A Grand Day Out at Bradford Industrial Museum

A free science-themed day at Bradford Industrial Museum is being held for families on May Bank Holiday Monday.

The museum’s annual ‘Grand Day Out’ event will feature family activities and presentations on the theme of science and technology in every day life – from work to entertainment.

Activities, running from 10-4pm on Monday 1 May, will include a workshop by Sublime Science explaining how science can seem like magic.

Zoolab’s animal rangers will also visit to explain the biology of plants and animals.  Children will be able to carry out experiments in the museum’s galleries and make models using principles of physics and chemistry.

There will be craft activities, trails, demonstrations and working machinery in the museum’s Victorian Spinning Mill, Motive Power Gallery and Blacksmith’s workshop.

 

Inspectors praise Bradford District’s ‘very effective’ joint working arrangements for keeping its children safe

Inspectors have praised organisations across the Bradford District, including Bradford Council, the police, probation and health services for the way in which they work together to protect children living with domestic abuse.

The independent inspection, published on the GOV.UK website, made a special note of the fact that all of the agencies in Bradford have high aspirations for Bradford children and that leaders and managers are delivering ‘very effective’ services and ‘getting the basics right’.

Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, the Leader of Bradford Council, said: “The recognition in this report from four national inspectorates, including Ofsted, that Bradford has high aspirations for its children is very positive news for our district and something for which we should all be very proud. We will build on this work but we must remain vigilant when it comes to protecting Bradford’s children.”

Inspectors looked at how organisations work together to respond to abuse and neglect across the Bradford District. It included a special focus on how organisations respond to children living with domestic abuse.

The report found that:

• Across partners there is commitment to continual improvement to offer a wide range of high quality services to meet the diverse needs of children and families.
• Both the lead member and the Chief Executive of Bradford Council are very well informed about the diverse needs of children in Bradford and the quality of services to children in need of help and protection.
• Children and parents who experience domestic abuse have access to a wide range of services to meet differing needs.
• Leadership within children’s social care is effective and senior managers are creating a healthy environment in Bradford for effective social work to flourish.
• The Strategic Director of Children’s Services is focused on ‘getting the basics right’ in social work practice but also in innovating and using external sources of funding and expertise to drive new developments and approaches to providing effective support to children and young people.
• There are very effective multi-agency arrangements within the Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH).
• Social workers are well supported to enable them to work effectively with families. Caseloads are manageable and workers receive regular supervision.

Michael Jameson, Bradford Council’s strategic director of children’s services, said: “This was a very thorough examination of part of our district’s safeguarding service which recognises the innovative work we are developing for children and parents. We know there is still much more to do, but this report shows that we are ‘getting the basics right’ and going in the right direction.”

Councillor Val Slater, Bradford Council’s deputy leader and portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: “The inspectors recognise the challenges that our different agencies face and the robust measures we are putting in place to tackle them. We can never be complacent about safeguarding, but this thorough inspection recognises the good work we are doing.”

Damien Miller, West Yorkshire Police’s superintendent for safeguarding partnerships, said: “We welcome the inspection report and are pleased that our partnership work to protect children living with domestic abuse has been recognised positively. We are pleased that the inspection has seen the hard work, which is resulting in our timely and effective responses to tackle domestic abuse, as well as our prompt and effective information sharing.”

Nancy O’Neill, director of collaboration for the district’s clinical commissioning groups, said: “We are pleased that the report recognises the many examples where effective partnership work in Bradford has resulted in timely and good quality support to local children and their families, ultimately reducing the risk of harm.  We look forward to developing the partnership, using the findings of the inspection to further improve our support to children and young people living with domestic violence.”

The detailed joint inspection was carried out by Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission, HMI Constabulary and HMI Probation between 27 February and 3 March 2017 with the final report published on 21 April 2017.

 

Initiative to promote healthy bedtime routine for young children

Bradford Libraries & Children’s Centres will celebrate Booktrust’s Bath, Book, Bed campaign during 24 to 30 April with over 25 events including Peppa Pig themed activities and rhyme times.

Book Trust’s campaign puts stories firmly at the centre of a good night’s sleep.  They feel that Bath Book Bed is the answer all parents/carers of young children have been looking for.

Hirst Wood Children’s Centre and others are thrilled to be taking part in the campaign and have lots of plans including water bubbles, bathing dolls, using sensory items like lavender and getting the children dressed up in their pyjamas.

Amongst other events Wyke, City & Bingley libraries will be taking up the Peppa Pig theme with rhymetimes, Peppa masks and dress up and a special activity storyboard at Wyke with Peppa and George characters that can be in the bath, in bed etc.

