Issue 34

Newsletter

6th December 2024

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: 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 Governors are there to hold me to account and check that any claims I make about the school are true. For this reason, we have constant interaction between governors and senior leaders. Sometimes this interaction takes the shape of a meeting. An example of this occurred recently when our finance link governor met with me to review our accounts and ask me questions about how I am allocating our precious resources. This governor wrote up our meeting and presented his notes to the full governing body last night. Sometimes governors come in and talk to staff about their training (especially regarding safeguarding) and other aspects of working at Highfields. Sometimes, as it happened, two or three times last week, Governors drop into lessons so they can see our curriculum in action. Or perhaps, as happens at least once a term, a governor will come and check that very stringent checks are completed to ensure that our children are protected from anyone who should not be working in schools. Many of our governors have children at Highfields (or did have until recently) and so I like to think that they are working on parents/carers’ behalf. I very much welcome governor scrutiny because Highfields children deserve the best.

Thanks for the feedback from anybody who, in response to last week’s newsletter, urged me to cut Ralph the cat some slack and be the bigger person. I really am trying but he is so passive aggressive and has started staring at me for no reason. When I point this out to my family he looks away and everyone thinks I am being unreasonable. I know it’s controversial to say that I am being gaslighted by a cat but I really, really AM. I’ve been tied up in meetings about contracts and other business considerations this week and all that time I have been looking forward to my Y9 music lesson which happens on a Friday. I cannot tell you how much I love music. It started when I was pressganged into a choir in Y7 and since then I have been totally obsessed and still play piano every day and listen to as much music as I can. When I say ‘I LISTEN’ I don’t mean that I hear it. I mean I sit and focus in on the music to the exclusion of everything else. This is what my students most struggle with; the ability to really focus in on the elements that go together to create an absolutely brilliant piece of music. Sometimes when I ask them to identify these elements they try and fob me off with words like ‘loud’ or ‘guitar’. This is like a red rag to a bull because it just demonstrates that they are ‘surface hearing’. ‘SAY SOMETHING INTERESTING!!!’ I sometimes cry, to no one in particular. Eventually one of them will identify that the chords are following a pattern, or that melody is imitated in the bassline, at which point I will become massively overexcited at the fact that they are finally LISTENING! (I’m a very annoying music teacher.)

Finally, a huge thank you to years 11 and 13 and to their exams and invigilation team. Mock examinations are taken very seriously at Highfields and require just as much pin point accuracy of planning as the real thing.

Have a marvellous weekend.

A Marsh, Headteacher

Reminders for the weeks ahead.. Week A Tuesday 10th December  

Sports Leaders - Netball umpire training Sixth Form Christmas Quiz 6-8pm

Wednesday 11th December  

Christmas Dinner day Voice of Sport Mee ng

Thursday 12th December 

School Choir at the Crooked Spire and Matlock County Hall

Friday 13th December 

Flu Immunisa ons

Tuesday 17th December 

Christmas Concert 7pm

Wednesday 18th December 

Sports Leaders Christmas Fes val at the Arc

Thursday 19th December 

A Level Cer ficate Evening

Friday 20th December 

School Closes at 2pm, School will reopen on 6th January.

A reminder to all parents to please park considerately in areas surrounding school sites, including Bentley Bridge Road.

London Trip Highfields students were lucky enough to experience an inspiring and engaging Performing Arts trip to London last week. On Wednesday 27th and Thursday 28th November 30 Year 8 & 9 students were in London taking part in many fun, drama and theatre related activities. All of the students were invited on the trip as a reward for the hard work they put into last year’s Mini Musical, the Evening of Theatre and the school production of School of Rock.

On our way to London, we stopped off at Warner Brothers Harry Potter World in Watford. Here, they explored behind the scenes of the making of the Harry Potter films. Students explored parts of the set and were able to have a go at performing in front of a green screen and riding a broom stick! They also saw Harry’s house, the special effects department and a 1:24 scale model of Hogwarts.

Whilst away students took part in a 'Mean Girls' workshop led by a Grace who is currently playing Karen in 'Mean Girls' on the West End. This allowed students to learn some of the choreography and music from the show, as well as have a Q&A with an experienced performer, having seen it the night before at The Savoy Theatre! Our evening trip to the performance followed a pre-theatre meal at Hard Rock Cafe.

The students also watched the ‘Hadestown’ matinee on Thursday.

Students described this as mesmerising and visually sensational!

Their jaws were nearly at the floor for the whole 2 and a half hours! Students also enjoyed exploring Covent Garden at night and devouring a range of cuisines in Seven Dials food market!

Ms Bonsall who led the trip, said: “The students were superbly behaved and very energetic for the whole trip! They enjoyed a sleepover with their friends at the Royal National Hotel (Russell Square) and an all-you-can-eat hot breakfast, too! They were a delight to take away and I was very proud of their theatre etiquette whilst watching the shows, as well as their dedicated hard work in the workshop! Many members of the public commented on how well presented and polite they were, as well as peaceful and calm in the theatre!"

Sports Leaders Friday 29th November Year 12 Sports leaders went to Darley Hall Care home to lead activities for the residents. The residents and staff are always so grateful for the students coming to visit and helping support them in movement and exercise and a good old chat! Chloe, Matteo, Esther, Tom, Ellie, Oliver and Ryan were all brilliant in every way possible.

The 9 residents loved the activities and can’t wait for week 2 (Friday 6th December).

GO LEAD Girls FA project Mrs Allen attended tutor training for the updated course 2024/25, recruitment of the 12 leaders will now happen before Christmas and the Live launch for the girls will take place on Tuesday 14th January at 4.15pm.

The Girls will then be planning the annual Biggest Ever National Football Session scheduled for Friday March 7th, which will see Highfields girls and Highfields cluster primary girls take part in a day of girl’s football activities 2025.

Voice of Sport The November meeting brought up some interesting discussion points.

Minutes of the meeting are displayed on both sites Leaders’ notice boards. If you have any more items for discussion please let your Year Voice of Sport reps know so they can bring them to the meeting please.

Highfields Food Bank Collections

Starkholmes Collec on point is in the recep on.

Spreading some Festive Cheer On Monday 2nd December, Derbyshire Dales Bridge Club held a Christmassy event, in particular to have a collection in support of Ashgate Hospice.

Imogen, Emily S and Evie B happily gave up their time to perform at the event!

Their performances were greatly enjoyed and helped swell the collection box.

Photo by John Boadle (Proud Grandad to Imogen)

Key dates & Calendar 2024-25 Academic Year

INSET days (no students in school)

Term 2: 4 November 2024 to 20 December 2024 (Holiday 23 December – 3 January 2024)

Monday 2nd December 2024

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) School Xmas Dinner Wednesday 11th December Flu Immunisa ons Friday 13th December Christmas Concert Tuesday 17th December th Cer ficate Evening 6 Form A level Thursday 19th December Evening of Theatre Thursday 23rd January Spain Trip Friday 14th February Easter Concert Tuesday 1st April & Juliet Trip Thursday 22nd May 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

5th May 2025

A Level exam results: 14 August 2025 TBC

GCSE exam results: 21 August 2025 TBC

Year 13 Parents Evening Year 9 Parents Evening Year 11 Parents Evening Year 8 Parents Evening Year 10 Parents Evening Year 7 Parents Evening Year 12 Parents Evening

Tuesday 3rd December Tuesday 14th January Tuesday 28th January Tuesday 11th February Tuesday 4th March Tuesday 18th March TBC

A Level Exams 2025 exam results days: Parents Evening

5th May – 27th June 2025 12th May – 27th June 2025