I was left, rarely for me, fighting back tears on Tuesday during a sixth form assembly. As usual Mr Flett managed to lead us into the assembly without revealing its destination and so when Auschwitz was referenced his audience was taken aback. He was then joined on stage by students Harriet and Caitlin who outlined their recent visit to Auschwitz with history teacher Ms Aldred-Hill. Their responses were so moving and thoughtful and reflective that I felt very emotional. If young people continue to raise awareness of how fellow humans can treat each other, perhaps there is hope for us all in a world that seems pretty hopeless at times currently. The image is Harriet’s photo of thousands of pairs of shoes confiscated from some of the one million people murdered at Auschwitz.
Mr Flett was also behind a stunning piece of work on Monday morning when Highfields alumni Alice Matthews joined current students to discuss medicine and ethics. Alice was formerly a director of policy delivery at No.10 Downing Street (pictured below with our former PM) and now works at Biontech, a biotechnology company. Alice answered questions from students about controversial issues in the development of personalised medicine. The session was fascinating for staff and students alike and is the latest in a series of opportunities for students to aspire to interesting and challenging careers.
We welcome all sorts of feedback as it really helps us to improve. It is particularly useful to get positive feedback from time to time because it improves staff morale which increases the chance of them continuing to go above and beyond for Highfields students. For this reason, I was really happy to receive the following email from a Y11 parent.
“Dear Mr Marsh, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the wonderful parents' evening…It was truly a pleasure to meet with our son's teachers in person and form connections with them… Also, I really appreciated having the opportunity to witness first-hand the strong relationship between our son and his teachers. It was clear that they have his best interests at heart, and it was reassuring to see how well they understand and support him.”
As usual at this time of year, teachers are particularly focused on students approaching GCSE and A level exams and so it’s not unusual to find very significant numbers of these students working with staff in classrooms as darkness falls. Your recognition makes all the difference.
Having read my newsletter last week and thus learnt of my new obsession with protein, Ava and her mum approached me on Friday morning bus duty and produced a container of fresh eggs from Ava’s chicken. I am beyond excited: my Saturday breakfast is going to be BRILLIANT. Highfields students (and their chickens) are just the best.
Have a marvellous weekend. We are Highfields.
A Marsh, Headteacher
Reminders
Monday 3rd February
• Mock Orals- all week
Tuesday 4th February
• Sports leaders- Netball officials
• Y9 Vaccinations
Monday 10th February
• Mock orals continue
• Yr 11 and 13 Drama practicals- All week
Tuesday 11th February
• Year 12 Parents evening
Friday 14th February
• Spain Trip.
• School Closed for half term.
I am pleased to announce our school musical for this year is 'Everybody's Talking about Jamie'. This will be performed in the Wheeldon Hall in July (9th-15th) and we look forward to sharing information about tickets in due course.
The story follows Jamie New as he starts the journey of finding his identity. This starts with Jamie deciding that he wants to wear a beautiful dress to the upcoming school prom. This is not an easy path to take and he faces obstacles in his way. The story focuses on his relationship with his Mum and how his peers at school react to his path in life. We meet quite a few big personalities and important characters along the way, including his best friend Pritti, homophobic bully Dean, his absent Dad and some fabulous drag queens. It’s a story of growing up, finding yourself and staying true to who you are.
This is a story about a young person taking their place in the world and doing that with courage (despite fear). It’s a story of community and friendship. It’s a celebration of each and everyone’s uniqueness in all its messiness and fabulousness, and in that is an acknowledgement of our common humanity.
I can’t think of a better place to explore this story than in a school setting and I am so excited that Highfields School is producing such a special show about identity and diversity. I am grateful to the students and staff for all their talents and effort, and I am so looking forward to seeing their ‘Jamie' come to life.
Auditions take place across 5th , 6th , 10th , 12th and 13th February. Whilst we are welcoming students from every year group to audition and be involved, please be aware the production features some strong language, mild sexual references and unkind behaviour. It is also worth noting, this is a Teen Edition, so therefore a 'watered down' version of the original West End musical which has an age recommendation of 14+.
Year 11 Mock Interviews
On Friday 24th January we welcomed 30 visitors into school who have supported our year 11 students by taking them through a mock interview. The visitors are all members of the local community, or parents, who work in business and were able to ask our students interview questions and then give them useful feedback in order to develop the students interview skills.
Year 11 prepared for the interview in their PSHE sessions and wrote CV's to bring along to share with the employers. We have been really promoting extra-curricular and leadership opportunities within school and many students were ready to describe their transferable skills built up over their time at Highfields.
Many of the year 11's were nervous beforehand but came out with big smiles as they were happy with their answers, and they realised they were able to use a range of communication skills. Students had all been given positive feedback and most importantly really useful tips on how to sell themselves in an interview.
