Muddergoose

It’s a combination of factors. All across the country Royal Mail are dealing with higher than usual staff absences on the front line due to Covid related sick absences and staff who are shielding in addition to usual absences such as non-Covid related sick and holidays. An item of post has to pass through several points on its way from A to B each of which will be impacted by the absences. Throw into that restrictions such as one postie per van, additional costs to the business of PPE, additional cleaning costs, overtime and temp staff to keep things ticking over plus a huge decrease in letters being sent that isn’t offset enough by the extra volume of packets and parcels brought about by the increase in internet shopping as a result of lockdown. There is no stakeholder dividend and no fat cat bonuses. The posties are doing their best under difficult circumstances and I for one wouldn’t swap places with them.

Thank you!

Do you have any suggestions for eating out as a family in Sheffield City Centre early evening on a Saturday ? Children are well behaved pre-teen and mid-teen. Would prefer to avoid chains like Pizza Express if possible due to one of us having a lactose intolerance.

Priority for places is usually 1. looked after children (I.e kids in the care system) 2. Catchment/feeder schools 3. Siblings. The catholic schools have their additional criteria. The Education pages on the Sheffield Gov website will help you. Generally if you can't get a place at your first choice then they should try and allocate you a place at your second choice. If you put your catchment as third choice and they can't give you your first or second choice then you should get your catchment school. However if you don't put your catchment as one of your choices and they can't allocate a place at any of your preferred schools you may not get a place at your catchment school and may be offered a place at the school closest to you with a free place. This is the time of year for Y6 parents to be going to open evenings at secondary schools ready to apply. Go to as many as you can to get a feel for things and look at online resources such as ofsted, league tables, etc but go visit the school and make your own mind up. There will be advisors from the Local Authority available at the open evenings. And, if you're not keen on your catchment school but would be prepared to accept a place there instead of leaving it to chance then put your preferred schools in places 1 and 2 and your catchment in 3rd place. If there's no way you want a place at your catchment school, don't put it on your application form. Cross everything you've got for a place at a preferred school and be ready to fight on appeal. ---------- Post added 14-09-2014 at 21:51 ---------- Oops... But you will only be offered a place at one school!

I'm sure it was down where Argos is now too.

My daughter is due to start Y11 in September. During Y10 a number of options for P.E were provided by the school ..... the majority of which were payable for including a local gym, climbing in a Sheffield climbing centre and football. The offsite activities ranged from around £12-£40 although alternative P.E sessions in the school were free. The letter has arrived for P.E. for Year 11 (2 hours a week) with even more options from ice skating at Ice Sheffield, golf, gym, football, boxing, climbing and Zumba. The range of activities is great, the price however isn't. It ranges from £10 for Zumba to £75 to go to Rother Valley for outdoor activities. The payment covers 6 weeks. There is little info about what they'd be doing if parents don't fork out for off-site activities, they seem to be hoping people go for the offsite options. Whilst outdoor activities at Rother Valley sound fun I can't help think that £75 will put them out of reach for many families and it doesn't feel right for a community secondary to even suggest this as an option. What are other peoples experiences of P.E in Year 11?

Hobbies generally extend to listening to music, watching tv and being with friends so I'm unfortunately not finding much inspiration there Have had a look at the volunteering website and will keep looking through there. How does a 14/15 year old get a safe job in Sheffield these days:confused:

Does anyone have any (polite) suggestions as to things a 15 year old could do in the summer hols? I'm sure she'd like to spend time with friends and chilling out but I wondered if anyone had any ideas for other things such as volunteering somewhere that might be enjoyable, interesting, good experience and might make her feel like she's done something useful with the summer hols.

Never eaten in but had a takeaway a couple of times and it was very nice.

We had a similar call last night, a rather polite chap with what I believe to be an Asian accent said he was calling from PC Wizard and that he was calling to help me fix the problem with my computer. Normally I like to string these jerks along but last night I couldn't be bothered so merely told him it was very kind of him to call but I didn't have a computer. He promptly hung up. These guys annoy me so much, especially the thought that some people might be suckered in and parted from their cash.

If the S20 area includes Mosborough/Halfway/Waterthorpe then there used to be a Rainbows and a Brownies group meet at Shortbrook Primary on a Friday. The school might have contact details or the the link to register your interest for Girl Guiding is https://enquiryym.girlguiding.org.uk/

Frank Turner Monday 19th November 2012. Amazing gig I don't think I'll ever forget. First time I'd been to the O2 and I've got to say it definitely brought back memories of happy nights out at the Roxy 20 years ago. Happy Birthday O2!

Dronfield Henry Fanshawe. My eldest was given a place there 3 years ago. It was then and still is oversubscribed so I was chuffed to bits when she got in. We had it as 1st choice and our catchment school (Birley) as 3rd place. When she was at primary she was adamant she wanted to go to Birley like her friends would. We took her to 4 of the local schools and she made her own mind up about where she wanted to go. There are no guarantees but if she hadn't got in I was prepared to fight for a place. There are no guarantees that all their friends will end up at the same school and they will usually make a whole new set of friends in their first year at secondary.

Research your schools carefully and perhaps look at those a little further away even under Derbyshire LA, there is at least one school in Derbyshire only a few miles from Springs that a lot of kids from the Springs catchment area go to. There is school transport there and back every day and it's a very good school with results comparable to several of the better schools in Sheffield. Just because a school is not in Sheffield LA it doesn't mean you can't put it on your application form. When you complete your application form put three schools in order of preference. Put together a strong case as to why each school is the right one for your child, some of the outcomes of Every Child Matters might help you build a good case as may references from your child's current school and activities outside of school as previously suggested. Be prepared for a fight, go to appeals if necessary and make sure you put a strong case forward as to why you want what you do for your child at every step of the way. Many parents go through this process every year for their child and it can be very, very tough but many do end up getting what they wanted in the end. Good luck!

Can you give any more details please? Which area of Sheffield are you from and do you provide tutor sessions in your own home (in which case whereabouts do you live) or do you travel to students homes? What's the going rate for sessions?