We are extremely proud of our Year 13 student Dinuk D-S who completed his leg of the Queen’s Baton Relay ahead of the start of the Commonwealth Games later this week.  Dinuk carried the baton through Dartmouth Park in West Bromwich on Monday 25^th July 2022.  Spectators cheered him on along the route.

In February, the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee asked us to nominate  students who have made a meaningful contribution to sport and have an inspiring story to tell.  This is Dinuk’s story:

From the age of 2 years, Dinuk showed an interest in tennis and starting playing from a young age.  He spent 8 years practising daily and improving his technique.  At the age of 10 years, this time commitment became difficult as Dinuk was preparing for his 11+ exam and had to attend tutoring sessions.  It was time to pick a new sport and being the grandson of a Sri Lankan cricketer and son of a professional cricket player, Dinuk naturally followed in their footsteps.

His cricket career started at the age of 10 years.  For 3 years he trialed for the county team and enjoyed success at the age of 14.  Since then he has played for Warwickshire U14, Warwickshire U17 and currently plays for Derby’s U18 team.  His commitment to his team involves him training weekly from 7:30pm – 9:30pm (enduring a 2 hour round trip to and from the training ground).  In addition to this, he trains at the local net centre 4 times a week.  His sport has also given him the opportunity to travel to Barbados for a tournament. He is an inspiration to others.  He has run summer camps for 9 – 12 year olds.  In school, he has set up a Sports Society for other sportsmen and women. He is working with them on the Psychology of Sport – how to deal with set-backs and bouncing back.  

A truly inspirational young man who gives 100% to his sport without letting his commitment to his A level studies slip.

Year 12 student Sanvir B is enjoying his work experience with the team at Halfpenny Airport, Wolverhampton.  To escape the sweltering temperatures earlier this week, he enjoyed a flight to Wales and back.  As well as taking in the spectacular views, he learnt about all the things a pilot needs to do to ensure the flight is safe and as smooth as possible.

“It was such a good experience!  I learnt a lot about how the planes are flown and everything you have to look out for during the flight.”

Sports Day 2022 and Commonwealth Games themed day

On Wednesday 13th July 2022 Barr Beacon School held its annual Sports Day. This year it was bigger and better than ever. 

Over 300 pupils from all year groups competed in more sports than has ever been seen at a Barr Beacon Sports Day before. In addition to traditional track and field activities, the pupils have spent the last month competing in Handball, Football, Basketball, Badminton and a host of other sports. 

Whilst our 300+ competitors were giving their best performances on the track and field, the remaining pupils spent the morning engaging in Commonwealth Games themed lessons which included quizzes, documentaries and the Geography of the Commonwealth. 

After lunchtime the Sports Day climax began. The whole school took to the field seated in House Groups to cheer on participants from their Houses. The competition was tight, but Bredon romped to a convincing win, their second in 3 sports days and largely due to their participation points. At one point during the day Clent had closed the gap to a mere 300 points,  but a fine afternoon of track success saw Bredon House run away with the trophy. Despite languishing in 4^th position for most of Sports Day, Malvern House managed to climb to third place following some impressive relay running. A mere 10 points seperated 3^rd and 4^th position.  

Final Results table: 

Congratulations to all competitors and spectators for their exemplary sportsmanship, behaviour and support of others. Sports Day was a huge success and demonstrated our Beacon Values in action. Huge thank you to the PE and Performing Arts faculty for the hard work they put into this memorable event. 

What a wonderful week! Our Gold DofE participants have been in Dartmoor undertaking their assessed expedition. We are so proud of our Year 12 who not only showed determination but incredible resilience in the face of a huge challenge in extremely warm temperatures.  We can’t wait to see all of your photos at the Palace when you collect your awards.