Cliffe Castle park parade

Around 250 children will take part in a costume parade to celebrate the completion of the refurbishment of Cliffe Castle Park, which has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players. The children from six Keighley schools will march alongside Romans, Victorians and the ‘Spirit of the Future’ around the newly restored pond, marble fountains and new planting towards the glass show house on Thursday (29 June). After learning about the contents of a recently recovered Victorian time capsule, the children took part in a workshop inside Cliffe Castle Museum to gain ideas from the exhibits of what to include in a new time capsule. This will be presented to Bradford Lord Mayor Coun Abid Hussain before being buried for 50 years in the domed palm house. The £4.5 million restoration of Cliffe Castle park is due to be completed by the end of next month with further celebrations planned. Bradford Council successfully bid for £3.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s “Parks for People” programme to carry out the work which started a year ago. The project has been designed with support from volunteers in the Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group. Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “This promises to be a great day for our young people to enjoy the culmination of this amazing project and for the rest of us to appreciate the value of both the museum and park at Cliffe Castle. “They are tremendous assets for Keighley and the wider district. They can both be used by local schools to support a whole range of ways that help classroom teaching. “It’s marvellous to see everything coming together and the whole area starting to take shape in its full summer splendour.” Schools taking part in the parade are: Eastwood Community School, Haworth Primary Academy, Merlin Top Primary Academy, Our Lady of Victories Catholic Primary, Riddlesden St Mary’s CE Primary, The Holy Family Catholic School.

School celebrates consistent record of Ofsted success

Newby Primary School is celebrating its latest Ofsted inspection report which praises it for creating a friendly and caring environment in which children enjoy their education.

The school in West Bowling, Bradford, has been rated as good in its latest short inspection by Ofsted inspectors.

This means the school has consistently been recognised as being good or better in all its inspections since Ofsted first visited back in 2001. Before this Newby Primary had been recognised as a Beacon School, a status given to the strongest performing schools in the country by the Department for Education in the 1990s.

The new report praises the school and its leadership team for maintaining a good quality of education since its last inspection in 2013.

Inspectors found that children are happy and enthusiastic about their lessons and that staff enjoy working at the school.

It adds that the teachers “particularly value the way in which families are at the heart of everything” the school does.

Inspectors also said staff at Newby Primary School speak with pride and enthusiasm about their work. It adds: “One member of staff stated : ‘Staff go the extra mile for children at this school and I feel it is a strength that together we make a difference to pupils and families.’”

Ofsted praise the way in which the school effectively monitors the progress of pupils and for its work with other schools in the area to provide support in developing leadership skills.

Headteacher Janice Stephenson said: “The whole school is very pleased with this report which recognises how happy and well supported our pupils are. I think it shows the strength of the entire school community here that Newby Primary School has always been a good school but as the report makes clear we are still striving to improve.”

Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills said:  “Congratulations to everyone involved in this latest Ofsted success. It is pleasing to see Ofsted praises Newby Primary School not only for the quality of its education but also for putting families at the heart of everything they do. As our Education Covenant makes clear education is everyone’s business and schools can only be successful with the support of their community.”

Newby Primary’s Chair of Governors Jackie Walters paid tribute to “the dedication of school staff, governors and parents in achieving these great results and especially the amazing pupils who are an inspiration to us all.”

The Ofsted report marks the end of a very successful academic year for the school as Mrs Walters was awarded the Governor of the Year Award at the 2017 Bradford and District Teaching Awards in March, having given more than 25 years service to Newby Primary School.

Thackley Primary School pupils gear up in school Race for Life Event

Pupils at Thackley Primary School took part in the school’s second, very own Race for Life for Cancer Research UK this week as part of the Race for Life’s schools programme.

The school hosted a special event at Thackley Football Club on Wednesday, 21 June.

Around 495 youngsters aged three to 11 joined teachers, parents and friends to challenge cancer and walk, jog or run in aid of Cancer Research UK’s life-saving work and dressed in pink, red and purple to brighten up the day!

Head of School, Annette Patterson said:

“We are really looking forward to the race. The children are really excited and have been busy raising money.

“The whole school is supporting the event so it will be a real team effort and a great day for our parents, pupils and staff while raising money for an important cause.

“Sadly, most of us know someone who has been touched by cancer and we all have our special reasons for taking part and wanting to help more people survive”.

Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Education, Employment and Skills, Coun Imran Khan said:

“Race for Life is a great addition to the wonderful events that take place at Thackley Primary School.

“Good Luck to all the pupils who are taking part this week and congratulations to the school for organising the event, who clearly have a desire to make a difference”.

Follow Thackley Primary School on Twitter: @ThackleyPrimary

Each pupil wrote a special message for Race for Life

Pupils from 12 Bradford schools to take part in Schools’ Yorkshire Tour cycle relay

Around 72 children from 12 schools across the Bradford district are taking part in a cycling relay as part of national Bike Week. The Schools’ Yorkshire Tour relay sees pupils from primary schools in the district pass a baton over 35 miles of the 395km (245 miles) route. The event has been organised by the ten Yorkshire local authorities in partnership with Sustrans and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and supported by YPO. A baton is being passed by school children and young people from school to school and local authority to local authority along the route across Yorkshire. The event started in Sheffield on 12 June and has already passed through Barnsley, Wakefield, Doncaster, East Riding and York. It will pass through North Yorkshire, Leeds, Bradford and Calderdale before ultimately finishing in Leeds on Tuesday 27 June with a celebration event. The route will use cycle lanes and numerous off-road cycleways as much as possible. A number of famous landmarks will form the backdrop to the baton handovers, including in the Bradford district the original Woolpack Inn at Esholt made famous by the long running television programme Emmerdale, Salts Mill, Bingley’s Five Rise Locks and the iconic Haworth Main Street. Pupils from Bradford will take part in Stage 11 – Leeds to Bradford and Stage 12 – Bradford to Calderdale. Children from Baildon C of E Primary School will welcome the baton to the Bradford district at the famous Woolpack Inn in Esholt where they will receive it from pupils from Yeadon Primary School on Thursday 22 June at 2pm. The baton will be taken to Byron Primary School, Barkerend for pupils from the school to start Stage 12 on Friday 23. Stage 12 will start at 8.30am where pupils from Byron Primary School, will cycle down the Leeds Bradford Cycle Superhighway passing the baton to pupils from Rainbow Primary School, Bradford in City Park. The next stop will be the Canal Road Greenway where pupils from Sandal Primary School, Baildon will take the baton along the Greenway to Salts Mill before handing it to children from Wycliffe C of E Primary School, Shipley. The baton will then be taken along the Leeds Liverpool Canal and be passed to children from Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School at Bingley’s Five Rise Locks. The pupils will then cycle along the canal to their school where they will be met by pupils from Eastwood Community School, Keighley, to hand the baton on. The baton will then go to Parkwood Primary School, Keighley, Worth Valley Primary School, Keighley and Oakworth Primary School before being taken to Haworth. In Haworth pupils from Haworth Primary School and Lees Primary School will take a tour of Haworth, including the children tackling the famous setts of Haworth Main Street. Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “There is a real passion for cycling in Bradford district at the moment and I’m sure the children taking part in this event will have a great time, cycling with their friends and also meeting children from other schools.” Pupils from the schools taking part in the cycle relay have also been given the opportunity to take part in a Twitter slogan competition – the winners of which will be invited to attend a celebration event at Leeds Civic Hall on 27 June 2017. Thursday 22 at 2pm at The Woolpack Inn, Esholt, BD17 7QZ Pupils from Baildon C of E Primary School will receive the baton from pupils from Yeadon Primary School at the end of Stage 11. Friday 23 8.30am to 2pm 8.30am – Byron Primary School, Barkerend, Bradford, BD3 0AB Pupils from the school will start Stage 12 of the Schools’ Yorkshire Tour 9am – City Park, Bradford, BD1 1HY Pupils from Byron Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Rainbow Primary School at the fountains in City Park. 9.30am – Gaisby Lane junction with Canal Road Greenway Pupils from Rainbow Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Sandal Primary School 10am – Salts Mill on Leeds Liverpool Canal by Victoria Road bridge BD18 1AE Pupils from Sandal Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Wycliffe C of E Primary School 10.30am Five Rise Locks in Bingley, Beck Lane Bingley BD16 4DS Pupils from Wycliffe C of E Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Riddlesden St Mary’s School at the top of Five Rise Locks 11am Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School, Riddlesden, BD20 5AB Pupils from Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School will hand the baton to pupils from Eastwood Primary School. 12.15pm Parkwood Primary School, Keighley, BD21 4QH Pupils from Eastwood Primary school will hand the baton over to pupils at Parkwood Primary School 12.45pm Worth Valley Primary School, Keighley, BD22 7AX Pupils from Parkwood Primary School will hand over the baton to pupils at Worth Valley Primary School 1.30pm Oakworth Primary School, Oakworth, BD22 7HX Pupils from Worth Valley Primary School will hand over the baton to pupils at Oakworth Primary School 2pm Haworth Primary School, Haworth, BD22 8DW Pupils from Oakworth Primary School will hand over the baton at Haworth Primary School. Pupils from Lees Primary School, Cross Roads and Haworth Primary School will cycle round Haworth including tackling Haworth Main Street.

