Newsletter Friday 16 October 2026

Our newly elected Student Council members recently received their official council badges, marking the start of an exciting year ahead. The students also met with Mr Ickringill to discuss their roles, responsibilities, and plans for representing the voices of their peers across the school.

We look forward to seeing the positive impact our Student Council will make throughout the year and thank them for their commitment to helping shape and improve school life for all students.

A huge Congratulations to Olivia B. in Year 11, who has been crowned Yorkshire Swimming Champion in the 50m event and achieved an incredible second-place finish in the 100m. This is a fantastic achievement, and we are incredibly proud of Olivia’s dedication, hard work, and sporting success. Well done, Olivia!

We know many of our students achieve amazing things both in and out of school. If your child has recently accomplished something they are proud of, whether in sport, the arts, community work, or any other area, we would love to hear about it so that we can celebrate their achievements with our school community. Please get in touch to share their success stories.

We would like to wish all of our Year 11 students the very best of luck as they begin their mock examinations next week. These assessments provide an important opportunity for students to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and understanding they have developed during the first seven weeks of the academic year. We encourage all students to approach their exams with confidence, determination and a positive mindset, recognising the hard work they have invested in their studies so far.

We would also like to congratulate students across all year groups for their commitment and effort during this week’s assessment period, which continues into next week. These assessments play an important role in helping teachers identify strengths and next steps in learning, and we have been impressed by the mature and focused attitude shown by so many students.

To ensure everyone can perform at their very best, it is vital that students attend school every day, arrive on time, and come fully prepared for their lessons and assessments. Thank you to our families for your continued support in helping students make the most of every learning opportunity.

It has been another positive two weeks for Year 7. Since the last newsletter, we have now got 35 students across the year group who have achieved their bronze badge in the first half term. This is for reaching 250 positive points on Class Charts since September. We have also had over 462 positives awarded to the year group for attending a lunch or after school club. Both are free and it would be lovely to see even more students taking up the offer of different activities to consolidate their learning.

The Y7 student leaders have also been involved in their first few leadership meetings, where students have contributed to discussions around the variety of Enrichment opportunities in school and also provided school with feedback on the food and drink provided in the canteen. The student voice will be used to shape the enrichment activities and canteen offer throughout the year. Finally, Y7 attendance had its best day in the last few weeks earlier this week, where the year group achieved over 95% attendance. A huge well done for this Y7, this will make a real difference, particularly with the assessments coming up you will all be completing. To celebrate the success the year group have had with attendance, all students who achieved 100% attendance in September will be taking part in a golden hour opportunity on Monday and Tuesday next week, involving games and hot chocolate. Keep it up Y7 and continue to work as a team over the next week to keep your attendance as high as possible between now and half term. Well done in a smashing first half term.

Year 8 News

Our Year 8 students recently enjoyed an exciting visit to Nell Bank, where they took part in a range of team-building activities designed to challenge them, develop resilience, and encourage them to step outside their comfort zones.

The day was a fantastic experience for the entire year group, who worked exceptionally well together and demonstrated excellent teamwork throughout. There were plenty of memorable moments, including tackling the infamous “Pit of Custard,” discovering that uncovered holes in pipes can leave you unexpectedly soaked, and learning the importance of protecting the all-important Chicken and Baguette!

As always, our Year 8 students were a credit to Beckfoot Oakbank. Their enthusiasm, cooperation, and positive attitude made us incredibly proud. We hope they carry the confidence, teamwork, and problem-solving skills they developed at Nell Bank with them throughout the rest of the year.

Next week is celebration week and there are a number of activities planned.  Please check Class Charts to see the successes of your child, this will be posted towards the end of the week after our celebration event.

Year 10 students have been working hard in lessons getting ready for their assessments /mock exams the week after the October break.   The year 10 Team are proud of the large number of students who received bronze awards this term getting (more than 250 positives on Classcharts).  The celebration event taking place this week: Golden Hour rewarded all the pupils at school who have 100% attendance and no negative points.  They got Hot Chocolate and played games at the end of school day.     

We have had assemblies on Place to Talk this past two weeks and how to be respectful to each other and staff.  It has been lovely to see the majority of pupils putting this into action daily.

