Thackley Primary School’s ‘Save a Heart Day’ campaign welcomes installation of lifesaving Defibrillator

Thackley Primary School has welcomed the arrival of a new life-saving piece of equipment.

Staff at the school received training to use the automated external defibrillator from Yorkshire Ambulance Service last week.

Head of School, Annette Patterson said:

“We are delighted to launch our school and local community defibrillator. This was paid for through our ‘Save a Heart Day’ fundraising event organised and led by the school.

“We recognised the importance of having a defibrillator in school and were driven to succeed in raising enough money to make it happen. We are thrilled and incredibly proud of our achievements.”

The school was also assisted by donations from the local community and businesses and was keen to get a defibrillator on their premises as they understand how important it is to provide early defibrillation when a person suffers a cardiac arrest.

The defibrillator works to restore the heart rhythm if a person goes into cardiac arrest and the earlier a defibrillator is used the better the chance of survival.

Michael Jameson, Bradford Council’s Strategic Director for Children’s Services said:

“Congratulations to both the staff and pupils and parents and carers at Thackley Primary School who helped to organise and raise funds for this wonderful, life-saving Defibrillator.”

“Not only will the school benefit from having a defibrillator, but also people in the local community and we hope it will save lives.”

Using Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) alone provides a five per cent chance of survival but early use of the defibrillator as well increases the chance of survival to over 50 per cent.

The machine could provide lifesaving care for people throughout Thackley and Idle.

Pictured: Headteacher, Trevor Patterson, Head of School, Annette Patterson, Teacher, Kate Bainbridge and Linda Milsom from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Follow Thackley Primary School on Twitter: @ThackleyPrimary

Exotic animals come to libraries this summer

Children have the chance to see and handle exotic animals as part of this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. There will be 22 Zoo Lab workshops throughout the summer break in libraries across the district. Children can get up close and personal with a range of exotic  animals. The sessions are aimed at four to 12-year-olds and need to be booked in advance. Children are also required to be registered on to the Summer Reading Challenge. This is one of a full programme of events organised for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, an annual initiative, run by Bradford Council’s Library Service, in July and August. This year’s theme is Animal Agents. The challenge is a national libraries initiative, delivered by libraries in partnership with the Reading Agency. It aims to encourage children to continue to read throughout the summer holiday. Research has shown that it improves children’s enjoyment of reading, confidence and motivation and helps prevent a dip in their literacy skills after the summer break. All children taking part will receive a wallet and stickers. There are also bookmarks, fortune tellers, key rings and wristbands to collect. Every child who reads six books will receive a certificate and medal featuring  the  artwork of Tony Ross. Zoo Lab sessions are being held at the following libraries and times: Monday 31 July – Monday 21 August 2017 Library Date Time       Burley Monday 31 July 11am – 12noon Allerton Monday 31 July 2.30pm – 3.30pm Bingley Tuesday 1 August 11am – 12noon Silsden Tuesday 1 August 2pm – 3pm Thornton Wednesday 2 August 11am – 12 noon Clayton Thursday 3 August 11am – 12noon Bolling Hall Thursday 3 August 2pm – 3pm Manningham Friday 4 August 11.30am – 12.30pm       Holmewood Monday 7 August 2pm – 3pm Keighley Wednesday 9 August 2pm – 3pm   Laisterdyke Thursday 10August 2.30pm – 3.30pm Wyke Friday 11 August 11am – 12noon Thornbury Friday 11 August 2.30pm – 3.30pm Wibsey Monday 14 August 11am – 12noon Idle Monday 14 August 2pm – 3pm Eccleshill Tuesday 15August 2.30pm – 3.30pm Shipley Wednesday 16 August 11am – 12noon City Wednesday 16 August 2pm – 3pm Ilkley Thursday 17 August 11am – 12noon Wrose Thursday 17 August 2.30pm – 3.30pm Denholme Friday 18 August 11am – 12noon Baildon Monday 21 August 2pm – 3pm .

Pupils learn safety message

Children at Dixon’s Marchbank Academy learned about the dangers of going onto building sites and into buildings to play.

Reshape Construction, a company involved in building social housing for Bradford Council recently visited the school to pass on information to the children about the dangers which construction sites pose, especially as the school holidays are now beginning and children have much more free time.

