Headlines Term 3 February 2022
Pride . Ambition . Community
Headlines Issue 3 11 February 2022
Head’s Message As we reach the end of a half term and start a welcome break for all, I would like to thank all members of our community for their hard work this term. Teaching staff have gone the extra mile this term to provide support for all students, including those approaching exams or assessments, in the face of significant pressure from absences linked to Covid, on top of normal illness at this time of year. Our support staff have also worked exceptionally hard to manage challenging circumstances and maintain the quality of provision for students and colleagues that we are known for. I am proud to work with every one of them.
Equally our students have managed the changing circumstances with patience and understanding. They have enjoyed their continued access to the breadth and depth of the curriculum offered at Heathfield and continued to focus hard on their studies, showing motivation and attention to the things that make the difference. They have done really well. Furthermore, your role as parents and carers is one of the most vital links in the strengths of our community - your support and reinforcement of the basic expectations is essential in the consistency that creates the secure and reliable environment students enjoy, and that then allows them to flourish. We do not take it for granted and we value it, thank you. I hope the half term break brings rest. Those revising will still need to work but can of course make time for family, friends, fresh air, exercise, calm and relaxation. We look forward to seeing everyone bright and fresh on 21 February for Term 4. Key Stage 3: The Wrath and the Dawn, by Renée Ahdieh This Young Adult Novel is just brilliant and so much more than your stereotypical teenage romance. It's based in a fictional country where the reader is introduced to a young prince who marries a new wife every day, and then has her executed at the break of the next dawn. One courageous young woman volunteers herself to be his next wife with the hopes of breaking this horrific new tradition and to get revenge for her murdered best friend. The story that ensues is nothing short of hypnotic. And the best bit? There is a sequel to feast upon that is just as gripping as the first! Key Stage 4: Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë This novel is a celebrated classic for a reason! If you are new to reading 19th century fiction, this is the perfect place to start. It is both accessible and engaging. Orphaned as a child, Jane has never felt like she fits in, whether that be when living with her unloving aunt or at boarding school. Her biggest challenge, however, arrives when she is hired by the mysterious but proud Edward Rochester to work as a live-in nanny. The relationship that develops between Jane and Edward is troubled from the start but she can see a kindness in him that she is drawn to. And you will be drawn into their dramas too! Key Stage 5: Where Rainbows End, by Cecilia Ahern Where Rainbows End is written entirely as a series of letters, texts, emails and notes between Rosie and Alex. Best friends since they were 5, where the story begins, you get to watch their relationship grow and evolve throughout the years of their lives. There are bumps along the road, moments of heartbreak, periods of laughter and joy, but this book will make you fall in love with them both and foster a desire to find yourself a penpal who can be to you what these two are for each other!
YEAR 7 Attendance Average attendance for Term 3: 93.9% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 3: 121
This term, Year 7 received feedback from their subject teachers following their assessments at the end of term 2. This was completed through a virtual subject review evening in which students and their families discussed their progress and achievements across the college whilst reflecting on how to continue to make good progress. Through lesson visits, it has been clear that students are working hard to develop and reflect on the feedback given during the course of this evening.
House competitions have been thriving this term with Year 7 consistently performing well within these. There has been careful consideration within tutor groups to nominate players to represent their teams but who will be the winning house at the end of term 4? The end of this term sees another opportunity for students to engage in our super curriculum week and we cannot wait to see the submissions for Year 7! Amber (7A) showed compassion and consideration over the Christmas holidays by raising £305 for charity by cutting her hair. Amber donated 11 inches of her hair to the Little Princess Trust (this charity make wigs for children and young adults with cancer). Well done Amber!
This term has been all about taking stock and looking ahead. Year 8 conducted their formal assessments in class, which will give students, parents and teachers a good idea of where they are with each subject.
YEAR 8
The Y-half of the year group completed their Wider Curriculum Day, with a focus on their Spanish learning. The day gave students a great opportunity to explore a wider scope of Spanish culture.
