BUH Bulletin – December 2024 – Beckfoot Upper Heaton

Message from the Headteacher

Dear families,

As we approach the end of a very successful term, I would like to say a huge thank you for all your continued support.

Students and staff have worked tremendously hard in what has been a very long term. We are ready for the Christmas break and to enjoy the festive holidays with friends and loved ones. We have much to celebrate. Here are some highlights from this term:

Students received almost 80,000 achievement points compared to 75,000 last year
Number of fixed-term suspensions down by 6% compared to last year
Attendance of students who are not in receipt of free-school lunch is at 91%
We issued students in Year 10 and Year 11 with free folders and equipment to ensure they were ready to learn, other students were also given free stationary
Year 11 students are in a better academic position they yea after Mock 1 compared to last year. Their Mock 2 will begin on Monday 13 January 2025
Year 7 students reached the French Spelling Bee finals competition last week
Girls’ STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) presented their projects and won recognitions as well as rewards in a regional seminar
Key Stage 3 students participated in extra curricular after-school activities
Christmas lunch served on Wednesday 18th December
Our first Winter Showcase was held on Thursday 19th December
Children wore their Christmas jumpers to raise money for children experiencing the conflict in Gaza
The last two weeks of this term, students were selected randomly to win prizes for attending school every day with big prizes distributed on Friday

We have implemented a new teaching and learning policy which enables students to work harder and develop their resilience. These habits are crucial in exams as students would be expected to write for longer as they get older. Our students are fantastic, and we hope they will achieve very well at Beckfoot Upper Heaton.

As you will be aware, at Beckfoot Upper Heaton, we talk a lot about values and habits. We, therefore, prepare our students for adulthood by ensuring they understand what we mean by our school sentence, ‘the school taught students to act with integrity and kindness and they went on to demonstrate excellence in their chosen field; it was a place where all belonged’.

Therefore, we model our five 100% habits:
Perfect uniform
Equipment for learning
On task
Polite response
Punctuality and attendance

Whilst most students attend their lessons on time and engage with the very important ‘Do Now’ activity in the first 10 minutes of lessons, there is a small number of students who arrive after the late bell. This means that lessons are disrupted, and they miss out on important knowledge retrieval work. We will continue to implement the 90-minute after-school detention if students arrive to lessons after the 4-min movement bell without a note from a member of staff.

We would ask you to discuss with your child safe use of their mobile phones when they are outside of school. It is illegal to take photos or record others using their phone without permission. Mobile phone use is not allowed whilst on the school site as per our school policy. Thank you if you have not requested a family holiday abroad during term-time. Any gaps in learning will affect how your child performs in their examinations. We appreciate that air fares are cheaper during term-time, but we cannot put a price on a child’s education.

Thank you for all your support – it is very much appreciated. We are working extremely hard to ensure that no child is left behind. Please stay safe as we wish you a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

We look forward to welcoming back all students to school on Monday 6th January at 8.05am.

Yours sincerely, Mr B K Dey

What’s been happening in school?

STEM Club

The following students have been praised for their active participation in the STEM Club.

Willow
Jenna
Rehaan
Umair
James
Amelia
Ismail
Hadi

Spelling Bee

The spelling bee competition held at Beckfoot Bingley was fantastic! The students represented the school extremely well. Out of 30+ students 6 remained for the grand final in the afternoon. 2 of them were ours : Dylan B and Azaan A. Unfortunately, we didn’t win it but we are incredibly proud of our students’ achievement. Spelling words in a foreign language in front of a class full of students they didn’t know, was nerve-wracking but they did ever so well.

Exciting updates from the Design Technology Department

It’s been an exciting term in Design and Technology, packed with creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning.

Key Stage 3 students have been participating in numerous exciting new projects: from creating stylish cushions in Textiles and designing sleek USB lamps in Graphics, to whipping up some delicious recipes in Food Technology. Check out these amazing photos showcasing the fantastic lights crafted by our talented Year 9 students—we couldn’t be more proud!

Meanwhile, in Key Stage 4, our students have taken things to the next level. The Engineering group has been busy dismantling and redesigning speakers—a fantastic mix of problem-solving and technical skill— while our Hospitality and Catering students worked tirelessly in their recent practical exams and demonstrated excellence throughout their full day of cooking.

A huge well done to all our students for their hard work, creativity, and enthusiasm this term. We can’t wait to see even more exciting and innovative creations in the new year!

Dates for your diary

Monday 6th January 2025 – School reopens for the Spring Term
Wednesday 22nd January 2025 – Year 9 Parent Consultation Evening and Options Event (4-6pm)
Friday 14th February 2025 – School closes for half term
Monday 24th February – School reopens

Important