Popular History clubs are relaunched

Highfields’ History department has relaunched two of its most popular extra-curricular clubs for students.

The History Book Club, which is available to all students in Years 7-11, and the Sixth Form History Scholarship Programme, open to all A Level Historians and any Sixth Form student with a wider interest in History are now back up and running.

Both clubs promote student engagement with reading, whether that be historical fiction or the work of the historian through academic scholarship. 

Head of History, Miss J Tappenden, said: “Life in school may look slightly different this academic year, but the History Department are determined not to let anything get in the way of providing their usual offerings to students.  

"After a busy first half term settling into new routines and finding our feet in the classroom again, we are delighted to be relaunching two of its most popular extra-curricular clubs

“We have placed reading and the use of historical scholarship at the very heart of our History curriculum. We want our students to understand that history is seen through the eyes of those who wrote it, and that reading around their subject and taking in as many different perspectives as possible deepens their understanding of historical events and history as an academic discipline. 

“Our curriculum is under constant review and construction.  I believe that a great curriculum is never completely finished; it will always develop and broaden, as does historical knowledge and scholarship.  

“We want our students to understand that as well as being their teachers, we too are learners and historians, and that’s where the concepts for both History Book Club and the Sixth Form History Scholarship Programme came from. We wanted our students to be able to work with us and develop alongside us by engaging with reading.”

For the first time ever, both clubs will focus on the work of the same Historian at the same time.  

As October was Black History Month, the clubs were launched with the work of British Historian David Olusoga, who has dedicated so much of his work to telling the stories of people of colour, where they have been previously misrepresented or left out entirely from history.  

Miss Tappended added: “We hope that this will send a powerful message to all of our students; that Black History is British History and therefore holds a significant place within our inclusive curriculum, to be learned and celebrated well beyond the passing of October each year. 

Both clubs launched on Monday 2nd November - The Sixth Form History Scholarship Programme with ‘Black and British – A Forgotten History’, and History Book Club with ‘Black and British – a short, essential history’, the latter being the latest publication from Olusoga to make his work more accessible to a younger audience.

 Both clubs were highly successful last academic year, and are being run on Microsoft Teams this year to ensure their safe return.

Students are able to engage with each other and the staff using the chat forum to discuss their reading, and live meetings will be scheduled on occasion so that all involved can discuss what they have taken from the books so far. 

Students from Years 7-11 who wish to be involved in History Book Club should email Miss Tappenden (jtappenden@hswv.co.uk), whilst Sixth Form students wishing to participate in the History Scholarship programme should email Miss Harrison (kharrison@hswv.co.uk)

School awarded national Music Mark

Highfields has received a Music Mark to honour the commitment it shows to providing students with high quality music education.

The school was nominated to receive the honour by Wolverhampton Music Service for the 2020/21 academic year.

Music Mark is the UK Association for Music Education, which champions and supports access to music for all children and young people. 

As a Music Mark school, Highfields now has access to a wealth of additional resources to support its musical curriculum, as well as the opportunity to attend events and online conferences.

Headteacher Mr G Tate said: “We are really pleased that our commitment to the arts, and particularly music, has been recognised by this national mark.

“We offer a broad and balanced curriculum and recognise the importance of providing opportunities for students to embrace their enjoyment of music and nurture their talents.”

As well as a broad music curriculum, the school offers many extra-curricular musical opportunities for students, including orchestra, choir, individual instrument tutoring and bands. Students are also given the chance to showcase their musical talents in numerous live performances both in school and out in the community.

Highfields says #HelloYellow for mental health awareness

Staff brought a burst of colour into the classroom as part of a day raising awareness of mental health.

Highfields supported the #HelloYellow campaign to support young people’s mental health on World Mental Health Day.

The national event was run by charity, Young Minds, which fights for young people’s mental health - especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

All staff wore an item of yellow clothing and brought in fun props, while members of the school’s Safeguarding Team produced an assembly to raise awareness of the campaign and highlight the support available for anyone struggling with their mental health.

Mrs A Bates, the school’s Safeguarding Lead, said: “Hello Yellow Day gave us the chance to highlight to students the importance of looking after our mental health and looking out for each other.

“All members of staff wore yellow to raise awareness of the campaign and all students watched an assembly that had been specially produced to show them the support that is available to them all.

“We also had posters displayed on digital screens around school and on staff and student laptops."

New Head Team appointed

A new Head Team has been appointed for the 2020/21 academic year - with supporting students throughout the Covid-19 pandemic set out as the top priority.

Ariyan Patel has been given the position of Head Boy, with Louise Saul-Braddock chosen as Head Girl.

Joe Regan and Destiny Oboh will take on the roles of Deputy Head Boy and Deputy Head Girl respectively.

Students who exemplify good behaviour, grades and attendance are chosen to be part of the Head Team, responsible for setting an example for other students and serving as leaders in school activities.

Louise said she was delighted to have been chosen for the role.

“I am honoured and excited to take on the role of head girl. It will be an excellent opportunity to represent Highfields and give back to the school,” she added.

“Due to Covid-19, coming back to school has been strange but my colleagues and I in the Head Team will do our best to support the school going forward.”

