‘The Great Beacon Bake Off’ – school showcases new facilities
The new building opened last year
Excited students and their families utilised “fabulous” facilities at a newly built Cleethorpes school for the first time in an after-school competition. The ‘Great Beacon Bake Off’ signalled Beacon Academy’s intention to encourage the community to make the most of the £20-million, state-of-the-art building.
Associate Assistant Headteacher at the Cleethorpes school, Bradley Milne, described the event as a “fantastic success”. “Providing nutritious, affordable meals in tough times is a challenge for many,” he said.
“We hope the ‘Great Beacon Bake Off’ offered some genuine culinary inspiration.” Entry was free to ensure there were no barriers to joining in the fun.
The school provided equipment, ingredients, and expert tuition from its talented chef, Julie Christie. Students and parents enjoyed the experience. Sarah Mortimer joined 12-year-old daughter Lilly, in Year 8, at the event. “It was a lovely evening and such a nice event for the school to put on,” Sarah said.
“We used to do cooking classes together at primary school so it’s great to be able to do them here. Lilly’s not had cooking lessons before – now the school is able to offer them.
“It was her first experience of the facilities and we thought they were fantastic.” The result of their efforts was a creamy tomato pasta bake.
“We all sat down together to taste what we had baked and there was some left over which Lilly’s dad, Daniel, enjoyed. “It is a terrific learning environment for the children, clean and spacious. I hope they do more events like this.”
Head girl Halle Roberts took part with step mum Alice Murray and made a pasta bake. “It is really nice to be invited in and see what the children are doing,” Alice said.
“The facilities were impressive. It’s the first time I’ve been in the new building, so it was quite an eye opener.
“It’s a lot better than the food technology I did at school. It was well organised, with the staff giving responsibility to the children to choose their ingredients.”
Associate Principal Natalie Myers was delighted with the event’s popularity. The academy switched to the new building after October half term.
“We have fabulous facilities in this wonderful building and it’s terrific to see them being used after school by families,” she said. “It is a first step in our efforts to utilise the building for the benefit of the community.
“I’d like to thank all the staff involved in organising and facilitating the event. The feedback from families has been so positive.”
Further initiatives being developed by the academy include:
- Digital skills: workshops to bridge the tech gap.
- Health and wellness: community sports access.
- Parental support: sessions focused on navigating the pressures of the modern world.
Mr Milne said: “We are always looking for like-minded organisations to help us use these facilities for the public good.”
Anyone interested should email office@beaconacademy.co.uk and he will be in touch.
