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Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to our spring newsletter. We are pleased to be able to share with you some
of the exciting activities students engaged with at the end of last term as we
approached the Christmas break. We were also pleased to have furthered our work on
Literacy with opportunities to take part in Story Telling workshops and continued
sessions with our Beanstalk Readers!
I am grateful to you for your ongoing support with our academy events. The Christmas
Fayre raised a whopping £1587 towards new playground equipment for the Upper Site.
We are still collecting for Medway Street Angels to help the homeless; there is still
time to donate, if you have not already.
Students this term have had the opportunity to engage in many community activities,
from competing in Sporting competitions to representing Bradfields as part of the
Holocaust Memorial Day service at the Chatham Memorial Synagogue. I am proud of all
that they have achieved, well done to all involved.
I’d also like to draw your attention to the final section of the newsletter where you will
find information on a range of workshops, groups and key information. This includes
detail of how to access the Maths and English workshops; our new Adult Education
opportunity; our Facebook page, and an opportunity to volunteer at Guides! Why not
come and get involved?
Thank you all for your on-going support, please remember that Term 4 will begin on
Tuesday 20th February.
Yours faithfully
Miss Sweetlove
Principal
Storyteller Workshops Bradfields Academy has been lucky enough to host three very successful Storyteller
Workshops so far this year. The Storyteller Workshop is a drama company that visits
schools across the country and focuses on the art of telling stories from around the world
on a host of themes in a very visual and interactive manner. Our three themed days have
been on Black History Month, Mythical Creatures and Roald Dahl; based upon what we have
been studying in class. There were five sessions overall this term and the classes of
students from Primary Blue Zone up to Year 9 had such an amazing time dressing up, acting
out and learning about Roald Dahl in such an exciting manner. We have two more workshops
booked for this year and students are already clamouring to be involved again; such was the
impact of these days.
Beanstalk Coffee Morning Our wonderful volunteers from Beanstalk were invited to a coffee morning, hosted by
Programme One (Key stage 4/5), to say thank you for all their support.
Beanstalk trains volunteers to
provide one-to-one literacy
support encouraging students
to become more confident
readers.
Mrs Pearson
The students helped to
serve their guests with
cakes, biscuits and hot
drinks.
Christmas Fayre
TOTAL RAISED £1587
The money will be used towards the purchase of playground
equipment, similar to that shown, for the upper site playground.
The PTFA would like to thank everyone who
attended and enabled us to raise the huge
amount of £1587. Thank you to all those who
helped to make this day a success by running
stalls including staff, parents and carers as
well as our outside stall holders.
Sadly, this is the last fayre for two of our
PTFA members, as their children leave the
academy this year. We wish both Maggie
Servante and Clare Dock well and many thanks
for your years of support and enthusiasm.
The PTFA are always keen to find new
members
if you can spare anytime to help keep these events happening, please contact Kelly Pope
via email: [email protected]
As part of the activities on offer at the Christmas Fayre Bradfields Academy organised a
pantomime performance of Aladdin. The show was performed by Head2Head Theatre
Company who specialise in providing multi-sensory performances for students and young
people with special educational needs.
Aladdin at Bradfields
The two performances were very well attended both by
Bradfields’ families and other families from the local
community. A thoroughly good time was had by children
and adults alike. Many of the audience had the
opportunity to take part in the performance and really
threw themselves into their roles.
The company themselves had a brilliant time and were
really impressed with the audiences and the academy.
They are very keen to put on more performances and
workshops for Bradfields’ students and families, as well
as the wider community. Bradfields is also very keen for
this to happen and we are hoping to book some sessions
later on in the year.
Head2Head Theatre: Registered Charity No: 1161873
15 Ralliwood Road, Ashtead, Surrey, KT21 1DD Tel/Fax: 01372 278021
email: [email protected]
www.head2headtheatre.co.uk
Here are some comments:
“I just wanted to say thank you again for such a brilliant afternoon.
I have never seen my daughter so entranced, and the hour just
disappeared! Long may you continue.”
This panto was supported by GREGGS Foundation
Patrons:
Terry Jones (Python, Writer, Director, Historian)
Samantha Renke (Actress & Disability Campaigner)
”Both of my daughters had a brilliant time. My 7 year old with ASD was so happy and
engaged all the time. She loved taking part in the pantomime and she felt proud afterwards.
It definitely gave her a sense of achievement. Thank you to everyone who made this
happen. Well done Head2Head Theatre!”
“Thank you so, so much for the panto at Bradfields Academy. It was absolutely fantastic.
We all enjoyed it.”
Christmas House
Competition
Tree-mendous!
