The former Exmouth Training College is commemorating 50 years of teacher training with an exhibition in the library. Details: 01395 255301.

AUTUMN TERM WACKY WORM

Teachers are invited to send for the free “Wacky’s Pack” for use with pupils aged two to 11. It will get children reading, counting and exploring their environment and offer them the chance to become part of a new record for the world’s largest painting. For each Pounds 1 they raise for the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s Sunshine Fund for Blind Children, they can paint one of Wacky Worm’s segments, all of which will be joined together at an RNIB Wacky fun day at Legoland Windsor in March 1999. Prizes of Lego Dacta, stickers and certificates will be awarded. Details: 01737 778808.

SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1 AEG FOOD IN TRUST

The National Trust and AEG Domestic Appliances are running a free programme for local schools at Ham House, near Richmond, Surrey, 9.30am-3pm. Children will be able to dress in Royalist and Puritan costumes, prepare a 1650s banquet with marzipan sweetmeats decorated with motifs inspired by woodcut prints and engravings of the period and explore how food designs were used as secret codes to indicate allegiance to the Crown. Details: 0171 2229251.

SEPTEMBER 26-27 MALVERN AUTUMN SHOW

Lots of children’s activities have been organised at the Three Counties Showground by the Royal Horticultural Society’s education department including botanical painting workshops for five to 10-year-olds and flower arranging for seven to 11s. There will also be tales of mythical gardens and magical plants.Admission: Pounds 7 adults, Pounds 2 children. Details: 01684 584900.

SEPTEMBER 26-OCTOBER 3 NATIONAL ECZEMA WEEK

Events include “The 24-Hour Wrap” on October 2, when children will raise funds for the National Eczema Society in return for wrapping a bandage around their arm or another part of their body for the day. One of the aims is to draw attention to the wet wrapping bandage technique employed on eczema sufferers. Sponsorship packs from Patrick Ladbury, NES, 0171 388 4097 ext. 220.

OCTOBER 8-17 WILDSCREEN ‘98

More than 3,000 free cinema tickets are up for grabs at Bristol’s annual festival of natural history, film and television. The tickets are available for screenings at Watershed Media Centre of films from around the world nominated for the Panda Awards. Presentations for schools will take place at 10am on October 8-9 and 1.30pm on October 9. The awards ceremony is on October 16 at Colston Hall. The screenings are sponsored by BBC Wildlife Magazine. For details send SAE to: Wildscreen ‘98, PO Box 366, Deanery Road, Bristol BS99 2HD.

STARTING OCTOBER 8 PRIMARY SCIENCE LECTURES

“Suck, blow and wobble” (the science of sound); electricity; light and colour; motoring bacteria; a presentation by “Sir Isaac Newton”; and starting, stopping and moving are among the free lectures beinggiven at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, London W1. There will also be teachers’ workshops on light andcolour (October 19), and on starting, stopping and moving (December 1). Fee: Pounds 15. Details: 0171 409 2992.

OCTOBER 10 SETTING UP A SMALL SCHOOL OR LEARNING CENTRE

Introductory workshop in Bath organised by Human Scale Education for parents and teachers. Topics include: registering with the Department for Education and Employment, charitable status, fundraising, buildings, equipment, philosophy and choosing teachers. Fee: Pounds 40, Pounds 30 members. Details: 01879 230443 (telfax).