Heathfield Headlines Issue 5 - March 2024

Headlines

Pride . Ambition . Community

Head’s Message

I am delighted to bring you this Term 4 edition of Headlines. It is packed full of the high quality learning and wider experiences that students have enjoyed this term. I can recommend either an indepth long read or a frequent dip in and out to sample the vast array on offer. It is impressive and the students’ response to everything that is available for them is equally strong.

Whilst the wider curriculum activities are a strength of the school, we were pleased to share confirmation of the quality of our outcomes from 2023 in the last edition. We now begin the run in to the exam season for 2024. There is much help available for students from their subjects and across the school that will help them prepare:

• The Wellbeing guidance on page 5 is focused on supporting parents and students.

• Our social media pages will feature guidance and support on a range of topics; from creating a revision timetable and making sure the right revision strategies are used, to the all important topic of how to avoid distractions.

• There is a wealth of practical support on our website:

EFFECTIVE REVISION

Equally important will be to build in opportunities to relax and do things that take their minds and bodies away from study, creating balance and perspective. Our students have got all they need to be successful, they simply need to follow the advice, act on the feedback they have been given and allow themselves to believe they can and will do well. We are excited by what they can achieve and believe in them 100%.

YEAR 7

This term has involved a variety of different tutor time themes to enhance students’ knowledge and experiences of different cultures. These have included World Book Day, International Women’s Day, as well as looking at some delicious food from

different cultures!

Year 7s have shown their talents in a variety of sports in both PE lessons and in fixtures against other schools. Notable mentions go to the girls netball team, who are at the county finals after Easter and George Urban, who qualified in the top 20 in the county for Xcountry and is scheduled to represent Sussex in the inter-counties X-country competition.

The sixth form mentoring programme continues to prove successful, and Year 7 students will continue to meet once a week with their mentors next term as part of our wider offer of support for all students.

Well done and good luck to all Year 7 students for next term!

This term has focused on Year 8 students selecting their Option choices. It started with the Options Fair where parents and students had the opportunity to talk to staff about their subject, to find out if it would be a suitable choice for them at Key Stage 4. Option forms are now in and are being processed. Choices will be confirmed next term.

There have also been a number of exciting experiences, including visits from the author Chris Bradford and the Wild Science team providing opportunities for students to get close to a variety of animals and expand their knowledge.

Sporting fixtures have also been going on this term with success in both Netball and Rugby, Hopefully this will continue when we move to summer sports after Easter.

YEAR 8

Year 8s can now focus their attention on making the most of their lessons during the final phase of their Key Stage 3 during term 5 & 6.

Mrs Woodland

Mrs Krouwel

YEAR 9

Ms Adams

Term 4 has been busy as students progress towards their mock assessments in June. This will be a valuable opportunity for students to experience what their real exams will feel like in a little over a year’s time. Students who study creative media have already begun this experience with exams they have completed that contribute to their final GCSE marks.

Alongside this, Year 9 have been thinking about their futures. On 27th March, students had a day off timetable for their Employability Skills Day. Over the course of the day, they engaged in a number of workshops. The topics of these varied from personal finances to business, from labour markets to oracy and digital skills, which will all assist them with their future opportunities. Throughout the day, students asked engaging questions and were having conversations that showed the students were learning lots of valuable information and skills. Many began to show deep engagement towards their future prospects and considering the options for future employment and careers.

First off, a big well done is in order for Year 10. At the start of Term 4, they completed their second round of mocks for the intensive exams. The real exams are just around the corner and it’s great to see such hard work from the year group already.

YEAR 10

Mr Richardson

Remember that NOW is the time to start revising (if you haven’t already). Little and often is the best approach, rather than trying to push everything to the last minute. With the upcoming Easter holiday, make sure you also plan in some leisure and recreation time. Your mind and your memory are far more effective when they are properly rested and ready to focus.

Next term, we look ahead to the Big Futures trip on 23rd April. This is the first big event in a series of opportunities and in-school sessions focused on careers and next steps. Year 10 have some big decisions to make over the next year and these events are designed to help them feel informed and capable of making the right decision for their futures.

YEAR 11

Mr Holden

Term 4 has been a very busy time for Year 11, with the completion of their final mock exams before their GCSEs. Students in Year 11 have tackled these mocks exceptionally well and have shown determination to build on their previous progress. There will be feedback taking place in class on how to improve and it is vitally important that all students listen to this and act on the guidance that is given. If there are any questions, or if students are unsure about how to improve, then please direct them to speak to their class teachers for further support.

The 11th March was the deadline for orders for leavers’ hoodies and these will be going into production shortly.