On the last day of term, we held the annual Christmas house
competition which was again contested with much popularity
across all houses and zones of the academy. This year
students were asked to design Christmas cards. With the
amount of signatures in their cards and their BATL
expectations also being judged, the competition soon
developed its high level of friendly rivalry across the
academy.
Students were also asked to make and decorate a range of tree decorations that they
could then display in the hall on their house tree. These were then put on display in the
hall next to their Christmas cards for the judges to make their final decisions.
With the nature of these competitions, it is always difficult to have a clear winner;
however after some long deliberation from the judges the points were awarded and
shared amongst the four houses from the four different areas.
Overall there was a tie for the Christmas winners with Birch House and Oak House
sharing top spot with a total of 275 points from the four different areas, with Ash
House and Pine House very close behind them with 250 points.
When these points are added to the current scores, Pine
House with 475 points are edging ahead slightly from the
other three houses who are all currently tying for second
place with 450 house points.
A big thank you to the house leads for their hard work in
supplying and organising all the resources as well as
rushing around all morning to support their houses across
the four zones and also to the staff for helping the
students to achieve so highly with their decorations, cards
and BATL expectations.
Mr Tullett, Key Stage 5 Pastoral Manager.
Nativity and Christingle Students from Yellow, Red and Green Zones watched students from KS4 and KS5
Programme One re-enact the nativity story as part of their end of term festive assemblies.
The students involved are working towards their AQA Unit Awards and as part of this are
required to participate in a Christian story and play.
Students watched the performances and participated in singing carols at key points
throughout the event. The performances included some special guest stars as some staff
too contributed playing some wise men and shepherds.
Yellow Zone’s assembly also included a visit by Richard Read from the local church, St Philip
and St James. Richard explained to the students about the symbolism of Christingle and
the Year 7 students all had the opportunity to hold a Christingle and take a Christingle
home.
Each class in Yellow Zone contributed a song or poem which they shared and performed to
others.
Bradfields New Roof In April last year Bradfields successfully bid to the EFSA Capital Improvements
Fund for phase one of a new roof for the upper site. The work started in July and
despite heavy rain and some setbacks with the drainage systems on the roof, the
work was completed just before Christmas. The cost of the project was just under
£450,000. We have put in another bid for the second phase of the roof as well as
a bid for new windows throughout the entire academy. We are due to hear if we
have been successful at the end of March and will keep you updated on the outcome.
Computer Science
Education Week
Once again, students from Bradfields Academy took part in the annual Hour of Code
activity, which takes place during Computer Science Education Week. This year’s theme
was inspired by the incredibly popular sandbox game; Minecraft. During computing
lessons, students put their problems solving skills to the test in order to tackle three
different Minecraft challenges. As usual, the event was a great success, with many
students surpassing their own expectations. Students showed the resilience and
patience it takes to complete some of the puzzles. The ability to persevere when faced
with incorrect code was essential, and demonstrated in abundance. Many students
successfully overcame these hurdles and gained the much coveted Certificate of
Achievement. You never know, we may have a future technology billionaire right here at
Bradfields. If so, Mr Maragh, Mrs Benson and Mrs Newlyn plan on taking all the credit
for teaching that person everything they know.
Charity House Collection For the past two weeks we have been running a house competition to collect food and
clothing items for the Medway Street Angels, a local charity that regularly helps to
support the homeless of Medway.
I am receiving so many donations of clothes and food items on a daily basis, that I think I
will soon need a bigger office! Thank you to all who have donated or will donate, with an
especially big thank to Amelia in Year 11 and her Mum, who so far have donated over 5 bags
of clothes and food items.
I still think we can collect more and as such, I have added a list of suggested items below.
If you would like to donate, please place all donations in a bag with your child’s name and
house clearly marked on it and then ask them to bring it to me in my office.
Mr Tullett, Key Stage 5 Pastoral Manager
Toiletries
Old, clean clothing
Chocolate Bars and Breakfast / Cereal Bars
Tinned Food
High Energy Snacks / Drinks
Pot Noodles and packet soups
Tea and Coffee
Bottled Water
Crisps
Biscuits
UHT Milk and Squash.
Bradfields Academy are back at the Nucleus Arts Centre in Chatham for this year’s
stunning art exhibition.
Local artist Nick Evans has described the Bradfields Show as “The highlight of the year”
and he has generously offered to fund our gallery hire!
We are very excited about this year’s show and we do hope you will be able to come along
to see the student’s amazing work. The exhibition will run from 29th June until 3rd July.
Bradfields at Nucleas Arts
Blue Zone
Welcome to the Blue Zone newsletter. We hope you enjoy reading about the
activities and events that students and staff have been busy with.
