Headlines Term 2

Headlines Term 2 December 2023

Pride . Ambition . Community

Headlines Issue 2 15 December 2023

Head’s Message Welcome to the second edition of Headlines for 2023-24 and the end of Term 2.

It has been an eventful term in many ways – most of them good!

We have spoken to the students many times this year about Collective Responsibility and the part they play in ensuring the College continues to be the very best it can be so that they continue to achieve the most they can.

This ranges from the excellent learning and focus that is evident in the pages of this edition, to the team players, the student leaders and house event competitors. Even simply showing the integrity to make the right choices in a given circumstance. All play their part in the success and positivity that characterises the Heathfield experience.

We are not naïve and we know that it is not always easy, as a College and as individuals we have had our share of challenges this term. However, what has been clear is the collective spirit that is strong in our staff and students as each time they have shown resilience and determination to ensure that their leaning, experience and sense of community is as strong as ever. We are very grateful to the parents and carers who support this resilience and community spirit at home, there is real strength in young people knowing that all the adults in their life are positive in working together to the same shared goals. Thank you.

This strength it is tangible and visible to those who observe our work. Whether invited to speak on current affairs, competing regionally or even hosting politicians and members of the government to the College, the feedback has been the same: our students are a credit to themselves, the college and their families, they are ambitious, polite, articulate and talented. The evidence of this is spread across the pages of this edition and it is a joy to read. Thank you to all who contribute to our collective success.

I wish you all a very sincerely Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I hope your festive break is peaceful and enjoyable. We look forward to seeing all the students again on Thursday 4 January 2024.

YEAR 7 Mrs Woodland Attendance Average attendance for Term 2: 94.5% Praise

Average praise points per student for Term 2: 54

Year 7 have continued to settle well into life at Heathfield.

Once a week during Form Time, Year 7 students have begun to meet with their Year 12 mentors. This has been a great opportunity for students to discuss how school is going, any worries, plans for the future and also to get to know each other. There has been a wonderful atmosphere during the mentoring sessions and students have developed greatly in confidence as a result of this.

At the start of the term, Year 7 had a visit from Sussex Safer Roads to present 'Take a Second and Look Up! The aim of this was to promote road safety awareness and students engaged in a range of questions and activities to show how easy it was to be distracted or not notice things when crossing the road.

Year 7 showed excellent engagement throughout the production.

Year 7 have also been to see Matilda in the West End this term. It was a Fantastic performance and students represented the college fantastically on this trip.

A focus this term has been around Year 8s widening their knowledge outside of the classroom and across subject areas. The have had opportunities to take part in Children in Need activities to raise money for charity; submit entries to the House photography competition; be part of the school production of Matilda and also engage in a wider curriculum day, where they have focused on their language choice across a variety of subjects.

During lesson time, students are now focusing and building towards their assessment fortnight that takes place in January. These assessments will then help provide information for students to start thinking about their GCSE options for Year 9. Students can also look forward to the upcoming Harry Potter trip taking place towards the end of January.

YEAR 8 Mrs Krouwel Attendance Average attendance for Term 2: 90.4% Praise Average Praise points per student for Term 2: 36

YEAR 9 Ms Adams Attendance Average attendance for Term 2: 92.1% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 2: 42

This term students watched a performance of ‘Calling it out’

by Loudmouth educational Theatre company. Within this performance the topics of consent and misogyny were raised and these will be discussed further within future PSHE lessons. Students were incredibly responsive and engaged well with this performance.

This term also saw 11 Year 9 students welcomed into the values leaders group headed by Ms Taylor. They joined inspiring members from Year 10 and 11 to take part in training to support them within their roles and to discuss the positive values we hold as a college. We look forward to their involvement in future events, whether this be welcoming newcomers to the school, visiting local primary schools to meet the new Year 6 students who will join us in September or being involved in student messages around important political or cultural events.

Within lessons, Year 9 have been working hard on their GCSE subjects. When visiting lessons, it is clear to see that students are challenging themselves and engaging well with tasks. At the recent revision support evening held by Mr Pollard and Ms Barlow, it was fantastic to see many students exploring strategies that work for them both at home and within the classroom.

Year 10 had their first mock exams in their intensive subjects this term. This has been an excellent opportunity for them to experience the revision, formal process, and the healthy anxiety of an exam season. As students start to get their grades and marks back, I’d like to congratulate them on their hard work and commitment to their subjects at this early stage.

Students attended an assembly on International Men’s Day, with a focus on men’s mental health. The assembly explored ideas about stereotypes, and how these can be damaging or affect the way we view ourselves. The call to action from this assembly was to check in, and check in again, on those who we are close to. Often, someone just needs a listening ear to open up on what might be worrying them.

As we close out the term, Year 10 can look forward to a live theatre performance of ‘A Christmas Carol’ – guaranteed to get everyone in the Christmas spirit, as well as helping with key knowledge for one of their GCSE set texts.

YEAR 10 Mr Richardson Attendance Average attendance for Term 2: 92.2% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 2: 28

YEAR 11 Mr Holden Attendance Average attendance for Term 2: 89.3% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 2: 20

Term 2 has been a busy term with students juggling revision, mock exams and post-16 applications. We understand that this can be a stressful time, however students have demonstrated a desire to work hard and succeed.

On 7th December students will receive their mock results, which will give them an indication of where they are at on their GCSE journey. I hope that the majority of students are pleased with their results, however every mock is an opportunity to learn and think about what can be done differently next time. There will be another set of mocks at the end of February, where students can apply the lessons learned from their most recent exams.

Finally, post-16 applications are well underway and students are being invited to interview in some cases. In PSHE a large amount of time has been given over to supporting students with applications and personal statements, with students embracing this and taking their next steps seriously. There has also been advice and guidance from Mrs Kite, which has been invaluable in supporting students with their applications.

Year 11 have worked really hard and I am proud of how dedicated they have been this year so far.

I hope you all have a great Christmas and New Year and return refreshed and ready for Team 3.

Adam!

In Year 11 we are blessed with a number of talented athletes who regularly take part in sporting events, inside and outside of school.

