Students plan for the future during National Careers Week

National Careers Week saw students, parents and staff take part in a range of careers related activities throughout the week.  Staff across the school revealed their previous jobs while students had the opportunity to think about their dream job.  Careers activities in lessons and form time allowed students to look into careers in different sectors, and explore qualifications, pathways and local market information.  An Apprenticeship workshop led by ASK Amazing Apprenticeships informed Year 10 students of the range of apprenticeships available and how to apply, and our very own careers advisors ran sessions on interview skills and CV writing.  On-line webinars from Worcester University in the evenings gave students and parents and carers useful information on a range of vocational courses and careers.    

The main event was a Speakers 4 Schools presentation from Amy Smith, Head of Talent, at the innovative visual effects company Framestore.  The company have been involved in major blockbusters including Harry Potter, Spider Man and Marvel.  Students Years 10, 12 and 13 were inspired to ‘follow their passion’ as they found out about all the different careers available in the creative industries.

A year 10 student said, “I didn’t realise there were so many different jobs in the visual effects industry.  You don’t have to be an artist or good at IT.  Companies like Framestore need accountants, legal, payroll and recruitment”

Mr Rose, Careers Lead at Highfields, said, “I’m so pleased with how well students engaged with the opportunities provided by National Careers Week.  We place great importance on Careers Education, Information, Advice and Guidance (CEIAG) at Highfield, and we provide activities all year round, but National Careers Week is a chance to really expose students to careers, make them realise the possibilities that are out there and spark an interest in their future.  Next year National Careers Week at Highfields School will be bigger than ever”.

New Photography course popular with students

GCSE Photography is new to the curriculum this year and has already proved to be a very popular subject amongst Year 10 students at Highfields.

As part of the course students have had the opportunity to go to Birmingham to take photographs to use as part of their course. Students are currently working on the theme of 'Structures & Viewpoints' so they photographed a series of different architectural styles from a variety of different angles. They will then develop their work in school using their images to experiment with using digital and art techniques.

Ms Thomson, Head of Art, said ‘We are really pleased with the take up of GCSE Photography, students have been really engaged with the subject and we have many talented photographers in the groups’

A Photography Club was also launched to the whole school community this term encouraging students to pick up their cameras or phones and take some photographs. The first challenge was 'Reflection' and the responses to the theme were very creative.

Ms Thomson said, ‘The quality of images and clever use of editing was impressive. Congratulations to Photographer of the week, Freya Perry, and special mentions go to Hemani Chadha & Abigail Powell who also make some excellent contributions.’

UK Youth Parliament calls on young people to have their say

There was a real buzz at Highfields last week for the Youth MP elections. Polling booths, ballot papers and candidate statements were delivered to the school for students to take part in the local election.

The UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) provides opportunities young people in their local area to make a difference to issues that matter to them. The UKYP promote the importance of young people’s voices, and aims to create opportunities for children and young people to be their best. This year, over 30 young people applied to stand as Youth MP in Wolverhampton, including our very own Maya Patel in Year 8!

Students were shown videos in Form Time time to explain the ‘Make Your Mark ballot’, before listening to the Youth MP Candidates’ videos. The candidates’ full statements could then be read on the Youth Parliament webpage.

Mrs Hartshorne, Head of Citizenship, said ‘It is really important for students to engage with the process from a young age in order that they might become responsible and thoughtful voters.’

Mrs Hartshorne continued, ‘Students were fully engaged in discussions on who was best to represent them in the youth council. They thought carefully before selecting their candidates as they understood the difficulty in choosing a person to represent them when they hold a position of power.'

'The event created excellent discussion on how we vote in the UK and when students are able themselves to vote in local and general elections. It is a really effective and immersive way for students to understand how democracy works and how important it is to have a voice and agency in the democratic process.’

Year 11 work hard and play hard at study residential

Year 11 students preparing for their upcoming GCSEs enjoyed a study session with a twist at PGL! Around 75 students travelled to Borreaton Park in Shrewsbury for the two-night revision residential trip from February 17th-19th.

Students were taught in small groups honing their skills in Maths and English, in order prepare for the GCSE examinations this summer. During the weekend, the students also participated in a number of outward-bound activities including; Kayaking, Giant Swing, Rock Climbing & Orienteering.

Highfields teaching staff and students really valued the input from Sixth Form students who supported the residential working with Year 11 students on an individual basis.  

