The Highclarian 2016/2017

The Highclarian

2016-17 Highclare School

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Contents

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Headmaster’s Welcome / A word from Chair of Governors

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Review by Head of Senior School

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Review by Head of Junior Schools

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Senior Sports Review

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Junior Sports Review

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Music / Drama productions

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Art & Technology

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Science & Maths

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Humanities

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Opening Highclare Sports Field Celebration

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Junior Trips & Activities

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Early Years

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TOPS and Holiday Clubs

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Our Bus Service

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House Competitions

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Community and Charities

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Headmaster's Golf Challenge

29

Take Charge

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Exam results and destination of leavers 2017

31

Staff Spotlight & Open Days for next year

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Welcome In response to the Friends’ generous provision of three mobile iPad charging devices and accompanying iPads, we have brought forward our plans to network the two junior sites allowing, from September, our junior school classroom practitioners to use this exciting technology to help them engage and challenge the pupils.

I would like to express my appreciation for all staff who have moved on to other things this year. All of them made their own contribution to Highclare School, for which I am grateful.

Of course, it is the pupils themselves who are the ‘stars of the show’. I hope you enjoy looking through this issue and seeing what a talented and committed bunch they are.

Welcome to this year’s edition of the Highclarian. It’s been a very busy and successful year for us with lots of highlights across our sites, which are illustrated for you in the pages of this magazine.

It was the American philosopher, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said ‘Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it.

Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic, be enthusiastic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object.

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm’.

Highclare is blessed with staff who are enthusiastic to make Highclare an ever-better school and to meet the needs of the children ever more effectively. I pay tribute to them all and to everything they have done.

The children are incredibly enthusiastic too. It never ceases to amaze me how prepared they are to take on the challenges that our classroom practitioners throw at them. You can read in this publication of their many and varied individual and collaborative achievements.

We recently had a very enjoyable afternoon at Highclare Sports Field celebrating its official opening. We were able to welcome local dignitaries and officials and some special guests, including Sir Doug Ellis and our very own Mr Richard Sneekes, to enjoy some light refreshments and enjoy watching senior and junior pupils taking part in a house softball / rounders competition. Highclare Sports Field has already served to enhance our curriculum and extra-curricular sporting activity and provides us with a valuable space to host visiting schools for sports fixtures.

The School has recently launched a new app which is designed to enhance our communication with current parents and, as such, represents an exciting development with regards to our digital communication. Download it to your smart phones / tablets and make full use of it.

Please do what you can to get behind the Friends of Highclare School.

Under the leadership of Mrs Lugg, they work as a dedicated and committed group of parents who want to provide the best they can for the School, and have fun doing so. They would value your support, no matter how much or little that can be.

Best wishes R Luker Headmaster

A word from the Chair of Governors With the publication of our latest Highclarian magazine, we are able to look back over the academic year that has just finished and I do hope that you are able to see the amazing variety of activities that has been undertaken.

Once again, our pupils’ results in the external examinations speak for themselves and it is a pleasure to be able to offer the Board’s congratulations not only to them but to all our pupils throughout the School who continue to achieve at the highest levels. Thanks are, of course, due to you, the parents, who do so much to support your children and the School.

I would also like to take this opportunity, on behalf of the Board, to thank all the staff at Highclare with their differing roles and responsibilities who work so hard and give of their best as part of the Highclare team.

Dr Luker has mentioned already some of the exciting events that have taken place recently and some of the developments that continue to make our school the vibrant and exciting community that it is.

Our commitment to technology is highlighted with the launch of our Highclare App for mobiles and tablets which aims to give everyone accessible communication with the school. I also encourage you to take the time, if you have not already done so, to visit our website (www.highclareschool.co.uk) for all the latest news regarding Highclare School and, of course, I do hope that you enjoy reading this latest edition of The Highclarian.

May I, on behalf of the whole Board, wish you all a hugely successful and happy 2017 - 2018.

Louise Flowith Chair of Governors

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Senior School Review Cobbold, and the Rockstars House Times tables competition run by the Mathematics Department. It is wonderful to witness the genuine competitiveness, camaraderie and connectivity that such competitions evoke in our young people.

This year, Senior School pupils have also been involved in a new initiative which was introduced to the School by one of our parents, Mr Jason LangfordBrown, called ‘Mindshop Excellence’ which involved six of our young people spending the first week of the October half-term engaged in preparing and presenting a proposal to the Board of a company called ‘Hollywood Monster’ which, according to their website is ‘ ..a bold and creative signage and graphics company that delivers Monster Impact for businesses worldwide to make them stand out.’ At the end of the week, our young people delivered their findings to an audience of Directors, parents and teachers and we were all very proud of them. There are plans to repeat this initiative year on year so watch this space!

With another successful year under our belts, I am delighted to report that the Senior School continues to flourish because of the continued commitment to study of our young people, the enthusiasm and dedication of our excellent staff and the support of all of our wonderful parents.

The ‘Take Charge’ initiative is now embedded across the School and pupils are responding well to its message. All assemblies begin with a ‘Take Charge’ link and pupils are ever mindful of the need to abide by its philosophy and principles in order to achieve and excel in all they do. Added to this, pupil voice continues to be a strong and very valuable asset to the life of the School and our pupils respond very well to having their views listened to and respected.

Talking of pupil voice, the School Council was absolutely delighted to hear that the proposal (kindly prepared by Toby Walton in L4 on their behalf) for outdoor table tennis tables was considered and agreed to by the Friends of Highclare School. I am happy to report that we are now the proud recipients of three wonderful table tennis tables which are proving to be extremely popular and are in use every day!

There have been some excellent House challenge competitions going on throughout the year, culminating with the inaugural ‘House Bake-Off’ competition run by our very own (younger version of) Mary Berry, Mrs

As always, pupils have enjoyed participating in many exciting trips such as the Easter MFL trip to Normandy, the Geography field trip to the wilds of North Yorkshire and the annual 6th form Christmas outing to London to name but a few – we are also looking forward with great excitement to the Geography trip to Iceland in October 2017.

Summer and Christmas concerts, Speech Night and the wonderful Carol Service served, as always, to showcase the wonderful talents and achievements of our young people and to make us even more proud of them.

The academic year was rounded off superbly with the grand official opening of the Highclare Playing Fields which saw us all enjoying the warm sunshine, fabulous refreshments and excellent facilities on offer. It was also wonderful to see our junior and senior pupils working together to showcase their sporting abilities and to know that present and future generations of the Highclare family will continue to enjoy these facilities in the months and years ahead.

Finally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the excellent teaching and support staff at Highclare Senior School for the continued dedication, enthusiasm and passion for learning that they generate in our young people.

It is an honour to work with them and to witness on a daily basis the impact they have on the academic excellence and general wellbeing of the pupils in our care.

Mrs A Moore Head of Highclare Senior School

Senior School Prize Giving

The Guest Speaker at Highclare Senior School Prize Giving was the Revd Dr Rob Marshall, a current contributor to Radio 4’s Thought for the Day. Dr Marshall entertained parents, pupils and staff with his insight into faith in a digital age, an area in which he has formed a particular interest, having recently completed a doctorate on the impact of digital media on the radio audience and what a broadcaster must bear in mind when taking to the microphone! He was then invited to present prizes to a number of pupils who were given awards in all areas of the curriculum including music, sport, art and, of course, academic achievement.

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Dr Richard Luker also congratulated pupils, past and present, on their excellent efforts and academic results during the last academic year, and gave a resume of the school’s achievements and successes including the excellent external examination results at both A level and GCSE. Pupils gave performances in music and drama and the school’s Rhapsody Choir concluded proceedings with their version of Sing by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber, which was warmly received by their audience.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Junior School Review The self-confidence these opportunities create is easy to see. It is always commented on how politely the children speak to members of the public on open days, trips and visits and how exemplary their behaviour is. All of this reflects and enhances our school aim for all pupils to be achieving their individual excellence throughout his or her educational journey at school.