Attendance
The vast majority of students took part in the trip to Warner Brothers Studios at the end of January. The studio tour, and accompanying classroom session, encouraged students to consider all the different skills and careers that are available in the film industry. With the Options process now formally launched, and presentations from subjects underway, Year 8 have some exciting and important decisions to make which will start to shape their futures.
Average attendance for Term 3: 94.7% Praise Average Praise points per student for Term 3: 104
YEAR 9 Attendance Average attendance for Term 3: 94.5%
Praise Average praise points per student for Term 3: 90
Since coming back in the New Year, Year 9 have settled back into their routines and have continued the brilliant work they started before Christmas. We have launched a number of great activities and initiatives this term in Year 9, one being the Peer Mentoring scheme. Year 9 students have been selected and have undergone training sessions to enable them to support. younger students, with the aim of them becoming role models for them. All of the teachers involved have been impressed with the confidence, enthusiasm and maturity of the students undertaking the training. It has been fantastic to see Year 9 students rise to the challenge and agree to support our younger years In tutor time and through assemblies, Year 9 have been involved with well-being week, Martin Luther King Day and Holocaust Memorial Day. They have approached these topics with maturity and have engaged well to further their understanding. We are now looking forward to Super Curriculum Fortnight towards the end of this term, where students will get involved in a range of different activities.
Year 10 have been hard at work developing their independent revision skills during tutor time this term. Following mock exams in term 2, students have used teacher feedback to help inform their revision and studies to ensure their knowledge and exam skills develop further. Students have been working on a revision passport in tutor time to develop these skills. The revision passport links closely to the Heathfield Revision clock which helps to focus their revision on reviewing knowledge, testing and then checking their understanding. The timetable for mock exams in term 4 can be found on the school website https://www.heathfieldcc.co.uk/wp/wp-
YEAR 10 Attendance Average attendance for Term 3: 89.6%
content/uploads/2022/01/Term-4-2022-Mock-Timetable-Year-10-11.pdf.
A group of students in Year 10 have started their training for our Peer Mentoring scheme. These students, who have been selected to participate in this scheme, will be mentoring younger students based on their mature, compassionate and confident attributes making them a positive role model in the College. Students participating in this scheme have already shown excellent engagement and enthusiasm. This term has seen multiple house activities such as Battle of the Boards and a basketball tournament. Well done to those who participated in these events to represent Year 10 and their house.
Praise Average praise points per student for Term 3: 82
YEAR 11 Attendance Average attendance for Term 3: 88.7% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 3: 59
Term 3 has been a busy term for Year 11s, reflecting upon their mock results prior to Christmas and developing those areas identified by taking actions to address any gaps ready for their second set of mocks after half term. Remember, there is plenty of guidance on Firefly subject resources as well as support from your staff. We have also started to put in place arrangements for the Prom. The plan currently is to have pre-drinks/snacks on the school site that families are welcome to attend prior to the students travelling to PowderMills Hotel for the main event. So, please all save the date: FRI 8th July 2022. Wishing the year group all the best of luck for their second set of mocks after half-term.
Year 13 Mocks Year 13 students completed their first series of formalized mock exams this term. During this period, they have recalled their subject knowledge alongside practicing the necessary skills required in an examination situation. It has been impressive to see them do this with determination and resilience.
As the UCAS deadline passed, we are pleased to confirm that 100 students have submitted applications to study at University this year.
Students applying for apprenticeships, employment, art foundation courses and taking gap years will continue to be supported in PSHEE lessons.
Attendance Average attendance for Term 3: 91.5%
Progression Update
At this point, 60 Universities have sent offers to students already based on predicted grades and personal statements.
VI FORM
Praise Year 12 have begun exploring their progression routes this term. Through tutorial sessions they have been given insights into different options available to them.
Next term, our annual progression day will take place followed by the UCAS convention. All materials being shared with students are available to parents and carers on Firefly and further details and information will be communicated.
