The 2015 Bradford Family Learning Festival has the theme of Colour and Light.

The festival is taking place across the autumn half term break, and promises loads of activities for families across the Bradford District  The Festival is run with our partners at the National Media Museum,   the National Trust and Forster’s Bistro along with the Impressions Gallery and Bradford Council’s library service.

During the 23rd of October  to the 31st October, Bradford libraries along with Bradford’s museums, will be hosting various colourful events readings and craft activities. East Riddlesden Hall will be encouraging visitors to make coloured lanterns in time for Halloween and at Cliffe Castle, create your very own stained  glass to take home! Get your picture taken in a variety of colourful costumes at the Impressions Gallery in Centenary Square. Come to the science events at Forsters Bistro and check out the Media Museum where creative events will be running, throughout the week! There is something for everybody!

Contact your local Bradford library in the first instance, or click the picture above for more information.

See you there!

 

 

 

 

Horton Community Farm, supported by Family Learning, is celebrating its 3rd birthday on Saturday November 14th 2015, by running a drop in volunteer session for families. Come along and join the fun!

There will be activities including playing games, getting creative with natural materials and helping with farm jobs.

Everyone is welcome and no booking is necessary. Activities are aimed at children between the ages of 3 and 11. Horton Community Farm can be found in Great Horton at Cecil Avenue, BD7 3BW.

See you there!

Education secretary Nicky Morgan is teaming up with Little Britain actor and writer David Walliams to promote library membership. The Department for Education will also support the Reading Agency to work with schools to  get more Year 3 pupils (aged 7-8) enrolled at their local library.

Nicky Morgan says: “No matter where they live or what their background, every single child in this country deserves the opportunity to read, to read widely, and to read well – it’s a simple matter of social justice…That’s why I am pleased to team up with David on this national mission to make our young people the most literate in Europe.”

David Walliams adds:”In a world of the constant distractions of television and computer games, it is more important than ever to encourage youngsters to read.”

 

 

Half of  under two year olds who are entitled to free nursery places are not taking  up the offer, according to Sir Michael Wilshaw, Chief Inspector of OFSTED. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds can make huge strides to match the attainment of their wealthier peers, if they were able to attend he states. However, the department for Education disagrees.

Read article here

Read a transcript of Sir Michael Wilshaw’s speech here

With the summer break looming, here is a list of events happening throughout the Bradford district for children!

Click on the picture to find out more!

Poor pupils are not reaping the benefits of the Pupil Premium in schools, according to the National Audit Office.

Some two million children between  five and 16 qualify for  funding, out of seven million pupils. £2.5bn was given to schools in 2014-15 as pupil-premium funding – money allocated for children from poorer backgrounds. The aim  is to “close the gap” between richer and poorer children, by improving academic performance.

Amyas Morse head of the NAO states: “Early signs are that the Pupil Premium has potential, but it will take time for its full impact to become clear. As it takes the policy forward, the Department will need to review whether spending more in this way would allow it to close the attainment gap more quickly. The high degree of local discretion has benefits and costs. Some schools don’t appropriately focus funding on disadvantaged pupils, and some spend funds on activities which are not demonstrably effective.

 

Read the NAO summary report here

Read BBC News report here

“Only by monitoring the extent of child abuse and neglect in the UK can we judge whether efforts to prevent maltreatment and to protect children are working.” This is according to Peter Wanless, NSPCC CEO,  after the organisation published worrying UK wide statistics for 2015.

In its key findings,  the organisation’s  ‘How Safe Are Our Children 2015’ report found that:

• All 4 countries in the UK have seen the number of recorded sexual offences against children increase over the last year.
• There’s been an increase in contacts to theNSPCC helpline and ChildLine about sexual abuse.
• Neglect remains the most common form of child abuse in the UK.
• However, the number of children dying as a result of homicide or assault remains in long term decline

The full report can be found here

 

 

Family Learning are running a summer camp for parents and their children between the 27th and the 29th of July 2015. The event at Horton Community Farm in Bradford,  invites you to experience the ‘Beauty of the Wild On Your Doorstep’.  Learners will be be cooking on a campfire and working on a farm,  amongst other activities!

For more details contact Rachel at Family Learning on 01274 385521 or 07582 103459. Alternatively,  e mail her at Rachel.twort@bradford.gov.uk

This article is abridged and taken from our current newsletter. The original article is written by Family Learning Tutor, Laura Judge.

I negotiated my way across London to attend the NIACE Citizens’ Curriculum: A new agenda for Government, on 20 May 2015 after a 5am start.  Arriving at Central Hall Westminster, with 15 minutes to spare, felt like something of an achievement!

The morning session was in the presence of HRH The Princess Royal, patron of NIACE, who spoke passionately about the importance of literacy, numeracy and particularly digital skills being available to all. She listened to a pilot showcase then personally met and chatted to some of the learners who had benefitted from the scheme. Over coffee I discussed our “Frozen” project and outlined the aims and outcomes that our learners’ achieved. People were genuinely amazed and intrigued about how we achieved what we had set out to do in just 16 hours. The words that kept recurring again and again in feedback were “confidence” and “self esteem” – the very essence that underpins any self development and actualisation.

For me, the most inspirational part of the day was when two ladies from the Wirral spoke about their experiences of the Citizens’ Curriculum. Both brought up in the care system, with chaotic lifestyles they had missed out on a standard education and one of them had fallen into a situation where alcohol heavily influenced her life, leading to crime and a custodial sentence. Whilst the other had mild learning difficulties which were not picked up, thus limiting her progress. It was only in middle age, and with the help of FE that they were able to turn their lives around, improve self esteem and embark on a learning programme. To hear them speak eloquently about the benefits of education in later life was truly uplifting.