December: the month of joy, happiness and to finish what you started.

We are coming up to the end of our first term, and not long after that, the end of 2021.

It has been great having everyone back in school and holding events again. We’d like to say a big thank you to staff and students for all of their hard work this term. We’ve had open evenings, fundraisers, guest workshops, there has been a lot happening.

Read on to know more about our trip to Goldsmiths in London, the many ways in which our students raised money for charities and projects, and how they share the creative arts with the wider community.

Banner Artwork: Year 9 Glow Winter Festival Display

Ryburn Sixth Open Evening

On 24 November we held our Ryburn Sixth Open Evening. The night began with a wonderful presentation where guests heard from existing students about why they chose Ryburn Sixth and how they have grown since becoming a part of the community. Some of these students have been with us since Year 7, while others joined the sixth form in Year 12.

We received some great feedback from visitors, who were particularly impressed by our enthusiastic and informative teaching staff. A big thank you to all of our staff and student volunteers. Our community is what makes Ryburn Sixth and you all did an incredible job of showcasing that.

Applications are now open. Make sure to get your application in by 7 February 2022.

Apply now

Goldsmiths’ Awards for community engagement

On 23 November six of our students headed to London to represent Ryburn in the national final of Goldsmiths’ Company Awards for Community Engagement.

They spoke with such confidence and enthusiasm about how community engagement is in the very DNA of our school, and the impact that it has had on them personally. Community lunches, Children in Need, Pyjama Day, bingo, and of course they had to mention P.A.T the Eco Turtle, who managed to make it there in person to support them. They also networked really well with students from the other schools.

First place went to Eden Girls School and the runner up prize was awarded to Leeds East Academy. We are really proud of our students for what they have achieved. Well done to Eliza Love, Connie Horbury, Ben Dylan, Will Turner, Will Solomon, and Abbie Gilligan.

The Halifax Panthers have a new coach

The Halifax Panthers Wheelchair Rugby League Club have announced that they have a new head coach. And it’s our very own Mr Mulhall.

Mr Mulhall is part of our amazing team of Additional Needs Specialists here at Ryburn, supporting our most vulnerable students within the school.

After being an assistant coach at the club for the last few years, Mr Mulhall is now hoping to lead the Panthers to victory in a big year ahead of the 2022 World Cup on home soil. You can read the full article here.

Mr Mulhall is a fantastic role model to our students and we are wishing the Panthers the best of luck in 2022!

Read the full article.

Carols and Concerts

Due to the latest government guidelines, we were unable to host our usual Christmas concert, but that wasn’t going to stop us. On Wednesday 15 December, we filmed our students giving amazing performances and compiled them together to be made available online Friday 17 December. It would be great if you could take a look and show our students some support.

On Thursday 16 December our music department took some of our students out to perform in the wider community. They held an informal busking session at The Piece Hall in Halifax, singing carols and other festive tunes. As well as spreading the Ryburn Christmas spirit they were also raising money for the Overgate Hospice.

Our Year 7 Panto Troubadours were also on tour that day, visiting local primary schools and performing their brilliant production of ‘A Christmas Carol’. They even made an appearance at The Piece Hall. See here for more.

Well done to you all, we hope it wasn’t too cold!

Ryburn puts the fun in fundraising

Our students have been amazing at raising money for charities and student-led projects. They’ve been very busy and really taken ownership of the events.

On 19 November Ryburn supported Children in Need. Students ran a bake sale with lots of tasty treats that flew off the stall faster than they could be re-stocked! Ryburn Sixth organised their own PJ Day where they donated to come in their pyjamas and there were some great looks! Not long after they celebrated National Christmas Jumper Day where they raised £270 for Save the Children.

Our student council have also been raising money for an eco-project. Year 7 forms put together Christmas hampers and raffled them off. Year 9 were all star bakers in their Christmas cookie competition. And there was an intense rivalry between staff and students in the Year 10 penalty shoot out.

christmas poetry Competition

The English department ran a Christmas poetry competition among the Year 9 students and we selected a winning verse to go in the school Christmas card being sent out to stakeholders and members of the wider community. There were some excellent submissions and we had a tough time narrowing it down to the final four and deciding on a winner. Our finalists were - Maizy McRae, Aisha Vickers, Elizabeth Steele and Evie O’Kane.

It was difficult to choose a winner as we were so impressed with the quality of the writing.

Congratulations go to Evie O’Kane! Your poem was fantastic and we chose this verse for its wonderful message of hope. Well done to all of our finalists and thank you to everyone who submitted an entry.

Champions!

Despite not being together for very long, our Yeaer 7 football team have gone on to become West Yorkshire Champions, winning 6-3 against the very good Whitcliffe Mount.

A fantastic achievement by the squad in their first term together. They are a credit to the school and their manager. Well done team!

Read the match report.

Glowing at the Winter Festival

Our Year 9 students created artwork that was displayed at the Glow Winter Festival on Sunday 12 December. A big thank you to local artist Frank Darnley for coming in to work with the students. The Winter Festival is a creative event featuring art, music, spoken word and dance by local artists, performers, and high schools. It was a fantastic event and we are so happy that we got to light up Sowerby Bridge with students’ fantastic artwork.