Message from the headteacher

Careers, College & Apprenticeship News

Every week I do the same thing which is write a long paragraph about something which is providing a real challenge for us in education. Then, invariably, I delete it. Partly because I’m a Stoic and there’s nothing that can be done (by you or me) about the issues I’m raising and partly because it comes across as moaning and I HATE moaning, especially when I’m doing it. When my daughter asks me why I never complain about my job I always point out that complaining takes energy and I don’t have any going spare. HOWEVER, please be advised that running a school has its challenges at the moment and we appreciate your support.

Sometimes, in the midst of Ofsted and contracts and performance tables and targets and curriculum authorities and child protection law you can forget what a school is. School is a place where students come to learn how the world works. When they reach Y11 they do examinations and the certificates awarded help them to go off and learn about the world on an even deeper level, either as part of a sixth form, college or apprenticeship. If they’re really lucky they get to embark on a dream career. So, in a way we are here to make dreams come true. This is what I said to Y10 as they queued for their first serious mock GCSE exams this week. We wish them the very best of luck. My dream was always to be in the band MusicalYouthwhich didn’t work out for all sorts of reasons.

You probably get fed up of me getting over excited about our latest bit of renovation or rejuvenation. In my defence, however, it has been a very long time since Highfields had a sustained programme of improvement and so it just seems so brilliant when another project is signed off. This is one of our courts at lower site which has just been renovated and now has a jazzy colour coating. I’m assuming they ran out of white paint. Either that or they have marked up for a new form of tennis that has no baseline.

I normally talk about what I have seen in lessons but this week I just wanted to share this image taken from my office on Wednesday morning. I don’t know if you can quite make out a pastoral manager having a chat with a student who, I understand, was not having the best of days. I hope I manage to convey to you through this newsletter the sheer amount of energy, care and belief that staff invest in our students. While the pastoral manager was having this chat, I could hear constant backwards and forwards messages on our walkie talkies. Just for this period of time, however, I noticed that she ignored all distractions and listened carefully to the outpourings of her student. I am not saying we always get it right but we DEFINITELY do try.

After last week’s newsletter a number of you have thought it funny to ask after the very long pole with one particularly hilarious person requesting a signed photograph. I notice that my most responded to newsletters are those where I experience some form of humiliation, such as the time I fell into a bin, or where I am brought down to size by some form of inanimate object. As long as you are amused…

Enjoy your weekend.

A Marsh, Headteacher

School sport and sports leaders news

Mrs Allen, School Sports Co-ordinator

Thursday 4th May - British Golf development officer Alice Lowe was in school to train our Sports leaders on the activities included in the Golfway festival that they will be running for our Cluster Primary schools.

Thursday 4th May Year 9 Dance leaders went to Darley Hall Care home to support the residents in music and movement on the 2023 Move and Groove Project.

Friday 5th May Year 11 Level 2 Sports Leaders final assessment IV took place today with the help of pupils from St Joseph’s.