With regards to Prom, Year 11 students are extremely excited about the end of year celebration at East Sussex National. Final details about the reception at school and timings will be announced next term.

The Wellbeing Hub

We’re pleased to announce the launch of The Wellbeing Hub - a website that supports both parents and students with all things related to young people’s mental health and wellbeing, including:

● Academics

● Alcohol & Drugs

● Anxiety

● Careers

● Diversity & Inclusion

● Friendships & Relationships

● Mental Health

● Money Matters

●

●

Next Steps

Online Safety

● Resilience

● Sleep

With exams coming up soon we have launched this initially with year 11 as The Wellbeing Hub’s focus for April is Exams and Revision. The site will be launched with all other year groups during term 5. Resources for both students and parents include:

● Podcasts

● Videos

● Articles

● Q&As and Top tips

● Careers Advice

● Signposting

Sign up here for the parent account:

https://club.teentips.co.uk/register/parents/?ca=f32d418dd4057878b809d2d95de2e8c3

VI FORM

Ms White

Sixth Form Praise

Again we have seen a huge amount of Praise awarded in lessons for Year 12 and Year 13. Over the past two terms this totaled over 1,200 points and logs.

All students awarded praise will be entered into our Easter Praise raffle with the chance of winning a prize.

Music Recital

On Monday 25 March the Sixth Form team and some Sixth Form students attended a Recital from the A Level Music Students at All Saints and St Richards Church in Old Heathfield.

Students in Year 12 and 13 performed pieces with Year

13 students recording for their A Level qualification.

It was brilliant to see the talent shown and great to see the Sixth Form students working with the Main College in the orchestra.

Sixth Form Quiz

The re-scheduled Quiz took place this term led by students in Year 13. Aptly called “Not the Christmas Quiz”

The quiz was well attended with 14 teams competing answering questions across a spectrum of knowledge. Thanks to Amy who also set up the questions! The leaderboard finished as follows with the first two places being decided by the Monopoly Round!

1st Mistletoe Maniacs, 2nd Hivda’s Snow Bunnies, 3rd The Crimbos

Year 13 Drama

It was fantastic to see the Year 13 Drama students rehearing for their final moderated performances this term.

A huge well done for all the effort with learning scripts and organizing the set and production.

Focus on Key Stage 3

How can I help my child learn?

• Ask your son/daughter about the topics they have experienced

• Encourage them to talk about their understanding and interests with you.

• For more detail on ANY subject look at the Knowledge Organisers on line here:

https://www.heathfieldcc.co.uk/?page_id=24465 06

What are KS3 students learning in …

English

Students in Year 7 have been immersed in Shakespeare's ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ and other than the everchanging affections of the teenagers in the play, students have focused on analysing the character of the mischievous spirit, Puck. There has been a strong emphasis on the use

of effective vocabulary and how to structure an analytical essay in their skills development.

Year 8 students have reported how much they have enjoyed the drama of the rival gangs in The Outsiders: the Greasers vs. the Socs. With a focus on identity, students have explored the strong desire in young people to belong to a group, but also the negative influence that people within a group can have on others. In response to the text, Year 8 have worked on closely analysing Hinton's writing style and have recreated an additional scene with some of the characters from the novel.

Maths

This term, Year 7 have been introduced to ratio. We use proportionality tables in lessons, as they help organise our thinking and understand things that are in proportion in a visual way.

These tables will be used throughout their maths lessons, all the way to Year 11, and will support with topics such as percentages, fractions and compound measures.

Year 8 have been focussing on formulae, specifically for area, perimeter and volume of shapes. They have been using ‘geoboards’ on their iPads to create shapes with specific criteria, like the example below:

Can you draw the rectangle with a perimeter or 18cm and an area of 20cm2?

What are KS3 students learning in …

Science

Year 7 have been studying electrical circuits by building them with different components and learning how they interact with each

other and alter the current and voltage. They have looked at human reproduction and variation between species. This has involved collecting class data about height, eye colour, favourite sports and even favourite foods, to create suitable tables and graphs to show their findings.

Year 8 students had a wonderful session with Wild Science, looking at a variety of animals with different characteristics, linking to their evolution topic. Students are also focusing on elements of the periodic table and how Scientists have discovered elements and their properties through advancing technology, and how the Periodic table was constructed.

History

Both Year 7 and 8 have been continuing to explore topics from Term 3 this term, enabling them to deepen their knowledge and understanding of the periods studied.

In Year 7, students have been exploring 17th Century accounts of witchcraft and considering why people from different walks of society were accused of this crime. This has involved studying the Pendle witch trials and the turmoil caused by the English Civil War. They have looked carefully at evidence from the time, developing their source analysis skills.

