Consultation launched over increasing pupil numbers at Carlton Bolling College

Bradford Council is consulting on proposals to increase the number of pupils aged between 11 and 16 at Carlton Bolling College and to close the school’s sixth form. If the plans are approved the school would take on an extra 60 children in year seven each year, increasing its pupil admission number to 300 to provide much needed extra places for 11 to 16-year-olds in the area. The proposal also includes plans to close Carlton Bolling College’s sixth form from 2019. A review carried out by the Department for Education on sixth form provision proposed the launch of new tech level qualifications which are equivalent to A-levels. It is expected that schools will need additional resources to deliver these new courses. Carlton Bolling College is requesting permission to close their sixth form as it is thought it would be difficult for the school to provide this new range of technical qualifications in future. Bradford Council has also commissioned a review of post-16 education which found that the district would be better served by the creation of a small number of large sixth form colleges and a reduction in the number of small school sixth forms. The council believes this model would be more financially sustainable and able to provide a wider range of courses for young people in the district. The Education, Skills and Funding Agency has already approved the opening of two sixth form colleges in Bradford for 2019 which will provide 2,000 places. The consultation for the proposed changes at Carlton Bolling College is underway and runs until October 20. A full analysis will be carried out and a report with recommendations will be made to the Council’s executive in December 2017. If the proposals are approved the sixth form would close in 2019. Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills said: “We are committed to ensuring we provide enough school places across the district. Carlton Bolling College is an improving school which has just moved into its new building. Allowing it to expand its intake will help to ensure we can meet the demand for places in Bradford East. “We are confident that moving towards a system where Bradford is served by a small number of large sixth form colleges will improve the results and life chances of our young people and will be a positive step for the district.” Online responses can be made on the consultation section of Bradford Council’s website: (https://www.bradford.gov.uk/consultations/current-consultations/consultation-and-engagement/ ) under current consultations. People can also take part in the consultation by email  to: educationconsultation@bradford.gov.uk quoting changes to Carlton Bolling College. Ends.

Children’s Year of Safety campaign to launch in Braithwaite and Guardhouse

The Children’s Year of Safety, an innovative child safety campaign, is set to launch in Keighley’s Guardhouse and Braithwaite neighbourhoods . The launch will take place at the Braithwaite and Guardhouse Gala which runs from 11 am – 2pm on Saturday, September 16 at Merlin Top Academy. Schools, organisations, residents and children are being asked to commit to six simple steps that will reduce risks of all kinds for children and help them get off to the best start in life and fulfil their potential as they grow. The campaign’s pioneering Six Steps to Safety will be covered in schools each half-term and will be mirrored by activities in the wider community. The first step, and the focus for the first two months of the campaign is: Children need to come to school every day, and on time. This will be followed each half term by the other five steps: 11 or under ? Be home by 8 pm for a good night’s sleep Be safe online – stay up to date with what you need to know Worried about a child ? – speak out, stay safe Alert today, alive tomorrow – safety around roads and cars Play safe in the holidays Staff from the primary schools serving the area have worked together with Bradford Council officers and councillors, police, churches and voluntary organisations to develop the campaign. Year 5 pupil Tiannie Jessop, from Our Lady of Victories Primary School, won a competition to design the campaign’s logo which will be used throughout the campaign. As part of her prize she met the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Cllr Abid Hussain, who will attend the campaign launch at the Gala. John Devlin, headteacher at Our Lady of Victories Catholic Primary School, said: “Children’s safety is a top priority for us so the Year of Safety is a very exciting project. We live in a wonderful community, and by everyone working together I am confident that we can make Braithwaite and Guardhouse a really safe area for all of our children.” Cllr Val Slater, portfolio holder for health and wellbeing, said: “Safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility. It’s great to see this initiative bringing parents, schools and community organisations together to help deliver an innovative campaign to keep children safe.”

Easier Access Event postponed

An event planned this week in City Park has been postponed due to severe weather warnings.

The 10th anniversary Easier Access event, organised by Bradford Council’s Disability Partnerships and supported by Sovereign Health Care, was due to be held on Wednesday 13 September.

But severe weather warnings of high winds have forced organisers to postpone it. They are hoping to reschedule the event to Tuesday, 3 October.

