Next month there’s a chance to learn about after-school tuition at an Open Day at The Forum.

With over 200 children (many doing both subjects) already on their books, the director of First Class Learning talks about what they offer in our Features section: “Every child can do better given more practice and support.”

One local centre, which has over 200 pupils on its books, is holding an Open Day at The Forum next month for parents who want to find out more.

First Class Learning run centres in Cringleford as well as Taverham and Thorpe.

They aim to offer extra support and practice in English and Maths to help children get nearer to their full potential. Director, Charles Nevick, says they come for a range of reasons: “Some children come because they’re struggling and some come because they are bored at school. You get very bright, even gifted children who need to be stretched.”

The pupils range from age 4 upwards to GCSE. The director of First Class Learning explains: “No school can be all things to all children. Even the best schools are constrained by the other things they have to do, so the time spent practising Maths and English has been reduced.”

The children do a little work every day, typically 10-15 minutes per subject. During the sessions, the children are offered one-to-one support if they need it as they work through the programme: “Every child can do better with a little practice and support.”

Children who sign up with them, find they become more confident in key areas: “We get children who say ‘I know I’m thick’ which is a terrible thing for a child to say at any age. Given practice and help, practically everyone can do better. We get children coming almost every week who say they’ve moved up a set in school and they’re so pleased.”"

The work is linked to the National Curriculum, with practice papers provided for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 tests, and GCSE. First Class Learning also run additional sessions for Year 6 children coming up to the change from primary to high school: “A lack of understanding in Year 6 inevitably means allocation to a “low set” on arrival at high school, with the associated disadvantages that brings.”

A free trial is available at any time, subject to capacity. The cost of First Class Learning is £50/month for a child doing one subject.  For a second subject, or for a sibling, the cost is £35/month.  There is a one-off £15/family enrolment fee. There are no set times for arrival; parents drop at staggered times during a session. The centres are open on three afternoons per week after school, Saturday mornings and for part of the school holidays.

Prospective parents can call 01603 423405 for an information pack.

The Open Day at The Forum outside The Millennium Library is on Saturday 25th February 2012 between 9am and 4pm, giving parents a chance to see examples from the programmes, pick up leaflets, and talk to staff and current students.

Available to download from next week, all the proceeds will be ploughed back into the charity.

YMCA residents and staff have been working with youth arts organisation, Culture Works East, to create an original album from scratch.

All the young people are either not in employment, education or training. By working with industry professionals, they’ve learnt what it takes to work in the music industry, including album design, marketing, social media and advertising.

Elli Chapman from Culture Works East said: “It’s about giving young people ownership of a project. If you set the bar high enough for them, they’ll reach for that bar.” Many are now hoping to find apprenticeships locally, drawing on their experience of making the album: “They can use the album as a virtual cv, allowing them to talk to potential employers about how they kept to deadlines and worked as part of a team.”

One of the young people involved, Sonya Dover, said: “I have been in charge of doing things like press releases and creating marketing materials. The money raised will contribute to homelessness, training, education and making sure that people get back on the right track.”

Tim Sweeting, Chief Executive of YMCA: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Culture Works to create our first charity album to promote gifts of our amazing young people who will be using and developing their talent for design, promotion, sound technology and other industry skills as well as expressing their own story through music.”

For more information and to purchase the ‘Right Tracks’ album, go to the YMCA online.

Norwich South MP Simon Wright became Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Sarah Teather, Minister of State for Children and Families, in August.

Mr Wright said: ”Many of the policies she is delivering in Government are those that Liberal Democrats have been championing for years. The Pupil Premium is delivering a real boost for the education of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds locally, while the massive expansion in free early years education will also thousands of families in Norfolk.”

The Minister will address Liberal Democrats at the local party’s Annual Dinner.

It’s backed by Norwich City’s Spanish defender, Daniel Ayala, at a time when opting for languages is at an all time low.

Pupils at City Academy Norwich on Earlham Road will spend two hours learning Spanish each week; one hour in the classroom and one out on the pitch combining Spanish with football skills.

They’re the first to be involved in the project which is due to be rolled out across Norfolk which will be launched at this Saturday’s Canaries home match against Chelsea. It’s being developed by Norfolk County Council and Norwich City FC’s Study Support Centre, in partnership with the Community Sports Foundation, Routes into Languages and the University of East Anglia.

Daniel Ayala, Norwich City defender and ambassador for the Spanish Double Club said: “I think it’s great that local kids will be learning Spanish through the Double Club project. I look forward to saying ‘Hola’ to them soon and helping them to get started.”

Alison Thomas, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Norfolk County Council, said: “We want to inspire young people to learn languages and what better way than linking a language to football. We already know that this works with maths and English and are now confident that it can also help to support students’ understanding of Spanish.”

Pupils at City Academy Norwich (CAN) will move into their new landmark £21 million building over a two-week period this year. The programme of work looks set to finish on time and under budget, according to Mike Stewart, CAN’s Director of Finance: “The students are really excited about it. We will get the keys to the new building on 14th May which will then allow a month for the computers to be installed.”

City Academy has Specialist Status in English and Digital Technology. As a result the building will be fitted out with the latest digital equipment, having been awarded an additional IT grant of £1.8M. The entrance to the new curved, glass-fronted building will be a Learning Resource Centre, where pupils will be able to loan out IT equipment.