Bradford Celebrates Armed Forces Week

A variety of events are being held in Bradford this week to observe Armed Forces Week.

Around 60 veterans from across the Bradford district are being honoured at a special lunch hosted by the Deputy Lord Mayor in the Banqueting Hall in City Hall on Friday 23 June.

Later in the week a special Armed Forces Day drumhead service and concert in Centenary Square and City Park will be held on Saturday 24 June starting at 11am.

The 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron Air Cadet Band will lead a Parade of Standards of the various ex-service associations into City Park to begin the service, where members of the band will build an altar of drums which will be the focal point for this service.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Councillor Abid Hussain, will say a few words of welcome, before Reverend Canon Paul Maybury, Canon Precentor from Bradford Cathedral will lead the service with the support of Jon Howard, Chaplain to the Bradford Sea Cadets.

A reflection will be given by Deputy Lieutenant, Colonel Alan Roberts followed by the Exhortation and the Kohima Epitaph given by members of the Royal British Legion. The Last Post will be sounded which will be followed the observation of two minute silence.

The service will end with the singing of the National Anthem.

Following the service there will be displays and performances by the Band of the Royal Armoured Corps, the band of the West Yorkshire Police and the Revolution Show Corps band.

Bradford District Armed Forces Covenant Partnership along with armed service charities will be hosting stalls as part of the event.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Abid Hussain, said: “It is really important that we honour the sacrifices that continue to be made on our behalf by members of our armed forces and their families. I do hope that people come along and show their support by attending these events.”

Flamboyant street theatre programme headed for Bradford Festival

Bradford Council is set to stage a host of colourful and creative street theatre acts at this year’s Bradford Festival.

In late July, City Park will burst into life with top quality acts from across the UK.

Innovating street theatre company, Highly Sprung will stage a piece offering a glimpse of a possible future  Urban Astronaut.

Problems surrounding air pollution have grown to a crisis point and the work askes audiences if there is ‘a way back?’ 

Combining stunning design and a unique travelling flying machine with simple storytelling and a moving dance performance, Urban Astronaut searches for a solution to the environmental disaster which Highly Sprung believes is in our near future.

Award-winning international performance company, Markmark Productions will stage HMS Punafore, a hilarious musical comedy where the crew makes disastrous attempts to perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta.

Meet the Funnels by Artemis Productions is a comical interactive act featuring three chimneys which dance, toot their horns and play ‘follow the leader’.

When the time is right, the characters will surprise festival-goers by popping out like jack-in-the-boxes and invite people to join in with their games, fun and frivolity.

An amphibious pedalo has been cleverly adapted to take Reckless Invention characters, Mfanwy and Gfanwy, to places where normal pedalos cannot reach. 

Pedalo is a two person peddle-about with an oceanic theme where the comical characters will attempt to impress City Park visitors with their sporting prowess and dreadful stunts.

Comical seafaring clichés from Treasure Island to Moby Dick will be played played out in Lifeboat, by Derbyshire-based street arts organisation, Artizani.

Audiences will be asked to ‘batten down the hatches’ as the shipwrecked Captain and Boatswain’s mate relive their comical tales of life on the seven seas.

Giant child-friendly fowl, the Puddle Ducks by Cirq Delight, will investigate every situation in Bradford’s City Park by curiously pecking at people’s bags and coats whilst quacking their way out of tricky situations. 

Bradford’s master puppet makers, Cecil Green Arts, returns to City Park bringing some of their best larger than life paper mâché creations in the Big Welcome.

Internationally acclaimed theatre company Mind the Gap will perform the premier of Mirror Mirror, a thought-provoking collaborative piece developed with cutting-edge Liverpool theatre company The Kazimier.

