What’s On – Grange Academy

What’s on at Grange

2025 - 2026

2nd Farm Open Day a Huge Success

The grounds of Grange Academy were transformed into a vibrant hub of laughter, learning, and local pride as it welcomed families, friends, and neighbours to a Community Fun Day.

From tractor rides that thrilled children and adults alike to the gentle joy of petting chickens and gerbils, the event, hosted by BILTT (Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust) and Grange Academy, offered something for everyone.

The school’s playground echoed with music, chatter, and the unmistakable sound of community spirit in full bloom.

“This day is about community connection,” said Catherine Assink, chief executive of BILTT. “We’re proud not only of the work we do in our schools, but of the role we play in the wider community.

“Today is a celebration of inclusion, joy, and the power of coming together. it’s always lovely to see people enjoying themselves outside; the animals love the attention.”

Grange Academy headteacher Rachel Timms added: “Seeing our pupils, families, and local residents enjoying themselves side by side is what makes this day so special. It’s a reminder that education doesn’t stop at the school gates, it’s about building relationships and nurturing a sense of belonging.”

Click here to read the full article

2024 - 2025

Farm Open Day a Huge Success

One of Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust’s schools, Grange Academy welcomed the local community for a joyful and well-attended Community Farm Open Day to celebrate the launch of its new on-site farm.

The event was officially opened by Mohammad Yasin MP for Bedford and Kempston, Cllr Jane Walker, Bedford Borough Council Cabinet Member for Valuing Families Children’s Services, and Catherine Assink, CEO of BILTT, which runs Grange Academy. They were joined by Andrea Foster, Animal Care Lead and farm owner, and Rachel Timms, Headteacher at Grange Academy.

Pupils proudly brought along their friends and families to enjoy a day filled with fun activities and a strong sense of community. The wider Bedford community also joined in the celebration, creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.

Guests were welcomed with bacon butties and juice and enjoyed a wide range of attractions including face painting, sheep shearing, a bouncy castle, tractor displays, sweet and cake stalls, and a performance from local cheer squad Elements Elite. Local care homes, a fitness company and Mr Ice Cream Man added to the day’s friendly buzz.

The Community Farm at Grange Academy offers real-world learning experiences that help pupils grow in confidence, responsibility and independence. It supports pupils across a range of needs and is designed to offer therapeutic benefits alongside practical skills. It will also serve as a shared learning resource across the wider BILTT family of schools.

Rachel Timms, Headteacher, said:
“This day was a celebration of everything Grange Academy stands for — inclusion, learning and community. Seeing our pupils and their families enjoying the space together was incredibly moving and something we will all remember.”

Andrea Foster, Animal Care Lead, said:
“Animals have a unique way of reaching our pupils. The farm is more than a space — it is a place where confidence grows and pupils learn care and responsibility through real-life experience.”

Catherine Assink, CEO of BILTT, said:
“At BILTT we believe in working together across our schools to create meaningful opportunities for all our pupils. Grange Academy Community Farm is a fantastic example of how collaboration can bring learning to life and offer enriching experiences across the trust.”

Click here to read the Bedford Today article

Grange Academy Community Farm Article

The next Grange Academy Community Farm Open Day will take place on Saturday 20 September from 10am to 2pm and all are welcome.

Schools of Tomorrow Sustainable Education Summit

On Thursday 14th November four of our pupils attended the Schools of Tomorrow Sustainable Education Summit in Coventry.

The morning was a selection of workshops for the pupils and presentations for the adults. Our pupils engaged well and held their own with the other pupils mostly from mainstream schools. They developed their knowledge on topics like sustainability, climate change and social justice.

After lunch we presented to the conference on the topic of Social Justice at Grange Academy. All four pupils, Bradley, Arron, Ryan and Neveaha were absolutely brilliant and overcame their anxiety and spoke confidently to a room of nearly a hundred people. You could hear a pin drop in the room, everyone listened intently to every word that they said.

As part of our presentation, we shared a video that pupils had been working on which you can view below.

Mohammad Yasin MP Visits Grange Academy

Mohammad Yasin, Member of Parliament for Bedford and Kempston, visited Grange Academy on 30^th September to officially re-launch the school’s Pupil Parliament for the new academic year. The event marked the start of a new chapter for the pupils, offering them an opportunity to learn about the importance of democracy and the role of Parliament.

During his visit, Mr. Yasin spoke to the pupils about how the UK Parliament operates, explaining the vital role it plays in passing laws and shaping the nation’s future. He provided insights into how MPs work in the House of Commons and why it is crucial for young people to understand the process of democracy.