The annual event raises awareness of disability issues. It is aimed at carers, voluntary and statutory organisations and their employees, local businesses and the general public.

This year’s event will feature inclusive sports and activities, live bands, short films on the Big Screen, a climbing wall and stalls around City Park with information and advice. Over 70 different local organisations are contributing to this well loved, inclusive and valued event.

Coun Dale Smith, Co-Chair of the Strategic Disability Partnership, said: “This is not a decision we have taken likely, but it is something we have had to do on safety grounds. We look forward to holding this popular event at a later date.”

Bradford Opportunity Area is launched to boost social mobility

A programme to boost social mobility for young people across the district has been launched as Bradford became an Opportunity Area. Bradford has been selected by the Department for Education as one of 12 areas nationally to receive extra funding to improve the life chances of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. A local partnership, including Bradford Council, will work to ensure that young people are equipped with the qualifications and skills they need to fulfill their potential. The focus of the programme will be to ensure children and young people in every area can access high quality education and opportunities at every stage. This work will involve a partnership between central Government, Bradford Council and other stakeholders and communities across the district. This will include schools, academy sponsors, local and national businesses, Local Enterprise Partnerships, further education colleges, universities, the voluntary sector and more, including government backed organisations such as the Careers and Enterprise Company and National Citizen Service. As part of the Opportunity Areas Programme, an Education Endowment Foundation research school has been established in Bradford to find the best ways of raising standards and improving education in the district. This will be run by Dixons Academies who will gather and share evidence of best practice on social mobility to help Bradford teachers tackle this issue in their schools. Bradford will receive a share of an extra £72 million in total which is being invested in 12 opportunity areas over the next three financial years: 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-2020. Bradford Council leader Coun Susan Hinchcliffe said: “Giving the young people of Bradford, regardless of their background, the best possible start in life is a top priority to me, the Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.  As the youngest city in the UK, Bradford has the potential to produce our region’s next generation of productive, highly skilled people, who will drive forward the growth of tomorrow. “The Bradford Opportunity Area offer we are launching will help us to unlock that amazing potential and support our children need to achieve. By providing vital skills development we will ultimately enable young people to find fulfilling, good quality employment. “We are delighted that the Department for Education and the Careers and Enterprise Company have recognised the strength of opportunity here in Bradford. Through this initiative, and the work we’re already doing as a Council and as a Combined Authority, I’m confident that we can make Bradford and the wider City Region a place where every young person can have a good education, a good job and a good quality of life.” Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills said: “The launch of Bradford as one of the country’s Opportunity Areas is great news for the district. “The focus of this work will help us to achieve our ambition for all our young people to have the best start in life, access a good education and achieve the qualifications they need to ensure they and the district can have a bright future.” The 12 Opportunity Areas are Bradford, Blackpool, Derby, Norwich, Oldham, Scarborough, West Somerset; Doncaster, Fenland and East Cambridgeshire, Hastings, Ipswich and Stoke-on-Trent.

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 .

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.”

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 Slater, Executive Member for Health & Wellbeing, 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. Photo attached: Award winners – Evelyn and Raymond Smith, Mary Lister and Mark Smith pictured with the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Coun Abid Hussain.

Get active this summer!