Through ‘absurd performance’, technology and playful imitation, Mirror Mirror explores the experiences of people who are considered ‘different’ in today’s society and prompts the audience to ask themselves: who’s in front of the mirror?

Award-winning local interactive performance company, Same Difference, will stage, Sense-O-Matic which features a Victorian-inspired ‘fantastical object’ which ‘documents sights, sounds, smells and all other sensations’.

People will be encouraged to help Sense-O-Matic’s madcap lab-rats complete their ‘very important research’ and discover everyday details which are often overlooked.

Formerly known as the Bradford Playhouse, Fused Imagination will stage a light-hearted children’s show, Red Bill’s Air Race.

Budding ‘scientists, aviation experts and paper folding champions’ will work with larger-than-life engineers, ground crew and flight attendants to build, test-pilot and race paper planes around the festival.

Shipley-based arts company Q20 are set to show Elephant Gigante, an act which gives visitors the chance to experience ‘the majesty and serenity of the Serengeti’.

Moving through the crowds like cruise-liners through the mist, enormous, fully-animated puppets will ‘amaze and entrance’ visitors to the Bradford Festival.

The elephants will pause to meet people as they make their way to City Park’s ‘watering hole’ where they restore old friendships, tussle for dominance, groom each other and play.

Celebrated women’s street theatre company, Circo Rum Ba Ba, brings The Crow House, a silent movie-inspired show using acrobatics, silks trapeze artistry, hat juggling, musical saw and harp playing, puppetry, audience participation and slap-stick comedy.

One of Cardiff’s most exciting, original and eclectic companies and pioneers of all things retro, vintage and the wonderfully absurd, Kitsch & Sync Collective will stage, Bedraggled.

Three ‘bedraggled beauties’ are swept up on City Park’s ‘shores’, serenading shipwrecked sailors with their sublime, sultry sounds.

Audiences can expect ‘underwater warblings, mermaid mambo manoeuvres, fish maracas, octopus opera’ and much more!

Innovative British street theatre company, Acrojou will show, All at Sea, a theatrical installation set in a boat.

All at Sea combines melancholic humour, striking design  and visual poetry, in a moving and atmospheric ‘row-about installation’.

Bristol-based artistes, Cake Ladies, bring their flamboyant stilt-walking show by the same name.

With lashings of charisma and oozing with charm, the Cake Ladies are a saucy roaming tea party which dishes up sweet treats with a touch of glamour.

In 2016, the Bradford Festival attracted over 150,000 people into Bradford city centre.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Portfolio Holder for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “This year’s festival is packed with lots of colourful and entertaining things to see and do.

“The street theatre programme will be lots of fun with lots of opportunities to interact with the performers.

“Admission is free and everyone is welcome.”

For further information and updates, visit www.bradfordfestival.org.uk or follow Bradford Festival on Twitter: @BfdFestival and Facebook.

Summer Holiday Activities at Doe Park Water Activities Centre in Denholme

The Summer holidays are just around the corner and Doe Park Water Activities Centre in Denholme is just the place to take the kids!

Here at the Bradford Council Adventure Activities and Doe Park we specialise in outdoor activities. The outdoors provides an exhilarating place to learn new skills, make new friends, build confidence and have FUN!

Kids enjoying the High Ropes at Doe Park!

For children nine years and above, why not start the Adventure with a mix of land based activities, make a Splash with a Water Adventure or get the best of both with a Multi Adventure.

For those wanting to scale new heights have a day of High Ropes Adventure and not to forget the younger ones (5yrs-8yrs) why not try our Mini Adventure.

We have one day, two day and full week courses running during the Summer holidays.

You can book online at www.bradford.gov.uk/adventure or call us for more information on 01274 435497 quoting reference: Bradford Parents on the Go Blog

Follow Doe Park on Twitter: @DoeParkWAC ‏

Bush Craft Camp at Doe Park

World Boxing Council Boxer, Fes Batista visits Russell Hall Primary School to promote his fight against bullying

Fes Batista visited the school during the weekly celebration assembly to talk to the children about anti-bullying. Batista is an anti-bullying activist who trains and lives in the United States of America.

The young boxer who was born in Huddersfield moved his career to the states and begun making a splash in the world of boxing. Batista, when not training, spends the rest of his time working and promoting the World Boxing Council’s Anti-Bullying programme.

