BDAT Briefing June 2021

Welcome back to Summer 2021 – we hope you had a well-deserved and restful break and enjoyed some of the fine sunshine which graced . This newsletter is packed with lots of positive news stories from across the Trust and provides you with the highlights of some key areas of focus for the Trust this next term. Enjoy!

BDAT well recognised in the 2021 Education Awards Despite being staged virtually for the second consecutive year, the Telegraph & Argus Bradford & District Education Awards 2021 was a night to remember for the BDAT family. In total, 11 awards were handed out with BDAT securing five nominations across four different categories and celebrating three winners. This is a huge credit to all the staff nominated and well-deserved recognition of all their hard work. Details of the nominations are:

Governor of the Year was won by Mike Isaac (left), our Chair at Primary school. Mike was a worthy winner for this award having supported East Morton for the last four decades since his children attended the school Alice Jones from was shortlisted as Head Teacher of the Year – a really great achievement after less than two years in her first headship. We had two well deserving nominees for the secondary teacher of the year award – Emma King from Buttershaw and Josh Blackham at Bradford Forster. Josh (pictured right) went on to win the award. Finally, Emily Dunn (year 5) from Wycliffe primary went on to win the Star Student (under 16) of the Year.

A huge well done to everyone.

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BDAT Student voice loud and proud in developing Bradford Manifesto for Change The Schools Pandemic Recovery Summit took place in March and provided adults from across the the opportunity to come together to listen to student voice, concerns and ambitions following the pandemic. Since then, our secondary students from across BDAT, Beckfoot, Exceed and Dixons have been working hard to summarise their conclusions and have published an ambitious Manifesto for Change.

On Thursday, 29th April, student leaders presented the Manifesto and their insights to the Conservative and Labour & Cooperative Mayoral candidates at the Citizens UK Mayoral Assembly.

We have now started to establish workstreams to respond to the Manifesto insights. This work will be planned over the coming months and will extend into the next academic year and beyond. This is just the beginning in ensuring student voice across the city is heard and influences policy and decision making in the futures.

To read the full manifesto visit: Schools Pandemic Recovery Summit – Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (bdat- academies.org)

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BDAT People Golden Thread for CPD taking shape

You will be well aware that BDAT strongly believes that as part of our ambition to be an employer of choice, we are determined to ensure that our staff have access to high quality CPD. The DFE’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy sets out a “Golden Thread” of Teacher Professional development, Initial Teacher Training (ITT), the Early Career’s Framework (ECF) and the new suite of National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

Below we are excited to share with you how BDAT will be working with our strategic partners to deliver our bespoke ‘Golden Thread’ of CPD.

Key to our choice is selecting providers who meet BDAT’s needs rather than simply partnering with those who approach us first or most regularly.

Stage Partner Initial Teacher GORSE SCITT We will be the Bradford ‘arm’ of an ‘outstanding’ ITT provider. Training Working as a School Direct lead partner will give us autonomy around the content and delivery of the programme, which will allow our provision to build towards our ECF delivery. Early Career The Ambition Builds on our learning and experience during the successful ‘Early Roll Out’. Framework Institute Staff have previously reported the high quality of resources provided to support the programme. Appropriate Bradford LA Provides continuity through established relationships with the LA as a local organisation Body Support that understand our context and vision. Specialist The Ambition Builds on the ECF and the expertise that we have developed in the delivery of the ECF National Institute in programme and the existing partnership with Ambition Institute. Professional partnership Ensures that our teachers have a bespoke offer that understands local needs and can be Qualifications with Beckfoot delivered face to face. Allows the development of a strong local network of teachers and the NPQSL and Dixons across the three academy trusts. (Senior Leaders) MATs

NPQH The Ambition Builds on the ECF and the expertise that we have developed in the delivery of the ECF (Headteacher) Institute programme and NPQSL. and Builds a continuity of language, culture and style in our professional qualification’s suite. NPQEL Provides North of networking opportunities. (Executive OR Leadership) Church of Building on our Church of England foundation and maintain the distinctiveness within our England CPD offer. Allows our school leaders to meet with CoE leaders and non-CoE across the north of England.

Diocese of Bespoke BDAT support for Headteachers and Leaders including support with the distinct Leeds / CPD aspects of the Leadership of a CoE school and SIAMs and training for new and aspiring school leaders.

EXISTING PARTNERSHIP NEW PARTNERSHIP

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The Future is digital…. Work with Our Learning Cloud takes pace

Following a lengthy consultation and procurement process we are now starting to power ahead with the roll out of the BDAT Digital Strategy with all school audits having been completed and costed and the central office and the first cluster of schools now having completed their initiation meetings. We expect the first schools to complete their transition on to the new platform in the Autumn. BDAT have assigned Peter Thompson and Caitlin Holmes as the central project coordinators and they have pulled together a helpful brief and FAQ which has been circulated to Governors and Senior School Leaders. If you would like a copy of the brief, please email [email protected]

‘Celebrating Diversity and Difference in the BDAT Family’ - 22nd October 2021

We are really excited to bring you news of the first BDAT Annual Conference which will take place this coming October.

The theme will build on the work of the BDAT Inclusion Strategy to promote the importance of celebrating diversity and difference across the Trust – including considering what we teach, how we recruit and develop staff and how we work with each other.

We are delighted to confirm we have secured some fantastic speakers including Professor Uduak Archibong MBE, Pro Vice-Chancellor [Equality, Diversity and Inclusion] from the and Sir David Carter, previously National Schools Commissioner for England. We are really pleased that we will be able to run the event in a blended format from streamed live into each of our schools. In coming weeks, we will be confirming further details with your school but in the meantime please hold the date.

Congratulations are in order for Liz Whetham who has been admitted as a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.

Liz joins a prestigious group of education professionals (including BDAT Chair, Tessa Mason and our Director of Professional Development, Katie Waring) who have been recognised as being at the top of the teaching profession. FCCT is awarded to individuals who have demonstrated both excellence in teaching and who also make a significant contribution to the ongoing development of the

education system. Well done!

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Movers and Shakers

• We are delighted to have appointed a new Head teacher at Primary School this term. Cathy Isaac is the current Deputy Head at Burley Oaks primary school and will join us in September.

We also have a couple of members of staff leaving this summer to who we would wish a fond farewell and note our thanks. Elaine Daniels, executive business manager for St Oswald’s and the Academy at St James, will leave at the end of the summer. The Trust would like to thank Elaine for the support she has given to both schools over her time with BDAT. Olivia Kelly from our central primary team will be leaving us this summer. Olivia has been an absolute asset to the central team, most recently taking on the interim Head role at Shipley primary school. Olivia leaves to take on a senior adviser and SEN Specialist position in a neighbouring local authority. And after many years working with us and our secondary schools, Julia Bateson will be retiring from her role as a clerk. Julia has worked with some of our schools even prior to them joining the Trust and will be missed. News from our Schools Enrichment hour at the Academy at St James goes national!

Colleagues at the Academy at St James were praised by BBC Sport for their innovative work to promote PE and Sport in school including the creative and diverse ways they make the most of their pupil premium funding. The BBC highlighted that despite the school being in the top 10% of deprived areas in Bradford and previously in special measures, since focussing on PE two years ago combined attainment levels shot up from 27% to 63% for achieving age-related expectations.

Click here to read more or watch school online at clicking here.

Please keep sharing your stories by emailing us [email protected] Thank you for all you are doing!

Keep up with the latest news and share your stories #wearebdat

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