New dawn for BBG academy

The event at the school in Birkenshaw was attended by guests including the Mayor of Kirklees Coun Martyn Bolt and Dr Kate Granger.

Lesley Surman, vice chairman of governors, said: “It was a fantastic day – very emotional, and a fitting tribute to all the hard work by the staff and pupils to get it up and running.”

Dr Granger, who has terminal cancer and has raised more than £60,000 for the Yorkshire Cancer Centre, unveiled a commemorative plaque.

Lesley said: “She gave a very inspirational speech, and we were all very humbled – I was speaking afterwards and thought ‘how on earth do I follow that?’!

“She is someone who has not given up, and that goes hand-in-hand with everything we stand for at this school.”

The plaque read: “Official opening of BBG Academy by Dr Kate Granger – doctor, patient, author and friend. May we aspire to her values.”

Lesley said the school, on the site of the former Birkenshaw Middle School, had an important role to play in the community. “The community is something that is very important to us,” she said. “Our learning resources centre and some of our classrooms will be available to people from the community who need to use them.”