Start of Autumn Term
Living Well Schools Newsletter
Welcome back and wishing you all a great start to the 25/26 academic year.
Article 1: Living Well Schools Update from Mandy Lakes
Article 2: Snack-tember 2025 - British Nutrition Foundation
Article 3: Veg Power – 25/26 Campaigns
Article 4: National Education Nature Park – Programme & Grants
Article 5: Launch of Living Well Schools Climate Action Page
Article 6: Focus on uniform
Article 7: Emotionally-Based School Avoidance
Article 8: Living Well Schools Staff CPD
Article 9: Bradford Girl Power Cohort 2
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Living Well Schools Update from Mandy Lakes
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Living Well Schools has lots of exciting changes for the new academic year!
I’d like to introduce myself as the new Team manager for Living Well Settings which includes Schools, Workplaces and Community. As a previous head of an Independent School in Bradford I am excited to be back in the realm of schools and here to support wherever possible.
Our offer was previously primary school focused but we are now extending to incorporate secondary schools. Your lead will be reaching out to introduce themselves. Over the summer we have been busy updating the website, ensuring it is appropriate for both primary and secondary schools. It is packed with resources and materials.
Our Secondary school grants have been awarded and our leads have been linked to successful schools by locality or theme. There is an underspend which will be going back out this term, with a focus on Keighley, Bingley and Shipley, to ensure we are reaching young people district wide. Please reach out to your lead if you are a secondary school in these areas as they can support.
We have also been busy growing our training offer for school staff – watch this space!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact: schools@mylivingwell.co.uk
For more information on the Living Well Schools offer:
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Snack-tember 2025 - British Nutrition Foundation |
Helping children and young people make and choose healthier, more sustainable snacks.
The aim of Snack-tember is to improve children and young people’s (aged 5-16 years) knowledge, skills, confidence and motivation, so that they can make and choose healthier, more sustainable snacks.
The British Nutrition Foundation will be providing information, activity ideas, recipes, posters and other exciting materials to help children and young people explore their current snacking choices, and learn about, make and try new snack options!
Throughout September 2025, children and young people will be supported to:
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Explore better snacking
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Try new snacks
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Make their own healthy snacks
Helping children and young people to choose and make snacks that have:
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MORE vegetables and fruit
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MORE wholegrains, beans and pulses
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LESS saturated fat, salt and sugars
These are key contributors to healthier, more sustainable snacking!
For more information and to register:
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Veg Power – 25/26 Campaigns |
Inspiring kids to love vegetables!
Veg Power's mission is to inspire kids to love vegetables and to share that joy with their parents today and their own children tomorrow. Aiming to lead to an increase in nutrition education in children, families, and teachers and subsequently increased vegetable intake.
Please see below Veg Power's campaigns for 25/26, that your primary school can get involved in and register your interest:
On-boarding by September 25:
Funding deadline, 31st October 2025:
Funding deadline, 31st December 2025:
Continuous:
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact: schools@mylivingwell.co.uk
For more information:
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National Education Nature Park – Programme & Grants |
Children and young people are leading the way creating a network of green spaces at schools, nurseries and colleges across England.
The National Education Nature Park Programme empowers children and young people to lead the way in making a positive difference to both their own and to nature’s future, through connecting to nature while developing vital skills and boosting biodiversity. From digging ponds and building green walls, to mapping and caring for their spaces, they make improvements to make the ‘grey’ areas a little bit greener. Every small act makes a big impact, by monitoring wildlife on their sites, seeing the collective difference they are making on an online map and contributing to scientific research on nature recovery.
The National Education Nature Park Grant Funding for the 2025 to 2026 academic year is available to 1,010 new settings, including 13 schools and nurseries across Bradford. Eligible settings who fulfil the application criteria may receive up to £5,000 and will be able to apply from September 2025.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact: YorkshireNaturePark@rhs.org.uk
For more information on the NENP programme:
For more information on NENP grant funding:
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Launch of Living Well Schools Climate Action Page |
Your one-stop page for all things climate action!
The Climate Action page is dedicated to supporting schools in making meaningful steps towards environmental sustainability, integrated into health and wellbeing for children and young people.
