Message from the head

It’s finally happening! After around eleven years of waiting an amazing all weather pitch is being started at Lumsdale. This will be a brilliant facility not just for the sportspersons at Highfields School, but for across the whole community of Matlock and beyond. We are SO EXCITED.

As you may know this resource has been principly funded through Section 104 monies raised as a result of a local housing development. The project looked to be in doubt last year when the sponsorship arrangement which had been agreed fell through quite suddenly just as work was about to begin (long story). The person who deserves all the credit for rescuing the project is (obviously) not me but is instead the resilient and resourceful Alison Watson, school business manager. If it weren’t for her creativity and determination this project would almost certainly have fallen through. I think we should insist that a huge image of her face is printed into the pitch but whilst I would quite enjoy this idea, she is far more modest and will probably settle for a thank you and an extra biscuit at coffee time.

On Thursday afternoon I spent two hours dressed in my best blue suit in driving rain and a freezing crosswind whilst observing some lessons taught by applicants for a PE job. By the end of the session I had lost all feeling in my extremities and was beginning to hallucinate. Luckily, it was all worth it because I think we discovered some real talent which we hope will complement the facility above in developing further the sporting prowess and success of Highfields students (aren’t PE teachers amazing?).

Away from the sports field we have been making adjustments to our staff team which we hope will boost the capacity of the school to recover from some of the impact felt as a result of Covid. Although we manage it well I think it’s fair to say that in addition to setting learning back, the pandemic has also had a signficant effect on the home lives and mental health of both students and staff. I’ll tell you more when those plans are all finalised (obviously these plans have already been discussed by governors).

Had to squeeze in a number of lesson sweeps to ensure that students were meeting their teachers’ expectations. In DT I found that Dan (L) and Maddie (R) in Y10 had been at the laser cutter and created these two excellent timepieces (not quite finished, they were keen to add).

In another DT lesson it was all about turning, drilling facing and knurling (and if you don’t know what knurling is you should be ashamed of yourself). And in art Emma was one of a number of Y11 students putting the final touches to the assessment which will allow her teachers to arrive at her TAG (teacher assessed grade) with this rather lovely artist study. Oh, and on Tuesday evening I managed to catch a piece of Y12 drama between two meetings. It was a brilliant/disturbing/thought provoking piece about violence against women and its very striking imagery has remained with me all week. Busy! Have a marvellous weekend everyone. We are sportspeople, we are engineers and designers … we are HIGHFIELDS.