In October, Adam Churchyard was selected to play for Harlequins U16s team against Northampton Saints. This is an amazing achievement and we are looking forward to seeing how Adam’s rugby career develops.

Well done Adam!

UCAS Update & OXBRIDGE Applicants We have over 50 applications for University from current Year 13 students and ex-Heathfield students. More are still being finalised for the January deadline. Some students have already been offered conditional offers from: Durham University, University of Nottingham, University of Warwick, University of Manchester, University of York and the University of Bristol. Two students have already received offers from all of their Universities.

We have also a record number of students secure interviews with Oxford and Cambridge universities this year. Students have had interviews to study Law, Biochemistry, English, Maths, Computer Science & Philosophy, Geography and Archaeology which is also our broadest range of courses.

We were supported by a number of volunteers in preparing our students for these interviews including Alumni who are, or have, studied at these institutions.

VI FORM Ms White Attendance Average attendance for Term 2: 93.4% Praise Over 800 praise points issued in Term 2.

“Having a mock interview with Callum is an experience which I am very grateful for. The layout of the interview was extremely representative of my real Oxford interview and it was an opportunity to discuss my subject and receive individual feedback.” - Law Applicant "Meeting with Louisa prior to my Oxford English interviews helped me to grasp the discussion-based, conversational format whilst practising on-the-spot analysis, both of which were vital in understanding what I needed to do and how I needed to do it." - English Applicant

Praise Raffle To recognise students efforts in lessons this term we have run our termly praise raffle. Tickets have been drawn for those lucky enough to win a prize!

Focus on Key Stage 3 These pages include details of the curriculum followed by Year 7 and 8.

A powerful way to help learning is to ask your son/daughter about the topics they have experienced and encourage them to talk about their understanding and interests with you.

Pride . Ambition . Community

What are KS3 students learning in …

English Year 7 have spent this term exploring David Almond’s fascinating work ‘The Fire Eaters’, which follows Bobby Burns growing up in a tiny northern coastal town against the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The novel explores issues around class, adolescence and the treatment of outsiders – themes we will pick up again later on in the year with the historical novel ‘Coram Boy’.

Year 8 have been enjoying the murky world of Macbeth as part of their year-long focus on Identity. As well as exploring the poetry and stagecraft of Shakespeare’s brilliant tragedy, they have been asking important questions about how individuals make choices and about the dangers of greed and an obsession with power. As part of their study, they are exploring ideas held in Jacobean England about the divine right of kings and the role of the supernatural in human life. Through analysis of Lady Macbeth, they have also had the opportunity to explore the role of women in Renaissance England.

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Maths

Year 7 have been busy learning about angles and fractions this term. Students have had fun constructing triangles using mathematical equipment and even tried to construct impossible triangles! Some students were able to attempt constructing a rocket ship using their knowledge of lines and angles.

Did you know that the first drawing compasses were found in the archaeological digging of ancient Rome? Every drawing compass before the eighteenth century didn't have a pen but a needle, so it scratched the surface. By the twentieth century, drawing compasses were spread widely throughout the world.

Year 8 have been focussing on their algebra skills such as solving equations and simplifying expressions. We use multiple representations and manipulatives to support understanding in this challenging area of maths.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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Science Year 7 students have been getting stuck into plenty of practical work by investigating speed, light and sound. These topics have focused on practical skills and exploring the different variables that make an investigation valid. They have also practiced their graph skills when analysing the data collected from their practical work.

Students in Year 8 have been learning about breathing, earth resources and also the effects and properties of waves. This has involved a lot of practical work through testing our lung capacity and seeing if there is a correlation with our height. This also allows us to be able to discuss reproducibility; their data is likely to be very different to students in Year 11, but it is still good scientific practice to explore.

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History

Our Year 7 historians are currently completing their study of medieval history. This has culminated in looking at conflict in medieval England. They have investigated the Hundred Year War, as well as the Peasant's Revolt, to ultimately determine whether anything significantly changed in the medieval period. They have been looking at concepts such as cause and consequence as well as practising their explanation skills.

In Year 8 lessons, students are starting their World War One topic. They have investigated the causes of the conflict and will now look at the nature of the First World War. All Year 8 students will also be getting a visit from the artefacts box this term, where they will get to handle and examine artefacts from World War One.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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Geography Year 7 have been studying rivers this term and have been introduced to the landscapes of the River Tees in Northern England. Combined with this, we have been learning OS map skills such as grid references, compass directions and scale. These are valuable geography skills that will benefit pupils all the way to Year 11 and beyond. Students have also been preparing for their assessment and revising our work on Uganda and the UK. This term, Year 8 pupils have been learning about Africa. Africa is a much misunderstood continent and we have been exploring and challenging our perceptions by learning about the human and physical geography. In recent lessons, we have learnt about development in the continent by evaluating the potential success of different development projects. If pupils wanted to continue research out of the classroom, the two projects we are looking at are the Grand Renaissance Dam and Tree Aid.

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Computing This term, Year 7 have been developing their understanding of how computers work, learning how instructions are converted to binary before a computer can run them.

They have explored the basic principles of computer architecture and binary arithmetic.

Year 8 have continued to develop their Python programming, progressing from using Python with Turtle, to understanding fundamental programming concepts, working with loops and lists and creating basic chatbots.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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Design & Technology Year 7 have been learning about levers and taking part in a team challenge to build a small wooden trebuchet.

These were tested against each other to see who could fire a paper ball the furthest.

Year 8 have been developing their computer aided design and manufacturing skills by designing and making a lamp shade for a USB lamp using the laser cutter.

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During Term 2, Year 7 students have been exploring food science, looking at Shortening and Gelatinisation.

They have used this to perfect their pastry when making jam tarts and to make a cheese sauce for their macaroni cheese. During independent learning, students have been looking at food from different cultures. They have also been looking at how to cost a recipe and how they can use this knowledge to help with budgeting.

Year 8 have been learning about protein and carbohydrates, two of our macro nutrients.

