Future artists visit Walsall Gallery for inspiration

Last term, A Level Art students in Years 12 and 13 had the opportunity to visit Walsall Art Gallery. The session was focussed on careers within the Museum and Art Gallery sector.

The day included a tour of their current exhibition Jet Black Futures by Keith Piper, with Deb Robinson, Head of Exhibitions, including a discussion about her role and career journey. Students were introduced to Karen McLean: ‘Ar’n’t I a Woman!’ with the galleries’ Learning & Engagement Coordinator, Alex Jolly, who also spoke about her role at the gallery and the work she does for exhibitions.

Students were introduced to Kate Tilley, a professional artist who talked about her career and showed examples of her work. In the afternoon it was time for the students to get involved as they took part in a Screen Printing workshop with Kate and learnt new skills that can be developed back in school.

Ms Thomson, Lead Teacher for Art, said 'The activities during the day demonstrated lots of career pathways in the creative industries for students after Sixth Form. Students engaged well with professionals and were genuinely impressed by the work on display'.

Year 11 girls shine in British Art Show

Jaspreet Sandhu and Shaan Bahia from Year 11 played the roles of two young Indian girls in the short sketch Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That (Amarjit Nar) as part of a British Art Show 9 presentation.

The presentation was linked to the work of artist Caroline Walker whose portraits include working women. It told the stories of working class South-East Asian women machinists in 1970s/80s Britain, at a time of high unemployment when women became the breadwinners. The role these women played in the British fashion industry is fast being forgotten. Many women sewed for high street stores and garments included the fashionable Parka coat featured in the sketch.  

Wouldn’t Be Seen Dead in That shows a younger generation, oblivious to the vital role of these invisible women in the household and how they viewed little jobs like turning pockets inside out as tedious chores. The sketch finishes on an ironic note, with the girls wearing fashionable coats which evolved from the original Parka coats that were afforded from invisible income. 

Ms Bishop, Director of Performance, said, "It was a great opportunity for the students to be involved in such a high profile arts project. It was a really vibrant and exciting event. Jaspreet and Shaan both performed with such confidence and ease, I am very proud of them both!'

Fabulous musical experience on London trip

April 1st may have been a bold choice for a school trip to London with 42 Year 10, 11 and Sixth Form students, but nonetheless, on Friday morning students boarded a coach to the capital for a cultural smorgasbord of activities including two West End shows, a dance and drama workshop and a trip to the National Gallery.

On Friday night students saw ‘Wicked’ at the Victoria Apollo Theatre, the storyline of which is a prequel to The Wizard of Oz.  The show boasts a magnificent set, beautiful score and fantastic costumes and special effects.  The students were really impressed, and thoroughly enjoyed the performance, and then had the adventure of a Tube ride home after the coach failed to turn up.

The following morning, half the group went to Danceworks studio for a dance and drama workshop based on ‘Wicked’ which they absolutely loved. The rest of the students went to the National Gallery where they marvelled at the Impressionists and all the wonderful art on display including new artists such as Kehinde Wiley, an American artist. He is best known for his portraits of people of colour in the traditional settings of Old Master paintings. Most famously, in 2017, he was commissioned to paint Barack Obama, becoming the first Black artist to paint an official portrait of a president of the United States.

The group then ventured to their final destination, the Noel Coward theatre, for a matinee performance of Dear Evan Hansen. A powerful musical which covers many serious issues and has a lot to say about the positives and negatives of social media, but is also punctuated with humour and great songs and music.  The set is a marvel of technical theatre and is a mass of phone and computer screens which permeate the action.  The show is a show for this generation and our students were left stunned, many very moved, as were the staff. 

Rugby success for Year 7 team!

 Highfields Year 7 rugby squad attended the Staffordshire u12 festival at Willenhall rugby club.  

The competition has a long history in Staffordshire and it allows our players who don’t play rugby outside of school the opportunity to play a high number of games to improve their experience of the game.  The festival was split into a morning session and an afternoon session.  In the morning session, the team played three games in a random pool of schools - there were 6 pools of 4 teams.  They were up against some very experienced schools who did outplay them, but the boys kept their heads up despite playing in awful weather conditions.

