CultureDale celebrations hailed as huge success as 100,000 take part
Plus, sharp rise in home schooling numbers across Calderdale
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
I hope you’re having a cracking Bank Holiday weekend so far and you’ve been able to get out and about in this brilliant weather.
There’s been so much going on across the borough this weekend that it serves as a great reminder as to just how brilliant Calderdale is!
And in today’s edition, we’ve got the story behind the brilliant CultureDale celebrations - the year-long programme of events to mark Calderdale’s 50th birthday!
Plus, we look at the rise in home schooling across the borough.
So, on with the news…
Council hail impact of CultureDale celebrations across borough
Calderdale’s year-long CultureDale celebrations have been hailed a huge success with more than 100,000 people taking part in events.
The council’s Year of Culture programme launched in April 2024, to mark the borough’s 50th year.
And while full data will be available in the next couple of months, early analysis from Calderdale Council shows that there was more than 550 events, 135 projects, 82 volunteers, over 1000 volunteer hours, more than 100,000 event participants.
Highlights of the celebrations included The People’s Park Festival where more than 11,000 people enjoyed a weekend of cultural celebration, with music, film and food.
The borough also saw the visit of Little Amal, the internationally acclaimed 12-foot puppet of a 10-year old refugee girl, which brought a message of hope to Halifax and helped raise awareness of the experiences of refugees.
Todmorden Town Hall’s spectacular 150th anniversary celebrations - which included a stunning film being projected onto the side of the listed building - The Anne Lister Memorial Weekend, which welcomed visitors from as far as Australia and the USA, and the CultureDale BEACONS project in Brighouse, Halifax and Todmorden were also part of the programme.
Cllr Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: “What a fantastic year we’ve had! The Year of Culture has wowed a diverse range of people from across the borough, country and even the world.
“It has showcased the talent, creativity and distinctiveness that make Calderdale special, it has strengthened relationships with communities, artists, performers and creative professionals, and has paved the way for culture to play an even bigger part in Calderdale’s future.”
Coun Durrans also highlighted the fact that there’s still plenty to come across the borough this year including festivals, fairs, the Piece Hall events programme, the English Chamber Orchestra’s Lark Ascending concert in June and another People’s Park Festival in August.
The CultureDale celebrations were funded by Calderdale Council, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Arts Council England, National Lottery Heritage Fund and UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Home schooling figures double in four years
Additional reporting by the LDRS’ John Greenwood
The number of parents choosing to educate their children at home in Calderdale has almost doubled in four years.
According to a report by Calderdale Councl Cabinet member for Children and Young People’s Services, Coun Adam Wilkinson, there are currently 691 home-educated children across the borough.
The report said 49 of them were subject to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) and 191 received special educational needs support.
These compare to 2023-24 figures of 578 children being educated at home (37 on EHCPs and 165 receiving special educational needs support), while figures for 2022-23 revealed 491 pupils being educated at home (21 on EHCPs and 122 receiving special educational needs support).
In 2021-22, there were 385 children being educated at home (12 on EHCPs and 72 receiving special educational needs support).
Coun Wilkinson was also updating Cabinet colleagues on the procedures for electing to home educate.
All new referrals are delegated to the locality’s education and welfare officer, who makes an initial contact to ensure the parent has not been coerced by the school – a school meeting is offered if the reason for elective home education is due to school-based issues.
The council’s elective home education officer then contacts parents with advice and guidance and allows a three-month period for the parent to demonstrate suitable education is taking place.
All special education needs and disabilities (SEND) referrals are co-worked between the relevant SEND officer and the elective home education officer – a removal from school roll is not authorised until joint contact has been made with the family by the elective home education officer in conjunction with the relevant SEND officer.
The latter is being trialled to ensure there is not an unnecessary delay in allowing a removal from roll for SEND children – this would be contrary to the Equality Act – but strives to ensure any removal from roll is an informed choice and in line with EHCP objectives, said Coun Wilkinson.
That’s it for this edition!
I hope you have a good rest of the Bank Holiday weekend and are able to enjoy some of the brilliant activities happening today and tomorrow.
I’ll be heading down to Todmorden to catch some more of the wonderful Tod Folk Festival and (hopefully) some sunshine!
So, until Wednesday…
Andrew