Over 300 praises have been issued this term to Sixth Form students. Names will go into our praise raffle at the start of Term 5. Huge thanks to the Sixth Form leadership team who supported with the repainting of some of the chairs in the Common Room
What are students learning in …
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY Keys stage 3
Year 7 have been focusing on the properties of different materials and the impact they have on the environment. They have also been getting to grips with a range of workshop tools and equipment to cut, shape and finish these materials. Year 8 have been exploring computer aided design and manufacture alongside developing their designing and making skills to include laser cutting, soldering, heat shaping plastics and cutting complex wooden joints. Key stage 4 Year 9 have just finished the mood light project where they learnt about different electronic components and how they are used to control circuits. They soldered their own circuits with a light sensor and colour changing LED to produce a light which automatically turns on when it is dark. They all designed their own lamp shades which were made from polypropylene and riveted together. Year 10 are currently working on a unit to help develop the skills they need for the NEA which they will be starting in June. Creating design ideas influenced by both other designers’ work and nature is one of the skills they will need. They were given different design tasks and an A3 sheet with a mixture of designers’ work and pictures from nature. Students had to produce a minimum of 12 ideas in 1 lesson. Keys stage 5 Year 12 have been using critical thinking and problem solving skills to iterate a design concept through sketching, modelling and prototyping. Students investigated how the effects of stroke, arthritis and sight loss affected a user’s abilities and analysed this information to help them design an inclusive toothbrush suitable for a wide range of users.
DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY Students have also been exploring factors which drive the development of products including the availability of new technologies and materials, and the need for more sustainable design. Extra curricular Year 7 DT club have just finished their first project which was to make their own ‘Insect House’. They marked, measured and cut out the pieces and used 2D design on the computers to design their own laser cut window. They have just started their new project which is to make their own ‘Block Bot’, which will be based on a character. They used hand tools and machinery to accurately cut and assemble their insect house.
How I can help my child learn in Design & Technology? ✓
Encourage them to question what products are made from and how this might affect the environment.
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Give them opportunities to make or mend things at home.
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Encourage them to attend KS3 DT club or KS4 & 5 catch up sessions available after school.
Career and Student Videos
Careers in Design & Technology
Why our students enjoy Design & Technology
What are students learning in …
FOOD & NUTRITION
Key stage 3 Year 7 and 8 classes rotated to Food and Nutrition at the beginning of this year. Students have been investigating enzymic browning and applying their new practical skills to make a fresh fruit salad and pizza toast. Year 8 students have been building upon the practical skills developed last year, making bread rolls and pizza. They have been investigating the function of ingredients to make bread. For example what yeast needs to ferment, creating carbon dioxide, allowing the bread to rise. Key Stage 4 Year 9 have begun a new unit on nutrition, focusing on the macronutrients, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. They have also been investigating the food science behind recipes, for example, making mayonnaise and sampling milk preserved using different methods: pasteurised, sterilised and Ultra Heat Treated. Year 10 are completing their NEA on Italian cuisine. All students have completed their final practical, preparing, cooking and presenting two dishes within three hours. Students demonstrated high level skills such as: making pasta, portioning chicken, filleting fish and making flaky pastry to a high standard.
How I can help my child learn in Food & Nutrition?
Encourage your child to practice their practical skills at home by making a healthy snack, a tasty treat or a family meal.
Visit the local farmers market to purchase fresh produce.
Practice the recipes we use in school, all recipes can be found here.
When buying groceries, take your child to learn good habits such as planning, buying seasonally or on a budget.