Where the team finished in the morning pool placed them into one of the afternoon four-tiered competitions which is the Cup, Shield, Plate, and Bowl.  The Highfields Team were placed in the Bowl competition against Codsall Middle School, Queen Mary Grammar school B Team, Hart Academy, and Windsor Park Middle School.  They started off with a very respectable one try each draw against Queen Mary grammar school who had beaten them in a friendly 2 weeks prior.  This result then installed a new sense of belief as they beat Windsor park from Uttoxeter by 4 tries to 1.  Along came Codsall Middle who were seen off by 3 tries to nil and then they beat Hart Academy 2 tries to nil.  

The tries which were scored were shared out between George Wassell, Miles Parker-Simmonds, Kasey Jones-Tipper and Freddie Box.  This meant Highfields had won three and drawn one which won us the Staffordshire u12 Bowl competition.  Mr Moody, Pe Teacher said, ‘The afternoon became a team effort and especially for some of the boys, as it was the first time they had represented their school.’

‘They put everything into playing and have come away with a lot of bruises and aching bones.  I could have taken many more year seven pupils who have attended rugby club and it just shows how well the year group has taken to their extracurricular program so congratulations to them all.’ 

The good news also continues for Highfields Rugby, the U15 rugby team has been competing in the Staffordshire 15 a side competition where they have had a great amount of success reaching the semi-final.  They went to Burton rugby club and beat John Taylor High School 32- 26 to reach the quarter-final against Hart Academy who they beat 17-12 coming back from 12- 5 down.  Their semi-final is against Newcastle under Lyme school after - congratulations to them as well.

Work experience is The Way forward

A group of Year 10 students had the opportunity to learn new skills and gain an understanding of the World of Work at a special Work Experience provided by the Department for Works and Pensions. 12 students were invited to attend a three-day Work Experience Programme at The Way youth Zone in Wolverhampton city centre.

Sessions revolved around work stations from the world of work, with virtual employers in manufacturing and production, warehouse and packing and administration.  Students were given the opportunity to sample each work sector and develop real life skills that students can then transfer into future employment, an apprenticeship or college.

There were a number of fun and engaging team building exercises to build transferable skills such as communication, team work, leadership and above all, confidence.  At the end of the experience there was the opportunity for everyone to explore their aspirations.

Here’s what a number of students had to say about the experience:

Zack Newby: I really enjoyed the work experience and it was fun working there and learning new skills’.

Carl Hill: I had a fun time at The Way.  It improved my communication skills and teamwork skills and everyone there is very kind!

Sukhwinder Baglee:  I think the work experience was amazing because we experienced how the work place works. And getting to bond with friends probably the best 3 weeks we all have thanks for the opportunity.

Students Celebrate World Book Day

The power of reading was brought to life when students and staff dressed as their favourite fictional characters to celebrate World Book Day.

Snow White, Jane Eyre and Sherlock Holmes were among the colourful characters who turned up to school as part of the festivities, alongside the entire cast of 101 Dalmatians.

The annual World Book Day is a celebration of books, authors, illustrators and reading which aims to ignite imaginations and help students gain a lifelong passion for reading.

The theme of this year’s event was ‘Everyone is a Reader’ and Lower School students will continue to explore this idea in their English lessons during this half term.

A number of events were held in school to celebrate World Book Day, including the very first ‘Highfields Book Swap’ where students and staff were invited to exchange books they had previous enjoyed. Students across the school also each received a World Book Day token, which could be used towards the purchase of books from several High Street stores.

School Librarian, Miss Hallam, said, “It was fantastic to see so many staff and students get into the spirit of the day with their creative costumes, and the success of the book swap goes to show how much students still value reading and physical copies of books, comics, and graphic novels. The love of reading is still alive at Highfields, and it made for an incredibly rewarding day, and I am really looking

Maths Day Marked with Pi

Students at Highfields celebrated World Maths Day in style this year, with a range of challenges and competitions for all year groups to get involved with.

