BUDDING Mozarts and Madonnas could well be enjoying a head start in a revolutionary pre-school franchise business which has made its first South Wales appearance in Gwent.

Jo Jingles is a scheme to give toddlers an introduction to music through the use of songs, nursery rhymes, musical instruments, movement and dance.

Deborah Storey, who bought her area franchise for £7,000, is running the classes in Rhiwderin, Rogerstone, Caerleon and Cwmbran and says she is indulging two of her passions - love of children and love of music.

"The weekly music sessions, which last for 45 minutes, run in local halls and centres and there are classes for different age groups from nine months to five years," she said.

"Parents or guardians are encouraged to join in with their children and the emphasis is very much on fun and formality.

"Having visited other Jo Jingles classes around the country, it is evident that parents have as much fun as the children."

Classes are small, with a maximum of 15 children, and are not completely music-orientated. They also have an educational slant, covering pre-school learning topics such as number, alphabet, colours, days of the week and general life experiences, such as going shopping.

"As well as the classes being great fun, experts agree that music is beneficial to many aspects of a child's development." Deborah said.

"Singing, dancing and playing musical instruments encourage children to develop their language skills, improve physical co-ordination and gain a high level of self-confidence and social skills."

Jo Jingles originated in Buckinghamshire in 1991 and is now run by franchisers like Deborah in more than 300 places throughout Britain.

Most educationists agree that early exposure to music-making helps children develop independence and provides them with a means of recognising and expressing their emotions.

Jo Jingles, which was launched as a national franchise in 1995, was inspired by the fact that music is not a priority subject for children under seven in many schools.

Deborah, aged 39, lives in Bassaleg. She worked in accountancy and office management, so has a background in business. It was the way her daughter, Francesca, responded to music at an early age that encouraged her to take on the Jo Jingles franchise.

She received an excellent response from advertising in the Argus and next week starts a class for special needs children in Cwmbran.

Her classes have caught the imagination of Gwent Healthcare Trust, which has helped distribute her promotional leaflets.

Deborah can be contacted at 01633 897041.

* Pictured, Debbie Storey makes music with (from left) William Bewley, Francesca Storey, Samuel Morris and Emme Thomas

How franchising works Franchising is a fast-growing way of setting up in business for yourself but not on your own. With a franchise you run the business, but using methods that have been already tried and tested by another company, called the franchisor.

You pay the franchisor for a package that gives you an exclusive 'territory' and allows you to use its brand name, methods of operation, technology or products for a certain period, say five years, on a renewable contract.

Once accepted as a franchisee, you get technical and/or business training, operation manuals, often marketing help and sometimes accounting or other administration services. In return, you agree to run the business according to the franchisor's methods and standards.

Advantage: you can have a nationally-known name from day one.

Disadvantage: you are working to someone else's standards and usually under their name.