Mr S Pycroft, Head of Sixth Form, said: “I am sure I speak on behalf of all colleagues in wishing the Head Team good luck in their respective positions.”

“All four students were really impressive throughout the application process and I’m sure they will do a great job in representing the school next year.”

Campbell's Wolves shirt honours commitment on course

A student has been presented with an extra special gift from Wolves in recognition of his work on an educational programme run by the club.

Campbell Hall has been taking part in the Premier League Inspires mentor programme, which is delivered by the Wolves Foundation.

Campbell, who is now in Year 10, was presented with a pre-match Wolves shirt in recognition of his commitment and work on the programme during the last academic year.

The programme is for children and young people aged between 11 and 25. The 24-week course aims to raise aspirations, attainment and attendance in school.

The programme focuses on those who are marginalised or at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and early adulthood, allowing them to develop personal skills, knowledge and attitude to succeed in life.

Highfields became involved in the programme when it was first launched in 2019 and is continuing its involvement this year with current Year 10 students.

Mr P Rose, Highefields’ Head of Middle School and Careers Leader, said: “It was great for Campbell’s commitment and efforts on the programme to be recognised with such a generous gift from Wolves.

“The programme inspires young people to develop knowledge and skills that they can take on into their lives and future careers. We are delighted to be involved with the project to support our students and ensure they reach their full potential.”

Covid-19 statement

Year 11 students have been sent home from school and told to self-isolate for 14 days as a precaution after one tested positive for Covid-19.

Live lessons are now being streamed online via Microsoft Teams for students in the year group so they can continue their curriculum from home, following their scheduled daily timetable.

As school reopening was staggered for individual year groups to reduce contact between students, Highfields remains open to all other students and staff.

Headteacher, Mr Graham Tate, said: “We were made aware that a Year 11 student had tested positive for Covid-19 and made the decision to quarantine all students in the year group for 14 days following advice from Public Health England.

“This is incredibly disappointing considering how long students have been out of school and how pleased they have been to get back to school. But safety must always be our top priority.

“If any of the students or staff develop Covid-19 symptoms they need to contact the NHS Track and Trace system and follow their advice. It is also vital that parents and carers do not send their child to school if they or anyone in the household is showing any symptoms of Covid-19.

“Please be assured that the safety of our students is our utmost priority and we will continue to keep parents and carers updated.”

Highfields held staggered re-openings for individual year groups last week before all students and staff returned on Monday September 7. A host of additional safety measures have been put in place that are designed to minimise contact between students, reduce numbers on site at any one time, reduce the amount of movement around the site and restrict students to as small a group as possible.

Arrival, leaving, lunch and break times have been staggered, whilst a one-way staircase system is now in place. A wide range of practical measures have also been implemented, including the requirement for each student to carry their own personal bottle of hand sanitiser. Soap in toilets is being checked and replenished throughout each day, whilst hand sanitiser stations are in place at the entrance to the school and a strict daily cleaning routine introduced.

A spokesman for the City of Wolverhampton Council said: “Public Health England is supporting schools locally and across the country with the response to single confirmed cases of coronavirus in school attendees.

“Where cases are identified, Public Health England, the City of Wolverhampton Council and the school in question will work closely with staff and pupils to implement the appropriate steps to manage any potential exposure. 

“We are aware of a few individual cases among the school population, and are happy that appropriate steps are being taken to allow schools to manage these situations safely. 

“There are no current outbreaks in schools, where we have evidence of 2 or more linked cases, and although individual cases may arise in school settings from time to time, these cases may well be a result of transmission in the community rather than in school.”

Students raise roof at creative Summer School

Performers gave up two weeks of their holidays to start rehearsing for their upcoming production of Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat.

Fifteen students took part in the creative summer school, which was run with strict social distancing measures in place.

They perfected their vocal, acting and dancing talents during the summer school by recreating scenes from the classic musical.

Talented young performers from Year 9 through to Sixth Form will take to the stage in the showcase, which will be live streamed to audiences from the Lyceum Theatre around Christmas.

School musical productions are usually open to every student who wants to take part, but because of the strict restrictions on numbers this year, Ms Bishop emailed performers who appeared in the 2019 Addams Family production and worked on a ‘first come first served’ policy. Although summer school places were limited to 15 students, it is hoped more performers will be involved in the final production.

Ms S Bishop, Head of Performance, said: “The students worked very hard during an intensive two weeks of rehearsals and did a great job of bringing a number of scenes from the much-loved musical to life.

“The show must go on, despite the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and after such a successful summer school, we are now looking forward to continuing rehearsals once school returns.”

It is Ms Bishop’s third time directing the show at Highfields, albeit the first with social distancing measures in place.

She added: “It will be a challenge, but we have an amazingly talented bunch of young performers and I am sure we will put together another amazing production.”

Based on the ‘coat of many colours’ story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book, the show, by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, is one of the world’s best loved musicals.

Highfields achieves some of highest ever GCSE results

Highfields was today celebrating some of the highest ever GCSE results achieved by the school. 

Around 80% of students attained a standard pass (Grade 4 or above) in both English and Maths, with more than half achieving a strong pass (Grade 5 or above) in both subjects.

