The Week Ahead weekly newsletter
Growing Lives that Bear Fruit
Quick Stop Notices
As a school we have decided to close our HSBC bank account, and have opened a new account with the Cooperative Bank.
The new account details are as follows:
Bradford Christian School
Sort code 08-92-99
Account no 63154896
As our HSBC account will be permanently closed in January, we would be grateful if you would arrange to change your fee payment to the new account as soon as possible.
Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause you.
A local NHS dentist in the BD4 area are looking to register children under the age of 16, they are reaching out to local schools with a view to taking children who do not have a dentist at present.
"We take children’s oral health very seriously in our practice and as I’m sure you are aware the younger the children are seen and treated the better the outcome for them in adulthood."
Contact them regarding registration for you children. They cannot advise how long they will be registering so it would be advisable to contact them as soon as possible on 01274 688600.
Dentistry@BD4
134 Holme Lane,BD4 0PU
Please still remember to park sensitively. A campaign to have yellow lines added to the streets around school is underway, which is an extreme response and one we hope to avoid. Please make sure you do not block a drive, do not block a corner and do not mount a kerb when you park your car. The council have instructed neighbours to photograph any cars parked badly and to report them to the police and to the council. It would be great if there was nothing to report.
From the ICS:
All schools should be in touch with local politicians to make them aware of the impact of Labour’s tax proposals. We encourage you to focus on the impact on your parents, local state schooling, and your school operations. Stress whenever possible your school’s public benefit work, and existing links to the local community – as well as any specialised provision. While we still expect to see the tax proposals in the next Labour manifesto, our combined efforts are necessary to provide the best possible basis for conversations with Labour if they form the next government.
The ISC and associations are working at a national level to engage with the Labour VAT/charitable tax policy – but schools also have a vital role to play as local advocates. We are speaking to political parties, education groups, and unions – making them aware of the unintended consequences of the policy, but also the hugely positive role independent schools play in UK education. We are also highlighting the diversity of independent schools, the specialisms schools provide, and myth-busting about the true nature of our sector.
You may be aware that school has now provided each student from year 5 to 11 with a Chromebook to use in school. These are allocated to individual students, who are responsible for looking after them, recharging them at the end of the day, and transporting them between lessons. In Year 5 all students receive a brand new machine.
Most schools charge a significant deposit for use of Chromebooks or alternative technology. We have decided against this, recognising it is an additional cost at a time when money is tight.
Most of our students are careful and responsible with Chromebooks, and they make it through their middle school and upper school years without a problem.
However, recently we are noticing a small number of students who are not taking appropriate care of their Chromebook. We can not afford to replace them when they are dropped, get wet, or get lost. A new screen is almost the cost of a new Chromebook. We are now expecting students to carry their Chromebooks in their bags to and from lessons.
From now on, we plan to make a charge to families if a student damages their Chromebook. This will be a flat £100 toward the cost of a replacement.
We do recognise that not all damage is the student's responsibility, and we will work hard to understand the cause of any damage before charging you. We understand that there may be wear and tear from daily use.
Thinking of getting your child a Chromebook for home? Check out our recommendation in this short article. Which Chromebook?
Google Classroom Clarification
If you are used to checking your child's google classroom summary of homework, all staff will use HOMEWORK in capitals as a prefix before the task. All other posts will refer to work undertaken in class.
Mrs Wells is extending the second use uniform to include coats for those who need them. If you have unused coats and in good condition that you can donate to this, please hand into the office or email suzannewells@bxs.org.uk
There is a WhatsApp group for parents in primary and middle school. If you would like to be added to the group, please message Rachel Baxfield on 07568 074586. Thank you
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Recent Policy Updates
After Christmas...
No Study Club.
Monday 8th January
School reopens
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
👇🏻Dates for your diary👇🏻
- 15th January (every Monday thereafter until Easter) - Primary Drama Workshops
- 18h January - Year 11 career interviews
- 9th February - School closes for Half Term
⭐️Stars & Students of the week⭐️
Primary School
All primary children for the Nativity!
Middle School
Y5
Nyomi for Consistently thoughtful work in English and RE
Aimee for Fabulous result on your Spanish test
Y6
Toby for Consistently conscientious work in English and RE
Y7
Rebecca for consistently positive learning attitude
Chloe Fabulous result on your Spanish test.
Upper School
Y11
Elliot for Consistently high standard of work in Spanish and Literature
William for Consolidating Literature levels at target grade
Jessica for Consolidating Literature levels at target grade
Macey for Great score on your Spanish essay.
AP
All students for being super helpful in moving classrooms ready for next year.
Classroom News
Thank you to everyone who attended the Nativity this year. It was a huge success!
Helpful Links
Fundraising
It's free to sign up to and start supporting us with Give as you Live. Send our unique campaign links to friends and family so they can support us for free too!
We can win upto £1500 free if 5 new people signup to our Give as you Live campaign before the 17th December!
Regular campaign link - https://www.giveasyoulive.com/charity/bradford-christian-school
£15 raised so far!
To say it's only been a short time we've been apart of the Stikins campaign, this is an incredible achievement. Please continue to engage with this campaign. Thank you!
Headteacher's Message
Our Mission
To provide a holistic Christian education for all and to inspire discipleship.
Our Vision
To be a Christian community in which everyone grows in character, faith, knowledge, understanding and wisdom.
This week we farewelled Zeilah and Dave Chadwick who have faithfully served our school for a number of years. We are grateful for their attention to detail, understanding of processes and policies, and for them both leading, making sure our school safeguarding practices are outstanding .
Personally, a number of us will miss their friendship in school, though I am sure it will continue beyond BCS.
I wish to publicly thank them both on behalf of the BCS community for their selfless service, and for doing the thankless jobs behind the scenes.
Staffing update
Mrs Pickles will take on the school business manager role from Mrs Chadwick, and will be part of the safeguarding team alongside Mr Moon, Mrs Hoskins and myself. I will be the temporary DSL whilst she finds her feet in the new challenges
Kelly Walmsely will welcome you in the office on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings
After Christmas we will welcome Mrs Marsden back to support SEND in primary school. She has been missed but never forgotten during her maternity leave.
In late January Beth Krivan will return to work with us (as Mrs Wilson) and we are anticipating this with joy! She will fill staffing gaps across school.
Julianna Wallace has joined SST for three days a week
I have been reflecting recently on how the Pilgrim Psalms, or songs of ascent (Psalm 120-134) are in some ways similar to our Advent season of carolling, gathering as communities and giving gifts and preparing our hearts for the celebration. Together we make a pilgrimage out of the ordinary time of the year and all its work and appointments and winter sickness and family struggles and enter into a holy season of remembrance ~ telling stories and singing songs of the story of the birth of our Saviour. And our songs take us on a spiritual journey from weariness to the thrill of hope! Jesus is the one that the Jews were longing for, and we get to live on the other side of His coming as a baby. As we are waiting for his return, there is also this longing for our king to return. And as we long, we behold and adore the Saviour in whom we have found our hope, peace, joy and love.
O Come let us adore Him...Christ the Lord.
“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as the one who is over all things.” ~ 1 Chronicles 29:11
