The Week Ahead Updates and Communication for Parents

Dear Parents,

I wanted to write to you today simply to encourage your hearts and say a huge thank you. Raising children in an independent faith school today takes real courage and sacrifice, and I want you to know how loved, appreciated, and held in prayer you are by all of us at Bradford Christian School.

If I’m honest, three years ago I was feeling overwhelmed. The school was growing, older experienced staff were planning their retirements, expectations from the state were rising, VAT was added, and I felt like I was drowning under the weight of it all. Night after night I prayed, "Lord, send us help from the outside to rescue us!"

Then God gently stopped me in my tracks with the same question He asked Moses in Exodus 4:2: "What is already in your hand?"

When I looked around, I saw the incredible treasure God had already given us: our wonderful staff ready to grow, and you—faithful parents who shared our vision. We made a decision to stop waiting for external rescue and start investing in what we had.

Our staff team began meeting every single week specifically to pray and seek God’s face for the future of our school. We prayed in staff homes, in kitchens, when we were exhausted, and long before we could see the answers. And so many of you were praying right alongside us in your own homes and at the school gates.

Look at what God did through those weekly prayers! TAs became qualified teachers and operational leaders, teachers became confident phase leaders, and support staff became our essential backbone. Since then, God has brought us wonderful people: Mr Barnes (our resident teacher trainer), the Stockill family, the Travis family, Mr Coe, Mr Kwon, Mrs K, Mr Clifford, Mrs Parkins, and Miss Dewhirst. He provided sensory funding that allowed our Alternative Provision to expand into three thriving classes, and Mrs Horton has now returned as a trauma therapist, working alongside Mrs Walker to ensure emotional needs are met.

You can see that incredible heart and dedication in our team right now across the school site. Decorators and builders have been working hard, building a new perimeter wall and creating new classrooms—work that only finished this past weekend! Since then, our staff have worked tirelessly, rolling up their sleeves to tidy up after the builders and prepare their new spaces. They have cleaned, lifted heavy objects, weeded, washed windows, created a sensory garden, painted, made furniture, and attended safeguarding training, vision and mission training, and behavior management training rooted in Micah 6:8. Their families have jumped in to help too—creating a new staff kitchen, helping set up classrooms, and truly being part of our BCS family. Just a week ago, I wondered how on earth we would be ready; prayer, two skips, and a lot of hard work later, we are here, ready for your children!

Everyone has now moved into their new classrooms, pouring so much energy into making sure everything is beautiful, ready, and welcoming. We now have dedicated Art and Music spaces that were lovingly decorated and prepared by staff over the holiday. There are still a few things to finish off over the weekend, but we are ready to welcome our children back.

I also want to share openly with you about our financial landscape, because we view you as true partners in everything we do. Costs have risen sharply across the board. In England, state schools receive direct government funding—in Bradford, this is between £5,000 and over £7,000 per pupil each year to cover staff pay, buildings, and running costs. Aside from our autism provision, we receive £0 in state funding.

Yet, while we are held to the exact same high educational standards, we deliberately work to keep our tuition fees at or below what the government spends on a state pupil—and we do everything we can through bursaries and means-tested fee reductions to ensure a Christian education remains accessible to as many families as possible. We do this because we know the heart, faith, and daily sacrifice it takes for you to choose this path for your family. We see the choices you make every month to invest in your children's future here. Please know how much we honor your trust: every decision we make with our budget is done with the utmost care, and we truly do not take a single penny—or a single sacrifice you make—for granted.

This past year has had its testing moments. Bursaries and donations have slimmed down, and it can be easy to feel anxious when budgets tighten. But God’s timing is always perfect. Just this week, we received a wonderfully generous gift from a local church out of nowhere! It was such a timely, gentle reminder that God sees us, He knows our costs, and He continues to provide exactly when we need it most.

Every single breakthrough we’ve ever experienced started with faithful, persistent prayer. That is why I sense God inviting our whole school family into the next chapter together.

As our staff team continues to meet weekly to pray, would you join us by praying together as families? Gather your children around the dinner table or at bedtime and pray for the new families God is preparing to send us. Let’s pray for parents who share our vision, for children who will flourish in our culture, and for God to continue meeting every financial need as only He can.

Thank you for walking alongside us, for trusting us with your precious children, and for being the praying heart of our school. God has been so good to us, and I can't wait to see what He does next.

With gratitude and expectant faith,