Goldston Academy for the Insane

Last week we went to see a production of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It”, performed by Heartbreak Productions.

It was an outdoor production, so it was a great opportunity to take a PROPER PICNIC. This was the first time that we have had food left over after one of these shows!

“As You Like It” is one of Shakespeare’s comedy plays and it is only when you see it performed that you realise how bawdy and crude it can be in places.

It is another of those plays where there are numerous love stories intertwined into the plot and several of the characters are pretending to be someone else in the story.

What made this particular production really good was that there were only five actors/actresses playing all the parts, so most of them were playing several parts.

The production really drew out the themes of oppression and secrecy that were prevalent in Duke Frederick’s court and gave them a thoroughly modern twist. You certainly felt like you were being watched! Hmm, wonder where I have had that same feeling recently!

We had prepared for the trip by finding out a bit about the play. We had bought a book of Shakespeare stories when we went to Stratford-upon-Avon last year, so that was very useful.

In my view, Shakespeare is best understood by seeing it performed.

There are a couple more that we will be attending over the summer.

Have a great day.

With abundant blessings.

Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, drama, home education // Add Comment »

The long awaited results of Graham Badman’s so-called independent review into Home Education were published last week.

As expected, they contained a lot of unsubstantiated allegations about Home Educators. The government is really cranked up the Media hype machine now to prove that HOME EDUCATION= CHILD ABUSE and that children are not safe with their parents.

It appears that there is a “substantial higher number” of children Home Educating families are known to Social Services than children who are in school.

Well, you can see where that comes from, especially when you consider that we had both Social Services and the Child Abuse department of the Police set on us over a pen pal letter!

In light of the review, the recommendations of which have been immediately accepted by Ed Balls and his Education department, it is hardly surprising that so few councils were willing to release the details of their answers to the 60 questions. Clearly the answers were full of libelous, twisted lies and distortions.

Badman has proposed amongst other things that:

All Home Educating families should be subject to annual registration, that all families have to provide a learning plan as well as be subject to annual inspections and that LAs have the power to determine whether or not a parent is suitable to home educate their child.

Probably the most contentious are the self-appointed powers to enter your home (with 2 weeks notice), which you supposedly cannot refuse and “interview” your child about their safety, education and welfare- without an adult being present!

There have been a lot of angry reactions to this, as was to be expected.

There is a very funny blog written on this subject!
Hilarious!

http://www.grahambadman.blogspot.com

There are a lot of people who are choosing to simply say NO to this intrusion of privacy and erosion of civil liberties.

My approach is that all of this silly nonsense comes under Acts and Statutes and the most important thing to remember is that, according to Black’s Law Dictionary, “A Statute is a piece of legislation given the force of law, by the CONSENT of the governed” and I don’t consent to be governed by it!

We have certainly not heard the last of this matter!
JUST SAY NO!
Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, dcsf, home education // 1 Comment »

The Guide Unit that Jacqueline is a part of recently had a cardboard campout, in order to get an appreciation of what it might be like to be homeless and to live in a cardboard.

Fortunately the weather was really nice over the weekend.

It was quite a “luxury” campout, with some fairly substantial shelters being built, a sausage sizzle in the evening, a shower block and the option to go inside if it rained!

The girls did an orienteering session the following morning. Jacqueline was most miffed that her group got lost, found themselves outside the ice-cream shop and no-one had any money on them to buy an ice cream!

A good time was had by all!
Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, fun // Add Comment »

Both Stephanie and Jacqueline recently started some new sports.
Jacqueline has started trampolining and Stephanie has started kickboxing.

The trampoline at the Leisure Centre is considerably more bouncy than the one in our garden and it is quite scary to watch the instructors (on their own) bouncing nearly as high as the ceiling.

Jacqueline has joined as a result of one of her friends that we have met through Home Education, so that is really nice for both of them.

Stephanie had a couple of private lessons with the kickboxing and has now joined the weekly group. She is incredibly flexible and at the moment, her kicking is much stronger than her punching.

It is a surprisingly co-ordinated sport!

Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, sport // Add Comment »

It seems hardly 5 minutes since the girls took the last lot of LAMDA exams in March and now they have come around again! At least they were at sensible time of day this time, instead of 9.30am on a Sunday  morning in Nottingham!