Mr Treble, Head of Upper School said, ‘A highlight of the residential was the campfire on the first night where students gathered to star gaze, listen to music and dance the night away!’

Mr Treble continued to say, ‘The residential is a very valuable experience for our students. They all did extremely well to balance hard work and commitment to their studies with exciting activities provided by the PGL staff.’ 

‘Unfortunately, due to storm Eunice the weather in Shrewsbury wasn’t the best but no storm was going to stop our Year 11 students in their quest for success!’

Students inspired by Virtual Careers Fair

This year’s Careers Fair was a huge success! Over 1000 visitors have viewed the virtual careers site so far, looking for inspiration and guidance about future career paths.

Videos from a range of experts have been made available on the school’s website, including representatives from the NHS, HSBC and the RAF. Students can also hear from representatives from various colleges and universities across the country to explore the various opportunities they have available.

On the day of the event, students were encouraged to email questions directly to the experts in order to find out more about careers available in their field of expertise. Many exhibitors were very impressed by the excellent questions asked by Highfields students, and many have expressed keen interest in working with Highfields School to support students with CEIAG in the future. 

Mr Rose, Careers Lead said, ‘Student engagement was really impressive with students asking really incisive and interesting questions to the exhibitors.’

Mr Rose went on to say, ‘We were also thrilled that from the careers fair, some students managed to secure work experience opportunities which we are always on the lookout for.’ 

‘We were disappointed not to be able to hold the Highfields annual Careers Fair face to face in the building, but the Virtual Careers Fair, 2022, proved to be the biggest yet.’

All agreed that this was an excellent opportunity for students to see what is on offer for their futures after Highfields. One Year 9 student said, ‘The Virtual Careers Fair really helped me make decisions for my course choices, I enjoyed watching the videos especially the one from the NHS because I want to study medicine at University’. 

Next year Highfields hopes to host their biggest ever annual Careers Fair at school, welcoming students, parents, carers, and exhibitors into the building.

Highfields celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month

Highfields celebrated LGBTQ+ History month in February with an assembly by Ms Hannon celebrating the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, but also highlighting their struggle. Ms Hannon said, ‘Understanding and recognition is incredibly important for the LGBTQ+ community to feel seen and heard in society, and it starts here with education in our schools.’

The Library displayed books by LGBTQ+ authors which students were able to check out and read. Additionally, at the entrance to each learning school posters were displayed of prominent individuals throughout history who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. The posters included individuals from a range of school subjects such as Computing and ICT with Alan Turing being displayed. Turing was a pioneering Computer Scientist he was the first person to propose the idea of a computer program, led the team that created the machine which cracked the German Enigma code. Others were more current, such as Olympian Nicola Adams and poet, playwright and novelist, Jackie Kay.

Highfields is a very inclusive school and celebrating LGBTQ+ History month is just one of the ways in which the school support students who identify as LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer/Questioning, and other sexual and gender identities).

Sixth Form Duke of Edinburgh's Award students on top of the world

A group of Year 13 students have completed their Gold DofE expedition, putting them one step closer to gaining their award. Unfortunately, the group previously had their expedition put on hold because of the pandemic, so they were eager to get out and about once they had been given the green light! The expedition was completed in two parts: their practice, which was based on the Long Mynd, and the assessed section which was in the Peak District.

Students had to be completely self-sufficient for all four days, whilst navigating the wild terrain independently in two groups.  They started at Ladybower reservoir ascending Winn Hill and finishing at Rowter Farm campsite, near Winnats Pass.  Their second day involved crossing the ridge of Mam Tor, then moving campsite to Edale. During their trek, the group were lucky enough to see the filming of the Games of Thrones prequel “House of the Dragon”, and even spotted the acclaimed actor Matt Smith! 

The third day proved to be their toughest challenge as the route involved navigating Kinder Scout and down to Jacobs Ladder, then returning to Edale.

Mr Moody, DofE Manager said, ‘Both the assessor and I were extremely impressed by all the students.’ 

Mr Moody continued, ‘When they reached the summit of Kinder Scout they all became very overwhelmed as this was, for many of them, the first time they had navigated and climbed over 600 metres into the mountains.’

‘When we were back at Edale they all could see the finishing line and I could personally see how all of them had matured and developed as young people from when they first started on their Bronze award.’