The full list of events is outlined below:

• Fagley Children’s Centre 9.00am to 10.00am on Monday, 24 April – Messy Play
• Menston Children’s Centre 9.15am to 10.45am on Monday, 24 April – Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Baildon Children’s Centre 9.15am to 10.45am on Monday, 24 April – Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Barkerend Children’s Centre 9.30am to 11am on Monday, 24 April – Messy Play
• Rainbow Children’s Centre, Keighley 9.30am to 11am on Monday, 24 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Mortimer House Children’s Centre, Thornbury 1pm to 2pm on Monday, 24 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• Eccleshill Library 2pm on Monday, 24 April – Goodnight Maisy storytime, rhymes and craft.
• Idle Library 2pm to 3pm on Monday, 24 April – Storytime with “Dinosaurs don’t do bedtimes” – children can wear pyjamas at this event
• Bingley Library 10.30am on Tuesday, 25 April – Peppa Pig themed Rhymetime.
• Hirstwood Children’s Centre 9am to 10.45am on Tuesday, 25 April –  Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Menston Children’s Centre 9.15am to 11am on Tuesday, 25 April –  Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Gateway Children’s Centre, Thorpe Edge 9.30am to 11.00am on Tuesday, 25 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• Mortimer House Children’s Centre 10.00am to 11.30am on Tuesday, 25 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• Barkerend Children’s Centre 9.30am to 11.30am on Tuesday, 25 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• Shipley Library 2pm on Tuesday, 25 April –  Bedtime stories and hanging mobile craft activity.
• Strong Close Children’s Centre, Keighley 9.30am to 11.30am on Tuesday, 25 April – Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Community Works Children’s Centre, Undercliffe 10.30am to 12noon on Tuesday, 25 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• Highfield Children’s Centre, Keighley 10am to 11.30am on Tuesday, 25 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Daisy Chain Children’s Centre, Silsden 9.30am to 11.30am on Tuesday, 25 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Low Fold Children’s Centre, Keighley  1.15pm to 2.45pm on Tuesday, 25 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Burley Library 1.45pm on Tuesday, 25 April – Bath Book Bed Bear Event with Sleeping Teddy Craft.
• St Stephens Church, Keighley 9.30am to 10.30am on Wednesday, 26 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Keighley Library 11am on Wednesday, 26 April –  Bedtime stories and hanging mobile craft activity.
• Tree Tops, Haworth 10am to 11.30am on Wednesday, 26 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Community Works Children’s Centre 1pm to 2.30pm on Wednesday, 26 April – Messy Play
• Cottingley Cornerstones Centre 1pm to 3pm on Wednesday, 26 April –  Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Tree Tops, Haworth 10.00am to 11.30am on Thursday, 27 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Fagley Children’s Centre 1pm to 3pm on Thursday, 27 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• Bangladeshi Community Centre, Keighley – 1.15pm to 2.45pm on Thursday,  27 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play.
• Baildon Library 2.30pm on Thursday, 27 April –  Peppa Pig themed Rhymetime.
• Little Lane Children’s Centre, Ilkley 1.30pm – 3pm on Thursday, 27 April –  Bath Book Bed Let’s Play.
• Daisy Chain Children’s Centre, Silsden 2.15pm to 3pm on Thursday, 27 April – Bath Book Bed Music & Rhyme.
• Wyke Library, 10am on Friday, 28 April – Peppa’s Bedtime Fun.
• Low Fold Children’s Centre, Keighley 9.15am to 10.45am on Friday,  28 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play
• Rainbow Children’s Centre, Keighley 10am to 11.30am on Friday, 28 April – Bath Book Bed Stay & Play
• Parkland Children’s Centre, Idle 1pm to 3pm on Friday, 28 April – Teddy Bear Sleepover
• City Library 11am on Saturday, 29 April – Stories and Peppa Pig mask & dress up

All parents/carers worry about getting young children to sleep at night – and of course getting enough sleep themselves. But it doesn’t have to be a bedtime battle. Reading a book before bed as part of a regular nightly routine is the perfect way to get your little one ready to visit the land of nod. Bath, Book, Bed is all you need to remember.

The UK’s largest children’s reading charity BookTrust have also launched a free new booklet featuring the top tips and advice of TV parenting expert Jo Frost of as part of their Bath, Book, Bed campaign: an initiative encouraging families to make stories part of every child’s bedtime routine.

