It has been great to welcome our students and staff back to school for the start of a new academic year. The corridors have once again been filled with laughter, conversation and the unmistakable energy that comes when our school community comes back together.
There is always something rather special about September. It is a time of new beginnings, fresh opportunities, and exciting possibilities. For our new Year 7 and 12 students, this week has been about meeting a new teacher, making new friends, learning how to get around the school, and settling into a new routine. For others, it has been about reconnecting with familiar faces and returning to the routines and relationships that make our school such a happy place to learn.
I have been incredibly proud to see how warmly our children have embraced the start of the year. Of course, June-to-June helps enormously, but we have seen kindness, curiosity, resilience, and enthusiasm in abundance. These first few days can sometimes feel a little daunting, but our students have shown just how capable they are of taking on new challenges and supporting one another along the way.
A huge thank you must also go to the staff. So much preparation goes into making the start of a new school year feel calm, purposeful, and welcoming, and I am immensely grateful for everything they do every day.
I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to all our new families. We are delighted that you are now part of the Beckfoot community. Please do speak to us if you ever have a question, concern, or simply want to share something that has made you smile. We try to ensure that strong relationships between home and school are at the heart of everything we do.
As we look ahead to the year, there is so much to be excited about. There will be challenges, of course, but there will also be countless opportunities to learn, discover, create, achieve, and grow. Our aim is that every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to be the very best version of themselves. Indeed, our assemblies this week have been all about that as well as sharing news about the school and the amazing achievements of our GCSE and A Level students.
Another year of strong GCSE and A Level results
We are delighted to celebrate another strong year of results at both GCSE and A Level. These achievements are a testament to the hard work, determination and resilience of our students, alongside the dedication of our staff and the continued support of our families.
At GCSE:
- 20% of students achieved grades 9-7 in English and Maths
- 58% of students secured grades 9-5 in English and Maths
- 74% of students secured grades 9-4 in English and Maths
We are more or less in line with last year (our best ever results), though a little down at 9-4 (more about that later). More students than ever have decided to continue their education with us in our sixth form, and I am so proud that they feel that we are a good fit for them for the next two years. I am equally proud of those who are ready to challenge themselves elsewhere, and I know that they will be utterly brilliant wherever they go because of the young people they are.
At A-Level:
- 21% of grades were A*/A
- 50% of grades were A*/B
- 76% of grades were A*/C
- 87% of students secured their first choice university course
- 30% of those going to university secured a place at a prestigious Russell Group (Red Brick) university
These are slightly up on last year and represent another very strong set of results.
Both mornings in August were wonderful to be a part of. Both were very special because they were full of joy and celebration for the majority of students and represented the culmination of 12 to 14 years of hard work.
For me, I felt it more than ever because I too, had a son who sat his A Levels this summer. The wait for results, for me, was tortuous and allowed me, more so than ever, to truly understand the impact on families as well as our students. He got what he wanted, and needed, and we are now in the midst of figuring out how he is going to manage away from home for the first time. He will be fine, but I am less convinced about us!
We will always be here for those who are leaving us no matter what. They will always be Beckfooters, and we are so privileged to have been a part of the lives of those students even if just for a little while. I wish them all the luck and happiness in the world.
The impact of attendance at GCSE and A-Level this year
The summer has been full of headlines around the importance of attendance. In very recent years, things have changed around attendance (Fridays off as one example), and it is having an impact on young people more so than I can ever remember in my 33 years in education. Whilst I know that what I am about to share will resonate with many, it will also not be welcomed by everyone for lots of reasons. I have thought long and hard about this, but it would be cowardly of me not to do so and at least allow students and families to have a clear understanding of why it matters to be in school every day.
At GCSE this summer:
Students who attended school well over 90% of the time (170 days+ per year):
- 23% of those students achieved grades 9-7 in English and Maths
- 69.3% of students secured grades 9-5 in English and Maths
- 82% of students secured grades 9-4 in English and Maths
Students who attended school less than 90% of the time (19 + days absent per year):
- 3% of those students achieved grades 9-7 in English and Maths
- 19% of students secured grades 9-5 in English and Maths
- 43% of students secured grades 9-4 in English and Maths
At A-Level, the difference is at least one full grade, and, in many cases, two full grades.
The above figures are stark and are similar to the past few years. Getting to school has never been more important, and being here allows our students to keep up, not catch up,
As we progress through the year, I want to remind you that I love nothing more than to share the successes of our students via this blog. If you have any news that you would like me to share, then please let me know and I will do my best to include it.
For now, though, I hope you all take a moment to celebrate what has already been achieved this week. New routines have been established, friendships have been rekindled, confidence has grown and our school is once again buzzing with learning.
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead — one filled with kindness, curiosity, courage and wonderful memories.
Take care
Simon Wade – Headteacher, Beckfoot School
