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!

The Marine Academy Plymouth Trust has announced a formal ‘petition of interest’ to develop a new primary school on Trevithick Road, St Budeaux.

A brand new, permanent primary school is proposed to open in 2013 and the Trust will
launch its information gathering activities on the 15 December 2011.

The proposal is response to the city’s desperate need for primary school places.

The initial ‘petition of interest’ period will end on the 12th February 2012 with
all responses due in by then. The Trust will consult within the proposed new
Academy’s catchment area.

The proposed Marine Academy Primary (MAP2) will be a new primary school, to be
created on Marine Academy Plymouth’s existing campus. It is hoped that the new
school will open in September 2013.

Marine Academy Primary will, technically, be one of the government’s new ‘Free
Schools’, which means that it will be free from local authority control. The Marine
Academy Plymouth Trust will manage the new Academy and Plymouth City Council is one
of the co-sponsors of that Trust.

The core purposes of the new Academy are to provide much needed places and to raise
achievement, especially in English and Maths, and raise aspirations amongst its
community, inspiring pupils to fulfil their potential.

Helen Mathieson, principal of Marine Academy Plymouth said; “This is a wonderful
opportunity for Plymouth. Together, with our sponsors: Plymouth University, Cornwall
College and the Local Authority we can provide resources, expertise and world-class facilities to benefit the pupils, the community and the future prosperity of north west Plymouth.

“The feedback activities have been designed to enable as many parents as possible to
indicate whether they would welcome this exciting proposal, and choose Marine
Academy Primary for their children. I hope that everyone who can, will fill in our
questionnaire.”

Although the proposers have only now launched a formal petition of interest, they have been working together to help shape a vision for the new Academy.

Check out the Holiday Activities page to download the Short Break information if you have a child with a disability. The leaflet is packed full of great ideas and activities. There is also information about support, and helpful tips from other parents. Parents have been heard to complain that there is nothing in the city for autistic children, but this leaflet shows that there certainly are opportunities for everyone to be included.