On Monday 4th December Sarah Odor,  Manager at Skills for Work, received the phone call to state OFSTED would be completing a short notice Inspection. A great opportunity to showcase our professionalism and expertise in education. On Wednesday, the Inspection began. The inspection team visited our community learning sessions, interviewed learners, apprentices, employers and examined various documents to verify their findings.  We are proud to announce we have maintained our status as a GOOD provider.

Sarah Odor stated “The Inspectors findings reinforced the high quality of provision that my team in Skills for Work model to the highest standards and the positive impact it has on peoples lives within the Bradford District. Well done team.”

 

Uma Rana was observed during the Inspection and received exemplary feedback about her delivery. She shares her thoughts, “The feedback I received from the Inspector was very positive and reinforced the work that we do. Collectively I feel very proud to be part of a team and the great comradery shown during this time.”

The Inspection team praised the Apprenticeship programmes for not only their hard work but additionally, the skills and qualities they model to the wide variety of apprentices which can then be utilised in their working environment.

However, this was a great team effort so Thank you to all the staff at Family Learning and Adult Skills Service for their hard work over the past year in particular this last week. It has taken a lot of hard work and determination but we did it. A big thank you to all our learners who have provided us with great feedback throughout the year. Family Learning and Adult Skills Service now strive to achieve an Outstanding grade.

Rohingya Crisis fundraising event

A group of parents from Holycroft Primary School, Keighley, got together and raised over £600 in less than 20 minutes for the Rohingya Muslim Crisis Appeal.

The parents held a sale of home-cooked food, an idea they decided on when they were discussing the crisis in Burma and Bangladesh and what they could do to help.

Amongst the group were parents who are active members of the Holycroft Parents Friends Association (HPFA) who are constantly holding events to raise money for the school and other local charities.

Rana Begum, spokesperson for the group, said: “We are very proud because this is the first charity fundraising event we’ve done on our own.  We are very grateful that the school allowed us to hold the event on the premises and it was amazing to see how the community came together and supported our efforts.”

Around 20 parents contributed food and helped to sell it.  Treats on sale include samosas, rice, pakoras, kebabs, chana chaat (chickpea salad), cakes, buns, sweets and doughnuts.  Most of it was sold within 20 minutes of the sale starting.

The parents received a special certificate from the Ummah Welfare Trust in recognition of raising a total of £632.30.

Mrs Begum said: “We’d like to thank everybody who donated money and food and also helped out.”

The parents are now planning further charity events in 2018. The parents attend the Level 1 Functional Skills English with Ros Dawson, Tutor at Skills for Work. 

Learners have embraced the Christmas spirit and designed Christmas cards for their own children. During Christmas their children will be busy making cards for them so they decided to surprise them and make one for them.

A fun time was had by all!

 

 

What is the Freedom Programme and who is
it for?

The Bradford Early Help Freedom Programme is for any woman with children, who has experienced or is affected by domestic abuse, including same sex relationships.

The course is also for women with children who just want to learn more about abusive and controlling relationships as well as healthy relationships, whether personal or professional.

The Freedom Programme runs for 2 hours each week for 12 weeks.

The Freedom programme provides a safe and supportive environment.  You do not have to speak about your experiences if you don’t want to and you can do the course at your own pace.

 

The aims of the Freedom programme are to:

• Help women to identify abusive behaviours and beliefs held by abusive and controlling partners.
• Help women to gain confidence and improve the quality of their lives.
• Explore how domestic abuse affects children.
• Make new friends and meet other people in the same situation.
• Help women to recognise both abusive and healthy behaviours in future relationships.

 

Where is the Freedom Programme Held?

The Bradford Early Help Freedom Programme is for women with children and is available in several locations across the Bradford district – see overleaf.

Prior to attending, women should contact the person named on this leaflet to find out the exact location of the programme.

 

How Do I Book?

Choose the best location and then contact the named person overleaf to request a place and find out the exact location of the group.

