Message from the headteacher

I have had two cats (brothers) for 20 years. Last month one died and the other one (Romulus) has become massively needy. He meows all the time and doesn’t like to be left alone. If any students who are very experienced pet owners know what to do about this please come and see me on Monday during break or lunch. I feel really sorry for him.

Mrs Morgan and I attended the Hurst Farm Project Board meeting on Tuesday evening. In the meeting we got updates on the renovation of the Hurst Farm Social Club, the Farmers View pub, the Milkchurn Café and the Farmer’s Larder Community Pantry shop (which is a food club - reducing food waste from supermarkets). The Hurst Farm Estate is a huge part of Highfields community and we are very privileged to be a very small part of the work which is going on. I’m hoping that Highfields students may get involved in some work experience/voluntary work around these new start-ups before too long…

Highfields students and staff continue to pick up awards and plaudits and this week we added two. Firstly, the plaque for our Association for Physical Education Quality turned up on Monday. We love our sport and healthy lifestyles so that is a real endorsement of the work of Mr Shirtcliffe, Mrs Allen and our PE team.

Secondly, Mrs Watson, school business manager, was on Tuesday presented by Rob Bounds with the Modeshift Stars certificate in recognition of our efforts to increase walking, cycling and other forms of sustainable travel.

We are working towards our Eco-Schools Award and we have summit meeting on Thursday 2 December at 12noon. Let us know if you want to attend.

I have been into LOADs of lessons this week to check that students are working hard and to sample a bit of the wonder that is their curriculum. Favourite moment was in an A level geography lesson where the teacher decided to challenge students by having them design from scratch a diagram of the carbon cycle using a range of selected information. This was much more effective than just giving them a completed diagram because they had to work together to make the conceptual leaps necessary to understand the ideas involved. Very effective teaching indeed (IMHO).

And, as the sun set on our wonderful all-weather pitch on Monday, our girls football team dismantled Ashfield’s defence for a 4-1 win. I shouldn’t be so competitive but seeing Ruby sweep up the right wing and cross in for Taylor to convert was the best thing I saw all week.

We are Highfields.

A Marsh Headteacher