#educationcov

Partnership is the secret to success for group of inner-city Bradford schools

A partnership of neighbouring Bradford schools say joining forces is helping to drive up standards for the thousands of pupils across their postcode area. The BD3 Achievement 4 All consists of ten primary schools, a special school, a secondary school and two children’s centres.All of the primary schools which have been inspected by Ofsted in the group have now been rated as being good .And the school leaders in the partnership say they are committed to driving further improvements with a major focus on improving pupils’ reading in key stage two as they reach the end of primary school. The BD3 schools work together on a range of areas including reading, science, moderating each other’s marking and work, supporting newly qualified teachers and developing early years teaching. For the past two years the partnership has been chaired by former Bradford headteacher Sara Rawnsley. She said: “There is a deep commitment to work together for the benefit of everyone in the partnership. “There are academies and council maintained schools, we have children’s centres, primaries, a special school and a secondary but everyone is open to working together and sharing what we do to drive improvement.” The schools in BD3 Achievement 4 All are Peel Park Primary, Westminster CE Primary, Barkerend Primary, Byron Primary, Lapage Primary, Dixons Marchbank Primary, Killinghall Primary, Thornbury Primary, St Mary’s and St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary, Feversham Primary, Delius Special School, Carlton Bolling College, Barkerend Children’s Centre and Mortimer House Children’s Centre.Peel Park Primary School, in Undercliffe, is one of the latest schools in the area to celebrate Ofsted success after it moved from Requires Improvement to Good in the inspection report published in May which praises all areas of its work.Byron Primary and Dixons Marchbank Primary also enjoyed success with good Ofsted reports this year while  Lapage Primary, St Mary’s & St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary, Feversham Primary and Delius Special School are all rated as good as well. Peel Park Headteacher Lloyd Mason Edwards said: “BD3 schools have worked in partnership for a long time but in recent years there has been a real focus on improving teaching and learning and improving attainment. “There is a shared ethos across our schools and everyone is open to sharing what we do. I do think a lot of our success is down to the partnership. It has helped to improve our teaching and learning. We work together in lots of different areas. “We have worked on professional development of our staff, special educational needs teaching and working on support for pupils who are new to English.”Gill Edge, the headteacher at Killinghall Primary School said another benefit of the partnership had been the way in which it allowed schools to to support new teachers starting their careers. “Sara Rawnsley who chairs the partnership has developed school courses for newly qualified teachers and recently qualified teachers to support them in their first years in the job. This makes a real difference for the schools as it has meant we are retaining more of the teachers who start their careers in BD3. Retaining and developing teachers allows schools to develop a stable and established workforce which makes a real difference for us.” Mrs Rawnsley added: “The courses provide mentoring and support to teachers starting their careers and it helps to improve their resilience and their ability to develop their practice. The partnership has meant that each year NQTs are part of a network of teachers who are starting together across BD3 schools. They are not on their own and feel a part of something bigger. “By coming together with a shared focus for raising standards all of the schools and settings in our BD3 partnership are having a real impact on the lives of our young people.” Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills said: “This shows what can be achieved when schools work in partnership. We know that across the Bradford district our school staff share the same passion and commitment to achieving the best outcomes for our young people. “The BD3 Achievement 4 All partnership shows what can be achieved and as both executive member for education and as a local ward councillor I look forward to their future successes.”

Free event – Cliffe Castle Garden Party

The will be free fun and frolics for all at Cliffe Castle park and Museum Garden Party on Sunday (July 30). The whole event will be buzzin’ with carnival rides, music, dancing and the Airedale Beekeepers observational bee hive. The event, organised by Bradford Council, the Cliffe Castle Park Conservation Group and Bluefruit Promotions will include take-away high tea and garden advice. It starts at 12noon and lasts until 6pm. Parking will be limited and visitors are asked to use public transport or town centre car parks. The £4.5 million on-going restoration of Keighley’s Cliffe Castle park, has been supported thanks to National Lottery players. The restoration of the park’s Victorian features first began in June 2016 when Bradford Council successfully bid £3.5 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Parks for People programme. Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “We hope lots of people will come and have a great time at the museum and park. “Visitors can get an exciting look at how the work is going so far with work on lots of Victorian features already completed. “Cliffe Castle has been one of the district’s favourite destinations since it became a public park and museum more than 50 years ago. The HLF project will ensure it continues to be a delight for the coming years.”

Bradford SEND Conference is hailed a success

A major education conference held in Bradford focused on serving the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND) has been hailed as a big success.

More than 600 representatives from schools across the district attended the event, which was organised by Bradford Council.

The audience at Bradford City’s Northern Commercial Stadium at Valley Parade heard keynote speeches from a panel of experts from the sector.

The “Putting Children at the Centre” – Bradford SEND conference 2017 also allowed the council to set out its vision for the district where Bradford moves towards a sector-led self improving model of SEND provision where best practice is shared between schools.

The event was aimed at headteachers, SENCOs (special educational needs co-ordinators) and SEND governors of all schools in the district, parents, partner agencies as well as staff from the further education sector.

Welcoming delegates to the event Bradford Council’s Strategic Director for  Children’s Services Michael Jameson said he believed that working together schools, the local authority and parents all had the expertise to provide the best possible support and education for pupils with SEND.