Career and Student Videos
Careers in Food & Nutrition
Why our students enjoy Food & Nutrition
What are students learning in …
PHOTOGRAPHY
Key Stage 4 Students new to GCSE Photography this year have been working on a general introduction to photographic skills and the use of the Photoshop package and other digital apps relevant to the course. Year 10 continue to explore a range of photographic and digital editing processes through the theme of identity, capturing photoshoots of themselves and others to refine their photographic skills and use contextual sources to improve their ideas using 2D and 3D methods and processes. Those in their final year of study continue to review and build on their existing skills with more advanced editing techniques. They continue to refine their work independently and make decisions on the direction of their personal response to Identity. Key Stage 5
Students in Year 12 have now completed their preliminary Photographic studies including responses to a range of chosen photographers and developed work in the areas of Minimalism and Typology. Students have recently started a narrative photographic journal project where they are experimenting with a range physical art and photographic techniques to complement the digital techniques they learned in term 1. In Year 13, students have been focusing on their personal studies, part of which is an essay analyzing the work of other photographers relating to individual chosen themes. Students have also continued to develop their coursework projects, refining and developing personal outcome ideas by experimenting further with physical and digital techniques.
How I can help my child learn in Photography?
Career and Student Videos
✓ Enquire about the topic of studies and the use of first-hand imagery generated through photography is particularly useful. ✓ Encourage them to take lots of images using their camera, iPad or phone photography is all about being able to see the world around them.
Careers in Photography
✓ Visiting galleries and exhibitions will help to broaden their understanding of the world of art/photography and will likely inspire them to try new processes and techniques.
Why our students enjoy Photography
What are students learning in …
ART
Key Stage 3 So far this year, students in Year 7 have been having great fun exploring mark making, tone and colour through a range of different media. They have created stunning mark making pages using Indian ink, graphite sticks, biro, fine line and pencils; tonal ladders using oil pastel, biro, pencil and papers in shades of black, white and grey; colour wheels that explore the primary, secondary and tertiary colours, with the added challenge of having to complete it using only yellow, blue and red; shells drawn using only the mark making they tried in the first few lessons. We even managed to squeeze in a drawing test! The engagement and enthusiasm that students have shown has really impressed all teachers in the department. We regularly look at all student outcomes and we have been amazed by the incredibly high standards we have seen! Year 8 have been all about colour, sweets and Pop Art. They started with some beautiful investigations into continuous line drawings using biro, fine line and pencil. In order to develop their observational skills, students completed a tonal pencil study and a colour pencil study of food and food wrappings. From here, they moved onto a photoshoot of some sweets before using the Pixlr app to edit them in a Pop Art style. They spent a few lessons exploring colour mixing before creating and painting some amazing Pop Art compositions. They are just now starting to paint the sweets they created on Pixlr into their compositions. It has been lovely to see them explore colour so successfully and to really enjoy the process.
Key Stage 4 Those students new to GCSE this year have been exploring a range of media and processes through natural forms. We purposefully revisit those techniques explored in Key Stage 3 in order to consolidate students’ knowledge and grow their confidence to explore processes independently. Once students have completed the introduction project, they make a decision whether to follow the Develop and Explore scheme of work or Personal Landscape. This allows them to specifically focus on areas that may interest them more than others. Of the many investigations students have explored, those on Develop and Explore have created some amazing sculptures from found or old objects (think old Lego, puzzle pieces, ping pong balls etc.), while those on Personal Landscape have looked at facial features in great detail through a wide range of media. Both topics came together to create some stunning drawn investigations into the plant life of Kew gardens. Those in their final year of study are now developing ideas independently and it is very exciting to see students’ individual and unique explorations emerge in their sketch books and to see how all the materials, techniques and processes they have explored are now being used with confidence and flare. It is always the hardest part of the project for students and to see them rise to the challenge has been wonderful.
ART
Key Stage 5 Students in Year 12 are in the final stage of the transition project having explored a vast range of techniques many of these techniques, they tried in simpler ways at GCSE. Reduction lino printing is an excellent example of this where at GCSE there is a simple one colour print, but at A level they explore three tonal colours that build an image by reducing the surface of the lino. Now, they are fully immersed in their own ideas and investigations in much the same way as final year GCSE but with greater material and contextual understanding. Year 13 are nearing the end of the course and as such are exploring, refining, developing and finalising both their essay and their final piece. It is a very exciting time when the outcomes are bold, risk taking endeavors where the context of the work is as important as the work itself. It is incredible to remind ourselves just how far they have come from those first mark making days of Year 7.
