Message from the head

The first time I met staff at Highfields I talked about the importance to me of tribes. The staff here are a tribe to which I am proud to belong. In my second year we talked about hunting as a pack (‘the strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack’). This doesn’t mean that we always agree or are in total concordance. It means that when push comes to shove we have each other’s backs. For example … at the moment we are concerned about behaviour in some year groups since the return from lockdown which (by Highfields standards) is not as great everywhere as it should be. Last week a teacher (very proficient and experienced) asked for some support with a particular class. There were a couple of students in there who were struggling with their behaviour across their lessons. Via email we evaluated the teacher’s concerns and formed a plan. When I visited the lesson today I was one of a number of people who had either checked in prior to my arrival or were still in the room. The students are getting more support and their learning is settling down across the curriculum - thanks to all involved in that mini team exercise, particularly to the teacher at the centre of it.

Talking of packs and teams … students have been asking if they can have the day off on Monday if England win the Euros. The answer is of course (not). On Thursday morning there were tired looking students who had evidently been unable to get to sleep after the excitement of the semi-final match. I love sport and so the sight of this young team working under the principled and calm leadership of GS did cause me to get a little bit emotional.

Our own ‘Wembley’ gets a little closer to completion with every day that passes. It was tarmac today. As if this wasn’t exciting enough we’ve also just had the go ahead to renovate the courts at Lumsdale using the plant and resources already on site. They will be colour coated and will be marked up for a range of sports. If all goes well we should have a really wonderful resource for Highfields students AND something to offer to our local community (for a reasonable price, of course).

Thanks to all those people (two) who asked for an update on my cats who will be 20 years old soon. They are holding resolutely onto life and the biggest problem is their growing eccentricity. The other day my attention was drawn to a bookcase where I found Romulus standing stock still in a gap between books of a similar size to him. I have no idea how he got there.

In lessons this week a great lesson on the food chain. We like to use DO NOWs to get students off to a flying start. And the TA here managed to use a desk as an alternative to a mini white board. Once the students were up and running the teacher tested their understanding with some great questioning.

Have a marvellous weekend. Whatever happens with England on Sunday night we are, and will always be, Highfields.