In Year 8, students have extended their understanding of the Holocaust and the events of the Second World War. Students displayed incredible empathy and sensitivity in utilizing their knowledge of the Holocaust to design 21st Century memorials. They have also built on their growing understanding of world history by looking at key battles of the Second World War (such as the battles of Imphal and Kohima in India in 1944) and considering their significance.

What are KS3 students learning in …

Geography

Year 7 have completed a module on migration with a particular focus on the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). It is one of the most sensitive issues in geography as pupils will explore the different reasons people migrate, including conflict and refugees. We have been impressed with the maturity and respect shown by all students. Pupils have also completed a GIS activity (Geographic Information Systems) where we mapped the noise levels around East Sussex. It was an introduction to completing fieldwork in geography and produced interesting results.

Year 8 pupils have been studying Haiti for this term. We have investigated its chequered history, difficult trading relationships as well as recent natural hazards such as the 2010 earthquake and how this has all led to Haiti being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Pupils have also looked at potential career options with Geography and we hope that lots of our pupils have chosen to take Geography at GCSE next year.

Computing

This term, Year 7 have been learning about how the internet really works. Across the globe, around 65% of people have access to the internet - it is something we often take for granted! In their computing lessons, students have been learning about the history of communications and how this has led us to the cables and radiowaves which make it possible for them to use the Internet as we know it today.

Year 8 have been looking behind the scenes at the electronic circuits that make computers work - learning about binary and logic gates and the components which make up a computer.

What are KS3 students learning in …

Design & Technology

Year 8 have been developing their problem-solving skills through a contextual challenge, exploring the problems people face when working from home. Students identified a client, researched their needs, and developed a design through annotated sketches and model making before coming up with a final design proposal.

Year 7 have been learning about developing design ideas through drawing and modelling and have made their final developed idea for a headphone buddy from acrylic, using a range of workshop equipment and hand tools.

Year 7 have been learning about the science behind cooking by exploring dextrinisation, shortening and gelatinisation with practical lessons including jam tarts, fruit crumble and macaroni cheese. They have also learnt how to prepare and evaluate their own pasta sauce.

Year 8 have been learning about protein and carbohydrates and considering food security and environment issues. They completed a fajita practical where they had the choice of using meat, dairy or a vegan alternative. They also explored recipe adaptations looking at how beef mince could be used in a variety of ways.

What are KS3 students learning in …

French

Year 7 have been learning how to use the third person with ‘il’ or ‘elle’, and adjectival agreement, to describe members of their family: ‘mon père est amusant et ma mère est intelligente’. They then talked about going out to have fun (s’amuser) and discovering the town of Boulogne Sur Mer, adding another string to their bow: the future tense.

Year 8 have been able to compare English and French schools: the timetable, the uniform (or not!), 2-hour lunch break during which they could go home, and the famous detentions on Saturday mornings. The use of the past tense was very much needed to explain what English schools were like before their pretend move to France. However, they all like the sound of an 8-week summer holiday!

Spanish

Year 7 students are making excellent progress in talking about members of their family and using a wide range of adjectives to describe them. They are becoming familiar with the different word order in Spanish and there is a lot of discussion about the differences between the two languages!

In Year 8, students are taught how to order food like a native using phrases including: ‘Para mí…’, ‘Voy a querer…’, ‘va a ser…’ and ‘quiero…’, so they are ready to head off to any Spanish speaking country and order food and drink! They are also learning how to form and use the near future tense which is a really important area of grammar that they will need as they continue into Key Stage 4. It is really exciting to see Year 8 engage with this part of the curriculum as this means they are able to talk about their own future plans, as well as continue to develop their confidence in both spoken and written Spanish.

What are KS3 students learning in …

Physical Education

Students within Key Stage 3 have been engaging in the last of their carousel of activities. Some of our Year 8 boys have explored different ways of moving more effectively through a 'movement' scheme that seeks to strengthen their capabilities to squat, push, pull, bend and rotate. This should help with their movement patterns across a range of different sports.

Looking ahead, students will begin their summer term activities of athletics, cricket, rounders, stoolball and tennis as the weather improves and students can show their individual and team endeavours in our summer rotation of sports.

Our students representing the college have faced strong opposition this term, with excellent showing in the U13 netball. Our girls are in the county finals after Easter and hope to go far in the competition. The boys rugby season finished with the U13 team ranked 6th in the county. On the muddy fields, our Year 7's and 8's took to the challenge in the county cross-country championships. Some really strong performances were topped by George Urban who earned himself a top 20 finish (out of over 350 competitors in the Year 7 boys category) and a chance to represent Sussex at the Inter-county competition.

And finally, our U14 girls are competing in the football county plate semi-final this week against St Leonards Academy. Best of luck to the girls in this game!

