Community views and feedback are vitally important to us. Below are some quotes taken from letters, emails and thank you cards received from the public:
- "What a brave teacher you have there willing to cut her very long hair for charity and what a fantastic amount she has raised! It is amazing that your collecting tins are full; we really do appreciate the work that you and your students have put in!" - Tracey Chittock, Fundraising Events Manager for the BlueCross (March 2012)
- Parents that took part in Parent Participation Day in October 2011 listed the following as the best part of their visit:
- Visitng the lessons in action was enjoyable as you got a real feel for what it is like for the students and how the teaching is deilvered
- Seeing the Media, Food Technology and Biology lessons in action, which indicated the Academy's quality of teaching and aspirations
- Finding out more about the Academy's teaching ethos
- Observing children working in such a relaxed atmosphere, as a strong team and with natural ease of interaction with the teachers
Parents also left the following comments on the day:
- I think that it is a great idea to offer this Parent Participation Day; I learnt alot from this visit!
- Academy students were well-behaved in the lesssons!
- I was fascinated by the mix of unisex and single sex teaching that both have great benefits for the students
- I really enjoyed the visit, seeing how relaxed and focussed everyone was! -Academy Parents (October 2011)
- 'Your librarian, Miss Bye, invited me to give an address to various year groups on Friday afternoon. I wanted to compliment your students on their behaviour and courtesy – they were great. I hope you will pass on how impressed I was!' - Barbara Spencer, Author (October 2011)
- 'I thoroughly enjoyed my day with you, so much so that I came back in the evening to see "Disco Inferno"! The GetSet Enterprise Event was great because students became fully engaged with the task and their enthusiasm was infectious. Given the time limitations, their productions really captured the task that they had been set and displayed an ability to comprehend the various aspects of making a successful bid. Clever use of IT facilities really did produce some polished and professional looking results. Across the board the "pitches" were delivered with confidence and a real ability to "think on their feet" when quite difficult questions were thrown at them (a good many adults would not have responded with such confident replies - perhaps because they'd be more aware of the consequences of "getting it wrong"!). Finally, but by no means least, many thanks for your hospitality on the day' - Derek Batchelor, Chair of Board of Directors and Council of Badminton England, Chair of the Parabadminton Europe Confederation, Deputy Chair of Team BEDS&LUTON and Chair of Sport Bedford (July 2011)
- 'Unlocking Potential in Bedfordshire was a fantastic event and we at the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust are grateful for the support. We hope that the event really inspires these youngsters because they already have the talent to succeed' - Dame Kelly Holmes (June 2011)
- 'I have lived in Elstow for almost thirty years. During that time I have been shocked and horrified at the appearance and behaviour of the former Bunyan School students. Since, however, the school became an Academy I am astonished at the difference it has made. Your students look very smart and, even when walking home after school, I see that the boys leave their ties firmly knotted. Both girls and boys are a credit to you and your school when it comes to neatness! Getting the basics right, such as behaviour and appearance, often lead to improved standards. I just wanted to let you have these comments. So often brickbats are slung at organisations when they get it wrong. You seem to be getting it right and I wish you continued success in the future. I also hope you will pass these comments on to your staff and students as it is important that they are aware that the improvement has been noticed in the community. They are a credit to the school - please can they keep it up!' - Patricia Jagger, Elstow Resident (June 2011)
- 'The National Family event was a huge success and we could not have managed so well without the help of the students from The Bedford Academy! ...we were so impressed with their patience and ability to talk to both parents and children with ease... they were brilliant, I wish I could have given them all more of our time but we were so busy, they worked really hard... it was a huge success, over three-hundred families came to visit us, and the girls were very professional in their approach, they worked virtually unsupervised with only occasional checks from myself or other members of the team. I would happily have the girls back to work within the Centre and hope we have inspired them to volunteer in the future. I look forward to having other students if they wish' - Lisa Caimino, Kingsbrook Children's Centre (June 2011)
- 'A survey questionnaire was given to all students who took part in the Bedford Academy Dance Enrichment, delivered by academy students. 87% expressed that they had fun and thought that it was really good, 83% said that they enjoyed Dance and 96% stated a desire to take part again' - Cotton End Lower School (May 2011)
- 'At Bedford Academy's Culture Day, students felt that they had learnt about different cultures, sports and music and their origins. Students found it fun, learning about other cultures, and found it informative to consider desperate situations faced by remote tribes. Considering equality and team work encouraged students to practise their listening skills. 90% of Abbey students felt that they had learnt new skills and 90% wished to be involved in similar activities again. Academy students were praised for their efforts and enthusiasm throughout the day and the most popular activity was Dance' - Abbey Middle School (March 2011)
- 'Well done Bedford Academy, the brilliant £538.52 you raised will go a long way to help change people's lives for the better. Thank you' - Red Nose Day (March 2011)
- 'A survey questionnaire was given to all the residents who attended the Bedford Academy Christmas Dinner on 6th December 2010; 100% of those who responded enjoyed the event, entertainment and food. A summary of comments received follows:
- Thank you - congratulations to Stephanie Hopkins and Ebony Brown for this bright idea, it was well organised. Staff and students very helpful throughout the whole 2 hours.
- Please thank everyone - it was a lovely evening
- Congratulations to the Principal, Claire Smith, her staff and pupils for organising a really wonderful evening. If stars can be issued, one must be given to the young girl and boy who entertained us with their singing on arrival and a gold star to the chef and his staff for the wonderful meal. Sincere thanks to all.
- Had a lovely time, thank you all
- Great night for all
- It was a very, very good night. I hope you do it again - thank you all very much
- They did a great job from start to finish, thank you all
- I hope they do it every year, it was so good
- A wonderful evening, the children were so attentive and made us feel very welcome, it was a lovely evening, thank you
- Great meal, great company - thank you all for making it possible
- A lovely event, hope you do it again next year?
- My sincere thanks to everyone who made the evening possible, I had a lovely time, thank you
- The school can be very proud of the children, they organised a wonderful event, my thanks to all' - BPHA Sheltered Housing Residents (December 2010)