Again, as has become Highclare tradition, J6 across the school were challenged to become business people with the Young Enterprise Challenge in the summer term. Each site celebrated their achievements which culminated in an afternoon where parents were invited into school to view, buy and sample the goods that J6 had produced. See our report on Page 27 including photos. They raised a staggering amount of over £2,000 for our charity. Without the children’s determination and desire to succeed, these days would not have taken place. J6 were, quite rightly, extremely proud of themselves.

Where on earth has the past academic year gone? Highclare St Paul’s and Highclare Woodfield continue to be hubs of endless energy, learning and excitement. Watching the children come into school each day with smiles and laughter is the reason that we, as educationalists, get out of bed each day! The love of learning and the constant inquisitive nature of the children fill us all with joy and we nurture this as a precious gift. We want all of our children to achieve their individual excellence in whichever area they thrive and to watch them succeed is absolutely amazing.

The motivation and many talents of the children are incredible. Our Take Charge initiative is well-embedded within the Junior Schools now and it has become our mantra. Assemblies and lessons have been delivered on the different themes and there are displays all around the school referring to Take Charge – there is no escaping it! This year, the children have really begun to apply the meaning of Take Charge to their lessons, extra-curricular activities and personal lives. It has been a pleasure to see.

Again this year, every child from Pre-School to J6 has taken part in numerous performances from class assemblies to Christmas productions which included a visit from some very friendly OFSTED inspectors. The ever popular Grandparents' Afternoons, Carol Concert combined with the Senior School and the choir performing at the Gracechurch shopping centre all gave our children opportunities to show off their beautiful singing voices. The newly introduced musical recitals at the Senior School, including that unforgettable Samba drum performance, really showcased the ever growing musical talent within the Junior Schools. The Junior show stopper productions of Super Stan at Highclare St Paul’s and Scheherazade at Highclare Woodfield again wowed the audiences and created memories that the children will never forget.

House competitions, such as designing a Christmas card, decorating the Christmas trees, a talent show and in many areas of sport mean that every child has the opportunity to represent their house and feel part of a successful team. For the older junior children there is also the opportunity to represent their school in local, regional and, in some cases, national events, such as in ISA triathlons and cross country festivals. Sports Days this year were an excellent example of the two Junior School sites coming together as one school. The day (the junior pupils in the morning and the infant pupils in the afternoon) was filled with inspiring examples of team work, outstanding sportsmanship and a chance for us to recognise natural talents enhanced by hard work. This year’s Sports Days were enhanced by the change in location to Wyndley Leisure Centre. The professional facilities available really gave our pupils the opportunity to perform to their best ability. It also enabled our supporters to be covered from the elements and make the most of the local coffee house!

Our year finished with the annual Junior Schools Prize Giving, which took place at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall. Pupils from J3 to J6 performed some of their best musical and drama pieces for guest of honour, Mr Neil Roskilly, Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Schools Association. He commended the school, and particularly the pupils, for their dedication and excellent successes,handing Form Prizes and Progress Prizes to each year group.

Ms Broder conducted the finale of the evening with the whole Junior School joining together to sing When I grow up (from the Musical – Matilda).

We are so proud of all our pupils in Highclare Junior Schools who always strive to give of their best in all that they do.Their love of learning and continuing desire to be independent learners will ensure that they are exceptionally wellprepared for the ‘real world’ in the years to come. One of the greatest gifts we can give to a child is independence. Knowing they can move forward confidently armed with the skills and knowledge to adapt to given circumstances will take them far. This may be daunting for both us and them, but we have to let them try things for themselves. We have to pass the control to them and, under the guidance and love of their parents and their teachers, they will thrive. This is what we do at Highclare each and every day and we thank you in all that you do to support us in this.

We are already looking forward to the new academic year and all the opportunities it will bring for the Highclare community.

Mrs Polly Bennett Head, Highclare Junior Schools

Junior Prize Giving The annual Junior Schools Prize Giving took place at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall with many guests, parents and friends.

Pupils from throughout the Highclare Junior Schools, J3 to J6 performed some of their best musical and drama pieces for Guest of Honour, Mr Neil Roskilly, Chief Executive Officer of the Independent Schools Association. He commended the school and particularly the pupils for their dedication and excellent successes, handing Form Prizes and Progress Prizes to each year group.

Dr Luker and Mrs Bennett addressed parents and guests and Ms Broder conducted the finale of the evening with the whole Junior School joining together to sing ‘When I grow up’ (from the Musical – Matilda).

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Senior School Sports Review The Senior School pupils had a very successful year of sporting achievements, covering a range of different sporting disciplines. This included some new team sports and some amazing individual performances. Here we feature some of our results:

Cross Country

Swimming Our pupils from U3 and L4 continue to receive regular swimming lessons, and teams for the Independent School’s Association competitions are chosen from the whole school. ISA results:Yr 7 Girls 11th, Yr 7 Boys 4th, Yr 8 Girls 4th, Yr 8 Boys 3rd, Yr 9/10 Girls 1st, Yr 9/10 Boys 4th , Overall Girls 6th, Overall Boys 3rd

Our athletes competed in a Sutton schools race at Bishop Vesey and the ISA Midlands event at Bedstone College.

Caitlin on her way to victory in the ISA U16 Girls race & proudly displaying her gold medal Our other top 10 finishers Dan, Alex and Jack qualified to represent the Midlands at the ISA National event.

Netball ISA National Swimmers Alex, Adin & Harriet with their respective medals

Football This year our teams competed in the ESSFA Leagues with final results: U12 9th, U13 6th, U14 4th , U16 6th - pictured our U14 team

Our teams played in the Sutton Schools League, KS4 won 2, drew 2, lost 2, KS3 won 2, lost 2, KS3 Sports hall League won 1, lost 5.

Pictured our U16 team

Athletics At the ISA Athletics at Alexander Stadium there were some special performances resulting as follows: Year 7 Girls 6th, Year 7 Boys 4th, Year 8/9 Girls 5th, Year 8/9 Boys 7th, Year 10/11 Girls 1st Year 10 Boys 5th , Overall Girls 2nd, Overall Boys 7th Olivia 5th in the long jump & 6th in the 200m, Leon 4th in the discus, (Pictured), Caitlin 5th in 1500m & 7th in the 300m, Katie collecting her triple jump bronze medal

Indoor Athletics Year 8 Girls Team 2nd , Year 8 Boys Team 4th, Year 7 Girls Team 4th , Year 7 Boys Team 4th

Triathlon This was a new venture for our boys and all 7 completed the course – well done !

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Junior School Sports Review The sport played and enjoyed by the children in the Junior Schools in 2016 – 2017 resulted in a very successful year. Highclare Junior Schools participated in a wide variety of events across all age ranges and included In-house competitions, like the Infant gala, ISA team and individual successes and new fixtures against other independent schools. This year saw a rise in the amount of inclusive fixtures where all boys and girls played at one point and being able to offer all pupils the chance to represent their school and play against schools of similar ability is crucial in fostering the caring, inclusive yet competitive environment we promote at Highclare.

We participated in many ISA tournaments. Yet again, our swimmers performed superbly well in the regional gala which saw five Highclare pupils qualify to represent the Midlands at the Olympic Pool in London (Bethany Roberts, Liberty Mackenzie, Hugh Mason-Williams, William Deacon and Rosie Deacon) where they continued to impress and win medals. Continuing with swimming, the Highclare team selected from Years 3 – 6 had galas with Ratcliffe College and Grace Dieu, winning both.