Drama

Year 7 have been in the final stages of rehearsal of their Roald Dahl scripted extracts and have been performing these entertaining pieces in their Drama lessons. We have been really proud of their achievements and the confidence and enthusiasm that they have shown.

Year 8 are continuing to explore how to create tension and suspense through lighting, sound, language and vocal and physical techniques to convey a ghost story. They have created soundscapes, scary still images of the chamber of horrors and have been trying to frighten each other with their own spooky stories. They are now developing these narratives into devised pieces of theatre designed to make the audience feel uneasy.

What are KS3 students learning in …

Art

Year 7 have now completed their mark making project. They also completed their first history of art research page. This is a very challenging task for students, but the outcomes really show an understanding of the artist they have been studying (Picasso).

We now move onto the Fabric Lenny project. Here, students will take all the information they learned in the mark making

project and apply it to a drawing of a bird, a stylised drawing of a bird, a paper cut bird and then their final painted outcome.

Year 8 have finished their colourful and impressive Pop Art project. They began with a series of observational drawings of food and drinks in a range of media ranging from pencil, oil pastel, fine liner and biro. They also developed their Photography skills by completing a homework task to photograph items of food and drink at home.

Students have now begun the new project of German Expressionism, where students will develop their skills and confidence in drawing elements of the human face. During the project they will learn about facial proportions and gradually build towards their own Expressionist Style Portrait inspired by the work of Erich Heckel.

Music

Year 7 have been working on playing the ukulele this term and focusing on playing 4 chords. These 4 chords have then been used to play a range of different music from Bruno Mars to Vance Joy. It has been great to see students engaged with playing these songs and also practising some singing as a whole class.

Most of Year 8 have been focusing on Film Music this term and creating music on the Apple IMacs. It has been great to see students using video taken from films/tv shows and then putting their own music to it, to explore how their music can change the emotion/story of the video. Some students have been focusing on Blues Music. In this project, they have been learning about the history behind the style of music and then exploring some key musical concepts on the keyboard.

What are KS3 students learning in …

PSHEe

This Term, Year 7 students embark on learning about Relationships, Sex and Health Education. This develops on from the curriculum at primary school as PSHEe is taught in a spiral way. Our first secondary focus is Puberty which is part of Health Education. We will explore the emotions puberty provokes, young people’s growing sense of self, and negotiating our journey into adulthood.

Students in Year 8 start a series of units on Healthy Lifestyles, building on the Drug Education work before Christmas on tobacco smoking and vaping. We will be exploring the importance of good food and its link to a longer and healthier life both in terms of physical and mental well-being.

Philosophy and Religion

Year 7 began the term by completing their extended writing. It was really impressive to see how well the students have progressed with their essay writing skills and their ability to complete long answer questions. The theme of the term has been worship; students have enjoyed exploring how people of different faiths worship through the arts, with a particular focus on Christian music and Islamic art.

Year 8 students have been looking into the very contentious topic that is the afterlife. What happens when we die is a question that most people have pondered, however many cannot agree on.

We have discussed what different religions believe happens after death and students have reflected on their own, as well as each other’s, beliefs on the afterlife. Students particularly enjoyed exploring case studies of those who believe to have briefly experienced the afterlife during a Near Death Experience, and evaluating whether these claims are substantial enough evidence for life after death.

Focus on Key Stage 4 and 5

Key Stage 4

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in…

Design Technology

Year 9 are working on a mood lamp project, which includes learning about how electronic components and circuits function to make a working circuit that automatically turns on as it gets dark. They are also extending their knowledge and practice of working with a variety of materials including wood and plastics to manufacture a base and shade for their lamp.

Year 10 are working on NEA skills, which are a range of different tasks set over one or two lessons, designed to develop the knowledge and skills they will need in June when they start their NEA. These include how to develop and present ideas using sketching, working drawings and models.

Year 11 have just completed the making of their final prototypes as part of their NEA having developed and refined their ideas through sketching, modelling and evaluating.

Key Stage 5

Year 12 have been developing their workshop skills in preparation for beginning their NEA in May. They have been making a tool caddy from wood and have

learnt to use a range of new tools and equipment including the electric mitre saw and handheld router, alongside developing their computer-aided design and making skills to manufacture 3D printed plastic component.

Year 13 have nearly completed their NEA and are beginning to make a final prototype after using the iteration process to develop and refine their ideas through sketching, modelling, and testing.

