This week’s blog is all about opportunity and a strong desire to provide as much of that as we can for our students at Beckfoot. When we talk about opportunities we mean enrichment in all forms but especially those additional things we do at Beckfoot that are designed to support ambition and boost life chances.

The past few weeks have been busy at Beckfoot. In Year 9, the X Band side of the year group were involved in practice interviews with a wide range of local, regional and national employers. It was a great morning and our students were amazing. Those business and other sector volunteers were extremely impressed with what our students had to say and how confident they were with each one very much wanting to work with us again. I was in the room a few times during the morning, and it was so nice to see so many of them dressed for the opportunity in smart business attire. They were nervous beforehand (and that’s a good thing because it mattered to them) but once on camera they just went for it. They were polite, interesting, personable and determined to show that they are special young people who want a good life beyond school and understand that hard work and a good attitude will go some way towards supporting their dreams and ambitions. These opportunities do so much good, providing invaluable experience. They give our young people confidence that they can do it, have much to offer and they plant the seed in so many about what might be available to them in this area and more widely into the future. Josh, Ruby, Joe and Ella were some of the stand outs mentioned but there were so many more including Tobias who described himself as quiet and thoughtful and one not to overlook! Thanks to Sarah, Molly and the wider team for making this happen.

We finished our Post 16 Careers Month on Wednesday. Over 60 employers, universities and other sector volunteers have visited our school throughout November. They have provided such a wealth of opportunity and experiences for our Sixth Form students that would be hard to match elsewhere. They demonstrated first-hand what they are looking for in young people, what opportunities exist in their areas, how to get involved and the skills and qualities that makes someone hard to overlook. Our students had the chance to attend talks from a wide variety of sectors including business, law, sport, music, public services, health and medical, education, IT and so much more. I am so thankful to Ms. Bannon, the Sixth Form team, our Careers team and so many more for making this happen. I am so proud that our school goes way beyond the normal to ensure our students will have the best life chances and be exposed to the wealth of choices that exist for them. This is about enriching their lives whilst also being clear that they are entitled to the best if they are willing to work for it and put themselves out there in the most proactive of ways.

In other post 16 news we had our EPQ (Extended Professional Qualification) showcase this week. Our Sixth Form students set up their information displays and welcomed staff and students from across school to hear all about their projects. They truly excelled in presenting their research findings about eight very different areas of personal interest. It was fantastic to hear them speaking in such depth and with such confidence and knowledge about their work.

Here is a flavour of what we got to experience:

• Halima - Chronic stress and the immune system
• Felix - relevance of palaeontology in modern times
• Jessica - utilising lucid dreaming in the real world
• Hessa - social media and its impact on cognition / behaviour
• Zainab - misdiagnosis of autism in girls
• Harry - effect of electron spin on natural and human navigation
• Martin - humanity conquering the solar system   
• Christina - the reliability of machine translators

In more careers news we took a group of Year 10 and 11 students to the BRI on Tuesday. In what was a first for us we had the opportunity to be a part of an inaugural talk from medical professionals about midwifery and career path choices in that field. There is so much interest both at Beckfoot and nationally and so it was an opportunity we could not miss. Our students were magnificent. They were interested, engaged and determined to find out as much as possible about this area of medical practice. From that event we have been invited to be part of plans to be involved in a wider range of similar days around the theme of medicine and the vast array of jobs and roles available in this sector. I am so pleased we can do this. Last year one of our post 16 students went to study midwifery at university and I am reminded each week by a family member about the number of babies she is helping to deliver where she is studying in Manchester. One of our own leading the way for others to follow is something incredibly special indeed.

Lastly around the theme of careers we began our Key Stage 3 (Years 7/8/9) Medical Mavericks provision this week. We have been working with them for a while now and invited them back into school to run a series of workshops designed to be fun and interactive where students were be able to take blood from a fake arm, record their own ECG, try keyhole surgery, see inside their body with an ultrasound machine, take a picture of the inside of their eye and much more.  Every student got their own medical observation sheet to fill in during the workshop which for some will undoubtedly spark an interest that may well define their career path for life whilst for others it will simply get them to think more clearly about this area of study and the huge number of specialisms that are available. For me that is more than ok.

On Wednesday we had a Humanities Super Learning Day for Year 10. On the day we completely collapse the curriculum and, instead, provide a day of learning in a slightly different way. The Humanities Team organised external speakers to deliver interactive sessions designed to give students the opportunity to see how our Humanities subjects link with the outside world through exploring current issues and the world of work. Some of these sessions were also designed to strengthen their team building and resilience skills. 

These were the sessions on offer to the students...

1. The Holocaust Education Trust: our students learned more about one of history's most significant events, the Holocaust, by hearing a first-hand account from a survivor.  
2. The British Red Cross: A session based on empathy regarding the migration of refugees. The students heard real-life stories and showed an understanding regarding the decisions made by others.  
3. The Linking Network - Intergeneration Thinking: Students became dementia awareness ambassadors.
4. The Humanist Society: Students explored what the non-religious worldview of humanism is, the impact it has on life and Humanist perspectives on current global issues. 
5. Amnesty International: Students explored Amnesty International, the global social movement, which is committed to creating a future where everyone can enjoy human rights, united by our shared humanity and working towards creating a positive change in the world. 
6. Skipton Building Society: Students had an introduction to practical finance for them to learn the basics about their first payslip. 
7. The Legal Lynk: Students had a session on motivation and resilience.
8. Place2Be: Students had a session on resilience.
9. NCS (National Citizen Service): Students had a team building quiz session - delivered by our wonderful Humanities team.

It was a really wonderful day and our students were the stars as always.

Finally, a couple of lovely bits of news to share. To begin, we raised over £1000 for Children in Need this year. Given the pressures in society currently I am so delighted that we have been able to raise such a huge amount of money for others. It says a great deal about our young people and families and I am thankful to our student leaders for showing the way for us all.

In sport you will be aware of my views on resilience and never giving up especially when faced with setbacks. Last week we learned of yet another student who was not willing to take no for an answer and who has worked so hard to demonstrate just how talented she is in her chosen sport of netball. Lucy in Year 10 wasn’t initially selected to represent Bradford Schools. Instead of feeling sorry for herself she shoes to work harder and shine brighter which did not go unnoticed. The result was an invitation to be a part of the Bradford Schools U15 netball squad thereby showing us all what it takes to be successful. A few knocks here and there in life are to be expected but it is always how you respond that will define you. Well done Lucy. We are proud of you and all our girls.

Take care

Simon Wade, Headteacher

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