We met the future this week, celebrated talent and the King seems pleased with us too!
Year 6 transition
After weeks of primary school visits and huge numbers coming into Beckfoot for smaller tours, we finally got to meet our new Year 7 cohort and their families on Monday evening. It was a lovely event that involved them meeting their form tutors, hearing more about their new school and beginning to prepare themselves to leave their respective primary schools. On Wednesday they spent the day with us getting involved in lessons, enjoying break time, experiencing an assembly and spending more time with their tutor. I spoke to them first thing about the importance of first impressions and urged them to really get stuck into the day ahead. They did not disappoint and were utterly wonderful throughout. Indeed, we were thrilled with their 100% attendance on the day and I want to thank them for their courageous approach and determination to succeed. They are already living our values of Enjoy, Learn, Succeed and we are excited to welcome them officially in September.
Saying thank you with ice cream!
On Monday we also had our student Ofsted celebration. Throughout the day every child was given the opportunity to have an hour off timetable and enjoy time with their friends in the sunshine. We provided ice creams and ice lollies just to add a little something else as a means of saying thank you to each of them for how they are every day in school and to demonstrate just how much they matter to us. Our school community, for me, is a special one and we are so fortunate to be surrounded by the most amazing young people who want to do well, who want to be successful and happy and who take responsibility more and more for their actions and efforts. I loved spending time on the field with them and I will never take for granted the smiles and thank yous throughout the day. It was a small thing that I hope meant a lot.
Sporting history
As you know I love to hear about and celebrate the achievements of our students both in and out of school. This week I learned about the history making achievements of some of our students and their Bingley Juniors U14 Athletico football team. The club has always had strong links with Beckfoot and I was thrilled to learn about their incredibly successful season winning the Garforth Division 1 U14 league title, the Bradford District Cup, the Craig Pearson Memorial Cup and the County Cup! To win anything in a season is special but to win the quadruple is a rare achievement and I am delighted for the club and the Beckfoot contribution to their success. A huge well done to Will, Ned, Oliver, Harris and Josh on a most memorable and successful season.
Sports Awards
Continuing the sporting theme l was very lucky to be able to attend the annual Beckfoot Sports Awards, a celebration of the incredible sporting talent of our students. As always the event was very professional and beautifully co-ordinated by Mrs. Lawal and the PE team. Their passion for sport and young people simply oozes out of them and their ability to inspire and promote sport is both remarkable and humbling. At a time when school sport is in the media for often the wrong reasons Beckfoot bucks the trend with unprecedented numbers involved in practices, fixtures, Sports Day, sport beyond school and so much more. 
To have approximately 600 students take part in our Sports Day is just one example of what I am taking about. The time, dedication and support given by the faculty is hugely appreciated. Last night record numbers of young people were recognised and rewarded for their efforts and achievements. Highlights included the Team of the Year going to the U16 boys’ football for reaching the last 16 of the English Schools competition, the Head of PE award going to Alice in Year 11 and the Sports Personality of the Year going to Alanah in our new Year 11. The thing that really struck me last night is what each young person has in common and it is a relentless drive to get involved, to be committed to a goal or a collective, to be the best version of themselves and to be just fundamentally decent young people. I loved the evening, as I always do, and I am grateful to our students and staff who make sport such an integral part of our school each and every day.
A Biology Olympiad
Some of our Y12 Biologists completed in the Biology Olympiad a couple of weeks ago. The Olympiad is a global competition where students complete an on-line 60 minute exam involving very demanding questions. They did incredibly well with all students involved doing enough to receive certificates. The students are:
Joanna - Silver Award
Sragvini, Hannah, Aisha and Kaiya - Highly Commended
Zahra, Evie, Idres, Zuzanna, Daniyal and Louis – Commended
A huge thank you to Ms. Langdon and the Science team for providing such opportunities for students to step out of their comfort zones and complete on a global level.
Amaan continues to impress
Over the past few months, Amaan in Year 12 has been taking part in the Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge, which was started by Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire. Out of hundreds of people aged 16–26 who applied, only 20 were selected to take part. The challenge was to create innovative solutions to real issues in society including such things as mental health, employment and the uses of social media. Amaan focused on mental health in schools and how social media misuse can affect students. He spent weeks involved in research seeking information and solutions to the problems surrounding social media misuse. 
He then pitched his views to a panel of judges. This week was the final event and celebration where he had the opportunity to give a speech to the assembly including the Mayor herself. Amaan’s work was recognised through various awards but the highlight was the mayor making it clear to him that she really loved what he had to say. She then invited him to work with her and the Combined Authority which is so exciting. Speaking to the Sixth Form team, Amaan really believes that the support from school has been the catalyst for his involvement because of the confidence he has gained since joining last year and because he is encouraged to pursue his ambitions safe in the knowledge that we are right behind him should he ever need us. Of course he doesn’t! We are immensely proud of him and the young man he is becoming.
The King has been in touch again!
Earlier this year I spoke about the First Give charity final at school and the work that Year 8 were doing to support various charities both locally and nationally. At the time I shared the incredible efforts of Mr. Metcalfe and his form 805 (now 905). Unbeknown to me at the time he wrote to King Charles to let him know about the special efforts of the school, Year 8 students and his form group. Last week he brought me a letter that came from the palace to indicate the King seems pleased with us. What a lovely thing for our school and students.
Simon Wade, Headteacher