Batista is no stranger to Russell Hall Primary as he has visited the school before to speak on the issue of bullying. He told the children boxing turned his life around after he had experienced being bullied when he was young.

The assembly included an anti-bullying song that was sung by three of Russell Hall’s students. Fes Batista then ended the assembly by donating his famous shades.

Deputy Headteacher, Heidi Higgs said:

“It was great to have Fes Batista come and talk to the children about bullying.

“Fes has worked with the school for several years and has helped to ensure that the anti-bullying culture remains high profile at Russell Hall.” 

Follow Russell Hall Primary on Twitter: @russellhallps

Come and join us at the BBC Music Day

Bradford is again gearing up to play its part in the third BBC Music Day, which will be held in City Park on Thursday 15 June.

Bradford is one of a handful of cities taking part in this nationwide celebration which aims to bring people together across generations and communities through their love of music.

Hundreds of pupils from across the district will play their part in the Music Day whilst also taking part in a Guinness World Record attempt involving over 800 pupils who will try and break the world record for the number of people taking part in a Bamboo Tamboo*. The current record is 661 people, and we currently have 800 + pupils signed up.

Entertainment will be provided by Bradley Johnson from Bradford. Bradley was a contestant on the BBC’s Let It Shine programme. He will be performing at lunchtime and then again before the event closes.

The primary-aged pupils will be taking part in workshops throughout the day but secondary pupils will perform for the crowds from 3.45pm onwards.

Tony Johnson, Bradford Council’s Head of Music & Arts, said: “This is a great event for the City and the district. We are delighted that the Third BBC Music Day will be held in our wonderful City Park.

“This is a great opportunity for the hundreds of young people to be involved and the entertainment and performances continue up until 8pm. It will also be a real boost for the pupils and the district if we can beat the Guinness World Record attempt.”

Michael Jameson, Bradford Council’s Strategic Director for Children’s Services, said: “This is an excellent event and we are thrilled Bradford is taking part again. The inaugural Music Day was held in Bradford in 2015.

“We have already had the #LoveBradford Guinness World Record success in City Park so for so many children to be involved in a further attempt is very exciting. We have so many talented pupils and it is good for so many of them to be involved in this event.”

Event timings:  The event starts at 10.00am and finishes at 8.00pm.

Students from Bradford Music Centre Rock School perform at BBC Music Day 2016

@bbcmusic  

@BradfordMusic1

Just two weeks left to see Splendours of the Subcontinent

There are just two weeks left to see Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince’s Tour of India 1875-6 exhibition in the north of England before it moves on to Leicester.

The free exhibition, which contains Indian works of art from the Royal Collection, tells the story of the grand tour of the Indian Subcontinent made by the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) in 1875-6.

The exhibition has been developed in collaboration with Bradford Council’s Museums and Galleries Service and Royal Collection Trust, and runs at Cartwright Hall in Bradford until 18 June.

Since opening in March Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince’s Tour of India 1875-6 has proved extremely popular, with a well over 18,000 visitors enjoying the special exhibition to date.

Maggie Pedley, Bradford Council’s Libraries, Museums and Galleries Manager, said: “This exhibition has been so successful. We have had over 18,000 people from all over the country coming to see the amazing objects so far.

“As there are only two weeks left for people to see Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince’s Tour of India 1875–6 in Bradford, I would encourage people to hurry up and not miss out.”

In October 1875, the Prince of Wales set off on a four-month tour, visiting over 21 localities which today encompass India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal.

He travelled nearly 7,600 miles by land and 2,300 miles by sea and met over 90 rulers of the different regions he visited. His visit sought to establish personal links with the local rulers and strengthen ties between the subcontinent and the British Crown prior to the declaration of his mother, Queen Victoria, as the Empress of India.

Over 70 exquisite works of art that were presented to the Prince as part of the traditional exchange of gifts will be on display at the exhibition alongside watercolours, photographs and items from the Council’s own collection of South Asian metalwork.

A beautifully illustrated full colour catalogue accompanies the exhibition for £15.95 whilst stocks last.

Cartwright Hall is open 10am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 11am to 4pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays. For further information and bookings contact Cartwright Hall Art Gallery 01274 431212 email cartwright.hall@bradford.gov.uk or visit www.bradfordmuseums.org.