Although still a building site, both staff and pupils have been given regular access to see how the school is taking shape. Mike Stewart says it will make a big difference: “It will be a great educational centre point for this part of Norwich.”

The old school building, formerly Earlham High School, will be demolished during the summer holidays to limit disruption to pupils. Everything except the school’s swimming pool will be knocked down, although an application has been put in to the local authority to retain a building next door to it for use as by the local community.

Academies such as CAN were funded under a Labour government initiative to drive up standards in failing schools. The coalition government has gone on to encourage more schools to become academies, freeing them up from local authority control. Some concerns have been raised over the current academies programme, with calls for greater transparency and accountability.

The library at the University of East Anglia is to open to students throughout the day and night from next week. The 6 month trial is in response to requests from students.

As term starts back on Monday, the UEA Library will be open to students 24 hours a day, as well as bank holidays and during the Easter holidays.

The trial recognises that there are students with dependents or work commitments who may need to access library resources outside the standard working day. Other students’ academic years also run longer than the standard semester dates, including postgraduates who need access to the library outside term time.

The trial will run until July, when the scheme will be re-assessed.

In the meantime, urgent plans have been drawn up to tackle the hundreds of extra children needing school places this September.

The County Council is worked closely with schools to ensure there are sufficient places in reception classes this September – with schools agreeing to make 345 places available on a temporary basis.

There’s growing pressure on school places in the Norwich area, with numbers up around 25% this September: there are 1,266 children in this year’s reception classes compared with just 966 children currently in years five and six. Norfolk County Council attribute it to both increased birth rates and fewer people moving because of the economic situation.

Discussions have been held with headteachers and governors in the city to establish how to best make use of space, particularly in schools which changed their age range as part of school reorganisation in the county. Early discussions are taking place to see how infant and junior schools may be able to work together to use space capacity within the system.

In the longer term, a new school may be needed in central Norwich, close to the south side of the city. Preliminary discussions have been held with Norwich City Council to discuss a site. Any new school would be an academy, run independently from local authority control. As reported in May 2011, Norwich Free School are interested in opening a second sister school in the city.

Alison Thomas, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Norfolk County Council, said: “We are extremely grateful to headteachers and governors for recognising the impact on population growth, particularly in the Norwich area. The numbers of children nationally has been underestimated in recent years and this has meant acting quickly to ensure there are adequate places for the coming year and the medium term and we would not have been able to do this without the commitment and support of Norfolk’s schools.”

Norfolk County Council’s Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Panel will meet at 2pm on Thursday 12th January to look at the plans, in the Edwards Room at County Hall.

Organised to give young people a taste of university life, the first of this year’s Christmas lectures talks about the changes that have swept the world. Dr Rob Grant from the School of International Development will look at why some countries remain poorer than others and investigate what it has to do with hamburgers, games consoles and the Pyramids.

The second lecture goes back 300 years to the Tudors. Historian Prof Malcolm Gaskill will take the young audience back to a time when witches, ghosts, and magic were thought to be real.

‘It’s a Wonderful World’ begins at 10am on Saturday, December 10th followed by ‘It was a Weird World’ until noon, in Lecture Theatre 1.

A rally will begin outside City College before marching on City Hall.

In south Norwich, seven schools have so far said they will close, with the authorities making contingency plans to cover care homes and hospitals.

Wednesday’s one-day national strike could be supported by as many as 3 million people, according to organisers, the TUC. The National Association of Head Teachers has voted to strike for the first time in its 114 year history. And unions of health professionals such as physiotherapists and radiographers are amongst many in the NHS which have voted for strike action.

According to Norfolk County Council “it is impossible to predict what the exact impact will be” but the latest information on any disruption will be available online. Cliff Jordan, Cabinet member for efficiency said: “Outside of schools we expect most County Council services, such as care services, park and ride, recycling centres and libraries, to be open for business but we will try to let people know of any disruption as soon as possible.”

Schools known to be closed on Wednesday include: The Hewett School, Avenue Junior School, St John’s RC Infant School, St Thomas More Junior School, West Earlham Infant School, Colman Infant School and Tuckswood Community Primary and Nursery.

Colin Roy, a Norwich teacher said: “The concern about pensions has drawn us together and both younger and older members see the need to take action.  I am an older teacher but I am striking for those that come after me. The government has tried to divide and rule with their adjustments to plans, but I feel that has backfired.”

Norse Care, which runs 26 care homes and provides care at 13 housing with care schemes in Norfolk, is implementing contingency plans. Tricia Fuller, from Norse said: “Arrangements are being made to ensure that sufficient care staff are available to cover for any who do not come in on 30th November. Our priority will be our residents’ welfare and we are confident that this can be safeguarded, even if there may be some disruption to their normal day.”

Trades unionists and supporters will assemble at City College, Ipswich Road, at 11.00 and march from to a rally outside Norwich City Hall at midday. Unions insist there are “genuine and creditable alternatives to government attacks on pensions, cuts in services and welfare and policies which have pushed both youth and female unemployment figures to a million each.”

A similar rally almost a exactly a year ago attracted hundreds of people to Chapelfield Gardens despite freezing temperatures.