Our new Academic Year begins. Where did the time go?
Today we begin our new academic year. It is incredible to believe that a year has passed so quickly and our students are moving up a year. I am excited for them and often think of what that means to each of them given it is not something any other school that we know does. I especially think about our Year 7 students and how they have settled into life at a new school and now they are suddenly in Year 8. I think about our new year 10 cohort and the excitement they must feel in their new uniforms at the outset of their GCSE journey, Finally, I think of our new Year 11 and Year 13 students. They know they are entering the final leg of their educational journey and how important the next 10 months will be for each of them. Regardless, it is exciting and I love the challenge that we present them with in the final weeks of the summer term. Thankfully, they never let us down both in terms of their attitude to their learning and their mature view of what the next 12 months will take to be successful.
In my last blog I spoke at length about the quality of our students who were in the midst of their GCSE and A Level exams and how they have created a legacy at Beckfoot in their time with us. Following that blog, a lot of students came to say thank you for the incredible opportunities they had throughout their years at school and the challenge and support provided to help them continually strive to be better learners, better citizens, better friends and ultimately, better people. It was a wonderful reminder (that we all need from time to time) about what we do, why we do it and the difference we can make to young lives every day. This week our GCSE exams come to an end and most of our A level students will also sit their final exam. The past 6 weeks have flown by and our students have been amazing. They have navigated their way through each day and each week with astounding maturity and a determination to do their very best each time they enter an exam venue. We are so proud of them and I very much hope that they get some well earned rest and enjoy and happy and safe summer holiday.
The opportunities for our students continue to come thick and fast. Last week, our Table Cricket team left Shipley train station just after 6.30am to travel to Lords, the home of cricket in London. They were so excited to travel as Yorkshire champions and were determined to do their best no matter what. 
Mrs Macdonald and Mr Barnes kept the information flowing throughout the day about their progress and staff were glued to their screens eagerly anticipating the next piece of news about how the games were going. They won the first game, then the second followed quickly by the third. We were getting excited! They eventually made the national semi-final and were unbeaten. They were drawn to play the favourites, last year’s national champions. There was a delay in the proceedings and eventually the news came through that they had won comfortably and were in the national final. Incredible! By the end of the day the staff were exhausted and anxious. It came down to the final ball and Beckfoot needed to score a 6 to win. Alas, it didn’t happen and we were pipped by the narrowest of margins. We were national finalists and runners up. What an incredible achievement and I am so proud of them. They came to briefing on Monday and I was humbled at the reaction of the staff to the 8 students and three sixth form students who stood before them with their medals. It was very special for us all. A special thank you to Mrs Macdonald and her team including three Sixth Form helpers for creating the opportunities for students to dream and for the experiences they had along the way.
Just before half term Ms Senyk was accompanied by two Year 9 students Ayesha and Arianna to the Lord Mayor’s office in Leeds. They were part of a wider group of students, including four other schools from Leeds and Bradford that wanted to talk to Tracy Brabin about the cost of public transport for young people and racist incidents whilst using public transport across West Yorkshire. This followed a student campaign focussed on the Cost of Living and Anti-Racism. Both girls were utterly brilliant and represented themselves, Beckfoot and Bradford with great maturity and confidence.
Today, our students in Years 7 to 10 were rewarded for their attitude to learning with a trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Over 900 of them travelled in a convoy of coaches and had the most amazing day in the sunshine. It is a special day because our young people are being rewarded for getting it right in school. It is yet another example of us listening to our student voice and making sure that our young people and the efforts are recognised through this trip, our red carpet events and through Class Charts.
On Thursday, we held our annual Beckfoot University graduation event at Victoria Hall in Saltaire. It is a wonderful venue to recognise the commitment to enrichment and leadership opportunities through their first year at our school. The majority of the year group managed to complete the challenges set and qualify to graduate. Some went way above and beyond what was required with three students in particular amassing over 500 hours of commitment to both. It is such a special event and seeing the faces of those families present when their children arrive into the main hall in their graduation gowns and mortar board hats. Mrs Douglas and Ms Sears reminded us all about the impact each student has made at Beckfoot and how they have grown throughout the year. Each of them received their certificate of graduation and finally we got the all-important photos of them throwing their hats in the air at the end. It was a very special night to mark the end of their first year at Beckfoot. They are a fabulous group of students and I am excited to see what they will achieve in the years ahead.
On Wednesday we held our annual Sports Day. In 21 years at Beckfoot I have never seen so many students take part. The day began with Mr Sykes setting up the field from 6:00am. The morning session was the field events with students taking part in Javelin, Discus, Shot Putt, Long Jump and Triple Jump. They then had a break from the sun as they had their lunch and the afternoon field events took place. The noise levels on the field were really quite something as each race was greeted with cheers and whistles. 
The sportsmanship and camaraderie on show spoke volumes to me about the culture the PE faculty have created with their students. It is often usual for a record to be broken and many of our records have stood for many years. What is most unusual is to have 11 records broken such was the talent on show all day. It really was a wonderful day and reminded me why I first became a PE teacher all those years ago. I miss it often but especially so on Wednesday. A huge thank you to Mr. Sykes, the PE staff and all the volunteers from staff to Sixth Form students who made it possible.
Finally, and continuing the sporting theme I want to congratulate Ayaan and Charlie who have been selected to represent West Yorkshire cricket at their age group. I love sharing individual and collective success with you all mainly because it represents years of hard work and commitment to a sport or activity. These two are very talented young people but, more importantly, they are thoroughly decent young men who will represent themselves, their families and our school brilliantly each time they pull on the Yorkshire shirt. That is special.
Simon Wade, Headteacher
