Updates for Parents/Carers

Uniform update for September 2020

As you are aware we are launching the Highfields School blazer in September 2020. This remains our intention as this was in place before the closure of school was announced and we have made a commitment to our suppliers.

Both Trutex Direct and Kick Off Sport have now begun stocking the blazer alongside the recommended skirt and school tie. Please refer to the detailed information contained in the Highfields uniform code available on our website (see link below) to ensure your son/daughter has the correct uniform ready for the new academic year.

We are liaising with Kick Off Sport regarding the reopening of their store, as there will be a limit of a maximum of two people in the shop at any one time and we are aware that new starters or families needing to purchase a significant amount of uniform may prefer to do this in person. We are working with Kick Off to see how we can support them with social distancing measures during the Coivd-19 pandemic. When further advice is released by the government, the British Retail Consortium and School Wear Association we will liaise with Kick Off and explain how and when uniform can be purchased safely to comply with regulations.

In the meantime, orders can be placed on line both with Trutex Direct (https://www.trutex.com/) and Kick Off Sport (https://www.kickoffsport.co.uk/highfields-uniform.html) if you know the size and items required without the need to visit a store directly. To assist with purchasing the right sizes Kick Off Sport have produced a size guide (see link below). Both suppliers have sufficient stocks of uniform to ensure everyone is accommodated for September.

We are looking to help support families to purchase uniform who may be struggling financially due to the coronavirus crisis, and we will issue details on how to apply for financial support from Highfields in due course.

A Frequently Asked Questions guide has been prepared on our school uniform and has been updated in light of the coronavirus crisis and is available on our website (see link below) If FAQs do not answer your query, please contact uniform@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk.

Uniform Code: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/InfoPDFs/UniformCode.pdf FAQs: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/InfoPDFs/UniformFAQs.pdf. Uniform supply list: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/InfoPDFs/UniformList.pdf Uniform size guide: http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/InfoPDFs/UniformSizeGuide.pdf

We will regularly update you with further information as we receive it.

Highfields Emergency Childcare

A reminder that if you have booked Highfields Emergency Childcare for your son/daughter and your plans change so you no longer need it, please let us know via email.

Highfields Emergency Childcare is as a last resort for keyworkers, please contact Mrs Leverton by Friday each week with specific details regarding the days and times of the following week that emergency childcare is required (lleverton@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk).

Reminder: Year 10 Virtual Work Experience

This is a reminder that all students in year 10 have the opportunity to apply for a virtual work experience placement in a wide variety of exciting career opportunities that is being co-ordinated by the Speakers for Schools organisation who are co-ordinating the Virtual Work Experience programme. Speakers for Schools have added exciting virtual work experience opportunities on the portal that they think will be of interest to students. Students should apply as soon as possible to have the best chance of success. The deadlines are soon, so please encourage your son/daughter to put in an early application.

Virtual Work Experience Opportunities:

15 June – 19 June BMJV Infrastructure: VWEX on a joint venture of two leading engineering firms

Age: 15+ Application Deadline: 5 June 2020 https://www.s4snextgen.org/opportunities/View/id/683

22 June – 26 June ISG: VWEX With a Global Construction Specialist

Age: 13+ Application Deadline 12 June 2020 https://www.s4snextgen.org/opportunities/view/id/693

29 June – 3 July PWC: Virtual Skills Week

Age: Year 14-18 Application Deadline 19 June 2020 https://www.s4snextgen.org/?returnurl=%2fOpportunities%2fViewInsight%2fid%2f689

29 June – 3 July Boundless Theatre: Boundless Theatre Online Placement

Age: 15+ Application Deadline: 3 June 2020 https://www.s4snextgen.org/opportunities/View/id/656

13 July – 17 July Brixton Finishing School: Discover the World of Advertising, Marketing, and Communications

Age: 14+ Application Deadline: 19 June 2020 https://www.s4snextgen.org/opportunities/view/id/679

6 July – 10 July OFCOM: VWEX With the Office of Communications

Age: 16+ Application Deadline: 12 June 2020 https://www.s4snextgen.org/opportunities/view/id/692

Please encourage your son/daughter to submit applications on time as employers may make selections before the advertised deadlines.

Year 10 activities - My Week of Work

Next week (w/c 8 June) we are giving year 10s the opportunity to take part in the above in a world of work insight week to begin to get students thinking about their future aspirations and post 16 choices. Every day students will need to take part in a minimum of two sessions.

Firstly take part in one (two on Monday) of the ‘My World of Work’ careers lessons which you can access directly through the Oak National Academy platform at www.thenational.academy there is no registration required and you can do more than one lesson if you want to.

Every day there is a different theme:

Secondly tune in to one of the ‘Learn Live’ broadcasts Tuesday to Friday – these are industry Q&A sessions that seek to inspire the next generation through engaging and interactive live broadcasts.

Register for the Learn Live sessions here:

https://learnliveuk.com/my-week-of-worktuesday/

https://learnliveuk.com/my-week-of-workwednesday/

https://learnliveuk.com/my-week-of-workthursday/

https://learnliveuk.com/my-week-of-workfriday/

World of Work sector links can be found through the following link:

http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/NewsPDFs/MyWeekofWorkLinks.pdf

Reminder: Year 10 assessments

As you are aware our planned Y10 exams at the end of April were postponed because of the current situation with COVID-19. In order to provide staff with an understanding of learning and progress during lockdown we have scheduled a Y10 assessment week starting on 15 June (third week back after half term).

