Children learned ‘little or nothing’ during school closures, despite online learning
Apr 09 2021
As a mother of a teenager in year 10, I am aware that the last year of schooling has been lost and I feel really anxious as next year my boy will have to face GCSE exams after literally missing out on vital learning. My fears have been confirmed by a new study by researchers at Oxford’s Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, published in Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
School closures in the last year have led to serious learning losses, with primary-age school pupils making virtually no progress studying at home, according to Learning losses were particularly pronounced in families with low levels of education.
Cinema Made in Italy returns 16-29 April 2021 – free movies online
Apr 08 2021
Cinema Made in Italy 2021 returns this year for its 11th edition with a new digital edition, bringing cutting edge Italian cinema to a national audience for the first time, on the curated streaming service MUBI. From 16 – 29 April film fans will once more have the unique opportunity to take in a diverse array of the best recent Italian productions. Whereas in previous years the audience has been London–centric, with the festival moving online, fans from all over the UK and Ireland will be able to enjoy the festival from the comfort of their own homes.
The fourteen-day event will commence on Friday 16 April, with all nine titles being made available on MUBI for the duration of the festival period.
How to get the house tidy for summer
Apr 07 2021
Lockdown 2.0 has been quite the ordeal for most in the UK. Learning how to balance work, home and family life, has taken its toll on our mental health and our home’s have taken on a world of their own.
Homeschooling has left its own path of destruction in its wake with piles of paper, colouring pencils and the dreaded play dough in every crevice. Then there’s finding time in your day to tidy up the washing pile and the outdoor tasks that you have been putting off since before winter arrived.
Not sure where to start? Here’s London Mums’ rundown of the best ways to get our house tidy for the summer:
Picture book of the week: Mika & Lolo by Virginia Mendez
Apr 07 2021
Writer and entrepreneur, Virginia Mendez, has written a lovely multilingual picture book series Mika & Lolo covering diversity on her unexpected journey to embracing feminism. Each book comes in two languages. I have chosen English and Italian. The series is available from The Feminist Shop.
Ethical fashion: My chat with Fritha Mason, founder of the Secret Sari Dress project
Apr 06 2021
Ethical fashion is THE thing now that we have all come to appreciate green living and ethically manufactured clothing. An innovator and inspiring female entrepreneur in this sector is Fritha Mason, and founder of Secret Projects, which runs the Secret Sari Dress campaign. You can see me here also sporting a couple of different Sari dresses. I simply love them as they are very easy to wear and more importantly very fresh. Particularly lovely during the summer.
Breakfast Recipe: Vanilla Berry French Toast
Apr 05 2021
This Vanilla Berry French Toast recipe was created by plant-based food blogger and stylist, Nourishing Amy, in partnership with Jason’s Sourdough (available in three variants, White, Grains & Seeds and Craft Beer, from M&S stores nationwide, RRP £1.80). This bread evokes memories of my childhood and the mornings spent at the beach after eating fresh sourdough slices with jam on top. This bread is a time machine of the senses.
Amy has used Jason’s Sourdough fluffy White Ciabattin and naturally-sweetened with maple syrup. This nutritious toast tastes so good that we’d be forgiven for forgetting that this yummy breakfast was vegan! Bursting with flavour, it is indeed the perfect breakfast recipe to start the day in style or even for a delicious weekend brunch with family and friends.