What are KS4 students learning in …

Food & Nutrition

Key Stage 4

Pupils in Year 9 have started their GCSE course with great enthusiasm and have already completed three units of work including Health and Safety in Food, Food Science and Food Nutrition. Alongside the theory elements, pupils have also completed a number of practical lessons to extend their skills. This includes portioning a chicken to make several different recipes, making and filling pasta, using a setting agent to make desserts and learning to make mayonnaise and butter.

Year 10 and 11 are in the middle of their NEAs. NEA 1 has been completed where pupils explored how different types of raising agents affected the rise of bread. In NEA 2, pupils have been tasked with researching food that originates from different festivals around the world. They have researched the task and have planned and cooked three dishes for their practical examinations.

GCSE AQA Food Preparation & Nutrition

NEA 1: 35%

NEA 2: 50%

Written Exam: 50%

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

…

Key Stage 4

Year 9 students will cover the following texts, characterized by the theme of moral dilemmas, over the academic year:

• ‘The Time Machine’ - H. G. Wells’– a perfect introduction to the Year 9 theme of Morality.

• Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, and

English

• Arthur Miller’s ‘A View from The Bridge’- which tells a much more modern tragedy of jealousy and betrayal in New York.

English Language

Year 10 have been focusing on critical reading and writing skills. Discussions around critical digital readership have been particularly fruitful – especially the importance of triangulating information and thinking twice before sharing or commenting on someone else’s words. Becoming a critical reader is essential to success in GCSE and is, of course, vital to life beyond school. Since January, they have been focusing on rhetorical skills and persuasive writing, alongside studying ‘Animal Farm’ for its multiple examples of language used for powerful and political effect.

Year 11 students started the year with the creative writing component of their GCSE exam, developing interesting and believable narratives and learning how to tell them in an engaging and compelling fashion. They sat their first mock before moving on to Paper 2 after Christmas, focusing on non-fiction texts and transactional writing.

Year 11 began with a crash course in word classes, grammar and spoken English. They are already demonstrating their sharper linguistic understanding of the language. These linguistic skills will under-pin everything that they do for the next two years. They are studying Language and Gender and Regional Variation this year, as well as preparing a portfolio of creative pieces of writing.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in..

English

In Year 13, students have been exploring the history of the English Language in all its rich variety – looking at the influences of historical invasion, colonialism, scientific discovery and social development. They are also learning about the processes by which children learn to speak and write. Both of these are central topics for their final exams.

English Literature

Year 10 have been working on William Golding’s masterpiece ‘Lord of the Flies’ and Charles Dickens’ moral tale, ‘A Christmas Carol’. They are now moving onto their poetry studies, exploring the compulsory Anthology with its diverse range of poems. In the

summer, they will move on to their Shakespeare text, either ‘Romeo and Juliet’, or ‘Macbeth’.

Year 11 started by revising their texts for Paper 1 – either ‘Lord of the Flies’, ‘An Inspector Calls’ or ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time’. They are also revising Dickens and Shakespeare – as well as the Poetry Anthology - and setting to learn their key quotations, using strategies such as the flashcards provided by the department.

Year 12 students arrived full of ideas and generated fascinating discussions of their transition novel – ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’. After a month exploring Hardy’s big ideas about love and inequality, they moved on to their first exam novels, the powerful and extraordinary portrayal of World War I ‘Birdsong’, by Sebastian Faulks and Emily Bronte’s gothic classic ‘Wuthering Heights’. They have also been working their way through their anthology of poetry ‘Love through the Ages’ and carrying out a range of wider reading in preparation for their coursework (NEA).

In Year 13, students have recently finished Shakespeare’s tragic masterclass in manipulation, ‘Othello’, and are also studying their exam poetry text, ‘Skirrid Hill’ by the Welsh poet Owen Sheers. Their NEAs have been finished and they are now fully focused on exam preparation. Following the mocks in January, they have been revisiting their Year 12 exam texts and working on effective revision and essay writing skills.

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in …

Key Stage 4

Media

Year 9 intensive students have been working to a brief set by the exam board about parenting and parenthood. They have investigated a range of products from all three media sectors using this brief to guide their ideas. Students have undertaken primary research, sending questionnaires, conducting interviews and textual analysis to see how the theme of parenting has been used in a number of TV programmes, films, books, games and websites. They have completed their first controlled assessment, writing up their research investigations and then choosing two products to complete a detailed analysis of how genre conventions and narrative theories can be applied and how the representation of family in children’s programmes may have changed over time.

Year 9 extended students have been working on their practical skills, considering how news broadcasts are put together. They had their first trip into the studio to find out about camera set ups, lighting, blue screening and using the autocue. They will be making their own news broadcasts later in the term.