Students now have only the residential section left to complete, and they are in the process of planning what they are going to do.  The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a highly rewarding scheme providing students with a wealth of transferable skills to prepare students for the wider world.

Outdoor days put Lower School students to the test

With restrictions easing, Highfields have been able to restart the Lower School Outdoor Education Programme based at both Llandrinio and Lake Vyrnwy.  Year 8 students have been working with Bethania Adventure to perfect their raft building skills at Lake Vyrnwy.  To succeed, students learnt the fundamental design required to enable their raft to have enough buoyancy to hold up the eight students in their team. 

Mr Moody, Head of Outdoor Education said, ‘Students must pay attention because the better their design and the tighter their knots, the drier they will be!’

Once their rafts were built, their team had to sail them out to the island where they spent some time learning about the amazing history of the dam. In particular, students were fascinated to learn about the lake’s importance in terms of providing flood protection for the people of Llandrinio.

Year 7 students have also been out having fun out at Llandrinio for their own adventure day! Students have taken part in either a trepidatious expedition through Breiden Forest, or have completed a challenging orienteering course through Llanymynech Heritage Site. As part of both activities, Mr Moody has encouraged the students to appreciate the significance of the landscape they have explored. Mr Moody said, ‘The year seven activity day is designed to encourage students to engage with others within the year group, to build stronger friendship groups.’

An impressive 140 Year 8 students took part in activities at Lake Vyrnwy, and the Year 7 activity day will be continuing into next half term with 190 students eager to take part.  All students so far have been very positive about their experiences. Mr Moody said, ‘For many, this has been their first school trip for two years because of the pandemic.’

Students wow audiences with magical musical

The Lower School production of ‘Aladdin Jr’ was an eagerly anticipated affair, with a considerably longer rehearsal period than expected due to Covid restrictions.  Undeterred however, the production team embraced this opportunity to include so many new Year 7 students to the school – and they certainly did not disappoint!

‘Aladdin Jr’ is quite possibly the liveliest of the Lower School productions Highfields has produced so far. With show numbers like ‘Friend Like Me’ and ‘One Jump’. The soundtrack is well known and loved by children and adults alike. 

Ms Bishop, Director of Performance said, ‘It was a visually spectacular show, with the Lyceum being transformed into an Arabian Palace. A big thank you to the Art Department and talented Art students getting involved with painting pieces of set and making props.’

Ms Bishop went on to say, ‘Audiences were clearly thrilled by the performances and the students did themselves proud with very mature and accomplished performances and some real comedic moments too, particularly from Henry Shore as Iago and Heath Beech as Jafar.’

Most of the principal roles were double cast to ensure opportunities were available to as many students as possible. The Genies, expertly played by Millie Rutter and Skyla Williams narrated the show and both gave outstanding performances, leading a hugely talented cast of over 40 students.

Audience members were in awe of the stunning magic carpet scene when ‘A Whole New World’ was sung beautifully by Santana Aspinall and Oscar Timmins on the Wednesday and Thursday, and Lauren Weir and Anika Patel on the Tuesday and Friday.  This song was made all the more spectacular as they were singing on a real magic carpet that the production team had hired. This was certainly a magical moment which left the audiences amazed!

Spectacular send-off with Year 11 prom

From tuxedos to tiaras, top-of-the-range sports cars and gorgeous gowns, a leaving prom provided a spectacular send-off for Highfields’ Year 11 students.

Students turned on the style for their celebration at Wolverhampton’s Park Hall Hotel.

The event had been rescheduled from its original date in July due to Covid restrictions and topped off a day of celebrations for students, who had picked up their GCSE results earlier in the day.

 Mr D Treble, Head of Upper School at Highfields, said: “The Year 11 prom was a wonderful celebration of the end of the school year for our students who have worked so hard over a difficult period filled with disruptions, lockdowns and remote learning.

“The event gave our students the chance to let their hair down and enjoy themselves in style after such a strange year.

“Despite the pandemic affecting their normal school routine, students achieved some fantastic GCSE results, and this prom was the perfect way to mark their achievements and celebrate moving on to the next chapter in their lives.”

The event included an extra special live performance by talented student James Casey, winner of Highfields Got Talent 2020 Christmas Special. James played the guitar and wowed his peers with a number of hits including Wonderwall by Oasis.

Mr Treble said: “It was a lovely addition to the celebrations and something we’ve never done at prom before. All of the students really enjoyed it and were cheering him on and singing along.”