You might have heard in the news recently, that there are concerns that children, pregnant and breastfeeding women may be deficient in Vitamin D, which could affect your children’s uptake of calcium, leading to bone deformities. For up to date guidance visit the NHS Website.

Plymouth City Council are urging parents to make sure they have indicated their preferences for schools for children who are due to start at primary school for the first time (or junior school having completed Year 2 in an infant school) in September 2012.

The deadline for primary and junior school admission preferences is Sunday 15 January and Plymouth City Council is asking parents not to leave their applications until the last minute.

The easiest way to apply for a place is online through the school admissions pages of the Council’s website, where you will find full details on how to apply and how the admissions system works.

Each school now has its own admission criteria, as traditional catchment areas no longer exist, so it’s important to look at the information relating to specific schools in the admission guidance booklet also on the web.

Parents are warned if they apply late there is a risk that all the places at their preferred schools will be filled by applicants who applied on time.

For more information call the Council’s school admissions team on 01752 307166 for primary and junior school transfers.

Back in 1982 I was struggling to find shoes to fit my toddler and when I was shown “Out of the House”, a guide book by parents for parents in Exeter, I set my mind to producing a similar guide for parents in Plymouth. In 1983 the first edition of the Parents Guide to Plymouth travelled into the maternity unit at Freedom Fields Hospital with me, when I gave birth to my second baby. There have been four editions of the book (the last one in 2004/5, now out of print) and the website has been available since 2001.
I could never have imagined back in those early days that I would be still working on the Parents Guide to Plymouth in 2012 and certainly had no idea that my little project would lead to the award of an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List!
This post is a thank you to all those people who have helped along the way, to my family who have supported and encouraged me and to those who have nominated me for such an amazing award. The family have actually had to put up with piles of paper around the house (“don’t throw that out – I haven’t checked it yet/ still need the phone number scribbled in the corner, etc etc” and much more besides!).
I very much value the contacts I have made over the years, and feel that together we can aim to improve the situation for parents in Plymouth. I would love more feedback from parents and hope that you will continue to get in touch with suggestions, comments and ideas for the website.

Time’s running out – Don’t forget to enter our free draw to win a trip for FOUR to the Cinema! You can win a voucher for four tickets for the Reel Cinema, Plymouth; valid until 1st April 2012. Go to the competitions page to enter before Friday! It’s as easy as that!

We hope all families are enjoying a great Christmas holiday and wish you all a very Happy New Year!