Future Events :
Tuesday 20th February – Year 11 and 13 Parent & Carer evening.
Tuesday 6th March – Year 9 Option and Parent & Carer evening.
Thursday 15th March – Year 7 and 10 Parent & Carer evening.
Friday 23rd March – Sports Relief.
Tuesday 27th March – Year 12 and 14 Parent & Carer evening.
Thursday 29th March 2018 – Term 4 finishes.
Monday 16th April 2018 – Term 5 starts.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the following
email address – [email protected].
Thanks, as always for your continued support.
Miss N Zarkowska
Assistant Principal
Mr C Bolton
Pastoral Manager
(Year 8-14)
Miss L Bliss
Pastoral Manager
(EYFS – Year 7)
Primary Blue Zone
Rabbit class have been focusing on ordering and
sequencing in Maths this term.
They have been able to talk about and order the
months of the year. The children are working on key
words to describe the weather during the different
seasons.
Primary students love our outdoor space. They have
regular access to physical exercise and enjoy climbing,
balancing and working on their co-ordination.
Primary Blue Zone had a special assembly for Holocaust Memorial Day focusing on the
power of words. The children were encouraged to use kind words.
Primary Blue Zone
This term Tiger class have been enjoying outdoor learning. They have been having
horse-riding lessons and woodland walks.
On Tuesday 9th January the children set off to their first lesson at Arrow riding centre in
Dartford. They had looked at the horses on the school website and the children were so
eager to discover which horse they would be riding. “Wow! Look at Truffles! I want
Truffles!” they said. “They’re so beautiful” said continued.
The look on the children’s faces as they had their first lesson was amazing, one of sheer
enjoyment.
Each week they look forward to meeting Holly the instructor, and of course Gyp, Sam,
Truffles and Jack the lovely horses!
We have been really lucky to have a visit from a fantastic story-teller this term. The
children had an excellent time listening to, taking part in, and remembering the classic
Roald Dahl story “The Enormous Crocodile”. They were encouraged to dress up, become
characters and enjoy telling the story.
9-11TK Blue Zone’s Got Talent was great at Christmas!
Using our Kindness Calendar we decided to show others the different ways in which we
could be kind. Farron wanted to say thank you to Mr Bolton for always helping and caring
for him.
Others in the class decided to ……
Give up their place in the queue.
Make a card or a message for someone special.
Help a friend.
Donate to a charity.
Pick up litter.
Help their parent/carers to prepare a meal.
Offer hugs to loved ones and friends.
We had a wonderful time making the calendar.
In our PSHCE lessons we have been studying budgeting; learning about how we can
earn money and how we can save money to buy something we might like.
Quotes from the students
“Counting and adding up all the money we made in our fund-raising event was fun. We
had to sell things that we didn’t want any more to donate to charity.”
“Adding up the money was easier because we have been practising it in our lessons.”
11-12 SHG have been helping with Holocaust Memorial Day, which took place on the 26th
January 2018. Some students from Bradfields represented the academy in a
commemoration at Chatham Synagogue. They used banners in a visual display to show the
power of words, which is the theme for Holocaust Memorial Day this year.
11-12 SHG
11-12 SHG spent time measuring out segments for a giant patchwork quilt. They used a
variety of material that has been kindly donated by members of staff. They also had to
calculate how many segments they would need to cut out in coloured fabric. But to
complicate matters further they had to measure out enough segments of blue fabric to
spell the word “hope”. They did this with enthusiasm and energy and cut out enough pieces
of fabric for the quilt, which was presented at the memorial event on Friday 26th January
as seen by local VIPs including the Mayor.
Busy Times For 13-14LBi
This term the students have been very busy in a
wide range of activities. This has included travel
training, Young Drivers and even goat herding at
Hadlow College!
14GK On Wednesday 24th January it was our turn to present the Blue Zone assembly.
The character strength this week was Honesty.
We created our own version of the panel show ‘Would I lie to you?’ to illustrate how easy it
is to be fooled by untruths. The students played the panel and had to read a statement.
Our audience then had to decide who might have been telling the truth or a lie. We also
told the story of the boy who cried wolf!
Our message was ‘Honesty is the best policy’.
Yellow Zone
Welcome to the Yellow Zone newsletter for Terms 2 and 3.
The build up to Christmas was very busy this year, with a number of different
events and activities taking place. Students took part in a variety of events and it
was lovely to see so many parents and carers at the afternoon tea.
Over the next few pages you will see some photos from the events and activities.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the following
email address – [email protected].
Thank you again for all your ongoing support for all the students in Yellow Zone.
