BROMLEY BILINGUAL SCHOOL
Information Pack for candidates for the role of Headteacher
Contents
Message from the Proposers
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What is a free school?
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About Bromley Bilingual School
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The vision and aims of Bromley Bilingual School
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The free school proposers
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Job description
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Person specification
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Appointment and remuneration
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How to apply
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Supporting the opening of the school
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
www.cfbt.com/schoolstrust
Message from the Free School Proposers
Dear Applicant,
Thank you for expressing your interest in the post of Principal Designate for a unique new bilingual
primary school Bromley, Kent. We hope that you will be as excited as we are by the potential for
enhancing life chances for all young people and the wider community in this area, and by the opportunity
to work with us in creating something new and radically different. Our Headteacher will take the lead in
developing and shaping this ground-breaking bilingual school in the heart of multicultural London, with the
support of a leading international education charity: CfBT Schools Trust (CST).
We are ambitious for Bromley Bilingual School and want it to become a beacon of excellence not only for
the local community and CST, but also for bilingual education in the UK and beyond. Children at Bromley
Bilingual School will be excited by the learning opportunities open to them, stretched and challenged to
succeed academically and personally, and confident in the care and respect of the whole school
community.
We are looking for a dynamic and imaginative school leader to create and inspire a high performing team
and to implement the educational vision of the proposers. The Headteacher will need to set high
expectations at every level, develop strategies to deliver an outstanding curriculum, build productive
partnerships with parents, other schools, agencies and stakeholders and relentlessly strive to ensure all
pupils are equipped to be successful lifelong learners.
If you feel that you have the vision, energy, and skills to establish this world-class learning environment
then we really look forward to receiving your application.
Yours sincerely
Anna Crispin
CST Director
Nathan Hardman
BBS Parent Group Lead
1.
What is a free school?
Free schools are all-ability, state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. Free schools in
England can be set up by a wide range of proposers, including parents, teachers, charities (such as
CST), businesses, universities, and religious or voluntary groups.
Proposers are required to undergo a rigorous application and selection process, overseen by the
Department for Education (DfE), and each year less than half of applications are believed to be approved.
The schools are established as academies, independent of local authorities and have increased control
over their curriculum, teachers’ pay and conditions, and the length of the school terms and days.
Free schools are funded on exactly the same basis as state schools in the UK, receiving an annual
revenue budget based on the number of pupils enrolled in the school. Additional start up costs are also
provided to the school in the early years.
Free schools are subject to inspections by Ofsted, just as other schools are. They are expected to
operate an inclusive, fair and transparent admissions policy. They cannot be selective, and must take part
in their locally co-ordinated admissions process. Parents can apply for a place at these schools in the
same way as they do for maintained (state) schools.
24 free schools opened in 2011, a further 55 in 2012, an additional 102 in 2013 and just over 100 have
been approved to open in 2014 including Bromley Bilingual School.
2.
About Bromley Bilingual School
Bromley Bilingual School will be an inclusive, non-denominational, dual language primary school teaching
children aged 4 to 11, from Reception to Year 6, in English and French.
The school plans to admit 50 children per year in two classes of 25 each. In 2014 we hope, subject to
demand, to admit two full classes into the Reception year and one class into each of Year 1 and Year 2.
At full capacity (by 2020 at the latest), our school will have 350 pupils.
Bromley Bilingual School will be a free school operated by CST under contract with the Secretary of State
for Education. Originally conceived by a parent proposer group based in Bromley, Kent, the school project
combines the founders’ passion and local knowledge with CST’s long track record in education,
especially the supporting of language teaching. The school will open in Bromley in September 2014.
As a new school not opening until September 2014, we currently do not have any confirmed premises for
our school. The Education Funding Agency (EFA), an agency of the Department for Education, is
responsible for securing suitable premises for Bromley Bilingual School in time for us to open as planned.
This may either be a temporary site which we would operate out of for the first year or two or a permanent
site which we could occupy from September 2014.
When we were approved in July we had already identified a number of potential buildings, and from the
work we have done so far since with the EFA since approval we expect by November 2013 to have a
fairly good idea of our likely location; and whether that would be our final or a temporary premises. Our
preferred location for the school is central Bromley as this is where the strongest cluster of our parent
supporters are.
