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.

Free arts and entertainment to be held in city centre

A series of free events is coming to Bradford city centre this spring, including parades, talent shows and live entertainment.

The Creative Streets programme features colourful costumed parades, a quirky talent quest, an innovative indoor ‘art and performance park’ and an entertaining and interactive treasure hunt.

Bradford city centre will come alive with Bhangra, Bollywood and African drumming dance acts, cycling activities and a range of creative costume-making workshops.

Bradford’s cutting edge arts company, The Brick Box, will stage a follow-up production of their highly successful, Wild Woods ‘indoor woodland’ and performance space.

The Wild Woods in Bloom will put the spring back into Darley St and celebrate the new season with colourful and interactive installations, live performances from a host of exciting local talent, amazing workshops, family fun and games, and delicious food.

Local master mask and puppet makers, Cecil Green Arts whose workshop was destroyed in the Drummond Mill fire, will run a flamboyant Puppet Parade featuring huge colourful papier mâché pieces created by local people at special workshops.

The vibrant Puppet Parade will celebrate everything about Bradford and be accompanied by local musicians from Punjabi Roots Academy and Moseke Music.

There will be opportunities for budding cyclists to take part in Spring Flower and Shamrock Cycle Parades, and special workshops will be held to help people make costumes and decorate their bikes.

There will be chances for people to try out a range of ingenious and innovative adaptive bikes designed to cater for all ages and abilities and compete in various Tour de Yorkshire inspired activities at Bradford Capital of Cycling.

Shipley-based arts company, Q20, is teaching local school children costume design and construction, and street theatre skills so they can perform at a colourful Pirate Parade, complete with a mobile galleon.

Hundreds of young recruits will join local artists, John and Charlotte Lambert and Scott Vipond-Clarke, to rampage through Bradford city centre’s streets showing off their newly acquired buccaneering skills at a Pirate Parade.

The Pirate Pirade finishes with a swashbuckling picnic at Oaster Square.

Q20 will also stage a quirky talent quest, Top of Town’s Got Talent on 1 April.

Local people are being encouraged to ‘make an April fool of themselves’ by showcasing their special talents which could include anything from acrobatics, poetry, plate spinning, clog dancing to ear wiggling.

The fun continues with the April Fools’ Wacky Cycle Challenges where families can try out a range of unusual bicycles including reverse bikes which go backwards when you pedal forwards, tiny ‘monkey bikes’, tall ‘over-sized’ and companion bikes.

People can also try hand-cranked and recumbent cycle challenges.

Families will enjoy an interactive and dramatized treasure hunt where they will meet some larger than life characters, performed by Bradford Adept artists, Shanaz Gulzar and Steve Manthorp.

Participants of the In for a Penny Treasure Hunt will solve a series of clues to win a specially minted ‘Yorkshire Penny’ which can be kept or exchanged for discounts in selected  Bradford stores.

Lovers of Bollywood and Bhangra will enjoy an explosive performance from Bradford’s South Asian arts school, Punjabi Roots Academy in Balle!! Balle!

Punjabi Roots Academy will stage, The B3ats, a pioneering fusion music event featuring eastern and western instruments and a professional DJ.

The Academy will also run drumming workshops along with African drummer, Moses Ekebuisi.

Creative Streets runs from 11 March to 30 April in the ‘top of town’ area of Bradford including Darley Street, North Parade, Kirkgate Market and Oastler Market.

All events and workshops are free of charge.

Coun Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “Creative Streets will be lots of fun and we’re inviting everyone to come into Bradford to enjoy the free workshops and entertainment.

“This project is part of our on-going support designed to attract more people into the ‘top of town’ area of Bradford city centre and support the businesses in that area.”

For further information visit: www.facebook.com/CreativeStreetsBd

 

 

Bradford Council backs campaign to get children more physically active this summer

Children across the Bradford district are being encouraged to take part in the summer Change4Life 10 Minute Shake-up to make sure they get more active. Last year almost 4,500 families across the Bradford district signed up to take part in the campaign – the second highest figure in Yorkshire. Sign-ups were highest in Eccleshill, Bradford Moor, Tong and Bowling and Barkerend. Just 21% of boys and 16% of girls currently meet the national recommended level of activity of 60 minutes each day  and three quarters of children aged five to 11 (75%) want to do more physical activity. The joint Disney, Change4Life and the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) campaign aims to get more children achieving the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity children need in 10 minute bursts. A recent survey, commissioned by Disney, Change4Life and the ASA revealed 71% of parents say their children would likely be more physically active if they were more active themselves. Swimming was found to be one of children’s favourite activities during the summer, according to 32% of five to 11-year-olds surveyed yet 30% of mums feel too self conscious to go on families swims. The survey also said 61% of parents struggle for ideas on how to keep their children active during the school holidays. Parents looking for ideas can search for change4life on line or visit www.Bradford.gov.uk/summer. Cllr Val Slater, Deputy Leader of Bradford Council and portfolio holder for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Every 10 minute burst of exercise can make a real difference and helps children get the 60 minutes they need each day. “Increased activity is good for a child’s physical, social and mental wellbeing as well as helping your child build social skills and boost their self-confidence.” “Parents and grandparents getting involved and playing with their children not only sets a good example when it comes to exercise but also helps them learn in a fun way for everyone.” 2016 marks the third year that Change4Life and Disney have come together to inspire children to move more, with fun 10 minute bursts of activity – Shake Ups – inspired by some of Disney’s most recognisable and popular characters.