Key information regarding Y10 assessment week:

The assessments set will be 'low stakes' - designed to give students the opportunity to have a go at an exam paper rather than to cause any stress

They will encourage revision and recap year 10 work already covered

They will give teachers an idea of what students understand and where the gaps are

The assessments will be set as a paper via Show My Homework(SMHW) as per the weekly timetable work in usual slots in week commencing 15 June instead of ordinary lessons (no other work will be set this week to allow students to focus solely on these assessments)

Each assessment will be a maximum of a 90 minute paper

Instructions and guidance will be provided on SMHW with each paper set

We would encourage students to sit each assessment under exam conditions for the time indicated by the teacher who has set the paper - this will give students the closest experience of sitting a GCSE paper. However, we obviously can't supervise these conditions so if they wish to use their books and notes this is fine. As stated above the most important thing is that students have an experience of completing an exam paper.

This information has also been shared with year 10 students. Please discuss this with your son/daughter to ensure they are clear on the expectations. Your support during the assessment week in encouraging the students to stick to the timetable and to do their best would be greatly appreciated.

Please do not hesitate to contact Miss Hughes (Head of Y10) if you have any queries or concerns.

Thank you for your support.

Year 9 updates:

Subject Choices for September 2020 Families with students in our current year 9 should now be in receipt of a letter confirming your son/daughter’s subject choices for September.

If you have not received the confirmation letter or believe that the choices are incorrect, please contact Mrs Ruston via email (aruston@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) by the deadline of 10 June 2020.

Option Launch - 15 June 2020 Week commencing Monday 15 June 2020 Y9 students will be starting bridging work for their chosen Y10 courses. This means that they will no longer be doing courses that they have not opted for. However, they will still be doing the compulsory subjects of English, maths, sciences, PRS and core PE.

To enable this to happen there will be a new timetable for them to follow from Monday 15 June. The option choices of options A-D are listed in the letter sent home.

Monday English, Option A, PRS Tuesday Maths, Option B, PE Wednesday Chemistry, Biology Thursday Maths, Option C Friday English, Physics, Option D

Maths

As of 15 June students will start to study GCSE content in maths. Towards the end of the summer term there will be an assessment based on the work students have covered over the course of Y9 and the GCSE topics covered so far. These assessments will feed into the decision making about the set students are in for GCSE maths from September.

English

In English students will be studying for two GCSEs: English Language and English Literature. Students have already begun to study some of the poems needed for English Literature and will continue to work on them this term.

PRS and science

These subjects started GCSE work at the start of Y9 and will be continuing to follow the GCSE courses.

Any changes to options will not take place during this time. If there are changes for September that you wish to discuss please contact Mrs Ruston by email (aruston@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) by 10 July 2020.

Year 8 options questionnaire for September 2020

Thank you to the parents/carers who have already completed the year 8 options questionnaire sent via email earlier this week. If you have not had the opportunity to do so, please respond by the deadline of Monday 8 June. The link to the questionnaire was issued via email.

The first option choice is whether to continue to take dance. If your child decides on this option they will have one dance lesson and one PE lesson a week. If your child does not want to take the dance option they will have two lessons of PE a week. The second is the ability to express a preference for their second modern foreign language. In Y9 they will have two lessons in their first language and two lessons in their second language. We would like them to express a preference for which other language they would like to study. Languages available are French, German and Spanish. Please be advised that due to circumstances we may not able to offer them their preferred language.

Education Endowment Foundation – supporting home learning resource

We are sharing the attached resource from the Education Endowment Foundation. It is a simple checklist that students and families can use to support and monitor effective routines for learning at home. We know that lots of students and families have been having success in using routines like these and that for many they have become good habits. As we start the final term of the year this might help to refocus or to give new ideas for making best use of time.

To see the full image please follow the link below - we hope you might find it useful:

http://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/pdfs/NewsPDFs/Supporting_home_learning_routines_- _Planning_the_day.pdf

Highfields 2020 Year 7 Challenge Event: 2020 Lead Candle Boat Project

As many of you will be aware, the 2020 Matlock Bath Illuminations is a parade of illuminated and decorated boats along the River Derwent. The parade runs every Saturday and Sunday from 12 September to 1 November and in the past has had up to 100,000 people attending to watch the parade.

During the 8-week season Matlock Bath Boat Builders' Association decorate themed models with an array of coloured LED lights. The 2020 LEAD ‘Candle’ Boat will be designed by a WINNING

Year 7 student from Highfields School and will lead every parade during the 8 week parade.

We have run this project over a number of years now with year 7 students and it has been a huge success. This year Y7 students have been given a brief to design a boat that will be put forward to the Matlock illuminations team – full details are on SMHW. If the design is chosen the boat will be made by professional boat builders and the winning year 7 team and family will receive a VIP pass to the illuminations on a Saturday evening in September.

Last year’s Year 7 winning entry

‘Rate My Apprenticeship’ Student thoughts on COVID-19

Rate My Apprenticeship are asking students to complete their survey so they can find out how COVID-19 has impacted career plans. This will really help and enable apprenticeship employers to support students as much as possible during the next few months.

Students are being offered the chance to win an £100 Amazon OR ASOS voucher for completing the survey: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/RXY65Y/?utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm _campaign=int-01062020-schoolsnewsletter&dm_i=30Z2,11KHG,60UKK0,3ZBJ6,1