How I can help my child learn in Art?
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Drawing regularly will really help improve observational skills.
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Visiting galleries and exhibitions will help to broaden your child’s understanding of the world of art and will likely inspire them to try new processes and techniques.
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Buying other types of art materials that your child can use to explore with will help them develop their proficiency with different media.
Career and Student Videos
Careers in Art
Why our students enjoy Art
What are students learning in …
PSYCHOLOGY
XXXXX Key Stage 5 For the majority of our Year 12 psychology students, this academic year has marked the start of their journey studying psychology. They began the course with the psychopathology topic. This has allowed students to develop their understanding of different disorders including, depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and phobias. This topic allows the students to begin the exploration of different approaches in psychology. These psychological approaches consider the study of human behavior from different perspectives. Students have considered the cognitive approach to depression, the biological approach to OCD and the behavioural approach to phobias. Each approach has a specific theory of the causes of these psychopathologies and subsequently a different approach to the treatment of the disorders. In studying this topic, students have been required to develop their ability to understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of explaining human behaviour from these different perspectives. By beginning with this topic, students have already gained an understanding of three of the major approaches in psychology and they will continue to develop this later in the course as they study the ‘approaches’ topic later in year 12 and later the topic of schizophrenia in year 13, during which they will explore the biological, cognitive and interactionist explanations and treatments of this disorder. In addition, Year 12 students also started the year with the research methods topic. Psychology is a research based discipline and it is vital that students have a strong understanding of the principles of scientific psychological research. We began the year by considering the experimental research method and this issues of validity and reliability. The theoretical understanding gained was applied to research examples in the classroom. Students had the opportunity to experience being a research participant as we replicated classic research studies on them. This gave them the opportunity to develop their knowledge of issues of control and generalisability and led to an awareness of research methods that would underpin the study of their next topic, memory. We are now coming to the end of the topic of memory. This is a cognitive research area and students have considered the models of memory, the multi-store model and the working memory model. The study of these theoretical models of the processing of memory have developed further the students’ ability to evaluate psychological theories that they developed in their earlier study of psychopathology. We have also considered the topic of eyewitness memory. Students have learnt about the impact that anxiety, leading questions and post-event discussion can have on the ability of eyewitnesses to provide accurate testimony. In addition, they have seen how the knowledge of how our memories are processed has been used to develop the police interviewing technique, the cognitive interview.
PSYCHOLOGY XXXXX Year 13 students have really embraced the challenge of learning more complex information and they have made a brilliant start to year 2 of their studies. This year, the focus is on issues and debates in psychology and key ‘topics’. So far they have demonstrated fantastic critical thinking in debates around issues such as free will versus determinism. Not only have they had to apply their understanding of the approaches in psychology to this debate, but also consider whether the nature of psychology and the desire amongst some psychologists for the discipline to be considered a science means we have to reject the idea of free will. We also considered the concept of reductionism versus holism by first debating whether Bruce Bogtrotter or the cook from Roald Dahl’s Matilda has the better understanding of ‘cake’. This was a controversial topic and the debate remained contentious as they considered whether in the pursuit of understanding behaviours from a biological perspective means we lose sight of the ‘experience’ of what it is to be human. Students are now studying gender and aggression. This requires them to draw together their understanding of the approaches in psychology they have considered throughout the course, their research methods knowledge and their knowledge of issues and debates to think deeply about the theories they are learning about. 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 curricula fortnight activities. Earlier in the year, we encouraged students to learn about the behaviourist approach. This approach suggests that we learn how to behave rather than it being innate or biological. We encouraged students to use the principles of operant conditioning to see if they could train their pet to complete a new skill. It was great to see how many students embraced this opportunity – why not have a look at what psychological research you can get involved in during the next super curricular fortnight!