Both girls took Acting and Spoken English. The Acting exam is the first of Stephanie’s Grade 6 Bronze level exams, where the marks also count as UCAS points for University.

We are eagerly awaiting the results.

They are now preparing for their next ones in November, which will soon come around.

Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, drama // Add Comment »

The month of May has flown past and here we are at Jacqueline’s birthday. She is now a teenager!

She had her birthday party at Waterworld in Stoke on Trent. There were friends from Home Education there, as well as friends from Guides.

Everyone had a terrific time. The chocolate cake with a picture of Jacqueline and her friend at a recent McFly concert seemed to go down very well!

Great day.

Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, fun // Add Comment »

We seem to be having quite a Science focus at the moment.

Stephanie has been doing some Biology past papers for her IGCSE in November. Greg printed her off some Maths papers as well, only he did not look at them properly and printed her off an ‘O’ Level paper (yes, they still exist) and an additional Maths paper.

The IGCSE is a higher level than the GCSE, the O-Level is higher still and the Additional paper is A-Level + standard. I have to say, she did very well!

A couple of weeks ago Greg took Jacqueline to see the Lovell telescope and planetarium at Jodrell Bank in Macclesfield. There was a portable planetarium, which Greg managed to get stuck in and pull down! He claims it was coming down anyway and Jacqueline said her Dad got stuck in the velcro and pulled it all down! Somehow it does not surprise me!

They were able to see the Moon and also Saturn, which Jacqueline was delighted with.

Jodrell Bank run regular events where you can meet the Astronomers, who are more than happy to answer questions. We are looking forward to the next event, which is Astronomy and Archaeology on 18th July 2009.

Jacqueline in front of the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank

Lovell Telescope at night

The Moon

Science Workshop.

This week our local home education group ran a Mad Science workshop, which was very good. It was very interactive and included several experiments with electricity, lasers, balloons and included firing a rocket!

This was a workshop that was funded by the Family Learning Unit. It seems very bizarre to me that our LA can be so aggressive, unpleasant and unco-operative in so many ways, yet they seem so willing to offer funding for so may activities.

The suspicious and cynical part of me would have to ask why that is the case, yet another part of me views this as a great activity for the children.

Stephanie at the Science Workshop

Fun at the Science Workshop

Jacqueline is working through her Science badge for Guides and I found a brilliant Key Stage 3 Science book in the supermarket.

Science is really Greg’s passion and he is more than happy to do Science with the girls. He is teaching Stephanie her the syllabus for her IGCSE Chemistry and Physics now as well.

We have found some other Science days out that we will be doing shortly, including the Manchester Science and Industry Museum, Enginuity at Ironbridge and Magna Science in Derbyshire.

Stephanie has developed a fascination for old caves and mines, so I think we shall be visiting a few more of those very shortly!

Have a great day.

Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, home education, science // Comments Off

We have decided to do a trip out somewhere roughly every 7-10 days in the next few weeks leading up to the school holidays in July. It is so much nicer at most places when it is quiet.

Heights of Abraham

A couple of weeks ago we went to the Heights of Abraham at Matlock Bath in Derbyshire. It is an alpine style cable car, which goes across the Derwent valley and up to the former coal and lead mines at the top.

It is a very interesting day out. They have some terrific worksheets on their website, which can be done at home (before or after you go) or on the day. They cover several subjects, including the Victorians, the workings of the cable car, rocks and minerals, geography and map reading and former mining in the area.

From the cable car

Fun on the assault course

At the top of the Victorian Tower

Jacqueline on the cable car rescue machine

Inside the caves

The Cable Car at Heights of Abraham

Dog Walking

We have been for a few lovely dog walks recently. We went into the woods one day and all the bluebells were out in bloom, It was really beautiful.

Then we went to Staunton Harold Reservoir in Leicestershire, which has miles of pathways. As it was mid-week, it was very quiet. We seem to be able to pick the sites with the best play areas and picnic areas.

Canineus Bumbiteus- George the Rottweiler

Jacqueline on the zip wire

Fun on the zip wire

Stephanie enjoying her lunch

Heron in flight

A few weeks ago we went for a walk in the grounds that belong to Calke Abbey and that was another lovely walk, although that was much busier.