We believe that our proposed dual language early immersion model and a strong grounding in academic
subjects will foster excellence. A stimulating, enjoyable environment will give pupils a foundation for lifelong learning, and allow them to develop important social and personal skills.
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
In an area of great social and economic diversity, our integrative approach will create opportunities for all
children and increase social mobility.
As an independent school within in the state sector, we can offer children an outstanding education,
exciting lessons delivered by gifted teachers recruited in the UK and from abroad, and a thorough
grounding in one of the main European languages alongside English.
3.
Vision for Bromley Bilingual School
Our School’s vision and ethos: “bilingual education for everyone”.
Young people today deserve an education that is; distinctive
and demanding; that helps them become citizens of the
world; and that opens up opportunities in higher
education, work, and society.
At the Bromley Bilingual Primary School, we offer something extra. Teaching
all children in two languages, our curriculum will promote:
• Academic excellence
• Social responsibility
• Personal development
Ethos of Bromley Bilingual School
We will teach all children at the school in both English and French, two of the world’s great languages of
literature, science, and public affairs.
Our focus on language will help children enjoy expressing themselves clearly and confidently, whatever
the situation.
Languages are fun and a launch-pad for strong learning in other subjects. We’ll promote excellence
across the curriculum.
We have an international, multilingual, and multi-cultural outlook. Whatever their cultural or ethnic
backgrounds, our pupils will become self-aware and culturally sensitive throughout their lives as they
encounter the cultures of the world.
We will encourage our pupils to be enquiring and curious, to relish the delight of discovering something
new, never to have learned enough. As teachers and pupils, we will always look for and realise potential.
We are demanding and will set high standards for our pupils, staff, and everyone connected with the
school. We expect children to achieve better than UK national benchmarks. We will encourage gifted
pupils to develop their talents and reach their full potential,
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
By always being available to talk with you about your child’s progress and school life, having regular
Parent-Teacher Evenings, and actively working with the Parent-Teachers Association, we will build close
partnerships with parents to help you support your children.
Within and outside school, we are committed to personal responsibility and good citizenship. We respect
everyone within a safe, caring, nurturing environment.
All children will acquire a strong sense of participation in an open society full of wonderful opportunities.
4.
The Free School Proposers
The project to form Bromley Bilingual School is being managed in partnership by CST as school sponsor
with the parent proposer team.
Bromley Bilingual School parent proposer group
Most of the parent proposer group are parents of young children growing up in Bromley. Passionate
about the life opportunities that bilingualism offers, they wanted to bring those benefits to their own
children and to the wider local community within the UK state system. The group brings a wealth of
experience to the Bromley Bilingual School team. Not only have they been instrumental in preparing
documentation for the DfE, but they will also be significantly involved in its implementation and future
management. Involvement during implementation will include regular meetings, representation in
interview panels, contribution to working groups. Once the school is open, members of the group will
serve on the school’s Governing Body, and on the Parent Forum and Parent-Teacher Association.
CfBT Schools Trust
CfBT Schools Trust (CST) is a multi-academy trust offering academies and free schools the ability to
maximise the freedoms and benefits that academy status brings without the isolation of being an
individual trust.
Through CST, academies and free schools enjoy the security of collaborative working in order to raise
standards and narrow the gap whilst divesting themselves of some of the risk associated with operating
alone. The trust works on collective shared responsibility, providing a supportive framework for weaker
schools while allowing outstanding and good schools to continue operating independently.
CST is a subsidiary of CfBT Education Trust, one of the world’s largest education charities. With more
than 40 years’ experience delivering educational consultancy and interventions which make a difference
to the lives of learners worldwide, CfBT Education Trust offers its expertise in school effectiveness and
improvement to the CST.
5.
Job description
The following job description is not exhaustive. It is expected that the Headteacher will be involved in
planning for the opening of Bromley Bilingual School and work closely with CST and the proposer group
to develop the role to reflect changing needs and demands.
We recognise that candidates from outside the UK may not be familiar with some of the legal and
customary requirements of this post. This is no bar to appointment and where necessary, CST will
provide the Headteacher with support to ensure regulatory compliance.
Core purpose
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
The core purpose of this role is to provide the professional leadership and management that will enable
Bromley Bilingual School to achieve its founding vision.
