EDUCATION & SUMMER SCHOOLING 21 JUNE 2014 FAMI LY VALUE S 15


Success in September starts in summer


Many of us are familiar with that Monday morning feeling when a leisurely weekend has taken its toll on our mental agility and it takes two double espressos and a sugar kick to get the brain back into gear. Now imagine how many espressos it would take to regain situation normal if you had a six-week break during which someone moved your desk, replaced your manager and rewrote your job spec. Yet this is exactly what we expect our children


to deal with every summer throughout their school education — and this year they’ve the added challenge of taking on board major changes to the National Curriculum. Current debates around the length of school


holidays are becoming increasingly polarised: those in favour of reducing them cite loss of learning and the opportunity to poke a stick in the eye of premium pricing travel companies, while those against reducing summer holidays fear increased


study pressure on children and a loss of valuable family time and life experiences. However, the most important element of


education is continuity. No one expects schools to be open 365 days a year — nor would we want to subject children to such a soulless regime — which is where out of school education comes into its own, offering valuable support to schools and children alike. Jan Lomas is an education professional and the


curriculum director of MagiKats Maths & English, a growing family owned business specialising in providing year-round, out of school education for children of all ages and all abilities. Jan knows from experience how important continuity is: “Te fact remains that when it comes to a child’s education a learning dip occurs after any break, no matter how long or short,” she says. “Tis is why our philosophy of


continuous learning is becoming a popular choice for parents who want to support their child’s


education without adding pressure to their child or interfering with their school curriculum. “Our summer programmes help children to enjoy


their holidays while keeping their brains sharp and their skills up to scratch. Obviously they then have a head start when the new term begins. “ Changes to the National Curriculum are due to


come into force this September with a return to traditional values, old school practices that focus on getting to grips with the basics, reasoning and thinking. Te English curriculum will now require students to read random texts from a wide variety of sources and recite poetry from memory while maths students will be expected to master all tables to x12 by the end of Year 4. Secondary changes are still to be finalised but will require students to show calculations and reasoning when answering questions. “At MagiKats, we have always believed in these traditional values,” says Jan, “and this summer we


have a great study programme incorporating all the key requirements of the new curriculum.” During holiday periods, MagiKats provides


children with the opportunity to learn and explore new skills, free from school pressures. During term time, mentors support each child’s individual curriculum needs with programmes


designed


specifically for them. Te MagiKats Maths & English weekly workshops


are a great alternative to private tuition, with small groups of children working alongside experienced educators in a relaxed and friendly environment. Tey build their social and communication skills alongside their literacy and numeracy. Whether your child is excelling in a subject and needs advanced support, could benefit from extra help in weaker areas, or even just wants to consolidate their learning, MagiKats Maths & English can offer the continuity and consistency that makes your child’s confidence and abilities grow.


FREE taster sessions* and Summer Programmes starting soon. To locate your nearest centre and find out more, please visit www.magikats.co.uk


E: enquiries@magikats.co.uk *subject to availability


Why your child needs a second language


With England at the bottom of the table when it comes to language skills in Europe, children in the UK starkly lack the competitive edge that a second language brings. A second language will boost your child’s self-confidence, make them more employable and open the door to new friends and opportunities. Language is absorbed like a sponge in your


child’s developing brain: new words slot into place, pronunciation develops naturally and there’s none of that inhibition that so often hinders us as adults learners. Research shows that learning a language also improves cognitive abilities such as reading, verbal fluency and intelligence - meaning that knowledge of a second language will put your child a step ahead in other subjects, too. Many children don’t have the opportunity to


learn another language until secondary school, but there are fantastic choices available to enhance language acquisition outside the classroom - choices that often benefit the family as a whole. So what can you do to boost your child’s language skills? Here are our top 5 tips...


1. Summer camps For parents looking for summer holiday ideas, a language camp may be the answer. Stimulating, fun and educational — and a great boost before GCSEs and A Levels — summer language camps are found across Europe and worldwide. Tey offer a fantastic opportunity for children and teens (5-18 years) to learn a new language in a safe, fun and international environment, where quality language tuition is coupled with exciting cultural activities, residential or homestay accommodation and 24-hour supervision. Parents can join in the fun themselves at a sister school in the same location.


2. Indulge in the local culture -


at home! If it takes a chocolat chaud and a croissant, then so be it. Pretend you’re living in France for the day and surround yourselves with French-related goodies.


Put on some French music; draw a French flag; make a necklace with red, white and blue beads; picnic on baguette and French cheeses; play boules in the garden and end the day with a trip to the local crêperie. It’s the next best thing to being in France.


3. Podcasts Older children will love the technology and


independence of downloading their own free language podcasts. A quick Google search will bring up a wealth of free online language learning resources, which is perfect for teens on the go!


4. Songs and books Young children react positively to the repetition


and melody of nursery rhymes and songs. Play a CD of foreign songs, grab a few instruments and have a morning of music and fun! Alternatively, read your child’s favourite story in another language: Bob le Bricoleur and Dora la Exploradora are popular translations.


5. Learn a language yourself Children grow up copying what we do, so if you


speak a foreign language they are more likely to speak it too. Tis is your chance to make language learning a family venture – you can share holidays, drop in words around the house and make it more ‘us’ than ‘them’. Imagine the look on your youngster’s face when they realise you’re getting involved too. Take an evening course to brush up and gain confidence, or book a few private lessons for you and your children.


Tere’s a massive 15% discount on UK evening courses PLUS 5% discount on summer camps abroad for Family Values readers!


“Summer language camps offer a fantastic opportunity for children and teens to learn a new language in a safe, fun environment”


Find expert language tuition with Cactus Worldwide Cactus Worldwide is a leading provider of language training, helping over 10,000 people learn


30 languages in 500 destinations every year. Cactus offers language camps for under-18s, private language tuition and evening language courses across London and nationwide. Look out for their new foreign language courses for 7-16 year olds in the UK coming in 2015. T: 0845 130 4775 www.cactuslanguage.com


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