contact UsContact us

See Recepon for more details

Please quote “Jewish News” when joining


13/16


HOW TO COPE ....

Our patience and tolerance levels are very low when we are in robotic mode. When the chstart playing up, we have a tendency not to deal with the behaviour straight away because making allowances for not being there for them. So the nagging and whining behaviour gechild what they are asking for, whatever it may be. As they grow older, they know how to prebuttons. Children use that against us because we find it too hard to be consistent. It’s easgive in to them with whatever they are harassing us for. We also think they will love us My job is to tell mothers that they won’t! Working one parent off against the other is as old aGive children credit, they understand that mummy and daddy have to work in order to prThis shows them self-worth, dedication, discipline, commitment and organisation skills, children will need as a core value when they grow up.

THERE ARE SOME GOLDEN RULES

Always praise the positive behaviour and ignore the negative and don’t spend hugeamounts of time going over why they shouldn’t do it. Choose your battles. If it’s not danger-

ous or life-threatening, don’t spend time with them telling them off.

Try not to get involved between the siblings arguing. Do use distraction techniques. D o tellthem you don’t want to hear them arguing and walk away. Suggest a game to play. If you

give your children choices and options, it will become a matter of course for you and for them. You will hear them take it to their relationships with their siblings or friends.

There will be times that they want whatever it is they want and no amount of negotiatingwill work. Don’t be hard on yourself or feel that you are doing something wrong. Just go with

it. Lower your tone, too. Raising your voice becomes a competition as to who can scream louder;set the example.

If you know that one of your children wouldn’t enjoy a particular activity or play date, do notget drawn into doing it. You will set yourself and your child up for an aggravated couple of

hours. It happens a lot and, if you can avoid it, do. Respecting your child has likes, dislikes andopinions will give you the conversation topics and build on the foundations of a solid relationship.What we are all trying our very best to achieve are well-balanced, respectful children with anoptimistic personality and positive feelings of self-worth.

If something has happened and it’s important to you that you punish your child, do so, butkeep the conversation brief. “What you did was really unacceptable and that behaviour will

not be tolerated”. Don’t stand around to listen to the excuses. Give the child time out. However,after the punishment has been carried out, and you are reinforcing that the behaviour shouldn’thappen again, move on without giving the session any more thought.There should be one punishment per action. So if you were planning something, don’t cancel it if you have already punished the child. The same works with school; support the school’s actionregarding the behaviour. Have a brief conversation about it; however, if the school has carried outa punishment, there is no need f or you to do so, too.

We could all do with a helping hand sometimes. Mothers most of all. But it is worth remem-bering that children learn from what they see, not what they are told and a woman who is trying

to do the best she can is a role model to admire. Think about that the next time you feel guilty.

Struggling to hold it all together? ichelle elz ck is the expert with solutions

It is one of the toughest deci-sions a woman ever has tomake. To stay at home with

the “miracle” she has broughtinto the world or return to workand leave it with someone else?Not just any someone, as dot-ing grandparents, DBS-checkedchildminders or a nursery areavailable to care for babies. Butwith most women returning towork out of necessity rather

than choice, the burden of guiltfor doing so is enormous andremains one of the most consis-tent problems I deal with whenfamilies ask for my help.

And it isn’t surprising. Juggling full or part-timework with getting the children up, washed,dressed, fed and ready for childcare or school isas exhausting as it reads and this labour intensivepattern is a daily one, although to that she wouldadd the preparing of lunch she hasn’t had time tosort the night before; the helping with homework

and other craft activity, makingdental and doctor appointments;buying the shopping and runninga home. It’s full on and one day

just dissolves into another.For all that many women do,

the feelings of guilt are moreemotionally distressing thanthey initially let on and they alsofeel guilty for not always beingable to cope and are mentally,emotionally and physically

exhausted. Of course, there aremany hands-on dads too whoare able and happy to share theload, but the guilt is more acute

in mothers as children tend to want moreof mum’s attention. And that’s the rub. Whenmum is at work, she feels guilty for not beingwith them and when she is, everything else thatneeds to be done impacts on the quality timeshe has to spend with them. And the childrenknow it, which raises an entirely different setof issues.

Michelle Melzack, author of Charlie’s Cream TeaChild Behaviour [email protected]

Child expert Michelle Melzack

Working mums

1

2

3

4

5

6

WANT TO HAVE YOUR

VOICE HEARD?The Jewish News in partnership with the Union of Jewish Stude

(UJS) has a dedicated online student section and we are alwayslooking for contributors. Whether you’re passionate about arts,

science, culture, politics or anything in-between, we want to hea

from you.

For more information email

[email protected] or

[email protected]

To find out more about UJS,

visit www.ujs.org.uk


14/16

Back to work

EMMA MAY, head of employment atWork Avenue – a Jewish charity based inFinchley, north London which empowers peo-ple to secure work or build a business – sees ahuge number of women walk through theirdoors, wishing to work following a career break.

“Women often consider working again whentheir youngest child starts primary or secondaryschool or when their children have completedtheir education,” explains Emma. “We also seemany women who gave up a career to raise afamily, but find themselves single again in their40s or 50s. All these women need help re-building their confidence.”

Emma and her team offer all their clientsfree, confidential, one to one careers advice.They also run a series of invaluable workshops,including sessions on job readiness, in-terview skills, transferable skills, networkingskills and workplace skills.

