< PreviousHORNCASTLE40 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYhustle and bustle one might be used to inLincoln, Scunthorpe or Boston. It’s impossible to visit Horncastle andnot get a feel for its love of heritage,however. There are independent antiquestores all across the town, including theTrinity Antiques and Collectables Centre,which exhibits out of an old churchbuilding. What it is that makes the area soprolific for hunters and enthusiasts of thepast is unclear, but perhaps it’s part ofthat Horncastle charm, as the surfeit ofantiques stores certainly doesn’t feel outof place here. It’s this mix of ‘old meets new’ thatmakes the town so appealing. AcrossLincolnshire, there are plenty of placeswhere heritage and ancient buildings canbe visited, Lincoln itself being a goodexample, but many of these are over-commercialised and surrounded by high-rise flats and hotels that blot out the sun.Not so for Horncastle, which hasmanaged to retain its charm, even aslarger names move in. The absence ofindustrial eyesores, and attention-grabbing supermarkets, translate into aquaint town with plenty to offer, and asurprising amount of things to see. In ourvisit particularly, we were impressed withthe greenery and colour present, whichmade the town feel more alive than manyof its counterparts.Blooms festoon the streets, both outsidepubs, and on busy market roads – and thestrong community spirit leads to a well-maintained town without the typical litterproblems seem in larger neighbours. Astop at a beer garden showed that eventhis takes on new meaning, as brightshades of green and overhanging plantsdwarfed what would have normally beensome wooden chairs out on a flat piece ofgrass. This is a theme repeated muchthroughout Horncastle, and seen in everylittle aspect of life.Whatever you’re looking for, Horncastlecan offer in some way. Old buildings,modern life, independent stores andbustling markets filled with fresh produce.There’s always something to do, even ifour best suggestion is to take some timeoff and just wander.You won’t be disappointed.36-40_Layout 1 14/08/2017 11:41 Page 5LINCOLNSHIRETODAY41EDUCATION43 Á© shutterstock/ArtFamilyINVESTINGin the futureChildren from poorerbackgrounds can be upto two years behindthose from wealthier onesin school, but theproblem often doesn’tcome from money alone. The recent headlines to dominate theeducation news is that children frompoorer families are up to two yearsbehind their wealthier counterparts interms of educational level. While this hasled to much squabble and despair aboutequality, the wage gap and more, it doeslittle to address the key and crucial pointof this study. Why, and how does onestop it from getting worse?The first thing to note is that this is anaverage, and that each child is different.Although the evidence is still worrying,and should still be taken seriously, this isnot meant as some way of marginalisingchildren from poorer backgrounds, nor isit a get out of studying card for studentsfrom richer ones. There are plenty ofdisadvantaged children who excel due tohard work and effort. On the whole,however, they have to work harder thantheir counterparts, and that is quiteobviously not the child’s fault.Although less widely reported, thestudies did in fact go into detail about howthe fix this issue, and what has caused theproblem in the first place. This simplywasn’t quite newspaper-selling material,and so wasn’t included in the stories. In almost all circumstances, the studiesfound that children from poorerbackgrounds performed worse because oflesser investment from their parents – andnot in terms of finance. The study lookedat families from poorer and wealthierbackgrounds and found that childrenwithin the top 25% of earners were morethan twice as likely to have at least tenbooks in the home when compared tothose of the bottom 25%. Similarly,wealthier mothers were 50% more likely41-43_Layout 1 14/08/2017 11:43 Page 1The Priory Academy LSSTRobert de Cheney Boarding House is situated in thegrounds of The Priory Academy LSST, a top-performingState school in Lincoln. Recently rated Outstanding inevery category by Ofsted, our purpose-built Sixth Formfacility is designed to deliver academic excellencethroughout the A-Level programme and also to provide asmooth transition from school to university, training,employment and adult life.“As a parent of a young person boarding, I can honestlysay that the holistic experience of being amongst hispeers, and the opportunities that have been afforded tohim, have enhanced his overall academic and socialdevelopment. I can't praise the staff enough.”Parent of LSST boarder; Ofsted 2017Contact Mr John Nuttall, Head of Boarding, to arrange a visit or to apply for a place in 2018 or 2019The Priory Academy LSST, Cross O’Cliff Hill, Lincoln LN5 8PW Telephone: 01522 889977 l Email: boarding@prioryacademies.co.ukVisit: www.prioryacademies.co.uk/boardingBoarding HouseOpen EveningThursday 9th November 20175.45pm-8.30pmSixth Form Boarding in Lincoln‘Outstanding’ in all categories – Ofsted, 201741-43_Layout 1 14/08/2017 11:43 Page 2to read to their child three ormore times a week.This would make sense forthe child’s development,given that people learnlanguage, intonation andethics from direct experienceor mimicry, and there isalready a marked correlationbetween children who readmore in their younger life,and higher exam results. Thecontent of the books doesn’tseem to matter too much,provided that they are notcompletely under-aged forthe reader. Fiction or non-fiction, fantasyor drama, each will help a