They have used this information to look at special diets and meal planning. They completed a fajita practical where they had the choice of using meat, dairy or a vegan/vegetarian alternative. Students have also explored different types of packaging that is used to wrap our food and how this can have an environmental impact.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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French Year 7 have had a fantastic time this term learning how to describe themselves. We have tackled the idea of gender in language and students have asked fascinating questions which really shows how deeply they are thinking.

The enthusiasm in class continues to grow, and is wonderful to see our students really get to it grips with the grammar and to be able to hold real conversations with each other. Having every single student up and speaking in French to complete a survey is wonderful see and hear! Now students are learning how to express their opinions which they are really enjoying. We have really been impressed by students' diligence in preparing for their first set of assessments - bonne chance !

Year 8 have been building on their descriptions of French towns and have now begun to describe houses using a wide range of adjectives and opinions. Students particularly enjoyed learning how to give directions and ordering the teacher around the classroom. We are now moving on to look at La Cité de l'Espace - a famous French museum all about space. On our French curriculum day, students had a great time exploring French in their different subjects, including playing traditional French board games. Students also had the opportunity to watch a play in French, which used vocabulary they knew to tell a farcical tale. The students had a great laugh and then asked the actors some really thoughtful questions.

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Spanish

In Term 2, Year 7 students have continued to focus on the topic of ‘Mi Vida’ - giving students the opportunity to talk and write about personal details, including their birthdays and what pets they have. In this unit, students have been introduced to the new concept of making sure adjectives agree with the nouns they describe and seeing that word order in Spanish is different to English. Students have been supported through revision to aid their outcomes in the forthcoming Assesssments. Students will be supported with their learning using Knowledge Organisers and Sentence Builders which will be on their Google Classrooms. We wish them all the very best with these!

In Year 8, students have made significant progress by completing their first unit looking at using a different tense to talk about a past holiday and will now review and revisit the use of the present tense in Term 2. This will give them the opportunity to build on prior learning from Year 7, whilst simultaneously acquiring new vocabulary, as the context requires students to talk about how they use their mobile phones. Students have been engaged in a wide range of activities, including Sentence stealer games and dice games to support target language communication skills and developing confidence with spoken skills.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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Physical Education Students within Key Stage 3 have been continuing to rotate on a 3-week carousel around different activities, designed to build confidence and awareness of skills, rules and tactics that should enable them to compete beyond the school gates, and to represent the school in various sports teams run at Heathfield. These include; Badminton, Basketball, Dance, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Netball, Rugby. This gives students the knowledge and understanding to take a sport they enjoy further.

Beyond this, students have the opportunity to develop their skills further at clubs in a variety of activities and should seek to continue their understanding beyond the classroom lessons.

Our Year 8 cohort have also had exposure to some theoretical and practical first aid, which they completed in the last week of Term 2. This should give them awareness about how to act in a situation that might save another person's life. These are essential skills alongside the fundamental purpose of staying active.

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Drama

Year 7 began Term 2 performing the monologues they had written over half term in response to an improvisation stimulus. After seeing Matilda at the theatre, we are now looking at how to interpret Dahls' larger than life characters. Students will be exploring a variety of Roald Dahl plays and performing scripted extracts. Year 7 will also have a written assessment, based on an extract from Matilda, where they will analyse how effectively the actor playing Ms Trunchball terrifies Bruce Bogtrotter.

In Year 8 we are continuing to explore melodrama and the conventions of stock characters and an exaggerated acting style.

Having focused on the physical, non-verbal aspects of melodrama last term, we are now exploring and performing extracts from melodrama plays such as Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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Art

Year 7 have now completed four drawings of bulls. Each drawing was completed using a different medium; watercolour paint, oil pastel, chalk pastel and coloured pencil. Using different materials like this enables student to start to understand how to manage and control them, including adding texture and tone to their work. This is not an easy task, and students really rose to the challenge and we saw some exceptional drawings. After this, students moved onto tonal ladders and practiced creating a range of tones from light to dark using oil pastel, biro, pencil and different shades of black, grey and white paper. The next big task is an observational drawing of a bull in pencil. This drawing will pull together all the learning that students have experience so far; markmaking, creating tone, observing shapes and controlling media. This also doubles up as an assessment where we can see how students are progressing.

Year 8 students are working on the Pop Art food Project. Students have produced some fun drawn colourful images of fast food using flat colour and outlining to create a comic style Pop Art feel to their drawing. They are working on designing Pop Art backgrounds to set their food item on. Students have been particularly engaged in exploring ideas digitally on their iPads. We have looked at changing colours and creating grids of repeated images inspired by Andy Warhol.

Some students have looked at the use of celebrity in Pop Art, digitally editing photographs to look like Warhol’s repeat images of Marilyn Monroe. Coming up we will be creating Pop Art colour media compositions of favourite food items with Pop Art backgrounds.

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Music Year 7 have continued to work on their musical elements this term. They have also explored music on the Mac as well as how to play chords on a keyboard. They have all worked really hard in preparation for their assessment’s in the subject at the end of Term 2.

Year 8 have rotated round so that each student would now have explored Cover Music and putting their music together as a group as well as a Remix project which is focused on the Macs. During the Cover Music project, students have been working hard to produce a recording of ‘Times Like These’ by the Foo Fighters. It has been great to hear them performing as a group and working hard on developing their performance skills. Those doing the Remix project have been working hard to understand Garageband on the Macs. It has been fantastic to see their dedication and hard work at understanding a new piece of technology.

What are KS3 students learning in …

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PSHEe In Year 7 this term, learning has been focussed on Anti Bullying. We have celebrated the work of the Values Leaders in marking this year’s Anti Bullying Alliance theme of: Reach Out by discussing the role of bystanders and upstanders and the importance of letting a trusted adult know if they are concerned about what might happen to them or what they might witness

Year 8 have spent a lesson on this year’s Anti Bullying Week theme: Reach Out, ensuring that all students know they are supported both at the College and in their community and discussing how important it is they look out for and support each other.

Alongside this key lesson we have been exploring the topic of smoking: focussing on tobacco use continuing to decrease in both the adult and young people’s statistics; but also exploring the risks around the rise in popularity of vaping.

