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Message from Mrs Gunning
Welcome to our final newsletter of 2025. As we approach the end of the year and a very long and busy term in school, I have been reflecting on everything that we have experienced and learned.
There have been so many enrichment opportunities this year it has been hard to keep up! So many trips and visits have taken place linked to both the curriculum and Bradford City of Culture events too. We have litter picked, we have broken world records and also taken part in music and arts experiences to name but a few. There have been sports tournaments, baking at Beckfoot, singing with the Beckfoot choir at the Summer Serenade, bike ability, road safety, residentials and so much more. These trips and events could not happen without the dedication and commitment of our whole staff team and I cannot thank them enough for the experiences they have provided.
Behind the scenes, our site team have worked tremendously hard on improvements to the building, including our new reception area and library. In addition, members of our school community came together to tackle some work on the school field which has enabled classes to visit and use the space again. We have so much more planned next year to continue our work on outdoor learning and further improvements inside too.
Our admin team work tirelessly to communicate with our whole school community, keep all systems and processes running smoothly and be the welcoming face of our school which we are very grateful for.
Our amazing teachers and support staff are constantly working to review and refine classroom pedagogy and teaching strategies and I am very proud of how they support each other and the children.
Then there are our wonderful children and you their families who complete our amazing school community. Your support and commitment to your children and our school is appreciated more than words can say. This also includes our wonderful FOPPS team who give their time generously to provide further experiences and opportunities.
So in summary, I say ‘thank you’ to each and every one of you for all that you do to support Beckfoot Priestthorpe.
I wish you a peaceful 2026 and I look forward to seeing you all again in January.
Take care everyone and look after each other.
January 2026
Monday 5 January, 8:35am – School re-opens for all our children
Wednesday 7 January and Thursday 8 January, – Lifebase Caravan visits school to deliver workshops
Friday 15 January, – Wonderdome Mobile Planetarium visits school (see email for details, £2.80 to pay via ParentPay)
Wednesday 28th January – Year 3 school trip to Cliffe Castle (see email for details)
February 2026
Thursday 5 February – FOPPS annual disco (more details to follow)
Wednesday 11 February – Year 5 school trip to Bradford Industrial Museum
Thursday 12 February, 2:30pm – Bradford Library Rhyme Challenge – all nursery parents welcome (more details to follow)
Tuesday 24 February – Year 5 start swimming lessons
Thank you to our families for your support with attendance this term. We know that illness can sometimes be unavoidable, and we appreciate you taking care of your children when they are unwell. When children are able to be in school, it really does make a difference — not only to their learning, but also to the friendships, experiences, and fun that happen every day. We love having the children with us and don’t want anyone to miss out on the exciting activities and special moments we share. Thank you for working with us to help every child make the most of their time at school.
Well done to the following children who received our Pride of Priestthorpe award this week.
Early Years – All of the children for their nativity performance
Year 1 – All of the children for their nativity performance
Year 2 – Elliott and Mia
Year 3 – Ava and Mads
Year 4 – Noor and Noah
Year 5 – Ollie and Toby
Year 6 – Flynn and Zahra
Thank you for your generosity and enthusiasm, we raised a fantastic £1,483.54 in total this autumn term.
This included ‘Break the Rules Day’, Curry Night at the Sharma and the Winter Fair, which alone raised an amazing £840.
Year 4 doodle pads to reduce the use of whiteboard pens and cut down on waste
Animal costumes for the Nativity, helping bring the performances to life
Class Christmas presents for all year groups
Tuck shop tokens for pupils to enjoy
The Wonderdome experience in January
Potential new playground equipment to enhance playtime for all children
A heartfelt thank you to all parents, staff, and children for your help, support, and enthusiasm — every contribution, big or small, makes a real difference to our school community.
We are always looking for new members and volunteers, and we’re also very open to new ideas for fundraising or events. If you’d like to get involved in any way, we’d love to hear from you!
Come join our next meeting on Monday 19th January 2026.
This will be an opportunity to discuss plans for the coming year, share ideas, and talk about what we would like to achieve together. Everyone is welcome to attend and we would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
Early Years have made Christmas tree decorations from salt dough this week and had a wonderful time playing with their presents from Father Christmas.
Year 1 have had a fantastic week making lots of Christmas decorations. These are their party hats they wore on Wednesday for our Christmas dinner day.
Year 2 would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and happy holidays.
Year 3 have had a wonderful week, here is a photo of our Christmas party.
Year 4 played lots of games in the school hall on their Christmas party day. Sleeping logs was a firm favourite!
Year 5 have had a brilliant last day playing board games with their friends.
Year 6 have had a fabulous time writing winter poetry for their families and playing games at the Christmas party.