Bradford Council is offering new BASE camps led by the  sport and culture service as a great way to keep the youngsters occupied and active this summer. The programme will provide a wide range of sports including tennis, volleyball, dodge ball and dance; along with the more traditional sports such as football, cricket, basketball and athletics. New to the programme this year is a football training camp offered for boys and girls aged 8-14 and will take place on the synthetic pitch at Zara Sports Centre. The price is the same as the other BASE camps. Participants will need to bring their own suitable kit with trainers, a packed lunch and drinks. The sessions will last from 9.00am-3.30pm. The base camps for five to 13 year-olds are scheduled as follows: Monday, 24 July – Friday, 28 July – Richard Dunn Sports Centre Monday, 31 July – Friday, 4 August – Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Odsal Monday, 7th August – Friday, 11 August – Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Odsal Monday, 21 August – Friday, 25 August – Zara Sports Centre, Heaton Football Camp Scheduled as follows: Monday, 14 August – Friday, 18 August – Zara Sports Centre, Heaton Dance camps are scheduled as follows: Monday, 24 July to Friday, 28 July (13 – 18 years) – Richard Dunn Sports Centre, Odsal Monday, 31 July – Friday, 4 August (5 to 13) – Zara Sports Centre, Heaton Monday, 7 August to Friday, 11 August (5 to 13) – Zara Sports Centre, Heaton. Monday, 14 August to Friday, 18 August (5 to 13) – Zara Sports Centre, Heaton Parents can book their children to attend the full four or five day camps or for single days. Day sessions are priced at £14 per child or £11 for Bradford Leisure cardholders (formerly passport to leisure holders). The full weeks cost £57 or £43 for each additional child Bradford Leisure cardholders. The dance camps, which run from 10am – 3pm, cost £50 per person for the week or £38 for each additional child and for Bradford Leisure cardholders. Day sessions are priced at £12 per child or £9 for Bradford Leisure cardholders. Dance for Life will be teaching breakdance, musical theatre and street dance, all leading up to a final performance at the end of the session. Coun Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Sport and Culture, said: “Our Base camps are a great way for youngsters to try new sports, improve their skills and make new friends in a safe and enjoyable environment. I’m sure they will have lots of fun.” Places are limited so booking is essential. To do so please book online at www.bradford.gov.uk/sport or for more information call  the Community Sports and Activities Development Unit on 01274 522750 or email sportsunit@bradford.gov.uk Football Base Camps 2017

Free Family Fun and Learning this weekend

Enjoy some hands-on science in City Park’s Mirror Pool this weekend at the National Science and Media Museum‘s Water Lab, which is just one of the events at this weekend’s Bradford Science Festival.

• What are the kinetic properties of water?
• Can you balance balls on fountains?
• Do you know what a Gurgle Splosher is?

Take your shoes and socks off, get into the Mirror Pool and get involved with our interactive water-based activities. Don’t forget your towel!

11am – 5pm, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 July. FREE.

https://www.scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/whats-on/water-lab

For details of other events taking place please visit the National Science and Media Museum Facebook page @nationalscienceandmediamuseum

 

 

Bradford pupils get the chance to quiz a Star Wars star

Pupils at a Bradford primary school got the chance to carry out their own exclusive interview with a movie star as Riz Ahmed took part in a question and answer session with them on Skype.

The event has been organised by Beckfoot Heaton Primary School to introduce inspiring role models to the children and get them to think about their own futures.

The Star Wars star gave an inspirational speech to pupils telling them to always believe in themselves and pursue their goals before he answered their questions about his life as an actor and a musician and his plans for the future.

Ahmed is a real rising star in the acting world having played one of the leading roles, Bohdi Rook,  in the most recent Star Wars movie, Rogue One. He also starred in Nightcrawler and HBO’s The Night Of TV series.  He is a rapper performing under the name Riz MC and appeared on TIME magazine’s The Most Influential People of 2017 list.

The chance to talk to a film star face-to-face was organised through a teacher at the school, Khola Mir.

She said: “Part of our school ethos is to aspire to greatness. We really encourage our children to be the best versions of themselves and to have the courage to dream big. Riz is a fantastic role model and has helped to show our children that if you dare to dream and work hard success will be yours.”

Pupils asked Ahmed about what it was like being in a Star Wars film, how he coped with fame and how he overcame challenges.

He told pupils that the biggest obstacle they will face is what they tell themselves. He encouraged the children to believe in their ability to succeed. He was also asked whether he knew what his next step in life would be.

He replied: “I feel like so far I have been working on other people’s projects and acting in other people’s films. I really hope my next step will be to make my own films and tell my own stories and actually one of the stories I want to tell is set here in Bradford.”

He told pupils that if any of them pursued a career in films they might one day work together.

Beckfoot Heaton Primary School Headteacher Zoe Mawson added: “This was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils. We want our children to know they can be great learners, great citizens and have a great future.

“But we also know that some children in our area face many challenges in making this a reality.  Many don’t have high aspirations and struggle to envisage what they could achieve in their life.

“We’re aiming to tackle these issues. We want the children to have a real sense of belonging, which builds their confidence and encourages them to aspire for greatness.  The hope is that Riz is someone that a lot of our children can identify with and begin to realise that success is not out of reach. We would like to thank Riz for showing our children that their future is in their hands.”