Year 10 have just completed the first stage of their external exam. They have worked to a brief of promoting greater physical activity amongst teenagers for a UK company called Fizzikal. They have researched existing products and campaigns and have planned all of the content for their website. They now have a four-week window in which to create all of their assets: undertaking photoshoots and creating films, logos and banners before the second part of their exam, when they will construct their final websites.

Key Stage 5

Year 12 are currently working on the film genre unit, which has involved watching films from lots of different genres and periods of time to consider how genres have evolved.

They also analyse the use of representation, narrative and production techniques to consider how messages and values are created for the audience. They will choose 3 films to write about for their coursework for this unit. This also ties in with the Media Representation examined unit this year, where some of these films will be used as case studies.

In Year 13 students are currently completing their final piece of coursework - to create a fictional film. We have work ranging from horror, to romance and live action films to animated superheroes. The students have to make a film which will be between 3-5 minutes long and ensure that it follows (or deliberately breaks) genre conventions - putting their theoretical knowledge from Year 12 into practice. They will also have an external exam on ‘Responding to a Commission’ where students will choose how they wish to respond, either through a film, print product or website.

Key Stage 4

What are KS4 and 5 students learning in …

Physical Education

Key stage 4 core PE remain active and engaged across a range of activities designed to focus on awareness of how to be lifelong active individuals. Through a refined focus for many on health-related fitness, and the increased use of our fitness suite and cycle studio, students are engaged more through fitness basic activities that mirror the use of gyms and workout classes beyond school.

Our Year 9 GCSE PE students have been building their understanding of the theoretical concepts covering health, fitness and training.

Year 10 students have been learning how the body functions and analysing movement patterns. They have been refining their practical skills in various activities they may use for the practical component of the GCSE PE course.

Year 11 have completed their NEA coursework and are gearing up towards their external moderation. This will give them an idea of the grade they may achieve through having 40% of their overall grade complete. Alongside this, the focus is now on revision, covering all topics across the three years to ensure they achieve the best grade possible for their GCSE PE.

Key Stage 5

The KS5 programme for PE has expanded, with the provision of A-level PE being complimented by our CTEC Sport course. Within the new course, our first cohort have been working hard across 3 components, to prepare for their external written exam, demonstrating their practical skills and refining their understanding and ability to coach a group of students in an activity of their choice.

The A-level cohort have been collating evidence towards their practical coursework and delving into the theoretical concepts of applied anatomy and physiology, skill acquisition and sport within the society. The students are building towards their formal moderation and exams in the summer term.

Sports Leadership

Physical Education

Our Year 9 and 11 students have been excellent advocates for the school by leading a number of primary school sports events at Heathfield. Students have managed indoor athletics, hockey and netball events for up to 8 schools at a time. These events required students to work collaboratively, manage gameplay and show leadership qualities throughout,

as they communicated rules and skills to students, along with keeping the competitions fair and competitive.

Extra-Curricular

Numbers exceeded 300 at our after-school clubs across a range of activities that allow students to build upon skills within PE lessons, explore a new sport or engage in in-house competition on a weekly basis.

Beyond our extra-curricular offering, we have had excellent representation across a range of different sports against other

schools in Wealden competitions and Sussex County Cup competitions.

Football

- Year 7 boys football won the Wealden competition.

- U14 girls football team have reached the County plate semi-final.

- U13 boys made it to the Quarter finals of the county cup.

Rugby

Netball

- Year 7s are currently unbeaten and are competing in the county finals next month.

- Year 8 and 10 are competing in the county finals with strong showings against Brighton College, Hurstpierpoint, Roedean and Brighton Girls.

- There has been some excellent performances from age groups in rugby this year. Our U13 side finished 4th in the county finals, whilst our U16 squad made it through to the county cup semi-final.

Term 3 Wider Curriculum

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

YEAR 9 WIDER CURRICULUM

“The best bit about the day was that there are so many different career options and it has made me excited for the future.”

This term, our Year 9 students engaged in a number of workshops all centred around Employability Skills: Finance, Business, Oracy and Finance. In Finance students learnt about different salaries for different jobs, discussed what they thought of these salaries and whether they were fair and learnt about the tax system. In Business they heard from entrepreneurs who had started a company from one idea and learnt about merits of the different employment options. In Digital Skills they learnt the high percentage of jobs that require strong digital skills and had fun building a Pizza Company in teams. In Oracy they learnt the secrets of confident speaking and had the opportunity to put these skills to practise and speak in-front of each other.

The students also had the opportunity to work with Wealden Works on the personable skills Employers look for and Ms Taylor, our Careers lead, on opportunities in the local area. Wealden Works is an Employability Programme based in Heathfield and we were thrilled they took the day to work with all our Year 9 students. Students engaged in discussions about what is acceptable and not acceptable in the workplace and it gave everyone the opportunity to think about life as an employee and how to work with each other. Our Careers Lead, Ms Taylor, also spoke to the students about local opportunities and the skills employers are looking for. It also gave Ms Taylor the opportunity to explain the support that is offered over the next couple of years including Careers interviews and a chance to visit a Careers Fair in Year 10.

