23rd December 2012
Ditch the TV this Christmas Day
I blogged about Christmas films last week and it made me think about the central role that television plays in the UK's Christmas Day celebrations. From the Queen's speech to countless Christmas…
16th December 2012
My three year old daughter is a massive fan of classic musical films such as Annie, The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz. She likes nothing more than to curl up on the sofa and mouth along the words.…
6th December 2012
Early childhood stimulation - why three is the magic number
A friend forwarded me a really interesting article by journalist Simon Kuper in the FT magazine recently. It tells the story of how, in Jamaica in the 1980s, a group of community health workers began…
29th November 2012
Why we don't have a theatrical agency at Perform
Here at Perform, we often get contacted by casting directors asking if we can provide them children for auditions. They are generally surprised when we tell them that we that this is not something we do…
11th September 2012
When Satisfactory is Unsatisfactory according to Ofsted
Most parents of school-age children will have read (or at least scanned) an Ofsted Report and these undoubtedly play a major part in the choices we make about schools for our children. The best schools…
17th August 2012
Starting primary school - 5 top tips
My son starts primary school in September and he's incredibly excited about it. It feels like a real milestone moving from a nursery to a ?big school' especially as he hasn't been at the school's…
2nd August 2012
When should I start my child on a musical instrument?
My son's starting Reception class in September, so the Tiger Mother in me contacted the school to ask when he could start learning an instrument. Apparently, his school has a policy of not starting…
23rd July 2012
Does it matter which school your child goes to?
Most parents I talk to are naturally very interested in the school that their child goes to. Whether they are choosing state or independent, collectively it seems that they spend hours touring schools,…
19th June 2012
So what do we all think about Michael Gove's phonics check? There's been a flurry of Twitter activity in the past few days and lots of arguments for and against. Whatever your view, this week all…
12th June 2012
Preparing your child for going into hospital
Next week, my two-and-a-half year old daughter is going into hospital to have a minor procedure. Because she's so young, I spoke to a friend who works as a Hospital Play Specialist about the best way…
Join us for Bring a Friend Week
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Lucy's 25 tips for raising confident kids
Rome 'n Jewels: Our reVamped take on a Shakespeare classic
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Snow White: A Holiday Course With a Fresh Twist
Helping Your Child Learn Their Lines quickly
Lucy's top 10 tips for children's theatre etiquette