Miss Bradbrook
Assistant Principal
Mrs Knott
Pastoral Manager
Afternoon Tea During one afternoon in December, students, parents & carers were treated to a variety
of stalls and Christmas activities to take part in. There were a large number of parents
and carers who attended and we even had to find additional seating this time! Thank you
all for your support on the afternoon.
We were lucky enough to have a theatre group attend on Friday 15th December. They put
on the pantomime Beauty and the Beast which the students really enjoyed. They took
part in all the songs and actions, as well as playing different parts of the pantomime. A
great performance enjoyed by all students.
Pantomime
Christmas Lunch Yet again students and staff were treated to a delicious Christmas dinner made by our
cooks, Jane and Marlene. Students enjoyed eating with their tutor groups and talking
about how they spend Christmas day in their homes.
Christingle On the last afternoon of term, students took part in a Christmas celebration. They all
participated in a performance of a Christmas song, poem or story. They then watched the
story of the nativity before taking part in the Christingle service.
A Special Visit On the last day of term, Yellow Zone students were treated to a very special visit.
Father Christmas popped in to talk to all the students and give them a little time to talk
about what they would like for Christmas. Some lovely suggestions were given; a few
being everyone to be happy and a few even suggested they were given a surprise.
Year 9 students have been taking part in Judo
sessions as part of their PE lessons during Terms 2
and 3. They have been learning a variety of new skills
linking the Judo morals and the Bradfields Character
strengths.
Some Year 9 students have now been invited to a
competition in March to further develop the skills
they have learnt. We would like to thank Caz and Eddie
for the fun sessions we have had together.
Competition Details:
KENT SCHOOLS JUDO ACADEMY:
The IPPON INVITATION TOURNAMENT 2018
Venue:
Main Hall, Greenacre Academy,
Bradfield’s Avenue, Chatham, Kent,
Date: Saturday 24 March 2018
Time: 09.30am
Year 9 Judo
Year 9 History Year 9 have started learning about the Holocaust as part of their study of the history of
the 20th century. They all wrote a postcard to Renie Inow as part of a Holocaust Memorial
Activity. She was a young Jewish girl who managed to escape persecution after her
parents sent her to Britain on the Kindertransport.
As part of their study, students have learnt about Jewish life and customs in Europe
before 1930’s. They have investigated features of the Jewish religion and have learnt
about some of the reasons for persecution and the Holocaust. The pictures below show a
group of students engaged in an activity to help them understand Jewish culture in
Eastern Europe. They are using salt dough to recreate Jewish wedding pies and are
including Jewish symbols like the star of David.
Mrs E. Halton Mrs S Fernandez
Assistant Principal Red Zone Pastoral Manager
I hope you enjoy reading about the variety of events Red Zone students have taken part in
over the last two terms.
Upcoming Events
On Friday 9th March the winners of the poster competition will have there posters
displayed along the South Eastern stations and have been invited to the launch.
On Friday 23rd March, the academy will be taking part in the Sport Relief mile run around
the academy grounds. A letter will follow shortly to highlight more about this worthwhile
event.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the following email
address – [email protected].
Thank you again for all your ongoing support for all the students in Red Zone.
Red Zone Red Zone
Afternoon Tea Thank you to all who attended Red and Green Zone afternoon tea on Thursday 25th January,
it was a joy to see so many of you attend. The students and staff always appreciate the
support shown by Parent and Carers.
I am sure you will agree that the students work hard to make everyone feel welcome and do
a great job serving drinks and cake.
We hope you found the NCS and Infinity Life Skills CIC stands helpful.
Please no not hesitate to contact us if you need any further information.
We look forward to seeing you at our next Coffee morning on 14th March 2018.
MoveForward
My name is Kayleigh and I am a Progression Coach for a programme called MoveForward.
MoveForward gives young people the opportunity to develop skills, build confidence and gain
new experiences to support them to transition into employment.
I will be supporting a group of students from Year 9 to Year 14, working with them each
week, either individually or in groups and will arrange activities out of school.
There will be opportunities for students to access work experience, volunteering
opportunities and insight days at different workplaces.
Bradfields Academy are back at the Nucleus Arts Centre in Chatham for this
year’s stunning art exhibition.
Local artist Nick Evans has described the Bradfields Show as “The highlight of
the year” and he has generously offered to fund our gallery hire!
We are very excited about this year’s show and we do hope you will be able to
come along to see the student’s amazing work. The exhibition will run from 29th
June until 3rd July.
Mrs E. Halton Mr D. Tullett
Assistant Principal Pastoral Manager
Happy new year to you all.
