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The Week Ahead weekly newsletter

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Growing Lives that Bear Fruit

This week...

    Quick Stop Notices

    Last Week, 146 people clicked on to The Week Ahead, with an average read time of 50 seconds. This is really encouraging, thank you for your engagement.

    Nursery & Reception Places - tell your family and friends about us

    We are enrolling into nursery and reception. The government funds children until they turn 4, then part funds places for reception children until their fifth birthday.

    We are one of the only Christian nurseries in North Bradford at the moment, please spread the word that we are open for enrolment and  love to give children the opportunity to have Christian input from the age of 3.

    Attendance - Cause for Concern

    Government guidelines view attendance below 90% as Persistent absence, which must, by law, be reported to the Local Authority's Education Welfare Officer. Persistent absence includes absences due to holidays and illness as well as unauthorised absence.

    The Education Act 2004 states that it is the responsibility of the parent/carer to ensure their child attends school regularly and on time. 

    Our school mental well being lead, Mrs Walker, would like to work with you and support you in bringing your child to school regularly. Mrs Walker works closely with our leadership team, the school office team and the Head Teacher so we can all be aware of any issues you may be facing in getting your child to school.    

    mrswalker@bxs.org.uk

    We are always willing to listen to parents who are experiencing difficulties with attendance and will be happy to work with you to improve your child's attendance.

    If you are worried about your child's health, there is lots of useful information on the West Yorkshire Healthier Together website, which can be accessed via the following link:  https://wyhealthiertogether.nhs.uk/parentscarers

    Fees update

    Parents have been emailed information regarding fees. Please check your emails for these. If you have not received an email with information about fees, please let the office know.

    office@bxs.org.uk

    From September 2024:

    Fees - increased to:

    • 1 child 5520 (£460 per month)
    • 2 children 9540 (£795 per month)
    • 3 children 13560(1130 per month)

    PLUS monthly supplements

    Reception remains as on the website

    Uniform update

    Thanks to all who filled out the uniform questionnaire.
    The results showed clearly that:
    95% parents want to keep uniform with no real changes
    92% parents like the change from primary to middle to upper
    90% parents like PE day uniform, though some would like it to be stricter and more modest
    Most like the logo on the blazer or jumper, but not the T shirts or polos

    Some parents would like a summer uniform
    M and S is expensive for the quality
    Logos make uniform expensive
    Most would like second hand uniform
    Some parents made comments about the need for modesty in terms of skirt length, PE attire, and own clothes days

    We are moving to partner with a different uniform provider in the future, but they will keep the same uniform for us. They are owned by Tesco but source from other places myclothing.com More details will follow.

    We are introducing an optional summer uniform across school, which will be summer dresses up to year 4, and from year 5 will be grey or black school shorts, trousers or skirts with a white shirt or polo shirt (no ties, jumpers or blazers necessary) This will be an option from April to July. Obviously on cooler summer days children can still wear jumpers and blazers.

    We do run a second hand option. Suzanne Wells, one of our parents, collects clean used uniform and has regular stalls, the main one being at primary sports day in the summer. She does have a stock of second hand items.

    We are tightening up the PE uniform, so it is a plain white T shirt, plain black joggers or sports leggings, and a plain black sweatshirt or school hoodie (Middle school onwards) Fashion leggings are not appropriate school wear.

    Skirts should be knee length

    We do require a logo on blazers and prefer them on the blue school jumpers, but do not require them on polo shirts, T shirts, fleeces, PE sweatshirts, or other uniform items.

    The full updated policy will be shared before the Easter holiday.

    Political actions on VAT policy - SIGN THE PETITION

    Petition link - https://chng.it/8rPHW9FDHg

    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.

    Missed last weeks Week Ahead?

    Go to our Parent Zone page to view the archive.