A real highlight for our footballers came in the ISA U11 National Football 5-a-side finals in March 2017 in Market Bosworth. Highclare Juniors had qualified for this competition earlier in the year with our 4th place at the regional tournament. Twenty-four schools from all over England had travelled to the tournament, made up of 4 groups of 6 schools.

Highclare played super football all day and finished 5th place overall in a national final; a tremendous achievement.

Besides the traditional sports always played at Highclare (football, rugby, cricket, hockey, netball and rounders) children have really embraced the emphasis placed on cross – country running. At the beginning of many lessons at Highclare Sports Field and across the Junior sites, lessons often begin with children trying to improve their times in running and improving their overall fitness. A huge highlight for the school was its success at a local independent school cross-country winning three out of four team trophies with 5 individual medallists (Chloe Pike, Ruby Newman, Rosie Deacon, William Stead and William Deacon). In athletics, a special mention should go to William Stead, who represented the Midlands in the National Finals at the Alexandra Stadium whose excellent long-distance running is recognised.

Sports Day saw Highclare Junior Schools hold this event at Wyndley Track this year and was a huge success all round. It was a wonderful opportunity to give the children the chance to participate at such a great venue which was well attended by parents.

Our Junior children were competing for the House cups, won this year by York, and of course for individual successes. In year 6, there was the prize for overall best athlete on the day in the Victrix Ludorum and Victor Ludorum trophies which were won by Alice Griffiths and Edward Bickley respectively. Everyone who completed the long distance run during the day was awarded a ‘finisher’ medal which was a lovely momento and reward for their efforts.

In the afternoon, our Infant children participated in their Sports Day. There was a mixture of events for everyone to try and they could get a real taste of what to expect when they compete in Juniors. It was fantastic to see so many children adorned with a colourful array of stickers where the emphasis is very much on fair play, taking part and doing your best.

William Stead at Alexander Stadium

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Music and Drama Review

In Highclare Senior School, we’ve had a very busy year with many memorable trips, events and concerts. We started the year with some fantastic performances at Speech Night. Ozgur Unlu in U4 performed a beautiful solo, whilst the Senior Choir and Rhapsody Chamber Choir joined forces for a wonderful rendition of Sing by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber. At the end of the proceedings HighC Jazz Band played the very uplifting Boogie Woogie composed by our very own Mrs Okeghie.

As Christmas approached, Rhapsody Chamber and Highclare Junior Schools Choir began the festive season with carol singing in The Gracechurch Centre in Sutton Coldfield.

Christmas Ensemble Concert Highclare Junior and Senior choirs and ensembles performed in a fantastic evening of musical delight to celebrate Christmas at the end of term. The evening was enjoyed by a packed hall of parents, teachers and friends and included many of their favourite songs and performances. A prelude to the Junior and Senior Carol Service at St Michael’s Church in the last week of term, this really enhanced the Christmas atmosphere and showcased many talented musicians.

The spring term was equally busy with trips to Symphony Hall for U3 and the L5 and U5 GCSE Music groups to watch the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in concert.

A Night on Broadway On the 23rd March the Drama and Music departments collaborated to present A Night on Broadway, a wonderful evening which featured show stopping performances of drama, dance and musical numbers from past and present Broadway and West End shows, including Sweeney Todd, Blood Brothers, Footloose, Annie, Matilda, Woman in Black and High School Musical. The evening was a true celebration of the outstanding work of the school music ensembles, drama and dance groups. It was enhanced by our Guest of honour, Jack Dromey, MP, who took time out from his schedule in Parliament to join the audience.

As summer approached the senior ensembles and choirs prepared for their final performance of the year. In June we welcomed the pupils from Highclare Junior Schools for a Senior Music Showcase. It was a real celebration of music at Highclare School and the fantastic achievements of all those who have played and sang in one of the many ensembles and choirs.

As a final reward for all those who have participated with commitment and relentless enthusiasm in the extra-curricular programme at the senior school, we finished the year with a trip to watch the highly entertaining Addams Family Musical at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham. What a wonderful end to fantastic year! Thank you so much to the wonderful music department staff, without whom, none of the above would have been possible.

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Ballet Performances in Assembly The parents of the children in Reception, J1 and J2 at Highclare Junior Schools who attend ballet lessons were invited to see them perform in Assembly.

They started with a warm up exercise for legs, feet, fingers and hands followed by a demonstration of their understanding of postures, elevation for jumps, transfer of weight, clapping and moving in time with the music. They finished with a port de bras. The children showed great concentration and focus. Their smiles showed their enjoyment of their new skill.

Music for Youth Primary Prom

The Amazing Adventures of SuperStan

J3 and J4 pupils had the opportunity to go to Symphony Hall in Birmingham to see young people from all over the country aged 8 – 18 perform at the Music for Youth Primary Prom. The concert was absolutely fantastic, every performance was of an extremely high standard and the children were mesmerised throughout. They heard a range of genres of music such as Japanese drumming, Big Band, West End and folk music. The radio 3 presenter Tom Redmond, who was compering the concert, made the whole audience participate in a rhythmic composition that filled the hall and the energy was electric.

Highclare St Paul’s performed The Amazing Adventures of SuperStan in February.

J6 led the production with the main parts and brought much comedy to the performance. The story is one of a clumsy boy, played by Alexandra Schulz, who transforms into a superhero named SuperStan, portrayed by Bethany Roberts. The villain of the performance, played by Imaan Puri, is the evil Candy King whose plan it is to take over the world. However the show would not have been the same without Gran (portrayed by Isabella Taylor), the comedy duo (played by Ronav Jain and Hannah Batey), the backstage crew and everyone else too.

Classical Spectacular

Scheherezade

The young musicians of Highclare Junior Schools gave an unforgettable performance in a ‘Classical Spectacular’. The evening was held at Highclare Senior School, giving pupils and parents from Highclare Junior Schools the opportunity to perform in the extensive surroundings of the Senior School, with its rich history of being Erdington Abbey.

The annual production this year at Highclare Woodfield was the spectacular story, Scheherazade. The story was set in Arabia, where the Princess, Scheherazade, told the tales of a thousand nights. The children all rose to the occasion and performed with great gusto. The evening included wonderful songs, amazing dance routines and Oscar worthy acting. A brilliant showcase of Woodfield’s talents!

All the instrumental ensembles gave outstanding performances, and a selection of soloists entertained a packed audience of family and friends with a wide variety of musical styles. J6's Samba was a firm favourite and the Junior School Choir sang with much energy and enthusiasm. They were led by the superb instrumental teaching staff, who not only helped prepare their ensembles for the performance but who were an inspiration to the students and made the concert one to remember.

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Art & Technology Senior School pupils meet an author from the Alumni Mrs Moore, Head of Highclare Senior School, welcomed author and former pupil of Highclare, Kam Verdee, to talk to pupils about the world of writing.

Kam enjoyed meeting U3 and L4 pupils during the morning before hosting a drop-in session in the learning centre. The librarian team and other year groups were given the opportunity to ask questions and focused on what had inspired Kam to write fiction. She was enthusiastic about her life at Highclare School and the role it has played in her career. Pupils were curious and also asked about the processes involved in writing a book and its publication.

Highclare Achieves Superb Results in the 2016 ISA Midlands Art Competition Highclare students from both senior and junior schools achieved noteworthy success in the 2016 ISA Midlands Art competition. Highclare received a total of 7 mentions in the awards with 3 first place wins and 4 highly commended results in total.

A first prize went to Ruby Newman in the KS2 individual 3D category, whilst Danny Tiwana snapped top prize in the KS3/4 photography category. This is the second year running that Highclare has scooped the top prize in this section. Harry Singh also achieved first place in the KS3/4/5 fashion category.

