Newsletter
26April2024
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
Disclaimer: HighfieldsSchoolisnotresponsibleforthequalityofproductsororganisationspublicisedthrougharticlesor advertisementsintheschoolnewsletter.
HeadteacherMessage from the Headteacher
THANK YOU to every single motorist who either tries to avoid our school sites altogether or, in the case of Lumsdale, follows our lead and drops off/ picks up in the safe zone. I came in during the Easter holidays specially to supervise the guys marking up the carpark. I kept changing my mind about where the lines should be which caused some frustration amongst the line markers. I finally left site when it became obvious that if I interfered any more they would paint a big yellow line on me and my car.
By far the best thing about my job is the time I spend each day in direct contact with students whether this is the hours that I spend on supervisory duty, or the time that I spend in lessons. We use a little app to record good things that we see in classrooms and, so far this year, we have clocked up 640 visits. I see a huge range of student work during these visits and this week witnessed everything from students working on Aboriginal art to a form time where students were reading an Article of the Week about how lazy Albert Einstein was in one year of his life. A lad in that Y8 form caught my eye at this point because I had talked to him the day before about not getting enough work done. I did not have the opportunity to speak with him in the lesson but now assume that his quizzical eyebrow dance was supposed to imply that current inactivity is a precursor to a discovery which will change our understanding of quantum mechanics.
Here’s comes School of Rock! I get so excited at this time of year when, from my office, I hear the sound of the company being put through its paces. It’s a long time (20 years?) since Highfields received any additional funding to underpin its ‘performing arts specialism’ and yet we remain a school which seems to excel in this area. I feel that it is entirely due to the skill and determination of Emily Bonsall, Kris Rowley and their teams as well as to the drive and enthusiasm of our students. In any event, it is looking like a popular show so when you get the chance, do make sure you pick up some tickets.
Into Y10 mock exams this week. Some hiccups in the line-up but we got them into their first big exam (maths) smoothly enough. As is the tradition at Highfields, I did a short speech at their first whole year exam of the season and then off they went. Every time I do this speech I feel a lump in my throat when I explain how proud we are of them graduating, as they have, from tiny Y7s to the impressive young people who now face their GCSE exams.
Whatever you are you up to I hope that your weekend is peaceful and restful. We are Highfields.
A Marsh, HeadteacherComing up next week…
Remindersfortheweekahead WeekB
Monday29th April
Tuesday30th April
Wednesday1st May
Thursday2nd May
Friday3rd May
Year10MockExamsAllweek
Year8HumanPapillomaVirusImmunisation
Year12CoastsFieldwork
Year12CoastsFieldwork
Summer 2024 GCSE/A Level Timetables
Timetables for the summer external exams starting in May are now available on the school website on the Exams page. Final versions of the timetables, with afternoon start times added, will be published nearer to the start of the exams, and paper copies will be issued to students at this time. Please note when planning holidays after the end of exams for Year 11 and Year 13 students, that they must be available to sit exams up to and including the exam boards' contingency date of Wednesday 26 June
GCSE timetable: https://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Student-GCSETimetable-Summer-2024-v.1.pdf
A Level timetable: https://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/A-LevelStudent-Timetable-Summer-2024-v.1.pdf
Year 12/13 Vocational timetable: https://www.highfields.derbyshire.sch.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2024/01/Student-Vocational-Timetable-Summer-2024-v.1.xlsx.pdf
Did you know you can hire out our school facilities?
3G Pitch
Hardstanding Courts
Large Sports Hall
Small Sports Hall
Pleasevisitwww.schoolhire.co.ukformore information,toviewavailabilityandtobook.