    When we return after the Easter break➡️

    Monday 8th April

    School Open for Summer Term

    No Homework Club

    Tuesday

    Middle School Drama club, 15:30 - 16:30

    Wednesday

    Years 1 - 10 Spr2 Progress Checks Issued - 13:00

    Homework club - 15:30 - 16:30

    Thursday

    Homework club 15:30 - 16:30

    Friday

     

    Dates for your diary

    April

    • 8th - School OPENS for Summer term
    • 10th - Y1 - 10 Spr2 Progress Checks published to parents
    • 22nd - Parent Consultations start

    May

    • 1st - 3rd - AP Residential Snowball Plantation
    • 7th - Staff PD - SCHOOL CLOSED
    • 24th - Break up for Half-Term

    June

    • 10th - School Reopens

    July

    • 11th 19:30 - Whole School Celebration - Church on the Way, Idle 

    ⭐️Stars & Students⭐️ of the week

    Acorns

    Evan  for helping one of his peers and being very attentive.

    Oak

    EVERYONE for their mature attitudes in lessons and for working hard. They also had positive attitudes towards their recent Maths and English exams, in which they got excellent results. 

    🧑‍🎓Classroom News

    Great Fire of London

    This term in Year 1 and 2 we have been learning about The Great Fire of London for our Topic work. This week we baked bread, just like Tom Farinner the baker, completed our Art project with Miss Peckover of our burning city and had our own 'Great Fire of London' in the playground! It was lots of fun and we really enjoyed stepping back in time and learning all about the events of the 2nd of September 1666.

    Year 9 & 10 led Easter devotions

    Devotions this week were led by a group of volunteers from our year 9 and 10, with a Biblical version of the Easter story. Mrs March worked hard to prepare these young people for the week, and it was encouraging to see their leadership development.

    Primary school Easter assembly

    On Tuesday this week, Reverend Marianne from St James' church Bolton Woods came into school and shared the Easter story with the Primary and EYFS children.
    She encouraged the children to look inside and see for themselves the wonder of the tomb and the hope that we can have in Jesus and the promise of eternal life. We had a great time worshipping God together.

    Whole school Easter assembly

    Ex-student Luke Dale came to talk to us about the message of Easter and the power of God to raise Jesus form the dead to save us from our sins.

    BFG Tickets available now!

    Click the link for the Guiseley Theatre Box Office and scroll down.

    http://www.guiseleytheatre.org/boxoffice

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    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!

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    £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!

    Marks & Spencer Uniform

    £120 raised so far!

    Every time someone purchases a BCS school uniform through our affiliate, M&S, we receive a small commission. So far this year we have receive £120. Thank you for your support.  

    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.

    As we reflect upon the Easter story this week I am struck by the importance of this for our school. If it wasn’t for this incredible sacrifice, Bradford Christian School would not exist.

    When I was leading a school in Cambodia, we opened a satellite school in Siem Reap, the second city. We pondered the enrollment criteria - the school was established to educate mission families, but a lot of families who did not share Christian faith loved the idea of an affordable, international school and were prepared to accept the Christian vision and mission. The school leaders saw this as an opportunity for evangelism in the community and cautiously grew in numbers.

    At Easter a small group of parents became unhappy that their children were being taught about Jesus’s death and resurrection, and the idea it was for our sins that this happened. They did not want their children to be exposed to this, saying they were too young, too sad, too guilty, and should be protected from such a horror story.

    We stuck to our guns - the Easter story is so fundamental for Christian faith. Resurrection Sunday is a day to celebrate Jesus rising from the dead

    Those parents in Siem Reap were correct to a point, the crucifixion of Jesus is one of the most horrifying things that has ever happened. Crucifixion was not unique to Jesus but was a common Roman practice. Criminals, outlaws, and others were regularly crucified in the Roman world. It was not an unusual sight at the time. However, it is also one of the most sacrificial, beautiful events that happened. Jesus had committed no crime, let alone one worthy of crucifixion.

    Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Matthew 26:53-54

    Death was defeated through the power of God.

    On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus” (Luke 24:1-3).

    In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” 1 Peter 1:3

    This story gives us hope in a world where hope is needed. God became man, took our sins upon himself and is still alive. If we believe this, it is life changing.

    Romans 10:9 says that “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

    Jane Prothero

    Thank you for your continued support of Bradford Christian School

    Have a blessed Easter