Headteacher's Blog 22/04/2021

By now, you will have seen that we have got a wonderful new school website! 

It is still being updated, so if there is anything that you cannot find, please call school or email office@beckfootthornton.org and we will help. 

We have had a brilliant week here at Beckfoot Thornton. The sun is shining and there is a buzz about the place.  

I am so pleased that our extra-curricular sports have resumed this week. It has been great to see students out again having a good time, burning off some energy and really getting into sports that they enjoy. 

This week has also marked the start of our period 6 intervention sessions for Year 10 students. These sessions are designed to allow students some extra time each week to focus on a particular subject. It is really important that students that have been selected for period 6 ensure that they attend. It is free tutoring that will give them even more of a head-start with their coursework and preparation for their mock and actual GCSE exams. 

We are keenly aware that all work and no play is not the best recipe for success. As such, period 6 will be suspended for a week in the near future (date to be confirmed) in order for us to hold a 'Well-being Wednesday' for Year 10 students. This will involve a range of exciting extra-curricular activities and is designed to provide them with more than a solely-academic diet.

Our Year 11 and Year 13 students have been undertaking assessments this week and next. We have been really proud of how focused they have all been when working on them. These, together with other assessments over the course of the year and those being held later this half term, will form part of the evidence base for their assessed grades that will be submitted to the exam boards. A letter was sent to parents of Year 11 and Year 13 students earlier this week, containing further information about their exams and assessments – you can find it here Y11 and Y13 letter

It was great to have the support of the parking wardens from Bradford Council on Leaventhorpe Lane this week. They have been here to remind people about the new residents only parking restrictions on the Lane, ensuring people know that there is no parking/waiting in the marked areas. 

We thoroughly appreciate the support we have had from families who are no longer dropping students off on the lane. To any that still do, please consider parking/waiting on Thornton Road. The road is much bigger and can cope a lot easier with the high volume of traffic. 

Finally, two of our Year 12 students, Leah and Kelis took part in the second round of the Mock Trial Competition, which is run by the University of Bradford. In this round, six schools faced one another in pairs.  

Beckfoot Thornton faced Longley Park School from Sheffield, with Leah and Kelis taking on the role of the prosecution in a criminal damage case. The girls were absolutely fantastic, and quite rightly, took first place! 

We now await to hear if we have enough points to go through to the Final on May 12th, which will possibly be held in the Mock Courtroom at the University of Bradford (Covid-dependent). Well done Leah and Kelis! 

Enjoy the sunshine and have a fantastic weekend.