Beckfoot is shining!
Waking up to be greeted by sunshine somehow makes everything seem better. These past few weeks have been wonderful because our students have been making the best of the weather and the many opportunities school provides, in so many ways.
Before I go on I want to thank our students for being amazing young people. At break and lunch as we stand on duty in our high visibility jackets we get to have the most interesting chats with students about so many different things including school, hobbies, tv, sport and so much more. Yesterday, at break time I had two conversations that made me just stop and think how fortunate I am to do this job. The first was about 3D printers and the things they can do. I had no idea! The passion from the young person about their new GCSE Engineering course just oozed from them and it made me smile. The second was about boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA). I thought I knew a thing or two about these sports but no. I listened and chipped in a little bit here and there. It was brilliant. I know all conversations have to end but this one ended more abruptly than anticipated when I had to break it to them that although I am Irish, I didn’t know Connor McGregor personally!
Rewards
Last week we took 900(!) students to Flamingo Land as part of our end of year reward celebrations. It was a beautiful day and by 9am 18 coach loads of excited students headed from Bingley to Malton. They had an incredible day and there was not a single issue or incident throughout. They were asked to return to the coaches at 2.45pm and each coach was gone by 3.02pm. Incredible. These are the days that will love long in the memory and are a timely reminder of how far we have come as a school. The majority of our work is based on ‘catching students getting it right’ and although we are not perfect in our approach or our methods at times, we are so much more focussed on that ambition than ever.
Beckfoot University
On Wednesday we welcomed our Year 7 students and families into school to celebrate their graduation from Beckfoot University. The idea of this initiative is to support and encourage students to get involved in extra-curricular activities in school, to be more involved at home and in their communities and to also make a difference to themselves and those around them. Over the two sessions we were able to share highlights of their fist year at Beckfoot, talk to them about resilience, friendships and the importance of making their bed first thing in the morning! It was a lovely evening and I am so thrilled with the contributions they have already made to Beckfoot in such a short time. Long may that continue.
Sports Day
Last Thursday we were also blessed with the weather for our annual Sports Day. The facilities, the front field and the students looked incredible and were ready for the day ahead. The morning featured students in Years 7 – 10 taking part in the field events including High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Javelin, Shot Put and Discus. Records fell, students cheered and the culture of the school and the PE department just sang out. The mid-morning featured the distance races and the afternoon the track events. In particular I loved a few things about the day including the fact that over 600 students took part, that our Sixth Form students made such a difference to how the day was planned and operated, that we had to have multiple relay races just to fit in the numbers of boys and girls that wanted to take part and the hugely inclusive nature of all that happened as the day unfolded. I was so proud of our school and the fact that students wore their medals all day and on the journey home. Taking part is everything and I am so grateful to the Ms. Holmes, the PE team and the Sixth Form students for making it so special.
Showcasing talent
On Thursday evening we had our annual Art showcase event. Work from our GCSE and A Level students went on display for students, families and friend to come and have a look at. The talent at this school is off the charts. The work from Art, Photography, graphics and Textiles was incredible and it was such a privilege to be there and share in the celebration with such talented individuals and their families. Again I am grateful to Mr. Hussain and his team for a wonderful event.
Staff training day
On Friday we had our third ‘Data Day’ training for staff. This is a new initiative this year and one, I believe, that has the potential to revolutionise our approach to making sure students are where they should be in their learning and to support those with knowledge gaps to close them quickly. The day celebrates students and ensures teachers are planning brilliantly for the weeks and months ahead. We have already decided to keep these days in our calendar and I am so excited to see where we can go as a school as a result of these days and their associated plans.
June2June and we all move forward together
Monday saw the return of our students following their long weekend and each was moving up a year group earlier than their friends on other schools. This is well over 15 years old at this school and it ensures that our work and focus stays sharp over the final weeks of term. It was wonderful to see our Year 7s suddenly become all grown up in Year 8 and our Year 9s in their new black uniforms and starting their GCSE courses. I love this initiative despite the sheer amount of work it brings. We are always looking to make it better and already have some thoughts for that next year. For now our student shave been amazing all week, embracing the changes and the challenges that June2June brings.
The visit of an old friend
I had the privilege of welcoming an old friend to school this week. He is a recently retired Ofsted inspector and the national lead for the History Association. He has been my critical friend for a good number of years in my role as headteacher across two schools as he has always been very honest with me about my leadership and the progress and impact of our work. It had been three years since he last visited our school in person and I was excited to show him around. He loved what he saw in and out of lessons, he loved the way our students carried and conducted themselves, he loved the passion and enthusiam of staff and he was just staggered at the difference in everything he saw. I was bursting with pride for our community because, being honest, his opinion matters to me. I thought you should know.
Take care and thank you for your support as always.
Simon Wade, Headteacher