To achieve success, the Headteacher will:
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Provide strategic leadership and direction;
Lead and manage teaching and learning to secure the highest possible levels of attainment for all
pupils;
Set high expectations for everyone at, employed by, or connected with the school;
Effectively and efficiently deploy resources to achieve the school’s aims;
Evaluate school performance and identify priorities for continuous improvement;
Ensure effective and efficient day-to-day management of the school;
Secure the commitment of the wider community and encourage the involvement of parents and
carers;
Create a learning environment that is engaging, happy and fulfilling for all pupils;
Develop an innovative curriculum to effectively promote dual language learning;
Promote the school locally, nationally and internationally as a beacon of excellence, pioneering dual
language learning within the UK.
Key responsibilities
Strategic direction and shaping the future
The Headteacher will:
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Implement and embed the school’s international, language-focused ethos and values into everyday
work and practice;
Ensure that learning excellence is at the heart of strategic planning and resource management;
Enlist members of the school community to create a positive and stimulating learning environment;
Be responsible for Bromley Bilingual School’s management and the development of all its resources;
Plan the opening of Bromley Bilingual School and contribute to the design of any new or refurbished
buildings;
Advise CST and the local Governing Body on the formulation and implementation of policies;
Ensure that policies and practice takes account of national and local circumstances and initiatives.
Teaching and learning
The Headteacher will:
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Ensure that staff deliver a curriculum based on the vision;
Teach up to a 40% timetable – this is more likely to be necessary in the first few years of operation
and will depend on pupil numbers and the budget;
Ensure that teaching is of the highest quality;
Establish ambitious pupil targets and a consistent and continuous school-wide focus on pupils’
achievement, using data and benchmarks to monitor every pupil’s progress;
Set and maintain the expectation that all children who start at the school in Reception achieve at least
level 4b by the end of Key Stage 2 SATs unless they have an identifiable learning difficulty that
prevents this;
Implement strategies that secure high standards of behaviour and attendance;
Ensure pupils feel happy, safe, and supported, and that barriers to their learning and progress are
addressed or removed.
Leading and managing staff
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
The Headteacher will:
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Recruit and deploy staff and assist them in managing their workload to achieve the school’s vision
and goals, including those around increased PPA and CPD time for teachers;
Provide effective induction, continuing professional development and performance management in
line with Bromley Bilingual School’s strategic plans;
Design and implement a school development plan that will enable governors to monitor the school’s
performance and facilities;
Build an effective and efficient organisation within the CfBT family;
Be responsible for marketing the school.
Financial and facilities management
The Headteacher will:
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Manage Bromley Bilingual School’s financial and other resources for the maximum long-term benefit
of pupils;
Be responsible for Bromley Bilingual School’s buildings, equipment and grounds;
Contribute to the specification of any new facilities so that they will best support the objectives set out
in the educational vision for Bromley Bilingual School;
Ensure that the accommodation is designed and organised to promote well-being and high
achievement for everyone at Bromley Bilingual School;
Provide advice to the CST and Bromley Bilingual School Governing Body on the formulation of the
annual and projected yearly budget in order that the school secures its objectives and is managed in
a cost effective manner;
Ensure effective administration and audit control;
Be accountable for health and safety requirements.
Partnerships
The Headteacher will:
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Seek opportunities to invite parents and carers, community figures, religious leaders, businesses and
other organisations into the school to enrich pupils’ learning and contribute to the wider community;
Identify and develop partnerships and relationships with other local schools;
Secure links with other key partners who are supporting Bromley Bilingual School’s development;
Develop partnerships with one or more schools in French-speaking countries to enhance teaching
and travel opportunities for pupils;
Seek to develop partnerships with other dual language schools in the UK;
Collaborate with the local authority and other agencies to promote the well-being of pupils and their
families;
Work closely with CST and the Bromley Bilingual School governing body to ensure that Bromley
Bilingual School is a success that can be evidenced and reported quickly;
Work closely with other Academies and Free Schools sponsored by CST, and engage across other
areas of CfBT’s work.
We will seek, as soon as possible after appointment, to engage the Headteacher in the key decisions
needed to open the school in September 2014.
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
6.
Person specification
This section outlines the skills and experience against which candidates for this position will be assessed.