child’sdevelopment, but especially if it is aparent who does the reading.Another noted factor in the study wasthat children from wealthier backgroundswere enrolled in more extracurricularactivities – more than twice as likely tobe, in fact. This obviously does come witha price tag in most places, so it makessense that struggling families might find itimpossible to meet. That said, evidencesuggests that children can get a similarbenefit from doing extracurricularactivities with their parents, and many ofthese can be cheap. For instance, a hobbyin chess, board games, or anything else aparent might already have, can easily bepassed onto a child and used as a chancefor some quality time together.There are plenty of factors the studyhighlighted as showing large differencesbetween poorer and wealthier families,and their performance in school. Theseinclude;*10+ books at home*Someone reads to child 3+ times a week*Eating meals with parents daily*Musical instrument in the home*Taken to a live performance in the lastyear*Special lessons or extracurricular activities*Family encourages hobbies*Family buys a newspaperEach of these were areas where richerfamilies performed more often thanpoorer, and recorded greater exam resultsfor it. That said, there were of courseoutliers – either poorer families capable ofperforming all of these, but also wealthierones performing less. And therein laysone of the most worrying concerns in thestudy. Are parents of all backgroundsinvesting less time in their children?It’s a worrying concern, especially if it’sbeyond what is unfortunate necessity, i.e.a mother or father who works in adifficult job like a hospital, and simply hasless time to invest. The advent ofcomputers has made our lives moreconvenient, but there are fears that thishas been spread to the upbringing ofchildren as well, with adults – especiallybusy ones – relegating their children’sdevelopment to YouTube videos orentertainment that keeps them distractedfor hours. While this cancertainly have benefits, especially if thematerial is informational in some way (itusually isn’t), there is still going to be ahuge drop in development for the childin question.More than any rich or poor divide, thestudy shows the importance of time spenthelping a child develop. In the same wayan animal teaches their young how tohunt or forage, parents need to show theirchild how to read, write, but also how tointeract with people. Simple conversation,or even word games, can help childrenfeel more confident as they grow up, andavoid the crippling social anxiety thatparalyses so many people nowadays. At the very least, it can help them notfall behind in school. As much as wemight wish it, these problems simplyaren’t inherent only in poorerbackgrounds, and it is also wealthier andworking families who could afford tospend less time in front of the TV, andmore with their children. It also doesn’t hurt that the studyshowed that the same developmentcontinued on into adult life, so maybe wecould all stand to learn something new aswell.© shutterstock/Monkey Business ImagesLINCOLNSHIRETODAY43EDUCATION41-43_Layout 1 14/08/2017 11:43 Page 344 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONLauRieThis fabulous LauRie topspeaks for itself withasymmetrical patternedstreaks and a flattering fit. 44-55_Layout 1 14/08/2017 12:12 Page 1LINCOLNSHIRETODAY45FASHIONOur favourite fashion labels have unveiled theirstunning autumn lookbooks. Here we show offa few of our favourites, highlighting key newlooks, trends and the latest must haves. Simplymusthaves44-55_Layout 1 14/08/2017 12:12 Page 244 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHION44-55_Layout 1 14/08/2017 12:12 Page 3LINCOLNSHIRETODAY47FASHIONOpposite: MasaiWorn well, purple is still one of the most stylish colours. The late Prince proved that much. And this strikingensemble from Masai ticks all right boxes – available from Harmoni in Lincoln. Above left: PassportExplore the darker end of the colour spectrum with this bold and stylish offering from Passport. Above middle: Luisa CeranoGrey and pink is still one of the best colour pairings at your disposal as this cute Luisa Cerano outfit proves –available from Jane Young in Newark. Above right: Basler Like stone washed tartan, or a spin on an executive dress, Basler give you another reason to look forward toautumn. 44-55_Layout 1 14/08/2017 12:12 Page 448 LINCOLNSHIRETODAYFASHIONAbove: Marc Cain This playful spin on the ballerina get-up demonstrates Marc Cain’s ability tofind inspiration in all places. The polka dot skirt is just to die for. Above right: Thought This gorgeous Thought top couples a burgundy purple with a pretty patternfor an exquisite autumnal number – available from Pretty Little in Lincoln. Right: NumphFor their fall range, Numph have stripped things back, opting for simple yeteffective design. This cute blue number will take you across the threshold assummer gives way to autumn. Opposite top: Ichi Who says slouch wear needs to be scruffy? Ichi show that a jumper, hate andtrousers can make just as big an impact as a dress or skirt. The swirling stichof the jumper is a wonderful feature. Photo courtesy of DK Company - ICHIOpposite bottom: NumphThe gorgeous frills and flow of this Numph ensemble perfectly capture theallure of autumn shades – available from Lottie’s Atik in Lincoln. 44-55_Layout 1 14/08/2017 12:13 Page 5 CHAIN LANE NEWARK NG24 1AU 01636 703511 www.janeyoung.co.uk www.facebook.com/janeyoungnewarkAll you desire in one boutique LINCOLNSHIRETODAY49FASHION44-55_Layout 1 14/08/2017 12:13 Page 6Next >