A Week of Welcome, Achievement and Pride

A Wonderful Welcome

Last night, we had the pleasure of welcoming prospective students and their families to our annual Open Evening, and what an incredible evening it was!

We were absolutely delighted to welcome well over 1,500 visitors through our doors. The atmosphere across the school was fantastic, and it was wonderful to see so many families taking the time to meet our staff, explore our facilities and, most importantly, experience the vibrant and welcoming community that makes our school so special.

A huge thank you goes to our wonderful staff and over 300 student volunteers, who worked tirelessly to make the evening such a success. From subject presentations and demonstrations to conversations with families, there was a real sense of pride in everything that was on display. An even bigger thank you goes to Liyana in Year 7 and Billy in Year 13 who spoke so beautifully about their school to 3 packed out audiences. They were utterly magnificent and I was so proud of them both and incredibly grateful for what they had to share.

I was particularly proud to see so many of our students playing such an important role. Their enthusiasm, confidence and warmth were evident throughout the evening. They were fantastic ambassadors for the school, proudly sharing their experiences and helping our visitors to understand what life here is really like.

For me, evenings such as this are a wonderful reminder that a school is built around its people. The buildings and facilities are important, but it is the relationships, aspirations, kindness, and sense of belonging that truly bring a school to life.

To everyone who joined us last night, thank you. We hope you enjoyed your visit and left with a real sense of what our school has to offer. To our staff and students, thank you for representing our school with such enthusiasm and pride.

Celebrating Our Students

One of the things that makes me incredibly proud to be Headteacher is seeing our students pursue their passions with such determination, commitment, and humility. This week, I am delighted to celebrate the achievements of our students, both current and former, who continue to make us incredibly proud.

Rugby League

Will, in Year 13, continues to make impressive strides in rugby league. Having signed with the Bradford Bulls on a scholarship deal at the age of 14, Will has worked tirelessly to develop his game and progress through their academy programme.

This has included call-ups to the senior reserve team, as well as the opportunity to train alongside the first team during their early morning 6am sessions.

As a result of the hard work, dedication and ability Will has consistently demonstrated, the Bulls have now offered him a one-year contract, giving Will the opportunity to continue developing and to establish himself further within the senior rugby environment.

What makes Will’s achievements even more impressive is his humility. He takes everything in his stride, continues to work incredibly hard and remains incredibly grounded despite the success he is enjoying.

We are all immensely proud of what Will has achieved so far and look forward to seeing where this next chapter takes him.

Para Triathlon

Josh, in Year 11, is also continuing to make fantastic strides in the world of triathlon.

Having initially joined the England Para Development Squad, Josh progressed quickly into the England Academy, and his performances continue to take him to new levels.

Following a hugely successful performance at the School Games in Loughborough recently, where Josh helped secure Gold in the Mixed Relay, he has now been selected for the British Para Triathlon Team.

Even more excitingly, Josh will travel to France next weekend to compete in his first international event.

Josh has absolutely no plans to slow down! His sights are firmly set on progressing into the Elite squad, which could put him in contention to become Beckfoot’s first Olympian or Paralympian — an extraordinary ambition, and one that he is pursuing with real determination.

We wish Josh every success in France and will certainly be following his progress with great interest.

Harry – Mountain Running

Harry, in Year 11, has also been making his mark in mountain running, with an outstanding performance in his first ever international race.

On Saturday, Harry competed in the Britain and Ireland International Mountain Running Championships in Northern Ireland, finishing an impressive 9th overall.

This is a fantastic achievement, particularly given that it was Harry’s first experience of competing at international level.

Harry had narrowly missed out on selection for the England team of five runners by just one place. Rather than letting that disappointment hold him back, Harry entered the race as an independent runner — and what a decision that proved to be! He finished ahead of two members of the England team, underlining just how strong his performance was.

This success follows another excellent result just a couple of weeks ago, when Harry finished 2nd in the Ilkley Incline Race.

What I particularly admire about Harry’s story is the resilience he has shown. Missing England selection by such a fine margin could easily have been discouraging, but he responded by continuing to compete, challenging himself and showing exactly of what he is capable.

A huge well done to Harry. 9th in your first international race is something to be incredibly proud of!

Blake – Football

Blake, in Year 9, has received some fantastic news, with Bradford City offering him an early scholarship with the club.

The scholarship secures Blake’s pathway with Bradford City through to the age of 18 and represents a significant milestone in his footballing development.

What makes this achievement particularly impressive is the age at which Blake has received the offer. Scholarships are typically offered towards the end of the Under-15s/16s programme, making an offer to Blake at just 13 years old a fantastic indication of the progress he is making and the potential the club sees in him.

This is a wonderful opportunity for Blake to continue developing his football alongside his education, and we are delighted to see his hard work and commitment being recognised.

A huge well done to Blake! We are incredibly proud of him and look forward to following his journey with Bradford City over the coming years.

Inspiring Us From Beyond Beckfoot

Yesterday, we also had the absolute pleasure of welcoming back Zac Hadi, a former student, and current Bradford City player, who came to visit us and share some incredibly exciting news.

Zac told us that he has been called up to train with the Iraq Men’s National Olympic Squad and will be travelling to Eastern Europe for two weeks leaving on Monday.

It was such a special moment to welcome Zac back into school, and I felt genuinely privileged that he chose to come and share this exciting news with us. There is something incredibly rewarding about seeing former students return to school and hearing about the opportunities they are now experiencing.

Zac’s journey is a wonderful example of where hard work, talent, determination, and perseverance can take you. Just as importantly, it was lovely to see that, despite his success, he still feels a connection to the school and wanted to share this moment with us.

We are incredibly proud of Zac and wish him every success with the Iraq Olympic squad. What an exciting opportunity — and one that we will all be following very closely!

Finally – Keeping Everyone Safe

Finally, you may have seen recent attention around Benedict’s Law. The campaign calls for stronger allergy safeguards in schools and follows the tragic death of five-year-old Benedict Blythe after an allergic reaction at school. It is an important reminder of just how seriously we must take allergy safety.

At Beckfoot, we have reviewed and strengthened our approach. We now have a clear Allergy and Anaphylaxis Safety Protocol, which focuses on prevention, awareness and knowing what to do in an emergency.

All staff are trained to recognise the signs of anaphylaxis and to administer an adrenaline auto-injector. We regularly review our Allergy Register and individual Health Action Plans, and we are continuing to build allergy awareness through assemblies, lessons, and our wider school culture.

There is also a simple message we want everyone to remember. Sharing food can feel like a kind and generous thing to do, but we must always check for allergies before offering food to someone else.

We want allergy awareness to be something we all take responsibility for, so that children with allergies can take part in school life safely and confidently. Please talk to your child about this too. Small actions and greater awareness from all of us can help keep everyone safe.

A Very Proud School

What a week it has been.

From welcoming more than 1,500 people through our doors at Open Evening, to celebrating the remarkable achievements of our current students and welcoming back a former student who is taking exciting steps on the international stage, there has been so much to be proud of.

Our students continue to demonstrate the qualities we value so highly: hard work, resilience, dedication, ambition, and humility.

Most importantly, these stories remind us that school is about so much more than academic achievement. It is about helping young people discover their passions, develop their confidence, overcome challenges, and believe in what might be possible.

Thank you to our students, staff, families, and wider community for everything you do to make Beckfoot such a special place.

Take care.

Simon Wade – Headteacher, Beckfoot School