Research* has shown that bedtime routines are associated with improved sleep in young children. Benefits include earlier bedtimes, shorter amount of time in bed before falling asleep, less night-wakings and longer sleep duration. And regular language-based bedtime routines such as singing, reading, or storytelling are associated with children’s increased sleep duration and improved cognitive skills.

But it doesn’t stop there. The same routine every night involving a story and shared reading won’t just help them fall asleep – it will also feed their imagination, creativity and confidence. Children who are read to every night start school ahead of those who aren’t – and the gap only widens as they get older.

Parents/carers can pick up their free copy of the new Bath, Book, Bed booklet from Libraries & Children’s Centres. The booklet can also be downloaded from the BookTrust website which features a Best Bedtime Books list and has lots more ideas, guidance and practical tips on ensuring stories are part of every child’s bedtime routine.

 

Visit www.booktrust.org.uk/bathbookbed  to find out more about the campaign.

*Research shows that a regular nightly bedtime routine is associated with improved sleep in young children; regular reading, singing or storytelling at bedtime are also associated with children’s increased sleep duration and improved cognitive skills. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine argues that positive bedtime routines involve a regular sequence of pleasurable and calming activities before a child goes to sleep – including a soothing bath, brushing teeth and reading a bedtime story (Mindell et al, 2015). At BookTrust we also know that sharing books with your child is a wonderful way to improve their literacy, confidence and wellbeing.

Visit www.bradford.gov.uk/libraries for information on libraries and events.

Tour de Yorkshire – Stage 3 – 30 April 2017

Why not come down to City Park to wave off the riders on the final stage of the Tour de Yorkshire before it makes its way through the district? Or why not watch the race as it goes through Lister Park, the streets of Saltaire or Victoria Park in Keighley.  Free family fun activities also available.

There are also fun activities for all the family in Lister Park, on the streets of Saltaire, in Roberts Park and in Victoria Park, Keighley.

Each park will have:

• Rodeo bull or surf board simulators
• Cycling themed face painting
• Cycling arts and crafts
• Under 5’s play area
• Bouncy Castle and giant games

Lister Park, Roberts Park in Saltaire and Victoria Park also have other attractions.

A5 Flyer

A3 Poster

Pupils and mums rewarded for their efforts

Pupils at Green Lane Primary School will be recognised for their “weekend” working in a bid to prepare them for the upcoming Key Stage 2 SATs. The pupils attended weekend booster classes in maths, English and Science to help them be more prepared for the SATs which take place in May.  The weekend classes were spread over a nine-week period.  However, the pupils were not alone as their mums were also in school with them, doing their own learning!  The ‘mums’ attended development sessions where they learned about cyber bullying, First Aid and Health and Safety. The Deputy Lord Mayor, Coun Alun Griffiths, will present pupils and their mums with certificates for their attendance and efforts at these weekend sessions, on Wednesday 26 April, in the Banqueting Suite in City Hall. The school worked in partnership with grass-roots organisation, NEESIE, who organised the booster classes and the ‘mothers’ empowered’ sessions.  NEESIE provides supportive networks and help for single mothers. Deputy Lord Mayor, Coun Alun Griffiths, said:  “I am really looking forward to welcoming the pupils and their mums.  It is really pleasing that so many pupils were keen to put in this extra effort in their own leisure time to prepare themselves in advance of the Key Stage 2 tests.”

 

Parents reminded that school place offers will be made next week

Parents of children who are set to start in reception in primary school from September this year will find out next week which school their child has been offered a place at. This year National Offer Day takes place on Tuesday April 18 because of the Easter Holidays. Bradford Council will be sending out emails to parents from 9am on Tuesday.  People should expect to receive two emails. The first will inform them which school their child has been offered a place at and the second will contain the formal offer letter, acceptance slip and important dates for parents. Anyone who has not received their emails are advised to check their spam and junk folders  before contacting Bradford Council’s Admissions Team from April 19. Parents who applied through an individual primary school’s online system or on a paper form will be sent their offer letter by 1st class post on April 18.  Allocations will not be given over the telephone. Bradford Council’s Admissions Team encourages parents to put forward five preferences to maximise their chances of getting a place at a preferred school. This year the council has handled more than 7,500 applications for reception places in Bradford district primary schools for the 2017/18 academic year. Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills Coun Imran Khan said:  “We know that discovering where a child will be starting school is a big moment for every family and we work hard to ensure that as many pupils as possible are allocated to one of their preferred schools. “Since 2010 we have also provided 8,500 additional places at primary schools to ensure the district can meet the demand and we are constantly revisiting where more places might be needed.” National Offer Day for primary school places normally takes place on April 16 but it has been put back to Tuesday April 18 this year because of the Easter Holidays.