How I can help my child learn in Psychology? How I can help my child learn in Psychology? 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 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.
Career and Student Videos
Careers in Psychology
Why our students enjoy Psychology Click here to discover what our students enjoy about Psychology
What are students learning in …
SOCIOLOGY
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Key Stage 4 Our Year 9 students have embraced the opportunity to study a new subject at KS4 and have been busy developing their understanding of some of the key underpinning knowledge they will need in order to access the full sociology curriculum. They have considered the nature versus nurture debate, how primary and secondary socialisation influence our norms, values and identities, and how sociologists take different theoretical perspectives in their approach to the study of society. Their understanding of the functionalist, Marxist and Feminist theories is now being applied to the topic of education. This will give the Year 9 students the opportunity to develop their critical thinking skills as they consider the educational institution that they have been part of from a new perspective.
Alongside this, Year 9 have developed their understanding of sociological research methods. Their ability to apply their knowledge to different example studies has been excellent and this awareness of the way in which sociological evidence is collected will be vital for them as they continue through the course. Year 10 (3 year course) students have been looking at the topic of the family. This is the first time these students have explored in depth an institution in society and they have been developing their evaluative skills in lively class debates on different aspects of family life. Year 10 (2 year course) and Year 11 (3 year course) students have been developing their essay writing skills this year as we build towards the summer exams. We have been focusing on the ability to create a coherent and detailed essay that demonstrates their ability to make judgements about the relative importance of different sociological arguments. This has been done whilst studying the topics of crime and deviance and stratification and differentiation. We have debated whether crime really can be necessary for society, as functionalists might suggest, or, whether this view hides the class and gender inequality that Marxists and feminists would argue underpins the causes of crime and the workings of the criminal justice system. In stratification and differentiation, students have considered topics such life chances and how they influenced by social class, gender and age. They will next expand this understanding by considering the influence of ethnicity, disability, sexuality and religion. The importance of understanding the inequalities that exist in society underpins this aspect of the course and it is an opportunity for students to develop a deeper understanding of diversity and inequality in our society.
SOCIOLOGY XXXXX Key Stage 5 In Year 12 students study two core topics across the year: education and culture and identity. The education topic is a critical look at education from the different sociological perspectives. Students have so far considered how the education system in the UK has changed over time and how different policies from different Governments across the world have impacted on the educational experiences of students. In culture and identity students have explored the concept of culture and considered questions such as, what is culture? Why is it so important to a society? And what are youth subcultures and what role do they play in creating youth identities? Popular culture (TV, films, pop music, video games etc.) has also been examined from different sociological perspectives and its influence on how we see ourselves has been questioned. Year 13 students have been studying The Media and Crime and Deviance. In crime and deviance, they have been developing their understanding of the opposing views of sociologists on the causes and relevance of crime in our society. A detailed look at examples such as the Fifa corruption scandal and the Bhopal disaster have allowed them to consider the merits of the different views from a well informed and global perspective. The media topic is a deep dive into an aspect of society that we are all familiar with, but might not have thought so critically about. Students have considered the issue of ownership and control. They have explored whether owners such as Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg own the media, or if we, as the audience, have ownership. The topics of globalization and how global media brands such as Netflix, Disney and Amazon are so powerful and whether they are changing our understanding of the world and shaping our identities has been covered. We always encourage sociology students to follow the news closely and the topic of who decides the news agenda and how powerful the news is in influencing our views has been the focus of recent sociology lessons.
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.
Career and Student Videos
Careers in Sociology
Why our students enjoy Sociology
YEAR 8 WIDER CURRICULUM At Heathfield Community College, we passionately believe that learning a language is paramount to our students’ future aspirations and ambitions. We believe that through the learning of a language, everyone gains new skills that can open doors previously undreamt of.
