Newsletter 2 by Highfields School

7th March2025

Our newsletter aims to keep parents and carers up to date with school news, activities and key information throughout the year.

If you have any feedback on or suggestions for the newsletter, please send your comments via email to newsletter@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk

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: HighfieldsSchoolisnotresponsibleforthequalityofproductsororganisationspublicisedthrougharticlesor advertisementsintheschoolnewsletter.

Message from the Headteacher

A week of motoring mayhem at Highfields…on Friday morning at 2am I was woken by police officers on my landing who informed me my front door was wide open. This turned out to be the handiwork of some nitwits who broke in and stole my car keys/car. More scarily on Monday morning it was one of our students who was involved in the road traffic accident near Slack Hill in which two cars were written off and one overturned. Thank goodness that no one was harmed and all survived to tell the tale. I apologise for the appearance of my car at the moment which looks like it has been driven through a hedge at high speed. This is because someone drove it through a hedge at high speed.

Mock exams this week for Y11 and 13s. These exams eat into lessons, disrupt our PE curriculum and cost quite a lot in invigilation and copying. We feel strongly, however, based on years of experience, that they are an integral part of preparing students for what is quite a specialism: writing for hours in a quiet hall with no assistance. I often wait outside the hall to chat to students as they emerge. The most often heard comment is ‘thank God that wasn’t the actual exam’ (our teachers often chose quite tricky tests for the final mocks). From time to time I will relive my childhood when a child is asked ‘what did you put for question 7?’ and responds ‘…wait-there was a question 7?’ as they slowly realise that they have not turned over the paper. The horror is attenuated slightly as they remember this is a mock and that the error can be avoided in the final exam.

On Thursday we celebrated World Book Day. We stopped short of requiring all students to wear costumes after parental feedback suggested that it put additional pressure on families but that did not stop staff from turning out in a range of book related costumes. In lessons, all students undertook a range of reading activities and all the teachers I saw had fully embraced the need to inspire children of all ages to get their nose into a book. Huge thanks are due especially to our librarians Ms Kay and Ms D Bonsall and to Ms E Bonsall for coordinating events!

A quick word for the Y9 girls football team who beat Swanwick 2-1 in the last minute to get through to the quarter final of the Girls Football County cup against Lady Manners. Also the girls in Y7/8 beat Manners 3-2 in a friendly on Thursday.

I loved my visit to a Y10 photography lesson on Wednesday where Grace had prepared this response to the work of Jerry Velsmann. I asked with great interest how she had managed to find such a tiny dog but she said that it was normal size. I therefore enquired how she had got her hands to swell to that size but she explained that she had simply made skilful use of photo manipulation. I asked if the technique would work on a horse because I feel they are generally too big but she said that the technique wouldn’t change the actual size of the horse and then she said she was busy and asked if I could talk to someone else.

I know it’s not a popular view but I do feel that horses are much too big when you are up close to them.

Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe on the roads. We are Highfields. Mr A Marsh

Monday 10th March

 Food Tech Practicals (All week)

 Yr 11 Drama Practicals

 DofE SILVER/GOLD (Until 4.30pm)

 County Netball

Tuesday 11th March

 Y11 Drama Practicals

 Y11 Maths Trip- Uni of Nottingham

Wednesday 12th March

Thursday 13th March

 Primary Dance day

 Lea Green – Y11

 Y10 Sheffield fieldwork (MJB)

Friday 14th March

 Y10 Sheﬃeld Fieldwork (NB)

Please ﬁnd our “Final Stretch 2025” document on the school website. This is a week by week revision programme for every subject helping our year 11’s on the countdown to their GCSE’s.

Exams - Highﬁelds School

Please visit the Highﬁeld’s website, Exams and scroll to the Revision Resources where you will ﬁnd “Y11 Final Stretch 2025.

The programme will be made available on SMHW, during form me ac vi es.

Wednesday 5th March

Girls County Cup

The Year 8/9 girls made a last-minute victory against Swanwick bea ng them 2-1. Highfields now take on the quarter final of the Girls Football County Cup against Lady Manners. Mr Shirtcliffe commented that all the girls were a true credit to Highfields.