On this page, you can find:
- DfE guidance on developing a Climate Action Plan
- Links to quality-assured providers
- Guidance to launching your Eco efforts
- Eco-Council Resources
- Case studies
This guidance supports schools in recognising the dual value of Eco Councils as drivers of environmental action and as a structured platform for pupil voice. It brings together climate action, wellbeing and pupil-led responses to social challenges.
The resources help embed sustainability into school policies, link climate themes across the curriculum, and foster a culture of greener habits. Central to this approach is empowering pupils through Eco Councils, enabling them to lead sustainability projects and influence school decisions.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact: schools@mylivingwell.co.uk
To start your Eco journey:
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Focus on uniform |
As a new term starts so does the cost of providing uniform, which continues through the academic year.
Uniformley
Parents - Sell outgrown school uniform items to other parents at your child’s school and cut costs by buying items for your children too.
School and PTA’s - Sell or give away donated uniform items to your parents, put your pre-loved school uniform shop online with Uniformerly.
For more information:
Incommunities tenants
For anyone who rents from Incommunities you can get help with the cost of school uniforms over the academic year of 25/26. Vouchers can be spent at major supermarkets and shops across the Bradford district. No qualifying criteria – the help is for all customer who rent from Incommunities.
For more information:
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact: schools@mylivingwell.co.uk
Other useful links and support:
The Children’s Society:
Sals Shoes:
Action for Sport:
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Emotionally-Based School Avoidance |
The Educational Psychology Team have published their 2025/26 dates for EBSA
The start of the school year can be a trigger point for attendance difficulties, so having good awareness and clear processes in schools is important. Intervening early with compassion makes a huge difference and the EBSA (Emotionally-Based School Avoidance) guidance is a useful resource to share with staff.
Attend the Guidance Implementation Training to feel more confident with using the guidance and implementing a whole school approach. Book a place by clicking on the date you would like to attend:
Educational Psychology will also be delivering workshops on the most pertinent themes that are raised in relation to emotional barriers to attendance. Use the links below to book early:
With schools and families where there are on-going concerns about attendance despite following the EBSA Guidance, Educational Psychology offer free fortnightly consultations. These are available to book on Skills 4 Bradford (search EBSA).
Parent/carer groups are also available for families:
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Term
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Dates
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Location
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Autumn 1
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1, 8, 15, 22 Oct
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Shipley Library
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Autumn 2
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12, 19, 26 Nov, 3 Dec
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Online
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Spring 1
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14, 21, 28 Jan, 4 Feb
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Barkerend Family Hub
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Spring 2
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4, 11, 18, 25 March
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Farcliffe Family Hub
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Summer 1
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29 Apr, 6, 13, 20 May
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Online
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Summer 2
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10, 17, 24 Jun and 1 July
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Reevy Family Hub
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For more information/flyers/application forms or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact:
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Living Well Schools Staff CPD |
This year Living Well Schools will be offering monthly online staff CPD
Look out for more information about our new monthly staff CPD sessions.
We’re kicking off September with:
- Online Safety for Schools
This session is aimed at those staff who work directly with parents and carers. Ayisha, one of our Digital Inclusion Officers, will be running two sessions on Tuesday 16th September. Choose either:
To secure your place (please state your preferred time) or if you have any questions, please contact:
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Bradford Girl Power Cohort 2 |
Call out to all Bradford Primary Schools!
After a successful first cohort involving 12 schools, Bradford Girl Power is back! This year there will be 24 fully funded spaces up for grabs (limited spaces available). Teams of five girls from year 5 will come together to learn about gender inequality in sport, and take part in their own research. They will then choose a local issue and deliver a project to redress the balance, empowering and inspiring other girls at their school.
The programme aims to highlight the importance of promoting girls' involvement in sports and physical activity within schools.
If you would like to book your primary school onto cohort 2 or you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact:
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Jamie Oliver 10 Skills Programme:
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Children and Young Peoples Vaping Survey:
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Co-creating Compassionate Secondary Schools:
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Sleep Support:
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National School Pantry Network – funding opportunity:
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