We were delighted that Harry Singh's collection of scarf designs, Fluidity, were mentioned by judge Tony Cowland in his report about the competition: "Hand-eye co-ordination had been mastered and demonstrated, not only in the figurative paintings and drawings but also in the fashion section where the digitally coloured scarves were impressively completed."

2016 has seen the continuation of our highly successful photographic and digital pattern workshops in school and we are particularly proud that the achievements of the students in these areas have been recognised in this prestigious competition.

A Level Art by Stephanie O’Shea & Marianne Hughes

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GCSE Art Exhibition June 2017 Review by Mariyah Aslam (U4) In the GCSE Art exhibition the work of 7 students was displayed, showing a range of styles and designs. Many students had chosen to work using digital media. The portfolios were personal and creative using different themes interpreted in their own way.

The pieces by Urooj Ayyub were particularly eye-catching. She did two different projects. One was based on plant shapes which were developed into something more detailed and unique. She experimented with a variety of colours ranging from metallics to black and white and bright colours. This was a good technique as it shows different ideas and ways of interpreting something. Her final piece was elegant and displayed a lot of time and effort.

The art exhibition pieces were very different and personal to the students. Each display portrayed a different meaning depending on how you interpreted it. All together I was amazed by how much effort had been put into each page in their art sketchbooks to then produce a finished product, which had been developed through the time given.

Junior Art Competition 2017 In the spring term, we were excited to launch our third annual Junior Art Competition “Future Framed” to local primary schools.

The competition seeks to showcase the creative talents of aspiring young artists and we were once again impressed with both the volume and quality of the entries we received from many local Primary Schools, including our two Highclare Junior Schools.

This year, the pupils were invited to create a piece of artwork based on their personal vision of the future. The entries were diverse, with submissions showing potential careers, futuristic cityscapes, intergalactic travel and alien encounters. The pupils worked in a range of media such as ink, crayon, paint and collage to realise their ideas.

The pupils were invited to attend a special award exhibition in June when the winner was announced

by Dr. Luker. The winning entry ‘ Holidays on the Moon’ by Isobel Davies, from Four Oaks Primary School, gave a wonderful glimpse into the family vacations we might all be taking later this century.

Senior School DT U3’s created unique key fobs from acrylic using simple hand tools and thermoforming techniques.

Inspired by this year’s theme of “Sustainability” L4 used renewable materials to create products to help others reuse and recycle paper.

Although we can’t predict the future, we can be certain that the competition will return to seek out new talent in 2018!

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STEM Mathematical Achievements Junior Maths Challenge Congratulations to the gifted mathematicians who were entered in the Junior Mathematical Challenge. This is a nationally recognised challenge and only the top 40% of students receive a certificate. The top 6% receive gold, the next 13% silver and the next 21% bronze.

A gold certificate was awarded to: Warren Koh, U3 (Best in school) A silver certificate was awarded to: James Pearson, U3 A bronze certificate was awarded to: Toby Walton, L4

Intermediate Mathematical Challenge Achievements Congratulations to the gifted mathematicians who were entered in the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge.

Again, this is a nationally recognised challenge with only the top 40% of students receiving a certificate.

MyMaths Silver Using Certificates were awarded to: in Donaghue, Maths Surgery Samuel L5 and Ainara Zubialde Alonso, U4.

A Bronze certificate was awarded to: Adi Swaminathan, L5 These are great achievements, well done to you all.

Senior pupils enjoy digital research Pupils in Senior School have been using iPads in some of their lessons. U4 geographers recently used them as part of their investigations into population change. Pupils were able to use live population clocks to calculate the rates of natural increase in different parts of the world. Once they had worked out patterns of change, they were able to suggest reasons for the differences observed and to research the reasons for these.

GCSE Science Live Twenty students from L5 attended GCSE Science Live at the Symphony Hall in Birmingham. They were treated to a day of interesting lectures from some eminent scientists on a range of science topics. Professor Mark Miodownik spoke about materials and the importance of reducing waste and being able to recycle objects such as mobile phones. Professor Alice Roberts (presenter of TV series such as Coast, Ice Age Giants and The Incredible Human Journey) explained how evolution could be better understood by studying the skeletons of animals. As ever, Professor Andrea Sella gave a very engaging lecture on the amazing properties of ice, which included a very loud explosion! Dr Maggie Aderin Pocock (presenter of The Sky at Night) explained why she wants to travel to Mars and how it may soon be possible to do so. To finish off the day, Professor Jim Al-Khalili (presenter of many scientific programmes on the BBC) discussed worm holes and the possibilities of time travel. The day presented many ideas which generated lots of questions.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Eight L5 pupils attended a Discovery Day at Birmingham University's School of Engineering and Physical Sciences. They took part in workshops on robotics, medical engineering, mathematics and particle physics. They all had a great day and an insight into studying STEM subjects at university.

In the particle physics workshop, pupils analysed data from CERN and two of the Highclare pupils won prizes for correctly identifying the Higgs-Boson particle.

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Sixth Form Work Experience Mindshop Excellence: Hollywood Monster

In October myself and 7 other pupils were given the opportunity of a lifetime to gain valuable work experience during our two week half term. Jason Langford-Brown and Mindshop Excellence gave us the chance to work in a real business, 9am-5pm, dealing with real problems and coming up with a solution to them on our own. On Monday we were greeted by all of the Hollywood Monster employees and Jason himself, and we were placed in a Boardroom which, for the rest of the week, was to be our own area and where we would be working 9-5 for the rest of the week. That first day consisted of learning business techniques such as Pareto Analysis and the Decision Matrix, techniques which would turn out to be vital in the coming days as, after Monday, we were left on our own without supervision!

On Tuesday we were given our brief and what objectives we had to help us attain our goal. After this the day consisted of putting some of the techniques into action.

Some of them involved the use of mind maps and ‘the magic wand technique’. We had access to all necessary data and the staff were on hand and willing to answer any questions we asked of them.

On Wednesday we were involved in progressing the work we had started on the previous day, using different techniques such as the RCB and the Pareto analysis, to really delve into the logistics of the business and, as a team, we worked together in an effort to create solutions.

U6 students attend the Tectonic Hazards Conference Professor Iain Stewart, known as geology’s ‘rock star’ and well known to the public as presenter of BBC science programmes such as Earth: the Power of the Planet and Volcano Live, was one of the speakers at this year’s Tectonic Hazards Conference held in London. U6 geographers found his presentation on mitigation of earthquake hazards to be particularly entertaining and informative. With six other fantastic presentations from university professors and chief examiners, the group gained great insight into the subjects discussed and came away with lots of tips and additional notes for their forthcoming examinations. After a 6am start and six hours of lectures it was then time to visit Oxford Street for a study of the impact of Black Friday on pedestrian numbers (or really just to start our Christmas shopping!)

On Thursday we had the foundations of the solutions that we needed for the final presentation and all that was left to do was to solidify them, work on the PowerPoint, and make adjustments to the report.

Friday was the last day of our work experience at Hollywood Monster and entailed us presenting our ideas and findings to the whole Board of Directors! Although this was a daunting and nerve-racking experience, I am delighted to report that we all pulled through and managed to display and convey our thoughts to the Board in a really business-like manner for which we received an incredible response.

All the pupils involved are so grateful to have been involved in this initiative because we feel that we have learned much more than we would have at most other work experience placements. On behalf of all concerned, I would like to extend my thanks to Mr Langford-Brown, the Board of Directors at Hollywood Monster and Mindshop Excellence for giving us this opportunity.

Tom West L6

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Humanities Visit to the House of Commons A group of Highclare U5 and L6 students, together with Head of Law, Mrs Embury, travelled to London to take part in the Erdington Youth Parliament event courtesy of Jack Dromey MP. During the day, our young people were engaged in various discussion groups which focused on such pertinent issues as youth unemployment; homelessness and the effects of Brexit on young people in particular. Our young people threw themselves into the experience and contributed well to the group discussions.