First held in 2007, World Maths Day is now celebrated each year and encourages students across the globe to enjoy the fun of maths!

During the day, students entered an online competition on Mathletics where they were playing maths related games against students all around the world in a series of competitions and tournaments.

Additionally, at lunchtime pies were served decorated with the Pi symbol along with cakes garnished with ‘I love Maths’ icing. These treats went down very well with students and teachers alike - and certainly got us all talking more about maths!

Miss Green, who led the competitions on the day, said, “Students don't always see the link between maths now and the importance of it when they grow older, so days like this engage them and encourage us all to enjoy maths to the fullest before the next stage of their education.”

Audiences wowed by Puppet Masterpiece

Highfields’ Upper School production of Avenue Q proved to be just the ticket to entertain eager audiences earlier this month!

The musical tells the story of a recent college graduate named Princeton who moves into a dilapidated New York apartment all the way out on ‘Avenue Q’. He soon discovers that although the residents seem affable, it's clear that this is no ordinary neighbourhood. Together, Princeton and his new-found friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

Ms Bishop, Director of Performance said, “This was one of the most ambitious shows we have staged in recent years; not only have the cast had to learn lines but they but also a totally new skill: puppetry.”

Ms Bishop went on to say, “Audiences were intrigued and impressed by the puppetry as this is something that most won’t have seen before in a show.  All of the students did themselves proud with very professional performances.”

 The laugh-out-loud musical certainly impressed the audience, with many saying it was the funniest show Highfields have ever performed - and some even comparing the performance to a West-End show!

 Most noticeable, however, was the return of the fantastic school band, whose talent certainly did not disappoint.

Ms Bishop said, “We really have missed the band and the cast have missed performing alongside them. It’s great to showcase live music and performance again, they’re all individually very talented and audiences loved watching them as much as the cast”

Own Clothes for Red Nose Day

Charity fever swept through Highfields for this year's national Comic Relief campaign, as students were encouraged to come to school in their own clothes and donate money for the cause.

Highfields also sold cakes to raise funds, with delicious treats available such as tasty rocky road bakes and Red Nose Day themed cupcakes. Parents were encouraged to donate via Parent Pay, and members of the Inclusion team collected donations from our very generous students throughout the day. In total, the school raised an impressive £1500, which will support Comic Relief to make a difference to the lives of millions of people across the UK and the world.

Ms J Parker, Head of Lower School, said: “Highfields is proud of the support that students, parents and staff give to both national and local charities, raising thousands of pounds each year. I want to thank everyone for their support, helping to make this a day to remember whilst making a difference.”

Comic Relief aims to bring about positive and lasting change in the lives of poor and disadvantaged people across the world, whilst tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. The charity hosts a Red Nose Day extravaganza every two years on the BBC, supported by celebrities and politicians, to help raise millions of pounds for the cause.

Highfields Show Support for Ukraine

Highfields have been showing their support and solidarity for the Ukrainian people by creating a powerful ‘Wall of Support’ this week. Students and staff have been invited to use blue and yellow handprints to write messages to those involved in the conflict. The final result demonstrates a powerful display of support for the Ukrainian people, which will be displayed on the website and on the digital signage around the school.

Earlier this year, after months of tensions and intense diplomacy, Russian forces invaded Ukraine.  This crisis has prompted world-wide support for Ukraine with many people displaying a blue and yellow stripe, the country’s flag, to show their support.  

Ms Thompson, Lead Teacher of Art, said, “We wanted to do something creative, and make something that would have a big impact, to prompt students to find out about the crisis. Thank you to all of the staff and students who came down to add their handprint, the final piece is very effective.”

Students also received a powerful assembly from Deputy Headteacher Mr Cheetham, who talked to students about the history of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

To find out how you can support Ukraine head to https://www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/news/how-you-can-support-ukraine-humanitarian-appeal