Living by our Christian Values: Together in Faith, Hope and Love

Friday 17 January 2025

Horbury Bridge CE J&I Academy

Farewell to Mrs Denbigh

Today, we had planned a special assembly to celebrate Mrs Denbigh’s incredible 30+ years of service to Horbury Bridge Academy. Sadly, due to illness, she was unable to attend.

To show our appreciation, the pupils have created a beautiful book of memories filled with their favourite moments with her, a heartfelt poem (below), and a special retirement rose for her to plant in her garden—a symbol of the growth and joy she has nurtured in so many of us over the years.

Above is a picture of some of our pupils proudly holding the book, poem, and rose. These gifts will be given to Mrs Denbigh on behalf of everyone at Horbury Bridge Academy as soon as she is feeling better.

Thank you once again, Mrs Denbigh, for your decades of dedication to our school community.

Epiphany Mass and School Blessing

This morning, we gathered in the church to celebrate Epiphany Mass, led by Fr. Daniel. The occasion was a meaningful way to reflect on the visit of the Wise Men and the gifts they brought to the Baby Jesus.

A special mention goes to our wonderful Class 1 pupils, who read prayers during the Mass. They were absolutely fantastic, speaking with confidence and reverence, making us all incredibly proud.

After the Mass, we continued a January tradition by blessing the school. This annual blessing reminds us of our shared values and the importance of faith at the heart of our school community.

We would like to thank everyone who joined us for the occasion, helping to make it a truly special start to the year.

Celebrating Roller Bike Success with Special Guests!

We were delighted to welcome Ellie and Karen from the Wakefield Wellbeing Team as special guests in Celebrations to help us celebrate our outstanding achievements in the Wakefield-wide Roller Bike Competition. They joined us to present trophies to our incredible Year 3, 4, 5, and 6 teams who finished 1st, 2nd, 2nd and 2nd respectively.

This was no small feat, as over 2,400 pupils from across the district took part in this fiercely competitive event.

Ellie and Karen praised the pupils for their effort, resilience, and team spirit (they also noted that the behaviour of the pupils in assembly was the best they’d seen!). A huge thank you to the Wakefield Wellbeing Team for their continued support…we’ll be sure to see them again later in the year as we begin to plan Wellbeing Week 2025!