 

Shipley, BD18
Starting:     January 2018
Times:        Tuesday 10 am – 12
Contact:     Carol Thackray
Email:         carol.thackray@bradford.gov.uk

Bradford central, BD1
Starting:      January 2018
Times:         Tuesday 12 – 2pm
Contact:      Amy Barker
Email:          amy.barker@bradford.gov.uk

Bradford, BD4/6
Starting:      March 2018
Times:         TBC
Contact:      Elaine Woodley
Email:          elaine.woodley@bradford.gov.uk

Keighley, BD21 – where there is also substance use involved

Starting:      March 2018
Times:         TBC
Contact:      Ella Isherwood
Email:          Ella.isherwood@bradford.gov.uk

 

Bradford, BD10

Starting:       8^th January 2018
Times:         Monday 1pm – 3pm
Contact:      Ella Isherwood
Email:          Ella.isherwood@bradford.gov.uk

 

Keighley, BD21
Starting:      January 2018
Times:         Tuesday 1pm – 3pm
Contact:      Chris Holmes
Email:          chris.holmes@bradford.gov.uk

Keighley, BD22
Starting:       January 18^th 2018
Times:          Thursday 10am – 11:30
Contact:       susanlynn.brown@bdct.nhs.uk
07904 650712

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your child’s online safety education this term

 

This term your child’s class will be studying a unit of work based on using new online technology safely, developing skills in resilience, self-esteem and positive attention seeking behaviour.  It has been produced by the National Crime Agency’s child protection education programme Thinkuknow.

 

About Live Streaming

 

In particular the Thinkuknow educational activities introduce scenario’s and reflection about ‘Live Streaming’. Live streaming is the broadcasting of real-time, live video to an audience over the internet.  All you need to be abl e to live stream is an internet enabled device, like a smart phone or tablet with a camera, and an app that has a ‘Live’ function, such as Instagram Live or Musica.ly.

 

#Live Skills

To help support children to enjoy live streaming safely, if they are currently doing it, or for those that may be introduced to it when they start secondary school, these educational activities focus on building children’s skills to know who to trust online and how to get affirmation in positive ways at home and school. These skills are important for navigating both the online and offline world.

 

How you can get involved

 

• Schedule planned attention: One on one time, doing something together that is largely child-directed.
• Give personal and positive feedback to child: focus on praising good behaviours more than focussing attention on minor bad behaviours. Specific praise to be emphasised and inclusion of emotions: i.e. ‘You are being such as kind sister sharing the toys with your brother. You are playing with him so gently. I’m sure he feels very happy to be playing with you!’ Practicing this daily can demonstrates to a child what they are specifically doing well so that they know what behaviour to show again.
• Try and see the learning in mistakes
• Be involved in your child’s internet use: The best learning and the safest children are those who are able to share what they have been doing online with their parents.
• Be good to yourself: When children see us being critical of ourselves and our appearance or abilities that becomes normative for them to focus on the things they are doing wrong. It can help to notice when we are doing this and try and focus on the positives of our own lives and actions.
• Encouraging choice and consent from an early age: Children are socialised to do as they are told- especially when adults ask. Unfortunately adults can exploit this when chatting to children online. Giving a child a choice from an early age develops their autonomy and good decision making skills. For example not forcing a child to hug a relative etc. Give them the option to be polite in another way.

Today we bid a fond farewell to our Curriculum Coordinator, Claire Neal.

Claire Began working for Skills for Work in 2006 as a tutor and has risen to her current role. Claire is moving onto pastures new in Australia to start a new adventure with her family.

Claire will be missed by the team and we wish her and her family all the best in this amazing adventure.

Steph McGovern of BBC Breakfast

 

BBC Breakfast’s Steph McGovern has teamed up with Internet Matters to offer advice about how to keep children safe online. Click on the link below to find out more!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zs83tyc

 

The Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission says the development gap between rich and poor five-year-olds must halve for a more equal society.

Pre school pupils from poor backgrounds  are still lagging behind by the time they take GCSEs,  with those pupils half as likely to get five good GCSEs as their wealthier peers,  according to the commission. This means that those pupils have less chance of going to good universities.

Commission chairman Alan Milburn, calls for more stretching objectives for the early years and a new national definition of school readiness.

“Current signs of progress do not go nearly far or fast enough to address the gulf between the divided Britain of the present and the One Nation Britain we aspire to become.” states Mr Milburn. The commission also calls for a rethink of teacher pay and the funding of teacher training.

The commission also states  “At the very bottom of society there are more than one million children living a life of persistent poverty.

“They are excluded from sharing in the many opportunities that life in modern Britain affords.”

The government has said however it is waging an ‘all out war against poverty’ citing the new minimum wage , the pupil premium and extra cash pumped into schools,  to help pupils from poor backgrounds.