Barr Beacon School celebrated Black History Month during October with a series of assemblies and activities. The School Council planned the assembly and celebrated the wonderful contributions that modern black Britons make to our society. Black History is happening every day in the UK and around the world, and amazing people are shaping all areas of life from finance to Sport and Science to Art.

Following the assemblies our School Council wanted to make sure that Black History month surrounded us and was visible everywhere in our school. They requested that each tutor group produce a profile presentation of inspirational black Britons, how they epitomise our own Beacon values and the impact they have had on society. A recording of a virtual version of the assembly and some of the wonderful profiles that our tutor groups created can be seen below.

Barr Beacon School has lots of exciting and fun acitivities to help raise money for Children in Need. 

From Monday 31^st October our year 13 House Captains will be visiting all forms with ‘guess the name of the teddy bear’ and ‘how many sweets are in the jar?’ competitions. Both activities cost 50p per entry and winners will be announced on the big day – Friday 18^th November 2022. 

On Thursday 17^th November 2022 pupils will have the opportunity to take part in a penalty shootout against a member of staff. This will take place during both break times in the sports hall and will cost 50p for 3 shots.  

All money raised will go directly to Children in Need.  

We are delighted to hear that one of our former students has very recently been invited to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE. 

Robert Cashmore MBE completed his Sixth Form studies at Barr Beacon School in 2002.  He studied AS level Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Business & Economics, Geography and History.  He pursued Mathematics, Business & Economics and Geography into year 2 and finished his school years with a fantastic set of A level results – grades AAB.  He continued with his academic learning and has many achievements under his belt.  He is currently working for London based Octopus Investments as their Global Institutional Distribution Director for the Middle East.

Here is Robert’s story:

“Since finishing Barr Beacon I have completed two undergraduate degrees, one from the London School of Economics and the other from the University of Cambridge.  Following that I completed a Masters Degree at the University of Oxford. I have lived in a number of different countries.

I spent five years in the City of London working for a number of investment banks, including UBS and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.  Prior to Octopus, I was a senior British diplomat specialising in Gulf investment into the UK.  I spent four years as the UK Government’s Head of Investment for Saudi Arabia and two years as the Director for Investment Middle East, based in the United Arab Emirates.  During my time here, I played a leading role in securing the £10bn UAE-UK Sovereign Investment Partnership.  I received an MBE in the 2020 Queen’s Honours list for services to UK Trade and Investment.

Last week I was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive my MBE from HRH Princess Anne.”

We offer our congratulations to Robert for all his successes following on from his hard work and dedication.  We are thrilled to be in contact with him and look forward to inviting him into school to work with our current students.

On Friday 30^th September staff at Barr Beacon School joined in the national coffee morning to raise important funds for Macmillan cancer support. Staff were extremely generous in providing both delicious cakes and treats to be purchased and in turn their donations. This successful event raised £178.50 to help with this worthy cause. Many thanks to all the staff who came along or made a donation.

Her Majesty the Queen was with no doubt the mother of Britain. Her devotion, dedication and love throughout her 70-year reign were a constant. I never had the opportunity to meet the Queen in person. However, she was a woman I held close to my heart. Her Majesty kept us all connected and proud to be British. The passing away of Her Majesty has brought great sadness to the whole nation but also a sense of togetherness as we reflect on her great service to our country and indeed the Commonwealth.

As a way of honouring Her Majesty I, on behalf of Barr Beacon School, went to pay my respects to the late Queen lying in state. Despite the 14-hour queue and the cold evening, I can proudly say I am now a part of history. I will be able to say to generations to come that I was part of this Elizabethan era. This was an experience which I will forever hold close to my heart. The sense of community and togetherness throughout the 6-mile journey proved how the Queen had the capability to bring everyone together. This was an experience which I will never forget.

‘Thank you, Ma’am, for your endless service and selflessness to us all.’

Dilraaj

Deputy Head Boy