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Philosophy and Religion

The overarching topic in Term 2 for Year 7 has been ‘The Nature of God’. In this topic, students have learned the different ways some of the main religions understand God. Students were thoroughly engaged and challenged by the introduction of key terminology at the beginning of the term, which they shall continually use in their lessons. So far we’ve studied the Christian concept of the Trinity and the Islamic 99 Beautiful Names of Allah. Coming up we’ll be looking at the Hindu beliefs of Brahman and the lesser known Bahá'í faith.

Year 8 have been exploring gender equality throughout a number of religions, including Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. In doing so, they have analysed various religious scriptures to determine whether or not they suggest gender equality is important. They’ve been asking the question of whether the Catholic Church should allow female Priests and discussing their feelings on the differing religious expectations surrounding dress

Focus on Key Stage 4 and 5 Music Psychology and Sociology PRE

Pride . Ambition . Community

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in …

Music

Key Stage 4 Year 9 began the year by focusing on performance and key musical terminology. They have all been working as a group during 2 lessons a fortnight, where they have been developing their performance skills. This will support them when it comes to Year 11, when they have to work towards an Ensemble performance. Students have also been focusing on key terminology during 1 lesson a fortnight so that when they go into Year 10, they will fully equipped to analyse their set works.

During Term 2, students have been developing their compositional ability through performance. They have been working on a 4 chord song, as groups, to create their own unique composition.

Year 10 began the academic year with a review of content learnt in Year 9 and then worked on putting their musical vocabulary to practice with examined material. They have focused on one set work so far: Afro Celt Sound System – Release. Students have also been working towards their free composition, where they have picked their own stimulus to then create their own piece of music based around it.

Year 11 have just finished their mock period, which also includes their first recording of their solo/ensemble performance. Well done to all students on a good mock exam period. They have also started to focus on their set brief composition where they need to create a piece based around a stimulus set by the exam board. They have now covered 6 of the 8 areas of study that will come up in their GCSE and are continuing to develop their musical analysis and use of musical vocabulary during each lesson.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in …

Music

Key Stage 5 At the beginning of the course, Year 12 got straight into analysing the set works from the exam board using the musical terminology which they developed in GCSE. They have studied pieces by the Stravinsky, and Anoushka Shankar. They have developed their analytical approach to each of these set works with an Essay, which explores why these pieces are important to Music History. They have also been working on their compositional writing skills as well as a composition based around Electronic Dance Music.

Year 13 have been working hard on their analytical skills based around 13 set works. Like in Year 12, there has been a focus on critical writing skills for these pieces. They have continued to work on a composition based around a stimulus of their choosing and also working towards a 6 hour composition exam. Year 13 have also been performing different amounts of their final 8 minute recital.

As well as in lessons KS4 and KS5 music students have had the opportunity to go to Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne which was a fantastic opportunity for students to develop their understanding of Mozart, one of the great Classical composers. They have also attended a trip to the Royal Festival Hall to watch the London Philharmonic Orchestra perform a selection of GCSE set works from different exam boards. All students thoroughly enjoyed these trips and it was great to provide an opportunity to develop their musical education.

How I can help my child learn in Music? ✓

Test your children on their knowledge of the key musical elements. These can be found in their google classroom. You can also listen to the set work they are studying with them and get them to talk about what is going on in the music using the key musical elements.

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Support your children with ensuring they are doing practice on their instrument each week to work towards their performance exam.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

Psychology

Key Stage 5 Year 12 have made a fantastic start to psychology in the 6th form. We have been really impressed by the enthusiasm and engagement with the subject from both students for whom it is a new subject, and from those who have joined us from schools where they were able to study psychology for GCSE. Students have demonstrated maturity and sensitivity in their exploration of the psychopathology topic, in which they have explored the causes, symptoms and treatments of depression, OCD and phobias.

One of the highlights for Year 12 this term has been seeing students apply their research methods knowledge to their own research studies. Students have designed studies to test how performance is impacted by music. They have tested the effect of a variety of genres of music on a range of performance tasks including those needing deep concentration, mathematical and sporting skills.

Year 13 kicked off the year with an exploration of the issues and debates in psychology. This requires students to bring together their year 1 knowledge and show an increased critical understanding of the discipline in their discussions of whether psychology is, or should be, a science; whether we have free will, or if behaviour is determined and what the wider ethical implications of the research psychologists conduct are.

Year 13 also visited Bethlem Museum of the Mind. They represented the college brilliantly whilst learning about the history of mental health treatment in the UK. They were able to show their deep understanding of the difficulties of supporting patients with severe mental health disorders and the conflicts that can arise between the desires of the patients, the therapists and the patients families during the workshop sessions.

Super Curricular Whilst our Year 7-11 students do not have the opportunity to study Psychology, they can get involved with the subject via the super curricular fortnight activities. In the most recent super curricular fortnight, we encouraged students to delve further during Black History Month by considering the contribution of black female psychologists to our understanding of human behaviour. Why not have a look at what psychology activity you can get involved in during the next super curricular fortnight!

How I can help my child learn in Psychology? ✓

Discuss with them the topics they are learning about – they should be able to give you examples of how their learning can be applied to our everyday lives.

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Encourage them to use the resources available on firefly for revision.

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Test, test, test! Testing improves memory and allows students to understand their strengths and weaknesses – testing can be in the form of flashcards, or practice exam questions.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

Sociology

Key Stage 4 Once again, Year 9 students have given us a wonderful first impression of them as sociology students. Their engagement and determination in making the jump to GCSE study has been fantastic. They have been busy learning about the core concepts and theories in sociology and developing their research methods skills so that they are aware of what sociology is and how sociology is ‘done’. Like the Year 12 psychologists, some of our Year 9 sociologists have also been demonstrating their research methods skills in their own studies. Year 9 have focused on investigating whether the Hawthorne Effect impacts then in 2023. They designed methods of measuring whether being observed impacted performance in a variety of tasks, from finding Where’s Wally to completing word searches and even seeing how far paper airplanes could be thrown. They were also able to experience what it is like to act as a participant in each others research. Students demonstrated a good awareness of ethical issues in research and found out just how hard it is to design a study that is valid!