The selection panel will expect candidates to show knowledge and understanding of each area, and to
show how they have applied (or are aware of how to apply) this knowledge and understanding in contexts
relevant to Bromley Bilingual School. You should provide clear and objective evidence of how you meet
these requirements when completing your application. Short-listed candidates will be involved in a variety
of activities directly related to the Person Specification that will form part of the evidence base.
Items marked with an asterisk (*) are for convenience referred to in UK terms. An equivalent
overseas qualification or experience will be acceptable. Please provide relevant background
information for the selection panel to consider.
The panel will assess the following:
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Application form (A)
Interview meeting and interview day activities (I)
References and other pre-employment checks (R)
We may take up references for short-listed candidates before inviting to interview. Please therefore
provide names and contact details of two professional referees with your application.
Required Attributes
Desirable Attributes
A.
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Commitment to
Vision
Shares the founding vision and ethos
for this dual language free school: see
the school’s website and this
application pack
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Recent experience in a senior
management position in a primary
school setting
Experience successfully implementing
foreign language teaching in early
years/primary education settings
Experience managing people and
finances at a senior level
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University degree
Qualified Teacher in country where
professionally active
Recent and relevant professional
development
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B.
Experience
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C.
Education &
Qualifications
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www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
Assessed
by
A/I/R
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Experience developing community
and pupil involvement in schools
Experience successfully managing
the Ofsted* schools inspection
process
Experience of working in a dual
language setting
NPQH or equivalent
headteacher qualification
overseas
A/I/R
A
Required Attributes
D.
Strategic
direction &
Leadership
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E.
Management
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G.
Teaching &
Learning
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Desirable Attributes
Ability to think strategically and longterm
Ability to build and communicate a
coherent vision for an outstanding
school and empower others to carry it
forward
Proven track record in leading whole
school and individual performance
improvement strategies
Policy insight and ability to anticipate
trends in the UK schooling system and
approaches to dual language teaching
and learning
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Resilient in working with challenging
behaviours and attitudes
A/I
Ability to build teams to set,
communicate, and achieve relevant
collective objectives
Ability to prioritise and delegate, make
informed decisions, and implement
them sensitively and flexibly
Ability to make effective use of pupil
and school level data to evaluate all
aspects of school life and use evidence
generated as a tool for school
improvement
Ability to set budgets and control
expenditure in line with legal
requirements and the school’s priorities
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Secure understanding of health and
safety issues, risk management, and
the role of governors*
Familiarity with the legal requirements
that relate to managing a school,
including Equal Opportunities, Race
Relations, Disability, Human Rights,
Employment and Data Protection
legislation*
A/I/R
Experience managing monitoring and
evaluation strategies relating to: quality
of teaching and learning, pupil
outcomes, quality of provision and
efficiency
Ability to lead by example as an
excellent class teacher
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Commitment to continuous learning
for the entire school community
Awareness of debates / current
curriculum issues and educational
developments, legislative changes*
and their significance for the
management and leadership of a
primary (free) school
Ability to initiate and support research
based learning activities
A/I
A/I
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H.
Partnerships &
Community
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Ability to develop partnerships,
networks, and community consensus
over values, beliefs and shared
responsibilities
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Ability to build sponsor relationships
with corporations and individuals
I.
Other skills
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Excellent communication skills
(including written, oral and
presentation)
Fluent in English
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Fluent in French
Competent in ICT
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Assessed
by
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
A/I/R
Required Attributes
J.
Personal
attributes
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Enthusiasm for the chance to build a
new school, and driven to do what it
takes to succeed
Ability to deal sensitively with people
and achieve positive outcomes
Enquiring, independent thinker
Approachable, honest, reliable,
resilient; strong presence and highly
visible to students, parents/carers and
the wider community
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Desirable Attributes
Assessed
by
Keenness to develop and maintain
good and open relationships with
pupils, staff, parents, governors and
the community
A/I/R
CST is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and the Principal must ensure
that the highest priority is given to this. The successful candidate will be required to an enhanced DRB
check.
7.
Appointment and remuneration
We are determined to attract the right lead professional to Bromley Bilingual School School. In order to
achieve this we expect to be flexible over the terms of employment, depending on candidates’
opportunities and experiences. The position will attract an annual salary of between L13 and L17
(£57,445 to £62,6401) depending on experience, and there will be flexibility to negotiate terms within the
financial and educational constraints of the school and its budget. There is an expectation that a full time
Headteacher will have a moderate teaching commitment (up to 40%), especially in the first few years.