We are very grateful to our Teachers for running engaging and informative workshops and to Wealden Works who were able to share useful advice to students as they start thinking about job applications and what it takes to be a successful applicant.

Wider-Curriculum

Open Doors - Glyndebourne

This term, our Year 8 students were invited to take part in the Open Doors event held at Glyndebourne. Students were able to meet members of staff employed at Glyndebourne and discover what their jobs involved and heard all about the career pathways they took to get to their current position. Careers included Catering, Props, Front of House,

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Practice Walk

The DofE Bronze Award students completed their first practice walk this term, successfully using the map reading skills they have been Wig Making, Costumes, Sound and Lighting, just to name a few. Our students came away excited to have found out that ‘Glyndebourne is about more than just Opera’.

developing in the afterschool club sessions to navigate an 8km route around the local Heathfield countryside.

The day started with bright sunshine, but the British weather soon changed, with cold rain sweeping in. Despite the weather and the condition of the paths (thick, gloopy mud) the students did brilliantly. They worked well in their teams to support each other and showed resilience, determination and enthusiasm, confidently making their way around their planned route.

MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge

Great work from our students in the MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge that was held this Term.

Jack, Charlie, Phoenix and Jeffery arrived promptly at 7am for their 14 hour challenge. They worked really well together as a team - collaborative, extremely enthusiastic and dedicated. They did not stop for lunch and continued to work until 9pm, only having a 15 minute break for pizza. We are very proud of these students, what an impressive commitment to the love of Maths!

Wider Curriculum

Young Writers Competition

Just before Christmas, our students were given the opportunity to enter a short story writing competition run by Young Writers with the chance of having their speculative fiction published in a book entitled ‘The Glitch’.

Students had to imagine 'what if..' and create an alternative or futuristic world in just 100 words. We recently heard that 40 of our students earned certificates of merit through the process.

This term in the Library, we celebrated their achievements and presented them with a certificate and bookmark. We are extremely proud of the engagement and enthusiasm for writing that they have demonstrated.

We look forward to seeing their work in the collection of short stories on display in the Library later on in the year.

Year 8 Author Visit

Author Chris Bradford visited our Year 8 students this term. Much like the Year 8 English teachers, who have been asking students to think about the style and use of language of the writers they have read in class, Chris explained how he adapted his writing style to generate the excitement and drama of the adventure genre. Students got to be involved in his interactive presentation, being trained as Bodyguards!

Students commented that they didn’t know how much work and research went into writing a book and headed straight to the library to pick up a copy to read!

Wild Science

Wider Curriculum

The College was host to a myriad of animals this term as we welcomed @Wild Science, with the chance to interact with and hold a ball python, tree frog, giant land snail, leopard gecko and a giant millipede. The students were very enthusiastic and engaged.

They had a great time and learnt some interesting facts about the animals, with lots of knowledge on show by the students and some really good questions being asked of the expert. Wild Science helps the students understand about the habitats that different types of animals live in and the adaptations that they have to help them survive. This ties in with the module they have been doing on evolution, which looks at biodiversity, as well as natural selection with an emphasis on how different animals evolve adaptations to their environments.

Year 12 History Trip

History A Level students recently had the opportunity to develop their historical knowledge and skills on the English Civil War on a trip to the National Army Museum and The National Archives in London.

The Students were able to see armour and artefacts relating to the Civil War, including the armour and weapons of the time, in the National Army Museum, and had a hands-on experience with original documents from the period in the National Archives, to carry out a source. Their curiosity led the students to make some fabulous discoveries in the archives, including the personal letters of Charles I!

It was a fabulous trip and the students really engaged with the day – the Archives even remarked on how engaged they were. Great work from all!

Wider Curriculum

Year 12 Politics students: European Youth Parliament

A delegation from the College took part in the South Coast regional forum of the European Youth Parliament on Friday 15th March at Bede’s Senior School.

During a fascinating and informative day, our students engaged with a hugely varied set of political topics that included urban planning, workplace safety, youth violence, gender stereotypes and artificial intelligence.

Throughout the day, our students were engaged, showed ambition and were enthusiastic participants in the event. One of the students commented that, as well as being a really interesting day, the event had also helped them develop their confidence and debating skills.