The Year 8 Spanish Language and Culture Day took place on Friday 21st January. The day provided all Year 8 students learning Spanish, the opportunity to explore Spanish within the contexts of four other subject areas; Maths, Art, Music and the Spanish and the Spanish speaking world. The day was structured around a carousel of these four curriculum specialisms. In Spanish, students were challenged to discover the 21 Spanish speaking countries in the world, to pin-point these are on their own maps and to better understand some of the customs and traditions enjoyed in Central and Latin America. Students enjoyed working collaboratively to discover more about these cultures, some of which may have been totally new to them. In Music, students had a great time channelling their Spanish to produce creative and artistic outcomes. They worked with a Reggaeton beat to structure their own Spanish raps around the sounds and rhythms generated by this distinctive Latin American beat. In Art, students had an opportunity to use Spanish adjectives of colour to produce drawings of a wide range of animals and in Maths, students have worked with focus and concentration to use their understanding of Spanish numbers to explain and better understand sequencing, recognising different number patterns. Due to travel restrictions during the planning of this day, the Onatti Theatre Production of ‘El campamento’ which was due to take place in the afternoon for all students had to be cancelled, however, we hope to be in a position to invite them back into the College later in the Summer Term when students will be able to enjoy this Spanish play. We are very grateful to all staff who took part in this day. They offered their subject knowledge expertise using as much Spanish as they could with the help of our Language staff. We are also very impressed by our students’ efforts and engagement during this day as they had to experiment with the language and engaged with all the activities offered.
YEAR 8 WIDER CURRICULUM “This was, by far, the best school trip I have ever had; the experience was phenomenal and the atmosphere of the studio was brilliant. Getting to see behind the scenes has left me stunned!” During the week of 21st January, our Year 8 students embarked a school trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour. Due to Covid restrictions, the trip was spread over four days, with two tutor groups attending each day. The students experienced a great lesson to kick start the tour which talked them through the many industries needed to bring a film from script to screen. They started to get a real sense of how their option choices could translate into real world careers as they engaged fully in the learning. The new addition of the Gringotts bank was absolutely amazing, especially learning how they create the marbling effect on the pillars. The Great Hall was a ‘hot’ set so looked exactly as it did on screen; did you know that the flag stones are genuine stone fitted by stone masons? Diagon Alley was fantastic and it was great to peer in through shop windows to see hand painted boxes full of whatever the shop sold. The attention to detail was staggering; hand carved wands, individually painted portraits and painstakingly detailed prosthetics that took hours to apply to the actors faces. Many students rode broom sticks, and met Dementors through train windows. There was quite a lot of pushing luggage trollies through walls and a few danced with Dobby. An awful lot of students bought sweets including the infamous ‘All Flavour Jelly Beans’. We were so proud of all our students and the engagement they showed for the tour. The coach on the way home was full of excited chatter and sharing of ‘the best bits’. It was so good to finally get back after two years of absence. It won’t be the last time we go and next time there is bound to be a little bit more to see.
Wider-Curriculum Art Club Our weekly art club provides students with an opportunity to explore and experiment with alternative materials and projects outside of their timetabled art lessons. This term our current project is ‘Monster Bottles’. Students researched and creatively designed an animal or monster-inspired sculpture. They used recycled plastic bottles and cardboard to form their structure, then sculpted it with Modroc. Students then finished off the details and colours with acrylic paint.
Digital Photography Club
‘The Great Gatsby’
Students initially worked on the techniques of portrait photography, gaining an understanding of how to take and edit a high quality portrait photograph in colour and black and white. Most recently students have experimented with environment photography where they have developed a range of skills including the use of depth of field and a range of composition rules to help elevate the quality of individual images.
Sixth-formers, dressed in their finest, were transported to the heady world of the roaring 20s, in the superb West End immersive adaptation of Fitzgerald's 20th century classic 'The Great Gatsby’.