Since returning after Christmas we have been very busy with many different
activities and events happening for both students and staff. As an academy, we
have recently taken part in the Holocaust Memorial Day, where students were able
to listen to the daughter of a survivor of Auschwitz and also watch a film that
covered the harsh realities of what went on at these camps.
Diary dates - Our next parents and carers evening for our current Year 13
students will be held on Tuesday 20th February at 5.30pm. This will be an
opportunity for you to discuss with the subject teachers your child’s progress as
well as discussing and choosing their timetable for Year 14. The Parent and Carer
evening for our current Year 12 and 14 students will be held on Tuesday 27th March
at 5.30pm.
On Friday 23rd March, the academy will be taking part in the Sport Relief mile run
around the academy grounds. A letter will follow shortly to highlight more about
this worthwhile event.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us using the following
email address – [email protected].
Thank you again for all your ongoing support for all the students in Green Zone.
Green Zone Green Zone
13-14EB Tutor Group
At the end of last term we were announced as winners of the Christmas Classroom
competition which was just reward for the hard work that the group put in to the
decorations. The students made decorations to go with the Carol ‘The 12 Days of
Christmas’. We put the decorations for each of the 12 days on the end of each
isle and had the carol as the background of a PowerPoint presentation, containing
pictures of the students making the decorations, playing on the board when the
judging was taking place.
The students are all looking forward to the Bowling trip that we have won which
will take place in the near future.
Below shows the effort that went in to the Christmas Classroom competition.
Visit to St Philip and St
James’ Church KS5 Programme One students had a wonderful time visiting the local church, St Philip and
St James, King George Road, Chatham Tuesday 23rd January. Students practised their
travel safety and road safety walking to the church.
At the church students and staff were greeted by Richard Read, the church’s family and
children’s worker.
Students had a wonderful time singing songs and learning actions, playing a butterfly race
game and making smiley whistles. The students ended their visit playing a colourful
parachute game with balls and numbers.
This work will help the students to meet their AQA Unit Award course criteria as they
visit a local church and meet with Christians and people within a church. The opportunity
also helps students to learn about different people and places within their community and
learn about different cultures and beliefs.
KS5 – History Asdan This term students in KS5 have been learning about the history of the British Empire.
Students have to cover 6 units during the course including local history and world history.
In these pictures students are playing a game they have made. They completed research on
different countries that were once part of the British Empire such as India, Canada and
Australia. They investigated some of the problems affecting British people as well as some
of the advantages which included being attacked by bears but getting rich after finding
gold and silver. They wrote out action cards using the information they had found out and
then tried to survive their journey into the British Empire. Students will carry on this
term looking at heroes of the British Empire such as Lord Nelson as well as cooking and
eating some Empire recipes from India and Africa.
Students reach Indoor
Rowing Finals
Congratulations to the Green Zone indoor rowing team who qualified for the Kent Schools
Finals.
This is the third year in a row that a team has qualified for the final and this year the team
returned as reigning champions.
The team travelled to Medway Park and showed great technique, fantastic team spirit and a
determination to try their best. They were rewarded with second place finishes in the
individual competition and team gold in the relay event. Well done!
Students hit their way to
success Congratulations to the Green Zone table cricket team who have qualified for the county
finals. Table cricket is a modified game played on a table tennis table.
The team have been practising their skills each week and improving their tactical
understanding.
The students will travel to the St. Lawrence Ground, home of Kent Cricket Club on Tuesday
6th February. Good luck to all involved!
Merits for Movies Green Zone students have been collecting their well-deserved merits and replacing
them at the end of the week with a complimentary DVD and a bag of popcorn.
This is a new scheme which we are trying out at the moment as an incentive for
students to earn more merits for good work and effort.
The idea is that whoever has earnt the most merits per form at the end of the
week will then get to choose a DVD from our growing library and a bag of
homemade popcorn to take home and enjoy.
The DVD must be returned after the weekend so we can continue with this idea.
If anyone has any old dvds we would be very grateful if you would like to donate
them to our scheme. They must be certificate 12 and under. Many Thanks.
Our winners so far have been:
Jack, Lauren, Lucy, Ellie, Louise, Owen, Trinity, Manisha, Taylan, Abdul, Charlotte,
Daniel, James, Jack, Ryan, Ellie, Mazdon and Nick.
IXL MATHS SOFTWARE
PACKAGE With IXL, maths is more than just numbers. With unlimited
questions, engaging mathematical topics, and real-world
scenarios, IXL helps learners experience maths at its most
mesmerising!