As a result of the Brexit discussion and a request to understand more about what it entails for young people, Jack Dromey has promised to visit local schools in the near future to deliver a talk on the subject. He confirmed that he is very anxious that all young people are as wellinformed as possible about a future outside the EU. Students also spent over an hour in the company of The Right Honourable John Bercow MP, the Speaker of the House of Commons, whom they found to be very informative and engaging.

The group reported that they thoroughly enjoyed their day and are extremely grateful to have been part of this wonderful experience

Bonjour !

Pupils from U3 and L4 recently enjoyed a very successful and sunny 4 day trip to Normandy. As in previous years they stayed in the picturesque Château du Molay not far from Bayeux.

Highlights from the trip included visits to the D-Day landing beaches; they went to both the American and German cemeteries and the D-Day museum in Arromanches; a visit to the Caramel D’Insigny factory and the town of Bayeux.

Whilst in the market town of Bayeux the students viewed the world famous tapestry and were able to try out their French skills in the shops and at the market stalls.

During their social time at the chateau the Senior School pupils were treated to a French crêpes and apple juice evening, a disco, and activities such as the blind trail and the egg protector challenge, followed by a trip to the local bowling alley.

The trip was voted a great success, helping not only with the pupils' command of the French language, but history too and developed many long term friendships.

Senior School pupils granted an audience with royalty L4 pupils were granted an exclusive interview with ‘Queen Elizabeth I’ at the royal castle of Tutbury. They were treated to a series of interesting facts and stories about her life and times and were able to handle artefacts from the Tudor period, including a real execution sword! They were also able to learn about the history of the castle before being allowed to thoroughly explore the castle grounds for themselves.

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U3 Joint Religious Studies and Geography Fieldtrip to Lichfield The Geography and Religious Studies Departments jointly organised a very successful trip to Lichfield. The students spent time learning key geographical fieldwork skills based around Lichfield centre including surveying land use types, comparing the quality of different environments around Lichfield and carrying out surveys to find out why people visit Lichfield. The pupils later returned to school to analyse their findings.

As part of the Religious Studies curriculum of Christianity, our pupils visited Lichfield Cathedral and had a guided tour.

The fascinating history of the cathedral was described and some students tried out being a bishop!

The general public of Lichfield were very friendly and complimented the pupils for their smart appearance and good manners!

Geography Fieldwork The Geography Department organised a very successful trip to Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire for the L4 pupils. They spent time learning about river processes of erosion, deposition and transportation and the key features of a river from our helpful guides working for the National Trust. In groups, they then undertook various river studies including velocity testing and depth and width of the river channel. After lunch, the students took part in a successful orienteering session around Carding Mill Valley and several students completed the course in the time set. All in all it was an excellent day.

L5 geographers have successfully completed their physical geography fieldwork for the new GCSE specification. They enjoyed a highly successful day of data collection at Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire, where pupils investigated fluvial processes and changes in long and cross profile as they moved down the valley.

As part of their A level curriculum studies, L6 geographers enjoyed a five day residential visit to the Cranedale Centre in North Yorkshire. Their studies included emotional mapping and consideration of artistic representation of place in Scarborough, and an investigation into carbon and water cycles in two contrasting drainage basins in Dalby Forest. Included in the trip were visits to the Holderness Coast which were particularly useful for students as this area is the focus of their AS coastal work in the classroom. Mrs Suzanne Cassell, Assistant Head of Highclare Senior School, said, “The trip was a fantastic success and the behaviour of the students was impeccable. We were very lucky indeed with the weather and it has proved to be a great learning experience.�

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Highclare Sports Field Launch Event

Highclare School chose a lovely July afternoon to celebrate the acquisition of its fourth site, Highclare Sports Field.

With the support of guests from other local schools, governors, local business men, Councillors, and the Mayor of Sutton Coldfield, Cllr David Pears, pupils engaged in an exciting inter-house competition in Rounders, Soft Ball and Kwik Cricket. Other sports personalities supporting the afternoon included Sir Doug Ellis, President of Aston Villa F.C. and Richard Sneekes, Highclare’s Sports Teacher and Manager for Sutton Town F.C.

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Dr Luker, Headmaster, said, “We are delighted to have taken over the management of this facility which is conveniently placed centrally between all three Highclare sites. Sport is always a high priority for pupils at Highclare School and this opens up many new opportunities.

Additionally, we are also delighted to be able to make it available to the local community. Indeed, a number of local schools and clubs are already using the newly enhanced sports facilities.”

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Over the summer period the school plans to invest in a new cricket wicket at the Sports Field which will enhance the facilities and provide new opportunities in the sport for both boys and girls.

Outside of the times needed by Highclare School, Highclare Sports Field is available for use by the local community by arrangement with the school’s Business Manager

Highclare Sports Field, Braemar Road, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham B73 6LN

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Junior School News J3 discover the past, investigate the present and journey to the edge of the universe Budding scientists in J3 enjoyed a day of discovery and excitement when they visited Thinktank, part of the Birmingham Science Museum at Millennium Point. The pupils were fascinated by Thinktank Planetarium which hosts a wide range of shows on space and astronomy. They enjoyed a tour around the night sky, adventures within the solar system and journeyed to the edge of the universe. The Science Garden was also very popular and the children loved the hands-on activities, exploring renewable energy, water power, transportation and construction in the outdoor discovery space. The whole day was a fantastic chance for J3 pupils to discover the past, investigate the present and find out about the future

Life Skills and British Values Week During the first week of March, Highclare Junior Schools enjoyed a week of fun and informative workshops aimed at teaching the pupils useful life skills and British values.

A timetable of sessions enabled the children to experience all the activities offered throughout the week. These included: • Dental hygiene • Good manners and etiquette • Safety in the home • Budgeting • Personal hygiene and handwashing • First aid • A Q&A session with a GP (Dr Gunputh, J4P) • An afternoon walk to Sutton park from Highclare St Paul’s • Real life maths using Smarties.

• A visit from a dietician (Mrs Bal, Highclare St Paul’s) The week culminated with a Life Skills Quiz at Highclare Woodfield on the topics they had covered during the week.

J4 Taster Day Our J4 pupils attended a wonderful Experience Day at Highclare Senior School. The day was organised as part of the awareness programme offered to Highclare Junior pupils in plenty of time prior to their move to Senior Schools. Staff and pupils aimed to give them every opportunity to become familiar with the Senior School environment. Mrs Moore, Head of Highclare Senior School, welcomed the children in the morning and they had the pleasure of seeing and feeling what life in the Senior School is like. The pupils enjoyed taster lessons in Drama, delivered by Mrs Sharman-Everton, Science, delivered by Mrs Trotter and Food and Nutrition delivered by Mrs Cobbold.

After an exciting morning, pupils and their teachers enjoyed a yummy hot dog lunch followed by Chef’s wonderful chocolate brownies! Everyone is looking forward to seeing J4 in Senior School again soon.

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Ancient Egypt Pupils in J3 were fascinated by their history topic, Ancient Egypt. They have discovered how and when the Ancient Egyptian Kingdom was founded by King Narmer, the importance of the River Nile to the Egyptian people, as well as investigating the development of pyramids, Egyptian burial ceremonies and, of course, the mummification process. The children thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Birmingham Museum to see the artefacts on display, including household objects, jewellery, statues, and examples of real mummies, including one of a cat! During the workshops, the children were able to handle some of the artefacts and play the part of museum curator by photographing and cataloguing them, but the highlight of the visit was taking part in a mummification and weighing Mrs Lowther’s heart, to see whether she had led a good life. Sadly, the children decided that she had not so, rather than pass to the afterlife, a fierce crocodile ate her heart!