All of our Year 10 and 11 students are sitting their final GCSE exams this academic year in sociology. They have been busy developing their revision and independent study skills for their mock exams, lots of regular review of knowledge and testing of skills has been the focus this term. In addition, both year groups are focusing on the topics of crime and deviance, and stratification and differentiation. These topics develop the students’ understanding of the sociological perspectives beyond the depth needed in earlier topics and we have been really impressed with how the groups have engaged and the understanding that they have demonstrated.

Key Stage 5 We have been really happy to see so many of our previous sociology GCSE students return to the department for their A level studies, as well as welcoming lots of new budding sociologists to the subject in Year 12 this term.

Year 12 have been diving deeply into the different sociological perspectives and the role they have in helping us to understand the society in which we live. They are now moving on to the topic of education and are currently studying function of education in society. Is it to create a skilled workforce, to prepare students for exploitation in the work place, or to reinforce patriarchy? Our students are getting their heads around all these different

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

Sociology

theories and more. We have had many interesting debates, and students have really enjoyed being critical of some of the more traditional views.

In addition, Year 12 have been studying culture and identity in the other side of the course, a topic not explored at GCSE. This term, the focus has been on culture: we have been exploring the role of youth subcultures and folk cultures as well as debating the value of high and low culture (or whether such things exist in a postmodern society!).

Year 13 students have been looking at the main causes of crime and deviance in society. They have examined how young people can turn to crime because of poverty and strain, but also critically examined the role of capitalism in creating crime through the enormous social inequality that exists. They have looked at case studies to demonstrate corporate crime and state crime, such as the abuse of migrant workers during the Qatar World Cup, as well as cases closer to home, such as Starbucks tax fraud.

The other side of the course has focused on the media, considering ownership and control alongside globalisation and its relationship to modern media such as Netflix and TikTok.

How I can help my child learn in Sociology? ✓

Discuss with them at home the topics they are learning about – they should be able to give you examples of how their learning can be applied to news stories and world events.

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Encourage them to use the resources available on firefly for revision.

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Test, test, test! Testing improves memory and allows them to understand their strengths and weaknesses as they prepare for exams – testing can be in the form of flashcards, or more importantly, practice exam questions.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION & ETHICS Key Stage 4 Year 9 began their year of PRE by looking at the much-debated topic of creation and asking the question of how the world came to be. We started by tackling this question from the perspective of Christians, with an initial focus on the creation story. Students were interested to learn the different ways of interpreting Genesis 1, from both a fundamentalist and liberal perspective. We then looked at creation from a secular perspective, focussing on the Big Bang Theory. We looked into the origins of scientific thought and the concept of empiricism, which allowed students to reflect on how we know what we know; we built on this by assessing which phenomena we can or can’t use our five senses to experience, such as the make up of a human body, why we are here or what it means to be in love with somebody.

After having looked into both religious and secular answers to the question of creation, we looked into Aquinas’ theory of the Cosmological argument. We discussed the practicalities of an infinite regress and whether it was feasible for causes of events to be traced back indefinitely without any first cause. Students enjoyed making a link between the Cosmological argument and the Big Bang Theory, which lead us onto the next lesson, which explored whether science and religion could co-exist. Students were encouraged to voice their opinions and they did so maturely and sensitively. It was very impressive to hear such insightful responses.

Term 2 has seen a focus on Philosophical theory, beginning with the works of Aristotle and his concept of Eudaimonia and Virtue Ethics. In doing so, students were able to question what it means to live a virtuous life and how to avoid extremes in character by following the Golden Mean. Following this, students were introduced to Immanuel Kant and studied an ethical unit in Duty Ethics. They considered whether doing their duty is always the right thing to do and the challenges and consequences this may bring. Term 2 will be concluded by looking into the concept of Utilitarianism and applying it to real-life situations. Students will be asked to consider whether the action that causes the most amount of happiness to the most amount of people, is necessarily always the morally right action.

Still to come in Year 9, we will be looking into the Problem of Evil and asking the question of whether the magnitude of evil and suffering in the world is incongruous with the existence of an all-loving and all-powerful God. We’ll examine the sanctity of life, drawing on scenarios such as animal experimentation and euthanasia.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

PHILOSOPHY, RELIGION & ETHICS Year 10 began their year with a philosophical unit, where students were challenged with the question ‘what is reality?’. We looked into the powers of perception and questioned whether one person’s reality will differ to another’s.

Term two was started by looking at the concept of Duty Based Ethics, which involved assessing what our individual duties are and considering whether people should be doing ‘good’ deeds based on anything other than it being their duty.

Coming up in Term 3, Year 10 will be challenged with the question ‘what is truth?’. They will look into the different types of truth, with a focus on moral and spiritual truth. During Term 4, the ethical question of ‘Who decides death? Doctors, individuals or families?’ will be pondered. The remainder of the year will see students look at the future and whether artificial intelligence is to be seen as a threat to humanity, along with the responsibilities humans have towards the planet; pertinent given the climate threat we are facing.

Year 11 have followed interesting courses, which has encouraged reflection for their future lives. Starting with philosophical questions of to what extent we have freewill and questioning whether we have the freedom to choose our own paths or whether our futures have already been decided. Term 2 introduced students to alternative ancient philosophies such as stoicism and Confucianism and pondered whether their teachings could be useful for their lives. We then looked at the more contemporary (by comparison!) concept of existentialism, which made students question whether they were born with a purpose or whether it is up to them to create their own purpose in life.

In Term 3, students will be exploring ethics within sports. When looking at the topic of gender equality, students will question whether it is reasonable that, in many instances, there is a significant disparity in pay between male and female athletes, as well differences in attitudes towards them. Year 11 will also be looking into what it means to be a good sportsperson and questioning whether the use of performance-enhancers is ethically wrong.

During the last term, Year 11 students will be encouraged to reflect on their responsibilities in society. Whether it be relationships or how they spend their money or them as individuals in a global society.

How I can help my child learn in Philosophy, Religion & Ethics? ✓

Watch the news with your child and discuss what is going in the world.

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Ask your child about what they learnt in PRE and have discussions with them

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Encourage your child to use any key language they learnt in their discussions with you.