IXL is being made available to all Bradfields students for use
both within the Academy and at home. All students are being
given a Username and Password which allows them to access the
entire IXL package. Many of our students are already taking
advantage of enhancing their maths skills at home. The software
allows teachers to see their students activity and progress at
home including skills practised, time taken and any areas for
improvement. This allows teachers to further personalise the
learning within their lessons.
MATHS WORKSHOP FOR
PARENTS & CARERS Bradfields Academy Maths Department run a
workshop for Parents/Carers once a fortnight on a
Wednesday. The workshop commences at 2.15 and runs
for 45 minutes. The aim of the workshop is to discuss
mathematical topics and concepts in order to share
how Mathematics is taught within the Academy.
During each workshop parents/carers are provided
with a resource pack to share with their child at home.
The aim of the workshop is to enhance Academy and
Parent/Carer partnership and share valuable
resources and information which allows parents and
carers to support their child with home learning.
Our aim is for parents/carers to gain a better understanding of how Maths is taught,
therefore enabling them to assist children with their studies at home. It is recognised that
an essential part of
the learning process is through close partnership between teachers and parents/carers.
The Maths team are committed to ensuring that all learners achieve their full potential and
we fully embrace the interests and needs of all students.
For further details please contact Mrs Stacey Hicks, Subject Leader Mathematics on
01634 683990.
ENGLISH WORKSHOP
FOR PARENTS & CARERS Bradfields Academy English Department run a workshop
for Parents/Carers once a fortnight on a Friday. The
workshop commences at 11.25am and runs for 45
minutes. The aim of the workshop is to discuss English
topics and concepts in order to share how English is
taught within the academy. During each workshop
parents/carers are provided with a resource pack to
share with their child at home. The aim of the workshop
is to enhance academy and Parent/Carer partnership and
share valuable resources and information which allows
parents and carers to support their child with home
learning.
Bradfields Academy would like to inform you of a further development in our drive to
improve Literacy across Medway. From next term, we will be starting the Bradfields
Bookbinders Reading Club. After the massive success of Buster’s Book Club with our
students we are beginning a Book Club for adults to meet, read together, discuss together
and do a wide variety of activities together in an informal and social setting.
It is also a wonderful opportunity for those that simply have a passion for reading, writing
and the spoken language to share that interest with like-minded adults in a supportive and
social manner.
These sessions are available to everyone within the community, not
just parents, carers and siblings. Anyone would be welcome so please
join us in sharing this information to everybody you know. The
sessions will initially run on a Friday morning (11.25-12.20) here at
Bradfields or on a Thursday evening (5.30-7.00pm) as part of new
Adult Education Centre. There will be an initial meeting/get together
for anyone interested in attending the sessions on Thursday 1st
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March beginning at 6pm or Friday 2nd March beginning at 11.30am but please feel free to
contact me in advance with any questions.
For further details please contact Mr Danny Garbutt, Subject Leader for English on:
01634 683990.
Dear Parent & Carers,
Bradfields Academy would like to inform you of an exciting development in our drive to improve
Literacy across Medway. From next term, we will be opening our Bradfields Adult Education
Centre to the community for evening classes. At first, we will specifically be focusing on English
with a wide variety of levels available to study but hope to include other subjects/courses in the
near future.
The evening classes are specially designed for adults (18+) of any age to have an opportunity to
develop their key English skills and gain access to the qualifications they may not have achieved
in the past but are keen to study now. It is also a wonderful opportunity for those that simply
have a passion for reading, writing and the spoken language to share that interest with like-
minded adults in a supportive and social manner.
There will be a number of qualifications on offer including:
Entry Level English (AQA ELC Gold & Silver Award)
GCSE English Language (Exam Summer 2019)
GCSE English Literature (Exam Summer 2019)
A Level English Literature (Exam Summer 2020)
Course costs will be kept to a minimum to encourage as many people as possible to access these
classes and for anyone that has not achieved a Grade 4 (C) in the past at English Language,
examination costs are free.
These courses are available to everyone within the community, not just parents, carers and
siblings. Anyone that wants to develop their English skills/qualifications would be welcome so
please join us in sharing this information to everybody you know. The sessions will initially run
on a Thursday evening (5.30-7.00pm) for this year with Saturday workshops available next year
as exams near. We will also be incorporating our Bookbinders Reading Group into the sessions
for those that are interested. There will be an initial meeting/get together for anyone
interested in attending the courses on Thursday 1st March beginning at 6pm. Please feel free to
contact me in advance with any questions.
Yours sincerely
Mr D Garbutt
(Subject Leader for English)
Bradfields Academy
Adult Education Centre
Following the launch of the Home Learning Life Skills booklet, we wanted to clarify a few points
following feedback and a meeting we have had with parents/carers at the recent Parent &
Careers forum.