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J4 Maths Challenge

Bones Don’t Lie

Two teams of mathematicians from J4 travelled to Wrekin College to compete in the annual Maths Challenge. Representing Highclare Junior School and competing against 50 other schools, the children took part in a variety of mathematical puzzles and challenges during the afternoon. Their teachers, Mrs Lawson and Miss Russell, were proud of how the children represented the school and were particularly impressed with all four teams finishing in the top ten

The children in J5 took part in a History outreach workshop which was led by Jonathan Davies from King Edward’s School. During this workshop, the children discovered the Saxon world through what they left behind in their graves. They studied photographs of graves and discussed what the remains of the humans and their possessions could mean. The children also made fabulous models of Anglo-Saxon buildings.

BBC Live Science lesson J5 took part in a live science lesson, hosted by the BBC as an introduction to their Terrific Scientific nationwide campaign. The lesson, based on electricity, was streamed live over the internet to schools around the country. During the lesson, the children found out how an electric current travels around a circuit and which materials are good at conducting electricity. The children also discovered what it takes to be a ‘terrific scientist’. J5 is now looking forward to getting involved in the next phase of the campaign when they will have the opportunity to put all their scientific knowledge to the test and carry out investigations, inputting and sharing their results with others around the country.

Reliving the sights and sounds of the 1940’s J6 pupils were transported back to the Second World War part of their history curriculum. With the help of staff at Whittington Barracks, the home of the Staffordshire Regiment, they were able to immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of 1940s Britain. They were given the opportunity to see some of the weapons that were used and to experience some time in the trenches.

Closer to home they were introduced to food rationing and then learned about the Blitz and the importance of evacuation, as well as sitting in an Anderson shelter anticipating an air-raid. At the end of a very enjoyable and unusual day, everyone made it home unscathed and all agreed they had had a wonderful time and felt they knew a lot more about those who had experienced life during World War ll.

J6 pupils visit The Houses of Parliament Woodfield pupils in J6 travelled to London to spend a day at the Houses of Parliament. They enjoyed a tour of the Palace of Westminster which included Westminster Hall and the Central Lobby. The children were introduced to the Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell, Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield, and they were also able to witness a parliamentary debate in progress from the public gallery of the House of Commons. After the tour, J6 participated in a workshop explaining the process of elections and voting. They held their own general elections with 4 different parties putting forward their manifestos and election slogans. Voting then took place and the Members of Parliament for each constituency were elected.

The winning party then selected their Prime Minister.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Early Years at Highclare School Good Behaviour in Pre-School The children in Pre-School 1 have been learning about good behaviour and following rules. They have created a sunshine tree to celebrate being kind and friendly, sharing and turn taking and being sensible and helpful.

Later in the term the children made ‘Firework’ hats using pipe cleaners and tissue paper as part of their Celebrations topic.

Pre-School 2 children settled into their new classes very quickly and enjoyed the fine autumn weather. During a beautiful, sunny autumn week they ventured outdoors into the wilds! Wearing water-proofs and wellington boots everyone was encouraged to take part in many outdoor activities. These included making mud pies in the kitchen, searching for hidden gold coins and painting trunks of trees, as well as a bug hunt and den building.

The day was full of exploration and concluded with a visit to the playground where the local ducks watched us play and climb.

Maths in Pre-School can be so much fun when you take it outside. The Bees and the Butterflies wore suitable clothing and explored the outdoor environment on different days. After completing some exercises in the classroom and finding examples of shapes on the Interactive whiteboard, every pupil selected a 2-D shape. In small groups they explored the outdoor areas around Highclare Woodfield

A Dentist’s visit to Reception Class During our topic about Ourselves, we learned about our bodies and how to be healthy.

Mrs Birch-Kapur came to visit our class. She is a dentist and came to teach us about looking after our teeth. It was great fun because she brought all sorts of dentist things for us to try. We looked into each other’s mouths to count our teeth and learned how to clean teeth properly. Next we tried cleaning some big plastic teeth with the special toothbrushes. The last challenge was to sort food into two groups: good for teeth and bad for teeth. Mrs Birch-Kapur gave us a super goodie bag each with toothpaste, a toothbrush and a sticker chart to record our tooth brushing at home. So expect to see Reception Class sporting nice shiny smiles.

Languages Day in Reception The children in Reception had lots of fun on European Languages Day. They talked about what a language is and learned the song Hello to All the Children of the World.

Reception’s country was Denmark. They learned about Denmark’s flag which is called Dannebro.

The class also talked about things which come from Denmark. Everyone knew about Lego and Legoland. The children all made a hat which sported the Dannebro flag, as seen in the photograph. To end the day the children sang and danced to the Danish song, Jeg gik mig over sø og land, which means ‘I walked me over sea and land.’

Sea Life J1 pupils had a wonderful day at the Sea Life Centre. After learning all about rock pools in Science, they were keen to explore the real rock pools and were very excited to touch a starfish. The penguins proved very popular, as did the sharks in the underwater tunnel.

The children were also lucky enough to go behind the scenes to find out how the various creatures were fed and cared for.

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Treasure Island As part of their Science topic, Treasure Island, J1R were asked to think about what would be needed for survival on a desert island. They agreed that food, water and shelter were the most important things, but the children thought of lots of other ideas, such as writing a message for help, starting a fire and making a raft. They enjoyed a very exciting afternoon in which they were tasked with designing and building a shelter. The main aim was to ensure that the shelter was strong and waterproof.

The children displayed fantastic teamwork in their pairs whilst making the shelter, and managed to overcome some very challenging difficulties such as how to get the shelter to stand upright. At the end of the afternoon, they tested each shelter in turn to find out how waterproof and strong it was using a pipette of water to simulate rain and a hairdryer to simulate wind. Congratulations to Romilly Ball and Li Wan who built the most effective shelter overall.

J2 Visit Whittington Barracks J2 visited Whittington Barracks in Staffordshire to launch their topic on War and Remembrance. They were met by Bill who was dressed in full WW1 soldiers’ uniform. The children learned about Robert Keal Powell of the Staffordshire Regiment and enjoyed looking at artefacts and letters that he had written home.

Before leaving the barracks J2 spent time in the WW1 trenches, complete with the sound of gunfire. It was an incredible learning experience.

J1 children began their Moving Pictures designs by creating a simple boat on a stick.

The Great Fire of London Children in J2 have been learning about the Great Fire of London in their History lessons.

The Freshwater Theatre visited to give a fabulous workshop about the fire, which occurred in 1666.

To end the topic, J2 re-enacted the fire in school by decorating boxes in the style of the houses on Pudding Lane. Assisted by Mr Colin at Highclare St Paul’s and Mr Peter at Highclare Woodfield, J2 watched their houses burn and saw how the fire spread quickly along the row of houses that were built very close together. They thoroughly enjoyed this topic and having it brought to life by the re-enactment really helped to visualise how dreadful the fire must have been.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

TOPS Wrap around after school care and holiday scheme

During October half term, children who attended TOPS enjoyed taking part in a different celebration every day.

There was Christmas, Diwali, Eid, Valentine’s Day, Bonfire Night and Thanksgiving but the children’s favourite was Hallowe'en, which included a trip to Wonderland in Telford.

Children who attended the Highclare Junior Schools TOPS Easter holiday scheme had a great time. They enjoyed lots of organised activities which included making animal keyrings, owl magnets and Easter puppets.

There was also an Easter egg hunt and a very impressive Easter bonnet parade. For some of the children a highlight of the week was taking part in a ‘Bring your own bike to school’ day. With lots of space to ride around they took advantage of the fine weather.