Term 2 Wider Curriculum These pages include details of the wider curriculum events followed by all year groups over the course of the last term.

Pride . Ambition . Community

Year 8 Wider Curriculum French Language Day This term, Year 8 students studying French spent the morning engaging in a number of lessons with a French theme and the afternoon watching a live production of a funny French play about an Art Club where students mysteriously go missing (https://www.onatti.co.uk/).

Students and Teachers engaged in speaking lots of French and learning new facts about France and French culture! In Drama, students had fun shouting French insults at each other and acting out parts of the script from the afternoon play. In Geography, students were inspired to travel through France, drawing a map of key areas in France and writing their research in French. In History, students learnt about France during World War 2 and looked at sources written in French using their translation skills to decipher the message. In French, they played French board games and French bingo! All Teachers used French in their lessons and showed students how important it is to ‘have a go’ and not be worried about making mistakes. The play in the afternoon, performed solely in French, was the perfect ending to a thoroughly enjoyable day! One student (Drew Lloyd) was even invited on stage to perform alongside the French actors, engaging in the French dialogue and entertaining his fellow students!

We were very impressed with students’ attitude while watching the play.

As it was performed solely in French, students had to focus on listening and translating in their head what was happening in the play. I think many surprised themselves as to how much they could follow.

We hope they found the day useful, particularly in supporting their option choices next term.

“I liked how I was able to understand most of it and being able to understand what they were saying.”

Year 8 Wider Curriculum Spanish Language Day On 1st December, Year 8 students studying Spanish spent the morning engaging in a number of lessons with a Spanish theme and the afternoon watching a live production of a Spanish play about a holiday mix-up (https://www.onatti.co.uk/).

Students and Teachers engaged in speaking lots of Spanish and learning new facts about Spain and Spanish culture! In Music, students had fun creating music tracks using Reggaeton music and in Geography, students were inspired to travel through Spain. In Art, students created cubism inspired art work and in their Spanish lessons, they learnt about all the different countries that speak Spanish! All teachers used Spanish in their lessons and showed students how important it is to ‘have a go’ and not be worried about making mistakes.

The play in the afternoon, performed solely in Spanish, was the perfect ending to a thoroughly enjoyable day! Students were even invited on stage throughout the play as additional characters. They had to engage in the Spanish dialogue and they definitely entertained their fellow students! Well done to Danny Belton, Daniel Applegate and Williams Waghorn for being the students on stage!

When students were asked for feedback, it was extremely positive and we were thrilled they enjoyed the day. We were so impressed at how determined they were to speak Spanish even when they didn’t feel confident. Students were particularly keen to get involved with the audience participation in the play and the actors were very impressed with their confidence.

When asked what they had gained from the day students gave the following responses: “I have taken lots of information and learnt a lot about the country as well as the culture”, “Spanish is a good subject” “That I now have more knowledge if I was to ever go to Spain or any other parts of the world that speak Spanish“ and “I understand that having a language can be useful”.

Year 11 Wider Curriculum Visits to Plumpton College and The University of Sussex For several years, the College has been pleased to meet the criteria for the Gatsby Benchmark 7 which enables us to maintain the full Investors in Careers Award by ensuring all of Year 11 have the experience of both a Higher and Further Education.

For Year 11’s Wider Curriculum Day this term, we focussed on Higher, or University level learning. Nationally, almost 50% of the population now enter university and start a degree.

We believe that all of our students have the potential to achieve that highly: whether that be through a degree apprenticeship, or the traditional route of ‘going to uni’, or being sponsored by an employer when they are older, or through remote learning; but we also believe they need to be fully informed as to whether that is the right progression for them. This is of particular importance if no-one from the student’s family have been educated to degree level, as they may not fully understand why they should or should not pursue that route.

We were really pleased to continue our partnerships with Plumpton College and the University of Sussex, who were superbly accommodating in allowing the whole year group to have this significant opportunity to be informed through an actual experience of visiting the campuses.

At Plumpton, the students visited some of the superb new facilities, including the animal care centre and the Agri foods building, as well as the stalwarts of blacksmithing, agricultural vehicle, outdoor education and forestry. Although only a small number of Year 11s may move on to courses at Plumpton, all of those who visited learnt something about what a vocational college feels like in contrast to a secondary school, and they were all made aware that Plumpton offers degree level courses which they may consider further down their career journey.

At Sussex University the majority of students were given a tour of part of the extensive 94 hectares of land and approximately 260,000 square metres of buildings, many of which are listed. They were guided by current undergraduates who could answer questions about what university life and study is actually like. They had the opportunity to go inside a lecture theatre and the campus library, as well as see what accommodation and social facilities look like at a campus university. Mr Howard and Mr Thomas led the two trips and reported a superb attitude from Year 11, who were engaged, polite and a credit to us. Whether or not individuals make the decision to study for a Higher Education degree qualification, as a College we are proud that they all at least have some idea of what they might reject or pursue.

Year 13 Wider Curriculum ‘The students I spoke to were so positive, well-presented and well-prepared for the event.

They had obviously thought about how to answer the questions and knew clearly what they wanted to do and how they were going to achieve it. It was a pleasure to talk to them.’

This week saw the return of the rigorous, but rewarding Wider Curriculum Day for Year 13’s – the Interview Day. 19 interviewers volunteered their time including alumni, governors, enterprise champions from the East Sussex Careers hub and local employers.

This year’s interviewers ranged in their professional experience including: the NHS, Finance Industries, green economy, creative sector, recruitment, British Army, Fire Service, Law, business coaching, civil service and local family run businesses. They had taken time out from busy working lives to meet with and interview all our Year 13 students, providing them with a professional interview experience and feedback.

Students rose admirably to this challenge: dressing to impress, working to create positive impressions, and preparing strong responses to some tricky interview questions. Employers were extremely positive about the young people they met today, praising their ambition, confidence, experience and employability skills.

Although many had a few nerves before their interviews, students were equally positive about their experiences, noting how useful a practice interview with a professional had been. Several students also used the opportunity for a little business networking; with an eye on securing work after their A levels.