Primary: To continue with their reading.
KS3: English and maths will continue to set home learning. All other home learning will be from
the home learning booklet that the students can work on throughout the year at their own
pace.
KS4 and KS5: English and maths will continue to set home learning. Students will get additional
home learning from their option subjects which will need to be returned. Students will continue
to work through the home learning booklets at their own pace completing the skills that are
most relevant to them.
Other points to clarify:
- If your son/daughter is not studying that specific subject in the booklet then they do
not need to attempt those parts if they do not want to.
- The students can go through the home learning booklet in any order, as it fits in with
them and their family.
- The Home learning life skills will be reviewed at events as listed in the back of the
booklet.
- If students wish, they can bring in a photograph of themselves completing life skills
from the booklet, or write a note in the student planner so these achievements can be
celebrated in assemblies.
Further Life Skills for students to work on at home:
- Talk about crossing the road safely, try this skill with an adult
- Use a pedestrian crossing
- Talk about making an emergency phone call – 999
- Talk about Fire safety in the home and your house fire escape routes/procedures
Thank you for your continued support and we hope the students are enjoying working through
their booklets.
Home Learning
Information for
Bradfields Breakfast Club Why not encourage your children to come and join us at
Breakfast Club each day. It is led by Miss Bentley and
Mrs Pattison. Both staff have enhanced DBS and are first
aid trained.
Opening Times: 8:00am–8:45am (Monday to Friday, Term time
only)
(No responsibility can be taken for children arriving before
8:00am)
Venue: Breakfast Club Room – Lower Site
A filling breakfast is provided, including a choice of cereal, toast, crumpets, pancakes, with
a selection of spreads, fruit, milk, fruit juice, yogurt or water.
Your child will have the opportunity to complete homework, take part in various activities
and games, which include arts and crafts, Jenga, Table Football and Lego.
A record is kept of all medical conditions including allergies and
dietary needs. Parents and Carers will be responsible for
updating this information when necessary.
The club will follow all Academy policies including Behaviour,
Child Protection and Health and Safety, copies available on
request. The club will observe the OFSTED standards of care
or can be accessed via the website.
Price: £2.00 per session, to be paid at the start of each week or daily. Payment should be
handed to the breakfast club co-ordinators on arrival.
Please note: If payment is not received, your child will not be able to attend breakfast club
until the outstanding balance is cleared.
Any complaints should be made following the guidelines on the academy’s policy for
complaints procedure, also available on request or can be accessed via the website.
Any compliments can be given either verbally or in writing to the Breakfast club co-
ordinators or the Principal.
We Are On Facebook
How to Like our Page
Log in to your Facebook Account
Type “Bradfields Academy” into the search bar
Find the page with the Bradfields Academy logo
Click on the Like Button, or click on the Bradfields
Academy Link, and this will take you to the page.
Our aim is to further communicate with Parents/Carers and the local community to provide
the latest news and information in an easy and accessible manner.
On the page you will find:
The latest Academy news
Latest Events – to provide dates and times of events
Information regarding any closures due to weather
Photos from events that have taken place
If you wish to comment on statuses then you are more than welcome.
If you do comment, then please keep it in a general manner and do not mention student
names or staff names, as these comments will be removed for safeguarding reasons.
We ask that you do not use bad language, such as swearing/abusive/argumentative language
when commenting on the page.
Name a school star!Do you know a person or team of people who are making a real difference to the success of your school? Now is the time to nominate them for the 2018 Kent Teacher of the Year Awards.
Whether the nominee is a teacher, school caretaker, volunteer reader or leading light in the PTA, these awards will celebrate how their work makes a difference to your school community.
Nominations deadline: March 1, 2018Enter your nomination online at:
kentteacheroftheyear.co.uk
At Bradfields Academy we have a very successful Guide unit of over
30 Guides; in order to allow the girls to get the most from Guiding
we are intending to split the unit and form Bradfields Rangers. In
order to do this we need more leaders.
We are looking for people to help on Thursday or Friday afternoons
from 3.15pm – 5.00pm at Bradfields Academy, Churchill Avenue,
Chatham.
You need to be:
over 18yrs
Male or female
Reliable
Patient
Enthusiastic
Prepared to undergo DBS checking
Prepared to participate in an informal interview
There will be the opportunity for female leaders to work towards
the Girlguiding Leadership qualification
This is a voluntary position.
If you would like to know more or feel that you would like to join this
winning team please contact Margaret Brook at the Academy
Telephone: 01634 683990
E-mail [email protected]
Opportunities to volunteer
and make a difference
You can now make payments online for things like dinner money and trips. Paying for items online is
quicker and easier for you, safer for children and more efficient for us.