Zootropolis – Easter holiday film screening

Children on their Easter holidays are invited to a special screening of the 2016 Disney film Zootropolis at Cartwright Hall in Bradford on Thursday 13 April from 11am to 1pm.

In the film the enthusiastically optimistic rookie cop Judy Hopps discovers that being a the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking fox.

The Walt Disney Animation Studios’ film is a comedy-adventure directed by Tangled’s, Byron Howard and Wreck-It Ralph’s, Rich Moore.

Children are invited to come dressed up as their favourite animals to enjoy the film which has genuine cross-generational appeal and is funny with likeable characters.

The film has a PG certificate and tickets are £3 in advance or £5 on the day, spaces are limited to book call 01274 431212.

While at Cartwright Hall visitors can also enjoy the ‘Animal Craft’ exhibition with animal art by UK designers and makers and they can try out artist Rachel Barron’s stamp table to create their own animal art.

Following the film, why not picnic in Lister Park and join the free Animal Crackers family drop-in workshop between 1pm and 3pm? Children can also pick up an Animal Trail at the front desk to find out about the animals in the exhibitions and grounds of Cartwright Hall.

Follow Bradford Museums on Twitter – @BradfordMuseums

Dixons Kings Academy named as Enterprise Challenge Winners

A team of young entrepreneurs from Dixons Kings Academy has won the regional final of an enterprise contest.

The pupils won the Yorkshire Final of the 2017 Enterprise Challenge competition for the second year in a row.

It is run by Mosaic, The Prince of Wales’ mentoring charity, and part of The Prince’s Trust.

Team ‘ElektroFit’ beat competition from other school teams across West Yorkshire with their idea for a sustainable business that promotes student fitness, and converting that energy into electricity.

The competing teams pitched their ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style event to a prestigious panel of judges including Martin Richardson, Director of Operations at Leeds Building Society.

ElektroFit will now progress to the Grand Final in London on May 17 where they will compete against winning schools from the North West, South East, London, West Midlands and Scotland for the chance to become national champions.

The winning team will win a prize of £2,500 for their school and a further £500 to invest in developing their business idea and making it a commercial reality.

Twitter: @DixonsKings

30 Hours Free Childcare / Tax-Free Childcare

Parents in Bradford have the opportunity to apply early to get up to £2,000 per child, per year, through the Government’s new offer for working parents:  Tax-Free Childcare.  Working parents of 3 and 4 year olds can also apply early for 30 hours free childcare, to secure their 30 hours place starting in September 2017.

People are urged to register their interest and apply early (by 19 April).

Full information, including the link for expressions of interest, can be found on the Council’s website by clicking here 

Primary school celebrates double inspection success

Staff and pupils at a village primary school have double the reason to celebrate after receiving two very positive inspection reports in quick succession.

East Morton CE Primary has been praised in an Ofsted report with inspectors describing it as a good and improving school in which parents have great confidence and where pupils thrive.

This closely follows a very successful SIAMS Inspection (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) with the inspector judging East Morton as an outstanding school which “celebrates the unique value of each individual pupil, ensuring that all are supported to achieve the best possible educational outcomes.”

Both the Ofsted and SIAMS reports praise headteacher Katie Savage’s “exceptional vision” for the school, which inspectors feel along with her inspirational and engaging leadership, “have created a community that celebrates pupils and celebrates life”.

The SIAMS report notes that staff are “highly effective role models” and “pupils follow their example by showing each other universal courtesy and respect”.

The Ofsted report praises pupils’ behaviour and impeccable manners. Pupils are also said to develop “excellent personal and social skills” through the “exceptional spiritual, moral, social and cultural education provided by the school.”

The reports also recognises “the great confidence which parents rightly have in the school”, with one parent describing the school as “a second home for our children.”

Children throughout the school are said to make good progress and Ofsted says a “challenging yet supportive culture” is helping teachers to stretch the most able pupils.

East Morton CE Primary School’s Headteacher Katie Savage said:  “As a school community, we are delighted with the outcome of both of our recent inspections and have noted with pleasure the fact that the reports celebrate our school’s distinctive ethos, vision and values, which have been central to our continued success.”

Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills said:  “To undergo two inspections in quick succession is a challenge for any school but East Morton CE Primary has come through with flying colours. These reports are full of praise for the way the school supports both pupils’ education and their personal and social development. They are a credit to everyone involved.”