The appointment will be made by CST as Employer, ideally to begin from Easter 2014. There is flexibility
to negotiate this. The Trust is able to offer the successful candidate access to the Teachers’ Pension
Scheme (TPS).
The selection process will be undertaken by CfBT, with the support of their partners (Bromley Bilingual
School Parent Group). Due to the tight timescales between approval and opening of a free school, and
until the school’s funding agreement is signed, the initial contract will run up to April 2015. Once the
school’s funding agreement is signed by the Secretary of State a new permanent contract will be issued
by CfBT.
8.
How to apply
Please complete the CST application form provided and submit together with a personal statement of no
more than two A4 pages, detailing why you believe you are the right person to fill this position. Please
ensure you refer to the person specification sent within this application pack when preparing your
statement and provide objective evidence.
1
The salary range shown is set on the basis of the net cost of employment usual in the UK system for a
position of this level and in a school of this size (Group 2 once full). Where a candidate wishes to
negotiate other pension or benefits levels, we would expect to adjust the base salary to keep the total
employment cost within our budget.
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk
Completed applications should be emailed to recruitment@cfbt.com to arrive no later than 10.00am
Friday 4 October 2013.
Interview assessment timetable for shortlisted candidates
Shortlisted candidates will be advised by Tuesday 8 October 2013.
Interviews will take place at Bromley United Reformed Church, 20 Widmore Road, Bromley, Kent BR1
1RY. Shortlisted applicants will receive further details nearer the time. CST will reimburse reasonable
travel costs.
Pre-interview activities during the week beginning 14 October 2013
You will be asked to:
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Interact with pupils at Judith Kerr Primary School, for example in a small group discussion, leading an
assembly and/or teaching a lesson.
Interviews will take place on Monday 21 October 2013.
You will meet two panels considering different aspects of the school’s requirements in this appointment.
The final interview day will also include a presentation task, which you will be able to prepare for in
advance, a data analysis task and a teaching and learning assessment activity.
Decision and announcement
Candidates will be advised of the outcome of the interviews and selection process no later than 25
October 2013.
Questions
If you would like a confidential discussion about this job opportunity, please contact Sofie Verzylbergen
(CST Free School Project Manager) on +44 (0)118 902 1076 or sverzylbergen@cfbt.com in the first
instance, who can arrange a conversation for you with members of the proposer group as necessary. We
look forward to hearing from you.
9.
Supporting the opening of the school
We would seek, as soon as possible after appointment, to engage the Headteacher in the full range of
implementation activities required to open the school. His or her key functions will be to:
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Act as a figurehead and ambassador for Bromley Bilingual School, building relationships with key
stakeholders including other education providers in the locality, parents and pupils who live within the
school’s catchment area, and the local media;
Lead on the recruitment and induction of the school staff to ensure we have an excellent team in
place that is signed up to and able to deliver the vision for the school.
Other activities we would expect the Headteacher to work on, alongside our dedicated implementation
project team; would include:
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Supporting the recruitment of other teaching and non teaching staff;
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Planning – with input from CST – and delivering an appropriate induction and staff development
programme;
Becoming familiar with CST operating processes e.g. finance and MIS systems;
Preparing a detailed budget for the school based on the indicative figures submitted in the application
and investigating other economies and sources of funding that could be used by the school;
Preparing the school’s Education Brief in advance of the school’s Readiness to Open meeting (RoM):
o corporate strategy (mission and values, strategic objectives and key performance indicators
with targets);
o curriculum strategy (curriculum offering, development and delivery of curriculum, ICT for
learning, community and business links);
Supporting the development of the school’s website and other promotional literature including the
school prospectus;
Ensuring organisation of learning tasks is completed:
o logistics for school organisation (setting of day times, term dates, class/setting arrangements
and timetable);
o devising school routines and the optimal student experience, e.g. how pupils will enter and
exit assembly;
o assessment systems and reporting processes, to include for external reporting;
o monitoring and evaluation arrangements;
Developing all relevant school policies and ensuring compliance with legal requirements;
Building relationships with the Programme Board and Governing Body once appointed;
Ensuring Ofsted pre-opening inspection requirements are met.
www.bbs-cfbt.org.uk