Birley Primary Academy

This week, some of our Year 5 children enjoyed a fantastic PE session led by the Year 9 Sports Leaders from The Birley Academy.

The session began with a fun and engaging warm-up, followed by activities to develop throwing and catching skills. To finish, the children took part in an exciting game of rounders, putting everything they had learned into practice!

Both our Year 5 pupils and the Year 9 Sports Leaders were outstanding, showing great enthusiasm, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout.

Well done to everyone involved – a brilliant experience all round! 👏

Birley Primary Academy hosted its annual Aspire Day yesterday, welcoming an incredible range of visitors from across the community and beyond 🌟

Pupils had the opportunity to hear directly from professionals including medical experts, musicians, journalists, councillors and footballers, gaining real insight into a wide range of careers and the skills needed to succeed. The day was filled with inspiring talks, interactive experiences, and moments that helped bring different professions to life.

A real highlight was a special visit from Sheffield Wednesday legend Barry Bannan⚽️, who spoke to Key Stage 2 pupils about life as a professional footballer and the dedication it takes to perform at the highest level. And of course… the children gave him a very enthusiastic welcome with a chant of “We’ve got Bannan, Barry Bannan!” 💙

Dawn McAughey, Headteacher at Birley Primary Academy, said:

“It was fantastic to welcome so many visitors from our local community to share their experiences with our pupils – we are so grateful for everyone’s time.”

Barry Bannan, Sheffield Wednesday Club legend, said:

“It was fantastic visiting Birley Primary Academy and to be part of their Aspire Day. The school’s ethos really stood out, and the children were polite, respectful and a credit to their community.”

Aspire Day continues to play an important role in helping pupils explore future pathways, build ambition, and see what is possible.

A huge thank you to all of the visitors who gave their time to make the day such a memorable experience 👏

https://www.birleyprimaryacademy.co.uk/news/aspire-day-ignites-big-ambitions-at-birley-primary/

Yesterday, we proudly hosted our annual Aspire Day, welcoming a fantastic range of visitors from our local community and beyond. Pupils had the opportunity to learn from medical experts, musicians, journalists, councillors, and footballers, with even more special visits planned from The Lord Mayor and a Member of Parliament tomorrow.

Our visitors delivered engaging and inspiring presentations, sharing their personal career journeys, the skills and qualifications needed for their roles, and what they enjoy most about their work. To bring their careers to life, many also introduced pupils to real equipment used in their professions, creating hands-on experiences that made the day even more interactive and memorable.

These valuable opportunities help our pupils explore different pathways and spark ambitions for the future.

A huge thank you to all of our volunteers who generously gave their time to support the academy in delivering such a fantastic event—we truly appreciate your contribution! 👏

⚽️ Aspire Day Special Guest ⚽️

We were absolutely delighted to welcome a very special guest into the academy for Aspire Day earlier today… none other than Sheffield Wednesday legend, Barry Bannan! 🙌

Barry spent time with our Key Stage 2 children sharing insights into life as a professional footballer — from the dedication and hard work it takes, to the highs and challenges of playing at the top level. It was an inspiring experience for everyone involved, and a fantastic opportunity to learn from someone who has achieved so much in the game.

And of course… the children couldn’t resist a bit of a chant! 🎶
“We’ve got Bannan, Barry Bannan!” 💙

A huge thank you to Barry for taking the time to visit us and inspire the next generation.

Yesterday, our Year 5 pupils had an unforgettable experience with Mr Egypt! 🤩

They spent the day diving deeper into the fascinating world of Ancient Egypt, learning from a true expert whose knowledge brought history to life. The children had the incredible opportunity to handle priceless artefacts that are thousands of years old - an experience they will never forget!

One of the highlights of the day was seeing an ancient coin that was once handled by Alexander the Great himself. What an amazing connection to history! 🏺✨

A truly inspiring and memorable day for all - well done, Year 5! 👏

We are incredibly proud of Daisy, our Pupil Parliament representative, who recently prepared and delivered a speech to fellow pupils from across the LEAD Academy Trust, sharing how we encourage our children to flourish and thrive.

Daisy worked extremely hard alongside the School Council, delivering presentations to classes across the academy to gather pupils’ views. She then carefully analysed the responses and used this information to write a thoughtful and engaging speech that truly reflected the voice of our children.

Daisy, you did an amazing job! You spoke with such confidence and represented our school brilliantly - we are all very proud of you.

Today we supported Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day by inviting children to wear red and bring in a voluntary donation of £1 to support this fantastic charity.

We are delighted to share that we have raised an amazing £320.80! This will go towards helping people access food, shelter, and safety – the vital essentials everyone needs to survive.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and contributed to making a difference! ❤️

Last week, our Year 1 children had an exciting visit to Yorkshire Wildlife Park as part of their topic on Hot and Cold Places. 🐾🌍

During the trip, the children explored how different animals are specially adapted to live in a variety of environments, from icy habitats to much warmer climates. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to see these amazing animals up close and deepen their understanding of the world around them.

The children had a fantastic time exploring the park and were thrilled to see so many incredible animals throughout the day. It was a memorable experience for everyone involved! 🐻‍❄️🦁

Well done to all of our Year 1 children for representing Birley Primary Academy so brilliantly. 👏

🎶 Last Friday, our Year 4 pupils had the wonderful opportunity to attend a special concert performed by the world-famous Hallé Orchestra.

The programme celebrated International Women’s Day and featured a fantastic selection of musical pieces that inspired and delighted our pupils.

It was a memorable experience for the children, who were thrilled to hear such a renowned orchestra perform live. A truly inspiring day of music! 🎻✨

We are absolutely delighted to announce the winners of our Pride of Yorkshire – Design Our School Lion competition!

The standard of entries was incredibly high, and we were so proud of the creativity, effort and thoughtfulness shown by all of our children. Their designs beautifully captured what makes Yorkshire so special — from its rich heritage and landmarks to its strong sense of community and pride.

Because the entries were so outstanding, we simply could not choose just one winner. Therefore, we are thrilled to announce that we have selected two winners whose designs will both be brought to life on our school lion sculpture:
🌟 Jenson – Year 3
🌟 Spencer – Year 1

Both children created imaginative designs full of Yorkshire spirit and meaningful links to our local community. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and creativity.

Their winning designs will now be used to decorate our lion sculpture, which will be proudly displayed as part of the Pride of Yorkshire exhibition coming to South Yorkshire this summer. After the exhibition, our magnificent lion will return to the academy, where it will take pride of place for everyone to admire.
The winning entries can be seen below — I am sure you will agree they are fantastic!