Bradford Council has well-developed relationships with schools and believes that continued collaboration will help transform the way in which specialist provision and support for SEND pupils is delivered.

The audience then heard from three top national speakers in SEND education.

Jane Friswell, a former chief executive of the Nasen (National Association of Special Educational Needs) charity and director of SEND Consultancy, focused on why “Good practice for students with SEND is good practice for all.” 

She told the conference that she was very impressed with the “quality of ambition” she had seen from Bradford for SEND provision.

Jean Gross CBE spoke about how to support learners with SEND through quality first teaching and Simon Knight, from the London Leadership, talked about School Based SEND Review, a nationally recognised review tool for evaluating how well a school is meeting the needs of SEND children which is being rolled out across the Bradford District next term.

The event also included a market place which allowed the council to promote the additional services that are available to support pupils with SEND in schools.

Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills said: “We are delighted with how this conference went. We have received so much positive feedback both from our schools and from the expert speakers who were kind enough to share their experience with us.

“Colleagues have told us that they were inspired by the speakers and that the event was a good opportunity to refresh their knowledge and learn new things. It gave people the chance to pick up on strategies to use in the classroom and the chance to network and share ideas with other colleagues.

“Bradford has a growing population and we know that there is a growing need for more specialist places in our schools. But what the conference shows is that there is a shared commitment from the council and schools to ensure that across the district the needs of these pupils can be met.”

St Matthew’s CE Primary pupils get taste of what the college has to offer

Year 6 pupils from St Matthew’s CE Primary, Bradford, were given a real taste of what’s on offer at Bradford College when they visited the campus.

Some 60 Year 6 pupils, 30 on each day, were given an extensive tour of the College on Thursday and Friday 13 and 14 July. They met with students who they had previously spent time with at school in November, 2016 and February this year. Known as College Ambassadors, they helped the pupils gain insights into a range a courses and careers, and into the general life of post-school study.

The pupils saw the engineering and technical workshops, science labs and library. From the top floor of the main building, they were able to see the Bradford cityscape. The day ended in a media studio where groups of pupils made a talk show video. They took on the roles of either hosts, guests, camera operators, sound engineers or directors. They are looking forward to seeing the short films.

Included in the tour was a visit to a hair salon, a boxing gym, and a statue of Sir Edward Appleton, who won a Nobel Prize for Physics in 1947 while working at the former Bradford Technical College, which later became Bradford College.

Last November students from the College answered questions from pupils about life as a student as part of a Year 6 Careers Week. The event was organised to encourage the pupils to have high aspirations and consider further and higher education once they leave secondary school.

A second session, called Your Future and Higher Education, was held at the school in February. It gave pupils an insight into studying Higher education and the students answered frequently asked questions about courses, entry requirements and the costs involved

The events were part of Bradford College’s Get Involved scheme which runs the College’s Further and Higher Education Progression Packages.

Picture shows pupil Aaqib Zaman on camera.

Summer Holiday Minecraft Meets

Are you looking for a fun activity to keep your primary age pupils entertained during the Summer holidays?

The Curriculum Innovation team are running two exciting activities over two weeks this Summer at The Innovation Centre, in Bradford.

The sessions are aimed at 6 to 11 year olds and are £9.50 per child.

 

Week 1 – 26th & 27th July

The first activity is a journey into the Toy Story world where you will embark on a quest with Buzz and Woody. In the second you will fight waves of mobs to win emeralds in an epic dungeon quest.

Visit: tinyurl.com/MMBfdSumW1 to book your place

 

Week 2 – 31st July & 1st Aug

First you will discover what its like to be a mouse in an exciting chase the cheese adventure. The choice of 4 worlds awaits you in the second quest – will you decide on creative, crafting, redstone or robot.

Visit: tinyurl.com/MMBfdSumW2 to book your place

Graduation party for nursery children

Children from Acorns Nursery in Eldwick, who will be leaving to begin school in September, are having a graduation party where the guest of honour will be Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Abid Hussain. The private day nursery has arranged the party so that the children can celebrate their time at the nursery with their families and the staff before moving on to school. The children will wear traditional graduation caps and gowns and will receive certificates marking their achievements at the nursery, at the ceremony on Tuesday 18 July. There will be a balloon release before they tuck in to a party lunch with their special guest. One lucky child will also be made Mini Lord Mayor for the day and get to wear the city’s scaled-down Lord Mayoral robes,hat and chain of office. Sophie Graham, Nursery Manager, said: “We look forward to this day every year as it gives the nursery and the parents a chance to celebrate the achievements made by all of the children at our pre-school. We are tremendously proud of the strong, resilient, independent and happy children they have become and we wish each and every one of them, the very best for the future as they start their new chapter at school.”