Wider Curriculum Year 7 Matilda Trip This term, all of Year 7 visited the Cambridge Theatre in London to watch the incredible production of ‘Matilda The Musical’.

The students were rapt as they watched the show, enjoying the musical numbers and the phenomenal staging. Highlights included the magical chalk writing by itself and a girl being swung by her hair!

Music Trip to Glyndebourne KS5 and KS5 Music students attended a fantastic show by all the cast in Glyndebourne production of Don Giovanni.

All students were engaged with the Opera and thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

A Level Drama Trip - O What A Lovely War The Drama department took the Year 12 and 13 Drama students to see “Oh What a Lovely War” at The Devonshire Theatre in Eastbourne. The play is a wildly satirical, visually stunning and deeply moving, it's the musical that revolutionised modern theatre; an exhilarating, no-holds-barred assault on the military incompetence and inconceivable disregard for human life the First World War has come to represent. The Brechtian style performance was entertaining with a “vaudeville” atmosphere, as it included burlesque comedy and song and dance.

However, the black comedy element was highlighted by the shocking statistics of the millions of who died on the battlefield for only 100 yard gain of land. The acting Was accomplished and the set, lighting and sound successfully Created the WW1 era.

MP Visit for Parliament Week As part of Parliament week, we invited our local MP and councillors to listen to our students and their feedback from the Children’s Commissioner’s Big Ambition Survey.

We were joined by Huw Merriman MP of the Conservative Party, Councillor Christine Bayliss of the Labour Party and Councillor Rachel Millward of the Green Party, other political parties were invited. Huw, Christine and Rachel then responded to issues raised by our students who have taken part in the Big Ambition survey from the Children’s Commissioner for England, Rachel de Souza.

Topics raised and discussed included climate change and the environment, the cost of living, children’s mental health, school funding and vocational education, local bike lanes and pathways. Our students raised the topics for discussion and also brought a variety of different views into the discussion. We were really impressed with the calm and respectful way the discussions progressed.

Wider-Curriculum DofE Groundworks Grant

Gold DofE Finishers 2023

The Duke of Edinburgh award team at the college have been successful in securing a grant via the Tesco’s Groundwork programme towards equipment and specialised staff training. The grant provided is essential in allowing us to keep delivering the Duke of Edinburgh Award to any young people in our school who wants to be involved, removing the barrier of cost which may otherwise hinder their decision. We feel that the Duke of Edinburgh Award is an immensely valuable opportunity for our young people to develop incredibly important life skills which allows them greater success in their future education and careers.

Congratulations to Bethany Casse (Heathfield Alumni), Eva Harker (Year 13), and Marcia Stubbings (Heathfield Alumni), on successfully completing their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

We also celebrate 5 further award completions with Oliver Jaquet achieving his silver award; Fern CollinsWood, Tristian Neal, Charlie Erridge and James Maskell achieving their bronze awards.

We are incredibly proud of their achievements as we appreciate the hard work and dedication that it entails. Each of them will have spent at least 12 months volunteering, 12 months doing a physical activity and 6-12months learning a new skill.

They will have spent 4 nights and 5 days on a residential course with no-one else known to them. And finally, they will have undertaken two gruelling expeditions in wild country, each 4 days and 3 nights in length. It truly is an immense accomplishment.

As a team at Heathfield Community College, we feel incredibly privileged to have been on the journey with them. They will now be invited to receive their award officially at Buckingham Palace in the spring.

STEM Club Rat dissection at STEM club! This term we had 24 students from across Year 7 and Year 8 taking part in a rat dissection. They were expertly assisted and coached through by some of our amazing year 12 biology students. There was a great buzz all round as they were so enthusiastic and engaged, learning about the anatomy of a rat!

“I enjoyed the rat dissection and I’m looking forward to more dissections. I liked learning about the body parts of a rat and seeing it in person, rather than a photo. I am really enjoying STEM Club.” – Year 8 student STEM club runs every Wednesday after school for Year 7 and Year 8, combining different elements of investigation and exciting practical’s or dissections. If you are interested in joining, please see Mr Bowman.

Wider Curriculum Children in Need Heathfield students showed their compassion in abundance in raising money for Children in Need this term. They donated money to wear non-uniform to school, and took part in a ‘Guess the Teacher’ competition from toddler photos provided by a number of our teaching staff. Students also took part in a challenge to see how many ‘Bearpees’ they could collectively do in one week. Students managed to raise £960.19 for this wonderful cause.

Christmas Jumper and Foodbank Collection Day A huge THANK YOU to all out Heathfield families who contributed to the Foodbank collection this term. We managed to Collect 496.70 kgs of food for Christmas.

This is enough to provide 1,182 meals for individuals and families in crisis within Heathfield, Hailsham and the surrounding area. Thank you so much for your support

Heathfield Vine Welcome to our Christmas edition of The Vine! It's full of brilliant articles including how to be greener this Christmas, and how to show generosity and compassion for those who might not be having such a good time.

Library Celebrations Our library leaders have been doing an incredible job celebrating various cultural events and holidays.

There are plenty of film and book reviews for anyone looking for something to do on a gloomy day - as well as a theatre review of Matilda by one of our Year 7s - and there's also a round-up of the political panel event that took place with Sixth Formers last month. There's even a little bit of Y7 Christmas poetry too...

http://heathfieldcollegenewspaper.weebly.c om/

Black History Month – October

Divali – 12th November

HOUSES The House Leaders were delighted by the high level of participation shown in Term 2’s House Photography Competition. The theme of this year’s competition was ‘On My Doorstep’ and students submitted photographs of what they could see or find ‘on their doorstep’. It was very difficult to select a winner as excellent photographs were chosen by each House. However the final winner was the stunning photo from Tower House. Congratulations to Tower for winning the Photography Competition.

Cade Winner – Natalia Pistorius Tower Winner – Evie Aylward

Heffle Winner – Keira Townend

Batemans Winner – George Wood Other notable entries

SIXTH FORM LEADERSHIP Community Leadership to Hailsham Foodbank In the run up to the Christmas foodbank collection at Heathfield, the Sixth Form Community Leadership group visited our local foodbank in Hailsham, learning about the increasing numbers of families in the Wealden area who are reliant on boxes of food, drink, toiletries and other necessities from the foodbank.