Same Sky Mas Camp for Brighton Children’s Parade

Senior students from Carnival Club were invited to participate in the Same Sky Mas Camp held at Brighton University on Saturday, 9th March. This is an annual event hosted by Same Sky Community Arts where adult groups come together with artists to create large makes for the Brighton Children’s Parade. It is a fantastic opportunity and experience for Heathfield students in Year 12 to work directly with freelance artists and learn some new techniques as they bring their ideas to fruition.

Our group attracted the attention of members of the Brighton University Education Department who were amazed at the way our students came up with their ideas and worked collaboratively, both at College and with our designated artist Jo Coles. They commented on the students’ approach to problem-solving and their intuitive, independent way of working.

Numeracy Ambassadors

• how to interact with students

Our eager Numeracy Ambassadors have been supporting Year 5 students at All Saints and St Richards primary school this term.

To begin with, Mr Dudding provided the Numeracy Ambassadors with training on a range of areas from:

• how to support students with common misconceptions

• the types of maths that Year 5 students are currently working on

Every Tuesday, at the end of the school day, the Numeracy Ambassadors work with the Year 5 students. The staff at the primary school have remarked on how impressed they have been with the Numeracy Ambassador’s determination, compassion, reflection and engagement.

Numeracy Ambassadors are also supporting Year 7 students within the College by running a maths intervention club on Monday during lunchtime.

The Battle of the Boards House Competition

This term our students competed across the year groups in the House Competition ‘The Battle of the Boards’. We were delighted by the high levels of participation across the year groups and the good natured way that the competition was played.

Students took part in strategic battles of Chess, lots of drama in games of UNO and Kerplunk. It was a very enjoyable week for all that took part and represented their House.

HOUSES

Winner!

Cade

The results were as follows:

Cade were the winners for Year 7, Batemans won in Year 8, Tower won in Year 9, Batemans won in Year 10 and Cade won in Year 11.

The final winners were:

Cade 1st, Tower 2nd, Batemans 3rd and Heffle 4th .

This term saw the return of Emma Bouloudis, who left Heathfield to study an English Literature degree at University of York. After working in freelance writing for a period of time, Emma

Alumni News

Tom Oxley, who is now in his second year at the University of Kent, got in touch earlier in the year to share some exciting news. The Board of Examiners of the School of Politics and International Relations have awarded Tom the David McLellan Prize for the Best Performance in Stage 1 Politics and International Relations. Well done Tom, and keep up the hard work! has now decided to retrain as a wildlife veterinarian and will be taking A levels in Biology and Chemistry, as an external candidate, through the school. Emma has been in College this week completing the required practical assessments that link to the science A level qualifications and said the session with Ms Taylor “was so helpful and helped so many of the theoretical ideas I had come together and seem more understandable.”

Emma has recently attended a Veterinary Medicine open day for offer holders at the University of Liverpool. She says “My day in Liverpool gave me both an inspiring and pragmatic idea of what it would be like to study there, and I was also struck by how different day-to-day life would look in comparison to when I did my first degree –my being ten years older notwithstanding!”

If you are a Heathfield Alumni, please get in touch by using the QR code or by emailing alumni@heathfieldcc.co.uk and let us know what you are doing now. We would love to hear from you.

Monday, 15 April

Tuesday, 16 April

Wednesday, 17 April

Dates

Start of Term 5

Year 12 Progression Day

for your Diary

Year 12 Progression Evening

Year 12 Futures Student Trip, Servomex, Crowborough

Futures Students Trip: Open Doors - Careers in STEM

Thursday, 18 April

Bank of England Visitor to Year 13 Economics Students

KS3 Scrap:bot Creator Challenge Trip

Library Quiz

Monday, 22 April

Tuesday, 23 April

Wednesday, 24 April

Thursday, 25 April

Start of House Competition – Basketball or Netball

Year 10 Big Future Event

Year 9 Vaccinations Td/IPV + Men ACWY

Junior Maths Challenge

Year 12 Subject Feedback Evening

Friday, 26 April Speakers Trust Event

Saturday, 27 April

Tuesday, 30 April

Saturday, 4 May

Duke of Edinburgh Practice Walk 3

Year 12 UCAS Conference, Brighton

Brighton Children's Parade

Monday, 6 May Bank Holiday

Start of GCSE Exams

Thursday, 9 May

Friday, 10 May

Tuesday, 14 May

Thursday, 16 May

Monday 20 May

Year 9 GCSE Drama devised pieces to parents

Provisional Last Day for Year 13 (TBC)

Start of A Level Exams

Year 9 Subject Feedback Evening - Virtual

Start of Supercurricular Fortnight

Mission to Mars – STEM trip

Broadbridges Uniform Sales, 3.15pm – 4.15pm, Link Hall

The Globe Theatre Trip

Friday, 24 May