Each form has a student leaders and they have started to contribute to student voice which has been about the variety of Enrichment opportunities in school and the canteen offer.

As we look ahead to the half-term break which started on 26^th October, the Year 10 Team would like to thank families for their continued support.  Only one week left to work and then we hope everyone enjoys  well-earned and restful holiday and returns refreshed and ready on Monday 2^nd November 0815am.

As we approach an important milestone in the academic year, we would like to wish all Year 11 students the very best as they begin their mock examinations next week. These exams are an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate the knowledge and skills they have developed so far and to identify any areas that may require further focus before their final GCSE examinations. We encourage all students to continue their positive preparation over the coming days and to approach their exams with confidence and determination.

We are also delighted to celebrate the significant improvements in attendance shown by a number of students across the year group during the last half term. Regular attendance is one of the biggest factors in achieving success at school, and it is fantastic to see so many students making a real commitment to their education. Well done to everyone who has worked hard to improve their attendance.

Mr Gill, Head of Year 11, is extremely pleased with the year group as a whole and the positive attitude to learning that students continue to demonstrate. Year 11 is a crucial and demanding year, but students have shown maturity, resilience and a strong commitment to their studies. We are proud of the effort being shown both in lessons and around school.

A reminder that the Year 11 Parent/Carers’ Evening will take place on Thursday 26th November, from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. This is a valuable opportunity for families to meet subject teachers, discuss progress and explore ways to support students as they continue their GCSE journey. We look forward to welcoming as many families as possible on the evening.

Finally, as we look ahead to the half-term break, we would like to thank students and families for their continued support.  With only a week left of this half-term hope everyone enjoys a well-earned and restful holiday and returns refreshed and ready for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Our Year 12 students have made an excellent start to Sixth Form life, settling in quickly and embracing the many opportunities available to them. They are making the most of their dedicated facilities, including the art room, common room and quiet study space. Through our Next Generation enrichment programme, students have enjoyed a range of activities, including table tennis, baking Halloween-themed cupcakes and individually exploring future career pathways, such as nursing and primary school teaching. Academically, students are developing effective independent learning habits through regular use of their laptops and Up Learn to support their studies and maximise progress.

For Year 13, university offers are beginning to arrive through UCAS, bringing excitement as students look ahead to their next steps. With mock exams now under way, they are also working hard on revision and preparing for their remaining assessments. We wish all our Year 13 students the very best throughout this busy and important period.

Student Successes: We are pleased to celebrate two students who are supporting important charitable causes. Maisha in Year 13 is completing a daily walking challenge to raise awareness of breast cancer, while Lucy-Mai in Year 12 is running 3km a day to raise money for the Gordon Moody Association, a UK charity supporting people affected by gambling-related harm. Well done to both students for their commitment to raising money and awareness for causes that are important to them.

To keep Sixth up to date with Form news, student opportunities, events and successes throughout the year, follow our journey on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakbankSixthForm. We look forward to sharing our students’ achievements and experiences with you as the year progresses.

Over the past couple of weeks, there’s been lots happening at the CTMC! Our Year 11 students have been working incredibly hard as they prepare for their mock exams, which start next week, while Year 10 have begun getting ready for their own mocks after half term. Year 9 have been showing off their creativity through embroidery, producing some fantastic work and developing new skills along the way. We’ve also welcomed the Fire Service into CTMC to deliver their ‘Dark Nights, Bright Lights’ sessions, helping students learn more about staying safe and being respectful during Bonfire Night celebrations.

Alongside this, students have been taking part in sessions with The James Project, exploring healthy relationships, while TFTF has been focusing on building resilience and helping our young people develop confidence to overcome challenges. In PE, students have been enjoying time in the fitness suite, football and badminton, with plenty of enthusiasm and friendly competition on display. Mr Ray has also popped in from time to time to challenge students and join in the fun! And of course, a special mention has to go to our Freddo Fridays, which have been a huge hit at the CTMC. It’s been another busy, positive couple of weeks, and we’re really proud of the way our students have engaged with every opportunity on offer.

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