The students were able to help a little by packing boxes with provisions at the warehouse before walking down to the high street shop where they could see how quickly stocks can be depleted each day if it wasn’t for the generosity of local residents, businesses and schools.

The team wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all Heathfield families who contributed to the Foodbank collection last week.

MOST NEEDED FOOD ITEMS 30 JAN ’23

‘I learnt more about how the foodbank system works, how beneficial it can be to people, and how the need for foodbanks is unfortunately on the rise.

I also learnt about the donations that are harder to get than others, along with the times of the year that the foodbank receive less donations.’

• TINNED VEGETABLES (SWEETCORN, CARROTS, PEAS) • TINNED RICE PUDDING/CUSTARDS • TINNED FRUIT • TINNED TOMATOES/PASTA SAUCE • LONGLIFE APPLE OR ORANGE JUICE • GLUTEN FREE/VEGAN/NON DAIRY OPTIONS • TINNED MEAT (HOT DOGS, CHICKEN IN THE SAUCE, ETC) • TINNED TUNA • LONGLIFE MILK • SWEETS/CHOCOLATE/CEREAL BARS • INSTANT MASH • NAPPIES/BABY WIPES • JAM/CHOCOLATE SPREAD/PEANUT BUTTER ETC. • TOMATO KETCHUP/BROWN SAUCE/MAYONNAISE • TINNED SOUP • TOOTHPASE/DEODORANT/SHOWER GEL/SHAMPOO/ TOILET ROLLS WE DON'T NEED THE FOLLOWING AT PRESENT • BREAKFAST CEREAL • TEABAGS • TINNED POTATOES

‘I now know all the work that goes on behind the scenes in foodbanks. I loved learning the process of how the boxes get created and the amount of care that gets put into them1

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL As is our practice, Executive Council met this term to discuss the issues raised by students through their tutor reps. However, in this term’s Executive Council meeting we welcomed a visitor from Westminster: Gillian Keegan MP, Secretary of State for Education.

Students were delighted that the issue of hot food running out at the Snack Shack seems to have been resolved and some students reported a misconception that they were not allowed to wear coats: we would whole heartedly recommend that students do wear coats during the wetter and colder seasons but students are not permitted to wear coats in classrooms.

The main item of the meeting was a discussion around revision material, how they access it and what revision methods they have been taught in lessons. Gillian Keegan joined students for this discussion and was especially in interested in discussion around the impact of AI in the work that students complete outside of the classroom.

The Executive Council made an excellent impression upon our visitor and will continue their excellent work by starting Term 2 with feedback to their peers once SLT have discussed the issues raised.

“It was interesting being able to talk with the Education Secretary and great that she heard some of the views of Heathfield students. It was a rare opportunity to talk to a government minister” – The Lead Team

Alumni News This term we have been grateful to a number of alumni who have been supporting our year 13 students in preparation for their progression.

A few alumni gave their time to complete mock interviews with year 13 students to prepare them for the university application process. Amongst them were;

Callum Caldwell, who studied Law at Cambridge University and is currently studying for a Masters in Law; Amy Bigwood, an archaeology graduate of Cambridge University who is currently a research assistant on the Shanidar Archaeological Project

Nathan Lawson, who studied Geography and the Environment at Oxford University and is now a geography teacher Louisa Dollimore, a former University of Oxford student, Parliamentary Assistant and Labour Campaign Organiser.

Several other alumni were involved in supporting Year 13 students on the Wider Curriculum Day dedicated to practicing interview skills. The expertise that our alumni add in support of Year 13 is much appreciated and their feedback and guidance is invaluable.

At the time of writing we are sending out invites to our 2023 leavers for their celebration evening on the 14th December, 5.30pm in the common room.

We hope as many of them as possible will return to collect their official A level certificates, to catch up with each other, and to tell us all about their adventures of university life, gap year travels, employment and apprenticeships, so far.

If you have any alumni updates for us please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you, and get as many people involved in the alumni programme as possible.

Whenever you left Heathfield and whatever stage of your education or career, please get in touch using the QR code or by emailing alumni@heathfieldcc.co.uk.

Dates for your Diary Tuesday, 2 January

Start of Term 3 INSET DAY

Wednesday, 3 January

INSET DAY

Thursday, 2 November

Year 7 Sussex Safer Roads

Friday, 5 January

Year 12 History & Politics Parliament/Supreme Court Trip

Monday, 8 January

Start of Year 13 Mock Exams

Monday, 15 January

Start of House Table Tennis Competition

Wednesday, 17 January

Year 11 Positive Progression Event

Thursday, 18 January

Year 9 & 10 Drama Students Theatre Trip: Blood Brothers

Friday, 19 January

GCSE PE Practice Moderation

Monday, 22 January

Start of Year 13 MFL Mock Oral Exams

Tuesday, 23 January

Year 10 & 11 Triple Scientists Trip to GCSE Science Live

Wednesday, 24 January

LAMDA Drama Exams Year 11 Apprenticeships Assembly & Workshops

Thursday, 25 January

De La Warr Accelerator Programme - Assembly and Workshops

Friday, 26 January

'Smashed’ Year 7 Performance (Alcohol Misuse)

Monday, 29 January

Start of Year 8 Wider Curriculum: Trip to Harry Potter Studios Executive Council Meeting

Wednesday, 31 January

Intermediate Maths Challenge

Thursday, 7 December

Year 13 Drama Trip: Othello, The Globe, London A Level French Cervantes Theatre Trip

Thursday, 1 February Year 9, 10 and 11 Latin trip to Fishbourne Roman Palace Friday, 2 February

Year 9 Careers Fair at Claverham Community College Start of Super Curricular Fortnight

Monday, 5 February

Year 7 Author, Talk, Workshop and Illustrator (Julian Sedgwick and Chie Kutsuwada) Year 8 Subject Feedback Evening

Thursday, 8 February Ski Trip departs Friday, 9 February

End of Term 3

www.heathfieldcc.co.uk @Heathfield_CC