Half of students achieved at least one 9-7 grade, with a third attaining three or more 9-7 grades.

Mr D Treble, Head of Upper School, said: “We are delighted to have achieved such a fantastic set of GCSE results in exceptional circumstances. 

“We have been so impressed by the way our students have continued to work from home throughout the past few months and although it has been disappointing for them that they couldn’t sit their exams after all of their efforts over months, they should be very proud of what they have achieved.

“Today’s results mean a huge number of students will now get the chance to move on to their first choice of next step destination, including many who will be moving on to continue their studies in our Sixth Form.

“As always, it has been a team effort, and I would like to offer my congratulations to all students, parents and staff on this fantastic set of results. I wish every one of our students the very best of luck going forward as they move on to the next chapter of their lives."

For the first time ever, students across the country are being awarded entirely based on Centre assessed grades - given following a rigorous moderation process involving teaching staff, heads of departments, Senior Leadership Team members and external moderators - after exams were scrapped amid the coronavirus pandemic.

There was anger last week during A-Level results when grades were awarded using a statistical algorithm created by exam regulator Ofqual. But the government made a U-turn ahead of today’s GCSE results meaning the statistical grades only come into play if they are higher than the assessed markings.

Special mention goes to Georgia Derrick, who achieved eight Grade 9s and three Grade 8s, and Sneha Rai, who achieved seven Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and one Grade 7.

Eleanor Corbett attained seven Grade 9s, three Grade 8s and one Grade 6, while Shreya Mistry achieved four Grade 9s, five Grade 8s and two Grade 7s. Jacob Spinks has achieved four Grade 9s, four Grade 8s, two Grade 7s and one Grade 6.

In addition, Hebert Toro Gouveia, Ryan Patel, Jamima Ali, Holly Wilson-Lees, Ethan Birch and David Ehigie deserve special mention for making outstanding progress to achieve excellent results.

Students celebrate A-Level results

Students were today celebrating positive A-Level results - with more than 100 students now preparing to go to university.

Mr Steve Pycroft, Head of Sixth Form, said: “We are so proud of our students. It’s been a very strange year, with coronavirus and lockdown meaning they didn’t get to sit their exams, but they have done a brilliant job.

“They have achieved some fantastic grades, and many of them will now be moving on to university to take the next step in fulfilling their career dreams.

“We wish every one of our students all the very best for the future.”

There were a number of standout individual performances.

Special mention goes to Yuvraj Bhagotra, who got a clean sweep of A*s in Maths, Further Maths and English Literature, and is now preparing to move on to Oxford University to study Maths, as well as Sofia Kler-Sangha, who achieved an A* in Chemistry, A* in Maths and A in Biology, and will be going on to study Medicine at Cambridge University. 

Daksh Sharma is now looking forward to pursuing a career in dentistry from Birmingham University, whilst Harjot Matharu will also be moving Birmingham University to study Medical Engineering. Emily Longman will be studying Philosophy and Psychology at Durham.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic which cancelled all exams, grades were awarded following a rigorous moderation process involving teaching staff, heads of departments and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Centre Assessed grades were then sent to exam boards before being subject to an external moderation.

However, just a day before results were due to be emailed out, the Department for Education announced a last-minute ‘triple lock’, which means students could have whichever result is highest from their estimated grades or mock exams, which were taken in school before lockdown, or exams in the autumn.

Headteacher, Mr Graham Tate, said: “This year has already been the most difficult any of us has ever experienced, with all exams cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, before the government announcement was made about changes to grading assessments.

“This means some grades that are being sent out to students today may be changed, if they choose to appeal based on results achieved in their mock exams. We are still awaiting all of the information from the government, so can understand if students feel some confusion.

“We will be working together with all of our students as the information regarding grading becomes clearer.

“Despite this late change and the current circumstances, our students have achieved really positive results, with some incredible individual performances.”

Students urged to send in results day celebration photos

GCSE and A-Level students are being asked to send in photographs and videos of their celebrations when results are emailed out.

A-Level results will go out on Thursday 13th August, with GCSE results being emailed out a week later on Thursday 20th August.

Annual in-school results day celebrations have been cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but students are being encouraged to share their lockdown celebrations by sending in photographs and videos for the school website and newspaper.

Mr D Treble, Head of Upper School, said: “Given that students will receive their results via email, this will limit opportunities for photographs and videos, the anticipation of opening envelopes and the atmosphere of receiving results in front of peers, parents and staff.

“In light of this, we are encouraging students to video or photograph the opening of their results live. Members of family or friends can be present for this and share in the experience of results.”

All exams were cancelled this year due to the pandemic, but Highfields followed a rigorous moderation process involving teaching staff, heads of departments and members of the Senior Leadership Team before submitting Centre Assessed grades to exam boards. These grades were then subject to an external moderation.

Careers Advisors will be available in school for three days after each set of results, whilst dates have now been agreed for students wishing to to resit exams to improve their grades.

A-Level resits will take place from October 5th-24, whilst GCSE resits will take place from November 2nd-20th.

Celebration photographs and videos can be emailed to resultsday@hswv.co.uk