St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, in West Bowling, is celebrating an exciting new chapter in their journey as they join Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust (BDAT) on 1st March 2025.
The primary school, which supports 400 pupils aged four to 11, decided to join the Trust following a rigorous selection process. School leaders said BDAT’s family ethos, strong track record of providing additional support for pupils and professional development for staff, as well as its closely aligned vision and values made it an excellent fit for the school.
As part of the school’s curriculum, pupils are encouraged to achieve their best and love learning, supported by high expectations and tailored support from teachers. Pupils can also take part in a broad range of extra-curricular activities including music, art, and sports clubs, and a pupil parliament, fostering pupil voice and encouraging children to explore their passions beyond the classroom.
Throughout the conversion process, St Matthew’s has been working closely with BDAT schools to begin sharing best teaching and learning practice, coming together as colleagues to ensure all children in Bradford have access to the best educational opportunities.
Linda Hillier, Headteacher at St Matthew’s, said she was “delighted” to become a part of a group of schools which provides close-knit support for pupils and teachers whilst appreciating the importance of St Matthew’s unique and distinct school identity.
The school said it has already seen the “benefits of shared resources, greater collaboration, and a collective vision” in ensuring every young person receives the very best quality of education. Moving forward, the school is excited to tap into the network of support and expertise at BDAT, as it drives forward continued improvement across the school.
Linda Hillier, Headteacher at St Matthew’s C of E Primary School, said:
“We are beyond delighted to be joining BDAT’s family – we already feel so warmly welcomed by all the central team and staff in other schools and we’re really excited to see what the future brings. It has been great to already see the benefits of shared resource, greater collaboration, and a collective vision as we work together to continue to foster a happy and exciting educational experience for all our pupils.
“I would like to thank each of our pupils, staff members, parents and the wider community for their continued support as we begin an exciting new chapter of our journey.”
Carol Dewhurst OBE, Chief Executive Officer at Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, said:
“We are pleased to welcome St Matthew’s into the BDAT family and are really excited about the unique experience and learning they bring to our schools.
“We’ve been working in close partnership with the whole school community over the past year to share our support and expertise as part of this journey. We are now looking forward to building on this as we empower every child to grow and flourish during their time at school.”