Issue 26 by Highfields School

Newsletter 4Th October 2024

Our newsletter aims to keep parents and carers up to date with school news, activities and key information throughout the year.

If you have any feedback on or suggestions for the newsletter, please send your comments via email to newsletter@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk

Don’t forget to visit our website (www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) for more news and information.

Thank you for taking the time to read our news and for your support.

A Marsh Headteacher

Disclaimer: Highfields School is not responsible for the quality of products or organisations publicised through articles or advertisements in the school newsletter.

Message from the Headteacher

Did you see our Anya (Y8) on East Midlands Today? This is Anya and her mum meeting Prince Harry this week when he awarded her for the service and dedication which she shows in looking after a member of her family. We are all so proud of her; what an absolute inspiration to me and other members of the Highfields community. 'Amazing' young Matlock carer meets Prince Harry at ceremony - BBC News

When something goes wrong at Highfields I usually take responsibility for it, such is the nature of my role. I did feel, however, on Wednesday that it was a bit unfair when I got blamed for ruining everyone’s soup. The ruined soup was down to the lack of heat in a food tech lesson. The lack of heat was down to the lack of power and the lack of power was down to an outage in the national grid in the Matlock area (I wonder if these power people really understand the soup-based havoc that this outage unleashed). I did speak to the young cook who complained and I asked whether he had explored the largely uncharted world (in Britain at least) of chilled soup. He wasn’t overly impressed. In fairness though, now I come to think of it, chilling also requires power. So, I should have just said, ‘oh dear’ and left it at that.

Talking of families…have you just had one of your kids leave home to go to uni/ college/ a job somewhere else? I was absolutely unbothered about my Oscar going off to Liverpool until the day before he went. I have been a gibbering wreck ever since. I don’t know what is wrong with me- we were irritating each other to bits when he was here but now I keep wishing I’d bump into him as I used to each evening, eating a bucketful of cereal, at midnight, in his underpants (him, not me). If you are feeling similarly my best wishes go out to you.

Finally, as if I need to confirm it…Highfields parents/ carers are the best EVER. A huge thank you to those very kind people who offered tips about the sleep problem I mentioned in the newsletter last week. Thanks especially for the magnesium tip and for these teas which a kind parent pulled up and handed me from the car on Thursday (you know who you are). Last night I had 6 hours straight which is a rare thing for me!

Have a restful weekend if you can! We are Highfields.

Andrew

Reminders for the week ahead.. Week B

Thursday 10th October

 Y10 Geography trip to Burbage

Friday 11th October

 Y10 Geography trip to Burbage

Sports Leaders

Thursday 3rd October

Congratulations to Esther S in Yr 12 on being accepted onto the Youth Sport Trust student panel, the Girls Youth Engagement group. Esther joined her first meeting online Thursday evening.

Mrs J Allen

Did you know you can hire out our school facilities?

 3G Pitch

 Hardstanding Courts

 Large Sports Hall

 Small Sports Hall

Please visit www.schoolhire.co.uk for more information, to view availability and to book.

Why Homework is a good thing..!

After each summer exam season, we look in depth at what the data tells us. We ask ourselves how we should change things for our students. It may sound very simple but one of the conclusions we drew from this year’s Y11 and Y13 exams was: students who work hard at Highfields achieve success.

That’s it. All the evidence suggests that students who attend well, work hard in lessons and develop excellent study habits outside school achieve the best grades. This gives them the best opportunities moving forward. Homework is a big part of what we talk about when we reference ‘study outside school’ so this year one of our Big 3 projects is to improve further our approach to homework.

We are basing our approach to homework on what research tells us works best. We aim for homework to be:

 Meaningful – it will be set regularly to review crucial knowledge. Regular revisiting of content over time is key to making knowledge stick. Research shows this very clearly. We do lots of this in the classroom, for example through quick quizzes at the start of lessons and by periodic review work. However, there can be a long time between lessons, and this means students forget and learning is lost. We can slow ‘forgetting’ down if we use time between lessons to review.

 Routine – students can expect to have homework from most subjects, most weeks. Students can expect to have some work to do most evenings / weekends, with expectations rising as they move through school. By getting into the best habits from as early as Year 7 it won’t be a shock when the demands of revision for external exams like GCSEs kick in more in Year 10.

 Manageable – with clear instructions to students on what they need to do. Our emphasis is on building routines of learning outside the classroom. The emphasis of homework is on regular routines and quality –not on quantity or hours set. These routines will help students to become more effective learners over time It will be as efficient as possible for school staff favouring low teacher input/ high impact approaches which protect the wellbeing of teachers and the effectiveness of their wider curriculum delivery

 Recognised – This does not mean it will always be ‘taken in for marking’. Some HW will be completed online, some will be revision for quick tests, some will be checked in class

Thanks for helping us understand and develop homework this academic year. Parents and carers have access to our Show My Homework system. This shows what homework has been set, guidance on how to do it and when it needs to be completed. We know students have busy lives outside school and balance is important in all things. A regular routine built over time will help students become more successful. Students who work hard at Highfields achieve success.

Mr P Cole

Mrs Cooper ran a national poetry competition at lower site before summer called "Through Their Eyes" and three current Y9 students (Immy R, Anna S and Leila B) have been

We're now doing another national poetry competition whole school called "The Beautiful Truth." Mrs