The summer half term provided TOPS children with a Fitness Frenzy week, where they learned some Yoga and also how to dance to music from different parts of the world. Everyone enjoyed the Salsa, Zumba and Bhangra dancing.

There was so much to do and see during the summer holiday in TOPS. The children went on trips, made sock monsters, learned how to plant and nurture seeds and more……

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It has been a very busy year for Highclare’s Transport Manager and his team of mini bus drivers.

Highclare School Bus Service

Highclare is proud to operate a regular daily bus service to assist parents with transport to and from all three Highclare sites.

This

currently covers 4 routes originating in Lichfield, Tamworth, Coleshill and Great Barr, but includes pick up points in Aldridge, Streetly, Four Oaks, Shenstone, Mere Green, Walmley and Sutton town centre.

Pupils are personally known by their regular driver who ensures their safety and well being during each journey. Pupils from age 6 years and throughout the age range are accepted on the bus scheme.

New routes are always under consideration and the Transport Manager is happy to talk to parents about specific pick up points.

In addition, the school’s fleet of mini buses is kept busy every school

day with regular bookings to transport pupils to the Highclare Sports Field and to facilitate trips out and around the Midlands area.

Highclare operates its own fleet of mini buses, providing a personalised school bus service from the following areas:

Lichfield

y

Shenstone

Streetly

Irish Harp Pub on Chester Rd

Monmouth Drive Four Oaks

Wa (opposite Parish Church)

Town Centre

Tamwor Whit

Coleshill T

Water Orton

Sutton Coldfield

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Competition News Junior Creative Writing Competition In it’s second year, the English Writing Competition, hosted by Highclare School, saw 83 entries from a variety of local Junior Schools including our Highclare Junior Schools.

Pupils were invited to write a poem about a significant place. The winner was Isobel Parkes from Four Oaks Primary School who received the Highclare Junior School Writers Trophy. Her poem was entitled A Winter Wonderland. The top 3 winners received a book token and all participants received a certificate presented by Dr Luker at a presentation evening in the Senior School.

Winners

Highly Commended Kate Stephens

U4

Joe De Waele

L4

Charlotte Mynard

U4

Toby Walton

L4

Ayisha Iqbal

U3

Amani Palmer-Peters

L4

Ieva Modzeliauskaite

L4

Kaylah Pedro-Ward

L4

Piers Robinson

U4

Destiny Roberts

U4

James Griffiths

L4

Kayleigh Bradley

U3

Lina Bouden

U3

Ozgur Unlu

U4

Haydar Baig

U3

Ainara Zubialde Alonso

U4

Malakai Florey-Meah

U3

Andrea Salinas

L4

Thank you Letter Competition Each year we have participated in a competition run by Birmingham University where students are required to write a thank you letter of their choice. Winners receive Amazon vouchers and national winners are invited to the House of Lords.

Senior House Poetry Competition As part of the national poetry day in October we held a house poetry competition on the theme of messages.

The winners were as follows: First Place

Sommer-Mae Shaw U5 ‘Messages’ York House

Second Place

Pranav Ramesh L4 ‘What Am I?’ Lancaster House

Third Place

James Pearson U3 ‘Messages’ York House

Congratulations !

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Creative Writing Shield Students from U3, L4 and U4 were required to write a story that included a key phrase. The standard was very high and Ainara was the overall winner and will receive the Creative Writing Shield at speech night.

First Prize

Ainara Zubialde Alonso U4

Second Prize

Mariyah Aslam U4

Highly Commended

Sadie Carroll L4, Joe De Waele L4,

Christian Kalavanas U3, Destiny Roberts U4, Safa Arif U4

L5 and U5 students were required to write a story that was based on ‘The charge of the Light Brigade’ by Alfred Tennyson.

Holly’s story was very imaginative and creative and she was successful in winning the Creative Writing Shield this year.

First Prize Holly Hartman Second Prize Abbie Phelps

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Youth Speaks competition Two Senior School teams enjoyed great success in the Youth Speaks competition, organised by the Rotary Club of Wylde Green, with the first round taking place at Pype Hayes Golf Club.

Each team of 3 pupils, spoke for around 10 minutes on their chosen subject and then answered a question from the audience. Highclare B team, comprising Annabella Kalavanas , Jessica Bonner and Laith Baldwin, spoke assertively about the idea that the school curriculum should allow pupils more time for specialist subjects and concentrate less on core subjects. Their speech entitled ‘Can a fish climb a tree?’ provoked further discussions and was very well presented. The Highclare A team comprised, Elis Jackson, Samuel Donaghue and Shiven Pattni, and had to prove themselves on the back of their success last year! This time they asked the question “Is the supernatural just another superstition?” and their lively and dramatic presentation gave them a slight edge, winning the overall prize.

In total 5 teams from schools around Sutton competed in a constructive and convivial atmosphere, with just enough degree of competition to make it entertaining! A very receptive audience of Rotarians, parents and friends enjoyed a fascinating evening, showcasing some of the thoughts and confident presentations by our very talented young people.

Highclare pupil features in Junior Bake Off on CBBC Congratulations to Rosie Deacon in J6 who has taken part in the Junior Bake Off heats on CBBC. She enjoyed meeting last year’s Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain in ‘the tent,’ and said that she is as nice in real life as she is on TV. Rosie baked for her and fellow judge Allegra McEvedy in the show which is hosted by Sam Nixon and Mark Rhodes.

We are all very proud of Rosie so to celebrate her success J6 hosted afternoon tea in her honour whilst watching her TV debut

A 'Bake-off' competition in Senior School Pupils in Highclare Senior School had their very own ‘Bake-Off’ competition in the summer term. The competition was launched at a special assembly by the Head of Food & Nutrition, Mrs A Cobbold.

The ‘Bake-Off’ was organised as a House competition with Pupils competing for the prize of Bake-Off champion.

Two pupils from each of the three houses volunteered to take part. All six pupils did an amazing job of making their Swiss rolls and decorating them beautifully. Dr Luker and Mrs.Moore had the difficult task of judging the entries and the final results were very close.

Issy Davison of York house came first.

Lina Bouden of Tudor came second. Elliott McLoskey of Lancaster came third and James Pearson, Rebekah Olatundun and Harriet Gordon were all highly commended.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Charities & Fund Raising Fundraising for African Space Trust Resulting from the fantastic events and co-ordinated fund raising efforts during 2015 and 2016, the school was able to present its chosen charity with a cheque for £8,986.98p.

Representatives from the charity African Space Trust came to assembly to accept the cheque which will be used in the village in Tanzania to help children in their education. The charity was delighted to learn that Highclare intends to continue fundraising for it for another year.

Burns Night at Highclare School A large group of parents, friends and members of African Space Trust joined teachers and governors at Highclare School to mark the annual Scottish celebration of the anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth and to raise funds for our school charity African Space Trust.

The hall was decked with tartan and Wilson Vale provided the catering which included haggis, neeps and tatties and strawberry shortbread.

The haggis was piped in and once the speeches were over, everyone took to the dance floor and enjoyed dancing to a live Ceilidh band.

Burns Night was a huge success raising £951.30 for African Space Trust.

Pancake Races The children in the Junior Schools had great fun taking part in the Annual Sponsored Pancake Races on Shrove Tuesday in aid of our school charity, African Space Trust. The children received certificates for taking part in the event and a small prize was awarded to the winner from each class. Over £500 has been raised, so a great day for everyone.

Pupils at all three Highclare schools wore their best red outfits and used their greatest entrepreneurial skills to support Red Nose Day. Whilst having fun, they raised a fantastic total of £1,180 which will go directly towards helping the charity.

Dress in RED Day

Amongst their fund raising activities they sold cakes, played games guessing the name of the bear and number of sweets in the jar, and wore some amazing red outfits and noses.