“Our workshops upskill a person in the fieldof employability,” says Emma, “we keep groupssmall, so people can have their questions ad-dressed p roperly.”

In addition, the charity has recently launcheda series of one day Microsoft Office courses,with training in Word, Excel, Outlook and Pow-erPoint.

Plus, later in the year the annual 'Women inthe Workplace Conference' will take place,which will include talks and sessions on issues

surrounding returning to work as well as start-ing a business.

Together with careers advice, Emma’s teamalso find their clients work experience and areinstrumental in placing them in permanent

jobs.“People’s strengths typically lie in the skills

they were exercising in their first career,” sharesEmma. “However, there are people that retraincompletely. I’ve seen lots of people requalify incaring careers from psychotherapy to chi-ropody. One client became a nurse, despite nothaving a medical background. It involves inten-sive study and you have to be focussed. Thereare costs involved, implications on your familyand decisions about childcare. But it can defi-nitely be done.”

• For more information, visit theworkavenue.org.uk

Time for school

IF YOU’VE always wanted to retrain as ateacher, it’s worth checking out the LondonSchool of Jewish Studies (LSJS) which offerstwo teacher training courses. The Hendonbased institution, which has an Outstanding Of-

sted rating, offers a one year SCITT (SchoolCentred Initial Teaching Training) which com-bines study at LSJS with a placement in a highperforming primary school or The School Direct

programme, where you’ll be paid to tthe classroom while you learn.

Becoming a teacher is far from eaLSJS’s communication and programmager, Rabbi Yaacov Finn, has seen pwomen with families successfully requa

“We’ve seen women with children coboth types of courses. School Direct iat people who have a few years post unexperience in any career. The governmated that scheme, for example, for accowho want to retrain as maths teacheSCITT programme is also achievable. on, but it works around the school holi

However, if you’re looking for somelittle less intense, LSJS offer a fascinalection of short adult education coursethe popular Monday morning ‘Surpris

the Bookshelf’ Literature class to an course answering ‘Modern Jewish Queon everything from surrogacy to euthana women’s ‘Midrasha Lunch and Learn’

“People choose to study with us bwe’re known for the quality of our teac hcourses,” enthuses Rabbi Finn. “Plus allsons are conducted in an open and relavironment. Our range of courses reainterest a wide range of people. I wouldmend them all.”

• For more information visit lsjs c uk



Once the children are at school all day it is possible to go bac

to work, start your own business or learn a foreign language

Debbie Lightman meets the educators who make that happe

Fancy learningsomething new?

Women come to Work Avenue hoping to find a way back into the work place after a career break

The ‘Women in the Workplace Conference’ builds confidence in those heading back to work

I

F THE VERY THOUGHT of studying

triggers flashbacks involving unintelligi-

ble textbook s yawn-inducing lectures

and all-night caffeine-assisted essay

writing then you’re not alone.

For those of us who long ago swapped

our desk jobs for domesticity the

prospect of dusting off those cerebral

cobwebs and going back to the books

can be daunting.

However there are a number of Jewish

organisations out there whose primary

aim is to make learning accessible and fun

whatever your age or background.

So whether you dream of pursuing a new

career or simply fancy taking up a new

hobby there’s a course out there for YOU.


15/16


Just for fun

EVERY WEEK, more than 4000 people attendJW3’s vast array of classes. The North LondonJewish Community Centre offers courses in everyconceivable subject from current affairs to bikemaintenance to Israeli self-defence, Krav Maga.JW3 programmer Will Jennings is among the

team organising this season’s events. “One of thegreat things about our centre, is the opportunityit offers people to try new things,” he beams. “Allour courses are great quality and topical, withfresh content. We value our visitors’ feedback, sowe constantly introduce new classes, while re-maining true to favourite, traditional offerings.”

However, it’s not just the sessions themselvesthat have people returning time and time again.“It’s also about the friendships that develop in theclasses,” reveals Will, “and, of course, the café!”

Just a quick flick through the summer brochure,

reveals language classes in French, Hebrew andArabic – at all levels, at various times of the day.Or, if you prefer a more intensive course, there’sa two-week summer ulpan.

Among the culinary classes, there’s a BakingWithout Sugar workshop, with cookbook authorElbie Lebrecht, where you can discover how tocreate delicious sweet treats, without a dollop of guilt.

Or you can unleash your artistic talents atJW3’s own art school. This July, for four consec-utive days, practicing artists will teach screenprinting, clay portraiture, hand-quilting and artbook creation.

“Give it a go!” advises Will, “If you’re not sureif you want to do a whole course then just sign upfor a single class and see what it’s all about. What-ever your age, there’s no harm in trying newthings.”

• For more information visit jw org uk

Classes aare availaeverythinlearning a

guage andefence tcooking aquilting.


16/16


To register your interest call Work Avenue

on 020 8371 3280 or email

[email protected]

www.theworkavenue.org.uk/itcourses

Charity Number 1164762

Learn IT in a day

When – Mondays from May to July

Where – WE Hub, Finchley N3

Levels – Beginner, intermediate and advanced

Costs – £60 per day

£35 per day for Work Avenue clients

21% OF PEOPLE IN THE UKDON’T HAVE IT SKILLS

Excel

Word Powerpoint

Outlook

Documents

Education Supplement, 19 May 2016, Issue 951