In an engaging Q&A session, pupils raised thoughtful questions, particularly about the recent local flooding in Kempston, in search of answers on how the government can address such issues and support the community during times of crisis. Mr. Yasin praised the pupils for their concern and encouraged them to continue voicing their opinions on local matters.

“It was a pleasure to be invited to speak to the children about my work as their representative in Parliament. I was very impressed with their Pupil Parliament and the focus on teaching the children about how society, governance and democracy works.” Mr . Yasin said. “The opportunities for children to develop communication and debating skills were plain to see as I got some great questions and engagement from the children. It’s really important to me to show young people that they have a stake in society and have the agency to effect change.”

Headteacher, Rachel Timms, highlighted the educational value of the visit: “We are thrilled to have Mr. Yasin provide our pupils with a real insight into his role as an MP and how Parliament functions. His visit has broadened their understanding of the democratic process and sparked their interest in local and national issues.”

The Pupil Parliament at Grange Academy provides a platform for pupils to express their ideas and actively participate in the school’s decision-making process, preparing them to become informed and responsible citizens.

2023 - 2024

Remembrance Service - November 2023

On Friday 10th November 2023 Grange Academy were joined by some students from Greys Education Centre and St John’s for a remembrance service. Pupils had designed and made their own class poppy wreaths and displays which were laid during the service. A bugler came to the service to play The Last Post after which there was a two minute silence. lol

Pupil Comments

Kyle: I enjoyed paying my respect to those that have lost their lives and those that are still fighting. I enjoyed learning about the different colour poppies and what they stand for. Purple stands for the animals that have lost their lives and black stands for the black people that have fought and lost their lives in the war.
Dawid: Paying respects and completing the two minute silence was important to show respect to those who have fought and those who are currently still fighting in the wars around the world. I enjoyed making the poppy wreath in class.
Oskar: We had a two minutes silence to remember the soldiers who were fighting for the country. The bugle player played the bugle it was to show respect to the soldiers who have passed away.

Take a Bear Walk to End Polio Now

Pupils from Grange Academy took part in a ‘Take a bear for a walk to End Polio Now’. We are supporting the Rotary Club in their campaign to eradicate polio and vaccinate all children. Polio is a disease that can kill or paralyse, but can be prevented by a simple vaccine. We are supporting the rotary club in funding this so that our world can be 100% polio free.

Pupil Comments

Stephen: We were holding teddies, and we did high-fives with the other Teddy bears.
Piotr: We walked around with teddies, it was fun.
Kaleem: We walked with the teddy around the hall with my class friends and other classes.
Ashmit: I felt happy we had music, and we did lots of walking.
Dylan: It was fun because we got to listen to music and help others.
Millie: I enjoyed the walk because the music was happy, and we walked for 15 minutes.
Freddy: I enjoyed the walk because I liked having the teddy it was fluffy.
Malachi: I enjoyed the walking. We had to walk all around the field three times but we did it more than that. We were doing this for charity, and then we got a teddy bear that we took home. My teddy bear lives in my room now.
Mariah: Polio is a disease that can affect your walking if you get it. Everyone has a polio vaccine in this country. The walk was to raise money for vaccines in places that can’t get the vaccine. We all got teddy bears after we did the walk, mine went on holiday with me.

To find out more Purple4Polio – Our Projects – Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland (rotarygbi.org)

Grange Awarded Gold School Games Mark

We are delighted to announce that we, Grange Academy, have achieved the School Games Gold Mark Award for the 2023/24 academic year.

The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.

Our sporting achievements this year include:

• The introduction of our Sports Leaders, who have started to run Primary sports sessions at lunch-time.
• An all girls after school football club.
• An after school fitness club.
• An after school dodgeball club.
• An after school dance class.
• A school link up with Ivel valley and Castle Newnham, to play football and dodgeball against each other.
• A sporting partnership with Kempston Rovers FC that gives as access to their football facilities.

With a total of young people competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport, including those young volunteers, leaders and officials who made our competitions possible.

As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year.

A special thanks to all members of staff that have supported school sports trips or help run our after school clubs, without your continued help and support our pupils would not get the access to such wonderful sporting opportunities.

Remembrance Service - November 2023

Pupil Comments

Take a Bear Walk to End Polio Now

Pupil Comments

Grange Academy is a Unicef Gold Rights Respecting School and Gold Artsmark School. Ofsted rated ‘Good’ (May 2022).
Telephone: 01234 407100 – Office Email: grange@biltt.org

Grange Academy is part of Bedford Inclusive Learning and Training Trust
Company Number: 08156641

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