We have got a few more things planned for next few weeks.

Have a great day.

Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, fun, home education // Comments Off

Well, the month of April has flown past and as usual we seemed to have crammed a huge amount into it.

Jacqueline finished her pottery course. Over the course of the 4 sessions, the children made and painted 6 different types of pots, using different techniques. They made a round pot, using the potter’s wheel, a flat sided box with a lid and a pot which looked like it was made of a single coil wound around a mould.

The girls got the results for their Speech and Drama exams. Jacqueline got 2 merits and Stephanie got a merit and a distinction. I was so proud of them both. Stephanie has now started on her Grade 6 work, which is where these exams start counting towards UCAS points.

We have been doing quite a lot of baking over Easter. Greg and Jacqueline made hot cross buns, chocolate cake and bread just before Easter and these were delicious.

baking cakes

Hot Cross Bun

Right after Easter, we had a St George’s day theme at the local Home Education group and baking was on the agenda again. One of the parents came up with a recipe for a traditional Victoria Sponge and I have to say it is one of the yummiest I have ever tasted. (Recipe and Method below)

For the Cake

· 200g sugar

· 200g softened butter

· 4 eggs , beaten

· 200g self-raising flour

· 1 tsp baking powder

· 2 tbsp milk

FOR THE FILLING

· 100g butter , softened Butter cream filing optional

· 140g icing sugar , sifted

· drop vanilla extract (optional)

· 340g jar strawberry jam

· icing sugar , to decorate -red colouring to mix with your icing sugar, to make a St Georges cross

· on top of your cake.

Untenils

· Mixing bowl, Scales, Food mixer, Grease proof paper to line tins, Sieve for flour/icing,

· Baking tins,

METHOD

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper

In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.

Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

St George's day cakes

We had some activity sheets about the towns and counties in England, which were great for Geography. These came from Activity Village.

LAMDA Exams

Both girls passed their Speech and Drama exams with flying colours. Jacqueline got 2 merits and Stephanie got a Merit and a Distinction. We were so delighted and so proud of them.

Stephanie is now starting on Grade 6, which is the Bronze level and the results of these exams now start to count towards UCAS points for University.

IGCSEs
Stephanie has now completed the syllabus for her Maths IGCSEs. We are finishing off the Chemistry and then we will be starting on the Physics.

Stephanie’s friend is taking A-Levels in Maths and Physics in school. We were quite amazed when he looked through Stephanie’s IGCSE physics book and said that most of the content he had done for A-Level!

Publishing for Jacqueline.
The next project is to get some of Jacqueline’s books and stories published. I now know how to do this, so I am busy editing her stories that she has written.

Astronomy
Greg has discovered a great love of Astronomy and has just finished building an orrary, which is a working model of the planets. It is quite fascinating. He is taking Jacqueline to Jodrell Bank to see the huge telescope very shortly.

Apology
Well, you could have bowled me over with a feather!
I got a letter of apology from our local LA over the harassment we have received. It seems the contents of this blog have been sufficient to satisfy them that we are providing a suitable education for our children.

We have been removed from the Children Missing Education register and our next review is April 2010. Yippee! Yippee!!

Freedom of Information Request

There was no sign of the information I requested under the FOI (Freedom of Information Act) about their responses to the 60 questions in Badman’s review.

Several LAs and the DCSF now seem to be using an exemption clause in the FOI, which they can apparently use if releasing the information could “prejudice public policy.”

I can only deduce that they are so concerned that home educating families will find out the libelous lies and rubbish they have written about them, that there will be such a huge public outcry- and probably several substantial harassment claims- that this would cause the planned public policy to be changed or dropped.

Anyway, only time will tell.

I think we are about up to date now.
Have a great day.
Amanda Goldston

Tags: children, home education // 1 Comment »

This week , Jacqueline did the 3rd of a pottery course.  The children were using the pottery wheel. Everyone had a chance to go on the potter’s wheel. The teacher was very patient and everyone had great fun.

They made their pots and decorated them. Next time we go, the teacher will have fired the pots and we will be able to paint them.

Everyone has enjoyed the course, so we may consider another one.

The teacher is very talented and very patient and the children had a wonderful time.

Have a great day.
Amanda

Tags: fun, home education // Comments Off