The system is called School Gateway – and it’s available for you to use now providing we have your
email address and mobile telephone number.
1. Go to www.schoolgateway.com
2. When you visit the School Gateway website for the first time, please select ‘New User’ and
enter your email address and mobile telephone number you have registered with the
academy.
3. The system will send a PIN code to your phone; please enter this PIN code and your account
will be activated for you.
As soon as you’ve got the system set-up, you’ll be able to pay money to the academy online rather
than send cash or cheques.
In addition to payments you can also access your child’s timetable and attendance information.
Online Payments
Bradfields SUPPORT GROUP 2017 - 2018
10am – 11am
An opportunity to have a coffee and talk to us about any
issues you may be experiencing
Wednesday 6th September 2017
Wednesday 4th October 2017
Wednesday 8th November 2017
Wednesday 6th December 2017
Wednesday 10th January 2018
Wednesday 7th February 2018
Wednesday 7th March 2018
Wednesday 2th May 2018
Wednesday 13th June 2018
Wednesday 4th July 2018
For further information please contact Emma McGregor-Davies or
Kelly Pope.
Are you entitled to Free School Meals but don’t claim?
Did you know… just registering your child for Free School Meals means that the school
gets extra money?
The Government gives money to schools to help children from
lower income families do their very best. This funding is called
a ‘Pupil Premium’.
With this money we could further support and increase
opportunities for Teaching & Learning, social development and work related learning for
such students.
How does it work?
First check you qualify – it is not just if you are unemployed.
Registering is really quick and easy.
If you want your child to have a free, healthy meal at lunchtime that’s great –
they will get a free meal and save you money, plus the school also gets extra
money.
To see a full list of qualifying benefits, and get an application form, go to:
www.medway.gov.uk/schoolsandeducation/schoolmeals/applyforfreeschoolmeals
or, contact us and we can send a form home with your child.
If you are already registered for Free School Meals you do not need to do anything
further.
Moving House If you are moving house or need to make changes to your child’s
transport arrangements, you must first speak to Medway SEN
Department on 01634 306000. The transport company or driver do
not have the authority to make any changes without permission from
Medway Council.
As changes can take a few days to arrange you should ensure you give plenty of notice
beforehand.
Do not forget to also let us know of any changes to your address or telephone numbers.
Free School Meals
Butlins - Donate to Bradfields 2018 promises to be a big year for Butlin's
family breaks with lots of incredible new
entertainment just announced including Justin
Fletcher and Mr Bloom, and returning for
another year they have Stephen Mulhern,
Diversity and more!
Our PTFA can now receive donations whenever
you book a holiday with Butlin’s.
By using the code BRAD1, when visiting
www.butlins.com/pta, the PTFA will receive a donation from Butlin’s, at no extra cost to
you.
To make sure that the code has been applied, it is recommended that you use the web
address as above and follow the instructions given.
Please see our EasyFundraising page for more information on how you can donate to the
academy through your online shopping, at no extra cost to you.
https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/bradfieldsacademy/
A guide can be found further into the newsletter on how to set yourself up on
EasyFundraising and how to use it.
Join, shop and raise here:
easyfundraising.org.uk/bradfieldsacademy
Did you know that whenever you buy anything online - from your weekly shop to
your annual holiday - you could be collecting free donations for Bradfields
Academy?
There are over 3,000 shops and sites on board ready to make a donation,
including Amazon, John Lewis, Aviva, the Trainline and Sainsbury's – it does not
cost you a penny extra!
It's as easy as 1, 2, 3...
1. Head to https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/bradfieldsacademy
and join for free.
2. Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you
want and start shopping.
3. After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to your good
cause for no extra cost whatsoever!
There are no catches or hidden charges and Bradfields Academy will be really
grateful for your donations.
Thank you for your support.
Term Dates
Term Open Close
1 Mon 4th Sept 2017 Fri 20th Oct 2017
2 Thurs 2nd Nov 2017 Weds 20th Dec 2017
3 Thurs 4th Jan 2018 Fri 9th Feb 2018
4 Tues 20th Feb 2018 Thurs 29th March 2018
5 Mon 16th April 2018 Thurs 24th May 2018
(Nb. May Day is on Monday 7th May 2018 –
Academy is closed on this day)
6 Tues 5th June 2018 Tues 24th July 2018
Training Days (Academy Closed to students)
Fri 1st Sept 2017 Weds 1st Nov 2017 Weds 3rd Jan 2018
Fri 25th May 2018 Mon 4th June 2018
Dates for Academic Year 2017-18