One of the volunteers described how she was explaining to the students that their CV is their chance to promote themselves. It needs to be done carefully just as someone would design their Instagram account, curating and highlighting the positive and promoting their best qualities. Students were very open to the advice from our visitors and many students said they had college interviews over the next few weeks so this experience was a good rehearsal. Thank you to all of our visitors for your time, you really have helped us prepare our year 11 students for their next steps beyond school.
Sports Leaders
Monday 27th to Friday 31st January
Inclusive Live with the Youth Sport Trust. Mrs Allen has attended National updates for this. Three zoom meetings
• Neuro Diversity
• Making PE and school sport accessible and engaging for neurodivergent students, featuring insights from the ADHD Foundation
• Embedding Inclusive Values.
Friday 24th January
Week 2 of Year 12 level 3 Sports leaders attending Busy Bees Nursery. The group of James, Aaron, Dylan, Emily and Joseph were amazing in their engagement with the young 2-4 year olds.
Continuing the momentum of the Paralympic Games and Team GB's Equal Play campaign to promote inclusivity in school sports, with insights from a Paralympic athlete and some inspiring young people
Inclusive Activity is a comprehensive guide to key resources and training for delivering inclusive physical activity, with expert contributions from the FA, Activity Alliance, Swim England, and Youth Sport Trust's Lead Inclusion School Network.
Wednesday 29th January.
The monthly Voice of Sport meeting took place, this was Mrs Allen's last meeting with the 2024/25 group as she is retiring at February Half term. After 26 Years serving the students and Community at Highfields and Derbyshire Dales, Mrs Allen thanked the students for their incredible loyal support and the inspiration they have been in co creating the many Highfields and Youth Sport Trust projects over the years and for their incredible attendance record at these meetings and willingness to give ideas for enabling more opportunities for the Highfields students. A vote of thanks was giving on behalf of the group by Year 13 Callum C who has been a part of this group for the last 7 years.
Wednesday 29th January
Mrs Allen joined the Time Girls webinar as the guest speaker, giving the Case study of our work on this project over the last 4 years Highfields school has been recognized by the Youth Sport Trust and the Leadership Skills Foundation, a total of 67 new schools were in attendance.
Thursday 30th January
FA Girls project update.
Following on from the Live launch on Tuesday 14th January
The Year 8 and 9 FA Girl Activators set about their Inspire and Develop workshops, planning a day of girls football activities on the National Day of Girls Football 2025 on Friday 7th March. Our team of Activators will be running sessions for Highfields Girls in the morning and then for Derbyshire Dales Primary schools in the afternoon on the Highfields 4g pitch
Friday 31st January
Pupils from St Joseph’s Primary school came for Highfields Year 11 Level 2 Sports Leaders to lead sessions of Sport. This is a part of their Qualification with the Leadership Skills Foundation... More in next week’s newsletter.
With the deadline for UCAS applications fast approaching, we would like to remind you of the support sessions that we have available for students, regardless of their context. From student finance guidance, to asking ‘am I university ready?’, we have a range of sessions that are aimed to help students at this point of their application process. For more information about these sessions, visit our website here
Science Week 2025
To celebrate British Science Week (10th–14th March), we’re hosting a range of events and activities designed to spark curiosity and inspire the next generation of scientists. Please find the flyer here with full details.
Applicant Open Days
Our upcoming Applicant Open Days are a great chance for your students to explore our campus, meet course leaders, and experience what life at Sheffield Hallam is all about.
�� Dates:
• Saturday, 15th February
• Saturday, 22nd March
• Saturday, 27th April
To book on, students can visit our website here
We also have a link to our Open Day plasmas for you to display digitally around your institution.
Online Live Student and Parents’ Event
Event: Student Finance 101: Everything You Need To Know
When: 1st May 2025, 18:00-19:00
Where: Onlinevia Microsoft Teams
Following the success of our 2024 online webinar series, we are excited to announce our next webinar on Student Finance will take place on 1st May 2025. In this session, we will cover important considerations regarding student finance and the application process. Key highlights include:
• A representative from the Student Loans Company will be present to explain the student funding system and answer questions.
• Guidance for applicants on how to apply for student funding.
• Information on additional scholarships, bursaries, and funding for students. Bookings are now open - students, parents and carers can register here to attend
2024-25 Academic Year
Term 3: 6 January 2025 – 14 February 2025 (Holiday 17 February – 21 February)
Term 4: 24 February 2025 to 4 April 2025 (Holiday 7 April – 21 April)
Term 5: 22 April 2025 to 23 May 2025 (Holiday 26 May – 30 May)
Key dates & Calendar
INSET
(no students in school)
Term 6: 2 June 2025 to 24 July 2025 Monday
2024-25 provisional school events (TBC
Spain Trip
Easter Concert & Juliet Trip Y11 Prom School Musical Berlin Trip
