Newsletter
13th June 2025
Our newsletter aims to keep parents and carers up to date with school news, activities and key information throughout the year.
Don’t forget to visit our website (www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) for more news and information.
Thank you for taking the time to read our news and for your support.
A Marsh Headteacher Disclaimer: Highfields School is not responsible for the quality of products or organisations publicised through articles or advertisements in the school newsletter.
Message from the Headteacher At Highfields we want ALL students to be the best they can and this includes our most able. With this in mind we recently arranged a virtual workshop hosted by Alice Matthews. Alice is not only a Highfields alumnus but is also a leading force in politics and commerce. This workshop featured a debate about the complex medical and moral issues involved in Alice’s work as Senior Director of Global Policy and Country Partnership Strategy at BioNTech. Highfields students wrestled with the complex issues around illness, epidemiology, efficacy and inequality that big pharma and personalised medicine can involve. Huge thanks to Alice and to Martin Flett, director of sixth form, for arranging this wonderful experience for our students.
Exam breakfasts have a become a bit of a tradition at Highfields. This is where, on the morning of a full year 11 exam (maths, English, science etc), the relevant department will meet students at the gate and offer them breakfast (usually paid for out of their own pockets) before lining up with them and walking them into the exam. It takes the edge off students’ nerves and gives an opportunity for a few last reminders from teacher to student. The maths department’s breakfast also offers students the opportunity to touch the lucky kettle which Dan Moss is modelling here. Why anybody would feel that touching this old department kettle would be beneficial is anyone’s guess but, in fairness, the students who did touch it seemed very satisfied as they emerged from the exam.
A number of you have very kindly asked about my progress with home improvements after I shared a picture of me posing as a builder on a mini digger. To cut a long story short, the crew who came to erect the modular extension left site and never came back, the building inspector failed the work they had done and a scaffolding board went through the windscreen of the car that I bought to replace the one which got stolen from the very same driveway. Apart from that, it’s all pretty much on track.
Have a wonderful weekend. We are Highfields. A Marsh Headteacher
Reminders for the week ahead
Week A
Monday 16th June
Y11 GCSE Exams (All Week) Y13 A Level Exams (All Week) Y12 Work Experience (All Week)
Tuesday 17th June
Y8 Carsington Fieldwork
Wednesday 18th June
Y8 Carsington Fieldwork
Thursday 19th June
DofE Bronze Qualifier, Y8 Carsington Fieldwork
Friday 20th June
DofE Bronze Qualifier, Y8 Carsington Fieldwork
Tickets Selling Fast!!
Beyond Highfields Manchester Grammar School, an independent boys' school, organised a (free!) German A level study day to boost interest in studying German in the region of Manchester and beyond. Many schools attended and we were proud that Highfields had one of the largest A level classes. Speakers ranged from professors of German linguistics at Leeds University, German history at Manchester University, Austrian culture and literature at Lancaster University to a translator of German books who gave a fascinating insight into the challenges of translation. (We had a long conversation about how to put 'Scheisse' into an English novel aimed at 12 year olds!) A chief executive of a global communications company stressed the need for more language learners, particularly German. Business employers pay more for linguists! His company paid £34k for IT professionals but £38k for people with second language skills doing the same job. He also said they recently advertised for a marketing role and got 250 applications. They rejected all of them except 8 from candidates with language skills. The language skill gets you the interview. The day ended with a presentation from renowned German historian Katja Hoyer, who talked about the challenges of German reunification, a topic that exactly maps onto the German A level syllabus. It was a unique opportunity to glimpse possible next stages beyond school, gave our students a lot to think about and hopefully help to motivate them through their last year at Highfields.
Key dates & Calendar 2024-25 Academic Year
INSET days (no students in school)
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) Term 6: 2 June 2025 to 24 July 2025
Monday 30th June 2025
2024-25 provisional school events (TBC - further details will be issued prior to each event) Y11 Prom Thursday 19th June School Musical Wednesday 9th July – 12th July Berlin Trip Monday 21st July Work Experience Year 10 Work Experience
Monday 30th June – 4th July
Year 12 Work Experience
Monday 16th June- 20th June
Exam sessions External Exam Season Commences GCSE Exams
A Level Exams 2025 exam results days:
5th May 2025
5th May – 27th June 2025 12th May – 27th June 2025
A Level exam results: 14 August 2025
GCSE exam results: 21 August 2025
Year 9 Parents Evening Year 11 Parents Evening Year 12 Parents Evening Year 10 Parents Evening Year 7 Parents Evening Year 8 Parents Evening
Tuesday 14th January Tuesday 28th January Tuesday 11th February Tuesday 4th March Tuesday 18th March Tuesday 1st April
2025-26 Academic Year
INSET days (no students in school)
Monday 8th September 2025 Year 7, 9 and 12 will start/return to school
Thursday 4th September 2025 Friday 5th September 2025 Friday 24th October 2025 Monday 1st December 2025 Friday 26th June 2026
Parents Evening
Tuesday 9th September School Opens for all year groups