Celebrating our students and all they are doing.
Before I do that, I wanted to say how really lovely it was to see so many of you at the Bingley Remembrance event in Myrtle Park last Sunday morning. I was joined by Olivia and Fred who laid a wreath at the Cenotaph on behalf of our school community. We were also joined by what seem like hundreds of other Beckfoot students who were there as part of clubs and organisations they are involved in outside of school. It was a lovely event and I was pleased to be there. What struck me most was the community spirit and togetherness. It was so well attended and it reminded me that we are part of something much bigger in our community and our students are playing their part and will be the leaders of this community in the future.
It was also wonderful to see lots of our Year 11 students and families as well as new students and their families at our Sixth Form Open Evening last night. It was busy! We spoke to around 500 people in the main hall and so many more visited our faculty areas and spoke with staff and current students about Post 16 provision and opportunities. Once again it was our students who were the stars with so many giving up their time to show off their Sixth Form. They supported us through dance, drama and music performances; through being subject specific voices in faculty areas; through sharing their student experiences and so much more. I was proud of them and our team. We set out a few years ago to create a remarkable school and a remarkable Sixth Form within that. Stepping back last night to look at what we are achieving, the experiences we are providing, the support and challenge for students each day and the culture we have within the staff and student body; I know we have much to celebrate and be proud of. Our applications for 2025-2026 opened last night and already we have received an incredible number of applications. If you have any questions about Post 16 at Beckfoot or simply want to know more please do get in touch.
Today is Children in Need Day. It’s an opportunity for our students to think of others who are often less fortunate. It is a chance to raise a few pounds that will make a difference to the lives of young people across the country and beyond. Our students have put a lot of effort into making today happen and I am really proud of them for that. I will let you know how it goes in my next blog.
Last week our Year 11 and 13 students sat the first of a series of tailored mock exams. These form part of our strategy to fully prepare them for the real thing in May and June. It was an intense week with Year 11 sitting exams in the core subjects in the hall and in other subjects via their normal lessons. For Year 13 they got to experience exams in each of their chosen subjects. We have been doing this for many years and last week it was clear just how important they are to each young person. Their attitude each day was exemplary and they tried hard to complete the papers and give of their best. We spoke each day about the importance of the learning that will come from these exams. They will gain confidence from the experience. They will learn huge amounts from the feedback from their teachers and they will address the gaps in their knowledge as they progress through to Christmas and beyond. That is important because just a few short weeks after Christmas they will sit a full set of mock exams over a two-week period this time. They must demonstrate that they are learning well, addressing those gaps and are committed to a revision programme that will enable them to succeed. They will do great things next summer and have the options to do what they want beyond GCSE and A Level study.
I want to just share with a little about some of our students who are doing really great things beyond Beckfoot. To begin, I learned on Sunday about Umar in Year 8 and his travels to Wolverhampton the day before. Umar is a member of the Bradford Ju-Jitsu Club and travelled to take part in a grading for his brown belt and to take part in the UK Nationals competition. The grading itself was incredibly challenging because he had to execute the techniques perfectly as well as showing his mental and physical endurance. Umar was successful and proud to be one of the youngest people in his club to achieve that milestone. Once his grading was out of the way he then competed in the Nationals securing second place, which is a huge achievement. Well done Umar.
Next is Amaan in Year 12. This week he successfully gained his SSAT (Schools, Students and Teachers network) Gold award for Leadership. This is the highest award a young person can gain for Student Leadership and it is because of his commitment to making a difference to his school. Amaan joined us in Year 12 from elsewhere and is incredibly happy at Beckfoot. He wants to make a difference to his school and community and is not willing to sit back and wait for others to do the things he knows he should do. We are immensely proud of him and look forward to the contributions he will make to our school in the months ahead.
Harry in Year 11 learned very recently that he has been offered a scholarship with Bradford City for the next two years. We are so thrilled for him because he has been with the club for many years and has been so committed to his training and matches throughout that time. Football is everything to Harry and this offer is the culmination of years of hard work. Speaking with him this week, he knows that this is just the start and that he now must work even harder if he is to achieve his next goal of becoming a professional footballer for his hometown club. We are proud of him.
I found out this week about Sienna in Year 7 and her exploits away from school. She recently auditioned with 1,400 of the top ballerinas from around the world many of whom are Royal Ballerinas. She went through the preliminary rounds and was selected for regional finals against just 74 other hopeful girls. Following that Sienna received the call to say she had made the final 24 girls globally and travelled to the White Lodge in Richmond, southwest London for the final, auditioning over 2 further days. Of the other 24 girls involved some travelled from Japan, China, Australia, Italy and beyond. Despite not being offered a boarding place this time, she was told that when you are in the final 24, it has not come down to dance ability purely. The decision is made based on whether now the right time for the young person to board with the school now or at a later date. Thankfully, Sienna is incredibly happy at Beckfoot and knows her time will come. Dancing with the Royal Ballet is the highest standard of classical ballet there is. She is part of a world-renowned school and is a direction of travel that she is taking seriously and enjoying. It has allowed her to experience performing at the Royal Opera House and complete classical workshops in Convent Garden at the main HQ. She is an incredibly humble young lady who also enjoys gymnastics, netball and athletics.
Finally, a few weeks ago I wrote about several of our girls who have been selected for Bradford Schools netball squads. I also spoke of those that trialled and were not successful this time. When I met with all the girls, we discussed the honour of being selected to take part in trials and the honour of representing your city and county. We spoke about resilience and a determination to not give up. Well, our girls have been doing that and Alannah in Year 10 is over the moon that she is back playing for Bradford schools after recently been advised that her performances could not be ignored and she deserved to be a part of the squad the season ahead. I love that!
Simon Wade, Headteacher
