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 HeadteacherDisclaimer: HighfieldsSchoolisnotresponsibleforthequalityofproductsororganisationspublicisedthrougharticlesor advertisementsintheschoolnewsletter.
Message from the Headteacher
“I get so emotional, baby, every time I think of you-oo-oo,” has been my earworm today. I just keep singing it internally over and over on a loop. I’ve been trying to work out why it’s this particular tune that’s stuck in my excuse for a brain. I think it is almost certainly the open evening I attended last night.
It is extremely touching when you see hundreds of people coming together to explore and celebrate a community like Highfields School. I talked to so many people and was just so thrilled to be a tiny part of the Highfields story. Prospective parents who were alumni of Highfields talked of its unique ethos of inclusion and positivity, others talked about their kids who have now left including Molly R, who is just about to start at Oxford where she is reading Biology. When things are pretty gloomy nationally it was a celebration of community and locality and so, yes, when I finally got home, I suppose I was soemotional . If you were involved in any way…THANK YOU.
This (image) is currently on the whiteboard in my office. It was drawn by our site manager who was trying to explain to me a problem we have which involves a mystery water leak on our fields. Although this poses no risk to students it is costing us a lot of money. If you or someone you know has expertise in leak management and you may be able to give some friendly and free advice, please can you contact me (info@highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk) ?
Last year we did 686 documented learning walks and this year we have already done around 35. The focus this year is oracy and specifically the extent to which students can articulate verbally their ideas and feelings. Quite often when we visit lessons we ask students, ‘why are you learning this…what’s the point?’ Teachers are working hard to get students to understand for themselves WHY they should want to learn whatever it is they are studying. On Thursday I came across Jasmine who explained that she was creating the insect sketch to develop her skills around using tone and line.
So…another whirlwind week comes to an end. I don’t know what the weekend holds for me as I am currently being harassed by a cat. Several times recently when I have arrived home it has hidden near the front door and then run in when I opened it. My daughter is colluding with this by finding it funny which just encourages the cat to run around the house evading capture. Last night after scouring the downstairs and assuming it had gone out of a window I came upstairs to find it sitting in the darkness in my bedroom in quite a sinister way. If you have ever been harassed by a cat please get in touch. Anyone who has cat harassment andleak detection experience would be particularly valuable to me right now.
Have a good weekend. We are Highfields.
A Marsh, Headteacher
Sports Leaders News
Tuesday 19 September… Derbyshire Rugby coach Steve Grainger was in school to train up Sportsleaders in the art of being a TAG Rugby officlal. There were 16 Young leaders from YR 8/9 training and they made a promising start. They will now be getting ready to officiate at the Primary schools tournament on Thursday 19 October.
Sports Leaders… The clubs are up and running on Monday lunch for Year 7/8 and Wednesday lunch for Year 9-13
I am highly delighted to announce that we are now offering the Dance qualification not only at level 1 and 2 but now at level 3, which like the Sports Leader award gives 16 UCAS points upon successful completion.
Key dates & Calendar
2023-24academic year
Term1: 4September2023to27October2023
Term2: 6November2023to22December
Term3: 8January2024to16February2024
Term4: 26February2024to28March2024
Term5: 15April2024to24May2024
Term6: 3June2024to23July2024
2023-24parentconsultationevenings
INSETdays(nostudentsin school)
virtual
2023-24provisionalschoolevents (tbc - further details will be issued prior to each event)