Congratulations to the winners of the Foster Carer Awards 2017

Bradford foster carers have been recognised and awarded for the selfless work they do looking after some of the city’s most vulnerable children, at a special awards ceremony organised by Bradford Council.

The awards are the Fostering Service’s opportunity to thank its carers and celebrate their achievements in supporting Bradford’s most vulnerable children. The ceremony was held on Monday 10 July 2017 in City Hall and celebrated the long service, commitment and dedication of Bradford’s foster carers.

Three inspirational fostering families in Bradford were also celebrated as exceptional carers at the Awards ceremony, alongside recognition and commendation of all the fostering families who have achieved long service milestones of between 10 and 35 years.

Cllr Val Smith said:

“Bradford’s foster carers dedication and commitment to the most vulnerable children in our city is amazing. It has been humbling and very moving to hear all their wonderful stories of love and care. It was fantastic to see them receive their awards from the Lord Mayor and to share this special moment with them.”

Michael Jameson, Strategic Director Children’s Services opened the ceremony with a speech about the importance of the work that carers do in keeping making a fantastic difference to  our children’s lives.

Jim Hopkinson, Deputy Director Children’s Services, announced each carer receiving a long service award. The Lord Mayor, Cllr Abid Hussain, presented each carer with a certificate of appreciation. Carers who had reached 15 years or more also received a bouquet of flowers and those carers who had achieved 20, 25, 30 and 35 years also received an engraved crystal award in recognition of their long service.

For the new Exceptional Carer Award, social workers in the fostering service were asked to nominate carers who had shown exceptional service over the past year – 21 carers were put forward, which reflects the scale of the number of Bradford’s foster carers who will go above and beyond what is required of them to support and care for a child in need.

The winners and runners up of the Exceptional Carer of the Year Award were selected by a panel made up of the fostering team managers.

Gareth Flemyng, Fostering Service Manager for Bradford Council, invited the three nominees’ champions to explain to the audience of foster carers, social workers, and senior Children’s Services staff, why their carers had been nominated. All three nominees were presented with awards and certificates in recognition of the service they had provided.

The winning foster carers for Exceptional Carer Award of 2017 were:

Evelyn and Raymond Harrison – Mainstream Foster Carers

Evelyn and Raymond’s commitment and dedication to Natty throughout his short life was exceptional. Natty came to them when he was 9 weeks old and he was 12 years old when he passed away. From the very beginning of his life with them, Evelyn and Raymond fully embraced his complexities and loved him like he was their own son. Their whole family life orbited around Natty and his needs.

Natty was born with drugs in his bloodstream and he struggled with a wide range of disabilities and complex health needs due to his mother’s drug addictions during her pregnancy and his difficult birth. These had profound effects on Natty for his whole life – he had significant global developmental delay, severe irritability, microcephaly, severe birth asphyxia and neonatal abstinence syndrome. He was gastrostomy fed and had an ileostomy.

Little Natty was always uncomfortable laying down and would have frequent epileptic fits, which would twist his little body in to painful shapes, so Evelyn spent a lot of his life holding him and carrying him in her arms to give him the comfort and support he needed.

Caring for Natty on a day-to-day basis would have been a huge challenge for any carer, yet throughout the 12 years of his life, Evelyn and Raymond were constant in their commitment and love for him and are slowly coming to terms with his death. They are sensitive and compassionate people who gave Natty an exceptionally good life.

The runners up were:

Mark Smith – Support Care

Mark was nominated because of the support and dedication he has shown since 2015 to a teenage boy. The young man has been through several massive upheavals in his personal life but Mark has remained steadfast providing a trusting, supportive relationship and a safe space for the teenager to be himself and have time away from his stressful home environment and the uncertainties surrounding his future.

As a support carer, Mark provides planned short respite breaks for children after school and a couple of overnight stays over the weekends twice a month, but during this young man’s most stressful period of life when he had nowhere to stay, Mark offered for him to come and stay full time until a permanent home could be found. Mark continues to provide a respite placement for the child and remains the only consistent male role model in his life.

Mary Thompson Lister – Connected Person (Family & Friends Carer)

Mary was nominated for her devotion and commitment to providing a loving and stable family home for her grandchildren. Mary currently looks after her two youngest grandchildren, but she also cared for their older brother and sister, who are now adults. The two younger children have complex needs including ADHD and FASD, along with autistic traits so, through no fault of their own, can be a handful to care for and are constantly on the go from the moment they wake until they fall asleep at night.

Mary has attended lots of training over the years to help her better understand and meet the children’s needs. She is also an outstanding advocate for the children at their school, working with the school to make sure their individual needs are met. She has engaged the children in their wider community and has helped them become involved in the local Royal Legion. Mary has helped the children experience the wider world by taking them on holidays both home and abroad – they are regular visitors at Butlins and have their own red coats.