‘WICKED The Musical’ It was wonderful to see Key Stage 4 and 5 Music students defying gravity at the West End production of ‘WICKED The Musical’. The trip was to support students’ ability to build up their musical understanding so that they can access and analyse a range of musical genres, styles, culture and traditions - this experience may help inform their thinking and approaches to their compositions that they are currently working on.
The performance, which is interactive and takes place across a number of different rooms simultaneously, brought the novel to life with fabulous energy and infectious music - the audience was even taught how to Charleston. It was the first 6th form theatre trip since the Covid pandemic began and we loved it! Students were blown away by the sights, sounds and sheer joy of being back in a live performance.
Wider-Curriculum Battle of the Boards House Competition In the week of the 17th January, students enthusiastically participated in the Battle of the Boards House competition. Students had lots of fun at lunch times and excitedly played both board and card games with their peers, with the winner of each game winning House points. There were some brilliant games of chess, UNO, KerPlunk and a whole array of other card games. Prefects undertook responsibility for the scoring of the event and importantly ensured there was no cheating! It was a thoroughly enjoyable week for all that took part and represented their House. Congratulations Batemans, you are the winners of Battle of the Boards! Community:
On Friday 4 February, Heathfield Community College students showed their compassion and consideration by raising £1200 for Crisis. In the build up to the day, the Lead Prefects presented students with information about the causes of homelessness and the ways in which students can support the Crisis cause to end homelessness via the plasma screens. On the day itself, many students brought in delicious homemade cakes and treats they had baked which even more students enjoyed buying! Thank you to everyone for all the generous contributions; the amount we raised is the equivalent of helping 24 homeless people with the basics needed to move into their own accommodation.
UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge Heathfield Mathematicians competed in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge on 3rd February. This year we had the largest ever group competing, over 180 students. Promoting a love of problem solving The Intermediate Mathematical Challenge is a 60-minute, multiple-choice Challenge. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.
Find out more and try out over half term: https://heathfieldcc.fireflycloud.net/super-curricular-1
Help and Support: We understand that life sometimes throws up issues or problems that need to be resolved. We understand that concerns regarding your child’s well-being or progress can be worrying. We want to work with you to resolve issues as early as possible. Please use the routes highlighted here as a parent: REPORTING A CONCERN. Please encourage your son/daughter to report ANY issue or worry to us so we can address it. If we don’t know, we cannot act and we want to help: • Tell a teacher or your form tutor • Speak to your Head of Year • Speak to your Pastoral Manager • Email help@heathfieldcc.co.uk to report a problem
Dates for your diary Start of Term 4 Monday 21 February
Start of Year 10 Mocks 2 (2 year course only Start of Year 11 Mocks 2 Start of Supercurriculum Fortnight
Wednesday 23 February
Thursday 24 February
Year 12 Wider Curriculum Day(Progression) TBC Albion in the Community Open doors Event Glyndebourne: Pay the Piper Youth Opera Year 8 Options Fair
Wednesday, 2 March
EMAG Conference – Years 12 & 13
Thursday 3 March
Sixth Form Quiz
Friday 4 March
Year 9 & 8 Latin Trip to Ancient Roman Sites in Fishbourne and Novium Museum Year 12 UCAS Event
Tuesday 8 March
Year 11 Science Trip (GCSE Science Live), Brighton Dome
Thursday 10 March
Year 9 Subject Feedback Evening
Thursday 17 March
Year 7 & 8 Author Visit - Chris Bradford
Friday 18 March
Non-uniform day – Red Nose Day
Tuesday 22 March
Start of Year 13 Business Grade Booster Workshops (2 days)
Thursday 24 March
Year 10 Revision Evening
Monday 28 March
Broadbridges Uniform for sale – 16:15 – 17:15
Tuesday 29 March Thursday 31 March Friday 1 April
Year 9 Wider Curriculum day (Employability) Year 10 Subject Feedback Evening End of Term 4
www.heathfieldcc.co.uk @Heathfield_CC