The strongest start I have ever known and the most wonderful of evenings
I want to begin my final blog of this half term with a thank you. I want to thank our staff, students and families for the part they each play in supporting our school and for the incredible eight weeks that have passed since our return in September. I know that the June 2 June timetable helps but this year it has felt even more special and that is down to the culture at Beckfoot and the relationships that support our vision and values each day. It has been the strongest start to a year that I can recall and one we can maintain throughout I am sure.
Since last week we have had so much happening across school. On Tuesday we had our first Wider Learning day for Year 7 students. It was the turn of the Science faculty to bring their subject to life in the challenge to determine which of my leadership team was a sporting cheat by using performance enhancing drugs in their respective sports. I am convinced that lots of the students were pointing the finger at me at first but as they progressed through the day and began to use their scientific knowledge and skills they soon discovered the truth. Mrs Ickringill let herself down and her future at Beckfoot is in doubt! It was such an incredible day filled with fun and learning and I am hugely grateful to Mrs Ludlum, the Science team and the students for making the whole experience work so well.
Yesterday our staff were involved in their own Continuing Professional Development studies where all staff from across our four Trust secondary schools came together to learn from the best that is thought and said locally and nationally. We had speakers from far and wide, many of whom were our own expert staff, leading sessions for subject teachers across our organisation. To get to the point where many of the experts are in our own school is really wonderful and also humbling. Ms Sullivan co-ordinates this provision for all our schools and it is just a joy to be a part of a group of people that want to be better every day for the benefit of our students.
Today I got to spend time with Mollie in Year 9. She is an incredibly talented dancer and loves all genres from ballet to contemporary to street. Last weekend, in Doncaster, she competed in the National Tap Championships. Getting to that stage is not easy and requires competitors to be at a bench marked standard. The competition was part of a national programme of dance events for elite performers and Mollie won!! She is so dedicated, dancing multiple times each week as part of her training. It was so lovely to talk to her about what she loves and what it means to her. We are immensely proud of Mollie and how she manages to combine her passion with her studies which is hugely impressive.
Throughout the week and this half term we have had so many staff and students involved in trips, visits, sporting fixtures and so much more. Just this week have had a Sixth Form Geography study residential to Blencathra, a Sixth Form English study visit to Stratford to study Shakespeare, an abundance of sporting fixtures in rugby, football, netball, badminton, basketball, table tennis, cross country running and so much more. Beckfoot is a thriving community and there is so much more to come as we progress through the year. Again, I am hugely grateful to everyone who makes these things happen and for the impact they have on our students and their whole school experiences.
Lessons are stronger than I have ever known and learning is at the heart of all we do. Our students are thriving and are more aware than ever of the importance of ambition, aspiration and the need to match those with hard work. They get it. After half term, our exam classes in Years 11 and 13 will sit mock exams. These form part of our strategy to build our students experience and confidence as they progress through to the summer. They need to prepare well so that the learning they will gain from those mock exams will be the strongest it can be. They will be well looked after throughout and I am excited to see how they will do.
Finally, I went to see the final night of our school production The Addams Family last night. I purposely stayed away from dress rehearsals and performances since Monday. I wanted to look forward to it and to enjoy every second. It did not disappoint. It was incredible. It was full of energy and fun and allowed our talented students to simply wow us from start to finish. It was hilarious and sad. It was a bundle of joy all wrapped up in 90 minutes of emotion where you couldn’t take your eyes off our students. I laughed aloud throughout and by the end I could have just burst with pride with what I was seeing. I don’t how they do it night after night, but I do know that it was special and that I am so grateful to Mrs Kyle, Mrs Bannon, Mrs Hargreaves, Mr Lee, Mr. Jackson and so many more for the hours they have put in to bring the show to life in such a spectacular fashion. The perfect way to end the week.
We break up for half term today at 3pm. Our community needs a little time to rest and reset because they have been superb from start to finish. Please be safe, enjoy the break and we will welcome everyone back to school on Monday 4 November for what I hope will be an equally great if not better half term 2.
Take care
Simon Wade, Headteacher
