New autumn children’s healthy lifestyle programme to start

Places are available for the latest children’s healthy lifestyle programme due to start in Bradford on 1st October.

The free course, run by Bradford Council, will help children and parents find out how they can eat more healthily and become more physically active by supporting them to make small but effective lifestyle changes.

The children will also participate in fun physical activity sessions each week.

Participants need to be aged between 5 and 11 and will need to be accompanied by a parent or carer.

The 9 week programme runs from the Karmand Community Centre on Barkerend Road, BD3, between 5-7pm on Thursdays.

Anyone wanting more information or wanting to take part can call 01274 435387.

Lydia Worton from Bradford Council’s Health Improvement Team said: “This is a great chance for parents or carers who are concerned about their child’s weight, or simply wish to learn how to become healthier, to take some positive action.

“The programme is about empowering children and their parents by giving them the knowledge to make the right lifestyle choices by making small changes in your lifestyle.”

“Making lots of small changes can make a different to their health and wellbeing.”

School admissions for secondary places now open

Secondary school admissions across the District opened this week.  Parents and carers can now apply for a secondary school place for their child for entry in September 2016.  Applications for primary places open in November.

Bradford Council has written to all parents whose children need to apply with information on how to do so. This includes a Unique Identification number (UID) so the parents can apply online.

Applying online makes the application quicker and easier as all a child’s details will already be completed from the Council’s database.  Parents will also be emailed straightaway when the decision is made on 1 March next year.

The online admissions system is available for secondary applications until 31 October 2015 for children born between 1 September 2004 and 31 August 2005.
To make the application process as simple as possible and ensure that parents and carers are able to send their child to a preferred school, the Council is suggesting five key steps parents need to take. These are:

1. Make sure you check the criteria that your preferred schools set for admissions.  You can do this by visiting each schools website or reading the Guide for Parents, available online from 12 September.
2. Read the guidelines set out in the Applying for Secondary School booklet.
3. Fully complete the application form and put in your five preferences and fill in any required Supplementary Information Forms.
4. Make sure that you submit your application by 31 October 2015.
5. Only submit one application – don’t do an online form and a paper form.

If parents and carers have any queries, they can visit the Council’s website or contact the Admissions Team in the following ways:

• Email secondaryadmissions@bradford.gov.uk
• Call the School Admissions Team on 01274 385967
• Write to the School Admissions Team, Future House, Bolling Road, Bradford BD4 7EB
• Call into our drop in sessions at Future House: Monday, Wednesday and Friday – 9.30am to 12.30pm or Tuesday and Thursday – 1pm to 4pm

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Executive Member for Education, Skills and Culture, said: “It’s a big step for any child as they apply for a secondary school place for next year.  We are likely to have nearly 8000 children applying for secondary school places this year.  The easiest way of applying is to do so online.

“We’ve tried to make the application process as simple as it can be .  To give your child the best chance I’ m asking parents and carers to follow the five key steps and I’d particularly recommend using all five preferences.  We know that nearly 20% of applications last year only named one school which meant that if the family didn’t get their first preference, their child could be allocated any school in the district.  Obviously this then causes a lot of heartache.

“It’s also important that parents check out the criteria of the schools they are applying for as the Admissions Authority (the Council or School) have to abide by these criteria when offering places.”

Bradford City FC Community Foundation October Half Term Football Camps

Bradford City FC Community Foundation are pleased to be hosting their ever-popular football camps this October half term.

Children will need a packed lunch, drinks and to be dressed ready for football and appropriate to whatever the weather is like on the day!  All staff are minimum FA Level 2 qualified, trained in emergency aid and hold an advanced CRB check.

For more information or to book a place, visit the Bradford City FC Community Foundation website or call 01274 706850.