Along with the help of his mum one pupil sold red roses to his fellow pupils ahead of Mothers Day. Guessing the identity of the Teacher from their baby photos also proved a great game!

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Enterprise Day Highclare Junior Schools The J6 pupils held their annual charity fundraising Enterprise Extravaganza days in June. This amazing whole-day event had been planned by J6 pupils who made items to sell on stalls and organised traditional games that were enjoyed by fellow pupils. They welcomed guests, parents and friends to afternoon tea which they hosted as part of this fun day. At Highclare St Paul’s the guests included the Mayor and Mayoress of Sutton Coldfield, Cllr David Pears and Mrs Pears, who had fun judging competitions and presenting prizes. At Highclare Woodfield the Deputy Mayor of Sutton Coldfield joined us and alongside other guests enjoyed the wonderful sunshine while being entertained by talented J6 musicians and eating delicious homemade cakes and scones. Additionally there were opportunities for guests to purchase raffle tickets for a range of exciting prizes, some of which had been donated by football clubs and businesses after the children contacted them. The day was a huge success and raised money for the school charity, African Space Trust.

Children collect items for Erdington Foodbank Pupils at Highclare School have been collecting items for the Erdington Foodbank.

The senior pupils collected essential items for the food parcels that are given to those in need. As part of their Magic of Christmas themed day, children in the junior schools were encouraged to wear their Christmas jumpers and donate 2 small chocolate selection boxes. Approximately 850 selection boxes were donated in total.

The photographs show some of the pupils with their donations and helping to sort food in the warehouse.

Volunteers were very pleased to receive the food and chocolate donations as gifts for families in the Erdington area.

January 2017 We have received a thank you letter from the Aston & Nechells Food Bank following the generous donations of Christmas selection boxes which we sent to the Erdington warehouse. They received a total of 16.4kg of chocolate which in due course will be given out to families and individuals in need. Since April 2016 they have helped 2,345 people including 956 children under the age of 16.

Your support is very much appreciated.

We held raffles on each site leading up to Easter and the junior students have also made a food collection for the Erdington Food Bank which was delivered before Easter.

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Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Headmaster’s Golf Challenge At this event, now in its second year, parents, friends and staff enjoyed a sociable and competitive evening of golf at Walmley Golf Club on a very pleasant evening in June.

Playing in teams, the competitors enjoyed the course which, although centrally located in Sutton Coldfield, hides some beautiful wild life environments and is currently in great condition. It was a very close competition but one team were victorious with a score of 3 under par. The team comprised: Steve Broome, Stuart Johnson, Keith Hopkinson and Richard Luker.

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Thanks must go to Brad Hurst for his helpful organisation and JES Timber and Club & Corporate Wear for their kind sponsorship of prizes. Of course, a big thank you goes to Tim Gilpin, General Manager at Walmley Golf Club for his kind hospitality, providing not only a great golf course but some lovely refreshments and good company.

Thoughts are already turning to the next challenge in 2018 ! Look out for details early in the new year.

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Take Charge Take Charge is a school-wide initiative aimed at embedding the ethos of taking responsibility for your own learning within our daily life throughout the school.

During this academic year it has developed in all areas of school life and is already showing positive results for our pupils.

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29

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

External Examination Results Summer 2017 Congratulations to all Sixth Form and U5 students at Highclare School who celebrated their excellent personal achievements after receiving their examination results in August 2017.

At A Level the overall pass rate achieved was 94% with nearly half of all passes at A*, A and B, not including General Studies.

A further cause for celebration came as they confirmed their entries to a variety of universities and courses, including Head Prefect, Georgia Batchelor who gained her first choice place at Nottingham University to study American Studies and History with others getting places at Leeds, Plymouth, Chester & Coventry to cover Philosophy, History, Maritime Law and Accountancy.

At GCSE students gained some excellent results with another 100% pass rate and 92% of the candidates gaining A* to C grades (or equivalent) in English and Maths.

Congratulations to Lawrie Cox with 9 A*/A grades and Remahn Beckford-Gardner, Jack Walker and Urooj Ayyub both with 8 A*/A grades.

Other excellent results included those by Gabrielle Clarke who passed 10 subjects with 7 at A*/A grades.

Dr Richard Luker, commented, “I am delighted with the results this year, which show a continued high standard of personal achievement from all our students. It is a testament to the encouragement and dedication given by the teaching staff to each individual pupil that they have all achieved their own individual excellence�.

Destination of Leavers Aaminah Azadi

Aston University

Biomedical Science

Georgia Batchelor

Nottingham University

American Studies and History

Pamandeep Dhillon Coventry University

History

Marianne Hughes

University of Chester

History and Psychology

James Johnson

University of Plymouth

Maritime Business and Maritime Law

Alisha Khanna

Nottingham Trent University Accounting and Finance

Stephanie OShea

Leeds University

Philosophy, Psychology & Scientific Thought

Megan Bushell, Louise Chung and Billie O'Shea all chose to take a gap year before the next phase of their journey.

30

Highclare School l The Highclarian l 2016-17

Staff Spotlight This year Highclare staff celebrated with Marie Orton at Highclare St Paul’s as she completed 40 years working at Highclare St Paul’s, which incorporated her time at St Paul’s Convent School.

Marie joined Highclare School as a Teaching Assistant when the school acquired St Paul’s Convent School and has worked continually at the same site for 40 years.

Marie tells us: I was employed in 1977 by Sister Angela Gorman and The Ssisters of Charity of Saint Paul the Apostle.

In I998 the Sisters sold Saint Paul’s to Highclare School and Mrs Janice Booker became Head of Site.

Since then I have worked with three Heads of School, Mrs Hanson, Mrs Viles and today our head is Dr Luker, with Head of Junior Schools, Mrs Bennett.

Over the years I have seen many changes. Many of the children I have been privileged to teach have gone on to have excellent careers and on occasions I have then taught their children!

The site at 88 Lichfield Road, and the special atmosphere there will always have a special place in my heart, and I have no doubt will continue to prosper for many more years.

I wish to thank Dr Luker and the Governors for their kind gift of a travel voucher celebrating my 40 years of service to the schools.

Mrs Janice Booker, Assistant Head (Operations) at Highclare St Paul’s has worked with Marie for much of her time at the school and said “My 20 years of working with Marie is a delight. She is like a second teacher in the room. Always there when you need her. Congratulations Marie, enjoy your travelling”

Highclare School Open Day 2018 Spring / Summer 2018 Saturday 3rd March Thursday 15th March Saturday 17h March Saturday 5th May Thursday 7th June th

Tuesday 19 June & Thursday 21st June

Highclare Senior School Open Day 10.00 am to 12.30 pm

Highclare Woodfield School in Action 9.30 am to 11.30 am

Highclare St Paul’s Open Day 10.00 am to 12.30 pm

Assessment Examinations Thursday 23rd November

11+ Entrance Day and Scholarship Auditions

Tuesday 9th January

Sixth form Scholarship

Friday 9th March

11+ Entrance and Taster Day

Highclare Woodfield Open Day 10.00 am to 12.30 pm

Highclare St Paul’s School in Action 9.30 to 11.30 am

Highclare Senior School School in Action 9.30 – 11.30 am

31

Highclare School Achieving Individual Excellence

(self portaits) Stephanie O’Shea

Marianne Hughes

www.highclareschool.co.uk - enquiries@highclareschool.co.uk 245 Birmingham Road Sutton Coldfield B72 1EA Tel: 0121 355 0194

10 Sutton Road Erdington B23 6QL Tel 0121 373 7400 Fax 0121 373 7445

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88 Lichfield Road Sutton Coldfield B74 2SY Tel: 0121 355 8205