A quick blog this week to tell you about our Open evening and a couple of books to look out for
Last night we held our annual Open Evening for prospective students and families. The evening is an opportunity for us to showcase our school and our students and, in doing so, give visitors a glimpse into life at Beckfoot.
Throughout the week, our students have been volunteering to help, and we ended up with close to 400 of them being involved because they are proud of their school and wanted to help us show it off. Undoubtedly, they are the stars of the show each year because their enthusiasm and energy is so infectious. They helped as tour guides, in faculty areas, with speeches, and so much more, and it is truly humbling that so many wanted to be a part of the evening and represent their school so brilliantly. A special mention to Year 7 students who helped in their masses at the end of only their seventh day at Beckfoot.
I want to thank Year 7 students Finlay and Maham and Year 13 student Kai-Yi, who spoke to over one thousand people throughout the evening in support of the Headteacher talks. They were utterly brilliant and so brave to take on such a task. They spoke with wonderful warmth about their school, their experiences, and their journey thus far. I could not have been prouder of each of them.
We believe that at least fifteen hundred visitors came through our doors last night. The school was alive with the Beckfoot Buzz and the whole place was brimming with energy and an excitement about what we are doing as a school and as a community in recent years. 
A huge thank you to everyone who supported us last night, especially our Local School Committee (LSC), who provided their time to share details of their work and to encourage people to get involved should their children choose to come to Beckfoot next year.
In other news, the number of published authors at Beckfoot continues to grow. In Year 8, all students study Gothic literature in their English lessons. Luckily for us, Young Writers ran a competition before the summer, inviting students to submit their own 100-word Gothic story. Eight Beckfoot students entered the competition, 
and all have now had their stories published. We are immensely proud of their hard work, and a copy of the book will be available for everyone to read in the LRC very soon! Well done to Jack L, Charlie C, Bella M, Beatrice I, Katie B, Haleema B and Elsie C for their brilliant contributions and for representing our school so wonderfully
Not to be outdone, Ms. Sullivan, Ms. Heaton, and Mrs Grunwell (formally, Miss. Lowde) have authored a book, Unlocking Oracy, due out on the 1st of October all about the work being done at Beckfoot School in this area. We have, for some time now, believed that oracy plays a pivotal role in education, both as a goal in and of itself and through the role it can play in securing learning. This exciting book explores how Oracy can support academic success and develop students as confident communicators who can effectively engage with the world around them and are ready for life beyond school. I am so proud of them for finding the time to share their work more widely, but also for flying the Beckfoot flag so brilliantly.
As I say repeatedly to anyone happy to listen, we are not perfect at Beckfoot. Far from it. But we are getting so much right and for the right reasons. We care deeply about our people, especially our students, and this week has highlighted that for me more acutely than ever.
Simon Wade, Headteacher
